2008 NFL Power Rankings: Week 0

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Wed Sep 03 2008 at 5:10 AM EST
More on: Brett Favre, Tony Romo, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers (all tags)

Brett Favre is a Jet.

The Packers are starting over with Aaron Rodgers.

Everything has gone to hell.

How disastrous, or dare I say beautiful, would it have been if Ted Thompson and the Packers caved to Favre's demands, and we started the season with a Favre v.s Rodgers epic battle?

Sadly, we will never know. Unless, of course, the stars align just right, and we see the Jets and Packers in the Super Bowl.

Then we have the Chargers, last year's AFC Championship surprise, trying to re-assemble their team with four stars who are, for all intents and purposes, still pretty banged up.

Antonio Gates is still stumbling around with his big toe, Rivers and LT are still recovering from knee surgery, and Shawne Merriman doesn't want to go under the knife. Something's got to give, and I get the feeling it's Merriman's knees.

Last but not least, the constant over-analyzation of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning's injuries, or lack there of.

What happened to routine surgery and letting a guy relax for a chance? I guess when you're famous commerical-doting, Super Bowl winning quarterbacks, you can't exactly go limping around the mall without making Sportscenter.

And this was just the off-season.

Without any further haste, because we all would hate to keep the drama train from running wild off the tracks, here are the Power Rankings for the end of the pre-season:

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Fantasy Position Breakdown: Quarterbacks

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Thu Jul 24 2008 at 7:07 PM EST
More on: Tony Romo, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning (all tags)

Fantasy football is upon us. Believe it or not, we are a mere month away from gearing up for a season full of jubilation and undoubtedly, tears of loss and regret. And before you can call yourself ready or boldly declare you're going to steal your league's championship this year, you've got to know where you stand on each position. More importantly, you've got to know where you stand on each player.

I'll be breaking down each team's star at each offensive position (QB/RB/WR/TE) and letting you know, if you don't already know, on who to take, and who to definitely stay away from.

Where there is an up and coming young gunslinger like Jay Cutler, there resides a dream shattering disappointment in an Alex Smith. Any quarterback can go from progression to regression in a blink of an eye, so outside of the obvious top ten quarterbacks, one has to know exactly what separates the rest of the hopefuls.

Here is the complete breakdown of the 2008 starting quarterbacks for each team, as well as any quarterback battles heading into the pre-season:

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2008 NFL Power Rankings: Season Preview

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Sat Jul 05 2008 at 6:03 PM EST
More on: Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning, Colts, Patriots (all tags)

With the recent mumblings of Favre considering coming out of retirement, things are getting shaken up in Green Bay, and quite honestly, all around football. If you're a fantasy drafter holding an early draft, now you're not sure whether to steal Rodgers or some of his teammates, and you're also speculating on whether or not to nab Favre, as well. Each year we have to look at each player and each team under a microscope. Which player is past his prime, just entering it, and who is going to carry his team to the next level. If Brett Favre does in fact come back, then it will change the current look of the NFl completely. Well, at least it will change the fortunes of the Green Bay Packers. Regardless, whatever he decides to do will no doubt have a domino affect in the NFC North, kicking the Vikings or Bears out of playoff contention, or if he stays retired, maybe ensuring them a wild card. One thing is for sure, Favre and his rumor mill antics will keep us all (unless you're a Lions fan) on the edge of our seats, awaiting his final verdict. And you thought we had it all figured out back in March... The pre-season Power Rankings:

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Super Bowl XLII: Brady's encore or Eli's debut?

By teekay, Section NFL
Posted on Wed Jan 30 2008 at 2:49 PM EST
More on: super bowl, tom brady, eli manning, new england patriots, new york giants (all tags)

The stage is set for another classic duel of Brady vs. Manning... Eli Manning. If anyone asked me who I thought would come out on top of this match-up at mid-season it's likely that I would've punched them in the head, and never spoken to them again for fear of associating myself with such a astonishing imbecile. However, it's not mid-season anymore and going into the final game of the year these two teams aren't nearly the same as they were then. Their leaders under center have transformed dramatically over the past few weeks, and it has changed the face of the Super Bowl dramatically as well. We might have a game on our hands after all.

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Final Power Rankings for the 2007 NFL Season

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Thu Jan 03 2008 at 2:10 PM EST
More on: Packers, Colts, Patriots, Tom Brady (all tags)

Is anyone shocked? I mean, even a little?

And I'm not talking about the Patriots and their unbelievable 16-0 season. Because, while many would never dare admit it, a lot of people never thought it would happen. They never thought it could happen. But it did.

But no, that's not what I'm talking about.

Is anyone shocked that the top 4 teams have stayed the same for the entire season, that is, once they were all together up there?

Admit it, you thought the Packers were a fluke when they started 4-0 and lost to the Bears. You probably even still think that.

And no one really thought the Patriots would continue their hot streak. And the Colts? The defending champs marred by injuries. They were sure to collapse and miss the playoffs, like every former champion does. Well, most of them.

