NBA Power Rankings: Week 1 (Pre-Season Polls)

Today is my first week of NBA Power Rankings. The Rankings will be done on fridays, and the NFL will be done on thursdays from now on. Just a little heads up. But since it's the beginning of the season, I to did the Rankings on a Tuesday instead of a Friday for this week only.




1. Miami Heat: With Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal, and the rest of the Heat coming back virtually unchanged from last season, who can bet against them?

2. Dallas Mavericks: The Mavs were also very quiet during the offseason, making no serious changes to their roster. All the key guys from last year's team are back, only with experience. It's gonna be tough to get back to the NBA Finals again, but with more experience, and a very strong squad, the Mavs look like the best in the west at this time.

3. San Antonio Spurs: They look strong, but didn't make any big moves (like Dallas and Miami), they made some small adjustments by bringing in Jacque Vaughn, Eric Williams, Francisco Elson, and Jackie Butler. But those guys are all guys who can play ok off the bench. Don't expect much change in the Spurs this year. With Tim Duncan leading the charge, a competitive post-season run seems imminent, and likely. Watch out for the Spurs. They're hungry.

4. Phoenix Suns: With Steve Nash, Shawn Marion, Raja Bell, and Boris Diaw, the Suns are very good basketball team. But with a healthy Amare Stoudemire, the Suns are a scary team. Now that Amare Stoudemire is healthy (and if he stays that way), the Suns are poised to contend not only for the Western Conference title, but for the NBA title as a whole.

5. Detroit Pistons: Losing Ben Wallace hurts them, but with Chauncey Billups, Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and Rasheed Wallace as the core of their team, look for them to once again win the Central Div. and poised to make another run for the Eastern Conference crown.

6. Cleveland Cavaliers: They were two points off from upsetting Detroit last year, and with Lebron James getting better (not much improvement from the rest of team), the Cavs are going to make some serious noise in the playoffs this year. Can you say Eastern Conference finals?

7. Los Angeles Clippers: The Clipps are going to be good this year. I'm not joking, I don't find that post season run they had last year to be a fluke like most people. Any team with Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Sam Cassell, and Chris Kaman is a team watching out for.

8. Sacramento Kings: Is it just me, or did the Kings look like an NBA title contending team once they got Ron Artest? I know that Ron can be a distraction and all, but come on, the guy makes a difference, and if the Kings can hold together, and stay healthy, anything is possible. Remember, they still have Mike Bibby, Brad Miller, and Shareef Abdur-Rahim.

9. New Jersey Nets: The Jason Kidd, Richard Jefferson, and Vince Carter trio are set to once again win the Atlantic this year and therefore set themselves up for a chance to go deep in the playoffs. The only problem, is that 4-1 series loss to the Heat was very weak.

10. Denver Nuggets: Carmello may not have D-Wade's ring, or Lebron's hype, but come on, the guy is still a very talented young player who's only going to get better. He averaged, 26.5 points a game last year, which is among the leauges best. The only stat he needs to bulk up on is rebounds. Last year he was averaging just 4.9 rebounds per game, which is the lowest average of his 3 year career.

11. Utah Jazz: If Andrei Kirilenko, Mehmet Okur, Carlos Boozer, and Matt Harpring stay healthy, the Jazz are going to be a strong team in the west. With Deron Williams getting stronger from last year, and the great draft they had by getting Ronnie Brewer, Paul Millsap, and Dee Brown, you know that the Jazz are winning more than last years 41 mark which should be good enough for a playoff spot. (Note: Don' forget about Derek Fisher. Once he's back, this team's gonna be real strong).

12. Washington Wizards: With good o'l Gilbert Arenas around, the Wizards will be a tough opponent no matter where you go.

13. Los Angeles Lakers: The problem with this So. Cal team is that they don't have any depth outside of Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom. I think that this team will find a way to sneak into the playoffs, but they'll be digging at the bottom of the barrell just to get to the playoffs.

14. Chicago Bulls: Adding Ben Wallace makes this team more dangerous because of the defense. Look for a stronger Bulls team in the playoffs this year.

