NFL Division Rankings '05

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
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NFL Division Rankings through Week 5

#1 NFC East 10-4 (71%) 0-1 this week
How about those Cowboys? Does this signify a shift in the balance of power in the East? Who knows. Enough off-topic rambling, the Redskins lost a nailbiter in Denver. Tuck rule? Blocked kick? Are you kidding me? Despite getting shut out this week, the East easily holds on to the top spot.

#2 NFC South 11-7 (61%) 1-3 this week
The South found out that not everybody is as much of a pushover as those slackers in the NFC North. The AFC East beat up on the South this week; how does the undefeated division leader lose to the A-A-R-P JETS JETS JETS?! (Also, how does Ronde Barber – undefeated in bare knuckle contests against umpires – not get ejected?) Give the Falcons credit for hanging tough with the champs, but they forgot the cardinal rule: never give Tom Brady the ball with the game on the line. (Or was it a land war in Asia? I forget.) The Saints added injury to their insult, losing Deuce for the season, but at least the Panthers managed to squeak by the Cardinals. Wait, what? Squeak by the Cardinals? Yikes, this division may be in for some trouble down the line, barely holding on to the #2 spot for now.

#3 AFC North 9-6 (60%) 2-2 this week
Nice solid win for the Steelers; hopefully Big Ben will be fine and ready to go next week. Trent Dilfer, as has been said before, is not a terrible passer, and Romeo clearly knows a thing or two about coaching as the Browns capitalize on a late game flury of points to overwhelm the struggling Bears. The bad play from the Bengals finally caught up with them in Jacksonville, while the Ravens completely self destructed. The entire Ravens coaching staff may want to start punching up their resumes. Holding on to the #3 spot, the North hopes to regroup next week.

#4 AFC South 7-6 (54%) 2-0 this week
The Jags pulled off a solid win against an undefeated Bengals team, while the Colts toyed with the 49ers and their rookie QB. It’s always nice to bounce back from a winless week to an undefeated week, and this upsurge has moved the South up one spot from #5 last week to #4 this week. It’s good to be in the top half of the league.

#5 AFC West 6-6 (50%) 1-1 this week
The West doesn’t seem to be doing anything now that they’ve hit the .500 point, maintaining that record with a .500 showing this week. It would be hard to fault the Chargers for losing to the powerhouse that is the Steelers, home game or not. Conversely, kudos to the Broncos for holding off the tag-team of the undefeated Redskins and the refs. Still, treading water proved detrimental this week, dropping the West down a spot from #4 to #5.

#6 AFC East 7-8 (47%) 2-0 this week
How can you not love the Testaverde story? Okay, if you’re a Bucs fan, I could see that. But for everyone else, this was a great story, and an even greater win for the demoralized Jets. Speaking of the Jets, is it too late to trade for a real kicker and/or return man? Their top two draft picks have been nothing short of awful; borderline humiliating, actually. The other action was the Patriots, with another boringly predictable 4th quarter game winning drive for Brady and Vinatieri. Amazingly, a 2-0 showing still leaves the East short of .500, but maintains their hold on the #6 spot. What is the world coming to?

#7 NFC North 3-10 (23%) 2-1 this week
Well we’re movin’ on up! (Mo-vin’ on up.) At one point in the game, the Saints were leading 3-0 over the Packers. The rest of the way? Favre and the Pack pitched a nickel shutout. A nickel shutout?! That’s Maddenesque in it’s unbelievability. The Bears were in position to win in the fourth, but ended up folding like a cheap suit, while the Lions capitalized on all 21 penalties (plus two ejections) by the Ravens. A solid 2-1 showing not only triples the North’s win total for the season, but vaults them above the West, moving up from dead last to the #7 spot.

#8 NFC West 2-8 (20%) 0-2 this week
The West managed several weeks of being not the worst team in football, but a tiger can’t change its stripes. The Cards played well, while the 49ers stunk the joint up, but in the end how well you play doesn’t matter if the results are the same. An undefeated week plummets the West back home to dead last in the league, down a spot from #7 last week. On a serious note, here’s hoping that Mike Martz recovers quickly and fully. As enjoyable as it is to poke fun at his playcalling, nobody deserves the scare of hospital stay for a mystery disease.

Conference Ranking through Week 5

#1 AFC 12-9 (57%) 5-1 this week
#2 NFC 9-12 (43%) 1-5 this week

The AFC awoke from its slumber after falling behind the NFC last week. A strong 5-1 performance cements their lead over the Nationals, while 15 AFC teams point and laugh at the Ravens. What’s up with your team, Billick?

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Today’s USA Today (Thursday, October 13th, pg 8C) has an article about the NFC East and the no-longer-dominant Eagles. In this article they ranked the divisions by combined record, and included a column for “Non-div. games”, which is what this thread is all about.

