FanNation - The Republic of Sport

Another week, another loss for the Detroit Lions. On a brighter note, the San Francisco 49ers have won three of their last four games, the Indianapolis Colts have won their sixth straight game and the Giants was handed their second loss. Ok, the Giants' loss was not great news, unless you are a Carolina Panther's fan. And if you are, welcome back on the bandwagon!!!

1. Tennessee Titans- record: 12-1 (rank last week (2) opponents' winning % .393: defeated Browns, 28-9)

A congratulation goes out to the Titans for finally dethroning the Colts in the AFC South and also regaining the number one spot.

2. New York Giants- record: 11-2 (rank last week (1) opponents' winning % .469: lost to Eagles, 14-20)

I suppose their game against the Eagles could be considered a ‘trap game'. I suppose recent distractions cause them to lose focus. Nonsense, the G-Men will be ok.

3. Carolina Panthers- record: 10-3 (rank last week (4) opponents' winning % .483: defeated Bucs, 38-23)

The Monday night game was a neck and neck pace for three quarters, and then the Panthers broke the game open in the fourth. Now that the Panthers showed they can win a big game in December, they can now be taken seriously.

4. Indianapolis Colts- record: 9-4 (rank last week (5) opponents' winning % .483: defeated Bengals, 35-3)

The Browns' the previous game, the Bengals' this game and the Lions' coming up next? The schedulers MUST be Colts' fans!      

5. Pittsburgh Steelers- record: 10-3 (rank last week (6) opponents' winning % .483: defeated Cowboys, 20-13)

The Steelers' willed themselves to this win. Ok, the Cowboys blew the game, but good teams always have luck on their side. Just ask the Colts and Patriots (at least before this season).

6. Baltimore Ravens- record: 9-4 (rank last week (9) opponents' winning % .490: defeated Redskins, 24-10)

One tough opponent taken care of. If the Ravens can split the season series with the Steelers, they will be in decent shape to win the division.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- record: 9-4 (rank last week (3) opponents' winning % .479: lost to Panthers, 23-38)

Talk about getting gashed by the running game! To make matters worse, they will face a divisional opponent (Falcons) whose running game is just as strong. If they lose that game, playoff dreams may fade.

8. Minnesota Vikings- record: 8-5 (rank last week (11) opponents' winning % .469: defeated Lions, 20-16)

Many people picked this team as the one to give the Lions' their first victory. Who would have guess oft-criticized Tarvaris Jackson would be the one at quarterback to prevent it from happening?

9. New England Patriots- record: 8-5 (rank last week (12) opponents' winning % .466: defeated Seahawks, 24-21)

Wow, New England, Seneca Wallace looked like a Pro Bowler against you! Your defense has major issues!

10. Arizona Cardinals- record: 8-5 (rank last week (14) opponents' winning % .482: defeated Rams, 34-10)

Nothing like playing with the Rams to make a team forget their Thanksgiving beat down. Congratulations on clinching your joke of a division.

11. Dallas Cowboys- record: 8-5 (rank last week (7) opponents' winning % .493: lost to Steelers, 13-20)

The consensus seems to be that meddle-some owners on winning teams are just as ANNOYING as meddle-some owners on losing teams!

12. Miami Dolphins- record 8-5 (rank last week (15) opponents' winning % .473: defeated Bills, 16-3)

 If I knew whether Jerry Jones would read this blog, I would have put the Dolphins HIGHER than the Cowboys. Since Bill Parcells will not read this either, I should be safe either way.

13. Denver Broncos- record: 8-5 (rank last week (16) opponents' winning % .432: defeated Chiefs, 24-17)

The league might as well award this team the division now. It's not like the Chargers will (or even want to) catch them!

14. New Orleans Saints- record: 7-6 (rank last week (17) opponents' winning % .514: defeated Flacons, 29-25)

The Saints may have found a replacement for Deuce McAllister at running back and it's not Reggie Bush.

15. Atlanta Falcons- record 8-5 (rank last week (10) opponents' winning % .462: lost to Saints, 25-29)

I still think the Falcons are better than the Broncos, but they DID recently lose to them head to head. Their next match up against the Panthers will decide their playoff fate.

16. Chicago Bears- record: 7-6 (rank last week (18) opponents' winning % .476: defeated Bears, 23-10)

The Bears have two primetime games coming up. It is possible for them to win out, but probably unlikely.

17. New York Jets- record: 8-5 (rank last week (8) opponents' winning % .455: lost to 49ers, 14-24)

This have to be the greatest free fall in these power rankings since the beginning of the season (remember the Colts'). Losing to the Broncos at home was bad enough, but losing to the 49ers' ANYWHERE is unacceptable for a team trying to win their division!

18. Philadelphia Eagles- record: 7-5-1 (rank last week (19) opponents' winning % .538: defeated Giants, 20-14)

What do you know, balancing out the offense DOES WORK! I'm still sketchy about this team, though. Beating the Giants, regardless of the circumstance, is no small feat. But this team is wildly inconsistent and has been for years!

19. Washington Redskins- record: 7-6 (rank last week (13) opponents' winning % .538: lost to Ravens, 10-24)

Well, Redskin fans, it was fun while it lasted. Look on the bright side, you have the Bengals next.

20. Houston Texans- record 6-7 (rank last week (20) opponents' winning % .476: defeated Packers, 30-17)

The Texans have to wish they were in the NFC South instead of the AFC South so they would have a fighting chance!

