NFL Power Rankings may08

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West takes a beating in power rankings
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando Our 2008 power rankings have made their debut without much regard for West Coast teams. NFC West teams averaged a league-worst 20.3 overall ranking in voting by eight staffers (the AFC West was close behind at about 20.2). Meanwhile, teams from the NFC East averaged a 9.2 overall ranking, best in the league. THe AFC South (11.0) wasn't far behind. The 49ers (27th) and Rams (28th) made the NFC West the only division with two teams ranked in the bottom six of the league. And this was despite the No. 19 ranking I gave the Rams -- a ranking that qualifies as a charitable ...

It's never too early for power rankings
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Matt Mosley Now that we've had a free agency period and a draft, releasing the ESPN.com Power Rankings is the next logical step. I've spent the morning analyzing the rankings through several different formulas. Here are a few of my findings: I know a Super Bowl title doesn't always translate into a high ESPN.com ranking, but the Giants were playing like an elite team at the end of last season. Yes, we're unsure about Michael Strahan and some departures at linebacker, but New York is still stacked at all the skill positions on offense and I for one don't think the ...

Inside the rankings: Falcons unite, Ravens divide
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando No team generated more disparate opinions than Baltimore in our first NFL power rankings for 2008. One voter ranked the Ravens 13th. Another ranked them 28th. I had them 23rd without knowing quite what to do with them. Have they solved their quarterback situation? No one knows. The Giants also generated conflicting opinions. One voter ranked them first overall with a nod toward their Super Bowl title. Another voter ranked them 10th. They were fifth on two ballots, including mine, and that is where they fell in the rankings. Meanwhile, voters were pretty much ...

Planes, trains and power rankings
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas Time for two of life's great joys all at once. Sitting in an airport waiting for a flight they've already announced will be delayed 90 minutes (translation: they'll delay it at least twice more or just cancel it). Oh, well, onto the other fun. Yep, talking about our NFL Power Rankings -- in May. All our NFL writers weighed in and I think the rankings turned out pretty well. But there were a few points where I differed from the group. I did not vote for the Patriots at No. 1, mainly because I wanted to do something truly bold. So I voted for the Colts in the top spot. If I recall ...

Cowboys going Hollywood
Published 5/12/2008 by Dave Halprin (Grizz) at Blogging The Boys: Front Page Posts
... fans showered Dallas Cowboys quarterback and former Eastern Illinois star Tony Romo with loud boos as he threw out the first pitch. But what about his singing? Well, you can be the judge by watching the clip, here. I'd say his voice ranks somewhere between his girlfriend's and a constipated basset hound. Hat tip Deke for posting the link to the video. ESPN has it’s early Power Rankings out and the Cowboys come in at #4.  Felix Jones ...

ESPN Power Rankings
Published 5/12/2008 by Bart Stevens at Sports Page Atlanta
We just started mini-camp a few days ago… what is ESPN thinking about putting power rankings up?  Wait, it is the NFL, we care about that all year long.  Although I don’t care too much for where they put our Atlanta Falcons. http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking?season=2008&week=0

Power Rankings: ESPN May 11, 2008
Published 5/12/2008 by Bassett at thejetsblog.com
With the calendar turned over, the draft through it feels like a new year of football finally. ESPN has released a set of power rankings. So how did the Jets do? #21 — Jets 4-12-0 — An offseason spending spree upgraded the roster without answering the Jets’ most pressing question: Do they have the right QB? First off, please remember how we feel about draft grades, power rankings, etc. — that it’s not worth getting worked up over. It’s an easy and formulaic way to approach writing so it has some value, but not much more than conversational. ...

Minicamp sure was grrrrrrrreat!
Published 5/12/2008 by VanRam at Turf Show Times: Front Page Posts
... If you like things ranked and graded for easy consumption, ESPN has got your fix with their first round of power rankings for 2008. The Rams ranked 28th, and will have to play their way out of that spot. They did get some love from Mike Sando, who put them at 19th on his ballot. He ...

Rankings revealed: How each voter voted
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando We calculated power rankings by averaging the rankings of each voter. This produced a couple of ties, which editors broke. The chart below shows how each voter ranked each team, and how the numbers averaged out. John Clayton, Matt Mosley, Jeremy Green, Keith Kidd, James Walker, Bill Williamson, Pat Yasinskas and I submitted votes. I've shaded the highest rankings for each team in red. The lowest rankings for each team are shaded in yellow. The shading makes it easier to see which voters were highest and lowest on each team. As noted, Baltimore generated the widest disparity.  ...

