NFL Regular Season Roundup

It’s that time in the NFL—the remaining 12 teams are gearing up for the playoffs as they compete for the Lombardi trophy. Looking back at the 2009 NFL season, who should be considered the favorite to win it all? Who was the worst in football? Read on to find out…

 

Cumulative Power Rankings

    (Based on entire season)

 

1. Indianapolis Colts (14-2) No Tony Dungy, no problem. The Colts fired on all cylinders for 14 weeks, then mailed in the last two. That could be a potential problem heading into the postseason without momentum, but without question, no one was better than Indy all season long.
2. San Diego Chargers (13-3) After a so-so start, San Diego ran off 11 straight victories en route to a first-round bye in the playoffs. Only time will tell if Norv Turner can correct his woeful playoffs record. Phillip Rivers was arguably the second best QB in football this year.
3. New Orleans Saints (13-3) For the first half of the season, New Orleans was probably the best team in football. They’ve lost three straight games, but none of those were meaningful in the standings. Drew Brees ran a high-octane offense, and Jonathan Vilma led a much improved D alongside Darren Sharper.
4. Minnesota Vikings (12-4- The Vikings were able to reinvent their offense to a pass-first style once Brett Favre came on board. With Adrian Peterson and first-time Pro Bowler Sidney Rice also playing well, that O proved to be lethal.
5. Green Bay Packers (11-5) The Pack attack was nearly perfect the second half of the season, and Aaron Rodgers appears hungry for a third chance against Minnesota. Dom Capers did a great job at improving Green Bay’s defense.
6. Dallas Cowboys (11-5) The Cowboys shook off all the naysayers and were the first to take down the Saints. They followed that up a few weeks later with an impressive win over the Eagles that gave them the NFC East crown. Tony Romo quietly threw for over 4,400 yards and 25 touchdowns.
7. Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) DeSean Jackson has emerged as one of the best offensive weapons in the NFL. His speed, coupled with Donovan McNabb’s leadership and Philly’s hard-nosed defense helped the Eagles finish 11-5. They have that Michael Vick guy too. 
8. New England Patriots (10-6) Not exactly an ideal record for the usually top-seeded Patriots, but a three-seed in the AFC is nothing to complain about. The loss of Wes Welker could spell doom for Tom Brady and company next week.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (10-6) The Bengals were definitely the surprise team in football this year. Their defense actually played well above average, and Cedric Benson revived his career at RB. 
10. Baltimore Ravens (9-7) Baltimore gets the nod over Arizona because they played a much tougher schedule, and because their margin of victory was 80 points larger than the Cardinals. 
11. Arizona Cardinals (10-6- Better regular season than last year, but that NFC West division is just too weak for the Cardinals to not win. 
12. New York Jets (9-7) Many wanted to count the Jets out, but that defense under head coach Rex Ryan was enough to get New York a wild-card spot. Mark Sanchez had a very up and down rookie campaign. 
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) No one saw this one coming. The defending champs lost easy games to bad teams, and maybe this proves what many thought all along: Troy Polamalu is the Steelers MVP. The Madden curse continues…
14. Atlanta Falcons (9-7) Considering ATL played without Michael Turner and Matt Ryan during some of their most crucial games, 9-7 isn’t such a bad record. Expect the Falcons to be a playoff contender next year. 
