1. Green Bay Packers
Having the best quarterback, and arguably the best player in the NFL helps your cause to be the best team. Green Bay isn't just Aaron Rodgers though, they have an incredible group of wide receivers, a stout run game and a terrific offensive line to support the best QB in the league, and what figures to be the most potent offense in the league too. On top of that, their defense could surprise this year. There is a lot of versatility in a talented, young secondary, and their front seven led by Clay Matthews, Mike Daniels and Julius Peppers is solid too.
2. Seattle Seahawks
I know Seattle beat the Packers twice last year, and they have been to two straight Super Bowls. I actually still thought the Packers were the better team last year so that argument is moot. If Aaron Rodgers wasn't playing on one leg, this team would have most likely lost the NFC Championship game. With that being said, this is still an insanely good team with the best defense in the NFL, and they added Jimmy Graham to the fold too. This will be a deadly team that nobody will want to face (especially when they are at home) and if Russell Wilson continues to grow they could be going to their third straight Super Bowl.
3. New England Patriots
Why are the reigning Super Bowl champions only 3rd? Well their cornerback depth prevents me from putting them higher. The DeflateGate suspension of Tom Brady has little to no impact on their ranking for me, because even if he misses 4 games they will still be a threat in the playoffs, and in my opinion they are the 3rd best team with him back. Resigning Devin McCourty was huge though, especially with their lack of depth in the secondary. Even though I have them 3rd now, I think they are extremely close to the 4th ranked team in these rankings.
4. Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts are just getting better. That is a scary thought. Their defense still has some holes at safety and along the defensive line, but it will be very nice for them to get Robert Mathis back from his injury in 2015. On offense, this team decided that they wanted to give Andrew Luck every single weapon in the NFL. Maybe that's a little bit of an exaggeration, but between Luck, Gore, Hilton, Johnson, Dorsett, Moncrief, Fleener and Allen, this offense will be a force to be reckoned with.
5. Baltimore Ravens
Ozzie Newsome knows how to build a roster in the NFL. Both the offense and defense are extremely balanced, and are surrounded by terrific players. Joe Flacco is behind an elite offensive line, and he has a solid group of skill position players to help him with Marc Trestman's offense. On defense, Terrell Suggs and Elvis Dumervil bring the heat in a stellar all around defense that should be a top 5 defense in football. They also should have an improved secondary, which is where they struggled last season. This is a team that could be on its way to its second Super Bowl in 4 years.
6. Denver Broncos
The Broncos are not a bad football team. I don't care that Peyton Manning is getting older, this is in the top tier of NFL teams. Their defense severely under performed in 2014, and a change in the coaching staff should bring a jolt of life back into them. They have an insane amount of talent between their edge rushers (Ware, Miller, Ray) and their cornerbacks (Harris, Talib, Roby). This group should at least be a top 10 defense in football, supported by one of the best offenses in football. Losing Ryan Clady hurts, but Manning has played behind worse O-lines and he gets rid of the ball so quickly it shouldn't hurt them that badly. This is the last team in my Power Rankings that I can genuinely see them winning a Super Bowl next season.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles are the best of the second tier of teams. I think they are above the second tier of teams, but below the elite tier, so this is where the line is. If Bradford is fully healthy, then they have a real shot at competing. They have a stout O-line in front of what should be a deadly rushing attack, and their passing game should be solid under Chip Kelly even though they lack elite weapons at wide receiver. The real improvement should be seen in their defense. Signing Byron Maxwell will be huge because their outside cornerbacks were terrible last season. Chip Kelly might be crazy, but he can build one hell of a team.
8. Arizona Cardinals
A 9-1 start to last season and their starting QB only played in 6 games? Yeah this is a good team. I don't think they will dethrone Seattle, but a stout defense and incredible coaching will lead them a long way. They also remade their offensive line, and their offense actually looks really good for a team that is known as a defensive force. Questions at their number 2 cornerback spot and in their pass rush prevent me from putting them up with the elite group of teams, but if anybody could prove me wrong it would be Bruce Arians.
9. Miami Dolphins
I have the Dolphins this high but not for the reason you may think. Signing Suh will be huge for this defense, but I like them because they have a good young QB leading an offense with a lot of talented young players. Their top 4 skill players on offense are Ryan Tannehill, Lamar Miller, DeVante Parker and Jarvis Landry. That is some serious talent that will continue to develop and get even better. They also have what figures to be a very good defense too. Ndamukong Suh, Cam Wake and Brent Grimes are all in the elite tier of their respective positions, and they also have solid supporting players too. I doubt they will challenge the Patriots this season, but a wildcard berth is entirely possible, and maybe even likely.
