Tier 1 - Been There, Done That1. 
2. 
3. 
The first group of teams have all already played in an SFL Superbowl, and in fact are the only teams to have done so. The
Baltimore Ravens enter the season fresh off a Superbowl championship, and if early SFL history is anything to go off of there is no reason they cannot get back there this year. Their defense is littered with elite playmakers to the point where it really isn't fair, from Ed Reed to Ray Lewis to Chris McAlister to Terrell Suggs. The offense is nothing special, but is anchored by HB Jamal Lewis and built to get the job done. QB Jeff Blake has played above his attributes while only getting better. I see no reason the Ravens cannot repeat this year.
Meanwhile, the
St. Louis Rams will look to repeat as NFC conference champions for the third time in three years. Like the Ravens, there is little reason to think they can't get it done. The greatest show on turf is just what the name implies, and is almost unfair on the level that the Baltimore defense is. They struggled early on last year and some counted them out, but they showed that all they really need to do is find a way to get in the playoffs. While their defense has never been their strong suit, the addition of CB Bobby Taylor from the Eagles was a home run for GM Justin Walstead. Taylor is easily one of the best corners in the league, and should be able to go toe to toe with the best of the SFL.
Don't sleep on the
Indianapolis Colts either. After appearing in the first ever SFL Superbowl they fell victim to the Jets in last year's playoffs. But Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, Marvin Harrison, and Edgerrin James are all back to terrorize defenses across the league, and I'm sure Peyton Manning will once again throw for 40 TDs this year. The one area the Colts could improve upon is their defense, which is probably the worst out of the teams in this first tier, with CB Walt Harris and FS Brian Dawkins two of the only bright spots on an otherwise average unit. Dwight Freeney could and should be putting up big numbers at the DE position, but he appears a bit stifled at the RE spot. The Colts wouldn't be my odds favorite to bring home the hardware this season, but I also wouldn't bet against them.
Tier 2 - On the Cusp4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
These three teams are in the second tier for a couple different reasons. First, they haven't shown they can get to the big dance yet, and second I don't think any of them have a truly elite (see: unfair) unit like the teams above do. I do think a couple of them are close, however.
We start things off with the
Washington Redskins. Some might be surprised to see them so high, but I think the moves to bring in HB Clinton Portis and WR Eric Moulds could pay big dividends for them. It certainly gives them a group of elite playmakers across the offense, even if I do have concerns about the secondary receivers and RT Nat Dorsey starting at RT. On defense they have elite playmakers such as FS Adrian Wilson, OLB Lavar Arrington, and CB Champ Bailey scattered across the unit, and while I do expect the loss of Trotter to sting, I think they can still be a strong unit this season. I really like the look of this Redskins team and it would not surprise me to see them run away with the NFC East.
Next up is a team I am quite familiar with, the
San Francisco 49ers. The addition of HB Stephen Davis and subsequent addition of +2 SPD is a scary proposition for the rest of the NFC West, as they are now a legitimate dual threat offense who can beat you on the ground or burn you through the air with the combination of QB Jeff Garcia and WR Terrell Owens. The defense lacks star power, but appears to be solid enough across the board to hang with most teams. They took a huge leap forward last year with a 13-3 record after going 7-9 the first season, and while I'm not sure they can repeat that performance I would be shocked if they don't win at least one playoff game this year.
Next we get to the
New England Patriots, who some might be surprised to see down at #7. At least one prognosticator has picked them to win it all this season, and it certainly is in the realm of possibilities. In typical Patriot fashion they haven't bothered to surround Brady with any elite receivers, although they showed last year that HB Musa Smith could be the star of the show in Foxborough. Couple that with a defense that is stocked with veteran talent, and this team is practically built to win close games in the playoffs. While last year's battle for the AFC East was brutal, the Jets traded their quarterback and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Dolphins take a step back. GM Travis Robbins should practically be able to put this thing in cruise control on his way to a AFC East title, although a first round bye could be harder to secure.
Finally, the
Green Bay Packers return in search of their 3rd NFC North title in as many years. QB Brett Favre and HB Ahman Green are the stars of the show here, with WR Donald Driver noticeably missing (he's now in Oakland). While they did bring in WR MarTay Jenkins from Arizona, I have a hard time not seeing a drop in production there. However the offensive line is still solid across the board, and they have one of the more experienced secondaries in the league lead by veteran FS Darren Sharper, meaning they should still feel right at home in a shootout. The NFC looks to be extremely competitive this year, but I see little chance the Packers will be on the outside looking in come playoff time. I just don't know if they are truly built to make a deep run once they get there.
