Training Camp Power Rankings

Training camps have begun for all 32 teams in the NFL. The preseason will be here in a flash, and the regular season will shortly follow. It’s a great time for football fans, there’s no doubt about it. As training camps are now in full swing, this is a great time to take a look at where teams stand in the power rankings. Injuries will certainly impact the standings on almost a daily basis, and new rankings will be posted periodically during training camp and the preseason. I hope to make this a regular feature during the regular season.

1. New England Patriots — The return of quarterback Tom Brady and various offensive additions (wide receiver Joey Galloway, running back Fred Taylor) make the Patriots the odds-on Super Bowl favorites.

2. Pittsburgh Steelers — The defending champs lost Nate Washington, their No.3 receiver, but that’s about it. Look for the running game to re-emerge this season. The Steelers should see improved offensive line play in 2009.

3. Tennessee Titans — QB Kerry Collins was a surprise last season, and he will need to do more of the same this season. The running game is where the Titans will excel, which is a great formula for winning football games.

4. Philadelphia Eagles — Eagles management finally gave QB Donovan McNabb the offensive playmakers he needs to win it all. There will be no excuses in Philly this season.

5. New York Giants — A young receiver corps is going to have to develop quickly, but the Giants will have the ability to rely on their running game and defense to win football games. Not a bad combination.

6. Indianapolis Colts — The model for consistency in the NFL is QB Peyton Manning and the Colts. Always at the top of the standings, expect nothing different this year. Anthony Gonzalez will need to step up as the No.2 WR.

7. Baltimore Ravens — Don’t underestimate the loss of defensive coordinator Rex Ryan. He also took with him to New York linebacker Bart Scott and safety Jim Leonhard. How new DC  Greg Mattison adapts will be key.

8. Atlanta Falcons — There will be no sophomore slump for QB Matt Ryan. The addition of tight end Tony Gonzalez makes the Falcons even better. For the Falcons to improve upon last season, the defense has to be better.

9. San Diego Chargers — The window for winning with the team as currently constructed is closing. With RB LaDainian Tomlinson approaching 30, this may be the last chance the Chargers have to win it all with this group.

10. Minnesota Vikings — Brett Favre won’t be playing QB, but that doesn’t mean the Vikings hopes are dashed. With the best RB in the game in Adrian Peterson, a return trip to the playoffs is almost inevitable.

11. Arizona Cardinals — The history of Super Bowls runners-up hasn’t been pretty over the past decade. The Cardinals will have a good chance to reverse that trend playing in a weak NFC West.

12. Dallas Cowboys — Addition by subtraction is the phrase being thrown out around Valley Ranch. Getting rid of WR Terrell Owens is the best thing the Cowboys could have done to improve the team. This is now QB Tony Romo’s team.

13. Miami Dolphins — After shocking everyone by going 11-5 last season, it will be difficult to improve in 2009. Teams began figuring out the wildcat late in the year, so improvements to the formation must be made.

14. Chicago Bears — With the easiest schedule in the league and the addition of QB Jay Cutler, expect big things from the Bears. A questionable receiver corps keeps them out of the playoff picture, for now.

15. Carolina Panthers — One of the league’s best teams last season, the Panthers now stand to take a dip down in the standings. The big question: can Jake Delhomme recover from his 6-turnover performance in the NFC Division round?

16. Green Bay Packers — As long as they can avoid the injuries that plagued them last season, a playoff run is possible. RB Ryan Grant needs to return to his 2007 form. How they transition to the 3-4 defense will be something to watch.

17. New Orleans Saints — The Saints have one of the best offenses in the league, but they will need the help of the defense in order to compete in the tough NFC South. Expect QB Drew Brees to have another monster season.

18. Houston Texans — With playmakers across the board, the Texans figure to compete in the always-competitive AFC South. QB Matt Schaub, who hasn’t played a full season with in Houston, must stay healthy for this team to have a chance.

19. New York Jets — New head coach Rex Ryan will give this team loads of toughness on both sides of the football. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez likely will start right away, and he will be counted on to limit his mistakes and make a few big plays.

20. Washington Redskins — Coach Jim Zorn is on the hot seat. The addition of defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth will improve the ‘Skins front seven, but the play of QB Jason Campbell will determine wins and losses.

21. Buffalo Bills — Good luck to you, Trent Edwards. The signing of WR Terrell Owens could easily stall Edwards development as a QB. The over/under on a T.O. blowup is Week 8. Coach Dick Jauron’s seat is getting very warm.

