Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers - 3-0

Packers are the defending champs and still undefeated and there defense still isn't really playing up to the level their capable yet, their now the undisputed best team through the 1st 3 weeks. 

2. New Orleans Saints - 2-1 

Saints only loss is to the Packers in a game that came down to the wire. Then in their next 2 games they beat to really good teams. This Offense appears to be unstoppable and the defense is doing just enough. People forget this team won the superbowl just 2 years ago with alot of these same players.

3. New England Patriots - 2-1
The Patriots played a young hungry division rival on the road and Brady threw 4 interceptions yet the Bills still won on a game winning field goal. This team will be fine if the only way they lose is when Brady throws 4 pics.

4. Dallas Cowboys - 2-1
Nothing has went right for this team yet. Major Significant injuries, Young players making mental mistakes, and yet still this team has played well enough to be 3-0. Terrance Newman looked like the old T-New in his 1st game back and the rest of the secondary is playing good as well.

5. Detroit Lions - 3-0
The Lions are 3-0 and this year it feels very real. Their getting great play from the QB position for the 1st time since I've been watching football and other weapons on offense are starting to emerge besides Calvin Johnson. And if things weren't good enough Nick Fairley returns this week.

6. Buffalo Bills - 3-0
This offense has been on fire all year and Fitzpatrick is playing as good as any QB in the NFL right now. The offense is also very balanced with Fred Jackson dominating the way he has. The only thing that concerns me is the Bills defense. It's drastically improved from last year but teams can still move the ball on them with ease sometimes.

7. Houston Texans - 2-1
I love this teams offense right now it's so balanced. The 1st two games they were up early so you didn't see the big passing numbers as they pounded those teams into the ground in the running game. However last week they showed they can still get it done through the air as they wen't back and forth with the Saints. My concerns are on defense because in their 1st real test of the year they failed miserably.

8. San Diego Chargers - 2-1
This teams only loss so far has been to the Patriots in a close game so that's not bad at all. They still struggled in a game against a undermanned Chiefs squad. This team has all the pieces I just need to see more focus and urgency, which unfortunately Norv Turner coached teams don't always have.

9. Baltimore Ravens - 2-1
It's still sitting with me how Matt Hasselback carved this team's passing defense up but they bounced back nicely last week. I think the Titans game was just a bad day for the Ravens which happens of the course of a long season. The Ravens D will be there when it matters, Ray Rice is Ray Rice, and Flacco looks to be improving.

10. Oakland Raiders - 2-1
The Raiders look serious this year. Darren McFadden is playing better than any other back in the NFL right now and clearly has entered the discussion for top 5 RB's. This defense has played well despite losing Nnamdi in large part to their D-Line which may be the best in football. This teams lack of playmakers in the passing game and Campbell at QB still concern me though.

11. New York Giants - 2-1
The Giants despite getting off to a slow start in the 1st 2 games showed what they could really do against the NFL's very own "Dream Team" and looked pretty impressive. Unlike the Falcons the G-Men were beating the Eagles while Vick was actually in the game and looked to be in control before he got hurt so that Vick didn't finish the game excuse doesn't fly this week. If Eli plays mistake free like he did last week this team will be very hard to beat.

12.  New York Jets - 2-1
The Jets might be 2-1 but this team hasn't looked very "super bowl caliber" out of the gate. They struggled at home against Dallas, then beat the Jags (which holds no weight with me) then lost to the Raiders who dominated them on the ground and just pushed them off the ball at the line of scrimmage. This teams pass D has been exposed against a good passing team and their run D exposed by a good running team. They clearly have issues on the part of the team that they want to supposedly lean on.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers - I'm really not happy with the way this team played especially since I said during the preseason this was the most complete team in the AFC. They couldn't run the ball against the Colts nor could they really stop Joseph Addai of all people. Then the pathetic performance from week 1 is also in the back of my mind. This teams only solid outing so far is a win against the Seattle Seahawks not very impressive at all.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 2-1
The Bucs got their 1st signature win of the year last week against Atlanta. They dominated the defending NFC South champs and the Bucs defense looks good so far. However were all still waiting for Josh Freeman to have a overall good game.

15. Chicago Bears - 1-2
The Bears are 1-2 but their first 3 games were against the Saints, Falcons, and Packers. Easily the toughest 3 game stretch of the 1st 3 weeks. They Beat the Falcons and were competitive against the two top teams in my power rankings. I think the this tough 3 game stretch will be beneficial to the Bears moving forward. However they have to do a better job of protecting Cutler.

16. Washington Redskins - 2-1
Redskins played tough Monday night and still have a solid win vs. the Giants. This defense is really talented and Hightower can run it a lil. Santana Moss and Fred Davis have proven they can make plays in the passing game. The one problem with this team is the Rex Grossman and his inconsistency.

17. Philadelphia Eagles - 1-2
The Eagles haven't been impressive to me at all this year. Their one and only victory this season is against the Rams and they've now lost to do playoff caliber teams. This team also can't protect Vick, can't successfully run for short yardage, and can't stop the run. Also Nnamdi isn't playing as well as he did in Oakland in the Eagles zone defense based scheme.

18. Atlanta Falcons - 1-2
The Falcons haven't looked good at all this year. This offense is completely out of sync and Roddy White is off to a slow start. They gotta pick it up.

19. San Francisco 49ers - 2-1
The 49ers only loss was in OT against the Cowboys not bad. The defense has been playing well but Alex Smith and the 49ers passing game hasn't looked impressive at all so far.

20. Tennessee Titans - 2-1
The Titans are 2-1 and have been playing well despite not getting anything from Chris Johnson. I would have the Titans higher if Kenny Britt wasn't out for the year.

21. Cleveland Browns - 2-1
After the Browns slow start in week 1 against the Bengals they've gotten rolling. Peyton Hillis is started to run it well as well.

22. Carolina Panthers - 1-2
Carolina Panthers have been impressive so far for a team that went 2-14 last year. Cam looks like the early rookie of the year favorite.

23. Denver Broncos - 1-2
The Bronocs defense looks better this year and despite what some people think Kyle Orton is this teams best bet.

24. Cincinnati Bengals - 1-2
The Bengals are young and have been more competitive than I thought that'd be but their still making alot of mistakes and losing games in the 4th quarter.

25. Jacksonville Jaguars - 1-2
The Jags one win vs the Titans all of sudden looks more legit than it did in week 1. However they haven't done much since.

26. Minnesota Vikings - 0-3
Despite the 0-3 start this team has been dominating in 1st half of games so far this year. They have to give the ball more to Peterson in the 2nd half so they can put teams away.

27. St. Louis Rams - 0-3
The Rams are still a better team than the Seahawks to me their just the victim of being a average team having to play a really though schedule of the bat having to play the Eagles and Ravens already. Also Stephen Jackson hasn't been fully healthy since his 1st carry of the year.

28. Miami Dolphins - 0-3
The Dolphins are 0-3 but they played the Patriots tough and lost by one last week. Henne looks surprisingly improved from last year and Daniel Thomas emerged last week.

29. Indianapolis Colts - 0-3
The Colts finally did what I wanted to see all year and that's compete. Their not good enough to make the playoffs but their still a NFL team and their not the worst team and they finally showed it in a close lost to the Steelers.

30. Seattle Seahawks - 1-2
This team finally got their 1st win and did it against the Cardinals. I'm still not sold on this team after that win. Their still one of the worst teams in the NFL.

