Teams on the Rise and Teams on the Fall in the NFL

Here are a few teams I think are on the raise after watching the week three preseason games.

Houston Texans: They looked like a team to give the Colts a run for their money, if not win the division. They totally took Dallas apart. Also Adrian Foster looked great.

San Francisco 49ers: They have really impressed me in their preseason games and that defense looks like a top 5 defense. The offense did descent aswell.

Denver Broncos: I think they are a team that is once again flying under the radar. They looked sharp against the Steelers and Tim Tebow continues to improve. But we can't forget Orton who is looking like an elite QB in preseason, if he can lead this passing attack and open up the run, I think the defense can hold it's own and San Diego will have to play awfully good to get the West

Here are my teams that are not looking as good as I thought they would

Dallas Cowboys: They looked like they didn't know what they where doing against the Texans and Romo has already lost his temper and it is still only the preseason.

New York Jets: They need Revis to comeback and they need Sanchez to step his game up. Everyone knows this is a QB driven league and if your QB doesn't play good your toast.

San Diego: Wow I didn't think Jackson and McNeil would make this big of an impact. They haven't looked good in preseason and the rest of the AFC West is slowly but surly improving.

2010 Power Rankings: Preseason

2010 Power Rankings: Preseason 


Note: Some teams I rank higher than others might have a worse records then a team lower than them but some of the better teams have harder schedules.



1 Colts 14-2-0: I don't care who won the Super Bowl last year, but the Colts are the team to beat this year.



2 Cowboys 14-2-0: It is all about Tony Romo and his O-line. If the O-line holds and Romo play as good as he did during the regular season last year they have the NFC in their lap.



3 Saints 12-4-0: They will have to be able to play some stronger defense to beat Cowboys for the NFC. BTW, my NFC game of the year is Week 12, November 25, Saints vs. Cowboys.



4 Ravens 13-3-0: If the Ravens can find a way to improve their defensive backs then they are the AFC champs, if not Peyton and company will kill them.



5 Packers 12-4-0: If the Packers can get enough pressure on opposing teams then they will give the Cowboys and Saints a run for their money. I think this year in the NFC the big three will be Cowboys, Saints and Packers



6 Vikings 11-5-0: They're main focus of the season will be trying to hold off the Packers for the NFC North, and if their line doesn’t protect Favre they won't have him to help them for very long.



7 Patriots 11-5-0: I think the offense will have Brady back at full strength and the defense should also improve.



8 Jets 11-5-0: I think that a 11 win season will be very good for the Jets, I personally don't think they are as good as people think. I do think they are a playoff team but they definitely think they are not the top dog of the AFC.



9 49ers 11-5-0: I think it is all about Alex Smith this year, if he is good this is a playoff team to fear, if he is bad they will still win the division but won't get far in the playoffs.



10 Bengals 10-6-0: I think of all the playoff teams on here the Bengals have the hardest schedule. They will need to pull a few tricks out of the hat to get 10 wins.



11 Chargers 10-6-0: I think the loss of Jackson and McNeil will hurt them but not enough to keep them from the playoffs.



12 Falcons 11-5-0: Lucky for the Falcons they have a pretty easy schedule. I think they need the defense to play a little better before they can challenge for the NFC.



13 Dolphins 10-6-0: The Dolphins are a team I think are way under radar. They do have a hard schedule and they did lose Ferguson but they're offense will be unstoppable. With Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams beating down the defense and Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall tarring up the field this offense will be something to see.



14 Eagles 10-6-0: They might have a new QB but this is a strong team and they won't put to much pressure on Kolb.



15 Giants 9-7-0: I think this is a good team that is cursed by being in the hardest division in the league.



16 Texans 8-8-0: The passing game is one of, if not the best in the league, they haven't been able to get a running game going, they haven't been able to stop the pass and they can't get enough pressure on the QB this season.



17 Titans 9-7-0: I think this offense will be unstoppable but this defense will not be that impressive.



18 Steelers 7-9-0: I think this could be a good team but with all of the stuff swirling around them right now I think this season will be a tough one, look for them next season though to be at Super Bowl shape again.



19 Redskins 7-9-0: I think Donavon will help them a lot this season but he can't get them to the playoffs.



20 Bears 6-10-0: I think the Bears are better than their record says but their season schedule is brutal.



21 Broncos 8-8-0: I think Orton will have a good season and the only thing stopping the Broncos from the playoffs is a weak defense and multiple injuries.



22. Cardinals 6-10-0: I think they will have a major setback as Leinart tries to get used to being a starter again. Plus, they lost a couple of good guys in free agency.



23. Panthers 5-11-0: This is another team that is half way decent but has a pretty hard schedule.



24 Chiefs 7-9-0: I think the Chiefs have a schedule in which they play teams that they can beat. I think if the offense line can hold and rookies Tyson Jackson and Glenn Dorsey can start playing well this could be a 500. win team or even more.