15. Indiana Pacers: Stephen Jackson's arrest is not a good sign for a team who's already had to deal with criminalistic beahavior. They got an ok team with Jamaal Tinsley, Al Harrington, Stephen Jackson, and of course Jermaine O'Neal. The problem is that the season hasn't started, and they've already got an arrest. If this was the NFL that might mean a good thing, but not in the NBA.


16. New Orleans Hornets: The addition of Peja Stojakovic will add more offense to this team, and provide another weapon for Chris Paul to dish out to.

17. Memphis Grizzlies: They've never won a playoff series, and don't expect that to change this season, especially if Pau Gasol remains out for an extended period of time.

18. Houston Rockets: Maybe T-Mac and Yao Ming can finally take this team to the playoffs, but I won't believe it, until I see it.

19. Seattle Supersonics: They got Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis, and then it kind of weakens out the rest of the way. I like the Mouhamed Sene pick up, though. They do need a big guy.

20. Golden State Warriors: So much promise and hope, but that's the story every year. I will say that getting Don Nelson was a very good pick up, and more hopeful than Mike Montgomery.

21. Orlando Magic: Picking up J.J. Reddick was a good move for this team, and with Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, a healthy Grant Hill, and an improved Darko Milicic, this team could make the playoffs. Don't forget the nice little Carlos Arroyo pick up, he's not bad either.

22. Boston Celtics: Other than Paul Pierce, they don't have enough fire power to make a difference this year.

23. Milwaukee Bucks: Look for improvement from Andrew Bogut. But, they're still young and need to get more experience before they can really make some noise. That being said, they were a playoff team last year.

24. Minnesota Timberwolves: They seem to once again be the Kevin Garnett freak show. Look, I'm a big KG fan, and I think he's one of the top 5 players in the NBA no doubt, but come one, who else has he got to share the load?

25. Toronto Raptors: T.J. Ford was a nice pickup, and Andrea Bargnani looks like he could be a real difference maker in two or three years, but this team still has a lot of mountains to climb before they can really be a contending team. Good thing their in the east though, eh?

26. Philadelphia 76ers: Allen Iverson, their only good player wants out. Can you say chaos?

27. Portland Trail Blazers: A messy team out there in Portland with not much direction. If Zach Randolph is the best they got, look for a rough year.

28. Atlanta Hawks: Joe Johnson is good, and Shelden Williams was a good pick in the draft, but they still got miles to travel.

29. Charlette Bobcats: I hate to have them this low, but they haven't done anything good yet, except having a solid draft. Adam Morrison a rookie, along with the young group of Raymond Felton, Emeka Okafur, and Sean May are all supposed to be players who will make an impact in the league over the next few years.

30. New York Knicks: They suck, the end.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 8

1. Chicago Bears (6-0): After nearly losing to the Cards, I gurantee you, they don't want 'Frisco to give them a scare. Expect a blowout against the 49ers.

2. Indianapolis Colts (6-0): Tomorrows game agaisnt the Broncos will be interesting. A crazy good Offense in Indy without a defense vs. the insane Defense of the Broncos who have to play with a chickenshit offense.

3. Denver Broncos (5-1): Tomorrows game against the Colts is gonna be a real test for this team. Thank goodness for them it's in Denver.

4. New England Patriots (5-1): Minnesota on Monday Night will be easy but the next game against the Colts will be a very close and exciting game. They're doing everything right by creaming everybody in their division, but now they've got to beat teams outside of that crappy AFC East.

5. New Orleans Saints (5-1): They look good now, but we'll really find out when they face the Ravens tomorrow.

6. San Diego Chargers (4-2): Phillip Rivers has a 96.3 passer rating. Who woulda thought that?

7. Baltimore Ravens ( 4-2): They've lost two in a row, and I don't think that New Orleans is gonna be the easiest place for them to break that streak.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2): They've gotten back on track by beating the Panthers last week, but with Atlanta, Baltimore, San Diego, and New Orleans as their next four games, they'll be happy to walk out 2-2.

