All Peyton Manning needed was time and some real game action to work out the kinks in the offense. Not only has the offense improved on a weekly basis but the defense has been tremendous and goes overlooked because of #18. All these factors give me reason to believe they were the best regular season team in the league. But Peyton is tired of hearing best in the regular season. This man wants to be the best in the playoffs. For now, his team is the best. Here are The Sports Prophets final power rankings for the 2012 NFL season- "POWER 32".
1. Broncos - They went from (2-3) in week 5 to (13-3) at seasons end. That's 11 straight wins for all you math majors. They're the hottest team in football and Peyton is once again an MVP candidate.
2. Patriots - I know they beat Denver this year but that was in October when the Broncos were still feeling things out. But the Pats have Brady and should be fully healthy after a 1st round bye and Gronk coming back. You can't ever count these guys out.
3. Falcons - The Falcons lost their regular season finale because they didn't need to win. They locked up the #1 seed and are the best home team in the NFL since 2008. They have a bunch of play makers offensively and have significantly improved on defense. Watch out for Atlanta!
4. 49ers - Despite not being at their best lately, the Niners have been extremely consistent all year. They played one bad game all season in the blowout against Seattle last week. But they can run the ball, play great defense and have receivers who can get open and make plays.
5. Seahawks - They may be the hottest team in the NFL. They've won their last 5 games to clinch a wild card spot. The big knock on Seattle was their problems winning on the road. Well they beat the Bears at Soldier Field and flew across country to put 50 points up on the Bills. Nobody wants to play these guys right now.
6. Packers - Green Bay has quietly been one of the best teams in football since the "Fail Mary" pass in the loss at Seattle. If the replacement refs didn't blow that call then the Pack would have a 1st round bye. All of their key guys are getting healthy from various injuries which is making reigning league MVP Aaron Rodgers a very happy man.
7. Redskins - It's been the two rookie of the year candidates that played great all season long and ultimately brought the Skins their first division title since 1999. RGIII and Alfred Morris carried the offense while an injury filled defense worked it's way to becoming a very solid unit. Washington is going into the post season with a 7 game winning streak. These guys didn't sneak in the playoffs at (10-6).
8. Bengals - The Bengals have won 7 of their last 8 games after a shaky start. Their one loss in that time was at home to the Cowboys by one point. Dalton and Green keep getting better and that defense has become one of the best in football. They're not a great team but they are very solid and have good to great players at every position.
9. Ravens - It's been an elevator season for the Ravens. They felt pretty good about their dominant victory over the Giants a week ago that they sat most of their players for the finale at Cincinnati. But Baltimore will be a tough out in the playoffs. They have plenty of experience and play makers on both sides of the ball. They're the kind of team that can turn a ball game around in a heart beat.
10. Texans - It's really pathetic how bad the Texans have played in December. They may be (12-4) but nothing about this team tells me they're any good. They have guys like Arian Foster and Andre Johnson and barely put any points on the scoreboard. J.J. Watt is an amazing player but he can't play every position. This defense has fallen apart and that used to be the glue of this team.
11. Colts - I can't remember a story like this in my long sports life. It's extremely unique, incredible and improbable wrapped up all in to one spectacular story. Chuck Pagano is every one's favorite coach and if you don't have a horse in the race then you may as well route for the Colts. And I have to mention the outstanding, veteran type play of possible rookie of the year Andrew Luck. He's almost single handily turned around the entire organization. And another more than well deserved mention to Bruce Arians who should be the coach of the year for coming in early in the season and taking the reigns of the Colts stampede and running into the playoffs. Just masterful!
12. Vikings - Adrian Peterson is the MVP and may have possibly had the greatest season by a running back in NFL history. He literally carried the ball and his team to the playoffs as the only offensive player worth a mention on the entire squad. The Vikings are in the playoffs much to every body's surprise and A.P. is the reason why.
13. Bears - Even at (10-6) the Bears were a major disappointment and management agrees because they fired Lovie Smith Monday morning. Chicago was (7-1) and looked like the best team in the NFC. Now they'll be sitting home watching the playoffs with the rest of the pretenders. They need more offense.
14. Giants - Well, I told ya so! I said the Giants would have an identical (9-7) record from last season but this time won't make the playoffs. The Giants had their annual second half collapse and it cost them big time because RGIII and the Redskins went on a major roll and defeated the Giants in the process. I think we can safely say that Eli is not elite. He had a bad year.
15. Steelers - Here's a team we almost automatically ink into the playoffs every season. We can't blame their post season absence on Big Ben's injury this time. The Steelers held their own destiny to the playoffs but lost to the Cowboys and Bengals in consecutive weeks and fell out of contention. Roethlisberger played terrible down the stretch and the lack of a running game really came back to haunt this team.
