Pelletier's Perspective 12.19.08: NFL Power Rankings

Posted by Justin Pelletier on 12.19.2008

This weeks was supposed to begin our three-part look at the NBA elite but a slow week in the NBA, coupled with the NFL playoff push has us thinking football. Join 411's Justin Pelletier as he presents his NFL Power Rankings.

As 2008 turns into 2009 some NFL teams are gearing toward a playoff run, while other are looking ahead to next season. While those in Oakland, contemplate suicide.

Through most of the season it was believed that the Giants and Titans were the class of their respective conferences but the events of recent weeks have changed all that.

This week the Perspective lists all 32 teams in its (close to the) End of the Season Power Rankings.

1. Indy Colts – Don't look now but here comes the Colts. Peyton Manning is getting it back together and his offense is hitting it stride. Seven straight wins have this team thinking about another championship. Could you imagine is Bob Sanders could ever play more than half a season.

2. Carolina Panthers – Smash and Dash are not Demolition 2.0. They are Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams and they have strapped the Panthers to their backs as they carry them playoff bound. Carolina can't go very far, however, unless Jake Delhomme can consistently hit triple digits in weekly passing yards.

3. Tennessee Titans – Experts keep looking at other teams but the Titans just keep on winning. Even their loss on Sunday doesn't discredit their accomplishments. Houston is a hot team and every squad is due for down weeks. The defense is too good and the running game is too awesome for this loss to be anything more than an aberration. The real intrigue will take place next season when Tennessee has to decide is Vince Young is truly the man who can lead this team.

4. New York Giants – The losses to the Eagles and the Cowboys not withstanding, The Giants have been a juggernaut all season and that doesn't stop this time of the year for a team with a Super Bowl pedigree. The Plaxico Burress situation has really derailed this team, however. If they can't keep Brandon Jacobs healthy, their season is over.

5. Pittsburgh Steelers – Another year, another good (to very good) Pittsburgh Steelers team. Defensively, this team is unmatched but key losses over the years have left this team without either a punishing short-yardage back or a big-play receiver. Those deficiencies could come back to haunt them.

6. Baltimore Ravens – Six was exactly where I had Baltimore pegged prior to the season. Although it was for six overall wins, not the sixth best team in the league. Joe Flacco is singularly responsible for that change. After seemingly forever without a quarterback, Baltimore has found its signal caller and, perhaps, its ticket to years of sustained success.

7. Atlanta Falcons – What in the name of Michael Vick has caused the turnaround in Hotlanta? Simple, Matty Ice. Ryan has officially sealed the Rookie of the Year award and has moved himself into top consideration for the MVP. This team is going places and the only thing that can stop them is if Ryan is charged with running a cock fighting ring.

8. Miami Dolphins – It the idea of playoff-bound Atlanta doesn't blow your mind, wrap you head around the fact that the Miami Dolphins are the best team in the AFC East. Steady quarterback play from Chad Pennington and a Defensive-Player-of-the-Year season from Joey Porter are the difference makers. If the Fins can win this coming weekend, their week 17 game against the Jets (and subsequent victory) will be for the division win.

9. Philadelphia Eagles – Who would have thunk that, after tying the Bengals and getting drubbed by the Ravens that, the Eagles would crack the top 10? Credit for this turnaround can be credited to the fact that The Fat Walrus has remembered there is a small insignificant part of football called…THE RUNNING GAME. Reid has finally started handing the ball to Brian Westbrook and that has taken the pressure off Donovan McNabb and allowed him to be the upper echelon quarterback he still is.

10. Tampa Bay Bucs – One would think that this week's loss to Atlanta would have an asterisk next to it due to Jeff Garcia missing the contest but Brian Griese came to play. I'm not entirely sure how Tampa has managed to be as good as it has. Its running game is limping and Antonio Bryant is its top wide out. In any event, here they are in playoff contention.

11. Minnesota Vikings – I didn't buy into the Vikings at the beginning of the season, when everyone else was picking them to go to the Super Bowl. I didn't buy into them when Tarvaris Jackson was sucking it up. I didn't buy into them when Gus Frerotte stepped in and offered steady quarterback play and I certainly didn't buy into them when Frerotte was listed as out last week. But Jackson led them to a dominating victory over the slumping Cards and Minnesota seems to be peaking at just the right time. Adrian Peterson has to be the last guy a defense wants to see come playoff time.

12. New England Patriots – Don't get me wrong, I hate Bill Belichick but he has made everyone who said his success was due solely to Tom Brady seem pretty stupid. Matt Cassell's performance after losing his father was Favre-esque. A team with the Patriots pedigree AND Randy Moss can never be counted out. New England will need a little help but if they make the playoffs the AFC should watch out.

13. Dallas Cowboys – "There's no tension around here." A bigger lie has never been spoken. I hate ESPN's Skip Bayless but when he says TO stands for "Team Obliterator" he couldn't be more right. The Boys overcame his crazy ass this week but it will only be a matter of time before the whole thing comes undone.