Pats No. 1 in power rankings
Published 5/12/2008 at Reiss' Pieces
ESPN.com unveils its NFL power rankings today and the Patriots reside in the top spot. Power rankings in May are always a bit tricky, but one aspect that is easy to appreciate here is some of the Excel breakdowns which show the teams that had the greatest disparity in votes, or the divisions with the most "power".

Browns moving up in the preseason rankings
Published 5/12/2008 by Mike at WaitingForNextYear
[image] ESPN’s preseason NFL rankings have the Browns ranked 9th. Interestingly enough, the Browns vaulted up 4 spots from 13th in the last rankings. Oh, by the way, today is May 12th which is roughly 4 months from the start of the regular season. Personally, I don’t see the point in ranking the teams so soon. The reason I say this is because there is certainly going to be some surprises that will make these rankings obsolete by October. After all, in last year’s preseason rankings  the Browns were ranked 31st, while the Packers were 24th, and the Super Bowl champions New York Giants were ranked 17th. Some notable flops last year include the Ravens, Saints, ...

In The Red Zone: Patriots Top Preseason Poll
Published 5/12/2008 by Steve at SOX & Dawgs
  A group of NFL writers for ESPN.com have compiled their preseason NFL Power Rankings. Each week during the NFL season these writers rank the teams based on their performance up to that point during the season, it’s similar to College Football Poll System. They even issue a final poll after the end of the regular season. Last season the New England Patriots came out on top at 16-0 followed by Indianapolis at 13-3 and Dallas was third at 13-3. So which team comes out on top in the preseason poll? Who’s the biggest gainer? The biggest loser? Well let’s take a look at the Top Ten. The results are compilations of votes ...

Explaining the Chargers' ranking
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson Over the course of the next few hours, I will explain why I picked the AFC West teams, teams I cover for ESPN.com, in the spots I did in our NFL power rankings. I will go from the top team down and in the AFC West it is a fast and hard slide down the rankings. We start with San Diego. In the power rankings, we have the Chargers ranked No. 3. I ranked them No. 4. It's no slight to the Chargers. Anytime, anyone picks a team in the top five, it means the thought is 'this can be a Super Bowl team' and there's no doubt, I think the Chargers can be a Super Bowl team. I ...

Explaining the Broncos' ranking
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson Our power rankings place Denver No. 23. I placed the Broncos at No. 21. Thus, I agree with the panel that this team really isn't a playoff contender as we sit now. The Broncos will have to prove themselves before they move up. Denver was 7-9 last season and didn't have a great offseason. It lost kicker Jason Elam, one of the most clutch kickers in the NFL, and its two best offensive players, quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Brandon Marshall are dealing with medical issues. To place Denver higher than No. 21, in my opinion, would have been a reach. We'll wait and see on ...

Explaining the Raiders' ranking
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson Our power rankings place Oakland No. 26. I ranked the Raiders at No. 27. This is consistent for a team that went 4-12 last season and has won a league-low 19 games in the past five seasons. Yes, the Raiders have picked up some exciting new names and spent a ton of money. But to expect Oakland to shoot up the rankings because they added Darren McFadden and Javon Walker to the offense would be naïve. This team still has major issues on both lines and quarterback JaMarcus Russell has yet to prove he can be a capable NFL starter. So, the Raiders are ranked in the right place for now.

How good are Your Washington Redskins?
Published 5/12/2008 by Skin Patrol at Hogs Haven: Front Page Posts
I'm done with Law School year uno, so here I am, back, returning to regular treatment in this space. All apologies (but for serious, I was busy) for my absence.   The loooooong offseason drags on. And on. And on. Content is light today, which I hadn't anticipated seeing as how I've been gone since the middle of last week. But really there isn't much of ...

The 2008 NFL Power Rankings... in May
Published 5/12/2008 by TexSkins at Hogs Haven: Front Page Posts
[Note by TexSkins, 05/12/08 2:57 PM CDT ] Skin Patrol types faster and writes better. As part of the plan to create sports news (specifically NFL news) when there is none to feed to global machine that is ESPN, the Mouse Ear NFL Division has released the first (of many) versions of the NFL Power Rankings. There are some ...

Explaining the Chiefs' rankings
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson You know a team is lousy when you rank it No. 28 and worry that you may have over ranked it. Our power rankings have the Kansas City Chiefs' ranked No. 30. That may be the right place for them. The Chiefs just aren't going to be very good, the way we see it now. In 2009 or 2010, this could be a competitive team again. The future is bright after a fabulous 2008 draft. But, heading into this season, the Chiefs are young everywhere, especially at quarterback where Brodie Croyle is no sure thing. There are just too many question marks to rank the Chiefs, the worst team in a weak division, higher than in ...

