11/14/2006
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ALSO: Check out Anthony's first-quarter rankings. Got your own take on the season's first 10 weeks? Be heard at The Scores Report, the National Sports Blog.
The theme of the midseason power rankings is a two-parter. Every team has a strength or two as well as a flaw that will either propel that squad into the playoffs or send them right to the front of the line for next April’s draft. We’ll take a look at both attributes for each team.
1-32 in the NFL after 10 weeks:
come January if the Colts can't shore up
their run defense.
1. Indianapolis Colts (9-0)
First Quarter Ranking: 2
Strength: It’s hard to believe, but it seems like Peyton Manning is getting even better at being an on-field offensive coordinator. Rookie Joseph Addai is quickly becoming what the Colts lost in Edgerrin James.
Flaw: It should be hard to find a flaw on an undefeated team, but Indy’s run defense has been horrid this year. Many pundits believe that the run defense will keep the Colts from a Super Bowl, and even with Manning playing as well as he is, I’d tend to agree.
2. Chicago Bears (8-1)
First Quarter Ranking: 1
Strength: The defense is making it tough for opponents to establish any kind of rhythm on offense. At times, Rex Grossman is playing at a Pro Bowl level and Thomas Jones is starting to find running room in a now balanced Chicago offense.
Flaw: At times, Grossman also looks like an utter disaster in forcing passes and throwing off his back foot. Teams are starting to gut the inside of the Bears run defense too.
3. San Diego Chargers (7-2)
First Quarter Ranking: 6
Strength: First year starter Philip Rivers has exceeded expectations in replacing Drew Brees while LaDainian Tomlinson has been…well, LaDainian Tomlinson. The secondary, which was arguably the worst in the league last year, has also played extremely well.
Flaw: It hasn’t entirely caught up to the Chargers yet, but the linebacker crew has been held together by duct tape the past couple of weeks. With Shawne Merriman serving a four-game suspension and Shaun Phillips out with a serious injury, Denver should take the division if San Diego trips up.
4. Denver Broncos (7-2)
First Quarter Ranking: 9
Strength: For yet another season, the Broncos are one of the league’s best in the rushing department, but that’s not the main reason why Denver is 7-2. The defense has been lights out and Champ Bailey continues to show why he’s the best overall cornerback in the league.
Flaw: Jake Plummer is going to cost this team a couple of games before the regular season is all said and done – especially when the Broncos run into opponents that can stop the run (like San Diego maybe?).
5. Seattle Seahawks (6-3)
First Quarter Ranking: 8
Strength: This team has banded together following the losses of Matt Hasselback and Shaun Alexander. Seneca Wallace and Maurice Morris have kept Seattle alive and the defense is starting to come around after a few bad outings.
Flaw: Besides getting slammed with two curses at the same time, the offensive line has really missing guard Steve Hutchinson. Pork Chop Womack has been brutal and even when Alexander is healthy again, the Seahawks are going to have trouble down the stretch if they can’t run the ball.
6. Baltimore Ravens (7-2)
First Quarter Ranking: 3
Strength: With Jim Fassel now out of the way, Brian Billick is calling his own plays and has the Ravens at the top of the AFC North. Baltimore has gotten Steve McNair’s best effort and so far, the veteran has paid major dividends for the Ravens. The defense also remains one of the league’s best.
Flaw: McNair is consistently turning the ball over and so far he has been able to get away with it. That won’t last. Also, Samari Rolle, once one of the best cornerbacks in the league, has been terrible.
7. New England Patriots (6-3)
First Quarter Ranking: 10
Strength: Tom Brady is starting to gel with his new receivers (again). Rookie Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon are both running hard while splitting the rushing duty.
Flaw: Quite simply, New England just isn’t playing well at home this year. All three of the Patriots losses have come in Gillette Stadium and, as usual, the defense is banged up. Losing safety Rodney Harrison was just another blow to an already decimated secondary.
retirement party, but a tough second-half
schedule awaits.
8. New York Giants (6-3)
First Quarter Ranking: 18
Strength: In most likely his last season, Tiki Barber has played at a Pro Bowl level and Eli Manning has been solid for the most part. Plus, it looks like New York has found its back of the future in hard-charging Brandon Jacobs.
Flaw: The Giants can’t get a break in two categories: their schedule and injuries. A handful of starters are missing too much time and the schedule is brutal. The secondary issues from the start of the season are starting to reappear as well.
9. New Orleans Saints (6-3)
First Quarter Ranking: 14
Strength: Drew Brees is giving Peyton Manning a serious run for the MVP award. Rookie Reggie Bush has revived the city of New Orleans and Marques Colston has been far and away the rookie of the year.