21. San Francisco 49ers- record 5-8 (rank last week (23) opponents' winning % .476: defeated Jets, 24-14)

Who would have thought that the 49ers could end this season as the best team in California?  

22. San Diego Chargers- record: 5-8 (rank last week (24) opponents' winning % .527: defeated Raiders, 34-7)

Now introducing the SECOND best team in California! Norv Turner is a one-hit wonder. If you do not believe me, wait until next year (if he's still there).

23. Buffalo Bills- record: 6-7 (rank last week (22) opponents' winning % .410: lost to Miami, 3-16)

The Bills were to be the team of destiny this year. Apparently, the Dolphins did not get the memo. Knowing Parcells, they did get the memo and tossed it into the trash.

24. Green Bay Packers- record: 5-8 (rank last week (21) opponents' winning % .541: lost to Texans, 21-24)

They can always claim they beat against the Colts', even if it did happen over two months ago.

25. Cleveland Browns- record: 5-8 (rank last week (25) opponents' winning % .608: lost to Titans, 9-28)

Crennel is doing no better than his former co-worker coaching at Notre Dame. I wonder if his employer will be just as patience???

26. Jacksonville Jaguars- record: 4-9 (rank last week (26) opponents' winning % .510: lost to Bears, 10-23)

And to think, I picked this team for the post season; along with dozens of other ‘experts'.

27. Seattle Seahawks- record: 2-11 (rank last week (29) opponents' winning % .538: lost to Patriots, 21-24)

After their effort against the Patriots, I had to move them up. I've seen Seneca Wallace play and while he'll never be a fulltime starter, he is an underrated backup QB.

28. Kansas City Chiefs- record 2-11 (rank last week (27) opponents' winning % .575: lost to Broncos, 17-24)

I envision one more win for this team this season. The season finale against the Bengals.

29. Oakland Raiders- record: 3-10 (rank last week (28) opponents' winning % .493: lost to Chargers, 7-34)

With their home game against the Patriots, the Raiders' better hope for serious jet-lag.

30. St. Louis Rams- record 2-11 (rank last week (31) opponents' winning % .578: lost to Cardinals, 10-34)

It can be hard to gauge mediocrity. You can interpret that any way you'd like.

31. Cincinnati Bengals- record 1-11-1 (rank last week (30) opponents' winning % .634: lost to Colts, 3-35)

The Bengals kept the game close for much of the first two quarters. Unfortunately for them, there are FOUR quarters in football.

32. Detroit Lions- record 0-13 (rank last week (32) opponents' winning % .568: lost to Vikings, 16-20)

The Lions almost ruined their imperfect season!!! With this defeat, they will be the first 0-16 team in NFL history.

Five notes from week Fifteen:

1. I occasionally read sports' message boards and it is amazing that some ‘fans' are fickle to the brink of stupidity (which would explain why I only read them occasionally)! Burress shoots himself with a hand gun that he was carrying illegally and that is an excuse accepted for Giants' losing to the Eagles. Yet, when McNabb had real (and not illegal) distractions during his poor play, he doesn't get a pass (at least, not from the idiots). In other words, a bad situation that happens that a co-worker puts on themself should be a more acceptable excuse than a life and death situation??? AMAZING! There are a lot of people out there that lacks basic reasoning skills and are board-line sociopaths!!!

2. Peyton is playing much better the second half of the season and the Colts' are two wins away from clinching a playoff spot. But it seems like there is a game within the game in Indianapolis, starring Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis. An article from Indy Star (Indianapolis' local paper) describes the two bookend defensive ends' pursuit to the quarterback liken to "two fat kids fighting over the last turkey leg on the table during Thanksgiving dinner". I'm wondering if there is a betting pool in the Colts' locker room on who will end this season with the most sacks between those two. And in case you were wonder, Mathis is leading Freeney 11.5 to 9.5 sacks, respectively.

3. Maybe Mike Singletary CAN coach them. Maybe he CAN win with them. Maybe he CAN do it. The 49ers have won three of their last four games, including two straight to AFC East teams that were fighting for a playoff spot. If this does not take the interim tag off Singletary's title, nothing will.

4. After being much criticized and eventually benched by the person who had the most faith in him, Tarvaris Jackson comes off the bench while the Vikings was struggling against the winless Lions and lead them to a comeback victory. Not only that, Jackson looked like he may have actually learned something from standing on the sidelines for the last several games, watching Gus Ferotte manage the offense. Ferotte obviously will still be the starter, but all is not lost for Jackson. And to those who will reply 'big deal, it was the Lions', the rest of us will know who was neglected as a child.

5. There should be several coaching vacancies during this coming off-season. And with that will be the ‘where will Bill Cowher go?' nonsense. I do NOT see Cowher leaving his family in North Carolina (not to mention his cushy television gig) to coach ANY of those pathetic teams. And even if by some miracle he does, what would make anyone think he will be successful? Cowher was a good coach while with the Steelers, just like Mike Tomlin is with them now. And unlike Bill Parcells (both New York teams, Patriots, Cowboys and now Miami), Bill Belichick (Patriots again) and even Tony Dungy (Buccaneers), Cowher has NEVER had to rebuild a team from scratch since he inherited a decent Steelers' roster from Chuck Noll. And even then, it took Cowher 15 seasons to finally win a Super Bowl. And the success of the rookie coaches this year shows that it is not necessary to recycle coaches to win in this league.