The Andrew Luck Division
32. Miami Dolphins (0-4) – It’s a good thing Brandon Marshall got his meds figured out, otherwise I’m not sure he would’ve mentally been able to handle another full season of putrid quarterback play. If I were Marshall, I’d be faking a groin injury and missing the rest of the year in order to secure a 0-16 season.
31. Indianapolis Colts (0-4) – Props need to be given to a defense that has played really hard the past two weeks, but the astronomical downgrade at the quarterback position is too much for this team to overcome.
30. St. Louis Rams (0-4) – During my NFC West preview, I did forecast the potential of a tough start for St. Louis. However, I never expected them to look as listless as they have. Sam Bradford still is in desperate need of a number one receiver.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) – Don’t let the win against Minnesota (what a barn burner that game was) fool you. Too many injuries will keep this team in the bottom tier of the NFL all season long.
28. Minnesota Vikings (0-4) – It’s too bad the Vikings didn’t realize how bad they were going to be this season. In retrospect, it would’ve made more sense to draft an offensive lineman who could potentially protect Andrew Luck. If Minnesota does wind up with the top pick expect all sorts of awkwardness when they try to move last year’s first round pick, quarterback Christian Ponder.
The Quincy Carter Division
27. Denver Broncos (1-3) – Either Tim Tebow’s shadow is hanging over Mile High, or God is punishing the Broncos for not putting Tebow in the game. Josh McDaniels did an excellent job of screwing this club for 2011.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) – Jacksonville followed the 2001 Jerry Jones playbook perfectly, cutting an established (albeit mediocre) veteran quarterback to clear the way for a rookie. At least Blaine Gabbert has shown flashes of competency (which Quincy Carter rarely showed during his rookie campaign, or any campaign).
25. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) – If it weren’t for their incredible home-field advantage (give credit to Seattle fans, they make noise even when the product their team puts on the field is sub-par), the Seahawks would be in pole position in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
24. Arizona Cardinals (1-3) – Kevin Kolb hasn’t been that good, but for a guy who only had a month of practice with the team before opening day, Arizona fans can’t complain. We’ll have to wait until 2012 before making a verdict on whether or not Kolb is a viable NFL starter.
The Good Bad Teams Division
23. Cleveland Browns (2-2) – I’m pretty sure Peyton Hillis wouldn’t of won the Madden cover vote if fans knew he was going to complain about his contract so much to the point that teammates believe he missed time during a game because of it. The Great White Hope’s contract squabble has overshadowed the solid play of quarterback Colt McCoy.
22. Carolina Panthers (1-3) – Holy Cam Newton Batman! The wins aren’t there, but Panthers fans (all 624 of them) have to be excited about what Newton has shown so far. There were legitimate concerns that Newton could be a bust. He has put those worries at ease through the first four weeks.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) – Even without Jonathan Joseph, the defense has still managed to play at a high level. Andy Dalton has been the second most impressive rookie quarterback, and seems to be developing chemistry with fellow rookie A.J. Green. For the first time since 2005, there is reason for optimism in Cincinnati.
20. Oakland Raiders (2-2) – There aren’t enough weapons in the passing game for Oakland to be a playoff team, but when they can get the running game going watch out. Trips to Oakland won’t be fun for teams with soft defensive lines.
The Enigma Division
19. Chicago Bears (2-2) – Chicago graduated from the Good Bad Teams Division after the commitment to the run they showed against Carolina. The Bears offense flows much better when Matt Forte is the focal point instead of Jay Cutler.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) – Philadelphia is two Vick injuries away from being 3-1, but Michael Vick injuries are to be expected when he is the regular starting quarterback. Any quarterback would be banged up playing behind the shoddy offensive line the Eagles have thrown together. Andy Reid needs to have a more balanced offensive game plan in order to keep his franchise quarterback on the field.
17. Atlanta Falcons (2-2) – Atlanta just doesn’t look right. They look like a team that should be pounding the ball between the tackles, but seems hell bent on throwing 45 times a game. If they don’t figure out that Michael Turner needs to get the rock, we’re looking at a team that traded five draft picks for a wide receiver finishing 8-8.
16. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) – Dallas would be 4-0 if Tony Romo didn’t piss away two games. However, Dallas would also be 0-4 if it weren’t for two heroic Romo comebacks. Hopefully with a week off (and a week of rest for banged up receivers Miles Austin and Dez Bryant), we’ll see more good Romo than bad Romo the rest of the way.
15. New York Jets (2-2) – How much better would the Jets look if Josh Freeman was their starting quarterback instead of Mark Sanchez?
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) – Apparently in addition to the four game suspension he served at the beginning of the 2010 season, Ben Roethlisberger was also forced play behind a terrible offensive line for two seasons.
The Lucky Sons of Bitches Division
13. Washington Redskins (3-1) – Washington has done well to take an advantage of an easy start to the season (except the blowing the Week 3 game at Dallas). Things are going to get harder the rest of the way, so expect Rex Grossman and company to crash back to Earth by Week 10.
12. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) – No Credentials should’ve given Coach Jim Harbaugh more credit before the season. He’s done a nice job of implementing a mistake free offense that is keeping the team in games. San Francisco probably only needs to play .500 ball the rest of the way to win the division.
The Fringe Contenders Division
11. Buffalo Bills (3-1) – The “Fighting Fitzpatricks” were on cloud nine before a loss at Cincinnati brought them back to Earth a little bit. If Mark Sanchez continues to do his best Ryan Leaf impersonation, Buffalo may be on course for a beating by Baltimore in the Wildcard Round of the playoffs.
10. Tennessee Titans (3-1) – Tennessee would be four spots higher on this list if it weren’t for the loss of wide receiver Kenny Britt. Even without him, Matt Hasselbeck has provided enough stability at the quarterback position to open up the offense. Chris Johnson cracked 100 yards for the first time last week, and expect him to be a monster the rest of the way.
9. New York Giants (3-1) – Based on looks, the Giants should be in The Enigma Division. Expect injuries to eventually catch up with this club.
8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) – Tampa is a year or two away from serious contention. Buccaneers fans feels do have to feel good about the young core of Josh Freeman, LeGarrette Blount, and Mike Williams.
7. Houston Texans (3-1) – I could play runningback and average 4 yard per carry for Houston. The Texans appear to have enough talent to withstand the loss of Andre Johnson for a few weeks.
The Feel Good Story Division
6. Detroit Lions (4-0) – Monday’s date with the Bears will tell us a lot about whether or not we need to take Detroit seriously the rest of the season. If they can find any semblance of a consistent running game, Detroit will be a serious threat in the NFC.
The Heavy Hitters Division
5. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) – I’d bump this team up three spots if they stopped letting Joe Flacco try to prove that he’s a franchise quarterback that can carry an offense. Flacco was the only thing keeping the Ravens from beating New York 45-7 last Sunday night.
4. New Orleans Saints (3-1)
3. New England Patriots (3-1) – I’ll lump these two together because they both have extraordinary passing games, but have a hard time running out the clock to finish off a game. I’d bank on New Orleans figuring that out with Mark Ingram getting his legs under him before the Patriots find a solution.
2. San Diego Chargers (3-1) – I didn’t research this, but I believe San Diego was over .500 during September for the first time since Stan Humphries was under center. The emergence of Ryan Matthews makes this a real scary team to potentially face off against in the playoffs. For nothing else, this is a pretty solid club to ride for gambling purposes.
The Jimmie Johnson Division
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