Smashmouth Football League Articles

Tier 1 - Walking the Walk
1. (7-1) +6
2. (6-2) +1

I labeled this tier "walking the walk," because I feel these are the two teams that have championship potential written all over them and have acted like it so far. The Green Bay Packers have dealt with injuries to key offensive pieces HB Ahman Green and WR MarTay Jenkins, but have just kept on chugging along to the tune of a best-in-the-league 7-1 record. And that wasn't built on a cupcake schedule, either, as they have toppled the likes of the Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Indianapolis Colts (although they did have an advantage knocking Peyton Manning out of that game), and the Washington Redskins. They also added WR Laveranues Coles recently to help ease the effects of the Jenkins injury, but Jenkins is due back in just 1 more week and after that this duo of former Cardinals WRs could help the Packers sustain this tear they are on. The schedule down the home stretch isn't a cake walk, but it is by no means grueling. The other dominant force that has played up to their potential so far is the Indianapolis Colts with a 6-2 record. The Colts don't have the number of signature wins the Packers do so far, but they did beat the likes of the New England Patriots and Oakland Raiders (with Rob Johnson at the helm) before slipping up against the Minnesota Vikings this past week. Their only other loss came at the hands of the Packers, and as mentioned previously that was a game in which QB Peyton Manning did not play the majority of the contest. The Colts lost by 1 point. While these two teams still have the second half of the season to go, if you ask me I think they are the two clear cut Superbowl favorites at this point.

Tier 2 - True Contenders
3. (6-2) +17
4. (5-3) +2
5. (7-2) +7
6. (5-3) -1
7. (6-2) +7
8. (6-2) +1
9. (5-3) +3
10. (4-4) -8

My second tier of teams consists of the remaining squads that I wouldn't be surprised to see take home the Lombardi this season. At the top of this tier we have the 6-2 Chicago Bears, who are among the biggest risers in this second edition of SFL power rankings, having moved up 17 spots from their 20th ranking in my original article. Many thought the Bears were due for a fall after their 4-1 start, and they did lose to the Buccaneers in week 7, but they followed that up with an impressive win over the 49ers. I still am not sold on this team being "for real, for real," and they play in one of the best divisions in the league, but for now I can't put them anywhere but atop this tier. Some might argue with the 5-3 New England Patriots at the 4th spot, but they beat the St. Louis Rams last week and blew out the Dolphins in Week 5. While they stumbled a bit in weeks 7 and 8 against the Steelers and the Jets, they should have beaten the Colts week 1 and have one of the best rosters in the league. The next 5 weeks are also very manageable for them before they have to play the Dolphins and 49ers in the final 3 weeks of the season. Next we have the 7-2 Miami Dolphins. While some may have them above the Patriots, I just couldn't do that considering New England's blow out victory week 5. They only have one true signature win as well, coming against St. Louis Rams. This Dolphins team can play defense with the best of them, although I do wonder how far their offense can take them. But at 7-2 this team is a lock for the playoffs even if they have to deal with the Patriots and Jets within the division. #6 we have another 5-3 team, the San Francisco 49ers. This may be a bit high for them, but I am still a big believer in this team. They did drop games against the Bears and the Falcons, but their only other loss (predictably) came playing with their backup against the Jets. In their 5 victories they have simply boat-raced their opponents by a total of 128 points, including two 50+ point showings against the Seattle Seahawks. While beating up on bottom-feeders isn't going to win you any trophies, this team is as talented as they come.