9. Seattle Seahawks (4-2): With QB Matt Hasslebeck and RB Shaun Alexander hurt, their Defense is gonnna have to muster up a lotta balls against that Kansas City Offense tomorrow.

10. New York Giants (4-2): Did you see the way they creamed the Cowboys last Monday Night? It was as if they were beating a red-headed step child.
11. Carolina Panthers (4-3): With the way that QB Jake Delhomme and WR Steve Smith are hooking up it looks like they can win any Sunday, but they are 4-3, and as it stands, it looks like it's gonna be a tough post-season for these Panthers if they get there.

12. St. Louis Rams (4-2): I gurantee you that as they enter their bye week, they're gonna really prepare themselves for their next game against the Chargers in two weeks. That game is gonna be huge.

13. Minnesota Vikings (4-2): They are playing pretty good football, but with the Bears in the division, playoffs looks like a tall order. If they wanna talk playoffs, they HAVE to steal a win against the Bears like it's a bank robbery, because the Bears have all sorts of tricks that can trip up any NFL team.

14. Atlanta Falcons (4-2): I tell you what, tomorrows game against the Bengals will be very exciting, since Michael Vick and Carson Palmer are going head to head.

15. New York Jets (4-3): They're hanging in there, and after the Bears and the Patriots play them, the rest to the schedule looks pretty manageable.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-3): If they wanna hang with the big boys, they need Byron Leftwich to be healthy. End of story.

17. Philadelphia Eagles (4-3): I guarantee you that a loss to the Jagz tomorrow would not churn welll in the stoumache of Donovan McNabb or the rest of his teamates as they enter their bye week after that game.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-4): Maybe a win tommorow against the hapless Raiders can spark enough volts into this team to Beat Denver and then New Orleans over the next two weeks, I'm saying it will, I'm only saying that it could.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (3-3): I'm still puzzled over the fact that the same knuckleheads that lost to Steelers 45-7 two weeks ago somehow beat the San Diego Chargers one week later. Boy, I'm still scratching my head.

20. Dallas Cowboys (3-3): That loss to the Giants was embarrasing.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-4): Beating the Bengals and Eagles by a combined 3 points over the last two weeks is big and lucky. Their gonna need a lot of both to beat New York, New Orleans and Carolina over the next three weeks.

22. Washington Redskins (2-5): I did not expect the bottom of the NFC East Barrell to be off to a 2-5 start nor did I expect it to be the Redskins.

23. San Francisco 49ers (2-4): Do you think that they've called the Cards for help on how to beat the Chicago Bears? They probably religiously watched that Monday Night collapse by the Cards against the Bears over and over again trying to imitate the cards every move for the first 55 minutes, and then do exactly the opposite for the last 5 minutes. I'm not giving the 49ers hope, but they could learn a lot from the Cards.

24. Green Bay Packers (2-4): If they beat the Cards and then the Bills over the next two weeks they'll be 4-4. At that point who knows what could happen.

25. Buffalo Bills (2-5): They better beat the Packers tomorow because the game after that game is against the Colts.

26. Houston Texans (2-4): Seeing David Carr play well every week with his teamates playing like crack heads sucks to watch if your a Texan fan.

27. Cleveland Browns (1-5): Things just look bad out there in Cleveland.

28. Detroit Lions (1-6): Can anybody think of something better for this team than to fire Matt Millen? He's terrible at running a football team.

29. Tennessee Titans (1-5): Starting Vince Young at QB is the best thing this franchise can do.

30. Miami Dolphins (1-6): Where did they go wrong?

31. Oakland Raiders (1-5): They won a game! WOW!?!?

32. Arizona Cardinals (1-6): Losing to the Raiders is dismal. What a horrid season for these guys.

NFL Power Rankings: Week 7

1. Chicago Bears (6-0): That Monday Night win against the Cards was a too close for comfort, but at the end of the day, the better team came out on top. It reminded me a lot of the old Chicago Bears. Offense plays abismal, defense scores all the points and the team still finds a way to win. I expect more from the Offense. (Note: Rex Grossman threw 4 interceptions).
2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0): They are 5-0, but four of their five wins have been decided by 7 or fewer points. They're looking good offensively, but the defense is what's keeping these games so close. As usual, Peyton Manning is playing at a high level.