Tier 3 - Best of the Rest8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
Up next is the best of the rest - these teams are good, but honestly I give them little chance to actually hoist the title this year. The
Kansas City Chiefs had a very impressive 12-3-1 season last year led by Priest Holmes, but I don't think they have enough other playmakers to fuel a passing game that is still finding its way with QB Michael Vick. The
Carolina Panthers made good strides on the defensive side of the ball this season and have a very experienced quarterback in Mark Brunell, but their best offensive playmaker is still a 5'9" WR and I don't see the defense being enough of a strength yet. The
New York Giants have a slew of very talented players across the roster including HB Tiki Barber, WR Amani Toomer, DE Michael Strahan, and MLB Zack Thomas. They are led by QB Jake Plummer who in my eyes has greatly overachieved so far to date, and if he can keep that up then the G-Men could easily out-perform this ranking. But the secondary looks like it could be the achilles heel of this team, and I don't see them being able to slow down some of the more elite offenses in this conference. The
Miami Dolphins had a great run last season, challenging for the AFC East title and then making it all the way to the AFC Championship game. They had some tough decisions to make this off-season however, and ended up shipping star RB Ricky Williams to the Browns. While I didn't hate the move, I just don't see the firepower there on offense for them to reach those heights again this year, although I certainly wouldn't rule out a wild card spot.
Tier 4 - Stuck in the Middle12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
I haven't checked for sure, but the
Atlanta Falcons have to be the lowest team on this list that went 13-3 last year (at least among those who didn't trade their QB). They did however just trade their star RB Warrick Dunn to the Tennessee Titans, and that leaves TE Tony Gonzalez as the most explosive weapon on their offense. Couple that with a raw secondary and this is a good but not great team. The
San Diego Chargers made the splash move of acquiring QB Chad Pennington this off-season, and it should give them a huge boost moving forward. While they did move on from HB Ladanian Tomlinson they still have an accomplished veteran duo there, and I see there defense as being a very underrated unit. If it wasn't for them underachieving a little to date they would probably be higher on this list. At #14 is the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, another talented squad I feel has underachieved to date. In fact they have had the exact same record as the Chargers so far in each season, going 10-6 and then 8-8 last year. They have elite playmakers all over the defense and an offense that while a bit mundane still has the ability to move the ball against most teams. They are in a tough division, but they have the talent to compete there. The
Philadelphia Eagles continue to be one of the most maligned and controversial teams, but they also still have quite a bit of talent. QB Donovan McNabb has finally hit the 90 AWR/90 THA plateau and has a couple of decent weapons. I am also very excited to see what rookie HB Stephen Jackson can do in Philadelphia, and expect him to provide a whole new dimension to this offense (I also love Ron Dayne at FB). The defense has admittedly been a bit gutted in Philly, however, and I see little opportunity for them to win a tough NFC East.
The
Minnesota Vikings have only won 10 games so far in the SFL to date, and it is probably a bit of a surprise I have them rounding out the top half of my rankings, but I really like where this team is headed. QB Daunte Culpepper finally put things together last year and should hit the 85 AWR mark after the first progression period. I also put a lot of weight into star power, and his top target WR Randy Moss is one of the biggest in the whole league. WR Michael Clayton should prove to be a solid secondary weapon, and I also love the addition of power back HB Eddie George. The defense is still a work in progress, but is more experienced than it is raw. I think this team could surprise people this year, and possibly put up a fight for the division. The
Oakland Raiders are another team I feel are headed in the right direction. While QB Aaron Brooks still has a long way to go, the Raiders went out and got him two very nice shiny, new weapons Chad Johnson and Donald Driver. And with stud bookend cornerbacks in Charles Woodson and Tory James on the defensive side of the ball, this isn't a team I would want to get in a shoot out with. This is another team I think could make a surprise run for the division title.
The Cleveland Browns are kind of the darlings of the SFL this off-season, having made a number of talented additions to their offense. The first big move was trading the 3rd overall pick for QB Drew Brees, but then they also went out and added RB Ricky Williams, WR Ashley Lelie, and WR Antonio Freeman. This is a completely different offense this year, one that is, day I say, explosive. They also have impressive players at both the MLB and LE spot in MLB Jeremiah Trotter and DE Corey Simon. With all that said, I think the offensive line and the secondary could be big problems for Cleveland this year still, and Drew Brees has yet to light the league on fire. There's no doubt the future is bright for the Browns, but I am probably not as high on them as most.
