Originally Posted by Thom Yorke
Elite (Teams that are legit contenders, which seems to be a bigger group than usual)
1. 49ers (6-2) Still the best defense in the league, and their passing game may actually continue to click if they rely on Crabtree.
2. Texans (7-1) I'm starting to think the Packers game was an anomaly; this is a fantastically built team.
3. Falcons (8-0) Still a bit of hesitancy with them, but you can't ignore a perfect record.
4. Giants (6-3) Eli has been slipping lately, but we all know you can never count him out.
5. Packers (5-3) Finally starting to live up to their potential, despite having so many injuries; it doesn't matter who Rodgers throws to.
6. Patriots (5-3) The most explosive offense in the league will make them the favourites in almost any game, and will keep them in every other game.
7. Bears (7-1) I just can't get behind a team that relies so heavily on big-play defense. If they beat the Texans, they'll rocket up the rankings though.
8. Broncos (5-3) Finally got through the tough part of their schedule; expect them to keep climbing the rankings.
Second Tier (Teams that have some chance of doing some damage, but lack the pedigree of the elite teams)
9. Steelers (5-3) They are looking much better now, despite the injuries at RB.
10. Seahawks (5-3) Suffocating D and one of the best RBs in the league; that's a formula for success.
11. Ravens (6-2) I just can't support Flacco or a defense that decimated by injuries; they haven't suffered in the L column from it yet though.
Pretenders (Teams that have some sleeper potential, but are most likely non-threats)
12. Buccaneers (4-4) They've been in every game this year; they can't rely on historic running performances every week, but they may not need to with that balanced of an offense.
13. Colts (5-3) I am sold on Luck, but not on the rest of the team; still, they've been impressive so far.
14. Lions (4-4) They seem to have sorted out any issues they had; it's scary to think that Stafford and Johnson have so much more potential.
15. Vikings (5-3) Even their defense is letting them down now. It'll still be the Peterson/Harvin show, but that won't be enough with that schedule coming up.
16. Saints (3-5) They could be a big sleeper to squeak in at the end if they go on a roll, or at least be a spoiler against other teams; but they can't be a real factor until they fix the defense.
Mediocre (Teams that are just treading water)
17. Cowboys (3-5) They've been in most games this year, and have close losses to some really good teams, but there's always just an impending sense of doom around them.
18. Dolphins (4-4) I was enamored with their defense before, but teams may just resort to passing 100% of the time to take them down.
19. Bengals (3-5) Green continues to thrive despite teams knowing he's their only true weapon; Gresham may be able to take a little pressure off him in the future.
20. Eagles (3-5) What a mess. They still have enough talent to surprise some teams though.
21. Chargers (4-4) Their wins have come against the Raiders, Titans and Chiefs twice. They have a record that is inflated, and it's not even a great record.
22. Jets (3-5) It's either a solid performance, or a terrible performance. There is no in-between.
23. Redskins (3-6) RG3 finally appears to have hit a wall; don't expect much from them if he's not going.
Sub-Par (Teams that are bad but have the potential to surprise some teams)
24. Browns (2-7) They've realized that they should just keep going to Richardson, no matter what the score is.
25. Bills (3-5) Their defense is an absolute disaster; they won't be a factor until they can fix the defense, but they still have one of the better running attacks in the league.
26. Rams (3-5) Seems to be the same thing almost every year; maybe Amendola can provide them with a spark.
27. Cardinals (4-5) It's amazing just how important an offensive line is; the Cards should really think about picking one up.
28. Panthers (2-6) I don't see that win providing them with any kind of a spark; this is just not a very good team.
29. Raiders (3-5) So much for McFadden being the next Adrian Peterson.
30. Titans (3-6) Getting an 80 yard TD when you're down by 40 doesn't make you good CJ0K, it just means you get to pad your stats.
Bottom Feeders (Teams that are so bad they could be relegated to the now-defunct XFL)
31. Jaguars (1-7) Maybe there's some hope if they get MJD back...? Nah.
32. Chiefs (1-7) If you play fantasy football, pick up whichever defense is going up against KC's offense, no matter who you have to drop.
|