22. Cincinatti Bengals — Losing WR T.J. Houshmandzadeh won’t hurt the team as much as people think. Laveraneus Coles was signed in the offseason, and Chris Henry is reportedly ready to have a big year.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars — Injuries to the offensive line had a dramatic impact on the Jags last season, which is why they drafted Eugene Monroe and Eben Britton in the first round of the draft.

24. San Francisco 49ers — The Mike Singletary era has begun in San Fran. Signing rookie WR Michael Crabtree is going to be tricky, and there’s also a QB battle to worry about. Welcome to coaching, Samurai Mike.

25. Seattle Seahawks — QB Matt Hasselbeck’s health will be a key to the season, as will the improvement’s of the defense. Adding Houshmandzadeh will help the receiver corps, but that group must also stay healthy, which didn’t happen last year.

26. Tamba Bay Buccaneers — New head coach Raheem Morris has a lot of work cut out for him. The team cut a host of veterans in the offseason, and a rebuilding process is under way. Picking a starting QB will be Morris most important task yet.

27. Denver Broncos — Trading away disgruntled QB Jay Cutler was far from smart. Now the Broncos must go into the season with Kyle Orton as the starter, and WR Brandon Marshall requesting a trade. Even in the AFC West, the Broncos stand to struggle.

28. Oakland Raiders — QB JaMarcus Russell needs to have a big season to shed the “bust” label. QB Jeff Garcia is ready to take his job if things don’t go well. Second-year RB Darren McFadden needs to have a big year after suffering a rash of injuries in 2008.

29. Kansas City Chiefs — When you go 2-14, it’s hard to get much worse. New head coach Todd Haley must have that attitude as the Chiefs embark on a rebuilding process. Adding QB Matt Cassel is a great way to start the process.

30. St. Louis Rams — Like the Chiefs, the Rams are coming off a 2-14 season. The Rams have had just 5 wins over the past two seasons, so new head coach Steve Spagnuolo has a lot of work to do. Spagnuolo will bring the team a better plan defensively.

31. Cleveland Browns — New head coach Eric Mangini has a tough decision to make at QB. Derek Anderson and Brady Quinn have both been unimpressive, reportedly. Without good QB play, the Browns could struggle mightily in 2009.

32. Detroit Lions — For the Lions, the only way to go is up. They were the first team in league history to 0-16 last season. Rookie QB Matthew Stafford will likely be counted on to play and play well. RB Kevin Smith should be a bright spot.

Same Old, Same Old In The NFC East

Less than a week from today, the NFL season will begin with the annual Hall of Fame Game in Canton, Ohio. The game will take place between the Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. The Hall of Fame Game is a guarantee every year that fans look forward to. It signals the start of the new season. But few things in the NFL are guaranteed. With all of the contact and risk of injury on every play, there simply isn’t enough consistency for things to stay the same year-after-year. One of the things that is consistent is the NFC East, consistently the best and toughest division in football. Last season was a little different, as the NFC South gave the East a run for its money. Based solely on wins and losses, the South was the best division in football last season. Based on all factors, including talent and teams overall, arguments could have been made for every division. But the South’s dominance last season would appear to be an anomaly. In 2009, the East will once again reclaim its place as the best and toughest division in the NFL.

There are a number of factors that go into determining just how good a division is, and wins and losses isn’t necessarily the biggest. Talent, skill, competition and the rivalries are all important determining factors. Every game within the division must be tough. To truly gage just how good a division is from a pure football standpoint, look at the team that is expected to finish last. And in the case of the East in ’09, most experts and fans (including myself) have pegged the Washington Redskins to finish in fourth place.

The Redskins won’t be as bad as most people think. Last season, they came out on fire behind the energy of first-year head coach Jim Zorn. They got off to a 4-1 start, thanks to a solid offensive numbers from running back Clinton Portis and quarterback Jason Campbell. Portis wound up carrying the team on his back for the first half of the season, and the workload he received early on probably contributed to the team’s down-slide in the second half of the year. Cambell, who had gotten off to such a good start, fizzled in the last half of the season as the Redskins lost 4 of their final 5 games. Their record was 8-8, good enough for last in the division. To finish with a .500 winning percentage and come in last says a lot about the East, as only the South had a similar result. In Zorn’s second season at the helm, improvements naturally should me made. Plus, owner Daniel Synder did what he does best by making the biggest splash of the offseason. The ‘Skins signed arguably the best defensive tackle in football, Albert Haynesworth. They also added defensive end Brian Orakpo through the draft. Both additions should improve their front seven. Though the ‘Skins likely will come in last place, they should be better than their record shows, which will ultimately reflect on the division.