31. Arizona Cardinals - 1-2
The Cardinals defense so far has been terrible and their only win this year has come against the Panthers in a game they won with a kick return TD.

32. Kansas City Chiefs - 0-3
This team looks cooked already and it's just week 4. However they did give the Chargers a game last week but their definitely in the running for the 1st overall pick. 

Week 3 NFL picks

Patriots @ Bills - Bills
I can feel it in the air and I smell a upset. The Bills aren't winning the superbowl this season and probably won't make the playoffs but their at home their 2-0 and their hot and the Patriots defense has been bending and bending but not breaking all year. This Sunday I think Fitzpatrick and company finally break that defense and not only move it on them but punch it in a couple of times. I got the Bills in a shoot out.

49ers @ Bengals - 49ers
The 49ers are the better team and are coming off a heartbreaking loss against Dallas. If their serious about winning the West they need to take care of the easy one's. The Bengals should make it interested being at home and all but the 49ers should pull this one out.

Dolphins @ Browns - Dolphins
Tony Sparono is coaching for his job right now and that seat is going to get scorching hot if they lose this one. I'm talking fired in the middle of the season hot. I think he'll have the Dolphins ready to play who should be playing desperately in fear of going to 0-3. Also Cleveland hasn't looked like I thought they would this season and Mia is probably the better team. It could go either way tho in this battle of two bad teams.

Broncos @ Titans - Titans
The win against Bal was impressive last week but i'm still not sure if those are the real Titans or the team that lost to the Jags. I think this is the week the Titans get the running game going. Also Kenny Brit is looking really good that should be enough if they can get the ground game going to beat Den. The Titans defense is also very solid.

Lions @ Vikings - Lions
Alot of people are picking the Vikings to win this game because they think they have to win this game. And the Vikings very much have to win this game if they want realistic playoff aspirations. However just because they really want it doesn't mean it's happening. McNabb is washed and the Lions passing game is firing on all cylinders. I think the Lions will win convincingly and make a statement.

Texans @ Saints - Saints
I really wanna believe that the Texans are ready to turn the corner and be a elite team but I can't believe until I see it and I think this task is just a little to tough for a team like the Texans. I think the Saints are going to carve the Texans defense up and do just enough defensively to win the game.

Giants @ Eagles - Giants
The Giants are beat up right now and haven't been playing the best football of late but they have to elements of their football team that give them a really good chance to win this game. Number 1 is on offense they have 2 good backs and they should be able to run on the Eagles, and the 2nd is defensively they still have one of the best D-Lines in football and Osi is going to play in this game which really favors for the Giants D against a very suspect Philly O-Line. I expect this D-Line to be all over Vick and cause problems for the Philly pass first offense.

Jaguars @ Panthers - Panthers
As good as the Panthers have been playing their due a win and it doesn't hurt that their going against one a mediocre Jags team thats starting a rookie QB in his 1st start. Cam should be able to move the ball through the air on this team as well and if the Panthers can actually get help from the running game they should be able to win this one easily.

Jets @ Raiders - Raiders
I just have a feeling this is going to be upset Sunday and the upset picks continue with the Raiders beating the Jets at home. The Jets didn't look that good in week 1 then followed up with a dominate performance against a bad team. I think they might think their better than they actually are and might not be ready to beat a Raiders team that's very competitive and should be amped up to beat a good team at home.

Ravens @ Rams - Ravens
The Rams schedule so far just hasn't been doing them any favors at all. Their not the greatest team but their better than 0-3 yet that's what their going to be because they not winning this one. The Rams lack playmakers at receiver and the Ravens aren't going to allow you to run it. Meanwhile the Ravens should be able to bounce back offensively against the Rams. I think the Ravens redeem themselves for that bad performance against the Titans.

Chiefs @ Chargers - Chargers
The Chiefs lost Eric Berry, then they lost Jamaal Charles, and in week 3 their going to lose this game. Phillip Rivers should be able to have success against the Chiefs defense that has looked really bad so far and Offensively the Chiefs are nothing more than mediocre without Charles. San Diego should cruise to victory as they look to rebound after last weeks loss to the Pats.

Packers @ Bears - Packers
I really wanna pick the Bears to win this game and they'll have a chance if this defense can slow down Rodgers like they did in the NFC championship. However even if they do I'm not buying the Bears moving the ball on the Packers D. This D finally gets it together this week against one of the weakest D-Lines in the league and the Packers get it done.

Cardinals @ Seahawks - Cardinals
The Cardinals pass defense has been terrible this year. However they catch a break this week as they get to against the leagues worst starting QB. The Seahawks defense is nothing special and with the way Wells and Kolb have been playing they should have no trouble moving the ball against Seattle and outscoring them.

Falcons @ Buccaneers - Falcons
The Falcons are 1-1 but I'm still waiting on them to play a game where it feels like they should have won. I think they do it this week against the Bucs. The Bucs are going to make it tough and it'll probably come down to the end but I think the Falcons get it done.

Steelers @ Colts - Steelers
As far as I know Manning isn't playing in this game so with that said Steelers win and that's about all I have to say about this game. Also NBC can we get flex scheduling this week?

Redskins @ Cowboys - Cowboys
Cowboys are dinged up but Romo, Felix Jones, and Dez Bryant are all reported to be playing and that should be enough to pull out a win against Washington. This game is going to be a dog fight and probably come down to the end as these game usually do but I think the better team wins out in their home opener I got the Cowboys in a one possession game.

NFL Week 3 Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots - I hate the Patriots but their playing better football than anybody right now. Tom Brady looks better than ever and the defense tho not great hasn't been bad either which is good considering it's the 1st time they've ran the 4-3. The rest of the league better hope this D doesn't get dominant or it could be next to impossible to beat this team. 

2. Green Bay Packers - The Packers struggled early on the road against a Panthers team that's better than alot of people give them credit for. However, they got their act together and came out on top so I can't knock the Packers to much. I'm still waiting to see the defense that only allowed 15 points a game last season. It's looking like which ever defense between NE and GB emerges 1st could determine the early Super Bowl favorite but right now the two teams are neck and neck. 

3. New Orleans Saints - The 3rd best team in the league is a complete toss up to me so I went with the eye test. The Saint's although not undefeated lost to the undefeated defending champs in a game that came down to the wire and then dominated a really good Bears team so I have them 3 right now. 

4. San Diego Chargers - Once again going with the eye test. I know they lost to the Patriots but there number 1 in my power rankings and they only lost by 1 TD and if certain things go in the Chargers favor maybe the outcome is different. Right now the Chargers haven't played a bad game and have played quality competition so their 4th. 

5. Houston Texans - I know the Texans haven't played anybody yet, but they also have yet to have a bad performance on the field. They've played easy competition to start the season and dominated just like a oooo I don't know a top 5 team would dominate weaker competition. I remember when the Texans lost or almost lost to weaker teams so maybe they are foreal this year. 

6. Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys have been battling injuries all year and for the most part overcome. Alot of people won't agree with Dallas being this high but again the eye test shows me a team that dominated the Jets and found away to pull out a tough game on the road where Romo went down with a punctured lung and hurt ribs. The Run Defense looks good the secondary is doing just enough and the passing game is good. If the Boys get a running game maybe their a top 5 team. 

7. New York Jets - The Jets are 2-0 but it feels more like 1-1. They looked dominate in a rebound performance against the Jags but I'm not putting a lot of stock in a elite defensive team beating a team with Luke McCown at QB. I need to see more from this team. 