3.San Diego Chargers (4-1): The Offense is clicking perfectly with Phillip Rivers, LaDainian Tomlinson, and Antonio Gates leading the "charge". They are also playing great defense, allowing just 55 points so far this year. On the other side of the ball, the chargers have scored 151 points which is third in the NFL.

4. Denver Broncos (4-1): Other than that abismal loss against the Rams, the Defense has not allowed more than 10 points in four straight games, which all resulted in victories. The Defense is scary, but the offense is marginal.

5. New England Patriots (4-1): This weeks game against Buffalo will be very telling on how good these guys are. They're ready to show that they are clearly the best team in the AFC East.

6. Seattle Seahawks (4-1): Won't Somebody tell me, where have all the rushing Touchdowns gone? Shaun Alexander has only 2 rushing TD's and the team has combined for 3. I know he's been hurt, but if he does get hurt, his replacement has to do a better job.

7. Carolina Panthers (4-2): Winning four in row, including a tough win @ Baltimore, shows me that the Panthers are back. The only thing is, isn't it odd that they are 0-2 without Steve Smith and 4-0 with him? My only concern is that they are too dependent on Steve Smith and rely on him a little too much, but hey, he is the NFL's best reciever, and they've won four straight. So, as long as they win, it doesn't matter who they depend on.

8. New Orleans Saints (5-1): The magic is still in the air, down in New Orleans. Drew Brees really seems to be the difference maker in this whole miraclous Saints turn around. If they beat the Ravens in week eight, these guys will really be sending a message.

9. Baltimore Ravens (4-2): They've lost two straight, but they still seem to be the best in the AFC North. However, they can't keep slipping with the Bengals and the Steelers both breathing down their necks.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2): They seem to be still kind of bummed about "getting sabatoged" by the Patriots. That loss to morbid Tampa Bay really showed that to me. They're still a good team, but they seem to be lost. The good news, is Carson Palmer is healthy, and I think that we call all agree that Carson Palmer being healthy is a plus for this Bengals team (and the NFL).

11. Philadelphia Eagles (4-2): The Defense in Philly has allowed 24 points or more points four times this year. That won't get the job in the long run even if Donovan McNabb keeps playing like Superman.

12. Atlanta Falcons (3-2): The next two games are against the Steelers and the Bengals. That will be a real challenge for these boys. Michael Vick is playing great, constantly posing a threat to defenses worldwide. The problem, is he is a QB, and QB's need to be able to throw. I'm not saying he can't throw, but a 66.0 passer rating for Michael Vick is not impressive.

13. Minnesota Vikings (3-2): The Vikings Offense has produced only 5 Touchdowns so far, and I don't know about you, but that is not very good (1 TD per game).

14. Dallas Cowboys (3-2): Terrel Owens having 3 TD's last week is big, but I still hold the belief that things are going to end uglier than a buzzard on crack.

15. New York Giants (3-2): They'd better beat the Cowboys on Monday Night, otherwise the whole city of New York is gonnna be really angry.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2): Watch them eat up the Texans for dinner this weekend, because they are to face one bad football team.

17. New York Jets (3-3): Chad Pennington's 90.9 passer rating is a great sign for this team, and a large reason for the early success. The only thing is, is 3-3 a success?

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3): They're not out of it, but with the the AFC being so strong this year, playoffs look to be in doubt, but if any body can turn it around it's the Steelers. Willie Parker is running great, with 5 Touchdowns, but Ben Roethlisburger having 2 Touchdowns and 7 Interceptions just won't cut it. The passing game needs to wake up and drink some coffee because those numbers are abismal.

19. St. Louis Rams (4-2): Those Rams need to be able to beat stronger teams. A win against the Seahawks would have been huge. I'm still not a beliver.

20. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3): That 45-7 loss against Pittsburgh last week was depressing. But if they can beat the RED HOT Chargers this week, that disturbing performance could be erased from the minds of the chiefs and their arrowheaded fans. (Note: Trent Green's concussion was a serious blow to this team)

21. Buffalo Bills (2-4): I knowt that Bill fans are optimistic facing the New England Patriots this weekend, but they don't have a prayer with the way New England has been playing. They should have beat them when they had the chance.

22. Washington Redskins (2-4): I still can't believe the Titans beat them. Well, you might as well mark the game @ Indianapolis as a loss as well.

23. Arizona Cardinals (1-4): Playing the Bears close monday night is a plus, but blowing a 13 point lead in 5 minutes, and folding like a Girlscout Tent is a much bigger minus. Once again the Cards lived up to their name. However, Matt Leinart's strong performance is a serious plus for this team that really has nothing to cheer for. (Note: They will beat the Raiders on Sunday)

24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4): They've scored only 62 points this year and the offense seems to be more lost than an old lady at a Rock Concert.

25. Miami Dolphins (1-5): They're the worst team in Florida.

26. San Francisco 49ers (2-4): Next game, is @ Chicago. That's a shame.

27.Cleveland Browns (1-4): Things can't be any worse, but at leat they beat the horrid Raiders.

28.Detroit Lions (1-5): Just an all around weak performance by a team that has the worst GM in Matt "The Alley Cat" Millen.

29. Green Bay Packers (1-4): Did you read the headlines on the Packers website? It says "Getting Back to Basics". What are they doing? Learing how to tie their shoes?

30. Houston Texans (1-4): David Carr's 94.9 passer rating is strong, but everybody else seems to be standing around with a Jackhammer up their ass.

31. Tennessee Titans (1-5): Their web page title says "They'll have to stay Hungry". Are they starving? Are they malnourished? Are they light headed? Because they sure look like it. Playing Vince Young is about the only smart thing this team is doing.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-5): If the Raiders go 0-16, I'm going to Jamba Juice!!!




Ranking Adjustments

1. Chicago Bears --
2. Indianapolis Colts --
3. San Diego Chargers +1
4. Denver Broncos +1
5. New England Patriots -2
6. Seattle Seahawks +4
7. Carolina Panthers +5
8. New Orleans Saints +1
9. Baltimore Ravens -2
10. Cincinnati Bengals -2
11. Philadelphia Eagles -5
12. Atlanta Falcons -1
13. Minnesota Vikings +1
14. Dallas Cowboys +5
15. New York Giants +2
16. Jacksonville Jaguars -3
17. New York Jets +5
18. Pittsburgh Steelers --
19. St. Louis Rams -4
20. Kanas City Chiefs -4
21. Buffalo Bills +2
22. Washington Redskins -2
23. Arizona Cardinals +1
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5
25. Miami Dolphins --
26. San Francisco 49ers -5
27. Cleveland Browns -1
28. Detroit Lions +2
29. Green Bay Packers -2
30. Houston Texans -2
31. Tennessee Titans --
32. Oakland Raiders --

NFL Power Rankings: Week 6

1. Chicago Bears (5-0): Best team in the NFL, period. Their Defense doesn't let anybody score, and Rex Grossman is playing great at QB. Now that they've got an offense, these boys look scary. (Note: Offense leads the NFL in Points Scored).

2. Indianapolis Colts (5-0): Until They lose, I've gotta have them as the number one team in the AFC. The only issue, is the New York Jets and especially the Tennessee Titans gave them a scare. That being said, they are undefeated, and they look tough to beat. Manning is playing great. The only issue, is if they want to contend for the Super Bowl, the defense needs to play better. (Chicago, Baltimore, Denver, New England, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Jacksonville, and even Cincinnati have allowed fewer points than Indy). Those aren't the only teams that have allowed fewer points, but those are just some of the NFL's better teams that do have better defensive numbers.

3. New England Patriots (4-1): They look really good right now, and if you question whether they are for real or not, just look at how well they played against the Bengals.

4. San Diego Chargers (3-1): They've scored 103 points and only allowed 36. LT is running well, and for being a first time starter Phillip Rivers looks pretty good. With that good Offensive-Defensive combo, look out for San Diego This Post-Season.

