USA TODAY power rankings out....

[Steely Dan]

You sound like one of the draft picks who after four years of college could not even pass a standard 8th grade English test.

 

Who was the Redskin that graduated college without even being able to read?

[OCinBuffalo]

I think ALL of those teams mentioned are in good position to be good teams this year.

 

1. The Redskins made the playoffs last year, and there is no reason to think they wont be better this year with Jason Campbell healthy and all of the weapons they drafted for him this year. Clinton Portis will also be healthy. I think Zorn will do a good job in his first year.

 

2. The Panthers should be a solid team, especially with the signing of Muhammed and Peppers being healthy.

 

3. The Texans are on the up and up. They drafted well and signed some key free agents. Schaub will shine this year. After getting a new coaching staff last year, I think they will pull everything together and be much better.

 

4. The Broncos are a very solid team who did not lose anybody besides Javon Walker. They will be a playoff contender.

 

5. The Vikings have a Top-5 defense and arguably the best running back in the NFL. They will improve.

 

6. The Titans were a playoff team last year. They will be even better with the draft they had and some key free agent additions.

 

7. The Browns were a playoff team last year, and they got MUCH better this offseason. They will win their division. I think with everything they have done as far as adding players, if Anderson plays like he did last year, they could go to the Super Bowl.

 

8. The Buccaneers won their division and there is no reason to think they won't do it again.

 

9. The Cardinals have unlimited potential and talent. They had a VERY solid draft and signed some very good free agents. I think this is the year that they finally pull everything together and make the playoffs. It all lies in the hands of Matt Leinart.

 

*---> The only teams I would put the Bills ahead of in the "Power Rankings" out of these teams, would be the...Panthers, Texans, Titans, Buccaneers and Cardinals. I would actually put them in a tie with the Cardinals, Titans and Redskins. The Browns are the only team that I think is noticeably better than the Bills. AP and Defense is the only reason why the Vikings are any better.

I agree that's it's debatable, in May, regarding the Vikes, Browns, Titans and Panthers. But you have to be kidding me with the rest. First of all, based on records, you have to drop every NFC team, yes every, including Dallas, at least 2 spots because they are an NFC team. Right now, the best 4 teams in the league are easily the Pats*(cheating or not), Colts, Chargers, Jags, and then maybe Dallas. Next, winning the NFC South or West is hardly an accomplishment. It's who sucks the least, with the NFC North being just a little better.

 

1. Redskins: besides the fact that we beat them on their own field last year, with 12 starters on IR, which by itself should be enough to put them below us, they have a new coach, no real QB, and a nut job for an owner/FO who produced yet another questionable draft. Weapons? James Hardy is a weapon. Who'd they draft/do they have that is even close to him, or Lee Evans, or Marshawn Lynch?

 

3. Texans: another fine example of why only drafting O and D line high keeps you in the game, but doesn't allow you to win it, especially late in the game, when a big play/stopping a big play makes all the difference. As I said above, their .500 record is based on beating candy-asses, but going 1-5 in their division, and they still don't have any "weapons" that scare anyone. So how does that make them better than us? We have lots of real weapons that people are going to have to game plan for this year, they have 0, but they are better than us? Who has a better QB?

 

4. Broncos: the "ultimate leader" somehow has done horrifically in the draft and FA for the last 4 years, and somehow forgot to get a pass rush, again. Wait till week 4 and let's see how we do against these turds. The only reasons we lost last year is shell shock due to Everett and lame-ass play calling from Fairchild, and a last second FG.

 

8. Bucs: Who plays QB for that team? Seriously. Winning the NFC South? Seriously? If we played them tomorrow who would win? Seriously.

 

9. Cards: This unlimited power has been around for the last 6 years! What? Did they just find a way to choke 6 years in a row? Isn't this the same team that had the SB Bears on the ropes but found a way to lose/got beaten by Rex Grossman? Again, if we played them tomorrow, who would win?

 

Once again, Cards, Texans, Bucs, Redskins have been vastly overrated in the pre-season last 5 years, but with the markets they represent, it's better to tell everybody the Emporer's new clothes look just fine.

[BillsWatch]

Who was the Redskin that graduated college without even being able to read?

 

Which one?

[Lori]

Who was the Redskin that graduated college without even being able to read?

Which one?

 

Well played. Think he's probably talking about Dexter Manley, though.

[Rubes]

9. Cards: This unlimited power has been around for the last 6 years! What? Did they just find a way to choke 6 years in a row? Isn't this the same team that had the SB Bears on the ropes but found a way to lose/got beaten by Rex Grossman? Again, if we played them tomorrow, who would win?

