EZ's NFL Power Rankings

1. New England Patriots - One more game till perfection in the regular season. They still have to make it through the playoffs though.

2. Dallas Cowboys - The NFC title now will go through Dallas. Never fun to have to beet the Cowboys in Texas.

3. Indianapolis Colts - Warning to the rest of the NFL. The Colts are still the champs, until someone knocks Peyton Manning and company out of the playoffs.

4. Green Bay Packers -Should get one more shot against the Cowboys in the NFC title game. This team is for real.

5. Jacksonville Jaguars - This is one dangerous team when they put it together. Taylor and Drew are the best 1-2 punch at RB in the league. They can be formidable during January.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers - Some weeks they look great. but during those losses, they really look bad. Despite that, they can give any team trouble on any given week. Don't overlook these guys.

7. New York Giants - Eli is keeping this team in games, and they are turning them into wins. Considering I expected this team to flounder w/o Tiki Barber, and the Strahan saga, this is an impressive season for the G-Men.



8. Seattle Seahawks - Alexander is not the player he once was. If he was, this team would be a factor in the NFC race. Instead, they won a division with no competition, and will likely become a playoff washout.


9. San Diego Chargers - In recent weeks, this team seems to be getting their groove back. LT is still the best player in football, and Rivers is regaining his confidence. This team can make some noise over the next month.




10. Tampa Bay - True, their division was a joke this season, but that doesn't change the fact they won it easily. This team has their dance card punched for January, but the games will get tougher. Then we can see what they are really made of.

11. Tennessee Titans - A perplexing team at best, this Tennessee team struggles being consistent. That is not the sign of a championship caliber ball club. Regardless, they are now in the driver's seat for playoff position, and they are much better than I expected them to be.

12. Cleveland Browns - At the start of the season I called the Browns may surprise team of the year. I love what Anderson has done for these guys, and I am happy to see ol' Romeo getting some vindication. Regardless, they are not real players in the AFC race... yet.




13. Minnesota Vikings - The ground game in Minnesota is scary, and Jackson is showing why Coach Brad hitched his ride to him last year. If this team could play some better D, and stretch some opposing secondaries, they would become legit contenders.



14. Houston Texans - This team is on the rise in this league. I really like the D, and given one more year, Gary K may get the offense up to speed too. Once they add a real running game, the Boys won't be the only team in Texas.



15. Arizona Cardinals - Kenny W is trying real hard to get this desert story moving forward. They have a lot of talent. Regardless, this team still is underachieving. They should be better than this.




16. Washington Redskins - This team is wrought with tragedy. What happened to Taylor was awful. The fact they could put it behind them and play the Bills strong, then drum up a win against the Bears, says a lot about this team's character.

17. Philadelphia Eagles - Like George and Weesie, the Eagles are movin' on up. This team is playing good football right now, even when they don't pull out the W. Every time I think McNabb is about done, he shows up with some inspired play, and this week he again showed why the Eagles have him as their leader.

18. New Orleans Saints - A wonderful story last year, this team had to come back down to Earth at some point. Payton has still done something wonderful with this team though, and with another offseason, they could be challenging again soon.



19. Detroit Lions - Their free fall ended this week, so the Tom Petty award will get passed. Despite this, this team was at one time scary with Mike Martz's passing game. Unfortunately, the D is porous, and the running game needs a boost.




20. Buffalo Bills - I simply don't get this team. Their drafting has been an enigma. So has their play. They haven't settled on a QB, and outside of speedy Lee Evans, they have no passing targets. If not for Marshawn Lynch carrying this team, they would not even be this good.

21. Denver Broncos - This team still has one of the best secondaries in the game. Bailey, Bly and Lynch are still the real deal. Cutler has struggled in his sophomore campaign, and the inconsistency of the running game has hampered his development.

22. Cincinnati Bengals - Marvin's ballers have played much better the second half of the season than they did the first. Carson Palmer is a legit superstar quarterback. Unfortunately Rudi J has not had the same types of year as he had in the past. If he can bounce back, the team could contend again. If not, the team will need to look for his replacement.

23. Chicago Bears - Despite not having a real starting QB on their roster, they still managed to beat the Packers this week. Any given Sunday is right. Cedric Benson is a bust, and Lance Briggs can't wait to jump ship. For the Bears this could get worse before it gets better.




24. Carolina Panthers - This team has had some injuries this year to contend with, but that is just part of the game. At the start of the season they looked good at the QB spot. Now they are calling my grandmother to see if she is available to take snaps.




25. San Francisco 49ers - Don't look now but look who is starting to put some wins together. That is right, here at the frenzy we are calling two straight a streak. Smith is still garbage, but what do you want when you use the first overall draft pick on a player out of Utah.

26. Oakland Raiders - A season after the number 1 pick, they are still not a good football team. JaMarcus will get some more help this year with another high pick, and Raider nation has next year to look forward to.

27. Kansas City Chiefs - Even LJ cant run against 8 man fronts all day. Brodie Croyle was never meant for a starting QB in the league, and Huard is nothing more than an adequate journeyman. This team has lost 8 straight, and somehow, they are not the biggest embarrassment in the game.

28. St Louis Rams - This is one of the best bad teams in the league. What a distinction. Kind of like being the smartest kid to ride the short bus. They need to do more to win, but they cannot do so until they all get healthy. No Bulger. No Wins.



29. New York Jets - I know they only have 3 wins, but I still think they are better than the Ravens. Why, unlike the Ravens, this team still managed to beat Miami. Now, don't get me wrong. The J.E.T.S still S.U.C.K. but just not as bad as those teams that follow.




30. Baltimore Ravens - How bad are things in Baltimore? They become the team that lost to the team that couldn't beat anyone. Their team is awfully banged up, but they still need to find a way to win. Their 9 straight losses makes this team the recipients of the Tom Petty, Free Fallin' award.

31. Atlanta Falcons - The worst part about this is it could get worse before it gets better. Not only are they losing games hand over fist, but they lose on the battle of big Tuna too. Hopefully Blank will hire someone who can bring this organization some stability.

32. Miami Dolphins - Ugly, ugly ugly. But at least they made the right move in enticing Big Willie out of retirement. He will provide the spark and stability this team has searched for since the days of Dan.