It's far too early to rank teams that have played one game. We have no idea how good their opponent this week will end up being. I'll have rankings for you next week after we determine whose wins were flukes, and which teams are building serious momentum. So here are the top 10 teams of Week 1 ... in no particular order.
1. Pittsburgh. This team always hinges on the health of it's offensive line and the development of it's young linebackers. Both of those components were firing on all cylinders Sudnay. LamMarr Woodley is no longer a secret; he's everyone's favorite to make a huge leap this year. But they played the Texans, who are painfully outsized on the defensive front seven. It doesn't take high-powered offense to churn out yardage on the ground against them.
2. Philadelphia. It's good to know that fully 65% of Yardbarkers are Philly Phanatics, if the response to their blowout of the Rams on this site was any indication. And I'll admit, Sheldon Brown's hit on Jackson was trememdous. But their top two playmakers have extensive injury histories, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.
3. Dallas. Everyone expected them to start out well. Like I said in another post: it wasn't their record in September (4-0) last year that defined them as a team. It was their record in December and January (2-3) that we remember.
4. New York Giants. So they've maintained swagger and poise and avoided the hangover of the greatest Super Bowl upset ever. That's important for a team that can run on fumes with the best of them. But deep in the fourth quarter, how fresh and effective is their fourth-best pass rusher going to be? It wasn't the talent but the depth of their defensive line that propelled them to Super Bowl champs. They're one more injury away from having serious holes i the defense.
5. Chicago. It seems to me that injuries are the only thing stopping this team. The offensive line is healthy, and the defense is at full strength. But they never stay healthy! Last year, three key players on their defensive line, one linebacker and four key defensive backs missed games, and Mike Brown, the glue on the team, missed all but one. Any push starts with a healthy Brown (who hasn't completed a full season in the last three), not to mention everyone else.
6. Carolina. I didn't catch as much of this game as I wished I had, but I'm sure it'll be on NFL Replay. If the Chargers tank, the significance of this win lessens. But if they can beat Chicago and start 2-0 without Steve Smith, they officially become one of the most dangerous teams in this depleted season.
7. Green Bay. Turns out, Minnesota's pass defense (last in the league in 2007 in passing yards allowed and first downs allowed via the pass) hasn't really improved. Green Bay still has eveything in place but Brett Favre, so therte's no reason this team shouldn't make the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers determines how deep they go.
8. Buffalo. Rarely does a special teams unit outshine the offensive and defensive units so spectacularly. If Jason Peters can join the front line seamlessly (easier said than done) then the offense should run on a mixture of Marshawn Lynch and Roscoe Parrish straight to a division title. Trent Edwards impressed me by throwing no pciks against a Seattle defense that was fifth in the league in INT's last year.
9. Tennessee. If Chris Johnson is healthy and they can get fair to good play from the QB position, then this team will go deep. The defense was stifling, although we'll have to wait until next week to see if the Jag's O-line is really just weak this year. I love it when players use ciriticism as motivation, but it appears that the way VY processes adversity needs to be tweaked. And why is it that every time there's a running quarteback that needs to improve his accuray, it comes at the expense of his mobility? They should move the pocket to the flat or run a naked bootleg every other play, allowing him to disguise whether his main priority is running or throwing. Because when the defense knows what you're trying to do, it's damn near impossible to do it.
10. Denver. Jay Cutler is better than I thought he was. Don't know if he's as good as Broncos fans think he is. Also couldn't tell if the Raiders stepped up their play towards the end of the game, or if Denver just slakced off with such a big lead. The game against San Diego will lay the entire division on the line.
Teams that are getting too much hype ...
New York Jets. Given their offseason acquisitions, shouldn't they have blown out the sadsack Dolphins? With a lead in the fourth quarter, they couldn't grind the clock out on the ground, letting Miami back in it. Throw out Brett's two big passes (both involved luck; the second pass was all luck) and he had a very pedestrian outing. Alan Faneca and Damien Woody couldn't help put up more than 112 rushing yards against the team that was last in the league in rushin yards allowed last season? If the Jets succeed this year, it will be the offense's doing. The defense has regressed since last year.
Atlanta. Let emerge from September with a winning record (I have them going 2-2) and we'll talk.
Arizona. I love the 49ers, but c'mon: they beat the 49ers.