But now we can see there were no surprises. Not really. Not in the regular season. The Browns, one of the most exciting teams of the season, missed the playoffs, while the Buccaneers basically took the remaining 4 weeks off and coasted into the playoffs.

So what now?

Well, if you ask me, I'd say a hindered Owens and ineffective Romo will have the mighty Cowboys falling to the, you guessed it, Washington Redskins in the divisional playoff. Which can only mean Green Bay will get past the Giants, yet again, and then romp all over the Redskins on their way to the Super Bowl.

And, as if those won't be enough surprises to last us all through next year, and help us ignore the dullness of the NBA, there's more.

Yes, the undefeated Patriots will lose in the championship game to the Colts, and then we have a match-up that almost no one wants to see, but won't be able to look away from. Green Bay versus Indianapolis.

But I won't pick the winner just yet. Instead, take a look at how your team faired this season, and where they fall in the final edition of the 2007, and now 2008 NFL Power Rankings.

One more edition will be available upon the completion of the playoffs. So Until February, enjoy. Happy new year, everybody.

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The Class of the NFL

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Thu Dec 13 2007 at 11:34 PM EST
More on: Tom Brady, New England Patriots, Randy Moss (all tags)

This just in people: The New England Patriots did not lose to the Steelers, as the jaw-jacking back-up safety Anthony Smith so cleverly predicted. Oh, I'm sorry, guaranteed.

Not only did they once again step in the face of adversity and come out the winners, but they did so with the kind of confidence we have never seen. And what's so wrong with that? When Tom Brady stepped toward Anthony Smith after his touchdown throw late in the game, he was met with onslaughts of insults from the Steelers defenders, as well as later criticism from reporters and people all around the league, calling him classless.

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Week 15 NFL Power Rankings

By kroberts, Section MLB
Posted on Tue Dec 11 2007 at 1:54 AM EST
More on: 2007 NFL Power Rankings, New England Patriots, Tom Brady, Indianpolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys (all tags)

Boy, was this a strange, and quite honestly, depressing week of professional football.

For starters, we saw virtually nothing out of stars like Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson, and Adrian Peterson. Yet, all three of their teams won without any significant contribution from them.

That is both strange and depressing. But, I guess for those three respective teams, also uplifting.

We also saw three NFC teams clinch their division and a playoff spot (Cowboys, Packers, and Seahawks) while we saw the Cardinals, Lions, Bears, and Eagles all do serious damage to their bids of making a run at the post season.

The question is, was there any good that came out of this week? Why, of course.

The New England Patriots, classlessness and all, stayed unbeaten, while the ever so classy Miami Dolphins found so many new ways to not win a game.

And with those few tidbits out of the way, here are your NFL power rankings for the coming week 15...

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Week 14 2007 NFL Power Rankings

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Tue Dec 04 2007 at 9:55 AM EST
More on: 2007 NFL Power Rankings, Patriots, Tom Brady, Colts, Peyton Manning, Cowboys, Tony Romo (all tags)

This was just one of those weeks where you know something was off. Something just wasn't quite right. Naturally, it began with Thursday Night's game with Green Bay at Dallas. Brett Favre ran away from the offensive game plan, ignoring the style of play that had gotten his Packers off to a 10-1 start, instead throwing two picks and completing only 5 of 14 passes before leaving the game for good in the second quarter.

I mean, really? Brett Favre. Hurt? And then comes in the odd man out, the guy no one has expected anything from, basically since he was drafted. Aaron Rodgers plays exceptional football and almost wins the game.

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Week 12 2007 NFL Power Rankings

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Tue Nov 20 2007 at 12:16 PM EST
More on: NFL Power Rankings, Brett Favre, Patriots, Tom Brady, Tony Romo (all tags)

The Dolphins finally start John Beck and it doesn't matter. The 49ers switch to Trent Dilfer and it doesn't matter. Vince Young finally has a good statistical game and it doesn't matter. None of these teams could win this past weekend. The fact is, the main thing that helps teams win in the NFL is consistency and continuity. If a team is one-dimensional they will find ways to lose. And for a team like the Titans, now is not the time to realize that when your quarterback plays well, you can expect your receivers to drop all the passes thrown to them. While Vince Young played his heart out against Denver, it didn't matter. In fact, as Tom Brady so eloquently WON'T tell us, none of this matters. What matters is the Patriots are undefeated and are likely to stay that way until the season is over. And that is why, once again, the Patriots triumph to the top of the rankings, and everyone else just sits and watches as history continues to be made.

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Week 10 NFL Power Rankings

By kroberts, Section NFL
Posted on Fri Nov 09 2007 at 9:02 PM EST
More on: Power Rankings, NFL, Tom Brady, Peyton Manning (all tags)

After all the hype and promotion, the "Super Bowl 41 and a half" is over and done with. But what new information is there? What can we take from that game and all the other games of this past weekend to further evaluate this league, and ultimately predict the team that will stand above the rest? The following 32 observations will at least help.

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