Week 4 Power Rankings

After four full weeks of football, what have we learned? Well, we learned that the Arizona Cardinals might be for real as they are a perfect 4-0, one of three teams left with a zero in the loss column. We learned that Tom Brady is a hilarious guy to watch curse, and Wes Welker agrees. The video can be seen here, and by can be seen I mean watch this video right now: Tom Brady sure does curse!



We've learned that the ref's were missed more than we thought, I guess you really don't know what you got til its gone! Although, the ending to the Giants-Eagles game was bizarre with three pass interference calls on the final drive, two against the Eagles top two corners and one inept call to kick a field goal with 15 seconds on third down from 54 yards out after missing the first one only to kick it a second time after Andy Reid called timeout to "ice" the kicker. Take a breath. In the end, perhaps the most important thing we learned is tides are changing. For the past decade, teams like Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, and New Orleans have been fantastic, and have actually won four of the past seven Super Bowls. Teams that have been mediocre at best and often times laughing stocks lately, like the Texans, Cardinals, and Vikings, are a combined 11-1. Yup.

1. ATLANTA FALCONS (4-0)- My preseason boys have backed me up after I picked them to be a top five team and make the Super Bowl. Matty Ice is leading this team, but in waters he has led them before. This squad has made an impact in the regular season for the past few seasons, he needs to be ready to step it up in the playoffs.

2. HOUSTON TEXANS (4-0)- The Texans, on the other hand, have never been 4-0. Their defense got me 23 fantasy points, more then Malcolm Floyd, Greg Jennings and Percy Harvin got me combined. But am I bitter, no! Jennings was only one of my top picks, and I only benched Steven Ridley again only to have him post 22 point for nothing. Whatever, 2-2 is fine this early in the year. Oh yeah, the Texans look good.

3. ARIZONA CARDINALS (4-0)- Arizona has finally earned the benefit of the doubt clause, as they have beaten good teams and not shown this undefeated record is a fluke yet. Kevin Kolb could be a man on a mission, but that defense is nasty. They have given up the least amount of points in the league so far this season, and go ahead. Name a Cardinal defender not named Patrick Peterson. Or Scott Rolen.

4. BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-1)- I debated putting the Ravens as 4-0 for this blog, and that's actually a lie. I did type in 4-0 for their record and had it that way for about twenty minutes before changing it. Don't judge me. In other news, I seriously think Joe Flacco is an early season candidate for MVP. The guy is finally stepping up as a possible Pro Bowler and is making scrubs like Jacoby Jones look like Jerry Rice or Rosie O'Donnell in their primes. Well, look like Jerry Rice in his prime. Well, he looks good. Well.

5. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-1)- The Eagles would not be this high if it were not for the way they seemed to mature in one night on Sunday when they turned the ball over ZERO times against a good Giants defense. McCoy took the ball and ran with it, mostly because that is what they pay him to do, but also because he honestly might be the best back in the NFC. On a more serious note, I wonder where that cliche comes from "take the ball and run with it". If anyone knows, email me, and even if you don't, you can email me. I'll probably answer back with a sassy remark about We Are Marshall being a worse movie then people give it credit for, because let's be honest, that one could have been a lot better.

6. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (3-1)- I am officially on the Christian Ponder bandwagon. Whether you believe the 49ers and Lions beat themselves on days they happened to be playing the Vikings or not, I am sold on this guy. He is so athletic, and the weapons he is surrounded with are hardly intimidating outside of Adrian Peterson and Percy Harvin, and yet, he still makes plays for them. If Ponder to continues to play like he is right now, the Vikings have a legitimate case for making the playoffs in a stacked division and conference.

7. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (3-1)- I can't move the 49ers up too much until they prove that Vikings loss was a fluke, and for that reason, I especially can not move them above Minnesota yet. They beat up on  Jets team that I have never been sold on and honestly can not fathom why Mark Sanchez is still their starter. They have a great team on paper that is led by a great head coach. If they play to their ability every week, their is no doubt in my mind they can win the Super Bowl.

8. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-2)- Maybe this is out of respect for a pissed off veteran team, maybe this is because I know they have six easy wins coming this year against their M-league division. Maybe this is because Tom Brady is still the best quarterback in the NFL, maybe this is because they are winning games with one head of their two headed tight end machine. Maybe this is because their two losses are by a combined two points, and to teams who are a combined 7-1. Maybe this is because the teams start to bottom out right around here...

