As we get ready to watch what some people are calling a “Super Bowl Preview” in tonight’s Ravens-Falcons game, let’s take a look back on how the NFL stacks up halfway through the season.
In a year in which everything is changing by the second, it has completely thrown the ERP guys for a loop. There is disagreement all over the map. Sharkey & MIB agree that the Steelers are the #1 team in the NFL, Doozer doesn’t even have them in the Top 5. He has the Giants at #1, who MIB doesn’t have in the Top 3.
Doozer does have the aforementioned Atlanta Falcons in the Top 3, while MIB has them down at #8. Doozer has the Packers one spot lower at #4, and MIB also has them one spot lower, at #9. Meanwhile, MIB has the Tennessee Titans ahead of the Falcons & Packers, at #6 on his list. Neither Sharkey nor Doozer have the Titans in the Top 10.
The KC Chiefs? Doozer still has them Top 10, Sharkey has them down at 14th. The three of us were all within a spot of each other on the Oakland Raiders, but on AFC West preseason favorite San Diego, there’s a lot of disagreement. Sharkey & Doozer have them up at 16th, while MIB keeps them at 21st despite back to back wins.
What about Chicago? Doozer & MIB still believe in them, putting them at 15th and 16th, respectively, while Sharkey has them at 21st. And Washington? MIB has always believed in them, and keeps them at 15th, while Sharkey has them 19th and Doozer has them 21st.
Another disagreement? MIB has Jacksonville 22nd, while Doozer & Sharkey both have them 17th. Sharkey also severely punished Seattle after they got crushed at home, dropping them to 26th, while Doozer & MIB both kept the Seahawks in the Top 20. Instead, Sharkey has the Cleveland Browns in the Top 20, four spots ahead of both MIB & Doozer, who have them at 24.
And at the bottom, can’t argue with MIB’s logic, keeping Buffalo 32nd for the 9th straight week. Sharkey & Doozer disagree, though, and both have Dallas 32nd, while Sharkey also moved Buffalo ahead of Carolina and into 30th on his polls.
A lot of chaos creates a surprisingly accurate poll, for the most part. Take a look…
- Baltimore Ravens (6-2) – Nobody had them #1 in their poll, and yet here they sit, #1 on the ERP Power Rankings. (shark)
- New York Giants (6-2) – My preseason prediction of the Cowboys winning the division and the Giants finishing last isn’t looking so hot. (MIB)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) – Not sure why they let Cincy back in it, but they won a division game on the road nonetheless. (doozer)
- New York Jets (6-2) – They look great, then they look awful. They could still be the best team in the NFL. (MIB)
- Atlanta Falcons (6-2) – Matty Ice is 17-1 in his career at home. That’s pretty ridiculous. (MIB)
- Green Bay Packers (6-3) – At the end of the day, this is still the best team in the NFC, isn’t it? Would you bet on New York or Atlanta over them? (shark)
- New England Patriots (6-2) – Losing to the Browns, that bad, is kind of embarrassing. (doozer)
- Indianapolis Colts (5-3) – Eventually, the injuries will catch up to you… (shark)
- Tennessee Titans (5-3) – I can’t wait for Randy Moss. I dream about it every night. (doozer)
- New Orleans Saints (6-3) – They’re good, not great. Is Drew Brees really nursing a busted knee? (MIB)
- Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) – Mike Vick is back. Defenses beware. (MIB)
- Kansas City Chiefs (5-3) – Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weis are so much better as coordinators than they were as coaches. Please, no one give them the opportunity to repeat those mistakes. (MIB)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3) – I kind of have a thing for Josh Freeman. (doozer)
- Oakland Raiders (5-4) – Quick: name the only AFC team currently on a 3 game or longer winning streak? (shark)
- Houston Texans (4-4) – Remember when we all thought the Texans were ready to overtake the division? (MIB)
- Chicago Bears (5-3) – Plain and simple, this team is bad. Like ‘counting the NFC West still only 10th best team in conference’ bad. (shark)
- San Diego Chargers (4-5) – …and here comes their late season swing, again. Special teams still prone to melt down at any second. (doozer)
- Washington Redskins (4-4) – Their season ended the second Rex Grossman hit the field two weekends ago. Go ahead, write them off. (shark)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4) – Yeah, I don’t believe in this team at all. (MIB)
- Miami Dolphins (4-4) – This just in… Chad Pennington has won his third comeback player of the year award… OK, probably not. (shark)
- Seattle Seahawks (4-4) – Charlie Whitehurst is not the future. (shark)
- St. Louis Rams (4-4) – The Rams couldn’t win the division, could they? (MIB)
- Minnesota Vikings (3-5) – I hate this team. (doozer)
- Cleveland Browns (3-5) – Peyton Hillis for Brady Quinn. Browns improving, Broncos on the decline. (MIB)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-5) – Larry Fitzgerald is wasted on this team. (MIB)
- Detroit Lions (2-6) – Am I the only one who feels like this Matthew Stafford injury situation is going to be a career storyline, much like Chad Pennington? (shark)
- Cincinnati Bengals (2-6) – Seriously. The T.Ocho Show. You have to watch it. (doozer)
- San Francisco 49ers (2-6) – Which is more likely: Chargers win AFC West or 9ers win NFC West? I think both happen. (shark)
- Denver Broncos (2-6) – They’re kind of awful. (MIB)
- Carolina Panthers (1-7) – Good friend of mine is a childhood Broncos fan who moved to Charlotte and now supports #29 & #30 on our list. This makes me laugh. (shark)
- Buffalo Bills (0-8) – Hey, at least they aren’t the Cowboys. (doozer)
- Dallas Cowboys (1-7) – Even I couldn’t have planned this season better. (doozer)
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