From a talent standpoint, tally up another victory for the East. Offensively, New York Giants QB Eli Manning (pictured, right), Dallas Cowboys’ QB Tony Romo and Philadelphia Eagles QB Donovan McNabb comprise the best group of QBs in one division. While the East doesn’t have the best group of defensive players in one division, it does have two players, LB DeMarcus Ware and cornerback Asante Samuel, that are arguably the best at their respective divisions. This category is the trickiest to judge, because loads of talent is sprinkled throughout the league. Finding the most talented players stacked in division is nearly impossible, but a compelling case can be made for the East. But this is the category in which all of the divisions are stacked up closely.

The competition aspect is where the race for best division is really won. If a team goes undefeated in their division, it doesn’t bode well for the strength of the division. In 2008, for example, two teams went undefeated in their respective divisions: the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC North) and Arizona Cardinals (NFC West). Obviously both were excellent teams as the played in the Super Bowl, but their divisions were far from great. And at the bottom of the spectrum, having a team go 0-6 in the division isn’t a good harbinger of strength. Three teams — the St. Louis Rams (NFC West), Detroit Lions (NFC North) and Buffalo Bills (AFC East) — didn’t win a single game in their divisions last season. As usual, the NFC East was the most competitive division in football last season, along with the South. The team with the best record in the division, the Giants, went 4-2. The team with the worst record, the Eagles, went 2-4. Only the South had the same win-loss numbers. But the South figures to take a slide this season, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t be nearly as good as they were last season. The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints stand to be improved, but Carolina may come back down to earth  after going 12-4 last season. Every team in the East, meanwhile, has improved. As a result, games in the division figure to be even better and more competitive in ’09.

In the NFC East, rivalry is a word that gets thrown around a lot, and deservedly so. Cowboys/Giants always seems to produce two of the best games of the year. Eagles/Cowboys tends to be just as good and it is one of the best rivalries in the game. Redskins/Giants and Redskins/Eagles don’t necessarily have the storied history of the other games, but both are always fun to watch. Then there is the crown jeweled rivalry of the division, Redskins/Cowboys. These two games are two of the most intense and hard fought games in football. This game means so much that when the Redskins defeated the Cowboys in the final Redskins/Cowboys game at Texas Stadium, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones looked like he was going to fire every member of his coaching staff on the spot. While there are great rivalries throughout football, the East has produced the best rivalry games on a consistent basis.

The ’09 season once again figures to be an excellent one for the NFC East. No matter how much people seem to dislike the teams in the division, everyone will be watching. And how can they not? Quite simply, it’s the best division in football.

It’s Nice To Know It’s Back To The Norm As Tom’s Back

Well if you happen to be a New England Patriots’ fan . Then over the last two regular seasons. One would have to say it has been something of a dour time. First came the inexplicable loss to the New York Giants in Superbowl XLII, 17-14.

New England quarterback Tom Brady (12) has his legs taken from beneath him by Chiefs' safety Bernard Pollard during a preseason game played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachussetts. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Winslow Townson ...............

And then came the disappointment of failing to make the playoffs last year in the AFC East. Either as a wild-card entrant or winner of the division. That distinction went to the Miami Dolphins. The team won the division with an 11-5 record . The same record that was posted by the Patriots. But given the virtue of their record within the conference (8-4) , the privilege went to the Dolphins. But what really brought the team’s season to an early end was the loss of Tom Brady. Losing a player of Brady’s stature is one thing , as he’s seen as the linch-pin that provides stability to the team. Nevermind that he’s also viewed as the team’s vocal leader and main play maker. He and the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning may well be the pre-eminent quarterbacks in the NFL.

Patriots' receivers Randy Moss (81) and teammate Wes Welker (83) on the field of play. These two prolific players will be looking to make the receiving corps of the Patriots once again one of the most feared in the NFL. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Phil Mitchell ............