16. Cowboys - I can no longer defend Tony Romo. Once again he came up small in a big game. The Cowboys had plenty of opportunities to beat the Redskins and win the division. On their last drive, Tony Romo showed the world why he isn't a winner. He threw one of the ugliest interceptions imaginable in the most crucial moment in the game. Dallas has issues well beyond Romo, but it may be time to turn the page and find another QB for the future.
17. Panthers - The Panthers had very high expectations going into this season. We all thought Cam Newton was going to take his game to another level and possibly get Carolina into the playoffs. Well he played bad and the Panthers were out of contention half way through the season. But they finished strong and showed promise for 2013.
18. Rams - The Rams winning 7 games this year is an accomplishment in my eyes. They had the number 2 pick in the draft last year because they were bad. Unfortunately for the Rams they traded it away to Washington. I bet they wish they took RGIII huh! Either way, Jeff Fisher has the Rams playing some good football. They have a very solid defense but must improve offensively to content in this division.
19. Saints - It's no shock to me that the Saints didn't make the post season. It goes to show you how important coaching is, especially good coaching and Sean Payton is a very good head coach. But even with Payton on the sidelines the Saints have serious problems on defense. Until they get that together, New Orleans won't be back to a Super Bowl anytime soon.
21. Dolphins - Much like the Jets and Bills, Miami is simply waiting for Brady and Bellichick to retire. The Phins hope they've created their own QB/head coach combo with Ryan Tannehill and Joe Philbin. If not for Luck, Wilson and RGIII, we would be talking a lot more about the season the Dolphins rookie is having. He isn't blowing us away with stats but he is doing what he's asked to do and showing Phins fans that the QB carousel since Marino left town may finally be over.
22. Chargers - Finally, finally, finally the San Diego Chargers have fired Norv Turner. Not only Turner but they also let go of General Manager, A.J. Smith. As far as Chargers fans are concerned these moves were long overdue. S.D. isn't that far away from being a true contender. Hopefully a new G.M. and head coach will get the job done. I think Andy Reid may be a good fit here.
23. Buccaneers - They were the hot team with 4 weeks left to play and seemed headed for a playoff run. At (6-5) the Bucs offense were as good as any going into December. But for some reason the offense stopped clicking and Josh Freeman's play regressed. They have good young talent but will need to find a way to stop opposing QB's as they were the worst against the pass in the NFL.
24. Bills - I thought the Bills would have been a much better team. They have plenty of weapons on offense and addressed their needs on the defensive side of the ball. But most of those moves didn't pan out as the Bills continued to get scored upon with ease and only finished the season with 6 wins. Buffalo said farewell to Chan Gailey so they'll be one of at least 7 teams looking for a new head coach.
25. Titans - The Titans should be a lot better than they are. A lot of analysts picked this team to make the post season. But Tennessee only managed to get 6 wins in large part due to their defense allowing a league high 471 points this season. Clearly the Titans have many needs to address.
26. Jets - It's hard not to laugh when thinking about this team. The biggest victory for this team this year happened yesterday afternoon when they fired Mike Tannenbaum as G.M. of the team. He hasn't done a good job at picking players in the draft and failed to bring in significant talent on offense to get this team in the end zone. Clearly that wasn't the plan with Tim Tebow as they barely used the polarizing player. This season was a joke for the New York Jets.
27. Browns - Cleveland actually played better than I thought they would. They played tough, controlled defense all year long and caused timely turnovers to help the Browns get 5 victories. Hey, that's 5 wins more than most people thought. Brandon Weeden kept improving after every game and Trent Richardson is the real deal. New owner Jimmy Haslam released Pat Shurmur (head coach) and Tom Heckert (G.M.) so he hopes the house cleaning will invite quality people into their home.
28. Lions - I didn't pick the Lions to make the playoffs, but I didn't think it was going to be this bad. They got off to a slow start and they finished the same way. They looked more like the (0-16) team from 2008 as opposed to the team that made the tournament last season. Jim Schwartz will most likely lose his job as head coach if the Lions don't at least get back to the playoffs next season.
29. Eagles - Another terrible season for Philly. This time they did what they should have done last year and that's fire Andy Reid. He had a great run but no Super Bowl wins and only 1 appearance in 14 years is not success. The Eagles still have a very good group of players. They just need some new blood in their to coach them.