8. Philadelphia Eagles - The Eagles despite all the talent clearly have issues. I won't put the Falcons over them for the simple fact that Vick got hurt so we don't know FOR SURE rather Atlanta could have beat them if he played the whole game. But the fact of the matter the Eagles have to protect their franchise player alot better because without Vick this team could miss the playoffs. 

9. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens were number 2 in my opening rankings after their dominance over the Steelers then they go and mess it all up by getting dominated by the Tennessee Titans. I honestly don't know what to make of this team after two very conflicting performances. 

10. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers basically did the opposite of what Baltimore did they started off terrible in week 1 then dominated in week 2. The Seahawks are too terrible for me to know for sure if the Ravens game was truly a aspiration or if the Steelers have some real issues and them playing the Colts this week isn't going to help me answer those question any better. 

11. Chicago Bears - This teams defense is really good (don't be fooled by last week the Saints are a great offense). They even have a terrific all purpose work horse of a back in Matt Forte. The QB isn't bad either. However the combo of a bad O-line not giving Cutler much time and a lack of average receivers that are struggling to get open at times is really going to have Cutler on IR before the season's over. 

12. Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons were dominated by the Bears in week 1 and I haven't forgot and them coming back to beat the Eagles (after vick goes down) isn't going to make me put them in the top 10 or ahead of Chicago unlike other sites power rankings. The Falcons should be 0-2 right now I'm disappointed in how this team has started seeing as how I had them as the 2nd best team behind GB going into the preseason. 

13. Detroit Lions - I'm ready to really by into this Lions team and see them as a legit playoff contender and maybe even top 10 team but I can't put them there yet until I see them play somebody decent they don't have a good enough past resume or Roster to just get a pass for being 2-0 when they haven't played quality comp 

yet. 

14. Buffalo Bills - The Bills are another 2-0 team that I need to see beat somebody of quality before I jump on the band wagon but they are definitely on the right track. They get their chance in week 3 with a game against the Patriots. If they win this one I'll consider them foreal. 

15. Washington Redskins - The Redskins are 2-0 but they've been the least consistent of the 3 2-0 surprise teams so I have them last in the trio. The Defense looks solid early but the running game and Rex Grossman haven't been consistent for me to know enough about the offense for sure yet. The game this week on Dallas is a big one, and they need to win to be taken seriously. 

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - The Bucs honestly have  looked about how expected this season a little above average. Their 10-6 record last season was very deceptive as they beat all the bad teams and lost to all the good teams. This should be about a 8-8, 9-7 team this season and they look it based off the 1st two games. Their competitive but just not quite ready for the playoffs yet. 

17. Oakland Raiders - I know the Raiders lost last week but it came down to the very end and this team if nothing else has proved that their not going to be a push over this season. The Raiders won't make the playoffs but so far this season they've proved you've got to come to play if you want to beat them. 

18. New York Giants - Haven't been impressed with this team at all so far. I picked the Giants to finish ahead of Philly (before all the injuries happened so I might changed that). The Injuries have clearly hurt this team. Also all the stupid decisions by the front office to let certain key players walk or to cut them have hurt as well. I thought they might be able to overcome but I'm not so sure. If they don't at least show they can compete against the Eagles this week they might just finish last in the division. 

19. San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers played a tough game but ultimately didn't pull it out. The 49ers offense still struggles to move the ball with Alex Smith at QB and the defense, tho not bad, is far from good enough to make up for that fact. However despite all the problems with SF right now they've played the best through 2 weeks of all the teams in their terrible division. 

20. Tennesse Titans - I don't like putting teams that are close to the same level of a team that just beat them but in this case I have to (referring to the Jags). The Titans looked really good beating a elite super bowl caliber team and Chris Johnson has yet to really find it yet although I can't blame him for their poor rushing game against the Ravens because from what I saw Jim Brown would have had trouble finding running lanes the way the Ravens run D was playing. Making their win over Baltimore all the more impressive. Young Kenny Brit is a stud. They'd be alot higher if they just didn't have the Jags lost. 

21. Carolina Panthers - breaking my rule again I'm putting the Panthers ahead of Arizona. The Cardinals probablly don't win that game without a kick return TD so I don't put a lot of stock in that, then while Arizona went and lost to Washington the Panthers gave the defending super bowl champs more than they bargained for in week 2 and Cam looks like a early favorite to be rookie of the year. 

22. Arizona Cardinals - The Cardinals defense has been just awful especially against the pass. Teams are doing whatever they want on offense against this team. However Kolb has looked pretty good in his 1st two starts and Beanie Wells appears to finally be ready to live up to his potential coming out of college. 

23. St. Louis Rams - I know the Rams are 0-2 but I going to give them the benefit of the doubt on two things. One, their 1st two games were against two NFC East teams that are both playoff caliber, and two, they are hurting from injury. Despite those things the Rams were competitive in both games and did some things well against both teams. 

24. Denver Broncos - The Broncos only win is a close game against the Bengals which isn't the most impressive thing at the moment but they did play a competitive Raiders team tough and Orton seems to be getting more comfortable. It would be nice to see this team run the ball better. 

25. Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings are struggling early and McNabb looks washed up. However this team still has Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin on offense, and Kevin Williams and Jared Allen on defense. At this point in the Power Rankings their just simply the most talented and the best of the worst. 

26. Miami Dolphins - To be fair to Miami their first two games were against two of the top 5 teams in my power rankings. However unlike the Rams who also played a tough 1st two games they weren't as competitive in both games. The red zone offense is a mess at the moment. 

27. Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals have played better than I expected them to be playing at this point but make no mistake their still one of the worse teams. Although Benson seems to be on pace for another 1,000 yard season (If he doesn't get suspended) and A.J. Green is already looking like a stud. The Bengals are so young tho they just have to keep getting better and maturing every week. 

28. Cleveland Browns - The Browns 1st two games this season were against the Colts and Bengals talk about a easy start. This team should have cake walked to 2-0. However they have real issues. The defense doesn't look as good as last year's in the absence of Rob Ryan and the team still can't move the ball that effectively through the air putting all the pressure on Peyton Hillis. 

29. I don't care that they got a win against the Titans in the opener this team has looked pretty bad especially against the Jets. And now that they've switched to a rookie QB in just the 3rd week of the season I have no choice but to put them this far back. If Gabbert comes in and plays well maybe they can be the team I thought they could be with Garrard at QB. 

30. Kansas City Chiefs - Its very unfortunate what has happened to this team but injuries are apart of the game and they've hit the Chiefs hard. So hard in fact that their chances of winning the division again are nothing more than a formality. They lost their best player in Jamaal Charles, 2nd best defender in Eric Berry, and had already lost one of their best o-lineman in the pre season. It could be a long year for the Chiefs.

31. Seattle Seahawks - The Seahawks look really bad right now but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for what happened against Pit. because they were going against a team that was looking to take their fustrations out on the very next team they played and that happened to be them. However the fact remains as long as Tavaris Jackson is their QB this team will be at the bottom of the league. 

32. Indianoplis Colts - They have to be last still if you ask me. Nothings changed, they have a undersized below average defense that can't stop the run with a game manager fresh out of retirement at QB, a bad O-line to protect him and absolutely no running game. This team has one of the best receiving cores in football but with those problems it means ABSOLUTELY nothing. This is easily the worst team in football to me. 

NFL week 2 picks

Raiders @ Bills - Bills

The Raiders won their opener but it was against the Broncos and they barely won. The Bills dismantled a playoff team and shut down one of the best backs in the league give me the Bills in this one but it should be close.

