ESPN Power Rankings

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/powerranking?season=2008&week=0&lpos=spotlight&lid=tab2pos1

I feel pretty comfortable with their top 10 besides the Giants. I'm pretty sure they're going to be nothing this year. My Pats (yes, MY Pats who have been my Pats since I was showered with Patriots gear at the age of 9 by my Massachusetts relatives) should have at least a 12 win season but our aging linebackers and disappearing d-backs will be a problem...especially when it comes to Indy and SD. Then again if we can score 40 points a game we might be able to steal some wins like last year when our defense didn't deserve a W.

You're going to need more than cameras to put up 40 points in every game this year. The only reason they went 16 and 0 last year was because they play in the terrible AFC East. I would like to think any playoff team from last year would collect those 6 gimmie wins and only need 4 more wins to make the playoffs, unless you're the Browns lol.

The Pats will be the most overrated team in 08, I can see why they are rated #1 this year but once they run into some teams that can pound the ball like the Bills and even the Dolphins if R. Brown is healthy. I predict a 11 win season and a battle going into the last week for the AFC crown.

The good thing about the Pats, if there is such a thing, is that the AFC is no where near as tough as it was two years ago. The Chargers are nothing with Turner as the coach, the Chiefs are one of the worst teams in football, the Colts are not getting better by losing Harrison's productivity (age related), their only real threat is Jacksonville.

word...... YOUR PATS suck..... they couldn't even beat the NYG... pathetic.... overrated and brady sucks when he gets sacked...... piece of s***t...... they give everyother team who had a good record a bad name... especially the dolphins who went undefeated.... soo bad... packers are better!!

First of all, the Pats will still be tough as hell, but i could see them coming out with 10 wins this year. Yes i have seen their schedule, yes i know that it doesn't look like much. Moss is a year older and so is their pooress O-line and linebacking corps. They have some major holes in some major units. They will still steam roll a few teams but when it comes down to it, a lot of teams will be able to run on them.

yea i've got the pats gonig 10-6 even with the 6 game gimmey

Mr. Reynolds wrote:yea i've got the pats gonig 10-6 even with the 6 game gimmey

Laugh all you want, but there is no way you can call the Jets and Bills 'gimmie's' anymore. They both have very very good run blocking linemen and hard nosed RB's.

If there is one way to beat the pats its to keep the game close (which is the hard part) and run them into the ground. The pats did it to the rams (by cheating) in their first super bowl win by limiting Warner's times with the ball, other teams will have the same method.

Don't forget, every franchise wants to get a peace of the fake champ.

pats = *

the rams were so amazing that year with marshall faulk... omg i can't believe they lost that game

First of all that so called "evidence" of taping during the Rams walkthrough never materialized. Walsh couldn't present anything other than the same information that we knew when they got caught this year.

Second of all, if you think NE is the first team to tape then you're an idiot. Just from memory, I'm pretty sure the Jets got caught taping NE as well and claimed the Pats gave them permission, which the Pats denied. The only difference is, the Jets don't have three rings in the last seven years.

And continuing on that note, taping signs? Pretty sure that's one of the most minor ways to cheat you could ever attempt in football. Probably going to take all the former players' word on NFL Live and **** over some 80 year old senator (looking at you Arlen Specter). I would expect you guys to be able to differentiate between ESPN sensationalism and reality.

Also, how can any of you even deny that the Patriots were a great team last year? They got lucky a few times yeah, but what championship-caliber team doesn't? The Giants outplayed them in the Super Bowl without a doubt, but if you are going to use that to say their season was a waste (I think most people would take a conference championship and a few records for their team) and they "suck" then you're a complete idiot. Mr. Reynolds, when did your team beat NY in the playoffs?

This year they obviously won't be as good because they're a year older and they've lost a lot on defense (I struggle to name our starting corners this year or a linebacker under 30). Offensively we'll still be great but teams now have a blueprint on how to play us thanks to the Giants.