Just wanted to point out that they incorrectly listed the NFC West as 3-8, when in reality the correct number is 2-8, as listed in this thread. The table in the paper was attributed to Jarrett Bell, who gave the West an extra win in both columns. (He listed their combined record as 8-13, when it’s actually 7-13.)

Hey, my fact checking is more reliable than USA Today’s! That’s something, at least. Even with the error, it’s nice to see my idea pop up in the media…similar to last year when the AFC vs NFC number showed up on SportsCenter. (Not that they read here, of course.)

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Don’t get too high on yourself. They had an article yesterday about some Australian dude who is allegedly more directly in the line of succession for King of England than the current House of Windsor folks. But they kept putting him in Austria instead of Australia.

:wink:

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NFL Division Rankings through Week 6

#1 NFC East 10-5 (67%) 0-1 this week
For the second straight week, the Redskins represented the only action for the NFC East. And for the second straight week, they lost. Impressively, the East remains the top division in football after two straight winless weeks. Hail to the Redskins indeed.

#2 NFC South 13-7 (65%) 2-0 this week
It was not a surprise that the Panthers managed to beat an NFC North team. The bigger surprise was that they were underdogs. The Bucs, meanwhile, won the Florida Bowl against the rival Dolphins despite (or is that because of?) the return of Reefer McSmokesalot. The undefeated showing not only maintains the South’s hold on the #2 spot, but has them in position to overtake the fading East.

#3 AFC North 10-7 (59%) 1-1 this week
Despite it being Thursday, we’re receiving reports that Maddox just turned the ball over again. Luckily, Ben’s rehab has been magically accelerated, so he looks to reclaim the Steelers’ swagger next week. On the plus side, the Bengals rebounded from their loss to beat the Titans, setting up what should be a great divisional battle next week against the Steelers. The .500 showing was plenty good enough for the North to keep its hold on the #3 spot.

#4 AFC West 8-6 (57%) 2-0 this week
The Broncos gained some respect by beating up on the champs, while the Chiefs got a quality win in the Politically Incorrect Bowl over the Redskins. Undefeated weeks rarely go unrewarded, and this was no exception, moving the West up a spot from #5 to #4.

#5 AFC South 9-8 (53%) 2-2 this week
It took the Colts a bit to get it rolling against the Rams. One could argue that Peyton might want to look Harrison’s way a little earlier next time. The Jags special teams may have failed them in overtime, but their secret weapon – Tommy Maddox – clinched the win. All was not roses in the South, however, as both the Titans and Texans fell to better teams. The .500 showing this week inches the South closer to 50%, which drops them down a spot from #4 last week to #5 this week.

#6 AFC East 7-10 (41%) 0-2 this week
The wheels are starting to come off the bus in the East. The Patriots got smacked around by the Broncos, while the return of Ricky did nothing to help the Dolphins against the Bucs. Going winless plummets the East down in percentage points, but they still have a long way to fall before bumping into the dregs of the league. Solidifying their hold on the #6 spot, the East remains the same.

#7 NFC West 3-9 (25%) 1-1 this week
The schedule was kind to the West this week, allowing it to move up a spot by matching the Seahawks against the worst team in football, the Houston Texans. The Rams showed signs of life against the Colts by jumping out to an early 17-0 lead, but then the playcalling went haywire. One three-and-out series went as follows: screen, draw (from the shotgun), screen. This is not a Martz-like series; they need him back in a bad way. As bad as 3-9 is, it isn’t the worst, as the West climbs out of the cellar from #8 last week to #7 this week.

#8 NFC North 3-11 (21%) 0-1 this week
Not much action this week, but the North stayed true to form by following up their only winning week of the season with an oh-fer. With the way this division plays, can you really blame the players for wanting a little extra-curricular activity? A sexboat romp seems only fair, what with the North reclaiming their rightful spot as the worst division in football, dropping a spot from #7 to #8.

Conference Ranking through Week 6

#1 AFC 14-11 (56%) 2-2 this week
#2 NFC 11-14 (44%) 2-2 this week

The NFC holds tough, splitting the four games this week. While not making up games, they are eating away at the margin of difference percentage-wise. That’s something, I guess.

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This was an interesting week in the standings. The NFL schedule makers opted for symmetry this week: The NFC East played four games against the two West divisions, the AFC West played four games against the two East divisions, and the NFC West played 3 games against the two East divisions. That’s a lot of frequent flier miles. Unsurprisingly, many of the home teams found a way to win. Just to ease the burden on the nation’s jetfuel supply, the two North divisions played their two games against each other.

NFL Division Rankings through Week 7

#1 NFC East 13-6 (68%) 3-1 this week
Three games went down to the wire, with Eli taking control, Bledsoe losing control, and the Eagles out of control in a heartstoppingly impossible win. Oh yeah, and the 'Skins put up a nickel. While the other divisions with winning records went a combined 3-6, the NFC East buckled down and asserted its dominance as the best division in football.

