2011 NFL Football Power Ratings
Each week during the heart of the NFL season, and once or twice during the NFL Preseason, we’ll gather the troops around the roundtable and hash out the NFL Power rankings. We check out the stats, looks at the records, and, most importantly, we take a close, close look at the heart of each team.
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We encourage you to come back each week and see how the NFL Power Rankings have changed.
The birds (Ravens, Falcons and Seahawks) have all been taken down, as have the apparently-overrated Patriots.
So it goes as the NFL Final 4 takes shape. Four teams left, and all of them have the chops to win the Super Bowl. Green Bay has the best quarterback, the Steelers have the best defensive players, the Jets have the best mouths (and feet), and the Bears have the best home-field advantage.
Yet while any of the four can win it, you can also make a valid case for why any of the four could also be knocked out. Pittsburgh has already lost at home to the Jets. The Jets don’t have the firepower to blow out anyone, and they’re due to lose a close one after winning a bunch of tight games in a row.
The Packers were a mediocre road team during the regular season (although beating Philly and Atlanta in the playoffs is impressive), and as for the Bears – well, Jay Cutler will be handling the ball 50 or 60 times this weekend.
To the rankings:
1. Green Bay Packers – Remember when the Giants were winning 5 straight and everyone thought they’d be in the Super Bowl? The Eagles had their run.
Likewise the Ravens, Chiefs and Falcons.
Now it’s the Packers’ turn. Aaron Rodgers may be a creep after blowing off a cancer patient who tried to get his autograph, but the kid can play and he’s clearly the best QB left in the playoffs.
Green Bay seems to have the whole package – best offense, a balanced defense, enough heat to make Jay Cutler cry for his mother, and a team that is used to playing in bad weather.
And the only team to have the Super Bowl trophy named after its former coach.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers – The good news is that there is no bad news. The Steelers have amassed a ton of momentum heading into the AFC Championship Game and unless something crazy happens, they’ll be in the Super Bowl.
Yes there was that loss at home to the Jets a few weeks ago, but the Patriots proved last Sunday how difficult it is to beat a team twice in a row. And the Steelers defense will present the NYJ with a lot more problems than New England’s did.
Mark Sanchez will need to stay upright, and it’s doubtful he will be able to accomplish that against a Steelers team that sacked Joe Flacco five times – three by James Harrison alone. NE has no James Harrison.
3. New York Jets – Did we just underestimate these guys because of all the trash talk? New York’s offensive and defensive lines were off the ball much quicker than New England’s fronts, and while that may not be as easy against Pittsburgh, the Jets are now on everyone’s radar screen.
You may not like ’em (playing against them is kind of like that Three Stooges episode when Moe, Larry and Curly go to the high society party, and a pie fight breaks out), but you have to respect them after beating Indianapolis and New England on the road.
Can they do it three times in a row, against arguably the three best teams in the league? And, hey, Mark Sanchez – props to you, guy.
4. Chicago Bears – First off, forget that victory over the Seahawks. The win over the Saints notwithstanding, everyone who doesn’t have a Washington state driver’s license understands that Seattle was a playoff interloper, and that it’s doubtful that the NFL playoffs will feature another losing team for the next several decades.
That said, there is the small matter of dealing with the Packers in order for the Bears to get to the Super Bowl and make amends to fans everywhere for forcing them to watch Rex Grossman in the 2007 Super Bowl.
It should be fun to see how the dour Jay Cutler handles any adversity that the Packers send his way this weekend.
Guessing here is not well.
Comment on the Power Rankings below, or as always hit us with your pregame NFL picks and predictions…
Lawrence Paul is a regular contributor to the Cappers Picks Blog, and is a free-lance gambling and travel writer from Massachusetts.
4 replies on “NFL Conference Championship Playoff Weekend Power Rankings Edition”
Actually, Rodgers signed many autographs for her in the past (including the week before). He just didn’t that one time
I would put the Jets at number 4. I don’t think the Jets could go on the road and beat any of the other three at this point in the season.
The Packers are scary good. Just think if they had all of there weapons throughout the year? The NFC championship game would most likely be played in Lambeau.
Jim is right, he has given that lady an autograph before. He is also on the board for the Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer Fund and raises a lot of money for the charity. Please understand the context of the situation before calling somebody a creep.
it doesn’t matter where you rank the Jets… theye can compete with any of the remaining teams. it won’t be easy for the jets on sunday but i believe it won’t be easy for Pittsburgh either… its going to be a good game!