Chiefs @ Lions - Lions

I think the Chiefs are better than what they showed in week 1 but the loss of Berry really hurts and the Lions are playing with great confidence right now I'll take the Lions.

Ravens @ Titans - Ravens

This game shouldn't even be close the Titans are terrible and if the Ravens are serious about winning this division over Pittsburgh these are the games they have to dominate I got Baltimore winning big.

Browns @ Colts - Browns

I think the Colts are a joke without Peyton and what's worse the team feels the same way. They've already packed it in this year and don't believe in themselves the Browns have to win this game after losing to the Bengals.

Buccaneers @ Vikings - Bucs

I think the Bucs didn't do enough to in the offseason and will be worse this season but this week they got the Vikings and Mcnabb is finished if the Bucs want to compete with the Saints and Falcons they need this one.

Bears @ Saints - Bears

Going into the superdome and getting a W is no easy task but this defense looked really good against ATL and I think Urlacher will be extra motivated to play well after the death of his mother.

Jaguars @ Jets - Jets

This one could get ugly the Jets are looking to prove their better than they played against Dallas Sunday night. The Jags can only run the ball and that's not happening against the Jets with no threat of a passing attack the Jets should win big.

Seahawks @ Steelers - Steelers

The Steelers performance last week was embarrassing and I know Mike Tomlin let his guys no about it all week in practice. I'm expecting the Steelers to come out playing focused and upset which doesn't bold well at all for Seattle, Steelers win big.

Cardinals @ Redskins - Redskins

Washington looked good against NY last week and I'm not so sure about Grossman but I am buying the Redskins defense. I'm not buying the Cards D after allowing Cam to throw 400 yards tho so give me the Redskins in what should be a close one.

Packers @ Panthers - Packers

The defending superbowl champs should have no problem moving the ball against the Panthers especially after the loss of it's best player Jon Beason. I also think they bounce back defensively and shut the Panthers down.

Cowboys @ 49ers - Cowboys

Dallas HAS to win this game. Their better than SF and defensively they should be able to shut down what is a lackluster offense led by Alex Smith. Offensively the 49ers don't have the personnel to matchup with the Cowboy receivers, Dallas should win convincingly.

Bengals @ Broncos - Broncos

The Bengals won last week in a game I thought they'd lose and their luck should run out this week against a slightly better Denver team looking to bounce back from their loss Monday Night. Benson should have a big day tho which will keep the Bengals in the game and give them a chance to win.

Texans @ Dolphins - Dolphins

There's usually at least one major upset week to week and this is mine for week 2. I think the Dolphins d will be motivated to play much better after getting torched by the Pats and I think the Texans might be a little complacent right now with no real competition from the other 3 teams in this division. I think the Dolphins at home can sneak up on a favored and complacent Texans team that's coming off a very easy win.

Chargers @ Patriots - Chargers

The Patirots have a new defense and Chad Henne was able to have some success moving the ball against it so I imagine Phillip Rivers will be able to as well as the Pats try to work out the kinks in it. I'm expecting this one to be a shootout tho and I'm hoping it doesn't come down to Brady with the ball to win the game at the end or I could be wrong about this prediction.

Eagles @ Falcons - Falcons

Falcons came out looking sloppy and somewhat unprepared in week 1 I have to think their going to be looking to bounce back and play well against the "Dream Team." John Abraham and Ray Edwards should be able to put pressure on Vick with that suspect Philly O-Line.

Rams @ Giants - Giants

I picked the Giants to finish ahead of the Eagles and if that's to happen this is one the Giants have to have. I believe their going to get their running game going and shut down the Rams offense. Also Manning will bounce  back this week to.

NFL Week 2 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers 1-0 - The packers are the defending champs and they opened up the season with a victory over a top 10 team and super bowl contender. Offensively they were flawless until they decided to take their foot off the gas. Defensively they got work to do but they won't be playing offenses that good week to week they'll improve and be one of the top 10 defenses at years end. 

2. Baltimore Ravens 1-0 - The Ravens have a super bowl caliber team but a lot of people don't see them as a legit threat to get there all because of the Steelers who nobody outside of Baltimore had much confidence they could beat. Then they open the season and completely dominate the Steelers and force them to commit 7 turnovers. As of right now they are the best team in the AFC. 

3. New England Patriots 1-0 - A lot of people after Monday night think the Pats are the best team in the AFC. However I need to see more. They were playing the Dolphins who are one of the worst teams in the NFL. Offensively aside from a bad pass on a screen they were pretty much perfect. Defensively they were good but again it was the Dolphins. Their running a 4-3 defense for the 1st time in Bellicheck's reign and I need to see more of it against better offenses before I anoint them the best team in the AFC.

4. Chicago Bears 1-0 -  The Bears opened the season dominating the defending regular season NFC champs. The Falcons who were able to move the ball some weren't able to do much of anything in the redzone and Matt Ryan didn't even throw a TD in the game pissing off fantasy owners world wide. The Bears defense was the main reason why. If the Bears are gonna play defense like this and if Culter has really cut down on the mistakes then this team is going to be very hard to beat.

5. San Diego Chargers 1-0 - The Chargers looked exactly like last season in their opener. They can move the ball on offense and eclipse 400 total yards and defensively they can keep you from moving it on them as they held the Vikings to only 187 total yards of offense. However the special teams issues are still there as they gave up a kick return TD on the opening kickoff. If Norv Turner actually steps up as a leader and gets the special teams fixed the Chargers are a super bowl contender as well.

6. Houston Texans 1-0 - I know it was against the Manningless Colts but the Texans looked dominant in week 1. Last season this was one of the best offenses in the NFL and most balanced as they had a RB rush for over 1600 yards, and a QB throw for over 4,000. That offense looks to be just as strong this year. Now it appears the addition of Wade Phillips will improve this defense. I need to see this defense against a elite offense but to be sure but if defense is effective the Texans are a Super Bowl Caliber team.

7. New Orleans Saints 0-1 - Despite losing the Saints played a lot better than the other 3 super bowl contenders Philly, Jets, and Steelers so I'm putting them ahead of all of them. The Saints were rolling offensively against one of the best defenses in the league. And their defense will be better than that throughout the season it was next to an impossible task to go out and stop the Packers offense with no real film on them from this season. Saints took the best team in the league down to the wire best believe their an elite team themselves and will be tough to beat.

8. Philadelphia Eagles 1-0 - The Eagles won in there 1st game but they didn't look great. The Eagles struggled to protect Vick against a decent but nowhere near dominant pass rush by the Rams. Also Vick despite making some great plays is clearly regressing as a passer as he was only 14-32 in week 1. Elite QBs complete more than 44% of their passes. Defensively the looked terrific against the pass as they shut it down and got 5 sacks. Against the run they were terrible as Jackson eclipsed the half century mark on his 1st carry, then Cadilac Williams had his best game in years rushing for over 90 yards. I'm not sold on this team at all.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers 0-1 - The Steelers were completely dominated in their opener. But I can't put to much in a loss when a team commits 7 turnovers. That's completely flukish and I just chalk that up to a really bad game. The Steelers didn't do anything they are about well in that game, but I think they'll bounce back strong next week against one of the worst teams in the NFL in the Seahawks.

10. Dallas Cowboys 0-1 - Call me biased if you want but nobody in there right mind after watching the game Sunday night can honestly tell me Dallas wasn't a better team than the Jets Sunday night. I'm not putting a team over another team when they get dominated 3 and a half quarters and really only win because of a blocked punt. The Cowboys looked great on both sides of the ball. As usual they need to clean up the penalties and execute in the 4th quarter put those are all correctable issues. All I know is despite the loss I saw a top 10 team in the Cowboys Sunday night.

