turbo_dog

You.

iceshack149

about.com? Where do you come up with this stuff, 08?
How about cbssportsline.com? That seems like a more reliable resource.
This list is pre-draft so very few of these should change only slightly.

Power Rankings: Hold that dynasty talk ... for now
By Pete Prisco
SportsLine.com Senior Writer


POWER RANKINGS
Current Team Previous

1 New England Patriots 1
They appear ready to make another strong run. The draft should help the team get younger in key spots, perhaps bringing a feature back.

2 Indianapolis Colts 3
Aside from addressing the Peyton Manning contract issue, they have to get better on defense. A top-notch corner is needed.

3 Denver Broncos 9
A full season with Jake Plummer playing could be just what they need to get back to a Super Bowl. Or has Mike Shanahan lost his touch?

4 Seattle Seahawks 11
The development of Matt Hasselbeck makes for a bright future on offense, but the defense has to play better.

5 Carolina Panthers 8
They had that charmed season in 2003, but do they have the staying power? There are some key contract issues facing this team.

6 Philadelphia Eagles 2
Somehow, some way, they have to get Donovan McNabb more weapons before the window closes.

7 St. Louis Rams 6
The quarterback situation puts a cloud over this team heading into 2004. Will it be Kurt Warner or Marc Bulger?

8 Kansas City Chiefs 4
Is the return of Gunther Cunningham enough to turn the defense around? They do have some decent players on that side of the ball.

9 Baltimore Ravens 12
If Jim Fassel can add life to a dismal passing game, making Kyle Boller the real deal, they can get back to the Super Bowl.

1 0 New Orleans Saints 16
This is a young, talented team that has to fill a few holes on defense, but the offense can be big time if Aaron Brooks continues to develop. This could be 2004\'s Carolina. ...

http://www.sportsline.com/nfl/powerrankings

"...it's good to have friends, no matter where they are."--JOESAM2002

Danno

So you deduce that since I listed it as our 4th or 5th need that I meant it wasn\'t a need?
Looks like 08 school is really paying off for you.

saintfan

And now, for your viewing pleasure, another totally worthless offseason raking, this time done by the boys (and girls) over as ESPN.

Wednesday, May 5


Power Rankings: Pats open on top

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ESPN.com


ESPN.com\'s Power Poll
This week\'s rankings were determined by a poll of ESPN.com\'s NFL staff -- senior writers John Clayton, Len Pasquarelli and ESPN.com NFL editors Peter Lawrence-Riddell and James C. Black. Click here to send in a comment.
The 2004 season is still more than four months away (Colts at Patriots, Sept. 9), but with the draft in the rear-view mirror and the free-agent market mostly dried up, we figured it was time for some Power Rankings.
Unlike the last time they won the Super Bowl, the Patriots are heading into the 2004 season as the clear favorites. The same can\'t be said for the Panthers, who are looking up at three other NFC teams, including one team in their own division (Falcons) that only won five games last season.

The Raiders and Redskins both made big moves up the rankings after busy offseasons. Washington has fooled us before in the offseason, but this time we\'re betting on Joe Gibbs. As for teams heading in the opposite direction, the 49ers dropped all the way to No. 31 after an offseason that saw them lose Jeff Garcia and Terrell Owens.

Anyway, on to the rankings. To view the final rankings from the 2003 season, click here.