Flaw: The defense raises serious doubt about whether or not the Saints can be a playoff team. Pittsburgh and Baltimore tore this unit up and other teams may soon follow suit.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (5-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 7
Strength: Donovan McNabb and Brian Westbrook (when healthy) have been fantastic. At times, McNabb looks like he’s playing the best football of his career.
Flaw: The secondary is playing great (as usual), but teams are finding success against Philly by using three- or four-receiver sets, which gets Jeremiah Trotter off the field and leaves the Eagles more susceptible to the run.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (5-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 11
Strength: The Jaguars defense has been solid for the most part and Fred Taylor is actually healthy halfway through a season. CB Rashean Mathis has been fantastic too.
Flaw: This is your prototypical Jekyll and Hyde team. One week they’re blowing teams out by 30 points and the next week they’re losing to Houston at home.
12. Dallas Cowboys (5-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 12
Strength: Tony Romo has rejuvenated this team with his solid play and has earned the trust of Bill Parcels and Terrell Owens (more importantly for Romo’s sake). The run defense has also been great.
Flaw: Owens will bury this time at some point this year. Whether it’s getting under the Big Tuna’s skin or dropping touchdown passes, he will ruin the Cowboys’ chances.
13. Kansas City Chiefs (5-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 20
Strength: Three things have kept hope alive in Kansas City: Larry Johnson, Damon Huard and Herman Edwards’ defense.
Flaw: I’m surprised Johnson has had as much success as he has running behind that offensive line. The division is brutal too.
14. St. Louis Rams (4-5)
First Quarter Ranking: 17
Strength: I wouldn’t say that the offense has been just as potent without Mike Martz, but I would say it has been more balanced. Steven Jackson gives the Rams a dual threat out of the backfield and Marc Bulger remains healthy and has only thrown two interceptions.
Flaw: The secondary has been picked on a lot and probably won’t hold up against the test of time. Plus, by going 0-2 against Seattle, St. Louis finds itself in a tough hole from here on out.
15. Atlanta Falcons (5-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 5
Strength: Michael Vick, Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwood have given Atlanta one of the best running games in the league while Alge Crumpler continues to get overlooked as one of football’s top tight ends.
Flaw: Due to injuries, the defense is starting guys better suited for the practice squad and, much like the Giants, the schedule is unforgiving down the stretch. After two big wins over Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, Vick has turned in two turnover-plagued losses to Detroit and Cleveland.
needs to take better care of the ball.
16. Carolina Panthers (4-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 13
Strength: Julius Peppers has been arguably the defensive MVP of the first half. DeShaun Foster is playing well too, but needs to stay healthy, and of course Steve Smith always gives Carolina explosive playmaking ability every time he touches the ball.
Flaw: Jake Delhomme has made a lot of poor decisions with the football in losing efforts and the offensive line hasn’t been all that good. Also, the defensive line is underachieving big time.
17. New York Jets (5-4)
First Quarter Ranking: 19
Strength: Eric Mangini has the Jets playing their best football week in and week out. New York’s in every ballgame and Chad Pennington has been the comeback player of the year so far.
Flaw: Lack of skill players will probably hurt this team in the end. The running game found a little life behind rookie Leon Washington, but Mangini’s runner-by-committee-offense probably won’t last very long.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (4-5)
First Quarter Ranking: 4
Strength: The offensive skill set for this team should win 10 games on its own. Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Rudi Johnson, T.J. Housmanzadeh and Chris Henry are hard to stop on a weekly basis.
Flaw: Thanks to injuries along the O-line, the offense hasn’t put up numbers similar to last year, but what’s been more devastating to Cincy this season is the big drop in the play of the defense.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 16
Strength: For the most part, Willie Parker has given the Steelers a true every-down back. His effort against the Saints in Week 10 was outstanding and he has tremendous big-play ability. Troy Polomalu has been limited by injuries, but otherwise is a Pro Bowler again at safety.
Flaw: For all but two and a half games, Ben Roethlisberger has been a disaster. Big Ben has been a turnover machine and continuously puts the Steelers defense in terrible position. The whole team is actually turnover prone and, aside from Polomaul, the secondary hasn’t been very good either.
20. Green Bay Packers (4-5)
First Quarter Ranking: 25
Strength: The Packers have gotten solid games out of veterans Brett Favre, Ahman Green and Donald Driver. It’s apparent that Favre can still play at a high level. Rookie Greg Jennings (although hurt of late) has been a stud for Green Bay too.
Flaw: Favre’s managed to cut down his interceptions dramatically but he’s still delivered several stinkers this season. The Packers have issues on the defensive side as well.
