1) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-2): Change: +1 [1,14] The Colts showed a lot of grit in coming back to beat a supercharged division rival on the road. The Texans proved to be better than advertised, and the Colts overcame an early deficit, kept the game from getting out of hand, and ultimately came out with the win.
2) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (8-1): Change: -2 [1,3] Sure, they got the win, but it was so ugly. The Bucs are not a good team by any stretch of the imagination, and the game was in Seattle. I really like the Seahawks, but I can't keep them at #1 after that.
3) NEW ENGLAND
PATRIOTS (7-2): Change: +5 [3,8] The Pats are back. In a week where the top teams all faltered (or were on bye), the Patriots put together a trouncing of Pittsburgh. The Steelers' secondary is not bad this year, but Brady picked them apart. Gronk, while still not 100%, is still managing to manhandle his opposition. The running game is doing enough to take the pressure off Brady. They're one more dynamic week away from stealing the top spot.
4)
DENVER BRONCOS (7-1):
Change: +1 [1,5] Sad news about John Fox, and all of us at The Dog Pile
wish him a speedy recovery. In the meantime, my favorite coach in the
NFL, Jack Del Rio, takes over the helm. Big showdown with the Chiefs
looks in Week 11.
5) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (6-2): Change: -1 [3,6] That loss to the Jets really shook my faith in the Saints. However, we all knew they weren't the best team on the road.
6) SAN FRANCSICO 49ERS (6-2): Change: 0 [2,6] They are on the cusp of entering the top 5, and it will be interesting to see what the rest of the season holds.
7) GREEN BAY PACKERS (5-3): Change: -4 [2,7] This drop is due half to their loss to the Bears, and half to the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers. This is a top-5 team when Rodgers is healthy. Eddie Lacy is the real deal and has looked outstanding since he returned from his concussion.
8) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (9-0): Change: +1 [9,22] Another week, another crappy Chiefs win. They're decent, but this is the weakest 9-0 team I've ever seen. They get to rest up this week to prepare for their showdown with Denver in week 11, which will be their first real test.
9) CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-3): Change: -1 [7,10] What a letdown for the Bengals. Everyone knew it was a trap game for them, and now Geno Atkins is done for the season. Andy Dalton needs to step up (not back into his own endzone) if this team is going to be a contender down the stretch.
10) DETROIT LIONS (5-3): Change: 0 [10,13] The Lions stay at #10 during their bye. They have an easy schedule down the stretch and should be competing heavily for a wildcard.
11) CAROLINA PANTHERS (5-3): Change: 0 [9,14] What a satisfying win for Carolina over their bitter divisional rivals. It's too bad that they couldn't get the first-half touchdown record, but a 34-10 win is a nice consolation prize.
12) CHICAGO BEARS (5-3): Change: [8,12] They played with a lot of heart on Monday Night. They showed they can win with a backup, and the defense looked great. Julius Peppers continues to defy Father Time. And Cutler comes back next week...
13) DALLAS COWBOYS (5-4): Change: 0 [12,18] Romo threw the game away, then got a chance to redeem himself and did so. While they were incredibly underwhelming last week, I think they would still beat anyone below them on this list, so I'll leave them at #13.
14) ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-4): Change: +1 [15,24] It's weird to put them this high, but that's how inconsistent these middle-of-the-pack teams are. Cards move up during their bye.
15) NEW YORK JETS (5-4): Change: +2 [13,30] Is there a more up and down team in the NFL?! I think I just need to keep picking them to win and lose on alternate weeks.
16) CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-5): Change: +3 [16,27] The Browns showed a lot of heart in their win versus the Ravens, and they did something that they've struggled to do all season: they closed out a close game. The beat a bitter divisional rival, and their defense looks awesome - they will be challenging for the #6 seed in the AFC.
17) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (4-4): Change: -1 [16,25] They needed to seal the deal against an inferior Washington team, and they couldn't get it done. Three chances from the 1-yard line against one of the league's worst defenses, and you can't punch it in? You've got to do better than that if you want to be a playoff team.
18) TENNESSEE TITANS (4-4): Change: 0 [18,30] The Titans got a narrow win against the Rams. The good news is that Chris Johnson looks like his old self for the first time this season.
19) MIAMI DOLPHINS (4-4): Change: +3 [19,28] That was a solid and unexpected win against the Bengals on TNF.
20) BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-5): Change: -6 [14,20] You're the defending champs? Play with some pride out there!
21) WASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-5): Change: +1 [17,22] RG3 is slowly coming back to form. That was a solid win against SD in overtime.
22) ATLANTA FALCONS (2-6): Change: -2 [8,22] The Falcons freefall continues.
23) NEW YORK GIANTS (2-6): Change: 0 [12,26] I'm really interested to see what the Giants look like after resting up over their bye. Everyone knows that this is a team that can catch fire at any time...
24) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (4-5): Change: +4 [17,22] Wow. I don't think anyone except Dave Schefke expected a performance like that from Foles. What's funnier is that the team still won't commit to him as the starter.