25 Raiders 6-10-0: I think their defense will play better, but they still have no O-line and they have a young QB, young runningbacks and young wide receivers.



26. Seahawks 6-10-0: I think they might be able to pull out a little better record just because they have an easy division but there is still a good chance they don't. I'm not sold on Whitehurst and I think they gave too much for a QB who hasn't proven himself.



27 Jaguars 4-12-0: I think their first couple of games they will lose which means they will fire Del Rio and then the rest of the season will be tough for players with a new coach.



28 Buccaneers 4-12-0: I think the Buccaneers are building a good team but it is going to take a while for all the young talent to blossom.



29 Lions 3-13-0: This is a team that is building quickly and I think Stafford will prove to be the franchise QB that the Lions have been looking for.



30 Browns 2-14-0: I think the Browns have some talent on their team but they still don’t have the pieces to build a winning team.



31 Bills 1-15-0: I think the only thing that the Bills have to look forward to is Jack Locker, Andrew Luck and Ryan Mallet in the 2011 draft.



32 Rams 1-15-0: I think the Rams have a lot to do before they can start to compete. I like what Spagnuolo is doing but it is going to take a while to rebuild, although I do think Bradford is the first step in becoming competitive.



AFC North: Baltimore Ravens

AFC South: Indianapolis Colts

AFC East: New England Patriots

AFC West: San Diego Chargers

AFC Wildcard: New York Jets

AFC Wildcard: Cincinnati Bengals

NFC North: Green Bay Packers

NFC South: New Orleans Saints

NFC East: Dallas Cowboys

NFC West: San Francisco 49ers

NFC Wildcard: Minnesota Vikings

NFC Wildcard: Atlanta Falcons

My "Chief" impressions of the Chiefs

Today we visited Chiefs training camp in St. Joseph, MO. The Chiefs just moved into their new beautiful facility this year.

The offensive and defense running a two minute drill

The Chiefs are trying to turn around a team that has only won 10 games in their last 3 seasons which is one more then they won in 2006 when they won 9 games. From early looks the Chiefs seem to have one of their best draft classes in a long time. They drafted safety Eric Berry with the 5th overall pick and added on some good speedy players (speed being one of Kansas City's weak points) in the second round with Javier Arenas and Dexter McCluster. They also added Tony Moeaki who has been very impressive in camp. So now to our visit.

QB Matt Cassel talking with Offensive Coordinator Charlie Weis.

Impressions from the visit

-Rookie Dexter McCluster was very impressive in the workouts although he did drop another punt.

-Rookie Javier Arenas was also very impressive in his kick return workouts using his quick cuts to set defenders off balance.

-Chiefs former first round pick Tyson Jackson showed so fire in drill which had been lacking before.

-I wasn't impressed with Glenn Dorsey in his workouts as he only tried to just push the offensive lineman back instead of making some moves to get by him, although he did alright when they lined him up in the center of the defensive line.

-I didn't like the lack of fire that I saw in many of the players.

-Coach Todd Haley got in Dwayne Bowe's face a lot today for not playing full speed and not finishing routes off.

-Derrick Johnson had an impressive showing today picking off a pass in a offense vs. defense drill.

-Free Agent Rookie Bill Stull had a descent showing in camp, also Tyler Palko had some trouble handing off the backs as well as staring down one receiver, but he did show some impressive arm strength.

-Brandon Albert had some bad plays but he also had a good deal of good plays.

Cassel calls the play in the huddle

Cassel lined up

Chiefs offensive coordinator Charlie Weis

Chiefs players gathered on the sidelines

End of Poll

End of Poll
Will Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh all succeed on the same team.

Answer
Yes:0%
No: 100%

Madden NFL 11 Released Today! (Alex)

Madden NFL 11 was released today for Xbox 360, Ps3, Ps2, Wii, and PSP.

The biggest improvement to Madden was the "gameflow" feature which allows you to quicken up the game to half of the regular time it would take.

Also they have a customizable playbook which saves alot of time of searching threw playbooks to find your play.

I also saw a big improvement with the player's faces they look alot more real.

Madden won the 'best game' award at this year's E3 Conference.

Ok, I'll try to post more of the new features within this week.

Bengals sign T.O to a 1 year deal (Alex)

Tuesday the Bengals signed WR Terrell Owens to a 1 year deal worth 2 million.

I personally think that this was a BIG mistake by the Bengals to sign Owens...Why? Because this is the exact same scenario as in the NBA the Miami Heat. Owens and Ochocinco both want all the attention. So if the Bengals are already having problems with Ochocinco why do they sign another guy with the exact same problem?

The Top 5 Teams in the NFL in 2010

I am going to name, what I think, is going to be the top five teams in the NFL this year, as well as who I think the 12 playoff teams will be this season.