10. Dallas Cowboys
This might be my most polarizing ranking, because I get the feeling that people will think this is way too low, or too high. I think the loss of DeMarco Murray is bigger than the Cowboys think, and they will really feel it when Randle and McFadden cannot replicate his production. This is still an elite offensive line, with an elite quarterback, who has an elite wide receiver and solid complementary weapons outside of Dez as well. Their defense should also be improved, although they are very thin at safety and they are relying on a lot of younger players to play big roles for them. The wildcard is Sean Lee. He is a difference maker when healthy, and if he stays injury free the entire season, this team could go on a playoff run.
11. Minnesota Vikings
The highest riser in this years power rankings from last year, the Minnesota Vikings have gone through a team transformation under Mike Zimmer. With very few actual roster changes, they went from having the worst defense in the NFL, to the 11th best. They also (seemingly) have found a franchise quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater, and they are getting Adrian Peterson back in 2015 too (although I don't know what will happen with him, the whole situation is a little ridiculous). This team will be led by its defense though, and I think that they have the talent to be a top 5 D as soon as next season. With what I expect out of their players, they will be a surprise playoff team next year.
12. Detroit Lions
How did the Detroit Lions have the 3rd best defense last year? Even though I watched a lot of their games, and I saw how well they played, it still doesn't add up when you analyze their roster on paper. I give a lot of credit to Teryl Austin their defensive coordinator, because he had Darius Slay, Glover Quin and Reshean Mathis playing out of their minds. The losses of Suh and Fairley hurt, but they traded for Haloti Ngata to try and minimize the blow of losing those players. They made an effort to improve their offensive line this offseason, and it seems as though they have done a good job of it. This offense should be really improved and more comfortable in their second year under Joe Lombardi's scheme. They are young and athletic, and they have a good QB in Matthew Stafford. That's always a good combination for a winning team, and they should be right in the thick of competing for a playoff spot in 2015.
13. San Diego Chargers
San Diego could be very competitive. A new found running game to pair with Phillip Rivers is a very threatening combination. They have invested in their offensive line, and Melvin Gordon is a difference maker in the backfield. Phillip Rivers is still a very good QB, and he has the talent to lead a playoff team. This defense should surprise people, ad they have one of the best secondary's in all of football with Brandon Flowers, Jason Verrett and Eric Weddle. The Chargers will always be a competitive team as long as they have Phillip Rivers, and they are starting to provide him with a very good supporting cast too.
14. Kansas City Chiefs
Damn this defense. It's basically the underrated Seattle with edge rushers as their Legion of Boom. Justin Houston and Tamba Hali are both incredible players, and as long as KC has them, they will be a nuisance for opposing offenses. Also, Marcus Peters and Sean Smith are going to be awesome at CB. The real improvement should come on offense though. Andy Reid getting Jeremy Maclin is huge for this offense. Dwayne Bowe is not a number 1 receiver, but Maclin is. Between Maclin, Kelce and Charles, Alex Smith actually has good weapons. He should be able to make an impact with them, and they are in a very similar situation to San Diego in that they will be right in the thick of the playoff race all season.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers
All I have to say is Big Ben, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown. The best offensive trio in the NFL (Rodgers, Nelson and Lacy a close second). This defense still has holes in it, mainly in the secondary, but this offense should pick up any slack of the D. They are in a very similar situation as 2014, as this team is still in transition from the Steel Curtain days and has to rely on Ben Roethlisberger to carry them to the playoffs. Luckily he has the talent to do just that.
16. Buffalo Bills
I haven't talked to one Buffalo fan that doesn't love what is happening with the team. Rex Ryan comes with a brand new swagger, and Buffalo fans should be excited. This team looks substantially better on offense, yet they still lack a QB. If Buffalo had a solid QB, they would place much higher on this list, but they are still a good team. Their defense should still be great, and Rex Ryan is a great defensive coach so it could be even better. On offense I'm guessing that they will run a lot of short passes and screens because between LeSean McCoy, Sammy Watkins and Percy Harvin, they are astounding after the catch and in space. Buffalo might still be a QB away from truly competing, but this is a team that nobody is going to want to face.