14. Chicago Bears – Even without a quarterback, a running back with any experience or any legit receivers the Bears are in playoff contention. It just goes to show the job Lovie Smith has done. Fans in the Windy City must be beside themselves as they watch Donovan McNabb resurrect his reputation in Philly.

15. New York Jets – I can't think of a less secure division leader at this point in the season. Brett Favre has played more like the Brett Favre of '06, instead of '07 and the Dolphins and Pats are at their heels. The Favre/Jet experiment could leave a colossal mess as its legacy.

16. Houston Texans – Houston has been on a roll lately. Many had the Texans pegged as a possible playoff team this year. Maybe those predictions were just a year off. If Matt Schaub can continue to come around, Houston could be in the tournament next year.

17. Arizona Cardinals – The Cards are undefeated in the woeful NFC West and 3-7 outside. Their first home playoff game since the Franklin Pierce administration will not be a good one. The best example of Arizona's position in the league is the fact that we at the Perspective have them ranked below a team that is out of the playoff picture.

18. Denver Broncos – The best of the worst division. If there were a just, caring god, he wouldn't allow such a crappy team to make the playoffs.

19. Washington Redskins – The Redskins should enter the field to Tom Petty's "Free Fallin'" because that is exactly what their season (and Jim Zorn's job security) has done.

20. New Orleans Saints – Never before has such a bad team boasted so a legit MVP candidate. The picking are slim this year and Drew Brees seems like as good a candidate as anyone else. No matter how good Brees is, another year like this will seal Sean Payton's fate.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – Jack Del Rio's seat isn't nearly as hot as Payton's but it's not cool either. The Jags have underachieved like so many other teams this year. The one thing about pro sports is that it doesn't tolerate underachievers. If the Jags don't turn it back around next year, Del Rio will be gone.

22. San Diego Chargers – When San Diego made the decision to relieve Marty Schottenheimer of his duties, I questioned the decision. When it decided to replace him with Norv Turner I laughed my ass off. It's not even funny anymore. When are people going to realize that Turner couldn't coach the '85 Bears to a winning record?

23. Buffalo Bills – My how the average have fallen. Trent Edwards was getting MVP consideration halfway through the year. Now there is consideration of benching him for JP Losman. There isn't much a man can fall. If Buffalo isn't careful, it could completely waste Marshawn Lynch's most productive years.

24. Green Bay Packers – Everyone questions if picking Aaron Rodgers over Brett Favre was the right move but Rodgers has been very good. The issue has been Ryan Grant and Greg Jennings coming back to earth. A disappointment this season, Green Bay could be a surprise contender in '09.

25. Cleveland Browns – What a terrific disappointment. This team showed no heart. Look for Romeo Cornell to be coordinating a defense near you in 2009.

26. San Francisco 49ers – If Mike Singletary dropped his pants every time the 9ers got their asses beat, he'd be arrested for indecent exposure.

27. Seattle Seahawks – Matt Hassellbach has been in-and-out of the lineup all season. The running game has failed to respond to Shaun Alexander falling off God's green earth and the receiving core seems to miss games with broken nails. Mike Holmgren held on a year too long. There may be some slim years upcoming in the Pacific Northwest.

28. Cincinnati Bengals – A win over the free-falling Redskins does not make a season saved. Sure Carson Palmer has been out but that excuse is only worth so much. After setting the city on fire his first few seasons, Marvin Lewis has lost this squad. Look for Lewis to, also, be coordinating a defense near you.

29. St. Louis Rams – What a mess we have in St. Louis. What was once an offense that looked to have a ton of weapons, now has a ton of questions. What the hell happened to Marc Bulger? Is Tory Holt's career on the decline? Will Stephen Jackson ever be the back he once seemed destined to become? Those of problems and don't even touch on the defense, which is pathetic.

30. Oakland Raiders - Despite Al Davis' best efforts, this team has SOME talent. Darren McFadden will be very good and JaMarcus Russell has a chance to be good as well. Outside of that, however, this team is an Arena League squad (and the Arena League doesn't exist any longer).

31. Kansas City Chiefs – Larry Johnson isn't the back he once was. Tony Gonzalez isn't the tight end he once was. Tyler Thigpen IS the quarterback he once was. That's not a good thing.

32. Detroit Lions – The Lions make the US auto industry look strong. I know it's my job to write piffy prose but I just don't know what to say about the Lions. Daunte Culpepper is clearly not the answer at quarterback, Calvin Johnson is about the only weapon they have and no help appears to be on the horizon. Detroit is on the clock.

There, all 32 present and accounted for. It's been a maddening year for fans in Jacksonville, Cleveland and San Diego and a down right awful year for those in the Bay Area and the Motor City. A month from now all these rankings could change (except for the Lions, they'll still be the worst) but for now, the NFL has been put in Perspective.

Our promised top-50 NBA players feature is forthcoming and here's a hint: LeBron James and Kobe Bryant made the cut. But next week we at the Perspective will come bearing gifts, for some of today's top sports stars. Until then enjoy decking the halls.