Mentch's NFL Power Rankings

[bigdog17k]

I think Boldin forgets what a [expletive]ty division the NFC West is...

[Mentch]

AFC Power Rankings are up now =D

[bigdog17k]

AFC Power Rankings are up now =D

 

Cool, I like that you got 'Nati at 8-8, that's pretty much what my prediction is too.

[The Great iBoldin]

Alright, if the 49ers win it I'll eat my truck.

 

 

The Seahawks play in one of the weakest divisions in football. The offensive line is pretty good, Max Unger will prove to be one of the better centers in the league right away. Sean Locklear anchors the blind side. Sims, Wrotto, and Willis all improved last year and are not slouches. John Carlson had a great season last year, and with Housh, Burleson, and Branch, as well as rookie Deon Butler, the receiving core is much improved. Hasselbeck will actually be able to throw a pass and be confident someone will catch it. The run game isn't that of the Shaun Alexander glory days (and yes, I do mean days, they lasted about 150 days).

 

The D line isn't as terrible as you make it sound, Cole isn't a legitimate starter but between Mebane inside, and Redding, Kerney, and another rookie U of O stud Nick Reed, they'll put enough pressure on the QB to make teams run more. As for the weak secondary, Marcus Trufant and Ken Lucas are very weak? Josh Wilson is a good coverage corner, and Travis Fisher will surprise the people that didn't follow the Lions. Kelly Jennings adds more depth to what IMO is a pretty solid, consistent and veteran secondary. Deon Grant is one of the captains of this team, that should tell you something. He's a hard hitter and has great anticipation, which makes up for Brian Russell's stupid plays. He's the admitted weak point of this team. I'm excited to see Curry and Tatupu together, Leroy Hill just needs to consistently make tackles in the open field.

 

 

 

It comes down to stopping the run for us this year, and if the linebackers can step up like they're expected to I don't see why we can't beat out the Cards. No way the 49ers win the division, not with Shaun Hill, Alex Smith, or Nate Davis at QB. Singletary is a great motivator but that team just isn't built for the playoffs right now, and not having Crabtree won't help. I don't think I need to mention the Rams.

 

I already know that the NFC West is weak, I wasn't here to argue that, but it's not as seemingly weak as you make it out to be. San Francisco and St. Louis are both going to be surprising teams this year (St. Louis is my incredibly dark horse).

 

Both teams move to a power run game, and Spagnuolo is going to do wonders in Missouri. They've never had consistent, great coaching for more then a period at a time since Martz. They already have defensive pieces in place. But I'm not here to argue that.

 

Since when is a bottom ten offensive line "pretty good"? You've yet to see how Unger reacts to starting from day one, and he's not physically strong enough, nor stout enough at the point of attack to be one of the better centers in the game from day one. Your overrating a Duck prospect because he's simply that; an Oregon Duck. Nothing more, nothing less, he's a projects who at least found a zone blocking scheme to operate in. That's the only system Unger will succeed in.

 

Of course Locklear's going to have to play the blindside, look at Walter Jones. The man is washed up incredibly bad, can't stay on the field for a decent period at a time. You can't even get a proper sample size of how he plays now a days because he's always injured. Anyways. Sean Locklear isn't built for the blindside. He's a right tackle playing out of position. Great right tackle, marginal left tackle. Hasselbeck cannot afford marginal with his back and other assorted injuries as of now.

 

As it stands, Wrotto, Sims and Willis are merely stopgap solutions, Willis not even a capable starter. The only reason Unger is even starting right now is because the Hawks depth is so porous and weak that he's being forced into something that I don't think he's able to do right now, and it's going to show on the field. He's lucky there's no hog defensive tackles in the NFC West right now, because put him in the NFC North and you'd be complaining how much of a bust he is already.

 

I'll agree with you on the weapons. Carlson is a good weapon, but he is still developing, you act as if he's a veteran already. Although I guess he should be. Your paying $5 million for a number three option in Branch, I like Deon Butler and think he will be the better PSU wide-out from this draft class (not Derrick Williams) eventually. But Housh is now 31, and last year he lost a step, on the field and on the stat-sheet.