 

Actually, they just replayed that game on NFL Network not long ago. Not a big point, really, but Grossman and the Bears offense actually did close to nothing in that game. It was won by the defense (two TDs on turnovers) and Hester (TD on punt return). The offense managed one field goal early in the game.

 

Not only that, but Leinart actually (and quite easily) got the Cards into FG position to win it at the end. But in true Cards fashion, Dennis Green called for a run to the left instead of straight up the middle, putting the ball on the left hashmark for the FG attempt. The result? FG wide left by about a foot. Oh, those Cards.

[Adam]

I agree that's it's debatable, in May, regarding the Vikes, Browns, Titans and Panthers. But you have to be kidding me with the rest. First of all, based on records, you have to drop every NFC team, yes every, including Dallas, at least 2 spots because they are an NFC team. Right now, the best 4 teams in the league are easily the Pats*(cheating or not), Colts, Chargers, Jags, and then maybe Dallas. Next, winning the NFC South or West is hardly an accomplishment. It's who sucks the least, with the NFC North being just a little better.

 

1. Redskins: besides the fact that we beat them on their own field last year, with 12 starters on IR, which by itself should be enough to put them below us, they have a new coach, no real QB, and a nut job for an owner/FO who produced yet another questionable draft. Weapons? James Hardy is a weapon. Who'd they draft/do they have that is even close to him, or Lee Evans, or Marshawn Lynch?

 

3. Texans: another fine example of why only drafting O and D line high keeps you in the game, but doesn't allow you to win it, especially late in the game, when a big play/stopping a big play makes all the difference. As I said above, their .500 record is based on beating candy-asses, but going 1-5 in their division, and they still don't have any "weapons" that scare anyone. So how does that make them better than us? We have lots of real weapons that people are going to have to game plan for this year, they have 0, but they are better than us? Who has a better QB?

 

4. Broncos: the "ultimate leader" somehow has done horrifically in the draft and FA for the last 4 years, and somehow forgot to get a pass rush, again. Wait till week 4 and let's see how we do against these turds. The only reasons we lost last year is shell shock due to Everett and lame-ass play calling from Fairchild, and a last second FG.

 

9. Cards: This unlimited power has been around for the last 6 years! What? Did they just find a way to choke 6 years in a row? Isn't this the same team that had the SB Bears on the ropes but found a way to lose/got beaten by Rex Grossman? Again, if we played them tomorrow, who would win?

 

Once again, Cards, Texans, Bucs, Redskins have been vastly overrated in the pre-season last 5 years, but with the markets they represent, it's better to tell everybody the Emporer's new clothes look just fine.

The Redskins are mediocre, maybe a bit better than us, but I don't want to argue which bad team is better. Gibbs will prove to be a huge loss, just like he was last time. He kept a team that was in horrendous salary cap trouble on the fringe of playoffs.

 

The Texans are for real. Matt Schaub is for real as well- in a season or two, he will be compared to Matt Hasselbeck, you can bank on that. He has been a great under the radar guy for years in Atlanta- they wish they still had him. And having Andre Johnson makes him more dangerous. They have stacked their D-line and that gives them a team identity- something to game plan for when you play them.

 

I tend to agree about the Broncos, but they have a bunch of new D-lineman, two of which didn't play last year because of injury, and they O-lineman they drafted should fir their offense like a glove. Question is, do they have any weapons on offense? If the D-line comes together, their secondary could make them lethal....if not, they are a 7-9 team.

 

If Derek Anderson plays like he did last season, the Browns will have to hope the hot streaks far outweigh the cold streaks and that Edwards, Winslow and Lewis, as well as one of the best O-lines carry him again. He made numerous bad decisions that took them out of games. If we had the supporting cast they have, Edwards or Losman could look like all-pros.

 

The Cardinals are a joke, have been for years. I wonder if they point the finger at Wisenhunt after this season, like they did with Green a couple years ago.

[R. Rich]

USA Today has the mighty Bills ranked #21, Give me a break. We should be in the top 15 at least. These idiots have teams like the Redskins, Panthers, Texans, Broncos, Vikings, Titans, Browns, Bucs, and the Cardinals ranked higher. Am I looking through rose colored glasses, because I think we can beat any of these teams. This year will be one to remember, By seasons end we will be in the top 10, once we prove we are a force to be reckoned with!

 

 

So, what was their track record in picking New Orleans over the past couple seasons in these power rankings? I'm sure they knew how dominant this good young team w/ all that offensive firepower was going to be last year, just as they were equally confident that the train wreck of a franchise could not survive Katrina and the aftermath the year before, right?