15. Houston Texans (9-7) Houston deserves credit for completing their first ever winning season. Still, that running game was atrocious all season long. Steve Slaton may have been the LVP (least valuable player) this year.
16. Tennessee Titans (8-8) Chris Johnson was by far the fantasy football MVP for 2009. The Titans’ revival was in part because of Vince Young’s improved passer rating. Hopefully, Jeff Fisher learned his lesson and won’t start 2010 with Kerry Collins at QB.
17. New York Giants (8-8) The Giants were off to a 5-0 start, appeared to be Super Bowl contenders, then absolutely collapsed. What happened to that defense? Two straight games allowing 40-plus points is unacceptable. 
18. Carolina Panthers (8-8) With Matt Moore at the helm, the Panthers didn’t look like an average football team. They’ve got two 1,100 yard rushers and a good offensive line, but Jake Delhomme cost Carolina multiple victories early on.
19. Denver Broncos (8-8) Denver’s season was a roller coaster ride to say the least. Unfortunately, Josh McDaniels isolated his best player, Brandon Marshall, and may have cost his team a playoff appearance. 
20. Miami Dolphins (7-9) The ‘Phins played like a playoff contender one week, then faltered the next week. They were far too inconsistent to make the postseason. Chad Henne played well, and surprisingly, so did Ricky Williams.
21. San Francisco 49ers (8-8) Mike Singletary certainly had his team playing 110 percent every game, but the 49ers need to add a few pieces on both sides of the ball to make it beyond 8-8. Frank Gore and Vernon Davis were bright spots for San Fran. 
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (7-9) Somehow, the Jags were two games above .500 and fighting for a playoff spot earlier in the season. Eventually, the football gods intervened and brought an average team back to earth.
23. Chicago Bears (7-9) Da Bears underachieved all season, and Jay Cutler had a tendency to throw to the other team. Chicago needs to add a legitimate receiver and find a way to get Matt Forte more involved in 2010.
24. Buffalo Bills (6-10) The Bills were supposed to have an outstanding passing attack, but that plan faltered without a decent QB to throw the ball. At least they have two great RBs (Fred Jackson and Marshawn Lynch) to build around. 
25. Cleveland Browns (5-11) Eric Mangini probably saved his job by running off four straight victories to end the season. Without a true starting QB or much of a defense, it could be more of the same below-average football in Cleveland next year.
26. Oakland Raiders (5-11) For some reason, Oakland beat great teams like Philadelphia, and then lost to bad teams like Washington. I guess nothing should surprise me as long as Al Davis runs the Raiders.
27. Washington Redskins (4-12) Adios, Jim Zorn. The ‘Skins faced front office turmoil for 17 weeks, and were simply a bad football team. They had one of the worst offenses in football, but at least Brian Orakpo was a bright spot.
28. Seattle Seahawks (5-11) Seattle played uninspired football all season long, and it shows in their 5-11 record. Perhaps it’s time to move on from the Matt Hasselbeck era. 
29. Kansas City Chiefs (4-12) Matt Cassell probably wishes he still had the Patriots offensive line in front of him. Jamaal Charles was playing out of his mind by season’s end though, which helped KC knock out the Broncos.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-13) Josh Freeman helped the Bucs avoid a winless season, but Tampa Bay was pretty awful. Still, they had a rookie head coach and a very young team.
31. Detroit Lions (2-14) Hey, they won two more games than last year, and Matt Stafford is no Joey Harrington, so that’s something to be encouraged about.
32. St. Louis Rams (1-15) Congrats on getting Ndamukong Suh, St. Louis.

