| Rank | Team |
Comment |
| 1 (1) |  | With a perfectly
rested LaDainian Tomlinson ready to step into the starting lineup again,
the Chargers will have their hands full in Week 1 against the defending
NFC Champions. This will be a statement game for Norv Turner to show that
a few coaching changes have not affected the potential of this team. |
| 2 (2) |  | The Colts are going to
have to score at a rapid pace this season, because the chances of their defense
helping out on a consistent basis are very slim. Peyton Manning, Marvin
Harrison, Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, and Joseph Addai can go out there on every
series and act like they're playing against high schoolers. |
3 (4)
 |  | I didn't take the
Patriots as seriously as I should have in my initial training camp
rankings, but now I'm inclined to. Tom Brady and the offense has looked
solid in the preseason, and the addition of Randy Moss will be very
interesting to see. Whatever happens though, if the Patriots fall behind
to the Jets in Week 1, they won't have the lead in their division for the
first time in awhile. |
| 4 (3) |
 | Reggie Bush has done a
nice job handling the workload in the preseason, but the Saints have to
ensure that they don't forget about keeping Deuce McAllister in the
gameplan. Bush is great, but McAllister still adds more of a power
presence. The Saints may be the best team in the NFC, but they are kicking
off the season against the Super Bowl Champions as the underdogs. |
| 5 (5) |  | I am giving the Bears
a lot of respect due to their tremendous defense and the fact that they
made the Super Bowl last season. With that said, a poor offensive display
against the Chargers could force me to drop them fairly far down the list.
I think getting rid of Thomas Jones was a big mistake, because Cedric
Benson hasn't shown any signs of dominance. |
| 6 (6) |  | Unlike the Bears, the
Baltimore Ravens' offense won't necessarily cost the team a game. While
the offense isn't strong, the addition of Willis McGahee to the backfield
allows the Ravens to operate more screen plays that they weren't able to
do with Jamal Lewis. They'll face a tough test in Week 1 against their
division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals. |
7 (8)
|  | The biggest asset to
the Eagles is that they are still a very well coached team under Andy
Reid. I've always been against the Eagles not having a surplus of big-name
receivers, and that fact remains this year. Donovan McNabb is a good
enough of a quarterback to get results out of Kevin Curtis and Reggie
Brown though, and a lot of that is the result of Brian Westbrook drawing
so much attention on any given down. |
8 (9)
|  | The Cowboys are hoping
they won't regret passing up quarterback Brady Quinn, as they believe that
Tony Romo will match his somewhat spectacular season from last year. If
the Cowboys are going to go anywhere though, they'll need better
production out of their secondary. |
| 9 (10) |
 | Thomas Jones hasn't
exploded in the preseason so far, but what really counts is how he does
against the Patriots in Week 1. Eric Mangini knows that if he can control
the pace of the game against New England with a solid running attack, the
Jets could be the division leaders after Week 1. |
10 (7)
 |
 | After the recent
injury problems to Travis Henry, there has to be some concern that the Broncos
running game could be up-in-the-air for the second season in a row. Jay Cutler
isn't exactly going to light it up in just his second season, and the defensive
line hasn't been getting a strong enough push against opposing offenses. |
| 11 (11) |  | The Seahawks are
determined to show that with a healthy Matt Hasselbeck and Shaun
Alexander, they're as good as the team that made the Super Bowl two years
ago. Let's not forget either: the Seahawks nearly eliminated the Bears
from the playoffs last season. |
| 12 (12) |
 | No matter how good
Steven Jackson does with the Rams, it won't mean much of anything if the
defense doesn't hold things together. We've heard year after year that the
Rams defense would be better - now it's time to see it. |
| 13 (13) |  | I know the Colts have
a bad defense overall, but the Bengals are just full of holes at every
position. From injuries to suspensions, Cincinnati is putting too much
faith into Carson Palmer and the offense. The Bengals will certainly
contend for a wildcard spot, but someone like Chad Johnson will be sick
after they lose games when scoring 30+ points. |
| 14
(14) |
 | Mike Nolan knows how
to run a football team, and he'll have a nice chance to get his team on
the right track for the 2007-2008 season in prime time against the Arizona
Cardinals. The amount of defensive upgrades this team made in the
offseason should allow the 49ers to control the tempo of a game more often
than last year. |
| 15 (15) |  | I think it's clear
what the Packers are about this year: a good young defense and a lot of
passing by Brett Favre. The Packers were undoubtedly one of the hottest
teams in the NFL at the end of last season, and overall, they've gotten
better heading into this season. One of the biggest impacts could be
rookie receiver James Jones, who adds a much-needed slot receiver to