Last Year for the first time in 16 year the two top seated teams in the playoffs faced off in the Super Bowl, the last time this had happened was when the Cowboys played the Bills in 1993. The NFC Champion Saints came out on top as did the NFC Champion Cowboys did in 1993. But now the 2010 Season is here and it is time to pick who I think the 2010 Super Bowl Champion will be. So here first is my top five team.

One thing I thought I'd point out is that just because the team is on the top of the list doesn't always mean I think they will win the Super Bowl. Reason being is if they happen to meet a team in the playoffs that is set up perfectly to beat them but not to beat anyone else.

1. Indianapolis Coltls: This one is a no brainier, as long as Peyton is on this team they will continue to be one of the top five teams in the league. A lot of people might think that the Saints should be here since they beat the Colts but in my mind the Colts are a better team then the Saints. Yes, the Saints might have beaten them, but if you remember the Giants beat the Patriots in 2007 and everyone knows that the 2007 Patriots were one of the best teams ever and upsets can happen. I think the same with the Colts. As for this season, They still have Peyton, they have a good young defense and some more up and coming stars for Peyton to play with. I think one of the big reasons for this team to be at the top is that they have an established team and don't really need a certain player that hasn't proved himself to play good for them to win. They have a veteran team with not only old, but young veterans as well. As for anyone else that wants to be #1 they still need to prove that their team can win and the Colts have proved that for over a decade.

2. Dallas Cowboys: Some people are probably asking again why the Saints aren't here and here is a simple answer, the Cowboys beat the Saints in 2009 and have gotten better since then. A lot of people might think Tony Romo is running this team so why are they have, if you look Drew Brees was in the same position last year as Romo and look now Brees has a ring and is on the cover of Madden 11. I think this will be the Cowboys year, they broke their playoff losing streak and this year everyone on the team has another year of experience playing with each other. Some people are worried about the safety position and the left tackle spot but I like their replacement at left tackle and I think they have enough play makers on defense to not have to worry about the safety spot. They also now have a receiver for Romo in Austin and a powerful running due. I think the Cowboys will be the one to finish first in the NFC if not first in the League.

3. New Orleans Saints: Well, coming off a Super Bowl win usually one of the Super Bowl teams drop off for a season and of either of the two it would have to be the Saints. I don't think they will drop off that bad, but of the two (Colts and Saints) I think the Saints have a nice chance to do that. But if Drew Brees can keep his game up (if you remember he is on the case of Madden 11 so he gets the madden curse this year:-) the Saints should be fine. They still have most of their players coming back from the Super Bowl team which is good but they also had one of the worst pass defenses in the league and you can't continue to win for long if the defense doesn't step up. The Saints have to be able to prove this year that they can stay up top as a Super Power like the Colts and Patriots have.

4. Minnesota Vikings: I think if Favre comes back (which looks likely) this team will continue to dominate at all levels as they did last year. Some are consider about the Williams wall being suspended for four games to start the season but with J. Allen at RE it shouldn't be to bad if a problem. The Vikings are still upset how the referee's missed penalty's against the Saints which led to a Saints win in the NFC Championship and will be out to win it all this year.

5. Baltimore Ravens: Now as for the Ravens, they now have a veteran QB in Joe Flacco who has proved to be one of the premier QB's in the NFL and with 2 seasons under his belt and a star receiver in Boldin he is ready for the task. They also have a great running game, a fantastic defense and an offensive line which is one of, if not the best offensive line in the League. They have it all working for them and it is just a matter of time before they burst onto the seen as the team to beat.

The Ones that didn't make it:

New York Jets: Most people have the Jets on their top five list but I think that is way over rated. If you remember they didn't have the best record last season, Mark Sanchez throw more picks then TD's and they had to rely totally off the D and the running game. I think the Jets will do good this season but not good enough to make this list and mainly because of a young QB who is still settling into the NFL.

New England Patriots: Another team that almost made this list was the New England Patriots. I think after healing for a year Brady is back to normal and the offense will be unstoppable, but the only weak point that stopped them from making the list was the defense that is young and still needs some time to grow although I do think they will dominate the NFL again soon.

2010 Playoff Teams

AFC North: Baltimore Ravens 13-3
AFC South: Indianapolis Colts 14-2
AFC East: New England Patriots 13-3
AFC West: San Diego Chargers 11-5
AFC Wildcard: New York Jets 12-4
AFC Wildcard: Tennessee Titans 11-5

NFC North: Minnesota Vikings 14-2
NFC South: New Orleans Saints 13-3
NFC East: Dallas Cowboys 14-2
NFC West: San Francisco 49ers 10-6
NFC Wildcard: Green Bay Packers 10-6
NFC Wildcard: Atlanta Falcons 10-6

AFC Champion: Indianapolis Colts
NFC Champion: Dallas Cowboys

NFL Champion: Dallas Cowboys