A good read and I like a lot of what he says for the most... and good to see someone else sees how PUTIRD the Packers look so far... of course it's all reset to 0-0 now... but anyway:
sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=cr-rankings090605&prov=yhoo&type=lgnsTHE TOP 12
1. Indianapolis Colts – The offense remains the best I've seen since the 1999 St. Louis Rams. The additions of Corey Simon, Marlin Jackson and Rocky Calmus are going to make Indy's defense as good as it's been since Peyton Manning arrived.
2. New England Patriots – Losing their coordinators hurt, but Tedy Bruschi was the heart and soul of that run defense. They'll need time to adjust.
3. Philadelphia Eagles – Forget about the offense for a minute. Now that Simon is gone, Jeremiah Trotter will have to cut down on risks and be lights-out against the run.
4. New York Jets – Chad Pennington's timing is still a tick off, but Ty Law is going to elevate the defense into the league's top five by the end of the season.
5. Atlanta Falcons – Cutting Peerless Price didn't make the wide receivers any better, even if Michael Jenkins has looked capable of being the next best option to Alge Crumpler.
6. Carolina Panthers – Rod Gardner was an underrated pickup this offseason, and he will be a great complement for Steve Smith.
7. Cincinnati Bengals – The preseason finale against the Colts' No. 2 defense was meaningless. If the Bengals' first half against Philadelphia was a truer indicator, they won't hold this spot for very long.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers – The tailback spot is suddenly a major question mark, and the coaches are shrinking the offensive playbook to help struggling Ben Roethlisberger. Two months ago, such developments would have been worst-case scenarios for Pittsburgh's offense.
9. San Diego Chargers – So much for the defensive pass rush getting a jumpstart from rookies Shawne Merriman and Luis Castillo. They have to be on the field to help.
10. Minnesota Vikings – This offense killed people last year when Mewelde Moore was having big games. Michael Bennett may have returned just in time to start the season, but if he starts slow, don't be shocked if the Vikings give Moore the bulk of the carries.
11. Baltimore Ravens – For all those people complaining about Kyle Boller, Anthony Wright is not a better answer.
12. Denver Broncos – Jerry Rice is the greatest receiver in history, but his preseason play didn't earn him anything more than the No. 4 spot with the Broncos.
RISING
Kansas City Chiefs – If Priest Holmes and Larry Johnson can stay healthy this season, they could become one of the most prolific running back duos in league history.
THE MUDDLED MIDDLE (in alphabetical order)
Arizona Cardinals – Kurt Warner has shown flashes of being a scary-good quarterback again, but he's not going to lead this team anywhere if that line can't provide better protection than it did in the preseason.
Buffalo Bills – Willis McGahee got an accurate look at what his life will be like this season with J.P. Losman at quarterback: eight and nine men in the box on a regular basis.
Dallas Cowboys – The preseason injury issues with Marcus Spears and Jason Ferguson have been a nightmare for Bill Parcells' hopes of an improved defense.
Detroit Lions – So much for Jeff Garcia giving Steve Mariucci a quality option at quarterback. It's too late to find another West Coast quarterback to push Joey Harrington.
Houston Texans – Considering Domanick Davis is already dealing with injury concerns, the Texans better hope Vernand Morency is a more dependable alternative than Tony Hollings was.
Jacksonville Jaguars – With Jimmy Smith suffering from stone hands and Reggie Williams still looking like someone who can't run a crisp pattern, Matt Jones could be Byron Leftwich's favorite option by October.
New Orleans Saints – Jim Haslett is in a tough spot with the relocation developments, but if the Saints decide to permanently move to San Antonio, he can kiss his job goodbye. If Tom Benson moves his team, he will be looking for a fresh start in 2006.
New York Giants – Bottom line for the season opener: an 80-percent healthy Eli Manning is better than every alternative Tom Coughlin has.
Oakland Raiders – I'm starting to believe that Randy Moss really could turn Kerry Collins into an All-Pro quarterback.
Seattle Seahawks – He was toeing the line of being a bust, but by the end of the season, the rest of the NFL will know who Marcus Tubbs is.
St. Louis Rams – Steven Jackson looks like the next great running back that Mike Martz won't use enough.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Don't count Michael Pittman out of the equation in the Tampa Bay backfield just yet. Carnell Williams didn't exactly light a fire under the offense in his limited looks.
Washington Redskins – Even with the free-agent losses, the defense still looks amazing. It's frightening to think what LaVar Arrington will accomplish with this group when he gets his legs back.
FALLING
Green Bay Packers – Remember those old, washed-up free agents lost on the offensive line? Check out the rushing numbers for the first-team offense.
THE BOTTOM FIVE
28. Tennessee Titans – Travis Henry was supposed to be rejuvenated with the offseason move from Buffalo, but he spent the preseason looking a lot like the average guy who was backing up Willis McGahee last season.
29. Miami Dolphins – Considering the situations at quarterback and offensive line, Nick Saban has to be hoping Ronnie Brown performs like Jim Brown.
30. Chicago Bears – Bears fans might want to wait and see what Kyle Orton and Mark Bradley look like against No. 1 defenses before anointing them franchise saviors.
31. San Francisco 49ers – If Kevan Barlow can't get it done in a season when the offense is going to center around him, he may want to start researching real-estate agents.
32. Cleveland Browns – Even in limited looks, Braylon Edwards looked an awful lot like this season's Michael Clayton.
