Position Ranking: Overall Team
by Khaled Elsayed
9/9/2009
Having analysed each unit (*) Khaled Elsayed presents his final overall Preseason Power Rankings.
( * This series has involved looking at the starter, and then who will be backing them up as and when this looks like becoming a factor.)
32. Detroit Lions
If it’s any consolation they can’t be any worse than last year. They’ve improved some of the areas they struggled in and for getting some play out of a guy like Grady Jackson should automatically upgrade their run defence. Still, it’s an offence that doesn’t look like it’s going to score points and a defence that will struggle to get offences off the field.
31. Cleveland Browns
Quite the turnaround for a franchise that was seen as a dark horse by many. The offensive line went from a strength to a weakness, they went from having 2 starting calibre Quarterbacks to none, and their star receiver couldn’t catch a cold on a freezing December evening in Ohio. That the defence at times seemed completely reliant on Shaun Rodgers is a story in and of itself. The Browns are once again rebuilding.
30. Kansas City Chiefs
Before pre season the Chiefs looked like they were moving in the right direction. Since pre season started it has highlighted for all the young players they have on offence they are severely lacking in the talent department. Matt Cassell remains a risky quarterback without talent around him, and while the defence looks like it has some potential on paper, it won’t be enough to make up for an offence that is in need of a major overhaul.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay offence could surprise a few people for as long as they can keep Byron Leftwich on the field. With his injury history and propensity to take hits that surprise may be short lived and we could enter the Josh Freeman era earlier than anticipated. The defence has talent but looks like a major work in progress, so expect a tough year in Tampa.
28. St Louis Rams
The slow and gradual fall from being the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ to an offence devoid of any really talented players must be disheartening for Rams fans. If they’re going to get anything done then Steven Jackson will need to stay healthy, as beyond that there isn’t too much real reason for hope other than the nature of traditionally pedestrian NFC West. The defence is going to need Steve Spagnulo to get them playing at a far greater level than any of the players ever have before.
27. Denver Broncos
The Josh McDaniels Talent Drive (as in to drive all the talent out of town) is continuing and it looks like Brandon Marshall could join Jay Cutler in leaving Denver sooner rather than later. No team in recent memory has had a more disruptive transition from one head coach to another, and the Broncos have got significantly worse on both offence and defence (was that possible?) this off season. McDaniels has a vision, but he’ll need that famed Pat Bowlen patience to see it through.
26. Buffalo Bills
Trent Edwards is beginning to divide opinions as to whether he has it in him to be a franchise quarterback. With a receiving duo of Evans and Owens the pressure is going to be on him to deliver, but with Bell protecting his blindside, is he in a position to succeed? The defence is in desperate need of a pass rush and whether Maybin can contribute that to immediately, or whether Aaron Schobel can return to form and fitness, something is needed.
25. Oakland Raiders
This team will struggle with an offence more likely to make bad than good plays, and a defence that has a wide range of players from extremely talented to extremely ineffective. This is a big year for Russell, and if this was a win now team you wonder if Jeff Garcia may present a better chance for them to win. Is the offensive line good enough to give a talented trio of running backs something to work with? The defence should keep them in games especially with Richard Seymour on board, but you can’t overlook a questionable offence.
24. San Francisco 49ers
The controversy surrounding the contract of Michael Crabtree won’t seem to go away, but it has deflected attention from a team with serious glaring issues in many areas. Shaun Hill may be the quarterback for now, but how far can he take this team? Can Frank Gore stay healthy and play better than last year? Can they generate any pass rush outside of Justin Smith? Just 3 of the questions that Mike Singletary is going to need to answer if the Niners are going to progress this year.
23. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals had a good draft by most standards and showed definite improvement as the season developed. The worry is though that this coincided with an easier schedule as opposed to any switch they had managed to flick. If Carson Palmer is back and plays up to a level we’ve seen him play at they could get themselves in the AFC South mix, but they’ll need a lot of their questionable characters to stay out of trouble and focus on what happens on the field.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags are going to be looking to rebound this year and surely won’t have to deal with the same injury crisis they did last year. Even if they did the commitment they made to bringing in offensive line depth should leave players like Maurice Jones Drew and David Garrard with support. The defence has regressed and the signs are it may struggle in a division with some explosive offensives.