While I have been a staunch proponent of the Jim Sorgi era, the
Denver Broncos are set to field a decent squad this year despite being more than set up for the future. If I had one word to describe this team, it would be "solid." They have a good QB, a veteran HB, a young talented WR in Anquan Boldin, and a couple of nice pieces on defense. In the end, however, I don't think it's going to be enough to win the division, and I wouldn't bank on a wild card spot for the Broncos either. I would probably describe the
Chicago Bears in a similar way - solid, but not exciting. The main reason they are here is because they have an above average QB with some nice pieces here and there elsewhere. They lack weapons on offense and are spread fairly thin on defense. But, there are few glaring weaknesses here. The Bears are probably the epitome of "stuck in the middle," and I see a .500 record in their future. Last but not least we have GM Kevin Mullendore and the
New York Jets. If this was any other general manager the Jets probably would not be in this tier, mainly because they have Billy Volek and a rookie as their options at quarterback. But there is little doubt they have a very talented, veteran roster surrounding them, and if there's anyone I would expect to squeeze a playoff spot out of a strong run game and defense it is Kevin. They could finish worse than this ranking, but I would not at all be surprised if they did better.
Tier 5 - Not There Yet22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
Leading the way for this tier are the
New Orleans Saints. They honestly could be ranked a bit higher, but they stumbled to a 6-10 record last year after going 10-6 in 2002. They added a solid weapon to their offense in WR Roy Williams, and he should form a steady duo opposite WR Joe Horn. They also have a surprisingly talented defense and a solid offensive line. In the end this team will go as far as QB Jake Delhomme can take them, which means they will have to hope he can take a step forward after regressing last season. Next up is the
Pittsburgh Steelers. They have a talented team with plenty of veteran talent, but have not managed to put together a winning season yet so far. Although QB Tommy Maddox continues to get better, I can't say I see too many reasons things are going to change this year, especially with the defending champions and the fast rising Browns in the division. The future appears to be bright for the
Arizona Cardinals, and some are predicting a playoff spot, but I don't think the time is right quite yet. The roster is still very raw, and where there is veteran talent it is from the FA scrap pile. I do expect this team to take a big step forward so far, but I just don't expect it to be into the playoffs. Just behind them is another NFC West team, the
Seattle Seahawks. Seattle has a great veteran line and a good RB in Shaun Alexander, but QB Matt Hasslebeck has vastly underachieved for them so far to date, and the defense looks to be incredibly raw. I have them bringing up the rear in the division. The
Cincinnati Bengals were a surprise pick to make a run in the playoffs, but I am not seeing it. The offense is overall uninspiring, and I don't see enough talent on the defensive side of the ball to make up for it. I'm sure better days are ahead for the Bengals, but I don't think this is going to be their year.
Tier 6 - Could be Worse27. 
28. 
29. 
I'm sure Will was hoping his squad would be ranked higher here as he is clearly desperately ready to be out from the underbelly of the standings, but I just don't see the
Dallas Cowboys having the pieces yet to truly turn this ship around. They offense is no doubt legitimately talented with WR Andre Johnson, HB Ladanian Tomlinson, and - finally - an actual quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, but I see way too many holes on the defensive side of the ball to think they will seriously compete in the NFC East. The
Tennessee Titans are a team I am still trying to figure out. They seem to pinball back and forth from competing to tanking to completely rebuilding to trading a 1st and a 3rd for 7 YP running back Warrick Dunn. There is talent on this team, and the division is weak, but I think they are still a few seasons away from moving up the ladder. Last but not least are the
Houston Texans. GM Wade Pearce inherited a dumpster fire with this team and has been doing the best he can to build them up from the ashes. There are some talented players in Houston but in the end too many holes still remain. The good news is they could very easily finish a distant second in the AFC South.
Tier 7 - The Bottom30. 
31. 
32. 
Welcome to the bottom. These teams are improving, but there future success is still somewhere over the horizon. The
Detroit Lions added a couple of nice pieces around QB Byron Leftwich, but he is going to have to improve upon his dismal 67 QB rating last season before this team goes anywhere, and I am still not sold on HB Rudi Johnson as the guy in Detroit. The defense could surprise some people, but I don't think it will be enough. The
Buffalo Bills will also be starting a sophomore quarterback in Rex Grossman who needs to have a better year for them to have any sort of success. Unfortunately I just don't see any weapons on this team to help him do that. The defense could be an average to above average unit, but I'm not sure it will matter. At #32 we have the
Jackonsville Jaguars, a very young team that is growing but still has a long way to go. While there are some very nice pieces there in QB Eli Manning, WR Kassim Osgood, RT Brett Williams, and CB Charles Tillman, they are all very raw, and the Jags have made little effort to fill in the roster with veteran talent. They appear to be strong favorites for the first overall pick next year.