11. New York Jets 1-0 - The Jets escaped with the win Sunday night but were completely dominated in the process by a team some were saying they'd dominate. The Jets are suppose to be a running team yet the Cowboys completely shut their ground game down as they only rushed for 45 yards on 2.5 yards per carry. Also even tho the passing numbers at the end of the game looked pretty good in the 1st half they struggled way to much to move the ball through the air when most of the night the cowboys best corner on the field was Allan Ball. Defensively the Jets were picked apart and Cromartie was picked on. I think the Jets are fine defensively tho they won't see a offense this good week to week so they'll bounce back. Their run defense was still impenetrable.

12. Atlanta Falcons 0-1 - The Falcons struggled to score points in their 1st game but they did move the ball some. Turner had a 100 yards rushing and Ryan threw for over 300. I think the Falcons will be fine moving forward they just ran up on a really good defense that was more prepared. Defensively the Falcons run D was very strong. And as far as the pass D goes it was mainly RB Matt Forte that killed them so I think they'll be fine there.

13. Detroit Lions 1-0 - In a game that was close to the end the Bucs were never able to effectively run the Ball on the Lions as the Lions D-Line controlled the line of scrimmage as they will against almost every team. The thing everyone was worried about was the Lions pass D and well Freeman didn't do anything special just 259 yards on 43 attempts with a td and a int, thats good defense. Offensively as expected the Lions aren't going to be anything special running the ball but Matthew Stafford looked really well and so did megatron.

14. Washington Redskins 1-0 - The Redskins came out and dominated the Giants who I was very high on in the offseason. Defensively the Redskins are going to be a problem this year. The Giants are one of the best running teams in the league and they held them to 75 yards on 20 carries. They also made it tough on Manning all day as they sacked him 4 times and really rattled the Giants passing game. They had no TD's through the air. Offensively Rex looked really good. Hightower should be more effective as he goes against less talented D-lines.

15. Buffalo Bills 1-0 - The Bills came out and just put a beat down on the defending AFC west champs. They dominated in every aspect of the game on both sides. Offensively Fitzpatrick was terrific he threw 4 tds. Also on the ground Jackson ran for a 112 yards. Defensively they shut down Jamaal Charles and Cassell threw for less than 120 yards. Just a all around dominant performance against a legit playoff caliber team.

16. New York Giants 0-1 - The Giants didn't look that well in their 1st game and there is cause for concern. But I think alot of their struggles on defense comes from all their injuries. They lost their MLB for the season a week before this game and 2 of their best corners are out as well. I think once this team gets adjusted to not having those guys they'll play better. Also they'll start to get some of those guys back later in the season which will help them improve as well. Offensively I think their better than they played especially running the ball. I think they'll bounce back against the Rams and physically dominate them.

17. Oakland Raiders 1-0 - THE RAIDERSSSSSS (boom voice) looked good in their opener be against the Broncos. This team picked up right where they left off last year running the ball which they figure to be one of the best teams at doing this year, and they'll have to be if they want to succeed becuase they have no playmakers at WR or QB. Defensively they have one of the best D-lines in the league and will get pressure on teams and make it tough to run the ball. I'm interested to see how this secondary holds up the rest of the year without Nnamdi.

18. Arizona Cardinals 1-0 - The Cardinals won a back and forth game with the Panthers who are far from the team that went 2-14 last season. Offensively they looked really good. Beanie Wells ran the ball well and Kolb threw it for over 300 yards, and 2 tds with no int's. Defensively is where the issues are for this team. You can't allow Cam Newton to throw for over 400 yards in his NFL debut you just can't.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-1 - Tampa Bay played a tough game against the Lions and came up a little short. I personally think the Bucs 10-6 record last season wasn't legit as the only playoff team they beat was the Saints who also beat them. I also think they didn't really get much better from last season. Still I think their well coached by Morris and if nothing else their going to play tough and your going to have to come to play to beat them.


20. Kansas City Chiefs 0-1 - I wanna start by saying now that Eric Berry is out for the year I got the Chargers winning this division now he was their 2nd best defensive player that was a huge loss. Now alot of people are overreacting to their 1st week loss like the Steelers didn't get beat just as bad but no one is really overreacting to them. The Chiefs played a terrible game but their still if nothing else a top 20 team. Cassell is still a really good game managing QB and Charles is still one of the best RB's in the NFL. They got issues on defense especially with Berry gone but that Bills team was no pushover I think they deserve some credit for playing a good game.

21. Minnesota Vikings 0-1 - The Vikings just had one of those games you can't explain Sunday. They were also going against a super bowl contender so I'll give them a bit of a break. McNabb is definitely washed but he's better than 39 yards passing. Also I don't think they'll play many more games where Peterson doesn't touch the ball more. Defensively they won't be as good as past years but they should be solid. The Chargers are just a really good offense.

22. St. Louis Rams - The Rams played a very tough opponent in the Eagles in week 1 and hung in their with them for a while considering the fact they lost their best player after his 1st run really. The Rams flustered Vick at times and made it hard for him to consistently complete passes. Offensively the Rams lack talent at WR and against a team with the corners they have in Philly they just didn't have a chance to throw the ball. However despite losing Jackson they still were able to pound Philly with Cadilac Williams.

23. San Francisco 49ers 1-0 - The 49ers won but I'm still not buying this team winning the West. They beat the Seahawks but they struggled offensively. Alex Smith still can't move the ball as a QB and Crabtree still isn't anything close to a elite WR. Defensively they played well but again it was Tavaris Jackson and the Seahawks.

24. Miami Dolphins 0-1 - The Dolphins played one of the best teams in the NFL on Monday night and made things tough on them early and showed signs of being a good team. Their D is alot better than that but trying to stop Tom Brady with no real film on them from this year is a tough task. Offensively their not going to be able to run the ball but if Chad Henne plays like he did Monday night they won't need to. Between Marshall, Bush, Fasano, and Bess he's got a nice receiving core.

25. Cincinnati Bengals 1-0 - I know it was just the Browns but I may have underestimated this young Bengals team. Defensively they have a nice young unit that despite lacking elite defensive players also lacks any real weak players on defense. Offensively they can run the ball with Benson. The question is going to be the passing game. Can whoever is at QB play could enough not to lose games for this team.

26. Carolina Panthers 0-1 - I'm high on the panthers this year I think their good enough to challenge Tampa Bay for that 3rd spot in the south. To me their only question mark was Cam Newton and if he can be any where near as good as he was Sunday consistently the Panthers might be a problem. If they don't give up that return TD the Panthers maybe win that game.

27. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-0 - Coming in to the season I had this Jaguars team finishing 2nd in the South then they cut Garrard and now i'm not feeling this team at all. Their the lowest ranked 1 team in my power rankings because they beat one of the worst teams in the league and I wasn't at all impressed. Luke McCown is garbage at QB and I'm not sure how much better Gabbert can be. The one thing this team does have going for them is they have Jones-Drew.

28. Seattle Seahawks 0-1 - This Seattle team has almost no chance of getting back to the playoffs. Their quarterback is bad and their defense is mediocre. Also Marshawn Lynch is still just a ok starting back I think that one run against the Saints D has made people forget that. It's a reason the Bills cut him in favor of Fred Jackson. I'm not buying this Seattle team at all.