5. Denver Broncos (3-1): After that weird loss to St. Louis in week one, they started ballin'. The Defense is terrific (only allowed 34 points). But the Offense has only scored 49 points. You seem to have a great Defense and no offense in Denver. Here's a stat to back this all up. Jake Plummers passer rating is a lowly 60.9! Listen, I like Denvers Super Bowl chances pretty damn well, but come on, how many Super Bowl Championship teams have had a QB with a Rating less than 61?

6.Philadelphia Eagles (4-1): Maybe it's just me, or has the departure of T.O. made playing QB easier on McNabb. Right now, Donovan McNabb is playing the Best QB in the NFL, and his team is playing a great supporting cast, doing what they need to do. Listen, the Eagles are for Real.

7. Baltimore Ravens (4-1): Losing to Denver was tough, but come on, they still look really hard to beat on any given Sunday. As I've said earlier, McNair's health long term is a concern.

8. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1): That loss to New England was pretty dismal. Let's see how they respond this week against the Buccaneers.

9. New Orleans Saints (4-1): Nobody belives in Drew Brees, Deuce McAllister, Reggie Bush, or Joe Horn, but I think that that 4-1 record speaks for itself.

10. Seattle Seahawks (3-1): That loss to the Bears was sad, but they'll rebound. The real question, is how much does Sean Alexander mean to these guys, since without him, the Bears ate them for lunch. (Note: Bears beat them 37-6)

11. Atlanta Falcons (3-1): Defense is tough to beat, since they've only given up 42 points, and with Mike Vick at the helm, you know the offense is a threat. Picking up DE John Abraham was a brilliant move for this team.

12. Carolina Panthers (3-2): They've clawed their way back into the picture after their dismal 0-2 start. They're toughness will be tested over these next two weeks as they travel to Baltimore and Cincinnati.

13. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2): I got faith in this team, they're a team to watch out for, but you can't help but think that a 7 point loss to Indy and a 6 point loss to Washington is gonna prey on their minds as they enter their bye week.

14. Minnesota Vikings (3-2): This Viking team is a mystery. Close against the Bears, a bizzarre loss to Buffalo, and an easy win against Detroit. I like them as an NFC Wild Card contender at best, but they need to play better.

15. St. Louis Rams (4-1): Three of their four wins have come against Arizona, Green Bay, and Detroit. Plus, they lost to San Francisco. Not impressive in my book. (They did however beat Denver some how.)

16. Kansas City Chiefs (2-2): This week is Pittsburgh. If they can beat the Steel City, look for a sign of life from these chiefs.

17. New York Giants (2-2): They seem to be an up and down team, filled with comebacks and dismal losses. Beating Washington was a good start, but they'll need a lot to beat the Falcons this week.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3): They have to beat Kansas City, otherwise things will be really ugly. The Defense looks ok, but where is the "O"?

19. Dallas Cowboys (2-2): Look for T.O. to mess things up.

20. Washington Redskins (2-3): All looked good, and then along came the Giants. Weak performance last week. But since Tennessee is next, look for them to ROCK Tennessee's world.

21. San Francisco 49ers (2-3): Beating the Raiders, no matter how bad they may be, is always sweet for 'Frisco.

22. New York Jets (2-3): They are too inconsistent, two weeks ago, they almost stunned the Colts, and last week Jacksonville walked all over them in a 41-0 stampede. They need to be more consistent, but I do think that Chad Pennington's 89.2 passer rating is a good sign for this team.

23. Buffalo Bills (2-3): This franchise still need a lot of work, J.P. Losman is still an inexperienced QB, and the Defense is plagued with injuries, but despite all that, they'll beat the Lions this week.

24. Arizona Cardinals (1-4): Lame out there in Arizona. It's a shame, because Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin, and Edgerin James are acually pretty good guys to go with Kurt Warner. Hey, you know what is exciting? They're playing on Monday Night Football this week! Do you know why Cardinal fans are crying for help? They are facing the Bears this week on Monday Night Football in Arizona. Can you spell blow out?