And if you want an accurage gauge of which conference is more dominant at the top, you'll have to wait until week 3. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh. Winner of that earns bragging rights for the conference.
1. Pittsburgh. This team always hinges on the health of it's offensive line and the development of it's young linebackers. Both of those components were firing on all cylinders Sudnay. LamMarr Woodley is no longer a secret; he's everyone's favorite to make a huge leap this year. But they played the Texans, who are painfully outsized on the defensive front seven. It doesn't take high-powered offense to churn out yardage on the ground against them.
2. Philadelphia. It's good to know that fully 65% of Yardbarkers are Philly Phanatics, if the response to their blowout of the Rams on this site was any indication. And I'll admit, Sheldon Brown's hit on Jackson was trememdous. But their top two playmakers have extensive injury histories, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.
3. Dallas. Everyone expected them to start out well. Like I said in another post: it wasn't their record in September (4-0) last year that defined them as a team. It was their record in December and January (2-3) that we remember.
4. New York Giants. So they've maintained swagger and poise and avoided the hangover of the greatest Super Bowl upset ever. That's important for a team that can run on fumes with the best of them. But deep in the fourth quarter, how fresh and effective is their fourth-best pass rusher going to be? It wasn't the talent but the depth of their defensive line that propelled them to Super Bowl champs. They're one more injury away from having serious holes i the defense.
5. Chicago. It seems to me that injuries are the only thing stopping this team. The offensive line is healthy, and the defense is at full strength. But they never stay healthy! Last year, three key players on their defensive line, one linebacker and four key defensive backs missed games, and Mike Brown, the glue on the team, missed all but one. Any push starts with a healthy Brown (who hasn't completed a full season in the last three), not to mention everyone else.
6. Carolina. I didn't catch as much of this game as I wished I had, but I'm sure it'll be on NFL Replay. If the Chargers tank, the significance of this win lessens. But if they can beat Chicago and start 2-0 without Steve Smith, they officially become one of the most dangerous teams in this depleted season.
7. Green Bay. Turns out, Minnesota's pass defense (last in the league in 2007 in passing yards allowed and first downs allowed via the pass) hasn't really improved. Green Bay still has eveything in place but Brett Favre, so therte's no reason this team shouldn't make the playoffs. Aaron Rodgers determines how deep they go.
8. Buffalo. Rarely does a special teams unit outshine the offensive and defensive units so spectacularly. If Jason Peters can join the front line seamlessly (easier said than done) then the offense should run on a mixture of Marshawn Lynch and Roscoe Parrish straight to a division title. Trent Edwards impressed me by throwing no pciks against a Seattle defense that was fifth in the league in INT's last year.
9. Tennessee. If Chris Johnson is healthy and they can get fair to good play from the QB position, then this team will go deep. The defense was stifling, although we'll have to wait until next week to see if the Jag's O-line is really just weak this year. I love it when players use ciriticism as motivation, but it appears that the way VY processes adversity needs to be tweaked. And why is it that every time there's a running quarteback that needs to improve his accuray, it comes at the expense of his mobility? They should move the pocket to the flat or run a naked bootleg every other play, allowing him to disguise whether his main priority is running or throwing. Because when the defense knows what you're trying to do, it's damn near impossible to do it.
10. Denver. Jay Cutler is better than I thought he was. Don't know if he's as good as Broncos fans think he is. Also couldn't tell if the Raiders stepped up their play towards the end of the game, or if Denver just slakced off with such a big lead. The game against San Diego will lay the entire division on the line.
Teams that are getting too much hype ...
New York Jets. Given their offseason acquisitions, shouldn't they have blown out the sadsack Dolphins? With a lead in the fourth quarter, they couldn't grind the clock out on the ground, letting Miami back in it. Throw out Brett's two big passes (both involved luck; the second pass was all luck) and he had a very pedestrian outing. Alan Faneca and Damien Woody couldn't help put up more than 112 rushing yards against the team that was last in the league in rushin yards allowed last season? If the Jets succeed this year, it will be the offense's doing. The defense has regressed since last year.
Atlanta. Let emerge from September with a winning record (I have them going 2-2) and we'll talk.
Arizona. I love the 49ers, but c'mon: they beat the 49ers.
And if you want an accurage gauge of which conference is more dominant at the top, you'll have to wait until week 3. Philadelphia vs. Pittsburgh. Winner of that earns bragging rights for the conference.
