The climactic finale to the 2004 Super Bowl marked the start of a whirlwind of controversy, bruised egos, loud-mouthed superstars, and dope smoking running backs that made this off-season one to remember.
I’ll briefly analyze and rank all the divisions in the NFL, all the best players in the NFL, and tell you who I think will win it all in 2005.Division Breakdown
NFC East-
Philadelphia Eagles: (11-5)
Washington Redskins: (10-6)
Dallas Cowboys: (9-7)
New York Giants: (6-10)
NFC North-
Minnesota Vikings: (10-6)
Green Bay Packers: (9-7)
Detroit Lions: (8-8)
Chicago: (4-12)
NFC South-
Carolina: (12-4)
Atlanta: (9-7)
Tampa Bay: (8-8)
New Orleans Saints: (6-10)
NFC West-
Seattle Seahawks: (13-3)
St. Louis Rams: (8-8)
Arizona Cardinals: (5-11)
San Francisco 49ers: (2-14)
AFC East-
New England Patriots: (12-4)
New York Jets: (9-7)
Buffalo Bills: (7-9)
Miami Dolphins: (6-10)
AFC North-
Baltimore Ravens: (10-6)
Cincinnati Bengals: (9-7)
Cleveland Browns: (7-9)
Pittsburgh Steelers: (4-12)
AFC South-
Indianapolis Colts: (12-4)
Tennessee Titans: (10-6)
Houston Texans: (8-8)
Jacksonville Jaguars: (7-9)
AFC West-
Kansas City Chiefs: (11-5)
Denver Broncos: (9-7)
Oakland Raiders: (6-10)
San Diego Chargers: (3-13)
Power Rankings
Quarterbacks-
1. Peyton Manning: The best signal caller in the game, hands down. Manning can change the momentum of a game with one flick of his wrist. A great play action quarterback, and an even smarter decision maker. He threw for 4, 267 yards last season with the Colts. He earned a 99.0 passer ranking, second only to Steve McNair. He was also second in the NFL with 29 TD passes. Manning shared the honors for the MVP. Manning has all the tools to become one of the best QB’s to ever play the game.
2. Steve McNair: His 100.4 passer rating was best in the NFL last year; he also threw for 24 TD’s and only 7 INT’s. McNair averaged an astonishing 8.04 yards per attempt. All this playing with god knows how many injuries.
3. Trent Green: The catalyst behind the Chiefs success last season threw for 4, 039 yards, second in the NFL. His 92.6 passer rating was fourth in the NFL, and he also threw 24 TD’s. All with a relatively weak receiving core. Guess who’s back, back, back…back again!!!
4. Brett Favre: Favre’s leadership and determination earned him the spot at number four. His drive, unparalleled by none other, helped the Packers reach the NFC Championship Game, where they lost to the Eagles. Favre ranked sixth in the league last year with a 90.04 passer rating, threw for 32 TD passes (that was first in the league), and accumulated 3, 361 yards in the air; all while playing part of the season with an injured throwing hand.
5. Matt Hasselbeck: This young, fiery signal caller marched the Seahawks into the playoffs last year, just to see one of his passes picked off to lose the game in Over Time. Only 28, Hasselbeck was ranked eighth in the NFL with a passer rating of 88.8. He threw 26 TD passes, and racked up 3, 841 yards in the air, that was fourth best in the NFL. I expect big things from Hasselbeck this season.
Running Backs-
1. Jamal Lewis: He only rushed for 2, 066 yards last season, and that was only 2nd all-time. All he did was set the single game rushing record with 295 yards in a game, that’s it. And he could only manage 14 rushing TD’s, pathetic right? (Though maybe not the best fantasy pick with all his legal troubles.)
2. Ahman Green: His 1, 833 yards on the ground was second only to Jamal, he rushed for 15 TD’s, and helped lead the Packers to the NFC Championship. Batman should run crazy next season.
3. LaDainian Tomlinson: L.T. didn’t lead the Chargers to anything last year, but he put up great numbers by himself. He rushed for 1, 645 yards, and scored 13 rushing TD’s. He was also great receiving the ball out of the backfield: he caught 100 passes for 725 yards and scored 4 receiving TD’s.