25. Miami Dolphins (1-4): Lame. That's all I can say. I bought the hype, and I want a refund. This is weak football down in Miami right now, and I think they should feel embarrassed.

26. Cleveland Browns (1-4): They got work to do.

27. Green Bay Packers (1-4): They do suck, but I do like Brett Favres valiant effort.

28. Houston Texans (1-3): David Carr needs a better Defense to help him out. He has a 108.9 passer rating right now!

29. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (0-4): Chris Simms is having a tough time out there, and his team isn't much help to him.

30. Detroit Lions (0-4): Lame football, and with the Tigers going to the World Series, nobody in Detroit cares about them at all.

31. Tennessee Titans (0-5): At Least they aren't # 32. Start Vince today.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-4): Commitment to dissapointment and crappy footaball. The whole team is playing like chicken shit.



Ranking Adjustments

1. Chicago Bears --
2. Indianapolis Colts --
3. New England Patriots +1
4. San Diego Chargers +2
5. Denver Broncos +5
6. Philadelphia Eagles +2
7. Baltimore Ravens -4
8. Cincinnati Bengals -3
9. New Orleans Saints +2
10. Seattle Seahawks -3
11. Atlanta Falcons -2
12. Carolina Panthers +1
13. Jacksonville Jaguars +3
14. Minnesota Vikings +5
15. St. Louis Rams +5
16. Kansas City Chiefs +5
17. New York Giants +5
18. Pittsburgh Steelers -4
19. Dallas Cowboys -7
20. Washington Redskins -5
21. San Francisco 49ers +8
22. New York Jets -5
23.Buffalo Bills -5
24. Arizona Cardinals -1
25. Miami Dolphins --
26. Cleveland Browns +1
27. Green Bay Packers -1
28. Houston Texans -4
29. Tampa Bay Buccanneers -1
30. Detroit Lions --
31. Tennessee Titans --
32. Oakland Raiders --

NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

1. Chicago Bears (4-0): Right now, they look unstoppable. They've outscored their opponents 116-29 through the first four games. The defense is better than ever, and most importantly Grossman looks strong. If they can keep this up, they'll never be beat.

2. Indianapolis Colts (4-0): Peyton Manning looks plain scary (as usual), and the defense is holding its own. There are two concerns I have to bring up. First, the running game is still iffy, and the fact that the Jets scared them like that is small concern only because they did beat the Jets.

3. Baltimore Ravens (4-0): Steve McNair so far is holding up, along with the rest of the offense and the defense is upholding its hard-hitting, criminalistic tradition that makes Baltimore one of the most scary places to play on Sundays.

4. New England Patriots (3-1): Rocking the Bengals world on Sunday showed the NFL nation that the Patriots are still for real, and you can't ever count them out of any Super Bowl conversation.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1): Last week's game against the Pats was flat out pathetic. I still have them as a high ranked NFL team, but if they wanna be among the cream of the crop, they've gotta show more consistency. That being said, look for the Bengals to come out against the Buccanneers in week 6 (week 5 is a bye), and crush them like soda cans. In 5 weeks, I expect this game to be a hazy memory.

6. San Diego Chargers (2-1): They are for real. They played Baltimore tight last week, and I gurantee you, that in late December, they'll be more than alive. The only concern I do have with this team is Phillip Rivers, but so far he's looking pretty good for a first time NFL starting QB.

7. Seattle Seahawks (3-1): How much slack to I cut the Seahawks for not having Shaun Alexander in last weeks humiliating loss to the Bears? Not much, but enough to keep them in the Top 10.

8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1): As long as Donovan McNabb is playing well, the Eagles will be sniffing at the Playoffs.

9. Atlanta Falcons (3-1): They bounced back pretty well this week against the Cardinals killing them 32-10. The only issue is that'st the Cards. They've got a bye week, so expect them to go over the last two puzzling weeks and breakdown what the differences were.

10. Denver Broncos (2-1): They're looking pretty good right now, especially the defense, despite Jake Plummers 60.8 passer rating. Look for the Ravens to give Plummer all he can handle on Sunday.

