ESPN Power Rankings

[jarntt]

I took the power rankings of ESPN (5/29, used in OP), NFL.com (5/2), USA Today (5/2), CBS (5/8), SB Nation (5/9), and Bleacher Report (4/30), and created a poll of how they voted.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (5) - 191
2. New England Patriots (1) - 186
tie 3. Los Angeles Rams - 172
tie 3. Minnesota Vikings - 172
5. New Orleans Saints - 162
6. Jacksonville Jaguars - 160
7. Pittsburgh Steelers - 158
8. Atlanta Falcons - 150
9. Green Bay Packers - 145
10. Carolina Panthers - 137
11. Los Angeles Chargers - 131
12. Tennessee Titans - 117
13. Kansas City Chiefs - 116
14. Houston Texans - 103
15. San Francisco 49ers - 102
16. Dallas Cowboys - 93
17. Detroit Lions - 88
18. Baltimore Ravens - 86
tie 19. Oakland Raiders - 80
tie 19. Seattle Seahawks - 80
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 71
22. Washington Redskins - 68
tie 23. Denver Broncos - 64
tie 23. New York Giants - 64
25. Buffalo Bills - 54
26. Arizona Cardinals - 48
27. Cincinnati Bengals - 46
28. Chicago Bears - 45
29. Miami Dolphins - 33
30. Indianapolis Colts - 18
tie 31. Cleveland Browns - 14
tie 31. New York Jets - 14

Get a woman already, would ya...

 

[Racer8825]

So the Rams have an All Pro kicker and punter and they are ranked 16th in Special teams.

Yeah that totally makes sense right?

 

[jarntt]

So the Rams have an All Pro kicker and punter and they are ranked 16th in Special teams.

They predict your kicker will rupture his Achilles in week 3. Tough break...I'd move you down to #17

 

[Montalban]

Chargers are too low and 49ers probably too high; should be somewhere around 16, imo. After 16 I can't say I really care to bicker much.

For my Chiefs 13 seems not unreasonable. The offense looks very good. They get anything at all out of the defense to go with an already strong O/ST's and that's a solid team. Alternatively, Mahomes carries the team, and my schtick aside, I don't think that's very likely even if I think he has very good statistical numbers as a product of coaching and talent. 9-7 and 13 seems about right.

Defense was horrendous last year and got worse via the trades

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Defense was horrendous last year and got worse via the trades

The Chiefs Defense? Kendall Fuller was the #1 slot CB last year. Get Nelson back healthy. They get Berry back. They signed Xavier Williams (80 grade), they signed Anthony Hitchens. Ragland will be starting the entire year. Drafted O'Daniel, Nnadi, Speaks, and Watts. This is before Dee Ford comes back and Tanoh Kpassagnon comes off his pseudo redshirt year.

I can just about guarantee it's better than last year. I just don't know how much better. We're talking about upgrading from replacement value defenders outside of Peters, and they brought in the #1 Slot CB (who has every ability to play outside) in Fuller.

The defense got significantly better if anything (albeit they were dead last so that's basically guaranteed given who was coming back plus signings and an all D draft essentially)

 

[Fountain City Blues]

The Chiefs Defense? Kendall Fuller was the #1 slot CB last year. Get Nelson back healthy. They get Berry back. They signed Xavier Williams (80 grade), they signed Anthony Hitchens. Ragland will be starting the entire year. Drafted O'Daniel, Nnadi, Speaks, and Watts. This is before Dee Ford comes back and Tanoh Kpassagnon comes off his pseudo redshirt year.

I can just about guarantee it's better than last year. I just don't know how much better. We're talking about upgrading from replacement value defenders outside of Peters, and they brought in the #1 Slot CB (who has every ability to play outside) in Fuller.

The defense got significantly better if anything (albeit they were dead last so that's basically guaranteed given who was coming back plus signings and an all D draft essentially)

'Starters' not coming back or relegated to bench:

Ron Parker
Marcus Peters
Derrick Johnson
Tamba Hali
Bennie Logan
Darrelle Revis
Phillip Gaines
Eric Murray
Sorenson*

*Moved to FS instead of being a moneybacker

Starters that were better than replacement lost:

Marcus Peters

That's it.

Eric Berry
Reggie Ragland
Anthony Hitchens
Chris Jones
Kendall Fuller
Justin Houston

I don't think it's very likely a defense with those 6 as their core are the worst D in football. That's a hard sell.