9. CINCINNATI BENGALS (3-1)- The fact that the Bengals make my top ten show top-heavy the NFL is this year and how the replacement refs may or may not be responsible for the most parity filled league I've ever seen. They are not a great team by any means and have no business being here. But far too many of the 2-2 teams have been even more unimpressive, that the Andy Dalton led Bengals are here by De-falton ;)

10. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (3-1)- Perfect example, the San Diego Chargers are 3-1 by beating the Raiders, Chiefs and Titans. Philip Rivers is going to start cursing once he plays real teams with real defenses. Maybe Norv Turner will show his pulse when the Broncos come to town.

11. GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-2)- I put the Packers here and feel very uncomfortable about it. They should be 3-1 if that embarrassing blown call last Monday goes the right way. At the same time, they should have blown out that Seahawks teams, and should have blown out the Saints, but instead won by one.Given, Greg Jennings health is a concern, and I probably have a shot at being the starting right guard on that offensive line and I weigh less than Earl Boykins, but this team is too talented to be 2-2.

12. CHICAGO BEARS (3-1)- For whatever reason, I am still not sold on the Bears even after their win last night. Jay Cutler is an underrated quarterback, and I do like the 1-2 tandem of Matt Forte and Michael Bush, especially when Forte is healthy again. However, the receivers are sub par outside of Brandon Marshall, and the defense is overrated. That being said, put the house on the Bears to win the Super Bowl.

13. DALLAS COWBOYS (2-2)- I am giving the Cowboys one last benefit of the doubt, thinking that the bye week will turn this sinking ship around. Although, they come back in two weeks to play the stingy Ravens defense. Tony Romo made Kyle Orton look a future Hall of Famer on Monday night, albeit that Orton did get in during garbage time. But still, Orton was playing Madden on that last drive and Romo was playing blindfolded for 55 minutes.

14. DENVER BRONCOS (2-2)- The beginning of the year would be bumpy for this team with Peyton Manning not only learning a new playbook and system, but also realizing he can still play football and not just make brilliant commercials. Manning looked the most comfortable he's been since 2010 on Sunday, which is a bad thing for the NFL.

15. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (2-2)- I am very torn on this team. My dad is a Seahawks fan true and true as he joined their fan base in their inaugural 1976 season, but also, I can't stand Golden Tate or Pete Carroll. How Golden Tate went to a Catholic college with the prestige Notre Dame carries was able to so easily lie on Monday night about the final play is beyond me, and Pete Carroll just seems like the kind of guy to not wash his hands in the bathroom knowing he is about to shake hands with someone. I don't like that.

16. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (2-2)- Simply, the Redskins are ranked above the Giants for three reasons here. 1) They have a point scored vs allowed difference of zero, so to be right in the middle of the pack at 16 seems fitting. 2) I don't want to lose my Native American audience, and I was afraid that I would if I ranked the Redskins lower. Enaon ipuze mitawa ipuze. 3) Their offense could actually get them into the playoffs. I love RG3 and I really think Alfred Morris will be a stud running back in years to come.

17. NEW YORK GIANTS (2-2)- I am not sure what goes through the Giants in the regular season, but they are a completely different team than they are in the playoffs. Tom Coughlin has made coaching decisions this year that I would be shocked if he didnt conclude them by reading the back of a cereal box. Eli Manning also wins Most Hysterical Shot from the Sideline Award for his sheer excitement when Lawrence Tynes got the kick off, and his immediate, Charlie Brown-like slump when the kick was no good. Classic Eli.

18. ST. LOUIS RAMS (2-2)- The Rams have been alive in every game this year and with a few swing plays, could somehow be 4-0. That sentence actually made me uncomfortable, I think I should end this section before my roof caves in or I get struck by lightning, but I am going to say it. If the defense holds up to be a top ten squad, the Rams could win ten games.

19. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-2)- Ben Roethlisberger is carrying the weight of his team on his shoulders, not that that is any different from the past few seasons. His offensive line and his defense are old, unreliable or inexperienced, or a mix of all three of them.

20. BUFFALO BILLS (2-2)- The day CJ Spiller went down, and will likely not return to 100 percent at all this season, would go down as a city wide dreadful day if anybody that lived in Buffalo cared about the Bills. The defense is really awful, like really awful, and that isn't just because they gave up 52 points to a potent Patriots offense. Remember, they did spot 48 to the Jets in Week 1. That's the same Jets team that got shut out this week. Have a good one.