 

• MVP – Peyton Manning – Best player on the best team in football.

Runners Up: Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Chris Johnson

 

• Defensive Player of the Year – Charles Woodson – Woodson was a lockdown defender on a Green Bay team with a completely different defensive scheme. He narrowly beats out Darren Sharper for this pick.

     Runners Up: Darren Sharper, Elvis Dumervil, Darrelle Revis

 

• Offensive Rookie of the Year – Percy Harvin – Harvin was a dangerous weapon that Brett Favre loved to utilize. He had nearly 800 receiving yards and even finished with 15 rushing attempts.
• Defensive Rookie of the Year – Brian Orakpo – Orakpo was seventh in the NFL with 11 sacks, which also led all rookies. He is one of a handful of rookies who will appear in the Pro Bowl.
• Coach of the Year – Marvin Lewis – Lewis took a Bengals team expected to finish third in the AFC North and led them to a division crown.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

First Quarter NFL Power Rankings

Now that each team has completed the first quarter of the season, it’s time to rank everyone from top to bottom. There’s the best of the best (Giants), and the…well…defeated (Chiefs, Bucs, Rams, Titans).

Read on to find out where your team is ranked.

 

1. New York Giants (5-0)—The Giants will finally be tested this week in their game against the Saints. A win in week six solidifies New York as the team to beat in the NFL. Eli Manning is an underdog MVP with his leadership.
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0)—Peyton Manning and company have obliterated everyone in their path. Who said the Colts were starting to decline? Everyone on the offense is getting touches, and the defense has allowed just 71 points.
3. New Orleans Saints (5-0)—The Saints have looked like a team of destiny thus far. They’ve dismantled the Eagles and Jets, but a convincing win over the Giants would move them up to No. 1 on this list. Drew Brees is an MVP candidate.
4. Denver Broncos (5-0)—Got to give credit where credit is due. The Broncos have the best defense in football, and the Kyle Orton to Brandon Marshall connection is heating up. A brutal second half schedule will decide if Denver is a contender or pretender.
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)—Still not completely sold on the Vikings. Adrian Peterson is doing his thing, and Jared Allen is playing like a man possessed, but three of Minny’s wins were against Detroit, Cleveland, and St. Louis. Yuck. Next three games will help show Brett Favre’s playing ability.
6. Atlanta Falcons (3-1)—Definitely looked impressive in a dominating win against San Francisco. Four huge weapons on offense (Matt Ryan, Michael Turner, Tony Gonzalez, and Roddy White) make Atlanta a deadly force to be reckoned with in the weeks to come.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)—Where did the Bengals come from all of a sudden? Carson Palmer is playing like he did last time Cincinnati made the playoffs in 2005. Cedric Benson is actually…well…doing great. Heck, the Bengals are one ESPN Classic moment from 5-0. Funny how the NFL works.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)—The defending champs appear to be back on track after a rough start to the season. Coach Mike Tomlin is getting contributions from Rashard Mendenhall and Mike Wallace, which certainly helps the offense.
9. New England Patriots (3-2)—No way anyone can keep a Tom Brady-led team out of the top 10. New England’s last four games (at Jets, vs. Falcons, vs. Ravens, at Denver) were not exactly a walk in the park. Easier schedule coming up should get the Patriots to 6-2.
10. Chicago Bears (3-1)—Jay Cutler is orchestrating an offense with one weapon (Matt Forte). Pretty impressive. Da Bears will have a tough matchup against Atlanta in week six.
11. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)—Two weeks ago, many had the Ravens as the top team in football. Two straight losses in which the offense looked pretty ordinary drops them down to No. 11. A brutal upcoming schedule (Vikings, Broncos, Bengals) certainly doesn’t help.
12. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)—Philly fans will scream in outrage with their beloved Eagles sitting at No. 12 despite just one loss, but let’s be realistic here. Three wins against Carolina, Kansas City, and Tampa Bay won’t get you very far. A thrashing by the Saints to the tune of 48-24 doesn’t help.
13. New York Jets (3-2)—Mark Sanchez along with Rex Ryan’s defense looked pretty pedestrian against the Dolphins. The rookie QB’s debacle vs. the Saints puts the Jets even lower. Maybe Braylon Edwards can help out (didn’t think I’d say that when the season started).
14. Green Bay Packers (2-2)—The defense under Dom Capers is slowly coming together. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best QBs in football, and he’s got lots of targets to look for now. The Pack attack have had a tough schedule, but look for them to blow out both Detroit and Cleveland, their next two opponents.
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-2)—Looked like an absolute trainwreck against the Falcons. The wheels could be coming off here, but for now, they represent the NFC West.