#2 NFC South 14-8 (64%) 1-1 this week
The Falcons won their scrimmage against the woeful Jets, but the Saints got robbed in St Louis. So what if they have no timeouts? Are the refs unable to take matters into their own hands when they make such a blatantly wrong call? The Saints entire season is a long string of cruel jokes.

#3 AFC West 10-8 (56%) 2-2 this week
The AFC West would like to be known as the best division in football, but they will have to settle for having two of the best teams with losing records in the Chargers and Raiders. Facing four games against the East divisions, the West easily beat up on the struggling AFC East, but lost two stunning heartbreakers against the best division in football. Interestingly, the West is holding on with a 4-5 record against the NFC East, but in those 9 games, the home teams are 7-2. Of note is that both home losers were in the West: Dallas won in San Diego and Philly won in Kansas City. Despite the fact that the 2-2 showing hurt their winning percentage, the West moved up a spot from #4 last week to #3 this week, leapfrogging the AFC North.

#4 AFC North 10-9 (53%) 0-2 this week
With the Ravens and Browns in the division, the North will be lucky to stay above .500 this year. During weeks when they are the only teams in action, an oh-fer is unsurprising, as the Browns and Ravens managed a combined 16 points between them in their two losses. That’s not so good. This drops the North a spot from #3 to #4, as they look to rebound next week.

#5 AFC South 9-9 (50%) 0-1 this week
The only action this week was the Titans, and they couldn’t even beat the Cardinals. What’s going on in the South? Not much, as the winless week drops them down to .500 on the season, which easily holds onto the #5 spot.

#6 NFC West 6-10 (38%) 3-1 this week
Solid showing for the West this week, capitalizing on bad calls, bad decisions, and a bad opponent. Sure the 49ers let up a nickel, but to a team tied for first in the best division in football. The three wins were enough to pull them up a spot, overtaking the AFC East to go to #6, up from #7 last week.

#7 AFC East 7-13 (35%) 0-3 this week
The Patriots had the week off, and if the rest of the division is any indication, they should be happy they did. There’s not much to say about the East; what little positive there is to point to is drowned out by the ocean of problems surrounding all four teams. Just not a good situation, and the poor showing has actually dropped the East a spot from #6 last week to #7 this week. Could the AFC East go from first to worst in a single season?

#8 NFC North 5-11 (31%) 2-0 this week
The undefeated week left the North still in last place, but they are now within striking distance of the AFC East. In the two games they played this week – both against the AFC North – they scored a combined 23 points, and managed to win both games.

Conference Ranking through Week 7

#1 NFC 17-14 (55%) 6-0 this week
#2 AFC 14-17 (45%) 0-6 this week

The NFC sent a message this week, and that message was that the dominance of the AFC is officially over. Stomping on the AFC to the tune of 6-0, the NFC is now the conference to beat.

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Interestingly, although the NFC East has been ahead of the NFC South in your calculations, if the playoffs were decided after either last week or this week, the NFC South would hold home-field advantage and both wildcard spots.

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Yeah, there was a similar deal last season. Note that the NFC West was amazingly awful at 13-27 (<33%), a low water mark that may never be beaten. And yet, they sent a wildcard team to the playoffs. Similarly, the AFC South is dead even despite boasting the only undefeated team.

The only reason the South isn’t #1 is the Saints. But you take the good with the bad; the NFC East is the best top-to-bottom division in the league right now. There’s no question that the top 3 teams in the South are better than the top 3 in the East. But is that margin of difference greater than the difference between the Cowboys and Saints? Not as of yet.

One way to look at it: I’ll gladly go up against any AFC South team not named Colts. Similarly, I’ll gladly go against the Saints. But I wouldn’t want to play anyone in the NFC East, nor would I want to play anyone in the AFC West.

Hmmm, I guess I kind of agree with the people that talk about the AFC West being in contention. I’m not at all looking forward to my Giants traveling to Oakland on New Year’s Eve, that’s for sure.

It’s too bad the East doesn’t play the South this year; the matchups between the NFC East and the AFC West have been fantastic. With few exceptions, they’ve been great fun to watch, with big comebacks, last minute heartbreaks, etc… That’s what you get when two good divisions square off. (Much like the AFC East and AFC North last year.)

But they only play the four “strength of schedule” games between each other, and so far they stand at a not-very-informative 1-1. (Giants hammered the Saints, and the Falcons beat the Eagles.)

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There has been a big shakeup in the top of the standings this week. Despite boasting three 5-2 teams, the NFC South has not only fallen farther back behind the dominant NFC East, but has actually been caught from behind by the powerful AFC West, which is starting to catch its stride with the Chargers and Raiders learning how to close out games.