29.  Tennessee Titans 0-1 - The Titans have major issues on offense. Absolutely NOBODY is worried about them throwing the ball and are keying in on Chris Jonson which is going to make for a miserable season for him. Kenny Britt is the only productive receiver on the team. Defensively the titans should be ok even tho i'm not putting much stock in holding the Luke McCown led Jags to 14.

30. Denver Broncos 0-1 - The Broncos played a close hard fought game Monday and came up a little short. The Broncos are definitely going to struggle this season. They can't run the ball and they can't stop the run that's almost always a recipe for being one of the worst teams in the NFL.

31. Cleveland Browns 0-1 - The Browns lost a game that they really needed to win if they wanted to take the next step and emerge as a competitive team to be taken seriously. But they lost to the Bengals and as of right now until they prove me wrong their just the same ol Browns.

32. Indianapolis Colts 0-1 - It wasn't even a tough decision for who was going to be in the last spot this week. It's the Colts. I'm not sure this is the worst roster without Peyton but it doesn't matter because without him they don't think they can win. That teams body language from kickoff reeked of were fucked without Peyton. This team isn't going to make the playoffs this year and it's a shock for most of the players but they have to suck it up and at least go out and compete and try not to have the worst record in the NFL. 

AFC Division Predictions

AFC East

Division Winner

I got New England winning the AFC East. I'm not sure yet who's the better team between them and the Jets but if nothing else the Patriots are masters of the regular season. Bill Bellichick is the best coach in the NFL and the Patriots are always prepared week in and week out. Combine that with the fact they have WAY more consistency at QB and it's enough for me to give the Pats the edge in the regular season over the Jets. 

2nd Place

Coming in 2nd will be the Jets. The Jets will look to win like they have since Rex got there with great defense and running the ball. The Jets have a better defense and running game than the Pats and even better receivers so one might wonder why they might finish behind NE. That reason is Mark Sanchez. Although Sanchez is more than capable of playing well enough in 1 game for the Jets to beat the Pats I don't think he's good enough to be consistent enough to lead the Jets to more regular season wins than the Patriots. 

3rd

The AFC East is going to be one of those divisions where two teams are fighting for 1st place and the other 2 are fighting not to be last. I think that fight will be won by the Bills. Buffalo is really just straight up better than the Dolphins. Better more reliable QB in Ryan Fitzpatrick, better running backs, and a better defense. The additions of Nick Barnett and Marcell Dareus should really improve the Bills D. Offensively they traded Lee Evans but they still have Johnson, and Spiller is a receiving threat out of the backfield. Also Jackson is a solid back that runs hard in between the tackles.

4th

Finishing last I have the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins failed to address their biggest flaw this offseason QB. They simply don't have any good one's on their roster and their fooling themselves if they think Chad Henne is the answer. Not only that they failed to resign either of their running backs and are depending on a rookie and Reggie Bush to get it done on the ground. Bush is specialty player he can't be a feature back in this league and Miami will figure out soon enough. Miami could be the worst team in the NFL this season. 

AFC North

Division Winner

The North will be won by the team that has won it the past few seasons the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh is the most complete team in the AFC and if all goes right should be representing the conference in the Super Bowl. The Steelers have a top 5 QB in Big Ben, a beast at RB in Mendenhall, the perfect combo of a deep threat and possession wr in Wallace and Ward, one of the few TE's left in the NFL that's both a good receiver and blocker, and the best defense in the NFL. 

2nd

Finishing 2nd AGAIN will be the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens are a really good team, their even a super bowl caliber team to be honest. However they play in a division where there's another team that's just better and what's worst they have their number. Flacco tho not elite yet is far from a liability anymore as a matter of fact he's developed into a top 15 QB that might be ready to take the next step and lead this team to a division title. I can talk about every other position on the Ravens but it really comes down to this rather the Ravens beat the Steelers or not and rather they win this division or not will come down to Joe Flacco in the end and I don't think he's THAT good yet. 

3rd

The 3rd spot is a default pick its the Cleveland Browns. The Browns tho improved just simply don't have what it takes to over take Baltimore or Pittsburgh right now. However their still way ahead of the Bengals so they should cruise right into the 3rd spot of this division. The Browns will be competitive this season and should have a good defense again this year. However offensively other than Peyton Hillis they don't have any elite skill players and Colt McCoy tho a smart savvy QB just simply lacks the arm strength for this team to be an explosive offense. 

4th

Finishing last will be the Cincinnati Bengals. Because the Bengals are in full rebuild mode, because the Bengals still have Marvin Lewis as their head coach, and because the Bengals wanted to be tough and not trade Carson Palmer their going to be going head to head with the Dolphins for worst record in the NFL. It's been said that Andy Dalton looked the best of the rookie QB's this pre season well nobody ever mentions that NONE of this years rookie QB's are ready to start as NFL QB's. Dalton is going to struggle in his rookie season. The O-Line is filled with underachievers such as Andre Smith and the defense has lost some key guys. It's going to be a struggle in Marvin Lewis's last season as the Bengals head coach. 

AFC West

Division Winner

The only reason the Chargers easily made it to the playoffs in years past was because their really wasn't another team in this division that could challenge them. Now there is in the Kansas City Chiefs and now that there's another playoff caliber team in the AFC west the Chargers might not see the post season again until they fire Norv Turner. The Chiefs on the other hand are well coached by one of the best young coaches in the NFL in Todd Haley. The Chargers running game is phenomenal with Jamaal Charles and Thomas Jones and Dwayne Bowe is just enough to give this team a little explosiveness in the passing game behind the not so flashy but calm Matt Cassell. Defensively their not a elite group but they played well last year and should play good enough with a running game that should eat up time of possession to out last San Diego. 

2nd

To me the Chargers are overrated before you even get to their main issue at head coach. This team won't repeat the success they had defensively last season because I just don' think their that good on that side of the ball. Offensively their an ok running team but neither Tolbert or Ryan Matthews have established them selves as backs that consistently get it done. This team will once again be heavily depended on Phillip Rivers to lead them to the playoffs. I wanna say that the Chargers should win this division and just might but I think Norv Turner will be there undoing again and keep them from winning the division. 

3rd

Who's going to finish 3rd and 4th in this division is a toss up for me. I'm going to go with Denver to win more games than the Raiders and get this spot. The Broncos made the right decision to keep Kyle Orton instead of going with Tebow and as long as he's the starter their better than the Raiders. The Broncos have a suspect running game but Moreno still has potential to break out. They have a deep receiving core even tho two of the guys are yet to play up to their potential in Thomas and Eddie Royal. Defensively they kept their star corner unlike the Raiders, picked up Von Miller in the draft and get Elvis Dumervil back after being out all year last season. All of those things should be enough for them to edge out Oakland.

4th

I have the Raiders finishing last. Jason Campell is ok but nothing special and never will be and with that said he doesn't have the skill set to carry a offense when the receiving core consist of Heyward-Bay, Jacoby Ford, and Kevin Boss. Combine that with the fact the Raiders lost 3 starters on the O-line from last year and you can bet their going to struggle throwing the ball. They do however have to a elite running back in Darren McFadden and a good running back in Michael Bush. Defensively loosing Nnamdi will hurt more than they know and will probably turn them into a mediocre defense. They do still have a good D-Line across the board which should allow them to be decent at times but they won't be able to cover people.

AFC South

Division Winner

For the record I just wanna state I had the Texans winning this division before any news of Manning missing significant time was known. With that said The Texans are going to win this division with ease now that Peyton might not play at all this year. The Texans are going to be one of the best teams in the NFL offensively again. The difference this year is they should be at the very least decent on defense. With the addition of Wade Phillips as the defensive coordinator and Jonathon Joseph and J.J. Watt on defense it should be enough to make them a real threat in the AFC all together. 

