Skip to main content

Cohen's NFL Power Rankings

Happy Thanksgiving, America! Even though it is not great times in America this year, the day still offers an opportunity to get touch with old friends and family and begin to experience the good in life once again.

As for the NFL, we have finally hit the playoff rush. The race is heading toward the stretch, and it will be interesting to witness who finishes ahead of the rest in order to qualify for division titles and wild card berths.

1) New York Giants (10-1): With Tennessee's loss to the Jets Sunday, the Giants stand alone as the best team in football. I have said it all season; there are no weaknesses on this Giants squad. They have depth at every position, whether at running back, the defensive line, or wide receiver, the Giants can and do it all. It doesn't look like anyone can stop them in the NFC, but time will only tell. The Giants can clinch a playoff berth with a win against Washington yet will need to sweep this three game stretch in the division in order to clinch that.

2) Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3): Sorry, Jet fans, your team is good, but I am still not convinced that the Steelers are a weaker team. Pittsburgh has had its troubles all season. Their offense does not score anymore, putting tremendous pressure on the defense to pick up the slack. So far they have been up to the task; can it continue with a four game stretch against the Patriots, Ravens, Titans, and Cowboys? We shall see.

3) N.Y. Jets (8-3): The Jets are rockin' and rollin' right now. Brett and the Jets destroyed the once invincible Tennessee Titans in Tennessee, exposing the Titans as sheep in wolf's clothing. The Jets have a very easy schedule ahead which could allow them to run the table and finish at 13-3. If that happens, the Jets will be a lock for the number two seed, and if Tennessee should slip up in their final two games against Pittsburgh and Indianapolis, then the Jets will have home-field throughout, based on tie-breakers. The key for the Jets is to remain focused and win out before any of this can happen.

4) Tenneessee Titans (10-1): A debilitating loss to the Jets exposed the Titans as frauds. We knew that they had a bunch of no-names at wide receiver and they sure did back that up with a million dropped passes on Sunday. Oh, and that great Titans defense? Yeah, they gave up 192 yards on the ground to the Jets. Nonetheless, best be wary future Titan opponents, losses like that allow a team to refocus and get back on track real fast.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-3): The Bucs are an impressive and strange lot. They find themselves trailing the winless Lions 17-0 on Sunday, but come from behind to win 38-20. Big win for a team that plays better in Raymound James Stadium than on the road. Even with age, the Buccaneer defense is still one of the best, yielding only 176 yards a game through the air, and a total of 180 points this season. Quarterback Jeff Garcia has been solid, completing 69.8 percent of his passes this season. Even though they are not eating up the chunks of yards they did earlier in the year, Warrick Dunn and Earnest Graham have combined for 1,129 yards this season.

6) Atlanta Falcons (7-4): The Falcons continue to amaze and dazzle. A blowout victory over the first place Panthers was quite impressive. Running back Michael Turner is making a case for the league MVP award after rushing for four touchdowns against the vaunted Panther defense. The Dirty Birds travel to San Diego, and if they come away with another big west coast victory, then this team is a serious playoff contender.

7) Indianapolis Colts (7-4): Peyton and Co. are alive and well. On Sunday, it was just another typical Colts victory. Peyton Manning leads a game winning drive in the final minute; Marvin Harrison has a huge catch on fourth and one, and Adam Vinatieri, kicks the game winning field goal. Same old, same old. The Colts are red hot and are the best story going right now after a sluggish 3-4 start.

8) New England Patriots (7-4): Not much to say other than Matt Cassel has been brilliant lately. The man has thrown for 815 yards and six touchdowns in the last two weeks. Any more questions that he can't drive Tom Brady's Chevy? Didn't think so. Talk about a walk year; Cassel is making an argument for a big time contract from somebody in 2009. Look for the Pats to win out and make it to the postseason party at 12-4.

9) Dallas Cowboys (7-4): The Cowboys are back in town. Tony Romo's 341 yard and three touchdown effort was exactly what Jerry Jones ordered. Even Terrell Owens can't complain after recording a 213 yard effort with one touchdown. By the way, he didn't need 20 catches to get to 200 yards! If the Boys keep it up, there is no reason why they should not make it to January.

10) Carolina Panthers (8-3): Are the Panthers beginning to fall apart? Seems that way after a bad loss to Atlanta on Sunday. The Panthers defense gave up 28 points in the fourth quarter alone to Atlanta, which is inexcusable. The schedule does not get any easier for the Panthers. They play in Green Bay this week, Tampa Bay and Denver at home, and conclude the season with a two game road trip to Giants Stadium and to New Orleans. Can you say 10-6 or 9-7?
Honorable Mentions:
11) Arizona Cardinals (7-4)
12) Washington Redskins (7-4)
13) Baltimore Ravens (7-4)
14) Minnesota Vikings (6-5)
15) Miami Dolphins (6-5)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Jets, Dolphins and Patriots Playoff Breakdown

Here are the formuli that could get the Jets into and out of the playoff party this season: 1) If the Jets win against Seattle and Miami, they win the AFC East based on a better conference record (8-4) than the New England Patriots, even if New England wins out as well. 2) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins win out and finish at 11-5, the Jets would be 10-6, or 9-7, and probably out of the playoffs. Both New England and Miami would make the playoffs, with the Dolphins as a divison winner and the Patriots as a wild card. The Patriots make the postseason if Baltimore loses one of its final two games. 3) If the Patriots win out and the Dolphins and Jets split, then the Patriots win the AFC East. The Jets will have to hope that they beat Miami to win that tie-breaker and, further, hope that they have a better conference record than the Baltimore Ravens in order to clinch the sixth seed. 4) If the Patriots and Ravens win out and the Dolphins and Jets split their final two games, then ...
8 comments
Read more

Francisco Lindor Remains Red Hot as Mets Top Phillies

 Francisco Lindor remains the hottest player in Queens right now.  The Mets shortstop blasted two more home runs, including a three-run blast in the bottom of the eighth inning, Monday night to help propel the Mets to a 5-4 win over Philadelphia.   Lindor who typically struggles in the month of April is putting together a heck of a month. Monday's two hit effort was the 10th game in the last 11 where Lindor has recorded a hit. In fact in the month of April alone this year, Lindor was hitting at .311 coming into Monday's action.  On the year, Lindor is batting .284 with five homers and 13 RBI.  Lindor's efforts proved to be prophetic, as the Phillies Alec Bohm crushed a three-run bomb off Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth to cut the Mets lead to a single run. Fortunately for New York, Diaz was able to shut the door with strikeouts of Trea Turner and Bryce Harper.  New York (16-7) has now won five in a row.  
Post a Comment
Read more

Mets Keep Rolling into Phillies Series

 The New York Mets are feeling pretty good about things right now!  The Amazin's swept a four game series from the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday, winning 7-4 Sunday afternoon. It was the first time since 1986 that the Amazin's had swept such a series from St. Louis. We all know what happened later that season.    Well, not to get too far ahead of ourselves, because the 2025 version now faces a very stiff challenge. The Mets will face their arch rivals the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday with only two games separating the two teams in the NL East.  The Mets took out Philly in the NLDS last October, so this figures to be a heck of showdown. The Mets begin a month long stretch against teams that are likely postseason contenders like the Phillies, D-Backs, Cubs, Yankees, Red Sox, and Dodgers.  If the Mets (15-7) are this good, we will know for sure in a month.
Post a Comment
Read more