30. Cardinals - After a (4-0) start the Cards looked like a playoff contender. I however knew it was a fluke as it turned out to be. The QB carousel in Arizona may have been the worst ride in the theme park. I just feel terrible for Larry Fitzgerald who is a top tier WR and one of the NFL's classiest players. As you may have noticed, many of the teams at the bottom of this list will be looking for new coaches. Add the Cardinals to that list with the firing of Ken Whisenhunt.
31. Chiefs - K.C. was a monumental disappointment as far as I'm concerned. They're loaded with talent but as it turns out, Matt Cassel is not the QB some of us thought he was. They gave Romeo Crennell a chance after taking over for Todd Haley last season and finishing relatively strong. Well the Chiefs just fired Crennel.
32. Jaguars - These guys are so far away from being good it's almost laughable. They clearly don't have a QB, MJD is on his way out and the defense couldn't stop a Pop Warner All Star team. I will say that Justin Blackmon was the right pick. Now they just need a QB to throw him the ball.
7. Redskins - It's been the two rookie of the year candidates that played great all season long and ultimately brought the Skins their first division title since 1999. RGIII and Alfred Morris carried the offense while an injury filled defense worked it's way to becoming a very solid unit. Washington is going into the post season with a 7 game winning streak. These guys didn't sneak in the playoffs at (10-6).
9. Ravens - It's been an elevator season for the Ravens. They felt pretty good about their dominant victory over the Giants a week ago that they sat most of their players for the finale at Cincinnati. But Baltimore will be a tough out in the playoffs. They have plenty of experience and play makers on both sides of the ball. They're the kind of team that can turn a ball game around in a heart beat.
10. Texans - It's really pathetic how bad the Texans have played in December. They may be (12-4) but nothing about this team tells me they're any good. They have guys like Arian Foster and Andre Johnson and barely put any points on the scoreboard. J.J. Watt is an amazing player but he can't play every position. This defense has fallen apart and that used to be the glue of this team.
11. Colts - I can't remember a story like this in my long sports life. It's extremely unique, incredible and improbable wrapped up all in to one spectacular story. Chuck Pagano is every one's favorite coach and if you don't have a horse in the race then you may as well route for the Colts. And I have to mention the outstanding, veteran type play of possible rookie of the year Andrew Luck. He's almost single handily turned around the entire organization. And another more than well deserved mention to Bruce Arians who should be the coach of the year for coming in early in the season and taking the reigns of the Colts stampede and running into the playoffs. Just masterful!
12. Vikings - Adrian Peterson is the MVP and may have possibly had the greatest season by a running back in NFL history. He literally carried the ball and his team to the playoffs as the only offensive player worth a mention on the entire squad. The Vikings are in the playoffs much to every body's surprise and A.P. is the reason why.
13. Bears - Even at (10-6) the Bears were a major disappointment and management agrees because they fired Lovie Smith Monday morning. Chicago was (7-1) and looked like the best team in the NFC. Now they'll be sitting home watching the playoffs with the rest of the pretenders. They need more offense.
14. Giants - Well, I told ya so! I said the Giants would have an identical (9-7) record from last season but this time won't make the playoffs. The Giants had their annual second half collapse and it cost them big time because RGIII and the Redskins went on a major roll and defeated the Giants in the process. I think we can safely say that Eli is not elite. He had a bad year.
15. Steelers - Here's a team we almost automatically ink into the playoffs every season. We can't blame their post season absence on Big Ben's injury this time. The Steelers held their own destiny to the playoffs but lost to the Cowboys and Bengals in consecutive weeks and fell out of contention. Roethlisberger played terrible down the stretch and the lack of a running game really came back to haunt this team.
16. Cowboys - I can no longer defend Tony Romo. Once again he came up small in a big game. The Cowboys had plenty of opportunities to beat the Redskins and win the division. On their last drive, Tony Romo showed the world why he isn't a winner. He threw one of the ugliest interceptions imaginable in the most crucial moment in the game. Dallas has issues well beyond Romo, but it may be time to turn the page and find another QB for the future.
17. Panthers - The Panthers had very high expectations going into this season. We all thought Cam Newton was going to take his game to another level and possibly get Carolina into the playoffs. Well he played bad and the Panthers were out of contention half way through the season. But they finished strong and showed promise for 2013.
18. Rams - The Rams winning 7 games this year is an accomplishment in my eyes. They had the number 2 pick in the draft last year because they were bad. Unfortunately for the Rams they traded it away to Washington. I bet they wish they took RGIII huh! Either way, Jeff Fisher has the Rams playing some good football. They have a very solid defense but must improve offensively to content in this division.
19. Saints - It's no shock to me that the Saints didn't make the post season. It goes to show you how important coaching is, especially good coaching and Sean Payton is a very good head coach. But even with Payton on the sidelines the Saints have serious problems on defense. Until they get that together, New Orleans won't be back to a Super Bowl anytime soon.
