1. Green Bay Packers (4-0)- Aaron Rodgers notched up 70 points in my fantasy league this week after a 408 yard passing, six total touchdown day (four in the air, two on the ground). Rodgers has had his best season to date so far, and if there are people who don’t put him in the Brady-Manning-Brees echelon then I would love to meet them.
Last Week- #1
2. New England Patriots (3-1)- Wes Welker is having the season of all seasons for the Patriots this season. Through the first-quarter of the year, Welker has 40 receptions for 616 yards and five scores. Until teams can learn how to stop Welker from going over the middle or on short slants, the Patriots will continue to win. They head home for a divisional game agains the bipolar New York Jets, but if history tells us one thing its that anything can happen when these two teams meet.
Last Week- #2
3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)- The score doesn’t reflect it, but the Ravens offense was nowhere to be found in the second half of Sunday night’s 34-17 win over the Jets. Quarterback Joe Flacco went the entire third quarter without completing a pass, but the Baltimore defense forced four Jets turnover, three of which went for touchdowns. The Ravens are showing that they are for real this season, and with the Steelers playing without an offensive line, it looks as though Baltimore is already close to punching their playoff ticket.
Last Week- #3
4. New Orleans Saints (3-1)- Drew Brees didn’t light up the Jacksonville Jaguars defense like so many thought he would, but the Saints still managed to in 23-10. Tight end Jimmy Graham continued his superb season with a 10 reception, 132 yard and one touchdown day. Next week the Saints head to Carolina for a (surprisingly) difficult divisional game against Cam Newton and the Panthers.
Last Week- #4
5. Detroit Lions (4-0)- Its time to give the Lions the respect they deserve. So far this season their the league’s comeback kids. Down by 24 points in the third quarter in Dallas, the Detroit defense got them right back into the game, taking two Tony Romo interceptions to the house before Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson connected on two second half touchdowns, the latter a game winning score that put the Lions ahead for good. So far this season Johnson has had four straight two touchdown games, a Lions first. Detroit will go as far as Stafford can take them, but its time to give them the respect they deserve; the Lions have come to play.
Last Week- #7
6. San Diego Chargers (3-1)- This is where the power rankings list starts to get a little hazy. There are a boatload of teams that are 3-1 so far, but some of them I don’t believe are better than some of the leagues 2-2 teams. This isn’t the case for the Chargers, though. San Diego has quietly put together a strong first month, their only loss coming at the hands of the Patriots. I don’t believe the Chargers are among the elite in the AFC this year, but they are going to be a team no one will want to face in late December.
Last Week- Not Ranked
7. Chicago Bears (2-2)- The Bears move up three spots from last week to this week, even though they only beat the Panthers by 5. The Bears will continue to be competitive, but if they can’t fix the offensive line then they will not be able to keep up with the Packers and Lions in the AFC North. And also, why do teams still kick the ball to Devin Hester?
Last Week- #10
8. New York Giants (3-1)- The Giants won last weekend in Arizona on a controversial call where wideout Victor Cruz fell to the ground on a catch and was not touched, but the whistle was blown and Cruz let the ball go. According to the NFL rulebook, a player is considered down if he makes himself known to be down, as if to say he slides or falls to the ground on his own. I’m not sold on the Giants, I think the defense as no depth and the offense is not explosive enough to keep winning. However, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs continue to bowl over people, and the Giants continue to win.
Last Week- Not Ranked
9. Houston Texans (3-1)- The Texans seem to like to jump in and out of the top 10. The defense played extremely well against Pittsburgh, pressuring Big Ben and taking him out at the knees, the only way to tackle a 6 foot 5 inch quarterback. The team will be hurt by not having Andre Johnson (hamstring) for the next game or so, but it seems as if Arian Foster is fully healed (30 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown).
Last Week- Not Ranked
10. New York Jets (2-2)- I’m not ready to give up on the Jets just yet. The offensive line was absolutely terrible in Baltimore Sunday night. I’m not giving Mark Sanchez a free pass for the loss (the Jets lost by 17, while Sanchez was responsible for giving up 21 points), but it must be pretty hard to make plays when the offensive line gives you 2 seconds of free time in the pocket before it collapses on you. The Jets will look to get All-Pro center Nick Mangold back for this weeks game against New England, but a loss to the Patriots will knock the Jets out of the top 10, and maybe even the divisional race.
Last Week- #5
Honorable Mentions- Buffalo Bills (3-1, lost to the Bengals 23-20); Washington Redskins (3-1, beat the Rams 17-10); Tennessee Titans (3-1, beat the Browns 31-13); Philadelphia Eagles (2-2, lost to the 49ers 24-23)
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