4. Priest Holmes: His most obvious feat, he set the single season record for rushing TD’s with 27. He also ran for 1, 420 yards. His great season helped the Chiefs start the year 9-0, before they lost to the Bengals.
5. Clinton Portis: With his former team, Portis rushed for 1, 591 yards, which was fifth in the league. He also scored 14 rushing TD’s and averaged a remarkable 122.4 yards per game. Time will only tell if Portis can continue to rack up great numbers, having to adjust to the Gibbs’ system.
Wide Receivers-
1. Randy Moss: When he puts in the effort, Moss is flat out the best WR in football today. No corner can match up with him, and it can often take two or three defensive players just to contain him. Randy earned 1, 632 receiving yards last year with the Vikings, which was second best in the NFL. He scored 17 TD’s through the air, which was first in the NFL, and averaged 102.0 receiving yards per game. Can’t argue with that production.
2. Marvin Harrison: The narcotic one two punch of Marvin and Peyton didn’t go unnoticed in my book. Peyton received my honor for the best QB, and Harrison is ranked the second best Wide Receiver. His 1, 272 receiving yards, and his 10 TD’s speak for themselves.
3. Terrell Owens: A slightly underachieving year for Owens, he racked up 1, 102 yards, and scored 9 TD’s. Paired next to Donovan McNabb, those numbers should improve.
4. Torry Holt: His 1, 696 receiving yards were unmatched by any other receiver last year. He also caught 12 TD passes, and his 106.0 yards per game average was first in the NFL. His time to reign with the football elite may have passed because I don’t believe the Rams will have a winning record this year.
5. Chad Johnson: Chad Johnson and John Kitna were the drive behind the Bengals turnaround season last year. 1, 355 receiving yards, and 10 TD’s (hey, those are better numbers than TO). This superstar should only continue to shine this year, whether it be Palmer or Kitna throwing him the football.
Defensive Players-
1. Ray Lewis: The most intimidating force in the game, no questions asked. Lewis actually makes me feel sorry for some of the people he hits. His 163 total tackles (125 solo) were second in the NFL. He also intercepted 6 passes. This man will be feared for many years to come.
2. Jamie Sharper: Yes, I said it; Jamie Sharper is the second best defensive player in football. His 166 total tackles led the league last year. Sharper was the anchor behind the otherwise anemic Houston defense. He also recorded 3 forced fumbles; this guy is good.
3. Jevon Kearse: When healthy, Kearse is, without a doubt, the best defensive end in the NFL. I’ll take his punishing hits on my team any day of the week. His beat season was in 1999 when he recorded 57 total tackles, 14.5 sacks, and 8 forced fumbles.
4. Ty Law: The best cornerback in the NFL helped lead the New England Patriots to two Super Bowl wins in three years. Law picked off six passes, and recorded 74 total tackles as the Pats were crowned Champions of Football.
5. Keith Bulluck: With the Titans, Bulluck racked up 137 total tackles, forced 5 fumbles, and even picked off 2 passes. I expect the same success from Keith next year.
NFL Surprise Team-
I believe the surprise team in 2004 will be the Houston Texans. They may have only finished 5-11 last season, but they showed they could contend with great teams. They lost in Over Time to the eventual SB Champs in week 12, and defeated the NFC Championship Carolina Panthers in week 9, 14-10. Two crushing losses to the Titans and Colts in the final two weeks of the season ended Houston’s campaign in 03; they only lost those games by three points each.
In 2002, David Carr broke the NFL record for most times sacked in a single season; he went down 76 times. In 2003, Carr was only sacked 15 times. Carr knows what it’s like to be down, and now he has a chance to rise up. I project 3, 250 yards passing and 20 TD’s from this young signal caller.
The Texans should pack a powerful punch on offense this season. Dominick Davis rushed for 1, 031 yards last year and scored 8 TD’s; expect better production this year. This elusive yet powerful back should emerge as a great runner in the next few years.
Another offensive weapon at the Texans’ disposal is Andre Johnson. At age 23, Johnson earned 976 receiving yards and caught 4 TD passes. With Carr finally maturing into a dependable leader, Johnson’s numbers can only go up.
I predict this team to finish the season 8-8, contend for a playoff spot, but come a few games short of the Titans. If they can surround themselves with more dependable defensive players, they will be a dangerous team in years to come.