 

The running game isn't that because look at your starter. Julius Jones? Please. At least you have Forsett and Devin Moore for the future, although Forsett is more of a scatback and Devin Moore is even moreso.

 

I agree about Mebane. Good player, good motor, but that's it. Just a good player.

 

Please don't call Nick Reed a stud. Just.. don't. He's a situational pass rusher with a quality motor, but he's doing these things against 2nd and 3rd stringers. He blocked a punt.. guess who he did it against? You probably guessed it; a back-up punter kicking behind a back-up laden line. He won't even start, will he? As a Cardinals fan, I hope so. As a fan of the NFL, I hope not. And as a fan of Oregon, I hope not. I don't want the kid to get embarrassed. Patrick Kerney blows and can't stay healthy, end of that story.

 

Marcus Trufant had one good year. I like the guy and everything, but one good year. Let's see what he can do this year. Ken Lucas has lost a step. Josh Wilson got repeatedly embarrassed by our receiving core last year, and his forte of being fast is negated by the fact that Donnie Avery and Josh Morgan had career games on him last year. I'll try and find the statistic, but it's on an advanced NFL metric site.

 

You've got to be kidding me about Travis Fisher. There's a reason he didn't make the Lions.

 

Brian Russell and Deon Grant are both exceptionally brutal. Even my dad, who doesn't watch Seattle, commented on how bad they were during a game last year. I don't care what Deon Grant leads, he doesn't do a very good job of leading by example.

 

Yeah, it comes down to stopping the run. Simply put, Seattle was 20th in the run game last year (Quick estimation on my part, but it's around there) and they won't be any better this year.

[The Great iBoldin]

Mentch, a couple of things on the NFC.

 

Why not mention the addition of fellow first-rounder Clay Matthews when you mentioned Raji in your Green Bay paragraph?

 

NFC South wasn't near the toughest division in the league last year.

 

Your using a myth to try to explain why Michael Turner COULD be injured this year.

 

Explain Kurt Warner and the Cards explanation please. It's rather bland on why it could happen.

 

SJax keeps getting injured because the Rams couldn't block a cold. Jason Smith adds a lick of integrity and Alex Barron, while not a pass blocker, is a terrific mauler in the run game.

 

And, on the AFC.

 

Some of your explanations suggest that you haven't followed the NFL at all during off-season or pre-season, lol. Fred Taylor signed with New England. It's not a wildcat "thing", it's a formation. Joe Flacco has had an exceptional pre-season and proved against the Jets first-team AND the Panthers first-team defense.

 

Yes, the Jets did need Mark Sanchez. They have very few needs outside of depth. You really expect them to continue to start the likes of Kellen Clemens and Brett Ratliff (who they'd still have if it wasn't for the Sanchez trade). He brings a face to a listless franchise.

 

Love your Bengals pick.

 

You didn't finish your Titans sentence.

[Lkr]

IMO Packers and Bears should be swapped, and that's all I really looked at. Minnesota might have a few more losses as well.

[His Greatness]

Other than the inflated win numbers, it's a solid list, rankings-wise.

[Cleveland's Finest]

If the Bengals get 4 more wins next season and the Browns don't get any more wins next year than something is wrong.

 

Browns unloaded the bums on our team in Winslow, etc...and our schedule is easy. Detroit on the road? KC on the road? Oakland at home...2 vs. Cincinatti. All will at least be close there.

 

 

And we lost 10-6 to Pitt last yr....should've won. Also blew two leads vs. Denver and Baltimore.

[Dash]

So Texans get the exact same record after improving in the offseason and with a healthy Schaub? Honestly, I see us getting 10 wins.

[trutrojan8]

You said you don't see the Dolphins winning a division the Patriots are in.

 

Were the Patriots in like the NFC West last year? Or am I misinformed?

 

And I believe you were high when you wrote this.

[EastCoastNiner]

Well, for the NFC West, I think it is going to be a three team battle.

 

 

First off, I have picked the Seattle Seahawks to win the NFC West for about the past five seasons, but I'm not picking them to win it this year, although I think they have the potential to do so.