2nd

After the Texans I just don't know about this division. Since the Colts and Jags don't have the QB that we all thought they would this season I'm going to go with the Titans to finish 2nd in this division. The Titans will have a decent defense this year, especially with one of the best secondaries in the NFL. The offense might not be as bad as people think with Hasselback at QB. Of course they have the 2nd best RB in the NFL and Kenny Britt has talent at WR. I think with Manning and Garrard out the Titans can steal the 2nd spot in the division.

3rd

I think the Colts are better than alot of ppl think they are without Peyton but still not nearly good enough to compete for the division. Kerry Collins is a veteran QB that can step in and make some plays and give them a chance to at the very least be watchable. They still have one of the top 5 receiving cores in the NFL but this is a very mediocre O-line and they have average running backs at best. Defensively their a speed defense that will get pounded put should be able to hold their own against the pass.

4th

The Jags are going to struggle this season. They cut Garrard and have announced Luke McCown as the starter. I assure you that will fail miserably. The thinking is their going to leave him in there until Blaine Gabbert is ready. But I wanna know what they plan to do when they realize Gabbert won't be ready at any point this year. They lost sims-walker from a already suspect receiving core. Defensively they lack elite talent and I don't think they'll be able to stop people when it matters. The Jags will probably be in the running for a top 3 pick. 

NFC Division Predictions

NFC East 

Division Winner

I got the Cowboys finishing 1st in the NFC East this season. I'm not buying the make up of the eagles team. They stock piled by signing free agents at positions they didn't need and ignored the positions they were weak at. The Cowboys offense is going to be deadly this season. If there defense is middle of the pack good they should win this division. 

2nd

I'm going out on a very short limb with this prediction but I got the GGGGGGGGG men finishing 2nd in the East. They got injuries but so did the packers last year and they over came them. The Giants running game is going to be a problem especially for the Eagles Nnamdi, DRC, and Samuel won't make a bit of difference against Bradshaw and Jacobs. I expect the Giants to sweep Philly playing a big part in them finishing ahead of the Eagles. 

3rd

I'm probably one of very few people who have this but I got the Eagles finishing 3rd. First of all I'd like to say that I think these teams will all be within a game or so of each other and it's going to come down to tie breakers probably. With that being said the Eagles have issues that no one is talking about because of their spending spree in free agency. But the fact that there isn't one legit linebacker on that team is a huge problem for me. The Eagles O-line is another issue. 

4th

I got the Redskins finishing last but the redskins might be better than alot of people think. Tim Hightower looks like a perfect fit in Shanahan's zone blocking scheme and the Redskins have some good players on D. Santana Moss and Chris Cooley are reliable weapons on offense. How far the Skins go is really up to Grossman or John Beck. 

NFC North

Division Winner

I have the Packers winning this division. The packers are easily the most complete team in the NFL as there is nowhere on their roster you can point to as a weakness. The fact that last season's division winner got a little worse helps and getting back some really good players of IR will also help. The Packers should have the best record in the NFC and the League this year and look for Rodgers to have a MVP caliber season. 

2nd

Here's another bold prediction for you, the Detroit Lions are finishing 2nd in the division. I'm drinking the Lions cool-aid and it taste great. This team is ready to breakout and finally make some noise. I am however putting a "if" on this prediction. If Stafford gets hurt significantly the Lions will finish last. With that out of the way the Lions should be much improved defensively this season and that D-Line will dominate led by the best defensive lineman in football in Suh. 

3rd

Coming in 3rd I got the Bears. Chicago won this division last year and got to the NFC championship and I only have one word to describe it, FLUKE. I'm not buying the Bears and it honestly wouldn't surprise me if they finished last but their defense should be good again this year so it's going to help carry them. I don't have a problem with Cutler but he's not nearly good enough to get this team to the playoffs two years in a row with a mediocre O-Line and no legit receiving options. 

4th

The Vikings will finish last in the division. I have absolutely NO faith in Donavon Mcnabb. He's done he's finished he lost his job to Rex Grossman, he's a bum. I love Peterson he's the best back in the NFL but we all know he's gonna miss 2 games to injury and play in another 2 or 3 hurt so your talking about 10 or 11 games of AP fully healthy. The defense lost Edwards and Pat Williams on the D-line which means their not going to be nearly as effective stopping the run this year. 

NFC West

Division Winners

First of all let me just say that this division is the worst in the NFL and they don't deserve a automatic playoff bid this year. Also that all 4 of these teams can win the division and all 4 can finish last. With that out of the way I got the Cardinals coming out of this division 1st. I think the addition of Kevin Kolb will make all the difference. He's a huge upgrade over Anderson and will make Fitzgerald look like a top 3 WR again. Defensively they got the best personnel in the division. I think that and the addition of Kolb will put them over the top.

2nd

Coming in 2nd I have the San Francisco 49ers. Them or the Rams could get this spot I went back and forth on that one but I gave the 49ers the edge because I think they have the better overall team. This year Alex Smith has Crabtree and Braylon Edwards at WR, Vernon Davis at TE, and Gore at RB. I know Alex Smith is a bum but there is no way with this supporting cast and a decent defense that he can't play good enough to get this team to 2nd in THIS division. I just can't believe they kept him if he's really not good enough to do that. If the 49ers had a real QB i'd have them winning this division. 

3rd

I got the Rams finishing 3rd. They have the best QB in this division with Sam Bradford and the best RB in Stephen Jackson. However I just don't know about the rest of this offense. Defensively the rams have some good ends that can rush the passers and Laurinaitis is a beast at LB, but I'm just not sure about that secondary especially after losing atogwe at safety.

4th

Finishing last this year I have the Seahawks who finished 1st last year. All this team had to do was keep Hasselback and they would be right in the running to repeat as division champs. Instead they sign Tavaris Jackson and will probably finish last. They have some decent skill players but no elite skill players which isn't good with such a mediocre QB. I hate this defense now that Lofa Tatupu is gone. I think Seattle is one of the worst teams in the NFL this year. 

NFC South

Division Winner

The Atlanta Falcons will win the NFC south. The Falcons on paper are the 2nd best team in the NFC. They have solid players all over as well. What I love about Atlanta though is that they had really 2 weaknesses and those were they needed a pass rusher opposite John Abraham and they needed a WR opposite Roddy White they addressed both PERFECTLY. In the draft they jumped all the way into the top 10 and got Julio Jones and in free agency they got DE Ray Edwards. The Falcons are one of the top 5 teams in the NFL and a legit super bowl contender.

2nd

Coming in 2nd I got the New Orleans Saints. Alot of people are sleeping on the Saints I think large in part because of them getting upset by the Seahawks in the playoffs last year. I think they just picked a bad time to have a bad game. The Saints offensively will be top 3 again and defensively Gregg Williams will have them blitzing and make it hard on teams. I think the Saints will be a team to watch this year. If Mark Ingram is legit which I think he can be the Saints are going to give Atlanta all they can handle. 

3rd

Coming in 3rd this year in the South will be the Carolina Panthers. Yea that's right i'm going there, I said it. The worst team in the NFL last season is going to jump a team that went 10-6. I'll get into the Bucs later. Right now I wanna talk about the Panthers. Defensively the Panthers have a squad. I'm concerned about having to rookie starting DT's but other than that they have a solid defense. Their defense should actually be better than the Saints and the Bucs. Offensively they have one of the best O-Lines in football. They also have good weapons on offense in 2 TEs with Olsen and Shockey, Steve Smith at WR, and Williams and Stewart are maybe the best RB duo in the NFL. 