NFL Division Rankings through Week 8

#1 NFC East 14-7 (67%) 1-1 this week
Two blowout games showed two teams on very different paths. The Cowboys may have a RB controversy after watching Barber run wild on the Cards in Jones’ absence, and the Eagles showed a brief spark of life before falling apart against the Broncos, who were clearly the better team. It’s tough to stay at the top, but the East is managing that by holding onto its early success with consistently even-or-better weeks.

#2 NFC South 15-10 (60%) 1-2 this week
The double digit favorite Bucs lost outright to the 49ers, for which Tom Coughlin should send them a thank-you gift basket, as the Giants travel to San Francisco next week in a classic trap game. Steve Smith alone could have beaten the Vikings, but the Saints woes march on in relentless fashion as they lost to a subpar Dolphins team. The poor showing dropped the South back into a two-way tie for #2 with the rebounding AFC West.

#2 AFC West 12-8 (60%) 2-0 this week
The Broncos were shocked by the late-game heroics of Eli last week, and so they took out their frustrations on a banged up Eagles team, coming within a point of hanging a nickel on last year’s conference champs. Meanwhile, Oakland won the game they should win against the Titans, and this undefeated performance vaulted the West up into a tie for #2, up a spot from #3 last week.

#4 AFC North 11-10 (52%) 1-1 this week
The Bengals managed to get the win over the Packers, despite Chad Johnson being near tears on the sidelines wishing he wasn’t so good as to draw so many double teams. (His words, believe it or not.) But the Browns gave up the first win of the season to the awful Texans, which could not have made Crennel a happy guy. I’m guessing they didn’t have Monday off in Cleveland this week. Still, the even showing keeps the North steady at just over .500, holding onto the #4 spot by the skin of their teeth.

#5 AFC South 10-11 (48%) 1-2 this week
With the Colts off, not much could be expected of the South this week, and that’s exactly what they delivered: not much. The Titans got housed by the Raiders and the Jags took a tumble against the new and improved Rams. But let’s show some love for the Texans, who not only represented the South’s only win this week, but managed to get off the schnide with their very first win of the season. Kudos, Houston.

#6 NFC West 8-11 (42%) 2-1 this week
Solid showing for the West for the second straight week. Martz’ absence has allowed the running game to flourish with Stephen Jackson, winning their game over a quality Jacksonville team. And the 49ers win a stunner over the fading Bucs, who have a world of QB woes of their own going on. The Cards never had a chance against the Cowboys, but the 2-1 showing has added some cushion between the West and the injury-plagued AFC East.

#7 AFC East 8-13 (38%) 1-0 this week
With the Jets off and the Patriots and Bills duking it out for first place in the division, only the Dolphins saw any action this week. Luckily for the East, that action was against the ill-fated Saints, so the easy win adds a bit to their winning percentage, but does nothing much else of note.

#8 NFC North 5-13 (28%) 0-2 this week
When you’re the worst division in football, how do you follow up an undefeated week? With a winless week, of course. Green Bay surprised nobody with their loss to the Bengals, but they stayed true to form by keeping it close. Despite being 1-6, they are +19 in points scored and allowed. To put that into perspective, the only other 1-6 team in the league – the Houston Texans – are at -102. In other news, the Vikings added injury to insult when they lost Culpepper for the year (and possibly into next, with a torn ACL, PCL & MCL) on their way to a demoralizing route at the hands of the Panthers.

Conference Ranking through Week 8

#1 NFC 18-17 (51%) 1-3 this week
#2 AFC 17-18 (49%) 3-1 this week

The AFC is fighting back, almost closing the gap to get back to .500. The parity between the conferences is looking near perfect this season.

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Nice write-up. On the one hand, it’s a shame that the best two divisions in football (NFC East and AFC West) get screwed by having to play each other. On th other hand, it makes for some really good regular season games (Giants-Broncos, Eagles-Chargers, Cowboys-Chargers, etc.).

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I didn’t see any highlights until just now on HBO’s Inside the NFL, which is why this is coming so late in the week. I’ll not respond to Collinsworth’s ridiculous prediction regarding the NFC East playoff picture.

NFL Division Rankings through Week 9

#1 NFC East 15-7 (68%) 1-0 this week
Unlike the Redskins, when the G-Men are the only team in action for the week, they represent with a win. Sure, it was the lowly 49ers starting a rodeo QB, but it was Eli’s first road win. Going undefeated continues the roll as the East holds onto the top spot for the 8th straight week.

#2 AFC West 13-8 (62%) 1-0 this week
The West hasn’t lost a game in two weeks, despite Marty doing his absolute best to lose to Brooks Bollinger and the rest of the Jets. Moving past the NFC South, the West now stands alone at #2.

#3 NFC South 16-11 (59%) 1-1 this week
The Bears were too much for the lowly Saints, and even though the Falcons got the win in Miami, it wasn’t very convincing. The South could be poised for a big fall. In any case, after a good run at #2, splitting their two games dropped the South down a spot to #3.

