32. Buffalo Bills 0-6
In Ryan Fitzpatrick’s last 5 starts, he is 97 for 153 for 1124 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 4 picks. That production has many Bills fans saying that they’ve found their quarterback of the future and that they don’t need to draft a quarterback with the first overall pick and instead should focus on defense. The those people I say, how many games of those has Fitzpatrick won? Yeah, I thought so. 1, a 30-7 win week 17 last season against the Peyton Manning less Indianapolis Colts. Stats are nice, but wins are nicer. Fitzpatrick doesn’t have the arm strength to lead consistent touchdown drives. They need a quarterback who does. The Chiefs had a quarterback named Tyler Thigpen in 2008. Thigpen was 230 for 420 for 2608 yards 17 scores and 12 picks. His offensive coordinator was Chan Gailey, the Bills coach now. His stats looked nice. However, the Chiefs went 2-14 that year. Gailey is good at inflating quarterbacks stats with short throws, without having them do a lot to sustain drives and score points. In fact, you could say it’s his specialty.
31. San Francisco 49ers 1-6
Remember when 49ers were calling for David Carr to start at quarterback. Whoops. The 49ers were beating ther previously 0-6 Panthers before Alex Smith got hurt and David Carr threw a game losing pick six. It’s pretty obvious that the answer at quarterback is not on this roster, unless Troy Smith has something, but that’s a long shot (one they should still test out though). They need to draft a quarterback this draft. Mike Singletary didn’t draft Alex Smith so he should have no loyalty to him, assuming he still has a job, which I hope he does. It’s not his fault his quarterbacks suck. Plus, he’s intimidating and goes on great rants. That’s half of what being a coach is all about.
30. Carolina Panthers 1-5
The Panthers offensive explosion last week was a result of the fact that San Francisco can’t stop anyone through the air, not the fact that their offense is all that much better with Matt Moore over Jimmy Clausen. Moore threw for 308 yards, 125 to David Gettis, 91 to Brandon LaFell, and 50 to Steve Smith. However, Matt Cassel threw for 250 yards as well against San Fran and their defense is in the bottom 3rd in the league in almost every major pass defense stat. When they play St. Louis next week, they should have a tougher time moving the ball through the air.
29. Cleveland Browns 2-5
In 2008, the Browns beat the Giants, the defending Super Bowl champs. In 2009, the Browns beat the Steelers (splitting the season series), the defending Super Bowl champs. Now they’ve knocked off the Saints, the defending Super Bowl champs. In the last 3 years, the Browns are 3-1 against defending Super Bowl champs, and 8-25 against everyone else. Oh and the jury’s still out on Colt McCoy, who only had to attempt 16 throws against the Saints last week, thanks to 4 interceptions by Drew Brees, two of which were returned for pick sixes by David Bowens. The Browns also brought trick plays, running for 68 yards with their punter (it was a sight to see). Peyton Hillis also threw a 13 yard pass to Colt McCoy. Yes, former fullback Peyton Hillis.
28. Detroit Lions 1-5
Bye week
27. Arizona Cardinals 3-3
I told you the Cardinals beat the Saints in spite of Max Hall. Last week, they lost to Seattle because of Max Hall. Hall was benched mid game for Derek Anderson. That sadly was the right move. You can’t go 4 for 16, especially against a defense like the Seahawks, and expect to keep your job. Anderson was better, but not much, 8 for 17 for 96 yards. It’s safe to say the answer at quarterback is not on this roster, unless they start the extremely raw John Skelton and he plays well, a very long shot.
26. Dallas Cowboys 1-5
The Cowboys are now 3.5 games back of the Giants for first place in the division, at 1-5, having lost the tiebreaker. They also could be without their starting quarterback for the rest of the season, and at least 6 weeks, more likely 8-10, meaning 8-10 weeks of Jon Kitna. That’s what we call up shit creek without a paddle.
25. Oakland Raiders 3-4
The Raiders scored 59 points last week. I’ll bet anyone 50 dollars they lose this week. They always disappoint after a big win, especially at home. Wait, that’s what my NFL picks are for. Either way, I thought it was weird the Raiders were able to run up the score like that without much controversy. If that were the Patriots, the media would have been all over it. I guess the Raiders deserve to run up the score after all those years of hardship. Speaking of hardship, I expect that to continue this year. I haven’t seen enough consistently from this team that suggests to me they can win 7 or more games and avoid 7 straight seasons of double digit losses.
24. St. Louis Rams 3-4
The Rams are 0-3 on the road. That makes a ton of sense. They’re a young team with a rookie quarterback. Even their coach is young and in only his 2nd season as a head coach. Those type of teams normally struggle on the road. They’re a talented team and they could win the division even if they go 1-7 or 2-6 on the road, but that doesn’t look likely now that Seattle is actually playing like a playoff team. Yeah, I know, I’m shocked as well that an NFC West team is playing like a playoff team.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-4
They lost by 22 to the Chiefs last week. Many of their fans will try to blame it on Todd Bouman, the quarterback who hasn’t won a game as a starter since 2001. However, their defense gave up 22 points. That’s a huge issue. Matt Cassel only threw for 193 yards, but their pass defense allowed him to be very economical, going 13 for 18. This is Matt Cassel we’re talking about. The reason he only had to attempt 18 passes of because of the running game, which ran for 236 yards. That loss was the defense’s fault, not Todd Bouman. Hell, Bouman (18-34 222 yards 2 touchdowns 2 picks) played better than David Garrard does some weeks. This team is in trouble.