11. New Orleans Saints (3-1): They look pretty good right now, and playing Carolina tight shows me that they can ball.

12. Dallas Cowboys (2-1): The only thing I can say, is when T.O. comes to Philly, expect boos.

13. Carolina Panthers (2-2): They've rebounded, come out of the 0-2 hole, but don't get excited just yet. After this weeks easy (and must win) game against the Browns, they're off to Baltimore and Cincinnati.

14. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2): Remember that tough schedule I was talking about? Well, they get their first taste of it this upcoming week @ San Diego.

15. Washington Redskins (2-2): If they did not barely beat Jacksonville, they'd really be in a hole.

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2): They must beat the Jets this week otherwise their could be some trouble for these boys as they enter their bye week for the following week.

17. New York Jets (2-2): Too bad they couldn't beat Indy. You know that would have been sweet.

18. Buffalo Bills (2-2): Beating Minnesota was impressive, but don't look for anything spectacular coming from Buffalo.

19. Minnesota Vikings (2-2): The lack of consistency worries me. Tough against Chicago, 2-0 start, and then Buffalo beats them 17-12. WEAK. However, look for them to maim, torment, frustrate, throttle, crush, cream, biligerate, destroy, embarrass, tease, posterize, and even elegantly annihilate the "Mainless" Detroit Lions, and since the Detroit Tigers are heading to the ALCS, nobody in Detroit gives a shit.

20. St.Louis Rams (3-1): Let me explain this one. Two of their three wins against Arizona and Detroit, and the 49ers beat them. Take that for facts.

21. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2): Ok, I did say they'd beat the 49ers, but other than that, they got nothing to yelp about.

22. New York Giants (1-2): All I can say is they better beat Washington, otherwise New York is really gonna be unhappy (they can thank the Yankees for pissing off the town just in time for them).

23. Arizona Cardinals (1-3): Here's another overated, overhyped, discombobulated piece of chicken shit.

24. Houston Texans (1-3): A weak team, and beating Miami doesn't say shit.

25. Miami Dolphins (1-3): Weak, overhyped, and just plain retarted. The Dolphins need a wake up call.

26. Green Bay Packers (1-3): I think that this should be the end of Favres career and they might as well start promoting the Aaron Rogers tour next year. They aren't going anywhere.

27. Cleveland Browns (1-3): Oakland almost beat them last week. What an ominous sign for a team heading down a lonely river of isolation with a select few of genuinely dysfuntional teams.

28. Tampa Bay Buccanners (0-3): These guys suck, and New Orleans will kick their ass on Sunday.

29. San Francisco 49ers (1-3): Losing 41-0 last Sunday to the Cheifs was embarrassing.

30. Detroit Lions (0-4): With the former happless Detroit Tigers (another kind of cat) in the ALCS, do you think tha stings at all?

31. Tennessee Titans (0-4): Time 4 the Vince Young Era.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-4): With the A's in ALCS, who the hell's gonna waste money on a Raiders game?


Ranking Adjustments

1. Chicago Bears +2
2. Indianapolis Colts --
3. Baltimore Ravens +1
4. New England Patriots +10
5. Cincinnati Bengals -4
6. San Diego Chargers --
7. Seattle Seahawks -2
8. Philadelphia Eagles +4
9. Atlanta Falcons -1
10. Denver Broncos +1
11. New Orleans Saints -4
12. Dallas Cowboys +4
13. Carolina Panthers +5
14. Pittsburgh Steelers -1
15. Washington Redskins +8
16. Jacksonville Jaguars-6
17. New York Jets +2
18. Buffalo Bills +3
19. Minnesota Vikings -10
20. St. Louis Rams -5
21. Kansas City Chiefs --
22. New York Giants --
23. Arizona Cardinals -3
24. Houston Texans +7
25. Miami Dolphins -1
26. Green Bay Packers +1
27. Cleveland Browns -1
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers +1
29. San Francisco 49ers -4
30. Detroit Lions -2
31. Tennessee Titans -1
32. Oakland Raiders --