Off Season Power Rankings
 

Football's NFL Power Rankings

Apr 27 2004

1. New England Patriots
Cory Dillon filled the Super Bowl Champs' biggest need.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
Added Jevon Kearse and Terrell Owens to a team that has made three-straight trips to the NFC Championship game.
3. Green Bay Packers
Solid offensive line, great running game, an adequate defense, and Brett Favre will keep them in contention.
4. Carolina Panthers
Not sure they can repeat the success of last year, but some nice additions should have them back in the playoff hunt.
5. Indianapolis Colts
Still sorely missing a run-stuffing defensive tackle.
6. Tennessee Titans
Steve McNair just seems to find ways to win. The Titans will be in the hunt again this year.
7. Kansas City Chiefs
Added some nice draft picks, but the Chiefs have done little to improve a defense that collapsed late last year.
8. Denver Broncos
Could be one of the most improved teams this year.
9. St. Louis Rams
With Bulger firmly entrenched as the starter, the Rams should rid themselves of Warner and the distractions of a QB controversy.
10. Dallas Cowboys
Only time will tell if they regret passing on Steven Jackson.
11. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens didn't get the receiver they wanted, but they are still a very solid team.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
Losing Cory Dillon might be a plus for this team.
13. Minnesota Vikings
A lot depends on turning the defense around. Could be a Super Bowl run or another 9-7 collapse.
14. Seattle Seahawks
If the Seahawks can improve a pass defense that was among the worst in the game, they should make the playoffs.
15. Miami Dolphins
I'm not sure A.J. Feeley's the answer here.
16. Washington Redskins
Have the Redskins learned from past mistakes or will this be a repeat of recent seasons?
17. New York Jets
The return of Chad Pennington should return the Jets to playoff contenders.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars
With a solid run defense and what will soon be one of the top quarterbacks in the league, the future looks bright in Jacksonville.
19. Chicago Bears
Looks like another solid draft, but so much depends on the play of a second-year QB.
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs had a huge turnover in personnel. Could take a while for everyone to get on the same page.
21. Atlanta Falcons
A full season with Michael Vick automatically moves these guys up a few notches.
22. Houston Texans
This is the year the young guys should come together. Keep an eye on this team. Could be their first playoff run.
23. San Francisco 49ers
With Garcia and Owens gone, the Niners don't have a proven pass combo anymore.
24. Buffalo Bills
If Bledsoe doesn't bounce back from a bad season, the Bills will be at the bottom of the division again.
25. Cleveland Browns
Run defense still looks very questionable.
26. Oakland Raiders
Additions to the offensive line should help keep Gannon healthy, but there are still plenty of questions to answer.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
Roethlisberger is a tremendous addition for the future, but if the Steelers are going to make a playoff run this year, Maddox must have a consistent season.
28. New York Giants
Look for a long losing season as Eli adjusts to the big leagues.
29. New Orleans Saints
Did little to address their biggest need... cornerback.
30. Detroit Lions
This team appears to be on the rebound, but they are still a year away from a serious playoff run.
31. Arizona Cardinals
As with the Lions, this is a team heading in the right direction, but still at least a season away.
32. San Diego Chargers
Still lots of holes to fill and a rookie QB to break in.

http://football.about.com/cs/news/a/bl_power.htm

The agenda continues , glad to see my mind control is working ... :P


[Edited on 5/5/2004 by saintz08]

Off Season Power Rankings
 

Since you\'re using some mind control anyway 08, is there any chance you could beam some clearer thinking over to Saintsfan, Billy and Tweeky? :P

Off Season Power Rankings
 

Something tells me that would be like standing alone in the SuperDome and sounding a fog horn .... :P

Off Season Power Rankings
 

08, if you\'re down with the mind control, quit trying to convince people on this board of this or that and bend our FO to get a good CB BEFORE the season starts.

Off Season Power Rankings
 

If the foghorn went off in the SuperDome and no one was there to hear it, would there still be a noise?

Off Season Power Rankings
 

What???
I think our BIGGEST need was stopping teams from running all over us and having all day to throw. These guys are idiots. Musta been done before we signed Craft?

CB was about our 4th or 5th biggest need. But I\'ll cut them some slack, they don\'t follow the Saints like we do.

The guy probably saw one Saint game all year, the Colts game when 1/2 our defense was out.

Typical shortsightedness. :casstet:

Off Season Power Rankings
 

All the talk about our biggest need being a CB. We do need a quality shut down corner no doubt or argument from me on that one but it doesn\'t matter how good your CB\'s are if you allow a team to run right up the gut all day and then allow the QB to sit back there and and pick his nose before he throws the ball he WILL pick you apart as well as clean out his nose. Our pass rush didn\'t rush any throws last year or stop the run very well. With an improved D-Line we should be able to shut down the run and force the QB to get rid of the ball quicker. Agood D-Line can really make our CB\'s look much better.

Off Season Power Rankings
 

How about lets looks at the same pre-season / post draft rankings from the same people from, oh, say, the last two or three years and see what their track record is.

If we were supposed to get a CB in the draft, considering how it all came down, which player should we have taken?

If we were supposed to get a CB in FA -- one of these \"shutdown\" CB\'s, which player should it have been, and based on the market, how much should we have overpaid to do it?

Off Season Power Rankings
 

It\'s funny how the posts have changed since the draft happened. I didn\'t see anyone saying \"Don\'t draft a CB\" before the regime didn\'t draft a CB. Now there are so many people who think we didn\'t need one the whole time.

Off Season Power Rankings
 

Name one.


[Edited on 5/5/2004 by Danno]

Off Season Power Rankings
 

You.

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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. ;)

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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.

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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?

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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.

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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 ...

Off Season Power Rankings
 

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 ...