21. Minnesota (4-5)
First Quarter Ranking: 22
Strength: Chester Taylor has given the Vikings the every-down back they had hoped for when they lured the one-time backup from Baltimore. Minnesota’s run defense is ranked No. 1 in the league, thanks in large part to DT Pat Williams.
Flaw: The offense has been very vanilla under rookie head coach Brad Childress and Brad Johnson just hasn’t been very good of late. While the run defense is strong, teams don’t have to run because the Viking secondary has resembled Swiss cheese.
22. San Francisco 49ers (4-5)
First Quarter Ranking: 26
Strength: Frank Gore, Alex Smith and Antonio Bryant have built a nice offensive skill set in San Francisco. Rookie Manny Lawson was a great selection late in the first round, too.
Flaw: The secondary is below average and Smith still turns in games that remind everyone of his rookie campaign.
23. Cleveland Browns (3-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 23
Strength: Kellen Winslow Jr. is finally living up to his lofty draft status and Charlie Frye has proven that the Browns have a quarterback of the future. Defensively, the Browns have found a playmaker in rookie Kamerion Wimbley.
Flaw: Injuries have ransacked the secondary and center position while Reuben Droughns has been a few notches below productive this season.
dangerous as ever.
24. Miami Dolphins (3-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 31
Strength: I’m going to eat my own words a little bit here, but Joey Harrington (gulp) has played pretty well the past two or three weeks. The defense has really carried this team – even in losses, the unit has been solid. Jason Taylor showed in the win over Chicago how much of an impact he still has from his end spot.
Flaw: Miami just hasn’t been able to put it all together and still isn’t scoring on a consistent basis. Nick Saban and offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey have got to find a way to better use Chris Chambers.
25. Washington Redskins (3-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 15
Strength: Coming off a serious shoulder injury at the start of the year, Clinton Portis had showed signs of regaining his 2005 form…
Flaw: …but Portis is once again hurt (broken hand) and the secondary for Washington has been abysmal. Mark Brunell has been so-so and will reportedly be benched for Jason Campbell, but without Portis the Redskins’ playoff chances are most likely cooked.
26. Buffalo Bills (3-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 21
Strength: The defense has turned in solid performances in wins and gives Buffalo a fighting chance every game. Willis McGahee has been solid so far and rookie safety Donte Whitner is proving the Bills made the right selection with their eighth overall pick last April.
Flaw: McGahee suffered a serious rib injury in Week 9 and his return is unknown. J.P. Losman has been average some games and atrocious in others.
27. Houston Texans (3-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 27
Strength: David Carr has actually justified Houston committing long term to him this past offseason (for the most part). The offensive line has kept Carr breathing, which has led to a huge breakout season for WR Andre Johnson, and defensively the Texans have held decent offenses in New York and Jacksonville in check.
Flaw: The defense has also been lit up like Times Square on Christmas and Carr is still subject to an awful game every few weeks.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6)
First Quarter Ranking: 28
Strength: Losing Chris Simms has given rookie Bruce Gradkowski a chance to show that he can at least compete in this league. Ronde Barber has turned in some great games, most notably the two interceptions he returned for TDs against Donovan McNabb and the Eagles.
Flaw: Cadillac Williams has been average at best and the defense has allowed opponents to gash them on the ground almost every week.
29. Detroit Lions (2-7)
First Quarter Ranking: 29
Strength: Jon Kitna is playing some of his best football in Mike Martz’ system and Roy Williams is starting to become one of the better wide receivers in the league. When Martz uses him, Kevin Jones shows how tough of a runner he actually is.
Flaw: They’re still the Lions. After a huge upset over the Falcons, they lose to the 49ers at home. It’s Detroit.
30. Tennessee Titans (2-7)
First Quarter Ranking: 31
Strength: Rookie Vince Young has given the fans and the organization something to hope for in the near future.
Flaw: While Young adds some excitement, his passing numbers aren’t very good and the Titans defense is a disaster.
31. Oakland Raiders (2-7)
First Quarter Ranking: 32
Strength: The young defense flies around the football and the secondary statistically is one of the best in the league. Nnamdi Asomugha has turned in some solid performances at corner.
Flaw: The offense is probably one of the worst I’ve seen from an NFL team in a long time. Andrew Walter isn’t the answer, the offensive line is worse than terrible and Randy Moss hardly tries anymore.
32. Arizona Cardinals (1-7)
First Quarter Ranking: 24
Strength: Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald can be just as good as Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne some Sundays.
Flaw: Dennis Green, Dennis Green, and most importantly and above all else: Dennis Green.
Questions or comments on the upcoming season? Send them to astalter@bullz-eye.com.