Most Disappointing Team-
Don’t expect much from the St. Louis Rams this season: they lost all-pro defensive end Grant Wistrom to the Seahawks, a team in their division. Marshall Faulk is aging quickly and can no longer be considered a feature back in this league. And I also believe that Marc Bulger will be a total bust as a QB. He’s been over hyped since he became a Ram, this year we will see his true colors. St. Louis should’ve stuck with Warner; he can still play at a high level.
In their glory days, the Rams had no competition in their division, other than occasional flashes from the 49ers. This year will be different. The Rams have arguably the best NFC team in their division, Seattle. Giving away one of your best players to a division team isn’t the best way to start out a season. The reason the Rams were so dominant at home these last few seasons was because the division had little competition.
The Rams will not finish poorly, they will just underachieve expectations. I predict an 8-8 season for the Rams–better luck next year.
Best Rookie-
Kellen Winslow has my vote for the best rookie in 2004. I believe Eli will struggle when he plays, Fitzgerald and Williams are still a few years off before they will be great, and tail back Kevin Jones still needs to adjust to the NFL style, he will be a work in progress. Winslow will have a great year with Garcia as his battery mate. Kellen is playing a position where he can have an immediate impact the minute he steps on the field. He’s big, strong, tough, and can catch too. Winslow will help make the Browns marginally better as they finish the season 7-9.
If Winslow reaches his true potential, he will be comparable to Tony Gonzalez and Shannon Sharp someday.
Championship Playoff Brackets
AFC-
In the AFC, the Colts and Patriots will meet up for a rematch, but this time Peyton will be ready. It’s so hard to vote against the defending SB Champions, with all the great pickups they’ve made, but I choose the Colts to advance to the Super Bowl by the skin of their teeth.
NFC-
In the NFC, the Seahawks and Panthers will meet up. Seattle has ridden through the playoffs with home field advantage, and because they are so dominant playing in Seattle, they will beat the Panthers by at least six points.
Super Bowl-
With the stage set and the pressure intense, a great game will be played between the Colts and Seahawks. Seattle will have trouble early containing Peyton and Marvin, and the Colts will grab an early lead. But Matt Hasselbeck is a competitor; He will force his team to push and fight the whole game, then, in the fourth quarter, Matt will earn his stripes. All of Hasselbeck’s hard work and determination will earn him his first Super Bowl victory, and Super Bowl MVP at age 28. Couldn’t write the script any better.
Seattle Seahawks, 2005 Super Bowl Champions
12 replies on “Alex’s preseason NFL rankings”
eagles give me an E A G L E S what does that spell EAGLES for the super bowl
Hey Tom Schaller I just wanted to know why you voted agianst my article on the preseason NFL rankings. You didnt seem to leave a reply as to what made you think this article wasnt worthy of this website. I’m not here to start an argument again, i just want to know why. I’d appreciate it if you sent me your feedback. I hope you didnt vote against it because of the way i reacted to one of your articles. We shouldnt hold grudges against each other, we should let the past be past. I am certinley willing to.
Thanks
-Alex
NFL Preseason Article First off, good article. I thought there was a lot of nice research put in on the player rankings. I totally agree with you on K2, he was an absolute beast at Miami. I also agree with you that the St. Louis Rams will be disappointing.
However, as a Bay Area native and diehard follower of the San Francisco 49ers, I think you are off on their predicted finish. There seems to be a lot of misconceptions surrounding my team. A lot of it has been advanced by the East Coast media which has been waiting for us to fail. Most of them are jealous since we have made the playoffs 20 out of the last 23 years. I think 49er fans are pretty hopeful about the upcoming campaign. I watched every game last year and I can tell you that Tim Rattay was better than Garcia was. We were 3-1 when Rattay played the majority of the game and 4-8 when Garcia took most of the snaps.
Losing Terrell Owens is addition by subtraction. If I had to listen to him complain and watch him shortarm balls for another year I would have gone postal. Brandon Lloyd is the real deal. Mark it down. Plus, Rashaun Woods was the most productive receiver in the Big 12 over the past two seasons and I think will make the jump nicely in the #2 hole to replace Tai Streets. If Kevan Barlow can hold onto the ball, then he will be a Pro Bowler. Last year he went over 1,000 yards and averaged 5 a pop. This is astounding when you take into account he only started 8 games I believe.