21. New York Jets
Everything about Mark Sanchez suggests franchise Quarterback. He is already the leader of the offence and you find yourself forgetting about his inexperience and bracing yourself for a long and successful career. He’ll need to rely on a strong running game, but as long as he doesn’t chuck the ball away or hold onto it for too long like Brett Favre then he could be the ball control upgrade they are looking for. Bart Scott is a massive signing, but they’ll need to find some pass rush (especially with Calvin Pace suspending for a quarter of the season).
20. Chicago Bears
The Bears got aggressive and did what most fan bases would love their franchises to do; in need of a franchise quarterback they went out and got one. Jay Cutler automatically makes this a much scarier offence that should score more points than Bears fans are accustomed to. With that issue beginning to solve itself, the Bears now need to know if the slump in some of their key defensive players was endemic of a decline or just an off season.
19. Houston Texans
Each year the Texans seem to get a bit closer to that elusive winning season. They bring in some decent free agents and get players in the draft who can contribute immediately and this year is no different with Antonio Smith being an extremely shrewd signing, and Brian Cushing being the kind of guy who can help energize their linebacker group. The offensive line needs to get better if they’re to deal with pass rushers of Indianapolis and the sheer power of the Titans defence. Until it does they’ll be watching the playoffs from their homes rather than the sidelines.
18. Arizona Cardinals
The Cards are probably a better team than they were in the regular season, but by the same token they’re probably not going to be as good (consistently) as they were during the playoffs. Kurt Warner is hampered by a hip injury and with an offensive line that leaves him open to taking a lot of abuse that’s a bad combination so they could really do with Beanie Wells helping this offence become more balanced. Defensively the issue is consistency with too many highlight players not playing well enough for the duration of games being a problem that they have yet to look like overcoming.
17. Miami Dolphins
With the introduction of the Wildcat the Dolphins shocked a lot of people last year so this year it will be interesting to see how they cope when teams are more prepared for them. Ronnie Brown should be better for being a year removed from injury, but the real question is whether Chad Pennington reverts back to the yo-yo type player that saw the Jets cut him. Joey Porter got a lot of the credit for what was a very solid defence, but they’ll need a more consistent pass rush to help out a young and vulnerable secondary.
16. Washington Redskins
The big signing of Albert Haynesworth should improve the defence (presuming he stays healthy and motivated), but its the offence that remains the concern. This is a big year in the career of Jason Campbell, having his GM try to replace him twice and with excuses running out this could be a case of now or never for him. He has showed flashes, and if he can maintain them throughout the season the Redskins could surprise a few people.
15. Dallas Cowboys
Last year was disappointing for the Cowboys after a strong start, but despite a tornado destroying their practice facility, all the T.O. drama and the problems surrounding their giant screen they’ve not really had much talk as a serious contender. This could be to their advantage as they rely less on the hype that seemed to carry them at times last year, and more on focus and execution. Jason Garrett will need to revitalise the offence after his pedestrian play calling display, as the defence is good enough to go all the way.
14. Carolina Panthers
Jake Delhomme both hampers and helps this team to win games they have no right to, and lose games they should be too good to lose and it’s those defeats that prevent the Panthers being any higher. Offensively they look able to run the ball on most teams, and they have a passing attack that can put up points. Losing Kemoeatu was a huge blow though, and defensively if you can’t stop the run you’re going to struggle. Have they made the necessary moves to keep up with their NFC South rivals?
13. Baltimore Ravens
Despite showing up big in his rookie year, there’s a feeling among many that if any QB is going to suffer from a Sophomore slump than Joe Flacco is the guy to do it. If he struggles how is this offence going to move the ball? Defensively they got Suggs and Lewis resigned, but there’s an argument to be made that Bart Scott was more important than either, and the Ravens won’t be able to replace him. A come down from the high of last year perhaps.
12. Seattle Seahawks
It’s easy to overlook Seattle after the downslide they’ve been on since losing to 12 men in the SuperBowl, but they’ve maintained a high level of talent and surely won’t have to contend with as many injuries as this time last year. Their front 7 doesn’t get the credit it deserves for the ability they have shown, while offensively they have a quarterback and receiver combination that will cause problems. They’ll need to show they can the ball consistently, and while it’s asking a lot for the kind of production they had when Hutchinson was in town, they need to get in the ball park of that.
11. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts probably shouldn’t be this high, but then does anyone seriously expect not to see them in the playoffs? They have Peyton Manning and you could probably replace his offensive line with 5 broomsticks and he’d still be hitting Dallas Clark and Reggie Wayne on the numbers. The defence has talent but is still the kind of unit that can get steamrolled, though we’ll see how the move to getting bigger works out.