The 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers come in at #7 in these rankings, another serious climber up 7 spots from their initial ranking. The Buccs started off the season by reeling off 5 straight wins, although they have cooled off in recent weeks by going 1-2 in their last 3. Still, that 1 was a win against the Bears while the 2 represents losses to the St. Louis Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. This is a very talented Buccs team, but I do question if they have the endurance to keep up their this grueling schedule in maybe the toughest division in the league. Also at 6-2, the Carolina Panthers are my #8 team. I'm sure many would have them higher than I do, but looking at their schedule I don't see a signature win. Maybe their victory over the Falcons? They have actually dropped their games against the two best opponents they faced, the Oakland Raiders and the Green Bay Packers. I don't mean to discount Carolina, but I just need to see a little bit more before I move them up. They get a second half slate chocked full of intra-division match-ups, so they will be a fascinating team to follow. At #9 we have the Atlanta Falcons. I see them as a team very similar to the Panthers, in that they don't have a lot of great wins so far. They do have one very impressive win which came week 1 against the 49ers, but they also have dropped games against the Rams, Panthers, and Chiefs. Every team in the NFC South has amazingly played just 1 divisional game, so as with the Panthers we are really going to see how the Falcons stack up against their most familiar foes down the stretch here. Lastly, we have the unfortunate case of the St. Louis Rams. I did these rankings last night before the injury report was released, and the Rams would obviously be lower if I had known the fate of Kurt Warner. The Rams, when healthy, are a very good team that has played a brutal schedule so far, but without their star quarterback they have little chance of living up to the highs of their first two seasons. Even as it stands they are one of my biggest droppers, moving down 8 spots from #2 to #10. They will almost surely be lower by the end of the year.

Tier 3 - Resume Builders
11. (6-2) +18
12. (5-4) +5
13. (5-3) +3
14. (4-4) -10

I have termed these teams a group of "resume builders," because with the exception of Washington they are teams that have performed great to date but I am just not entirely sure of still. As for the Redskins, they started 0-2 and have been trying to claw their way back ever since, but still have a lot to prove. Coming in at #11 are the Houston Texans who are the biggest risers of anyone and the only 6-2 team to not be included in the top two tiers. Is that disrespectful? Maybe, although none intended, but I just think they are going to have to show me more before I am a true believer. Their top two wins are against teams also in this tier, and they have also dropped games against the Titans and Broncos (2 out of their last 3 in fact). Next are the Oakland Raiders at 5-4 who are currently atop the AFC West. The Raiders have had a bit of a roller coaster season so far but don't have a bad loss to their name, and just recently had a very impressive win over the Panthers. There will be a lot of competition for this division, but right now it is the Raiders to lose. Next we have a very similar team in the Minnesota Vikings, except for that the Vikings are currently 3rd in their division. But like the Raiders they are coming off a very impressive victory (over the Colts) and don't have a bad loss on their resume. They will need more wins like that to move up these rankings, and they have a great chance to prove last week wasn't a fluke when they square off against the Packers next week. Finally, we have the Washington Redskins who as mentioned are kind of the odd team out in this tier. They have dropped 10 spots from my original #4 ranking and are among the biggest disappointments so far this season. Still, they are still my favorite to win the messy NFC East despite the loss of CB Champ Bailey, and have more than enough time to continue building their case as a legit playoff team, perhaps to the level of potential title contender once again.

Tier 4 - In the Hunt
15. (5-3) +6
16. (5-3) +7
17. (4-5) -4
18. (4-5) +1
19. (4-4) -4
20. (3-5) -19
21. (3-5) -13
22. (4-4) +2
23. (4-4) -1
24. (4-4) +2
25. (4-4) +2

Tier 4 is my largest tier because it consists of all the teams that are still well in the hunt for a playoff spot this year. And while that may be the case, no offense to any of these GMs but I would be pretty surprised to see any of them win it all this year (with the exception of maybe the teams that have disappointed thus far). Kicking things off are the New York Jets, who have actually managed to climb in these rankings despite switching to their rookie quarterback. The Jets have held their own in a division with the Patriots and Dolphins, but other than upsetting the Patriots they don't have any other impressive wins. I wouldn't be surprised to see them eek out a playoff spot, but I would be surprised if they made any noise there. The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most surprising teams so far in my opinion, moving up 7 spots from #23. They also sit atop the AFC North with a pretty favorable schedule the second half of the season. If they can keep up their play they have a real shot at winning the division, although with only one major victory so far this year I think they still have something to prove. The #17 San Diego Chargers are one of the most disappointing teams so far in my opinion at 4-5. They have now dropped 4 in a row, and while the schedule has been very tough at some point they are going to need to beat a very good team if they want to win this division. With the Broncos injury to Bledsoe it looked like they had the chance to run away with this thing, but now they have to try and catch up to the Raiders (who have already beat them once). Right behind the Chargers are the Denver Broncos. Denver had to deal with an untimely injury to QB Drew Bledsoe, and they have suffered because of it. They are 2-1 since his return, but without a marquee win it is tough to know just how good they are. They could be one of the biggest risers by the end of the year, especially after the addition of WR Chris Chambers. At #19 we have the Philadelphia Eagles, who technically sit atop the NFC East with a 4-4 record due to a tie breaker. Their best win has come across the slumping Ravens, and they have lost to all the top teams they have faced. The loss of HB Jackson is going to sting, and with some tough games down the stretch I have a hard time seeing them holding onto this spot.