Finally our defense was ranked in the top five last season and still looks tough this year. Once Julian Peterson gets his contract figured out we will be golden on this end of the football.
The 49ers would have been 10-6 last year had we had Todd Peterson kicking for us all year long. Therefore I think that 7-9 mark was not indicative of how good they were.
While I believe it is a rebuilding year for the 49ers, I have to disagree on the 2-14 record that we were saddled with. 7-9 is what I think we finish up with this year.
I see your point… but although getting rid of Owens was the only way to go, his skills are unquestioned. When you lose a dynamic playmaker of his caliber, your team is in trouble.
We can only wait and see if Lloyd is the real deal. I personally believe that he may find success later in his career, but this season he will be eaten alive by opposing defenses. They will ask this young player to do too much and it wont be good for him.
I dont have much intel on Rashaun Woods but any WR not named Fitzgerald or Willimas will struggle mildly in their rookie season.
And Rattay, who knows, maybe he can compete at a high level, that is left to be seen. But he isnt as good as Garcis, no matter what the numbers may say. Garcia is a veteran, a good passer with playmaking ability with his feet, a big loss for San Fran.
The key word is IF. If Barlow can hold the ball he has a shot at the pro ball, yes. but will he, im not so sure.
The 49ers are definitley in a reuilding stage, and with Seattle in their division, they wont win when they face them. Too many what if’s for me to rank them any higher, come back in 5 years.
he is a poor sport I just wanted to let you know that he also voted against my last few articles with no reply. I don’t think its coincidence that we both seem to disagree with his sports opinions and have both debated with him in the past.
I really could care less if someone doesn’t agree with me, but to vote against one’s writing because of different opions is juste wrong. At least give me some feedback if you vote aginst the article.
This is the same cat who suggested Brian Griese was a better QB than John Elway and Denver’s D might be historically great, so who knows where his head is at.
Yes, I agree I agree completley with what u are saying. I juss dont want this to turn into more than a harmless internet quarell. I hope he can come to his senses and juss forget about whatever we may have said to him in the past that may have upset him. I dont want the situation to get out of hand.
And in regards to the Griese/Elway thing, thats juss crazy.
Hasselbeck and McNabb will have better years than McNair, Favre and Green.
7-9 huh? I think the Niners will get 5 or 6 wins along with the Raiders… but that’s not my point. I have to say that while optimistic, you at least are not going overboard like some Giants fans. They actually believe their crappy 4-12 team will win the east this year. I’ve seen numerous posts on their message boards saying how position by position, they are on par if not better than the Eagles. Knickerbocker, please.
In a community edited site there is always the possibility of “payback” votes. But so far, that hasn’t affected the way stories are published. Let’s try not to get into a cycle where everyone votes others down just as revenge.
Remember, the mark of a good article is not whether you agree or not, but whether how well written it is and how well the opinions are backed up.
Agree somewhat Hasselbeck will have a great year yes, however i dont think that McNabb will have as good a year as McNair, Favre and Green. I would rank McNabb somwhere about 6 or 7 right behind Hasselbeck. McNabb will do good, but w/ Buckhalter gone for the year and no definitive run game anymore, as well as a weak reciving core next to TO, he wont do quite as great as ppl think.
Come on Alex, give McNabb his due! the beauty of getting TO is that it frees up everyone else. Defenses are so geared towards stopping TO that Pinkston and Freddie will run free. It’s up to McNabb to make sure he spots them. McNabb missed a wide open Pinkston at the end zone the other night because he was keyed on TO.
The injury to Buckhalter certainly hurts but if Westbrook can stay healthy (especially if spelled by a bigger Levens), then there’s no reason to think teams can just tee up against the pass. Hell, Reid is known as pass pass pass coach anyway.
I dont know about Green but McNabb absolutely will have a better year than McNair and Favre, who has run out of magic.
Magic I might have said the same thing to. Favre has run out of his magic. But when u are Brett Favre anything is possible, and hes proven that time and time again. I certinley wont doubt his aura.
And as for McNair. He was Co-MVP playing with a ton of injuries and also a terribly weak recieving core. No other QB would be able to perform under those circumstances.