10. Atlanta Falcons
This offence may be the most balanced collection of skill players, and conceivably has the ability to do for the Falcons what the Colts offence has done for Indiana (largely carry it to victory). But there are enough questions that you can’t have complete faith in that and really need to look at the defence as to why you can’t rank the Falcons any higher. At times it seemed like John Abraham was playing on his own last year, which is doubly concerning when you think how the Falcons used him. Players are going to need to step up defensively otherwise the Falcons could be in for a Sophomore slump.
9. Green Bay Packers
Initially the thinking is that a move from a 4-3 to 3-4 takes time to execute, but the Packers struggled so much on defence last year that they were primed for a change. The moves they’ve made to help this transition has resulted in them looking good so far in pre season and if they improve on their showing from last year then alongside that offence the Packers could go very deep into the post season. Ryan Grant needs to be a guy that gets things done ala 2007 and not as he performed in 2008.
8. New Orleans Saints
The Saints look like a boom or bust team. Potentially they could go all the way, or alternatively they could be looking at a high pick in next years draft. Their schedule isn’t so easy that Drew Brees will be able to carve teams open like he did last year, so they’ll need a (healthy) Pierre Thomas to give the offence some balance. The defence is the huge question mark. Undoubtedly there is a lot of talent there but can it finally come together and produce consistently? Or will the Saints be set for another disappointing year.
7. New York Giants
The Giants so low? Well not enough has been made of the loss of the extremely underrated Derrick Ward, and while Brandon Jacobs can get the job done he takes too much punishment to be relied upon as a feature back. Thus more emphasis is on an Eli Manning and it will be interesting to see if he copes with this extra emphasis on him alongside the massive contract he has just signed. The defence lost Spagnulo but did find some extra playmakers that should make this aggressive defence as effective as ever.
6. Tennessee Titans
While everyone looks onto see if they can be as good defensively without Haynesworth, it may be more interesting to see if Kerry Collins can maintain the solid level of play he displayed last year. Chris Johnson and Lendale White may be terrible when it comes to interviews, but they provide the kind of running back combo that works behind an offensive line that opens holes for them. Beating the Colts for a season is an achievement, but overhauling them as the dominant AFC South team is a bigger challenge they’ll need to overcome.
5. Minnesota Vikings
They were ranked higher until Brett Favre signed up. This offence needs a QB with some mobility and who doesn’t turn the ball over. Instead they’ve got a guy who is going to get sacked a lot and has it in him to be a turnover machine. Should Minnesota have let itself be a weapon in Favre’s crusade against Ted Thompson? The defence is as good as ever and could carry this team to the playoffs and beyond, but their best hope may be an injury to Brett allowing them to focus on what they do well.
4. San Diego Chargers
It’s almost a foregone conclusion that the Chargers will take the West, but with the roster purge coming their way that won’t be enough. They’ll need to go deep into the playoffs and that involves their running game getting better and their pass rush causing the problems people had become accustomed to with it. A lot of this could depend on how effective Lights Out is on his return, but watch out for Larry English to make his way onto the field and be used in some interesting ways with both Merriman and Phillips.
3. New England Patriots
They were all set to be top and then they traded away Richard Seymour. It boggles the mind how a SuperBowl contender can give away one of its best players regardless of how many draft picks they get in return. Jarvis Green may not be a huge drop off but d-line rotation is huge in the NFL and the Pats just gave up one of the best players in the league. The offence should score points at will against most, but eventually their defence is going to need to do something and you wonder if they’re relying on too many unproven players to carry them.
2. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles constantly find a way to maintain a strong and deep roster. Already contending with some serious injuries they still look well placed to make a run at that elusive SuperBowl. In a division as tough as the NFC East they will need to avoid their traditional sluggish start and make an immediate impact, and a lot will rely on Donovan McNabb being more consistent against the better defences he is going to face. How much of an impact will the death of Jim Johnson have?
1. Pittsburgh Steelers
Last year the Steelers seemed to outlast teams as much as out class them with rivals suffering key injuries. This year they’ll look to rubbish that talk and on the surface they’re primed to do so. Talent at every position, the weird thing for a Steelers team is that they will need their running backs and offensive line to produce more consistently to avoid leaving Big Ben vulnerable to some Big Hits. The defence you would think will carry on in the same form, although it will be worth keeping an eye on an ageing Casey Hampton who could be coming to the end of his time with the Steelers.
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