Oh how the mighty have fallen, as the defending champs the Baltimore Ravens, clock in all the way down at #20 - our biggest fallers at 19 spots. This is a team that has had me scratching my head all season. The schedule really has not been difficult at all, but they can't seem to finish out games to actually win. While 3-5 is not an impossible hole to climb out of, they have already played the easier portion of their schedule and sit at 1-3 in the division. I don't expect the Ravens to turn this ship around, but I also cannot rule it out with the talent they have on that roster. Behind them at #21 are the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs have once again dug themselves a hole to star the season, although with their loss to the Colts it is clear they won't win out to make the playoffs. Still, with a 3-1 record over their last 4 games including wins over the Buccs and Falcons, this is a surging Chiefs team. They still have a long way to go, but everything is still in play for them including the division. The Arizona Cardinals are next at #22. The schedule has been brutal for us, but we still have wins over the Rams, Dolphins, and Saints. Things don't get any easier down the stretch, however, and although the Rams are probably out of the picture without Warner, I still have a hard time seeing us overtaking the 49ers or even earning a wild card spot. Next are the New Orleans Saints who have seen a resurgence as of late. Things were not looking pretty after a 1-4 start, but after consecutive victories over the Vikings, Chargers, and Raiders they are treading water in the very competitive NFC North. The Cincinnati Bengals are my #25 team, and despite the low ranking they are right there with a shot to win their division. They have already beaten the Steelers and Ravens, and their only "bad" loss came against the Browns. They perhaps should be ranked higher than this, but with a light schedule and a .500 record it is tough to do so. Finally, we have the Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys shocked the world when they beat the Packers in Week 7, but have otherwise beaten up on some lower ranked teams. Still they have played better then most thought to this point for a team with a rookie quarterback, and are tied atop the NFC East. They are without a doubt still in contention, although I think their odds are a bit longer than the current picture would suggest.

Tier 5 - Looking Ahead
26. (2-6) -10
27. (3-5) -9
28. (2-6) --
29. (1-7) +2
30. (1-7) +1
31. (0-8.) -1
32. (0-8.) --

Lastly, we have Tier 5 - the teams that probably should be looking ahead to next season. Perhaps I should have included the Giants and Browns in Tier 4 as they do still have some life, however I just don't see it at this point. The one thing that could change that for the #26 New York Giants are the two major injuries sustained by NFC East rivals the Redskins and Eagles. If anything could give them a chance to jump back anything it is that, but at 2-6 it is a very long shot. Looking at their trade block it looks like they are thinking the same thing. Next we have the 3-5 Cleveland Browns. After starting 2-5 they took a step forward beating the free-falling Baltimore Ravens last week, but currently there most impressive victory is either there or against the Bengals. The schedule toughens up down the stretch and I see this mainly as a developmental year for Brees the rest of the way. The 2-6 Tennessee Titans come in at #28. They managed to shock the Texans in Week 6, but other than that a very tough schedule has done them in. Unfortunately for them things don't ease up much going forward, but this should have always been considered a transition year for them to develop Rivers. The Buffalo Bills beat the winless Jaguars week 1, but haven't won again since then. Their schedule has also been quite difficult, and I expect them to pick up some more wins in finishing out the year. The Seattle Seahawks earn the 30th spot by being the last team remaining with a victory after beating the Arizona Cardinals. They are coming off two straight games where they allowed 50 points to make it 3 times out of 8 for the season. I honestly am not sure how the Seahawks have not played better to this point in franchise history - they are better than this. At #31 and #32, we have the Detroit Lions and Jacksonville Jaguars, two teams who sit winless at 0-8. I'm sure both teams expected better for their teams this season, but such is life as a rebuilding team. The good news for each GM is that they have a healthy amount of young talent to continue build around as long as they keep grinding this out.




Well there you have it, my mid-season rankings for this season...feel free to tell my why my rankings suck and why I am wrong!!