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Peter King>MONDAY MORNING QB

After busy offseason, an early look at how the 32 teams stack up now


PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla -- I'm playing the Stadium Course here at Sawgrass today, as part of the annual Tom Coughlin/Jay Fund tournament benefiting cancer-stricken kids and their families. Over/under on the number of balls I put in the drink at 17: 17.Great, classic Coughlin scene last night at the dinner and auction at the Sawgrass TPC Clubhouse, as the Giants' head coach welcomed everyone. There were moving tales of brave kids and their families battling cancer. Coughlin had just told the story of a child looking up at his parents when the cancer diagnosis came in, saying, "Am I going to die?''

And from the back of the audience:"BRRRRRRRING!'' "BRRRRRRRING!''Someone's cell phone.

Without breaking verbal stride, Coughlin said into the mike: "All right. That's at least a $5,000 fine right there. Just write the check right now.''

Pretty good for Coughlin. Pretty good for anyone in the middle of something emotional.

So before I go out this morning, let me embarrass myself by ranking the NFL one through 32. That's not being overly modest -- just realistic. I stink at this. In fact, my recommendation if you really want to find out what's going to happen in the NFL this year is to take a bye on this column. Last year, I really distinguished myself. Picked the Bears to make the Super Bowl. Picked the Saints 24th in the league, which was a point of some contention all season, right up to the moment 30 minutes after the Saints won the Super Bowl and Sean Payton walked up to his podium to meet the press after the game, saw me, and said: "Not bad for number 24.''

But I press on -- stupidly or intrepidly, not sure which, keeping one statistic in mind. Twelve teams make the playoffs each year. In the past five years, check out the turnover from the previous year. How many different teams made the playoffs compared to the year before:

2005: 7.
2006: 7.
2007: 6.
2008: 7.
2009: 6.

So for five straight years there's been at least a 50-percent turnover in the playoff teams. Remember that as you throw crap at your computer when you see I don't have New England making the playoffs, but I do have Carolina in the big dance. There's not quite the same high number of playoff changes (I have five of 12 different from 2009), but I do have five of eight division winners changing.

1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Diego Chargers
3. Baltimore Ravens
4. Indianapolis Colts
5. New Orleans Saints
6. Miami Dolphins
7. New York Jets
8. Carolina Panthers
9. New York Giants
10. Dallas Cowboys

And so on...

Read the whole thing here:

2010 NFL Power Rankings, early look at how teams stack up - Peter King - SI.com

Any comments, feelings, reactions from the peanut gallery to this early power rankings list?

subguy

All I can say is I never give much attention to power rankings this far out...this is no exception.

Sir Psycho Sexy

nor do I but i did love this:
16. Atlanta. The Falcons are healthier, and better. I just think there are two teams in the division better right now -- unless Matt Ryan has a Drew Brees-type year. I don't think he has one of those in him ... yet. Not many quarterbacks do.

Euphoria

My question is why do you give them any attention the mean crap. You don't get a trophy for it so why should you think they matter? They don't! Its just someone who thinks they know everything tell you how it is and they are so wrong.

Danno

We know, but they're fun to read.

Cruize

The Saints have improved. I expect Henderson to be a Saint. Haynesworth is not an impossibility. The overall makeup of the team makes repeating more possible than with others in years past.

If Peyton stays healthy, the Colts are still the class of the AFC. They won't take their foot off the pedal this season.

The Packers run game and defense are lacking. Rodgers won't stay upright all season behind that line again.
W. Phillips and Romo will always keep the Cowboys short of their overall talent.
The Ravens defense is getting long in the tooth and while Boldin is an upgrade, he's not a gamebreaker.
The Giants defense is horrible and Eli still has no one to throw to.
The Panthers? Please. Six wins tops.

subguy

That they are........keep these and read them well into the season.

st thomas

totally agree, carolina, please where are all those wins going to come from. i think tampon bay will sweep them. fox is history after season and the team will play like it.

FireVenturi

In my eyes, we are #1 until someone knocks us off.
plus, power rankings are irrelevant, Peter King is irrelevant...which makes these rankings Elephant dung!!!!

strato

Peter what you been smokin....oh never mind..lol