2004 Power Rankings: Offseason
Rank Team Rec. Comment
1 Patriots 14-2-0 Corey Dillon might be a pain, but the Patriots have to figure that as long as they\'re winning, they can get a good season or two out of him.
2 Eagles 12-4-0 With some big offseason acquisitions -- Terrell Owens and Jevon Kearse -- it\'s Super Bowl or bust for Donovan McNabb and the Eagles.
3 Colts 12-4-0 We\'re still not sure the defense is good enough to win it all, but with Peyton Manning at QB, the Colts will be in contention at the end of the season.
4 Broncos 10-6-0 We\'re assuming the Mike Shanahan can find a capable back to replace at least some of Clinton Portis\' production.
5 Chiefs 13-3-0 Doesn\'t look like the defense got any better which isn\'t a good thing.
6 Seahawks 10-6-0 With solid additions on defense (Bobby Taylor and Grant Wistrom) and a young, explosive offense, the Seahawks enter 2004 as the favorites in the NFC West.
7 Falcons 5-11-0 Ranking is obviously high based on last season, but with a healthy Michael Vick the Falcons should be heading back to the playoffs.
8 Panthers 11-5-0 Another run for the Cats or the next franchise to go from Super Bowl to subpar?
9 Ravens 10-6-0 Terrell Owens would have really helped on a team that still figures to struggle throwing the ball.
10 Titans 12-4-0 One of these years, all the pounding and injuries are going to catch up to Steve McNair. Could this be the year?
11 Dolphins 10-6-0 The Dolphins are still calling Jay Fiedler their starter, but A.J. Feeley was brought in to win the job.
12 Packers 10-6-0 As long as Brett Favre is throwing the football, the Packers will be in contention in the NFC North.
13 Vikings 9-7-0 Vikings players probably still have a bitter taste in their mouths about how last season ended and a trip to the playoffs could be the only thing that will wash it away.
14 Rams 12-4-0 Marc Bulger might have made the Pro Bowl last season, but he has to be better than he was last season when he threw and NFL-high 22 INTs.
15 Cowboys 10-6-0 A veteran could be on the way, but for now, the QB situation has to be a bit of a concern for Cowboys fans.
16 Buccaneers 7-9-0 Some of the big names -- John Lynch and Warren Sapp -- might be gone, but expect the Bucs to be back in the playoff hunt.
17 Bengals 8-8-0 We\'re still scratching our head a little at the Chris Perry pick. Marvin Lewis is obviously smarter than we are, but it seems like there might have been some other players that would have been more of an immediate help.
18 Redskins 5-11-0 Will this be the season all of Washington\'s offseason spending finally pays off?
19 Raiders 4-12-0 Warren Sapp and Ted Washington should help turn around that 30th-ranked defense.
20 Jaguars 5-11-0 If the defense can maintain the level it showed last season, the Jags could be fighting for a playoff spot.
21 Bears 7-9-0 Lovie Smith has to be tempted by Kurt Warner, but we\'re not sure he\'s the right fit to mentor Rex Grossman, who doesn\'t need to be looking over his shoulder.
22 Saints 8-8-0 Deuce McAllister is as good as it gets at RB. But that hasn\'t been enough to get the Saints to the playoffs.
23 Bills 6-10-0 Willis McGahee\'s progress will be one of the most interesting storylines to watch this offseason.
24 Jets 6-10-0 Added speed on defense should help, but the Jets need Chad Pennington healthy from start to finish or all the speed in the world on defense won\'t help.
25 Lions 5-11-0 OK Joey Harrington, you\'ve got some weapons now, so people are going to be expecting some results.
26 Steelers 6-10-0 Could another playoff miss end Bill Cowher\'s 12-year run in Pittsburgh?
27 Texans 5-11-0 They still have some holes, but have a potentially explosive offensive trio in David Carr, Andre Johnson and Domanick Davis.
28 Browns 5-11-0 Kellen Winslow is going to have an impact, but all that talk comparing him to LeBron James by his agents was just silly.
29 Giants 4-12-0 In this scenario the Giants would end up sending the Chargers the No. 4 pick in next year\'s draft.
30 Cardinals 4-12-0 Their wide receivers will be fun to watch, but the Cardinals still have a long way to go.
31 49ers 7-9-0 49ers could be fighting it out with the Cardinals this year in the NFC West -- and that\'s not for first place.
32 Chargers 4-12-0 The weather is great and all, but we\'re not sure we\'d want our son playing for the Chargers, either.

How accurate ya\'ll rekon dem boys over as ESPN are eh? These rankings are silly.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking

C'mon Man...

WhoDat

Not very, but how can two 20+ finishes and 1 10th place finish make you happy? Our average finish right now is 20.3. That doesn\'t make me smile.

saintfan

Where ya rekon they had the Panthers last year Whodat? That\'s the point I\'m trying to make. Are they accurate? Who knows...but that\'s the point...who knows?

no_cloning

I didn\'t find an old power ranking, however I did find football.about.com\'s prediction for the championship games:
That\'s pretty much 0/4.

no_cloning

ESPN\'s power rating from the summer of 2003 ...

1. Bucs (okay, so even the expert can be wrong once)
2. Raiders (errm, or twice)
3. Eagles (see, they got that one right)
4. Steelers (Steelers? What the hell?)
5. Titans
6. Patriots
7. Falcons
8. Dolphins
9. Packers
10. Saints
11. Jets

So 4 of the first 11 teams made the playoffs. That\'s not really good, is it?

20. Seahawks
22. (tied) Ravens
25. Panthers
29. Cowboys

So 4 of the 13 worst-ranked teams made the playoffs. I know they are the experts, but ...

saintz08

These two right here are going to be the big stroke fest all season long . The press are going to play up some bad blood between the teams and the other teams in the South will be lucky to get any press . Watch this get billed as the new NFC South rivalry ...