But that asides, this upcoming season will be about whether or not the team and Brady are back to their very best. After the downturn in the events where the expectations were high. To have failed to make the playoffs was as equally disappointing for the players. As it was also for the fans. But the bright spot in all of this was that the team discovered that they had a more than adequate backup in Matt Cassel. His performances initially were shaky. But once he found his footing, the team was most definitely in sync. However given the restraints on a team when it comes to the NFL salary cap. It wasn’t possible to retain both Cassel and Brady. Albeit that there were calls for Brady to be traded and Cassel to remain in his stead. That was when things became a little asinine to say the least amongst some of the Patriots’ fans. And from the blowhards within Bristol, Connecticut. But then again they are entitled to their opinions, as is the Patriots’ coach Bill Belichick. And I for one would like to think that Belichick knows a little bit more about the sport than a great many of the prognosticators out there. Stop it with the Belichick the cheater calls. Get over it ! It’s over and done with !

Patriots' wide receiver Joey Galloway at the team's practice facility during the team's organized training activities. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/Stephan Savoia .......................

The offseason saw the trading of Cassel to the Kansas City Chiefs. Wherein Cassel having been tagged a franchise player will be earning himself a king’s ransom this upcoming year with the Chiefs.

For a die-hard Patriots’ fan like myself. It will be indeed intriguing to see how the team acquits itself. The team’s draft was as good as ever. With the team picking up some good , solid young players. That it deems will either make an immediate contribution or be able learn from the more seasoned professionals on the team. The team has made the most of the free agent market by picking up one or two players who they feel can still make a valid contribution to the ambitions of the franchise. And it should come as no surprise that amongst those pickups was the former Jacksonville Jaguars’ running back Fred Taylor. For some reason the Jaguars felt that Taylor’s best days are behind him. Anyone whose seen Taylor play throughout much of his career will realize that he’s not the sort of player to rest on his laurels. Another veteran player acquired also was former Buccaneers’ veteran wide receiver Joey Galloway.

And to the Jaguars’ fans who are lamenting the loss of the player. They should look the team’s coach Jack Del Rio squarely in the eye and ask him “….. why send Taylor off into the cold ” ?
It would appear that the trials and tribulations of Del Rio and the Jaguars continue to this day. A team that under Del Rio’s tenureship that continues to disappoint and underperform in the AFC South each year.

Adalius Thomas (96) and teammate safety,Rodnery Harrison (37) celebrate breaking up a play. picture appears courtesy of ap/photo/ Paul Wilson ...............

As alluded to earlier with the return of Brady and the acquisition of free agents. And with its core offensive players in-tact. I would hope to see the team back in its rightful place atop of the AFC East. And being viewed as one of the elite teams within the conference and the league as a whole.

The erstwhile owner Robert Kraft (right) and his chief de' equipe Bill Belichick (left) celebrate their win over the San Diego Chargers 21-12 in the AFC Championship played at Gillette Stadium , Foxborough , Massachussetts on 20th January 2008. picture appears courtesy of getty images/ Elsa ............

The defense of the Patriots will have to manifest itself and play to the highest standards. And with regard to the offense , we can be sure that it’ll be as proficient as ever. And we should look to see Wes Welker and Randy Moss be the prime receiving targets of the quarterback. And the running game should be where one would expect it to be. If anything we’ll see a mixture of a running game hybrid with the usual proficient passing from Tom Brady.

The aspirations are high as usual. And that’s to be expected if you’re an avid fan of this now storied franchise. The bar is always set high as to their expectations. And considering their history over this decade. Is there any reason to believe why the New England Patriots aren’t able to meet those goals ? Given their success and the conduct of the ownership in the guise of Robert Kraft. The gold standard has been set alongside that of the Rooney family with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So with the preseason just around the corner and training camp merely a few weeks away. Here’s one Patriots’ fan eager to see how this team will do. Four preseason games, with the first being played in Philadelphia against the Eagles. And then with the first regular game of the season will be at home at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachussetts against the Buffalo Bills. Something that ought bring success in terms of a win. Even with the always expressive Terrell Owens in tow for the Bills. The game itself ought to be an event worth watching. Both teams will be looking to prove their worth and show that they’re legitimate contenders for postseason play and honors.

It is conceivable to think that this team will be once again seen as the preseaon favorite for the Superbowl. But I’d rather see the games be played instead of making prognostications. We all saw what the events that took place during Superbowl XLII . And it certainly left a a bitter taste in the palates of a great many New England Patriots’ fans. And for this this particular fan it was a somber moment indeed ! It is most certainly not an event that I’d like to revisit again !