Explaining the Giants ranking
Published 5/12/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson I thought there was one last power ranking to explain. I had the New York Giants ranked No. 1. In our power rankings, the Giants are tied No. 5 with Jacksonville. I was the only person in the panel to pick the Giants No. 1. Here is my reasoning for the choice: They are the Super Bowl champion. Every year, I start the champions in the top spot. That's just way it is. The perks don't end with the parade and the ring ceremony. The champion has to start No. 1. Are the Giants the best team in the NFL? Maybe not, but we didn't expect them to win three road playoff games and then beat the 18-0 Patriots, did we? ...

ESPN Punches The Clock For May
Published 5/13/2008 by Scott at Bucstats.com weblog
ESPN has put the Buccaneers at #15 in their offseason Power Rankings. It's not that I mind these kinds of exercises in time-wasting. It's May, after all, and these guys have to fill their time somehow. But why do the Buccaneers get zero love, year after year? This time they put four teams that didn't make the playoffs last year ahead of the Bucs. This includes Philadelphia who, aside from signing Asante Samuel, did nothing to really improve their team. On the other hand, they had the GIants ranked at #9 at the end of the 2007 regular season. The Giants go ahead and run the table to win the Super Bowl, and only move ahead to #6? And who is #1 ...

Ridiculously early NFL Power Rankings
Published 5/13/2008 by EnriqueFed (noreply@blogger.com) at ALL THINGS PHILLY SPORTS
It's mid-May, so obviously it's time for NFL Power Rankings! Both ESPN.com and SI.com have released their incredibly early preseason power rankings, and both of them have the Eagles just outside the top ten. Here are their rankings and their thoughts on the Eagles: ESPN: Rank: 13 Comments: Last season, they hit their stride when it was too late. With a fully healed Donovan McNabb and an improved secondary, the Eagles could be dangerous. Sports Illustrated: Rank: 11 Comments: The story's the same as ever in Reid-land: Donovan McNabb has to stay upright for 16 games for this ...

AFC East Power Rankings
Published 5/15/2008 by Cherie at THE SPORTS DIVA MAGAZINE
We're going through each conference and giving our take on the ESPN NFL Power Rankings released on 5.12.08. Here we will discuss the AFC East. New England Patriots (1). Of course, right? They did win 18 games last year. So what if the stunk it up in the Super Bowl. Okay, they didn't stink it up, they got BEAT. But they still have Tom Brady and Randy Moss. How did this team end up with the easiest schedule? Go ahead and punch their playoff ticket. Buffalo Bills (19). Is this team looking to find a new QB? They have 5 on their roster right now. Should Trent Edwards be worried? Well James Hardy ...

NFL Jabber
Published 5/19/2008 by Lee at Football Jabber
This has been out for a few days but we can take a look at it anyway.  ESPN has put out their Power Rankings already for the NFL.  It really looks a lot like it would have at the end of last season, except for the Packers falling down to #10.  No, the Giants are not #1 and they were far from that at the end of the regular season.  You can’t take away how hot they were but you have to admit they were not one of the top teams…they played the best though.  The Falcons steal the #32 spot from the Dolphins… Have a look at the Power Rankings HERE. Aaron Rodgers has the job in Green ...

Monday Notes: Mandatory Minicamp Begins Tomorrow
Published 5/19/2008 by Sean Yuille at Pride Of Detroit: Front Page Posts
Detroit will open a three-day long mandatory minicamp tomorrow, giving rookies their first shot at lining up against the veterans, and Kevin Smith is excited. Speaking of that minicamp, Army linebacker Caleb Campbell will not miss it as he was able to reschedule his final exams to get them done early.  It was originally thought that he would ...

Oh, Eli, Why Do You Do Things Like This?
Published 5/20/2008 by J Money (noreply@blogger.com) at Boiled Sports
Okay, look, Eli. I know you're the Super Bowl MVP. I realize you think people have to start taking you seriously now. But it's not a God-given right. And if you keep allowing yourself to be photographed like this, it will never happen. Sure, you have a wife now. Maybe she even touches your pee-pee. But it looks like you're on a kiddie ride for pete's sake! Why not just completely embarrass yourself and ride the teacups? We wonder why even after a Super Bowl win, nobody takes the Giants seriously. Things like this are the primary reasons.

