Post by Agent Kev on Sept 21, 2004 17:31:55 GMT -5
via cbs.sportsline.com:
1 New England Patriots
They get a bye Sunday before returning to face the Bills the following week in a weird opening three games. They have done little to dispute the notion they will push for a Super Bowl again.
2 Philadelphia Eagles
If Donovan McNabb can play like he did Monday night, this might be the year they get past the championship game. McNabb was sharp, and that defense created turnovers at the right time.
3 Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning went against Tom Brady, then Steve McNair and now Brett Favre. If he can get to 2-1 in those games, which means beating the Packers, the Colts will breathe a big sigh after a nasty schedule to open the season.
4 Seattle Seahawks
They hoped to go 1-1 in their first two road games, but 2-0 says a lot about this team and how far it has come. They are the real deal. I was wrong about them.
5 Minnesota Vikings
Mistakes crippled any chance they had to beat the Eagles Monday night. How can a man with Daunte Culpepper's huge hands continue to drop the ball?
6 Tennessee Titans
They can't feel good about the way they played in the second half against the Colts. The defense was shredded.
7 Jacksonville Jaguars
They're 2-0, despite having the lowest-ranked offense in the league. Says something about that defense. They have a big one Sunday at Tennessee.
8 Denver Broncos
Mike Shanahan cost his team a chance to go to 2-0 by eschewing the field goal on third down. But the offense has to play better inside the 20 if this is to be a deep playoff team.
9 Atlanta Falcons
They should go to 3-0 at home against Arizona this week, but then get a tough test at Carolina the following week. Michael Vick does make everyone else play better.
10 New York Jets
They are 2-0, the schedule remains favorable for a few more weeks. J-E-T-S Jets. They're back.
11 Green Bay Packers
They get their mulligan for Sunday's loss to the Bears. They looked so flat coming off the big Monday night victory over Carolina.
12 Baltimore Ravens
They still can't do much with the passing game, and that will be a season-long worry. It's on the defense. Isn't it always?
13 Carolina Panthers
Give John Fox a lot of credit for getting his team turned around in six days, without the star runner and receiver. That's season-saving stuff that happened in Kansas City.
14 Detroit Lions
Are they for real? Or did they just get help from a tissue-soft easy schedule the first two weeks? We'll find out Sunday when they play the Eagles.
15 St. Louis Rams
The offensive line is a mess, and it's showing up in a big way. Even an offensive guru like Mike Martz struggles to call plays with his quarterback on his back.
16 Pittsburgh Steelers
It's Big Ben time in Pittsburgh, and it could be that way for a long time.
17 Dallas Cowboys
It wasn't a pretty victory over Cleveland, but this team won't win a lot of pretty games. They have a big one next Monday night in Washington, renewing a lot of old rivalries.
18 New Orleans Saints
That hold-on tight victory over the 49ers could be the thing that gets this group going. Bad thing is they have to do without Deuce McAllister for a couple of weeks.
19 Washington Redskins
It's funny how one week can quiet the Joe Gibbs lovefest. The Redskins need to take care of the ball or you could put Gibbs, Lombardi and Shula on the same staff and they still couldn't win.
20 Kansas City Chiefs
When this defense learns to stop somebody, then they will move up. That might not be for a while -- if at all.
21 Cincinnati Bengals
They should thank the scheduling gods. If they were playing any other team except Miami on Sunday night, they would be 0-2.
22 Cleveland Browns
They teased everybody on opening day, but then the offense went bad against Dallas. A .500 season is the best they can hope to get, particularly with all the injuries mounting.
23 Oakland Raiders
They're still trying to find a running back -- perhaps trading for Lamont Jordan of the Jets -- which is an indication of a problem they've had all summer long: nobody to carry the load.
24 Chicago Bears
That's an impressive victory going into Green Bay and beating the Packers. Lovie Smith said that was a priority when he took the job, and he lived up to it.
25 New York Giants
Tom Coughlin knows how to turn around a bad situation quickly, and he'll do that in New York. How many players will gripe this week, not that they see he can get results?
26 Buffalo Bills
It might be wise to keep the defense and offense apart to keep the peace. The offense has been terrible, while the defense has been very good. That's a cause for division.
27 Miami Dolphins
Their offense is atrocious, but at least they've scored an offensive touchdown, which is more than what Tampa Bay, their neighbors to the north, can say.
28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have not scored an offensive touchdown in eight quarters. So is Jon Gruden still an offensive wizard?
29 San Diego Chargers
Are we ready for another round of Flutie-mania? Boy, let's hope not. But maybe it is time to go to rookie Philip Rivers.
30 Houston Texans
Word of warning: Do not hand Domanick Davis a baby to hold. He'll almost surely drop it.
31 San Francisco 49ers
They're at least competing, which some didn't think they could do. Now if they could only get healthy.
32 Arizona Cardinals
They might be the second best team playing in their stadium, a good ways behind the Arizona State Sun Devils. OK, so I'm an alumnus who's a little giddy over a 3-0 start. Watch out, Southern California, on Oct. 16.