#4 AFC North 13-10 (57%) 2-0 this week
The Steelers held tough in Green Bay without Roethlisberger for the second straight week, getting the win even though Favre and the Pack stayed true to form by being in the game in the 4th quarter. Meanwhile, the Browns abused the tackling-impaired Titans to cap off the undefeated week. Though the North remains #4, they are now poised to overtake the fading NFC South.

#5 AFC South 11-12 (48%) 1-1 this week
Peyton Manning can pull a Steve Young and pantomime taking the monkey off his back as the Colts steamrolled their nemesis in Foxboro. But the lower half of the division is simply dead weight, as the Titans got kicked in the teeth by the lowly Browns. Here’s a tip for the youngest team in football: the second guy goes for the strip, not the first. One wonders if the South can drag themselves above .500, but hovering just below keeps them in in the #5 spot this week.

#6 NFC West 8-12 (40%) 0-1 this week
Just when the West was starting to show some signs of life, they took a step backward as the 49ers got spanked by the visiting Giants. If it weren’t for the ineptitude of the AFC East, the West might have dropped a spot, but the oh-fer is enough to hold onto #6.

#7 AFC East 8-16 (33%) 0-3 this week
The East was the only division to play more than two games this week, but that wasn’t a good thing as two traditions fell to subpar play: The Patriots no longer own the Colts, and the Jets no longer own the Chargers. The third game saw the Dolphins representing the conference against the Falcons, to predictable results. The East is perilously close to becoming the worst division in football, but for now cling to the #7 spot by the skin of their teeth.

#8 NFC North 6-14 (30%) 1-1 this week
The Bears might want to crow a little, but it’s tough to get excited about beating the Saints. In other news, the Packers held tough for three and a half quarters against the Steelers, but a fourth quarter turnover spelled defeat. That story is almost becoming a cliche at Lambeau this season. While splitting their two games helps their winning percentage, the North can’t seem to rise above dead last no matter what they do.

Conference Ranking through Week 9

#1 NFC 19-18 (51%) 1-1 this week
#2 AFC 18-19 (49%) 1-1 this week

Nothing of interest this week, as two good teams got victories over two bad teams.

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Excellent analysis.

How we’re not 0-9, I don’t understand. The Chargers do their best to tear a defeat from the jaws of victory every single week, and when it comes down to it they’re no better this year than they were in 1999. They’ve got weapons, they’ve got a great quarterback and the best running back since Barry Sanders, a linebacker crew on the rise, and lines that do their jobs most of the time, but it’s the same damn thing we’ve seen here for years: dominate for three quarters, slit own wrists in fourth.

What’s Collingsworth’s ridiculous prediction? I didn’t catch it.

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Did anyone else read the article in the latest ESPN Magazine about the NFC North? You should see some of the quotes.

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Cris Carter: Giants win the division, Cowboys get the wildcard, Eagles are out.
Dan Marino: Giants win the division, Cowboys get the wildcard, Eagles are out.
Chris Collinsworth: The Eagles not only get a win over Dallas this week, but then beat the Giants in New York, go on a roll, and get the wildcard spot with Dallas winning the division.
Dan Marino: Giants don’t make the playoffs?!
Chris Collinsworth: Giants don’t make the playoffs.
Dan Marino: You’re crazy!

For once I agree with Dan Marino, despite how dirty that makes me feel. I’ll agree that the division is up for grabs and that Dallas might very well win it, but the Eagles getting a wildcard and the Giants staying home? Please. The Eagles are done.

I’ve been hearing a lot this week about how the Giants went 1-15 in the second half of the last two seasons; 0-8 to end 2003 and 1-7 to end 2004. What everyone seems to have forgotten is that the Giants led the league in IR last season, with 17 players gone for the season, and also had well over a dozen guys on IR in 2003. Look at the Patriots and Jets and see how well you can do when you have that many injuries. (Giants went 4-4 and 5-3 in the first half of those two seasons.)

I hear all about how the Panthers were injury-depleted last year, but they weren’t as bad off as Big Blue. There appears to be a national anti-NY malaise, which I attribute to the ever-hateable Yankees. For as long as I can remember, the G-Men have never commanded respect. In 2000 when they made the Superbowl, nobody predicted them to even make the playoffs. In fairness, they did get a reasonable amount of respect in 2002, but that San Fran collapse seems to have squandered all of it. So much so that having a record number of injuries in the past two years seems to go largely unnoticed, even among analysts who are pro-Giants. You’d think Phil Simms might have pointed it out, but not even him.

All in all, I have to say that while it does annoy me, I am happy for it, as the Giants consistently play better when they get no credit. The moment analysts hop on the bandwagon, we lose to expansion teams. (As happened in 2002, when we did get some respect, and so promptly lost to the Houston Texans.)