21. NEW YORK JETS (2-2)- Some people might think this is too harsh on the Jets, but please find me a defensive playmaker on that team. No one will step in to replace the loss of Darrelle Revis, and Mark Sanchez simply is not maturing as an NFL quarterback. The days should be numbered on Sanchez in New York, and if we don't see Tebow soon, then the days should be numbered on Rex Ryan as well.

22. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-2)- Andrew Luck has looked pretty average so far in the young season, but has a pretty average team surrounding him. But prayers go out to head coach Chuck Pagano, who was diagnosed with leukemia this past week. This makes things tougher on Luck growing as a player and quarterback and leader, but more importantly could not have happened to a better guy. Pagano is a fighter and I am sure he will beat this challenge.

23. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-3)- The Bucs might be here because I love the Schiano no huddle, no give up method. And I love how much it pisses off opposing coaches even more. I truly hope the Bucs are able to turn the season around, for some reason. However, they do not have much talent on either side of the ball, but they have been in most of the games so far this season and should have won that Dallas game had the B-league refs not been in.

24. DETROIT LIONS (1-3)- After so many years of Matt Millen in Detroit, it is weird to say that I only have the Lions here because of their potential and talent. Who would have thought that 1-3 would be the Lions underachieveing when only four years ago, they'd already have one more win then they finished the season with! Too soon?

25. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-3)- The Chiefs will go as far as Matt Cassel and Jamaal Charles take them, and apparently, that is not very far at all. Charles continues to do his part, but Cassel is throwing interceptions like he earns commission for each one.

26. OAKLAND RAIDERS (1-3)- The Raiders are a few Steelers misplays away from being 0-4 and I really debated putting them down alot further after some of the winless teams. I don't agree with the way the franchise is run, I don't agree with the plethora of potential they traded away for Carson Palmer, and I don't agree with the belief that their defense will get better as the weeks go on. The Raiders could be well on their way to a 1-15 season.

27. CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-3)- Cam Newton is already being called out by the local media, despite only being in the fifth week of his sophomore season when he has already done nothing but impress. Newton faces as much scrutiny as Mark Sanchez does...well, as much as Joe Flacco, hmm...he faces as much scrutiny as Barack Obama did in the debate for seeming like he was texting almost. Maybe that goes more for Sanchez, he might be texting during games. Look out, Sanchez is getting called out in the Panthers section!

28. TENNESSEE TITANS (1-3)- Jake Locker is out this week and Chris Johnson might be the worst running back in the league, yet one of the highest paid. Matt Hasselbeck will get the call to start, at least he's playing the Vikings. Just kidding, he is 1-4 in his career and gets to play the upstart and excited 3-1 squad, although watch for Kenny Brit to finally break out this season.

29. MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-3)- It was not rookie quarterback Ryan Tannehill's fault the Dolphins lost on Sunday, as they squandered away what could have been the Cardinals first loss on the season. The defense gave up drives late to the illustrious Kevin Kolb, that sentence actually hurt to type, that gave the game away. Reggie Bush looks like a true Hesimann winner (don't tell the NCAA I typed this sentence) and Tannehill might finally be the guy to fill Dan Marino's long void shoes (don't tell Chad Pennington I typed this sentence).

30. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (0-4)- Anybody who doesn't think a head coach has any impact on a football team, i.e the 2012 New Orleans Saints. This is a team that was in the Super Bowl and won the game in 2009, and have gone 62-34 since 2006 when, hey, Sean Payton became the new head coach. They were 3-13 the season before that, and have the same outlook for this year despite having one of the league's best quarterbacks.

31. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-3)- Well, I think the biggest news in Jacksonville these days is that Los Angeles seems to have gotten together a plan to put together an NFL stadium worth close to one billion dollars.

CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-4)- The Browns have been in games this season, and did give the Ravens a run for their money last Thursday night. Brandon Weeden has not looked awful, but he has not been exactly great yet either, which is understandable, since he is a rookie QB on the Browns. What hurts the most this week is sitting at 0-4..again..NFL Network is running a documentary on the 1995 team that left Cleveland and the cornucopia of talented coaches who were on that staff who have now won Super Bowls or are head guys for teams currently. When it pours, it hails in Cleveland.