25) BUFFALO BILLS (3-5): Change: 0 [25,29] There is a lot of talent on this team, and they've managed to stay competitive with 2nd and 3rd string quarterbacks. CJ Spiller is finally looking like himself.
26) HOUSTON TEXANS (2-6):
Change: +2 [6,29] Case Keenum looked better than anyone has so far this year in a Texans uniform. It's not too hard to play QB for the Texans...just throw the deep ball to Andre Johnson! He did that, and they got out to an early lead. He stopped, and they gave up the lead and lost.
27) ST. LOUIS RAMS (3-6): Change: 0 [14,29] I've been talking about Zac Stacy for four weeks, and now the world can see that he is legit. The Rams should have won each of the last two weeks.
28) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-6): Change: -2 [21,26] What is going on in Pittsburgh? That was a pathetic showing against the Pats.
29) OAKLAND RAIDERS (3-5): Change: -5 [24,32] The Raiders are who we thought they were.
30) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-7): Change: 0 [23, 30] I feel so bad for AP. He's playing his heart out, but can't get any help for his supporting cast. Ponder looked slightly better than awful last week.
31) TAMPA BAY BUCS (0-8): Change: 0 [19,31] Valiant and unexpected effort in Seattle.
32) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (0-8): Change: 0 [31,32] What, did you think they'd move up during their bye? I mean, their bye was the best week of their season, but come on....
Time out, time out, time out. I will admit, I jumped to see where you put the Chiefs on this first, and I have to call you out on this. You seriously think that the Chiefs at 9-0 look weaker than the Falcons last year? Really? REALLY? They have a great defense. Fine, they have a meh offense, but they have not allowed ANYONE to score 17 points this year. You don't NEED a stellar offense when you just have to score 17 to win.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, they were in Buffalo. What's Seattle's excuse? The Bills have given everybody problems, win or lose. What's Indy's excuse? The bottom line is that I am surprised that, as smash-mouth, defensively minded as you are that you aren't giving the Chiefs, the best defense in the league as far as points allowed, which is all that matters, since World War II.
Stats only go so far when you haven't faced a quality opponent. As much as I hate the Falcons, I actually think last year's Falcons would beat this year's Chiefs. In fact, they crushed the Chiefs in week 1, and this Chiefs team is about the same just with the addition of game manager Alex Smith.
DeleteWhat's the Seahawks' excuse? They don't need one - they would DESTROY the Chiefs. The only team I have ranked higher than the Chiefs that I could see them beating is, ironically, the Broncos. That's only because they are the kind of team that Manning historically has a problem against.
The only quality win that the Chiefs have is Dallas, and they are as inconsistent as teams come this year. I'm sorry, but narrow wins against the Texans, Browns, and Bills don't convince me that you are the #1 team in the NFL, or even a top 5 team. I don't care if you're 9-0, if you only have narrow wins against crappy opponents, you have no respect from me.
Again, I return to my former question - do you really think the Chiefs are going to win the Super Bowl? Right, neither do I. That's why I won't rank them #1, or anywhere close, until they do something to convince me otherwise.
Of the 3 "narrow" wins you mentioned the Chiefs had, one if them you have as a wildcard contender (Browns) which, as we've seen in recent years, is all it takes to win a Super Bowl, you have a team that all but shut Tom Brady down (Bills), and a team that almost beat your #1 team (Texans). The Chiefs are absolutely dominating the adapting game. Dez Bryant had 100 yards receiving in the 1st quarter against the Chiefs. He was shut down the rest of the game. The Bills in general were gashing for yards in the 1st half. They were all but shut down in the 2nd half. They shut down a then-red hot Eagles offense. They shut down Eli, of course who hasn't? They shut down Pryor, who has been on fire this year. They had a close game with the Texans, who have a very good defense themselves, and a semi-close game with the Browns who were starting Jason Campbell who no one has any tape on since 5 years ago.
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I point out that you are giving all this credit to the Seahawks' defense when they have just as average of an offense as the Chiefs. Russell Wilson is proving to me that he was a flash in the pan that is quickly fading away. In fact, I daresay that the Seahawks' defense is worse. They let a bad team score 21 on them. So a porous defense and an average offense. How is this team better than the Chiefs?
All of these arguments are based on the DEFENSE. News flash: it's 2013! Defense won't win you a Super Bowl bowl anyone unless you're the defense of the century. This Chiefs defense is good, but they're not even the best in the NFL this year, and they're nowhere near the 2000 Ravens or '85 Bears, as I say almost every week in our Chiefs debates. Heck, I'd take the mid-2000s Ravens and Steelers defenses over them in a heartbeat.
DeleteYou keep ignoring the ineptitude of the Chiefs offense. You know it's only a matter of time before Charles goes down, Alex Smith is below average and nothing more than a game manager, and Dwayne Bowe is having the worst season of his career.
Oh, and I'd pick the Chiefs over any team right now. They are THE most consistent team in the league right now.
ReplyDelete