21. Dolphins - Much like the Jets and Bills, Miami is simply waiting for Brady and Bellichick to retire. The Phins hope they've created their own QB/head coach combo with Ryan Tannehill and Joe Philbin. If not for Luck, Wilson and RGIII, we would be talking a lot more about the season the Dolphins rookie is having. He isn't blowing us away with stats but he is doing what he's asked to do and showing Phins fans that the QB carousel since Marino left town may finally be over.
22. Chargers - Finally, finally, finally the San Diego Chargers have fired Norv Turner. Not only Turner but they also let go of General Manager, A.J. Smith. As far as Chargers fans are concerned these moves were long overdue. S.D. isn't that far away from being a true contender. Hopefully a new G.M. and head coach will get the job done. I think Andy Reid may be a good fit here.
23. Buccaneers - They were the hot team with 4 weeks left to play and seemed headed for a playoff run. At (6-5) the Bucs offense were as good as any going into December. But for some reason the offense stopped clicking and Josh Freeman's play regressed. They have good young talent but will need to find a way to stop opposing QB's as they were the worst against the pass in the NFL.
24. Bills - I thought the Bills would have been a much better team. They have plenty of weapons on offense and addressed their needs on the defensive side of the ball. But most of those moves didn't pan out as the Bills continued to get scored upon with ease and only finished the season with 6 wins. Buffalo said farewell to Chan Gailey so they'll be one of at least 7 teams looking for a new head coach.
26. Jets - It's hard not to laugh when thinking about this team. The biggest victory for this team this year happened yesterday afternoon when they fired Mike Tannenbaum as G.M. of the team. He hasn't done a good job at picking players in the draft and failed to bring in significant talent on offense to get this team in the end zone. Clearly that wasn't the plan with Tim Tebow as they barely used the polarizing player. This season was a joke for the New York Jets.
27. Browns - Cleveland actually played better than I thought they would. They played tough, controlled defense all year long and caused timely turnovers to help the Browns get 5 victories. Hey, that's 5 wins more than most people thought. Brandon Weeden kept improving after every game and Trent Richardson is the real deal. New owner Jimmy Haslam released Pat Shurmur (head coach) and Tom Heckert (G.M.) so he hopes the house cleaning will invite quality people into their home.
28. Lions - I didn't pick the Lions to make the playoffs, but I didn't think it was going to be this bad. They got off to a slow start and they finished the same way. They looked more like the (0-16) team from 2008 as opposed to the team that made the tournament last season. Jim Schwartz will most likely lose his job as head coach if the Lions don't at least get back to the playoffs next season.
29. Eagles - Another terrible season for Philly. This time they did what they should have done last year and that's fire Andy Reid. He had a great run but no Super Bowl wins and only 1 appearance in 14 years is not success. The Eagles still have a very good group of players. They just need some new blood in their to coach them.
30. Cardinals - After a (4-0) start the Cards looked like a playoff contender. I however knew it was a fluke as it turned out to be. The QB carousel in Arizona may have been the worst ride in the theme park. I just feel terrible for Larry Fitzgerald who is a top tier WR and one of the NFL's classiest players. As you may have noticed, many of the teams at the bottom of this list will be looking for new coaches. Add the Cardinals to that list with the firing of Ken Whisenhunt.
31. Chiefs - K.C. was a monumental disappointment as far as I'm concerned. They're loaded with talent but as it turns out, Matt Cassel is not the QB some of us thought he was. They gave Romeo Crennell a chance after taking over for Todd Haley last season and finishing relatively strong. Well the Chiefs just fired Crennel.
32. Jaguars - These guys are so far away from being good it's almost laughable. They clearly don't have a QB, MJD is on his way out and the defense couldn't stop a Pop Warner All Star team. I will say that Justin Blackmon was the right pick. Now they just need a QB to throw him the ball.
Great job with the team rankings. Now we get to see if Seattle can do something they haven't done all year: beat a playoff team on the road. And also we get to see if ATL is for real.
ReplyDeleteNice article. However, I think the Texans are bit too low.
ReplyDeleteMike I didn't believe in Seattle either for a while and the road woes. I now fear them.
ReplyDeleteChinwe I hear ya but they have played so bad lately losing 3 out of 4 in games they needed to have. They've showed me nothing when it counts the most. The Bengals will probably beat them this weekend.
I agree. I will pick Cincy in this game.
DeleteHow dare you put the jets over my browns! good job though!
ReplyDeleteHaha. Hey Browns did better than I thought. Nice defense.
ReplyDelete