16. San Diego Chargers (2-2)—Haven’t looked too hot so far, and what was supposed to be an easy division to clinch (AFC West) is looking tougher by the week. Still, San Diego is one of the most talented teams in football.
17. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)—Eh, they’ve beaten three awful teams, and took one of them to overtime. A great running game is definitely at Dallas’ disposal, they just choose not to use it enough. Better start game planning for a toughie against the Falcons after a week six bye.
18. Arizona Cardinals (2-2)—Don’t look now, but the defending NFC champs are getting back to business. If the defense can keep playing well, and Larry Fitzgerald avoids the Madden curse, Arizona will quickly pass the 49ers to take control of the NFC West.
19. Miami Dolphins (2-3)—Chad Henne, anyone? Two straight W’s brought life back to a team that looked absolutely done. If any of the Dolphins wide receivers step up, Miami will become a dangerous team.
20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)—A beatdown of the hopeless Jags has Seattle riding high, but let’s not get too excited. Seattle has lost in all three games they’ve played against quality opponents, and only one of those contests was close (a 25-19 loss to the Bears).
21. Houston Texans (2-3)—Might be the most anemic team in football. If the defense stops somebody, Houston is a playoff contender. Until then, all we can do is enjoy Andre Johnson highlight reel catches each and every Sunday.
22. Washington Redskins (2-3)—D.C. is on the brink of all-out riots with the way the Redskins are performing. Washington hasn’t played a quality team since week one, yet they are 2-2 in a crucial set of games. A loss against the Chiefs this week would officially eliminate them from the NFC East race.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)—41-0? Really? To the Seahawks? Maybe against the Giants, but c’mon now! I’m sensing some mutiny in the locker room. Jack Del Rio should officially be considered on the hot seat.
24. Carolina Panthers (1-4)—Much needed win for John Fox. That running game is too good to be held down forever. If Jake Delhomme starts completing passes to his own team, watch out.
25. Detroit Lions (1-4)—They sure as heck can score points, but defense is not exactly a point of emphasis here. At least the Lions have two viable weapons (Kevin Smith and Calvin Johnson), plus a promising rookie QB. More than I can say for the teams under Detroit.
26. Cleveland Browns (1-4)—Derek Anderson was 2-17 last week in a 6-3 win. And he’s still starting. Shows how much faith Eric Mangini has in Brady Quinn. Oh, and thanks Jamal Lewis. You nearly ruined my fantasy team after I started Jerome Harrison and you took all the carries…
27. Buffalo Bills (1-4)—Trent Edwards is making a strong case for being one of the top-five worst quarterbacks in football through week five. He’s got two all-pro wide receivers, two great running backs, and more interceptions than touchdowns. 
28. Tennessee Titans (0-5)—WOO!  the best 0-5 team ever. Who knew losing Albert Haynesworth would ruin the Titans? The countdown for Vince Young has finally begun. 
29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5)—Took the Cowboys to overtime, so I guess that counts as something. Matt Cassel has actually looked pretty solid as of late. If he keeps getting hit 40 times a game though, he won’t last much longer.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-5)—The 50 times worse version of Michael Vick is alive in Tampa. Josh Johnson at least brings some hope of possibly winning a game.
31. Oakland Raiders (1-4)—JaMarcus Russell makes me cringe. A 47.1 QB rating? One touchdown? Put Jeff George in there, he’d do a better job at this point.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-5)—The worst team in football, without question. Backup QB Kyle Boller has no one to throw to, and the Rams have no one on defense. Not a good combination. In my survival football league, I’ve picked against the Rams every week. So far, it’s been a good strategy.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Ten Random 2009-2010 NFL Player Awards

I’ve had enough of the same old individual awards the NFL hands out year after year. It’s time to spice things up.. Here are my suggestions: some of these spiffy new trophies could be given out in the pre-season, as a morale booster of sorts for the players. Others would be given after the season ends, to validate a player’s hard work. Either way, football will never be the same. Read on to find out all about it…

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2009-2010 NFL Preview and Predictions- AFC

Some portions of this column previously appeared on Vype.com and Vype.com/dfw.

It’s football season at long last! In this column, I will preview each and every team from the AFC, and next week I’ll post my NFC predictions. After that, look out for a playoff preview plus an in-depth look at who will win the different individual awards. Will Tom Brady regain control of the AFC East with the Patriots? Can the Steelers win the AFC North on their quest for a second straight Super Bowl ring? Just how awful will the Broncos and Raiders be this season? Read on to find out…

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