22. Denver Broncos 2-5
Well that’s embarassing. How do you lose to by 45 points to anyone, let alone the Raiders. The Raiders looked like a top 10 NCAA Football team playing an non-FBS team, running up the score in an attempt to improve their ranking. The Broncos offense is not necessarily to blame. Orton only threw for 198 yards, but that’s because Nnamdi Asomugha shut down Brandon Lloyd completely, allowing one reception for 46 yards late in the 4th quarterback. They actually ran better than they normally do, 75 yards on 17 carries, not like they were given much of an opportunity to run the football. The offense should be fine going forward. Why Broncos fans were chanting that they wanted Tebow in over Orton, I don’t know and this is coming from a Tebow fan. The defense was the issue. The Raiders rushed for 328 yards, on only 52 carries. That’s a lot of carries to give up 6.3 YPC on. This run defense is very bad. Jason Campbell played well too, 12 for 20 for 204 yards and 2 scores, but he didn’t even need to do anything. The Broncos defense is in trouble.
21. Cincinnati Bengals 2-4
Carson Palmer, on paper, had a good week last week. In reality, he didn’t in a 39-32 loss to the Falcons. He threw for 412 yards, but more than 300 of those were in the 2nd half, down more than a touchdown against a prevent defense that couldn’t tackle anyone. He would throw short stuff against a defense defending against the deep ball and his receivers do their work in the open field and that’s how he got his yards. He’s still not the quarterback to lead this team anywhere. He is overrated and the Bengals are overrated.
20. Chicago Bears 4-3
The Bears are like a car accident, you can’t help but look. Jay Cutler did avoid his 3rd straight start of 6 sacks or more, Washington only got to him 4 times. However, he threw 4 picks in a performance that mirrored his performance last season against San Francisco. All 4 picks were to DeAngelo Hall, one of which was a decisive pick six, yet after the game the overly arrogant Cutler said he would pick on Hall again if given the opportunity. That over-arrogance is Cutler downfall. That’s why he threw 26 picks last year. He thinks he’s way better than he is and he can just heave it downfield and good things will happen. Speaking of over-arrogance. Mike Martz’ over-arrogance could get the equally over-arrogant Cutler killed. Cutler may have been sacked only 4 times last week, but that’s 27 times this season in 6 starts. Mike Martz is refusing to run, running the 7th fewest amount of times of any team this season, 2nd fewest of all teams that have yet to have their bye week. He’s also not calling more short throws and 5 step drops. Cutler has no mobility and can’t read blitzes to save his life (literally). He’s a sitting duck out there unless Martz changes up the playcalling.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 4-2
After their win over the Rams, coach Raheem Morris claimed that the Bucs were the best in the NFC. Though they may be 4-2, .5 games back of the Falcons for best record in the NFC. However, of their 4 wins, only one came against a team that currently has more than 2 wins. That was last week’s game against the St. Louis Rams. That was a one point win against a team that is young and struggles on the road. In fact, I’d say that on a neutral surface, the Rams win that one. Their other 3 wins are against the Browns (with Jake Delhomme), the Panthers, and the Bengals. Yikes! Word of advice, beat someone good before you claim yourself to be their best in the NFC. Also, their two losses came by a combined 50 points.
18. San Diego Chargers 2-5
This week is the last stand for the Chargers. If they lose at home to the Titans, they’re out of the playoff race in my mind, especially if the Chiefs beat the Bills and they almost definitely will. After their loss to the Patriots last week, I have moved the Chargers below the Chiefs on this list.
17. Kansas City Chiefs 4-2
Beating up on the Jaguars doesn’t prove a lot to me, but they’ll get another chance to beat up on the Bills this week and improve to 5-2. With the way the Broncos, Raiders, and Chargers are playing, that’s going to give them a very steady lead on the division.
16. Minnesota Vikings 2-4
2 months ago, Brett Favre returned for his 20th season. Now, he’s a 41 year old quarterback under sexual harassment allegations, with a double fracture in his ankle, tendonitis in his throwing elbow, and his team is 2-4. Still, I doubt he regrets his decision. This is what Favre lives for. He loves going against adversity and right now he has more than at any time in his career. It’ll be interesting to see how he responds, starting with the Patriots this week in Foxboro.
15. Miami Dolphins 3-3
Where did this Cameron Wake kid come from? He was in the CFL 2 years ago. Now he ranks 7th in the league in sacks with 6. Bill Parcells has done it again, finding another diamond in the rough linebacker.