Ollie, I agree with all your points. However, it's not our fault what division we're in, so I see us winning quite a few games again. Still, I think that this year is either San Diego (still loaded with talent regardless of the coach) or Jacksonville (totally overlooked them) coming out of the AFC.

Finally, Mr. Reynolds is your shift key broken or do you always type like a 14 year old girl? Next time make a good point like Ollie or Drago...or at least use good punctuation. OMG that would be so like idk like so amazing!

I am interested to see how Mayo turns out. Pre-draft he was supposed to be a second rounder and the Pats took him at 10. Now, it is not the first time a team has reached on a player, I recall the Patriots "reaching" on one Richard Seymore, and he has turned out to be one of the best linemen in the NFL.

What makes me uneasy about their drafting is that, apparently, the Pats and Jets were trying feverishly to trade up to the 5th spot with Kansas City. If you recall Dorsey and Gholston were the only elite, elite talent available, no way the Pats or Jets were trying for that spot to take Dorsey, both teams need a 34 OLBer difference maker and that means it was for Gholston.

Now I'm not Jets fan but it seems the Jets win this scuffle by staying pat, getting their man and making the Patriots deal out of their position to take, what they think will be, the next best linebacker in the draft. It's like Belicheck wanted a speed backer and settled for Mayo. Have they not played against Jon Vilma for the past three season? Do they not realize that you need size above all else in the middle of a 34 line backing corps?

The Mayo pick really has me scratching my head, but then again, so have all of the Patriots recent drafts. It's as though they have lost their flare in the war room, by picking the receiver from Florida, Merriweather and a few others. They lucked their way into their franchise QB by passing over him 4 times in the two rounds before the sixth and haven't had a great first rounder since Mankins (who was also a reach).

The wheels are slowly coming off, it may not be evident this year, but I do believe 2009 will be the year the Patriots flat out miss the playoffs.

be angry that YOUR pats suck c*ck and everyone knows it and can't win a superbowl without cheating

Wow you're racially ignorant AND football retarded. That's impressive.

But to address someone that actually knows something...

Yeah the Mayo pick left me scratching my head a bit but I still have faith in the higher powers of the Pats office.

We addressed the needs by getting some corners and linebackers (Crable from Michigan is the one that stands out. Being a Badger fan I've seen him and I think he could become a good player even though his draft spot doesn't show it). Didn't get any outright studs, but I'm trusting their judgement because it's gotten us pretty far.

Maintaining excellence in the NFL is one of the toughest things to do and I agree that it's only a matter of time, but I think it will be at least two seasons from now.

The Crable pick was their best pick. Granted that will be proved one way or the other over the next few seasons, but the knock on Crable was that he is a loose cannon. I'm sorry, but I want loose cannons playing OLBer. I want a guy that will rip a QB's head off on each sack.

Crable was a nice pick, hopefully for the rest of the league it is their only nice pick.

Ollie Octagon wrote:The Crable pick was their best pick. Granted that will be proved one way or the other over the next few seasons, but the knock on Crable was that he is a loose cannon. I'm sorry, but I want loose cannons playing OLBer. I want a guy that will rip a QB's head off on each sack.

Crable was a nice pick, hopefully for the rest of the league it is their only nice pick.

Why the hate on the Patriots? They are going to win it all this year, last year the Giants got lucky. I bet the don't lose a game at all.

Well at least I'm not delusional...

BOMBER wrote:Well at least I'm not delusional...

I'm looking forward to seeing how the Patriots come out this year, I know they'll be good but I'm just wondering "how good?"

I also want to see the Packers, Cowboys, 49ers and Saints. Just interested in how they finish the season.

i was surprised on how the saints did last season because of how dominant they were the season before. drew brees sucked it up for the first half of the season last year.