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Not only do I think the Giants will win the NFC East, I think they’ll make it to the Bowl. Now, it is just possible that Dallas will play up for the rest of the season and edge out the Giants to win the conference, but I find that highly unlikely. Much more likely is the Giants winning the conf. and Dallas getting a wildcard. Also possible is Dallas self-imploding, allowing the Eagles to sneak up into a wildcard spot. And, for that matter, Washington ain’t out of the picture yet, either …

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Crap, I hit the wrong button and lost a long post. To recap quickly:

I’m worried about the Panthers, despite beating them in preseason, and the Falcons own us with or without Vick. In order for the Giants to get to the show, we need:

  1. To win the division and get a first round bye
  2. The Panthers to knock the Falcons out of the playoffs

I think we match up well against the Panthers. Call me crazy, but I think Will Allen can cover Steve Smith, not to even mention our rookie Corey Webster who humiliated Smith in the preseason. Our OL is much improved over what they faced in August, compared to their DL which has taken a step back. They can’t cover Plax, Shockey AND Toomer, (who can?), and we won’t need to rely on Tim Hasselback to get the win. (Which he did in preseason after they knocked out Eli for 3 weeks, meaning Tim held his own against their starters for a drive or two.) Nobody else in the conference worries me. I would say the Cowboys, but they had to win a coin toss in overtime to beat us. And that was in Dallas!

It really sucks about the Jets injuries; this could have been a truly magical season for NY football if The Chad (or even Fiedler) had stayed healthy. If ever there was a chance for them to overcome the Pats, this was the season. (Much like 2002.)

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I guess I should rephrase my last post a bit: I think it likely the Giants will do well.

But as you imply, it depends on which Giants show up when. And heck, that issue applies to the whole NFC East. Which means it is not at all out of reason to imagine the Redskins winning the division. And then losing in the first round like the b****es they are. All while the NFC East remains “#1” in the division rankings.

It’s the little things that make you love football. :slight_smile:

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Week 10 saw a major reshuffling in the rankings, with five divisions changing places. A special shout out to the beleagured NFC North, which posted only the second perfect week (4-0) of any division all season.

NFL Division Rankings through Week 10

#1 NFC East 15-9 (63%) 0-2 this week
The Giants missed their special teams stars in a big way. With both David Tyree and Justin Tuck out, Big Blue let up both punt and kickoff returns for touchdowns. Toss in four picks for Eli – including one pick six – and you get an upset in the Meadowlands against the Vikings. Meanwhile Joe Gibbs whines about officiating as his Redskins fall to the Bucs when Gruden decided to go for “two and the win.” 0-2 isn’t a good week, but surprisingly it was good enough to hold onto the top spot for yet another week.

#2 NFC South 18-12 (60%) 2-1 this week
Just when it appeared that the South was fading fast, the Panthers and Bucs get big wins over the Jets and Redskins respectively. Any Bucs fans annoyed by Joe Gibbs whining about the phantom two pointer can take satisfaction from the Betts TD return where he clearly stepped out of bounds. When bad calls go both ways, that’s what we call a level playing field. Also, in a surprising twist, the Falcons got upset by Favre and the Pack. Being the only winning division to post a winning record this week, it comes as no surprise that the South moved up a spot from #3 last week to #2 this week.

#3 AFC West 13-9 (59%) 0-1 this week
Kansas City fans must be wondering what’s going on with their team. How does a good team lose to the Bills? There’s a false premise in there somewhere. The West had only that one loss, but adding no wins drops the division down a spot from #2 to #3.

#4 AFC North 13-11 (54%) 0-1 this week
The Ravens really are a truly awful team, and it’s never a good week when Baltimore is the only team in action. After getting kicked in the teeth by the Jaguars, the North weathered the winless week by holding onto the #4 spot.

#5 AFC South 12-12 (50%) 1-0 this week
Only one game, which matched the Jaguars against the hapless Ravens. With the easy win, the South is creeping up slowly toward the North, but for now remain mired in the lower half of the league at #5.

#6 NFC North 10-14 (42%) 4-0 this week
Let’s hear it for the North! When you get down to the dregs of the league, every win has potential to move you up a spot. The North’s perfect 4-0 week was made even more impressive by the fact that half of it came against quality opponents. The Vikings held on to upset the Giants, the Packers stunned the Falcons with an 8 point victory, and the Lions and Bears feasted on the West by beating the Cards and 49ers respectively. This superlative performance vaulted the North up twelve percentage points and two full spots, from dead last up to #6. Can they keep this roll going?

#7 NFC West 8-14 (36%) 0-2 this week
The Cards and 49ers got used and abused by the resurgent North, which dropped last year’s doormat division down a spot from #6 to #7, with the last place AFC East not far behind. Will the West end up being the worst division in football two years in a row?

