This isn’t much of a surprise considering all the big name players the Patriots signed this offseason. However, the Pats haven’t had playoff success for a few years.
Here is the full list:
5. Pittsburgh Steelers
6. Atlanta Falcons
7. New York Jets
8. Indianapolis Colts
9. Baltimore Ravens
10. San Diego Chargers
11. New York Giants
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
13. Chicago Bears
14. Kansas City Chiefs
15. St. Louis Rams
16. Dallas Cowboys
17. Houston Texans
18. Detroit Lions
19. Seattle Seahawks
20. Tennessee Titans
21. Arizona Cardinals
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Oakland Raiders
24. Miami Dolphins
25. Minnesota Vikings
26. San Francisco 49ers
27. Denver Broncos
28. Cleveland Browns
29. Washington Redskins
30. Carolina Panthers
31. Buffalo Bills
32. Cincinnati Bengals
Teams too low:
New York Jets: The biggest surprise to me has to be the Jets at number 7. They had a strong free agency and have made an appearance in the AFC Championship the last two years. They seem to be a better team this year than they were last year. Surely Rex Ryan will add this to his list of motivation this season.
Chicago Bears: The Bears were also rather low at the 13th spot, after a solid performance last season. While their season will mostly be remembered for Jay Cutler “quitting” in the playoffs, they were a solid team that made improvements during the offseason. I expect to see them rise in these rankings throughout the season.
San Francisco 49ers: While the 49ers have struggled the past few seasons, they have made significant additions on offense. WR Braylon Edwards is going to make a big difference on this team, as is new their new head coach. I’m not saying the 49ers are poised for a deep playoff run, but I do think they have a good shot at winning their division this year. They deserve a higher rank than 26.
Teams too high:
New Orleans Saints: The Saints lost several offensive weapons in Lance Moore, Reggie Bush, and Jeremy Shockey. While they did sign Mark Ingram in the draft, it seems like this team doesn’t have what it takes to survive deep into the playoffs. The Seahawks embarrassed the Saints last year for one of the biggest upsets in playoff history. The Saints are a good team, but they are not the 4th best in the league.
New York Giants: The Giants have easily had the worst offseason of any team in the NFL so far this year. They have lost key players and signed virtually no one. Many of the key role players on both offense and defense have gone to other teams, including division foes. This offseason has been full of losses for the Giants, and I expect their season to follow that same pattern. They are unworthy of their 11th rank.
St. Louis Rams: Giving the Rams the 15th position implies that they are now better than half the teams in the league. This is simply untrue. The Rams took advantage of one of the weakest divisions in NFL history last season, and did not do anything to supply Sam Bradford with more weapons on offense. Injury prone HB Steven Jackson will have to stay healthy and perform all season for the Rams to even keep their spot this high up on the list.
Its not where you start, its where you finish!
Go Pats!