I could see the Saints turning in a good season, although i'm not sold on Shockey at all. I think he has been overrated his whole career and teams only get better when he is not in the game.

maybe he'll grow up this year.

yea that's true but man look at the cowboys and how tony romo created the ultimate weapon..... jason witten he was amazing last year he put up wide receiver numbers.

Detroit wins superbowl. You heard it here first.

Lions win the super bowl when millen is fired and everyone he drafted has retired.

Witten is good, but is only as good as their offense lets him be. If he played for Detroit, NYJ, or Miami he'd be just another scrub. Anyone with hands opposite Owens, Romo and Barber is going to find some nice sized creases to work with.

Lions win the Super Bowl when they get a quarterback that can throw to their 291513 wide receiver picks.

Oh, and when they get a defense that doesn't allow 380 yards a game and 28 points a game.

Mr. Bomber, watch out for Ernie Simms this year. He will be getting plenty of tackles and if I remember right, they have drafted some decent linemen to play in front of him.

Marinelli is a defensive guy, at some point one would expect to him to have a good defense.

Maybe I'm off base here.

lions win a superbowl when kitna doesn't get sacked 10 times a game. we all saw what happened to brady in the superbowl he got sacked and then sucked it up

Yeah Detroit's defense is sure to improve (can't really get much worse), but I don't think there'll be a big turnaround this year.



And Reynolds you idiot any quarterback is going to struggle when he is getting sacked. Name me one that doesn't "suck it up" when he's on the ground.

Good call on Sims, Ollie. He's a damn good player.

Hey RC, who do they have playing in front of them with Rodgers gone? Did they go with a replacement?

don't get all defensive when i bring brady into the equation.. haha. ummm hmmm... brett favre doesn't just give in like brady, he's the toughest qb to ever live.


i'm just going to bet money right now that you were going to bring the cowgirls game into this arguement. but you have to look at the big picture with favre and his will power to withstand anything

BOMBER wrote:Yeah Detroit's defense is sure to improve (can't really get much worse), but I don't think there'll be a big turnaround this year.



And Reynolds you idiot any quarterback is going to struggle when he is getting sacked. Name me one that doesn't "suck it up" when he's on the ground.

when you say suck it up, are you making a gay comment, because if you are, then brady is your man. he loves dudes.

Mr. Reynolds wrote:don't get all defensive when i bring brady into the equation.. haha. ummm hmmm... brett favre doesn't just give in like brady, he's the toughest qb to ever live.


i'm just going to bet money right now that you were going to bring the cowgirls game into this arguement. but you have to look at the big picture with favre and his will power to withstand anything

except a good defense...

Name one good defense Favre has 'shreded' in the past 5 years.

EVERY team that he owns is good

Ollie Octagon wrote:Hey RC, who do they have playing in front of them with Rodgers gone? Did they go with a replacement?

Here's a good link for you, Ollie:


http://www.detroitlions.com/document_display.cfm?document_id=471425

The steelers have a great defense and the vikings only give up 75 ypg rushing drago.... i win

Both teams you just mentioned have awful pass defenses. The steelers can generate pressure and I am moderatly impressed if Favre did, infact, beat them but the Vikings? Half the teams the Vikings played beat them. Are you telling me that Favre is only average now?

I thought this is a debate over Favre beating good teams?

Favre is not a bad qb. With that said, however, Brett Favre = Most Overrated Football Player in History.

No. Tom Brady.

System QB, with cameras. The dude's whole career is a sham.

haha bomber is going to flip his sh*t when he sees what you wrote about brady

favre is easily top 5 QB's to ever play. they talk about it all the time on espn and nfl.com

Mr. Reynolds wrote:favre is easily top 5 QB's to ever play. they talk about it all the time on espn and nfl.com

Off the top of my head...
Joe Montana
Steve Young
Dan Marino
Peyton Manning
Johnny Unitas

Favre is top 10, not top 5

dan marino.. yea his stats were great, but couldn't deliver and win a superbowl

TOP 5 CHECK IT OUT