17. Atlanta Falcons
The reason why I have Atlanta this high, and in fact winning their division too, is because of Dan Quinn. Atlanta has a talented team overall, but I'm expecting Dan Quinn to bring their defense up in a substantial way, and I also think their offense will take a step forward with a better offensive line. On paper, I think New Orleans has a more talented roster, but I also think that New Orleans had one of the most talented rosters in 2014. They are in a winnable division, they have a franchise quarterback and Dan Quinn is one hell of a coach. They can be a playoff team in 2015.
18. New Orleans Saints
The Saints are a confusing team. Last season I pegged them to be a top 3 team in the NFL, and then they went on to be just flat out bad. Yet in 2015 they have roughly the same team, and maybe even more talent on defense. They appear to be changing their philosophy on offense to a run first approach, and that is for the best to preserve Drew Brees' arm. Most importantly, Rob Ryan needs to get his D to bounce back because they are only two seasons removed from having the 4th best defense in the NFL. Jairus Byrd should also be a fun toy for him to play with on D, as one of the best safeties in football should really help what was a shaky secondary. I don't know what to expect from the Saints, they could be elite or drafting high in 2016. Either way it will be an exciting season for them.
19. New York Giants
Why did Will Beatty have to go down with an injury? This was (still is) a sleeper playoff team for a lot of well respected NFL analysts and I can see why. Their offense looks very good, and Eli is going into his second year under Ben McAdoo's offense, after he had one of the best statistical seasons of his career. Oh, and did I mention Odell Beckham Jr. That guy is ridiculous. He could end the season with 2,500 yards and 20 touchdowns and I would just shrug (maybe I'm over exaggerating a tiny bit). The defense should be improved too, and if Landon Collins can be a key player early on they could make some noise in the NFC.
20. Cincinnati Bengals
I'm not a fan of Andy Dalton on the football field. That is the biggest reason for the Bengals to be ranked 20th now. They could easily make the playoffs for the fourth year in a row. I'm not predicting it, as I actually have them missing the playoffs by a wide margin, but I would not be surprised. But every team above them, I believe has a better shot to win a Super Bowl in 2015. Dalton had a terrific supporting cast in 2014, and he did very little with it. Their defense is good, but not elite enough to make up for the Bengals being in Andy Dalton Purgatory. I think this will be the last year of Andy Dalton in a Bengals uniform, and I think it is mutually for the best.
21. Houston Texans
JJ Watt. JJ Watt. JJ Watt. The Texans have the best player in the world right now. Their defense didn't have a lot of talent last season, but he made them a top 7 defense. We (as a human race) need to recognize how well he has been playing over the last few years, because this is an unprecedented level of play. They also have Jadaveon Clowney who has all the talent in the world but is coming off of a season in which he had little to no impact. So as well as this defense did in 2014, they should take a huge step forward next year. On offense they are in QB purgatory. Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallet are holding back what could be a very good offense. A good O-line, DeAndre Hopkins and Arian Foster are terrific pieces to have, but that missing franchise QB really holds them back.
22. San Fransisco 49ers
This season is entirely up to Colin Kaepernick. Contrary to popular belief, San Fran still has a lot of talent on its roster, including returning talent such as Navorro Bowman and Glenn Dorsey. The offense is similar to last season, the defense is still very good, but the coaching staff changes are what will have the biggest impact on them. Whether you like Jim Harbaugh or not, he is one hell of a coach, and I don't think Jim Tomsula has it in him to replace an elite coach like Harbaugh.
23. Carolina Panthers
Why does a team with so much young talent and an established young QB insist on putting his life at risk behind what is destined to be a porous offensive line. Micael Oher at left tackle? Please. I seriously think they might get Cam Newton killed. Apart from the O-line, this should be a good team though. Through watching many Panthers games and going through incredibly precise analysis, I have determined that Cam is a stud. He isn't a top tier QB yet, but with very little help he raises the play of those around him. They also have three extremely talented linebackers to lead a very talented defense. Did I mention they were in the very winnable NFC South?
24. New York Jets
Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie back in Gang Green? Hell yeah! A new coaching staff and a revamped roster brings plenty of excitement to the city that never sleeps, and they really are looking a lot better than 2014. They have a deadly defensive line and secondary unit, and should end up having a top 10, if not top 5 defense. Even on offense this team is coming together. Brandon Marshall, Eric Decker, Devin Smith and Jace Amaro are pretty damn good targets for Geno. Except they still have Geno. I actually don't think Smith is as bad as certain people seem to think he is, but I also don't think he can lead this team to a playoff berth. They do need a QB, but once they get one this team has enough talent to compete.