Favre's arsenal. |
| 16 (16) |
 | I can't say that I
agree or disagree with what transpired with quarterback Byron Leftwich. I
was completely surprised by the sudden decision, but I don't think it will
drastically change the success of the offense. Del Rio could very well be
putting his job in the hands of Garrard, and the only new receiver he
really has this year is Dennis Northcutt. |
17 (21)
|
 | I've been down on the
Giants all of last season and most of the offseason, but I am finally
giving them some hope. Quarterback Eli Manning has looked better than I
thought he would to start the preseason. The running game won't be
anywhere near where it has been the past several years, so it's up to
Manning to define the team's passing game. Michael Strahan's return will
also be a nice boost to start the season. |
| 18 (17) |
 | Last year, I had the
Panthers ranked amongst the top teams in the NFL. I like some of the
potential they have still, but I'd be crazy to put that much faith into
the team heading into Week 1. The biggest key for the Panthers this year
is to find a way to convert on third down. If they still can't do that,
they'll be in for another mediocre season. |
| 19 (18) |
 | Despite losing
Pacman Jones and Travis Henry in the offseason, you get the feeling that
Vince Young is still going to lead this team into a wildcard race. The
Titans are hoping that Chris Brown and LenDale White fill the void left by
Henry, while the rest of the defense matures in the absence of Jones. |
| 20 (19) |  | Matt Leinart. Larry
Fitzgerald. Anquan Boldin. Edgerrin James. Levi Brown. The Cardinals have
all of the names offensively - now can the defense finally do anything? |
21 (22)
|  | The Steelers have the
potential to be a team that moves up in the rankings extremely fast based
on what they do over the first few weeks of the season. I've been very
impressed with certain areas of their game in the preseason, but I still
believe that Mike Tomlin's first year in the regular season for Pittsburgh
will be one to forget for Steelers fans. |
22 (20)
|  | The Bills are finished
with the Willis McGahee experiment and are ready to go forward with
Marshawn Lynch. Still, besides Lee Evans, who is the proven offensive
weapon going to be on the Bills? |
| 23 (23) |  | Jeff Garcia will win
several games for the Buccaneers. Drafting Gaines Adams puts this team in
good shape for rebuilding their defense, but getting a guy like Calvin
Johnson would have made them better this year, not just for the
future. |
| 24 (24) |
 | The Chiefs'
offense has looked downright pitiful throughout the preseason. Thankfully,
most of that time was without Larry Johnson, who will be back and ready to go
for Week 1 after his extended holdout. Johnson is the identity of the Chiefs
offense, and the reason why they'll be involved in a lot of close games this
year. |
| 25 (25) |
 | Although Ladell Betts
thrived while Clinton Portis was out last year, there will be some tough
decisions to be made in terms of who receives more playing time. |
| 26 (26) |  | Unlike last year, the
Dolphins aren't receiving as much pressure early on in the season where
they are being pegged as possible Super Bowl contenders. That should
ultimately be a good thing for the team overall, especially if people
underestimate the capabilities of veteran Trent Green. |
| 27 (27) |  | The big issue with the
Browns remains their running game, which will certainly be tested Week 1
against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Many fans want to see Brady Quinn play
already, but the offense hasn't looked too bad under Charlie Frye. The
Browns' offensive line is much improved, especially if they are able to
get Eric Steinbach back for Week 1. |
| 28 (28) |
 | The Lions could be
another team that leaps up in the rankings quickly, if Calvin Johnson is able to
make a significant impact right off the bat for Detroit. Jon Kitna has all of
the receiving options he needs, and if Kevin Jones is healthy again, he'll even
have a nice receiver coming out of the backfield. |
| 29 (29) |  | Tavarias Jackson and
the lack of receivers will hinder the Vikings chances of doing anything
productive this year, which is a shame because they do have a pretty good
defense. Adrian Peterson should be the man that receives most of the press
coverage, but don't forget about the other guy - Chester Taylor. |
| 30 (30) |
 | Matt Schuab and Ahman
Green are wildcards for the Houston Texans. A team can drastically change
for the better when you change two of your most important positions in the
offseason. However, whether or not those changes take time to sink in as
planned is another story. |
| 31 (31) |
 | This season is
supposed to be about JaMarcus Russell, yet he's not even signed. Daunte
Culpepper will be the Raiders starting quarterback, and it'd be a golden
opportunity for him to produce and show Russell that he's not going to
give up the job whenever he does sign. |
| 32 (32) |
 | The Falcons know that
their offensive philosophy has changed big time without Michael Vick. Vick
was a bad throwing quarterback, but he still added excitement to what
should be a rather dull offense this year. |