14. Seattle Seahawks 4-2
Believe it or not, there actually is a legitimate playoff team in the NFC West. The Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks have looked very good since losing to the Rams, beating the Bears in Chicago and the Cardinals in Seattle. If they beat the Raiders this week, they will be 5-3 and have a legitimate shot to finish above .500 with how weak the rest of their schedule is.
13. Houston Texans 4-2
Bye week.
12. Washington Redskins 4-3
McNabb didn’t play much better than Jay Cutler last week. In fact, for the 4 interceptions Cutler throw, you would have though Washington would have won that one by more than 3 points, especially with Ryan Torain rushing for 125 yards. McNabb was 17 for 32 for 200 yards 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions and only led 9 passing first downs all game. However, his experience his going to be key for this team down the stretch in a tight battle atop the NFC East.
11. Philadelphia Eagles 4-3
Well it looks like Michael Vick is back to being the quarterback after their bye. Kolb’s struggles against Tennessee were all Reid needed to see. It’ll be interesting to see if Reid switches quarterbacks once again when Vick has his next game, marking a record 88th time he’s switched quarterbacks this season. Pick one. I say Kolb because he’s the guy now and he’s 2-1 as a starter, but pick one and stick with him.
10. New Orleans Saints 4-3
It looked like the Saints were delivered a wakeup call when the lost to the Cardinals, subsquently beating the Bucs in Tampa by 25 the next week. However, after losing to the Browns, that doesn’t appear to be the case. With the Steelers coming to town this week, the Saints need a big performance to win and right their season.
9. New York Giants 5-2
The Giants had nearly 500 yards of offense last week and held the Cowboys to less than 200, knocking out their staring quarterback for 6-8 weeks in the process and yet still only won by 6. That’s cause for concern. Those 5 turnovers (3 picks, 2 fumbles) and that punt return touchdown were sloppy and that needs to be tightened up for the rest of their season. The Giants lead the league in give aways this season with 21. They’re giving it away more than a slutty blonde cheerleader. They can be the best team in the NFC if they can keep that under control. Their punt unit also ranks 4th worst in the league in yards per punt attempt allowed, though most of that was on one play, that punt return touchdown by Dez Bryant last week.
8. Green Bay Packers 4-3
That win over Minnesota might have been exactly what this team needed. They almost had to watch Favre do what he did for so many years for them, lead a game winning drive, only this time against them to give him a lifetime 3-0 record against the Packers (all 3 games for hated rival Minnesota). However, they came out of there with the win at home. They’re getting Ryan Pickett, Atari Bigby, and Al Harris back this week to add to their defense. They’re still an extremely talented team and can win the whole thing if they can string some good play together at the right time.
7. Tennessee Titans 5-2
The Titans moved themselves into sleeper status last week. This team always plays better than they look on paper and with the exception of their 0-6 start last season, they are 27-7 over the last 3 seasons. vince Young knows how to win games, but their supporting cast is good enough to beat teams without him. Kerry Collins is a capable backup quarterback, as evidenced by his win over Philadelphia. They’re not elite yet, but they’re getting there.
6. Baltimore Ravens 5-2
The Ravens made stupid mistakes again last week. There’s no way, with their secondary at full strength with Ed Reed, that they should have allowed 34 points to the Bills and needed overtime to win. They made stupid penalties all year last year and have shot themselves in the foot at times this season as well.
5. Atlanta Falcons 5-2
Their secondary has major problems without Dunta Robinson. They simply couldn’t stop the Bengals’ receivers in the open field and allowed 400 passing yards to the Bengals. Of course the injury to Dunta Robinson hurt, but they struggle even with him and if he goes down with an injury down the stretch (something he does normally) they’re screwed. Even with their revamped pass rush, 15 already this season after 28 all last season, they are struggling to stop opposing passing games.
4. New York Jets 5-1
Bye week.
3. New England Patriots 5-1
I’m moving the Patriots over the Jets this week, during the Jets bye, even though the Jets hold the head-to-head. The Patriots beat the Chargers last week. I know the Chargers are 2-5, but that was still an impressive win. They had to travel 3 coasts to play a talented team that was fighting to keep their season alive. That’s an impressive win in my books, even if it was aided by a couple stupid turnovers. The Patriots offense is way less one-dimensional than it was week 2 against the Jets. They’re no longer just chucking downfield to Randy Moss and hoping something good will happen. That’s how they lost to the Jets. Now they’re using the whole field and I think they’d be able to beat the Jets on a neutral field, which is why I have them higher. We’ll see when the two play in Foxboro week 13.
2. Indianapolis Colts 4-2
Bye week.
1. Pittsburgh Steelers 5-1
The first real test for the Steelers with Ben Roethlisberger this week, the New Orleans Saints. If they win this one, I can see them running away with the AFC. They’re already on such a higher level than most teams just because four of their games were played without their starting quarterback. All we have to see is how they coexist with Ben thrown back into the mix against a good team. Do they completely dominate, stay the same, or have issues playing as a unit. The loss of Aaron Smith, for the 2nd straight year, on defense hurts.
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