Broncos Practice Starts
Published 5/21/2008 by Kim at Predominantly Orange | A Blog For Denver Broncos Fans
Some notes from the Broncos first two organized practices: - Boss Bailey tried to get the inside scoop from his brother, but even Champ Bailey is learning about everybody and can’t give Boss a lot of information. The many new faces on this year’s squad should make for an interesting summer camp. - Who knows which back will start for the Broncos this season. It looks like Selvin Young, Andre Hall, and rookie Ryan Torain have a good shot at the job because of Travis Henry’s most recent injury. Henry pulled his hamstring during ...

Coach notices team's low power ranking slot
Published 5/24/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson The ESPN.com NFL power rankings served as a nice talker during a slow time in May. At least, that was the goal. Apparently, the power rankings also served as motivation for at least one NFL team. Denver Broncos coach Mike Shanahan read the rankings and duly noted that his Broncos were ranked No. 23. Shanahan sees it as a good sign. I know one thing about Shanahan after covering him for the past four years. He looks for anything to motivate his team. This is a man who piped in the words of former Broncos running back Clinton Portis in the team's locker room all week leading up to a game ...

Patriots Number 1 in 2008
Published 6/3/2008 by MaPatsFan at Pats Pulpit: Front Page Posts
images.google.com I never get tired of this stuff. I never get tired of hearing my team, the New England Patriots, will be Number One. Numeral Uno. The Top of the... whatever. Yet another sports writer has stated our favorite team has the best chance to take it ...

Coach Mangini Has Some Qualms With The New Power Rankings
Published 6/4/2008 by PUNTE at Kissing Suzy Kolber

Raiders' QB notices power rankings
Published 6/4/2008 at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Bill Williamson A local radio reporter asked Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell what he thought of the Raiders' low ranking in ESPN.com's recent power rankings. The reporter never specifically told Russell where the Raiders were ranked. But he didn't have to. "Hopefully, we can do better than 26," Russell responded, smiling. And these guys say they don't read what's written about them.

The Atlanta Falcons Get No Respect
Published 6/10/2008 by Dave the Falconer at The Falcoholic: Front Page Posts
I realize that the ESPN Power Rankings in question here are actually pretty old. Just dial the way-back machine to, I dunno, early May and this will seem exciting and relevant.   I don't know about you, but I'm a little fed up with the way the Falcons are automatically put on the bottom of the pile of NFL teams. They were among the ...

Random Ramsdom - July 21st
Published 5 days ago by 3k at Turf Show Times: Front Page Posts
...   - ESPN just released their training camp power rankings (here) and slotted the Rams at 26th.  Make Sando offered this: ...

Colts top AFC South in power rankings
Published 5 days ago at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky Our preseason power rankings are out today, and our panelists are expecting the Colts to win the AFC South for the sixth consecutive year. Indianapolis practices Friday and will be without Peyton Manning (knee), Marvin Harrison (knee), Dwight Freeney (foot) and Tyjuan Hagler (torn pectoral). Bob Sanders (shoulder) is also a bit of a question mark. But all indications are that Manning, Harrison, Freeney and Sanders will be on the field Sept. 7 when the Colts host the Chicago Bears in a rematch of the Super Bowl that capped the 2006 season. While many of us think the Jaguars ...

Uncertainties muddle Cardinals' ranking
Published 5 days ago at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando The Cardinals are 17th in our power rankings, which sounds about right (I voted them 16th). Matt Leinart is back in the starting role, but we still don't know what that means. Will he become better than Kurt Warner, or will he become another first-round disappointment at the position? Leinart tossed two touchdown passes with four interceptions in his five starts last season. The Cardinals pushed him to improve his mechanics and prove himself as a student of the game. Coach Ken Whisenhunt says Leinart has impressed on both fronts. We need to see more. The Cardinals won three of Leinart's five ...

A closer look at AFC South in power rankings
Published 5 days ago at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Paul Kuharsky I liked the way James Walker evaluated the AFC North in our power rankings so much, I'm going to borrow it and make it my own here on the AFC South patrol. Thanks, James. Houston Texans Kuharsky's vote: No. 20 Cumulative vote: No. 19 Why: The Texans got votes at No. 15 from Matt Moseley and Matt Williamson, but I think the general feeling is in line with mine -- while Houston can be solid, the other three teams in the division push it out of the top 16 and playoff range. I think the Texans are on a ...

ESPN Power Rankings Passes the test
Published 5 days ago by Deshawn Zombie (noreply@blogger.com) at 18 to 88
So I mentioned the "Am I a Smart Analyst Test" last night, and low and behold we have our first 'pass' of the test in awhile. ESPN has the Colts ranked second, but more importantly than the ranking is the reason. They've figured out exactly why all the injury talk is way overblown.