#8 AFC East 9-17 (35%) 1-1 this week
The Billies got a huge win over the Chiefs, but the Jets fell apart after staying competitive with the Panthers for three quarters. Splitting the week dropped them down a spot from #7 to dead last, but at this level every win helps. If the East wants to avoid going from first to worst, they will need to rally to catch the NFC West.

Conference Ranking through Week 10

#1 NFC 20-18 (53%) 1-0 this week
#2 AFC 18-20 (47%) 0-1 this week

The Panthers held on and then poured it on over the injury-riddled Jets, which was the only interconference action of the week. This improved the NFC’s slight lead over the AFC, but the season is far from over.

38

Week 11 saw only only one shift in the standings, but it was a doozy. All the folks who argued that the AFC West was the best division in football now have validation, as the West posted only the third perfect week (4-0) of the season, and the first one for the AFC.

NFL Division Rankings through Week 11

#1 AFC West 17-9 (65%) 4-0 this week
The West not only took first place, but took it in grand fashion. Posting a perfect week is impressive in its own right, but they outscored their four opponents to the tune of 136 to 40. Wow. Sure, one could argue that the opponents were inferior teams. (Which they were.) But for now, this tremendous showing vaults the AFC West up two spots from #3 last week to the best division in football this week.

#2 NFC East 16-10 (62%) 1-1 this week
The East is fading, and fading fast. With both TO and now McNabb out for the season, the Eagles are done, and the Redskins continue to lose games they should win. Only the Cowboys and Giants appear to be any good, and they’re both inconsistent at best. Sliding down a spot, the East falls from being #1 for nine straight weeks down to #2 this week.

#3 NFC South 18-14 (56%) 0-2 this week
The Saints never really had a chance in Foxboro, so it was no surprise that they lost. the Panthers, on the other hand, were supposed to be the best team in the NFC, but looked anything but in their loss to the Bears. Jake Delhomme is seeing David Carr’s PTSD therapist this week to help recover from all the sacks the Bears hung on him. Going winless never helps, and this is no exception, as the South drops a spot from #2 last week to #3 this week.

#4 AFC North 14-12 (54%) 1-1 this week
Every time the Bengals get an opportunity to prove themselves, they fail miserably. On the plus side, they exposed the Colts overhyped defense by scoring 37. The problem was that the Colts did the same to them, at one point scoring on five consecutive drives in an unwatchable 45-37 trainwreck. There are apparently people who enjoy these kind of games, but the author can’t help but assume they are basketball fans. In other news, the Browns beat up on the Dolphins, so the week wasn’t a total loss.

#5 AFC South 13-13 (50%) 1-1 this week
Everyone who claimed that the Colts had a good defense – or that Dwight Freeney was the best DL in football – must now hang their heads in shame. But the Colts have never been about defense, despite their head coach’s reputation. Nobody can deny that the Colts have a great offense, and nobody can seem to stop it, either, as they roll over Cincy without breaking a sweat. The Texans, meanwhile, had the dubious honor of playing in primetime on Sunday Night, where they had their clocks cleaned by the fading Chiefs. Their secret is finally out: the Texans stink.

#6 NFC North 11-15 (42%) 1-1 this week
Although the Lions never had a chance against the Cowboys, the Bears capitalized on their chances against the Panthers in a statement game that could end up being the difference in getting a first round bye. Perhaps they should beat each other up at FBI shooting ranges every week…

#7 NFC West 8-14 (36%) 0-0 this week
No action, no change. Of note is that both divisional games were high scoring shootouts where the underdog covered. Now that’s the NFC West we all know and love.

#8 AFC East 10-20 (33%) 1-3 this week
Well, the Patriots beat the Saints. The rest of this woeful division was outscored 97-10. Ouch.

Conference Ranking through Week 11

#1 NFC 20-20 (50%) 0-2 this week
#2 AFC 20-20 (50%) 2-0 this week

The AFC is hanging tough, evening up the records for the season.

39

Now that the regular season has ended, I can finally update these rankings. Thanksgiving caused me to miss a week, and it was too much work to figure multiple weeks at once. However, the end of season rankings are a simple matter of subtracting 12 wins and 12 losses from each division to offset the 12 divisional games, so here we have the final standings.

Will these rankings be of value in predicting the playoff games? They weren’t half bad last year, so I’m committing and making the predictions.

NFL Division Rankings through Week 17

#1 AFC West 24-16 (60%)
Tied for best division in football, and yet no wildcard representative. Being the best team in the co-best division in football, look for the Broncos to get the Colts monkey off their playoff backs and head back to the Superbowl for a little payback against…

#1 NFC East 24-16 (60%)
The Giants may have the best record in the East, but the Redskins are much hotter right now. Still, as the winner of the co-best division in football, look for the Giants to get a shot at going 2-0 against the Broncos in the Superbowl. This is not as crazy as it sounds, as the Giants will get a second home playoff game when they host the Redskins in the NFC Championship game after knocking off the Panthers and Bears.