4th

I got the Bucs finishing last in this division. The 1st thing you have to understand about Tampa Bay last season is that they 9 of their 10 wins came against non playoff teams and 5 of their 6 losses came to playoff teams. They were an improved team last year but they were also the beneficiary of a cupcake schedule. I like Josh Freeman but I'm still not sold if Bloute and Mike Williams can be consistent on offense. Defensively their starting 2 rookie ends and 2 2nd year DT's They look weak at LB after losing Barrett Rudd. Their secondary is ok but I don't know about the front 7. The Bucs have a lot of what ifs while the Panthers really only have 1 in Cam Newton which is why I think CAR. can finish ahead of Tampa Bay. 

Team Breakdown - Carolina Panthers

Last Season:

Last season was a complete struggle for the Panthers. They finished with the worst record in the NFL at 2-14 and there only two wins came against two teams from the NFC West (worst division in football BY FAR) in the 49ers and the Cardinals. They finished dead last in the NFL last season only managing to score 12.2 points per game. They weren't much better defensively giving up 25.5 points per game which was 26th in the NFL. The worst thing of all last year was that Jimmy Clausin was the starting QB enough said. 

Offseason:

The Panthers have made some moves this offseason to dig themselves out of the NFL hole. They started in the draft by drafting 3 players that are currently starting on the depth chart. They picked Cam Netwon with the 1st overall pick and then 2 DTs in the 3rd round. Then they traded for former Bears TE Greg Olsen who could be Cam's number 1 target this year. They also signed former Saints TE Jeremy Shockey.

2011 Outlook:

The Panthers won't make the playoffs this season but will be MUCH improved this year. As a matter of fact if they played in the NFC West they'd be my pick to win that division. From what I saw in pre season Cam looked good running it but terrible throwing it. However I can't imagine he'll be any worse than Clausen last year throwing the football. They've got two good running backs and two good TE's and Steve Smith at WR if nothing else I can guarantee the Panthers won't be the worse offense this year. Defensively the Panthers have decent players but a lot of question marks on the D-Line with two 3rd round picks starting at DT and a backup in Eric Norwood last year being promoted to the left end spot. Their still the worst team in the NFC south on paper but they will definitely win more than 2 games and will challenge Tampa Bay for that 3rd spot. 

Position Outlook:

QB

In just a couple pre season games Cam Newton won the Panthers starting QB job. He's a huge QB with good speed and a big NFL arm. But Cam has average accuracy at best, maybe even below average. In college Cam was in a read option offense and the defenses creeped up and focused on him as a runner which helped his receivers. However in the NFL he won't be an primary runner and teams are going to be playing their schemes which Cam will have to figure out and he's gonna have to accurately throw the ball in tough spots which I don't think will happen in his rookie season. 

RB

The Panthers have a two back system with two really good running backs. Their starting back is Deangelo Williams who is one of the better backs in the NFL and then there is Jonathon Stewart who will get his fair share of the carries as well. Williams is more of the ellusive back for the panthers. He's got the speed and quickness to get big plays in the running game and to run tosses and sweeps. Stewart is more of the physical between the tackles running back that keeps you ahead in your down and distance and wears down defenses. Together they make a deadly combo. Last year was actually a down year for them compared to what they did two years ago when they both ran for over 1,100 yards and both had over 5 yards per carry. If they can get close to that again this year the Panthers can be a dangerous team. I've been hearing the Panthers will not use a full back in their base offense this season.

WR/TE

The Panthers plan two start to TE's this year both of which are new to the team. Greg Olsen and Jeremy Shockey will be the teams starting TE's and both figure to be great options in the middle of the field for young Cam Newton. On the outside the panthers will still have what has been their best receiving option for years in Steve Smith as their number 1 receiver. Brandon Lafell in his 2nd year out of LSU will get his opportunity to start as the other receiver. The Panthers actually have a decent group of skill players when you look at their backs and receivers/tight ends. It's going to all come down to Cam how good this team can really be. 

O-Line

The Panthers have in my opinion one of the best O-lines in football. Led by one of the best lineman in the NFL in LT Jordan Gross. They have talent all across the board on the O-line. After Gross you still have 1 other pro bowl caliber player in C Ryan Kalil and 2 players just below that pro bowl level in RT Jeff Otah and LG Travelle Wharton. And their RG Mackenzy Bernadeau isn't much of a pass blocker but he's a maller of a run blocker and one of the strongest O-lineman in the NFL. If this group stays healthy the Panthers should be dangerous running the football. 

D-Line

Last season many wondered why the Panthers just let Julius Peppers walk without even making him a real offer. The answer, Charles Johnson. Charles Johnson in his 1st season as the man on this D-Line was one of the few bright spots for Carolina last season as he had 11.5 sacks. He was a absolute beast and figures to be again this season. At the other end spot you'll probably see a little of both Greg Hardy and Eric Norwood. Norwood is currently listed as the starter because Hardy is coming of injury last season and trying to get full recovered but if fully healthy Hardy is definitely a better option than Norwood. The Panthers have lost their best DT Ron Edwards for the year and are now forced to start two rookies in the middle which could prove to be costly. Terrell McClain and Sione Fua are both listed as the starters at this moment and their going to have to learn on the fly if this defense is to be successful.

Linebackers

The best MLB in the NFL is Patrick Willis and not to far behind him is Jon Beason the starting MLB for the Panthers. Beason is one of the fastest linebackers in the league period. He has great sideline to sideline and quickness and is also terrific in coverage. He can stay with all the athletic TEs and even some of the slower receivers. He's also good for picking up backs out of the backfield who are a threat to catch. This entire linebacking core is quick tho. To his left at the weak side linebacker spot is a even faster linebacker in Thomas Davis who due to being a converted safety earlier in his career is one of the fastest linebackers in the NFL. His skills against the run are average at best but he's one of the best in the league in coverage as far as backers go. On the strong side will be James Anderson who is also quick in his own right. He like Beason can be effective against both the run and pass as despite being only about 235 pounds he still recorded 130 total tackles last season. This is one of the best 4-3 linebacking cores in the NFL. 

Secondary

Tho the Panthers secondary lacks any elite players it's far from being a bad secondary its actually a pretty solid group led by their number 1 corner Chris Gamble. Gamble might not ever make the pro bowl but he's solid at corner and he's a legit number 1 corner. He's not going to take away one side of the field all game but he's going to match up with teams best receiver and their going to have to work to get anything they get. Across from him is a talented young 3rd year corner in Captain Munnerlyn. They also don't have pro bowl safeties but they also don't have bad safeties. Their FS Sherrod Martin who is in his 3rd year isn't a ball hawk but can hold his own in coverage and is stout in the running game as he recorded 85 tackles which is amazing from the FS position. At SS is Charles Godfrey who looks like he has the potential to be a pro bowl safety soon. Last season he had 84 tackles and 5 interceptions and he has really good speed for a strong safety. He could establish himself as a top safety this season with another year like last year.

Special Teams

The panthers also improved their kicking game this offseason picking up former seahawks kicker Olindo Mare who was 25/30 (83%) last season. Jason Baker is back as the punter after a solid season last year averaging 43 yards a punt. Mike Goodson will be the primary kick returner and Armanti Edwards the primary punt returner.