49ers deserve skepticism in rankings
Published 5 days ago at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando     Otto Greule Jr./Getty Images   New 49ers offensive coordinator Mike Martz should help quarterback Alex Smith (above). A ranking of NFL teams with the best quarterback situations might not ...

Initial NFL Power Rankings
Published 5 days ago by Brad (noreply@blogger.com) at Chuckie Hacks
ESPN has their first NFL power rankings of the year. After compiling the results from 8 different voters, Green Bay finished 8th, and a comment. Yes, they've had some unexpected drama this summer. With or without Brett Favre, however, the Packers have assembled a deep and talented roster that is built for the long haul. (KS) No complaints here as the teams ahead of GB are certainly solid outfits: New England, Indy, Saint Diego (yeah, that's an Anchorman reference in back-to-back posts), Dallas, Jacksonville, Giants, and Pittsburgh.

Seahawks hard to knock from West perch
Published 5 days ago at ESPN.com - NFL Nation - Blog
Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando The Seahawks ranked ninth in our NFL power rankings, but at least one voter thinks the Cardinals will overtake them in the NFC West this season. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. ranked the Seahawks 17th, four spots behind Arizona, in balloting. The nine other panelists ranked Seattle higher than they ranked any of its division rivals. I ranked the Seahawks eighth. Seattle has issues, no question. Its offensive line has crumbled over the last two seasons. Its top receivers are injured, aging or unhappy. The Seahawks no longer have a dominant running back (although Julius Jones expects to prove ...

Bears Rank Low
Published 5 days ago by WCG at Windy City Gridiron: Front Page Posts
Not that this is unexpected, but ESPN released their Power Rankings today and the Bears clock in at the #25 spot. The Bears are hoping Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman will emerge as a viable quarterback, but their histories suggest otherwise. It's a big risk to take. As with the Lions, the defense will have to take control. There are a few odd things about the list, namely the Giants at 6 and the Packers at 8, but at least we rank higher than the Lions at 29.  The Vikings fell in at #11.

Patriots have the power
Published 5 days ago at Reiss' Pieces
ESPN.com unveils its "training camp" power rankings today, with eight writers casting votes, and the Patriots are in the No. 1 spot. In a detailed breakdown, there is also a chart showing how each writer voted. Furthermore, a look at the NFC West blog on ESPN.com has an entry showing the teams in which voters graded with the most disparity. The Patriots also stood out in that chart, as the team's highest ranking from an individual voter was No. 1, while the lowest was No. 3. That gave them a "disparity" grade of 2, smallest in the league.

Monday afternoon Dallas Cowboys notes
Published 4 days ago by Brandon W at Blogging The Boys: Front Page Posts
ESPN has launched their training camp preview and have released their first of many power rankings. The Cowboys sit at #4 behind New England, Indianapolis and Jacksonville. #4 (4) Cowboys 13-3-0; QB Tony Romo knows the only way he can validate his immense talent is to win a playoff game. With this team, he'll finally break through. (MM) Get ready to hear nothing but that for the next few months. Forget that DeMarcus Ware, Patrick Crayton, Terence Newman, Marion Barber, Andre Gurode and Wade Phillips are all 0-fers in the playoffs. All we will read is how Romo needs to overcome his playoff demons, despite the fact that ...

You Disrespecting Me?
Published 4 days ago by Dutch's Wormhole (noreply@blogger.com) at Poor Sports: Bitter Philly Sports Fans Sound Off
ESPN has graced this first day of training camp with their NFL Power Rankings. It's stupid. I won't argue with the top 5. The Patriots, Colts, Chargers, Cowboys, and Jags are all strong and should be at the top. After that, its starts getting murky. ...

Tuesday Notes: Millen Goes on WJR
Published 4 days ago by Sean Yuille at Pride Of Detroit: Front Page Posts
... ESPN released its training camp power rankings, and the Lions came in at 29th, only ahead of the Chiefs, Dolphins, and Falcons.  It's hard to disagree with that assessment given the Lions are expected to have a below average season, so ESPN seems accurate in that part of their rankings. ...

New England Patriots links for 7/22/08
Published 4 days ago by MaPatsFan at Pats Pulpit: Front Page Posts
Hello Patriots fans!  If you're like me, you're about ready to crawl out of your skin.  Like a bear waking up from hibernation, the amount of football news and stories has increased dramatically.  It's like drinking out of a fire hose if you ask me.  But, that's ok.  Better that than the "dead zone" that is the space between OTAs and Training Camp. Mike Reiss, one of the best sportswriters covering the Patriots, is back from a well deserved vacation and you can tell.  Reiss's Pieces is absolutely loaded with a plethora of information.  Of paticular note is Mike's snapshots.  In his classic, ...