 

 

The 49er's are going to pound the ball, and honestly, I think that they have one of the best RB's core's in the NFL with Frank Gore, Glenn Coffee, and Corey Sheets.

 

The WR's are very good as well, with Josh Morgan leading the way for now, and Vernon Davis has very strong chance at making the "Pro-Bowl" since he won't be blocking as much this year.

 

 

The 49er's have a very good LB core, and I think that the secondary will get quite a few interceptions this year as well.

 

 

I'm only really worried about the offensive-line and the defensive-line, although that is a major part of the game.

[Phightins]

I see no way Michael Vick becomes the Eagles starting quarterback barring an injury to McNabb. He was not good enough to run this offense before spending two years in jail and he certainly is not now.

[Cleveland's Finest]

You said you don't see the Dolphins winning a division the Patriots are in.

 

Were the Patriots in like the NFC West last year? Or am I misinformed?

 

And I believe you were high when you wrote this.

New England is the AFC East.

Edited September 2, 2009 by Cleveland's Finest

[Lone Wolf]

The addition of Brett Favre is clearly better than Tavaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels, and if he can control his gunslinger mentality, they have a great running game and defense to help them win lots of games.

 

 

LOL FAIL

FARVE IS OVER N DONE WITH

An upset Bears fan is an upset Bears fan. I suppose you didn't watch last night's game? The Vikings just want him to manage the game correctly and spread the defense out a bit.

 

Next.

[La Bomba]

Although I would love for New Orleans to go 11-5, it won't happen. The secondary is still mediocre and we will loose games on that alone. I'm not so convinced that our run game will be to great ethier. I'm still not sure whether or not Pierre Thomas was a fluke.

[Lkr]

An upset Bears fan is an upset Bears fan. I suppose you didn't watch last night's game? The Vikings just want him to manage the game correctly and spread the defense out a bit.

 

Next.

He's jealous that his team now has the 3rd best QB in the division.

[Lone Wolf]

He's jealous that his team now has the 3rd best QB in the division.

[fish7718]

I love everyone counting the Cowboys out like they are bad because they lost TO. Everyone def forgets how banged up they were last season losing Romo Barber Newman Jones and McBriar for significant time. Romo was 8-4 as a starter lol. The cowboys will win the NFC east this year

[trutrojan8]

New England is the AFC East.

Thanks I didn't know that. I was being sarcastic, if you couldn't tell.

 

The last time the Dolphins won the division with the Patriots in that same division, was eons and eons ago. 9 months ish.

[Diesel]

I love everyone counting the Cowboys out like they are bad because they lost TO. Everyone def forgets how banged up they were last season losing Romo Barber Newman Jones and McBriar for significant time. Romo was 8-4 as a starter lol. The cowboys will win the NFC east this year

 

Yeah but he was 0-1 in the most important game of the year against the Philadelphia Eagles. Romo once again choked and came up short in his team's biggest game. Without TO Romo won't be as good. If Roy Williams can become the WR he was on Detroit then Dallas could be a force, but I don't see him, Cryaton, and Austin getting the job done.

 

And their in the toughest division in the football. The Eagles and Giants are undoubtedly the class of the division. I really like the Redskins defense this year too and I think Haynesworth puts them over Dallas.

[fish7718]

Yeah but he was 0-1 in the most important game of the year against the Philadelphia Eagles. Romo once again choked and came up short in his team's biggest game. Without TO Romo won't be as good. If Roy Williams can become the WR he was on Detroit then Dallas could be a force, but I don't see him, Cryaton, and Austin getting the job done.

 

And their in the toughest division in the football. The Eagles and Giants are undoubtedly the class of the division. I really like the Redskins defense this year too and I think Haynesworth puts them over Dallas.

Shocker you calling the Giants and Eagles the class of the division and saying the only reason the cowboys aren't good is because they don't have WR's. THE COWBOYS WR CORE IS BETTER THAN THE GIANTS AND THE EAGLES. THE COWBOYS TE IS BETTER TOO.