25. St. Louis Rams
This is a team I could be very, very wrong about. If Jeff Fisher has this team playing hard, and their new run first, beat the other team up at the line approach on offense works, they could be very good. I have faith that Todd Gurley can be the best running back in the NFL, and he should hit the ground running. Nick Foles isn't a terrific option at quarterback though, and they don't have any overly dangerous threats at wide receiver to stretch the field and open up the run game. This team will be fun to watch no matter what because of their deadly front four. I'm scared for opposing quarterbacks.
26. Cleveland Browns
A team being a quarterback away from competing sounds like such a cliche now, but for the 2015 Cleveland Browns it is true. They have a stout defense that should be even better in 2015, an elite offensive line to support the ground and pound offense they want to run, and Josh McCown or Johnny Manziel at quarterback. I am a naive believer in Manziel, but through every passing moment it looks as though he won't play another down for them. I think that is ridiculous. My point isn't that Manziel will be amazing, but everybody knows exactly what Josh McCown is, which isn't good. Manziel could be better, and either way you find out what you have. At least their defense should be really good!
27. Jacksonville Jaguars
It's all on Blake Bortles. I don't mean that this is a make or break year for him, but if he is even a league average QB (which would be a huge leap forward, but it's possible) then this team can compete this season. David Caldwell and Gus Bradley have built a promising young team, and they have a lot of players that could take big steps forward in 2015. This will be a fun team to watch, and a tough team to play too, but they also seem like they are a year or two away from being competitive.
28. Oakland Raiders
I think Oakland has it's franchise quarterback in Derek Carr. They also gave him a terrific go to weapon with Amari Cooper. On top of that, they have a star on defense that they can build a very good D around in Khalil Mack. Outside of those three players... It's not looking great for the Raiders. This is going to be a year of development because this team can't compete at the moment. The silver lining is that those three players I mentioned are budding stars and Oakland can build a competitor around them sooner rather than later.
29. Chicago Bears
Well Kevin White and Alshon Jeffery are a dynamic duo if there ever was one at wide receiver. Other than those two players, there aren't a lot of positives about a Chicago team that is stuck in Jay Cutler hell. I don't think Jay Cutler is an awful QB, but he is a frustrating quarterback and with the roster they have now they can't win with him. Their offense should be fairly productive though, as Forte, Bennett, White and Jeffery are all very talented. Their defense should have a solid defensive line, and Kyle Fuller is a great young CB, but they do not have the depth to be even a league average D. It might be a long year for a team that needs to find its identity.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
They got Jameis! I'm one of the people that think Jameis can be a franchise quarterback, so I believe that Tampa Bay has a bright future. Jameis Winston and Mike Evans will be a ridiculously awesome combination for years to come. This team seems like they are a year or two away from being ready, as they lack any depth on their defense, and outside of Gerald McCoy and Lavonte David they don't have any impact players. It will be a growing year for the Bucs, but as long as Winston shows the traits of being a franchise QB, then this should be a positive season for them.
31. Washington
I think it's time for Washington to move on from the RGIII era. I'm actually still a believer in RGIII, but I think he needs a change of scenery, and Washington needs to start over. They spent their first round pick on Brandon Scherff to beef up their offensive line, which was a smart pick for their franchise. They are in a position right now where their roster is void of a competitive talent level, and they need a couple drafts to get back to a competitive level. Their offense could be solid, they have a pair of good receivers, a good running back, and maybe a good QB, but their defense has holes in the secondary and other than Kerrigan they don't have any star players that can step up. I think a change in coaching staff needs to happen too, because Jay Gruden has not proven to me that he can raise the level of play of his players.
32. Tennessee Titans
Sorry Titans fans, this season isn't looking all that good for you. Let's start with the positives. Tennessee drafted Marcus Mariota, and there is a chance that he could be a franchise QB. They have what should be a very good offensive line to support their new quarterback, and they also have some solid young weapons for him to play with. Dorial Green-Beckham, Kendall Wright, Delanie Walker and Justin Hunter are all very talented, and can help ease the transition for Mariota. They also have Jurrell Casey and Jason McCourty on defense, who are both terrific players. Now the negatives. This offense is still too young and unproven to be considered a real threat, they don't have a solid threat in the backfield to take some pressure off of Mariota, and they have a lot of holes on defense. This year should be about one thing and one thing only for the Titans, help Mariota and make his transition to the NFL as easy as possible on him.
No comments:
Post a Comment