1 New England Patriots
They get a bye Sunday before returning to face the Bills the following week in a weird opening three games. They have done little to dispute the notion they will push for a Super Bowl again.
2 Philadelphia Eagles
If Donovan McNabb can play like he did Monday night, this might be the year they get past the championship game. McNabb was sharp, and that defense created turnovers at the right time.
3 Indianapolis Colts
Peyton Manning went against Tom Brady, then Steve McNair and now Brett Favre. If he can get to 2-1 in those games, which means beating the Packers, the Colts will breathe a big sigh after a nasty schedule to open the season.
4 Seattle Seahawks
They hoped to go 1-1 in their first two road games, but 2-0 says a lot about this team and how far it has come. They are the real deal. I was wrong about them.
5 Minnesota Vikings
Mistakes crippled any chance they had to beat the Eagles Monday night. How can a man with Daunte Culpepper's huge hands continue to drop the ball?
6 Tennessee Titans
They can't feel good about the way they played in the second half against the Colts. The defense was shredded.
7 Jacksonville Jaguars
They're 2-0, despite having the lowest-ranked offense in the league. Says something about that defense. They have a big one Sunday at Tennessee.
8 Denver Broncos
Mike Shanahan cost his team a chance to go to 2-0 by eschewing the field goal on third down. But the offense has to play better inside the 20 if this is to be a deep playoff team.
9 Atlanta Falcons
They should go to 3-0 at home against Arizona this week, but then get a tough test at Carolina the following week. Michael Vick does make everyone else play better.
10 New York Jets
They are 2-0, the schedule remains favorable for a few more weeks. J-E-T-S Jets. They're back.
11 Green Bay Packers
They get their mulligan for Sunday's loss to the Bears. They looked so flat coming off the big Monday night victory over Carolina.
12 Baltimore Ravens
They still can't do much with the passing game, and that will be a season-long worry. It's on the defense. Isn't it always?
13 Carolina Panthers
Give John Fox a lot of credit for getting his team turned around in six days, without the star runner and receiver. That's season-saving stuff that happened in Kansas City.
14 Detroit Lions
Are they for real? Or did they just get help from a tissue-soft easy schedule the first two weeks? We'll find out Sunday when they play the Eagles.
15 St. Louis Rams
The offensive line is a mess, and it's showing up in a big way. Even an offensive guru like Mike Martz struggles to call plays with his quarterback on his back.
16 Pittsburgh Steelers
It's Big Ben time in Pittsburgh, and it could be that way for a long time.
17 Dallas Cowboys
It wasn't a pretty victory over Cleveland, but this team won't win a lot of pretty games. They have a big one next Monday night in Washington, renewing a lot of old rivalries.
18 New Orleans Saints
That hold-on tight victory over the 49ers could be the thing that gets this group going. Bad thing is they have to do without Deuce McAllister for a couple of weeks.
19 Washington Redskins
It's funny how one week can quiet the Joe Gibbs lovefest. The Redskins need to take care of the ball or you could put Gibbs, Lombardi and Shula on the same staff and they still couldn't win.
20 Kansas City Chiefs
When this defense learns to stop somebody, then they will move up. That might not be for a while -- if at all.
21 Cincinnati Bengals
They should thank the scheduling gods. If they were playing any other team except Miami on Sunday night, they would be 0-2.
22 Cleveland Browns
They teased everybody on opening day, but then the offense went bad against Dallas. A .500 season is the best they can hope to get, particularly with all the injuries mounting.
23 Oakland Raiders
They're still trying to find a running back -- perhaps trading for Lamont Jordan of the Jets -- which is an indication of a problem they've had all summer long: nobody to carry the load.
24 Chicago Bears
That's an impressive victory going into Green Bay and beating the Packers. Lovie Smith said that was a priority when he took the job, and he lived up to it.
25 New York Giants
Tom Coughlin knows how to turn around a bad situation quickly, and he'll do that in New York. How many players will gripe this week, not that they see he can get results?
26 Buffalo Bills
It might be wise to keep the defense and offense apart to keep the peace. The offense has been terrible, while the defense has been very good. That's a cause for division.
27 Miami Dolphins
Their offense is atrocious, but at least they've scored an offensive touchdown, which is more than what Tampa Bay, their neighbors to the north, can say.
28 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs have not scored an offensive touchdown in eight quarters. So is Jon Gruden still an offensive wizard?
29 San Diego Chargers
Are we ready for another round of Flutie-mania? Boy, let's hope not. But maybe it is time to go to rookie Philip Rivers.
30 Houston Texans
Word of warning: Do not hand Domanick Davis a baby to hold. He'll almost surely drop it.
31 San Francisco 49ers
They're at least competing, which some didn't think they could do. Now if they could only get healthy.
32 Arizona Cardinals
They might be the second best team playing in their stadium, a good ways behind the Arizona State Sun Devils. OK, so I'm an alumnus who's a little giddy over a 3-0 start. Watch out, Southern California, on Oct. 16.