#3 AFC North 22-18 (55%)
The Steelers certainly seem hotter than the Bengals right now, so look for Pittsburgh to be the team to advance into the second round from the North. That heads them straight into Indianapolis, and being a wildcard team means being on an even playing field with the division winner right below you. (Jets @ Steelers from last year.) So, I guess, look for the Colts to win the overtime coin toss in the divisional round, and then watch the Steelers go home without ever having touched the ball.

#4 NFC South 21-19 (53%)
At least this year the worst division in football didn’t send a wildcard team to the tournament. The Panthers should take an early exit at the hands of the Giants, while the Bucs will be knocked off by the Redskins. Sorry, Bucs fans, but that’s what the numbers tell me.

#5 AFC South 20-20 (50%)
Poor Colts, they had everything going for them, and then they hit a cold streak just as the playoffs begin. The bye week will do nothing for them, and then after squeaking by the Steelers they will lose to the Broncos. It does seem fitting, as this is the season where the vast majority of streaks came to an end. Why should the Colts over Broncos playoff streak be any different? Meanwhile, the Jaguars should be able to handle the Patriots in the wildcard round.

#6 NFC North 17-23 (43%)
Well Bears, you had a good run, but your division is simply not good enough to prepare you for the postseason. Much like 2001, you burned brightly but will ultimately fall short, as the Giants knock you out of the divisional round.

#7 NFC West 16-24 (40%)
The Seahawks are about as overhyped as any team can get. They never looked very good at all against teams with winning records, and having the top seed won’t shield them from this fact. Winning the co-worst division in football is not much to brag about, and even the long plane trip from Washington won’t be enough to protect you from the charging Redskins. There’s always next year.

#7 AFC East 16-24 (40%)
Personally, I can’t imagine the Patriots losing to the Jaguars, but the numbers just don’t lie. Jacksonville to advance.

Conference Ranking through Week 17

To be determined. (Or not.)

Playoff Predictions

Wildcard Round
Giants over Panthers
Redskins over Bucs
Jaguars over Patriots
Steelers over Bengals (no actual prediction on this game; author’s gut feeling)

Divisional Round
Giants over Bears
Redskins over Seahawks
Colts over Steelers or Bengals over Colts
Broncos over Jaguars

Conference Championships
Giants over Redskins (no actual prediction on this game; author’s gut feeling)
Broncos over Colts or Bengals

Superbowl
No prediction until the conference standings are tabulated.

40

My predictions, based on gut feelings rather than statistics or historical precedent:

Wildcard Round
Panthers defeat Giants - the Skins gave everyone the blueprint: Run sweeps to the outside to keep the secondary honest, and pick on Allen.

Redskins defeat Buccaneers - Riding high on their recent surge, they give their all and squeak by the Buc’s D, but leave nothing left in the tank (or the depth charts) for the next game.

Patriots defeat Jaguars - The Jags aren’t as good as their record. Leftwich is to return, but he hasn’t played in over a month, and picking up on the road amid the NE winter spells disaster.

Steelers defeat Bengals - Cinci has surprised everyone, but they’re young, inexperienced, and showed signs of wear at the end of the season. Pitt will pound the ball at them relentlessly, and the D should keep Palmer in check.

Divisional Round
Seahawks defeat Washington - With a depleted corp, the 6 hour flight (9 with the time change) won’t help. Try not to get embarrassed guys.

Bears defeat Panthers - Rested, ready, and at home; Da Bears’ll take this low scoring game.

Colts defeat Steelers - The first half will be a lot of jockeying for field position and strong defensive play, but the Colts will put up some points and take the Steelers out of the running game they rely on.

Patriots defeat Denver - This one could go either way. Denver has the mile high advantage, but look for the Pats to throw everything they have at Plummer and keep him off balance all afternoon. Plummer has thrown very few picks this year, but he’ll resort to form under pressure.

Conference Championships
Seadogs defeat Bears - Even the Bears D can’t hold Alexander, and their anorexic offense won’t be able to keep up.

Colts defeat Patriots - The Pats have pulled together a remarkable season after a poor start, but they don’t have enough juice to get past the Colts on the road to make it 3 in a row.

Superbowl
Colts defeat Seattle - It sounds cliche to even call the two number 1 teams in the SB, and I’m surprised I’m doing it myself, but that’s how I see it. In the end, Seattle’s season ends in Detroit. Alexander can only carry them so far, and when the Colts stuff the line and make Hasselbeck beat them, the Seabird’s weakness is exposed. Could be a high scoring affair, but probably won’t be. At least Seattle will end the streak of teams that lose the SB having a sub .500 season the following year, as they are all but guaranteed 6 wins in their division.
Those’re my picks and I’m sticking to them. Feel free to point fingers and laugh over the next month.