 

[Oldschool739]

Wow they have the Broncos ranked as the worst offense in 2018. Not exactly what I was expecting with the addition of Keenum being such a big upgrade at QB. Then special teams being 31 after we added King to the punting unit. I'm not expecting Super Bowl for the Broncos or anything but thought the numbers would show a little better than that.

No worries cd, you can straighten them out at the next NFL meeting....

 

[Oldschool739]

2018 NFL projections: FPI's 1-32 ranking, odds for Super Bowl

Their power index ranking has the 49ers at #10. Nice!

Vikings at #5.......Shred the list, it's worthless !!!!

 

[Clayton]

Defense was horrendous last year and got worse via the trades

Eric Berry is probably an important factor here.

If their defense is as bad (or worse) than it was last year then its going to get some people fired.

I don't think it will be as good as ESPN is suggesting, though

 

[Fountain City Blues]

Eric Berry is probably an important factor here.

If their defense is as bad (or worse) than it was last year then its going to get some people fired.

I don't think it will be as good as ESPN is suggesting, though

If it was that good I'd halfway expect a SB Appearance.

So... not happening.

 

[Montalban]

The Chiefs Defense? Kendall Fuller was the #1 slot CB last year. Get Nelson back healthy. They get Berry back. They signed Xavier Williams (80 grade), they signed Anthony Hitchens. Ragland will be starting the entire year. Drafted O'Daniel, Nnadi, Speaks, and Watts. This is before Dee Ford comes back and Tanoh Kpassagnon comes off his pseudo redshirt year.

I can just about guarantee it's better than last year. I just don't know how much better. We're talking about upgrading from replacement value defenders outside of Peters, and they brought in the #1 Slot CB (who has every ability to play outside) in Fuller.

The defense got significantly better if anything (albeit they were dead last so that's basically guaranteed given who was coming back plus signings and an all D draft essentially)

I hope so because it was a fucking disgrace in the post season.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

I hope so because it was a fucking disgrace in the post season.

People focus on Travis Kelce going down, but Chris Jones going down was arguably more impactful. The Titans did nothing but run left in that game to avoid Justin Houston. Disgraceful.

 

[Montalban]

Eric Berry is probably an important factor here.

If their defense is as bad (or worse) than it was last year then its going to get some people fired.

I don't think it will be as good as ESPN is suggesting, though

Agree.

 

[Montalban]

People focus on Travis Kelce going down, but Chris Jones going down was arguably more impactful. The Titans did nothing but run left in that game to avoid Justin Houston. Disgraceful.

Their inability to stop the run was disgraceful.

 

[MikeMed]

I thought the Patriots were supposed to suck this year?

According to ESPN's Max Kellerman - Tom Brady will "fall off a cliff this season" and we will not see an elite QB in NE this season.........If thats the case they are a 9 win team maybe.

 

[MikeMed]

Packers probably right on at 7...........Their D backfield should be a strength and not a weakness this season.............Will be a dogfight in that DIV between GB/Minny........Cant wait

 

[DirtDirtDirt]

It is for the reasons we want you to believe. They have arguably the best Coach, QB, TE and slot receiver in the game with a well balanced run game. The defense worries me and the defense is why they lost the SB.

They have flaws is all im saying, and they lost key pieces, but its not a concern in that division, so it is absolutely not for the reasons you think, well, I dont really think you think that, I think you know the division is complete dogcrap

It doesnt mean NE wouldnt win any other division in football, it just means it wouldnt be decided in March that they already won the division

Just for comparisons sake, Seattle lost a ton of talent, still have some, and many see them as a non playoff 3rd place team.....New England can take many many key hits and it still wont lower them to a Jets/Bills/Fins level, thats just an obvious fact

 

[cdumler7]

No worries cd, you can straighten them out at the next NFL meeting....

I'm not worried. Maybe these same people making this crap up are with you in thinking your TE is a legit OROY threat.

 

[Fountain City Blues]

According to ESPN's Max Kellerman - Tom Brady will "fall off a cliff this season" and we will not see an elite QB in NE this season.........If thats the case they are a 9 win team maybe.

That's coming, but like Peyton Manning when I started to see some erosion, real erosion, I refuse to predict it until it is categorically not deniable.

 

[JohnShadows]

Panthers #9, we'll see. Hopefully the receiver corps is going to come together this year. This is TD's last year, may he make it count.