T-Rac’s 2009 NFL Midseason Report

So, every website and their mother (websites have moms? Yes.) has NFL Power Rankings. They’re totally meaningless and are almost never accurate (if one regards the playoffs as a true test). So, knowing this, I give you the T-Rac version of Power Rankings for the halfway point of the season.

1. New Orleans Saints (8-0): Their closest game this year has been 8 points, and that was on a late bullshit field goal. They’re my midseason favorite to win the Super Bowl, and their DEFENSE has scored more Touchdowns than the Browns Offense. The official tally: NO Defense 7 Cleveland Offense 5.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2): They had a rough patch earlier this year, but Polamalu is back and, not surprisingly, the Defense came back with his return. On offense, Big Ben is still a top 5 QB, they have good Wide Receivers, and their Offensive Line is improved. When you add Rashard Mendenhall and a good running game to that offense then I think they’re better than any team in the AFC. The Colts sure as hell wouldn’t beat them right now.
3. Indianapolis Colts (8-0): They’re good. Peyton Manning is great. However, they keep just barely getting by teams that the Saints would be blowing out. And as much as I hate cliches about the running game, at some point you got to have one. Also, as good as their defense has played, I don’t trust them to continue that. They’re too small to stop a team from controlling the clock against them. Heck, that’s exactly what Miami did, they just weren’t quite good enough to finish the game.
4. New England Patriots (6-2): They’re putting it together. I hate that. They scare me.
5. Minnesota Vikings (7-1): This is where they are. I wanted to put them lower because I am just waiting for their collapse, but there isn’t any other teams left who I would pick to beat them right now.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (6-2): This team will win 11 games at least. It’s gonna come down to them and the Steelers for the division. The Steelers will probably edge them out. More talent on offense for the Steelers.
7. Dallas Cowboys (6-2): Can’t put the leader of the NFC East any lower. It’s also a possibility they’re actually good at football. Romo seems to have figured out how to play, Miles Austin is what Roy Williams isn’t (what a whiny bitch), and their defense is good. However, I don’t expect much noise come playoff time. Why? Because of Marshmellow Man.
   

   Marshmellow Man - the antidote for clutch

8. Arizona Cardinals (5-3): Big time boom and bust team here, but their defense has 5 Pro Bowlers. Oh yeah, and their offense isn’t too bad either. Except when Kurt Warner throws 5 Interceptions. Then their offense is bad.
9. Atlanta Falcons (5-3): This team has blown out some decent teams. Oh wait, just kidding. But they are good. I actually think they’ll beat New Orleans at home.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3): This team could be so good. But to this point, they aren’t, so they fall to 10th. However, if they get some sense and abandon the dumb Michael Vick Experiment and their young players get more consistent on offense, they could score 28 points a game.
11. San Diego Chargers (5-3): Like the Cowboys, they seem to be putting it together at the right time to be ranked highly in Midseason Reports. Come playoff time, Norv Turner will screw this team.
12. Denver Broncos (6-2): The wheels are coming off? Not really, they just finally had to play two good teams in back to back weeks. 12 is higher than they should be, they’re still overachieving.
13. Houston Texans (5-4): Really should be 7-2. They aren’t because of their crappy coaching and penchant to shit themselves at the perfect time. I mean, this is still the same team that DIDN’T COVER CHRIS JOHNSON.
14. New York Giants (5-4): This team will sink or swim with whether Eli Manning finds a way to recover and play like he did the 1st five games. I don’t understand how he keeps vacillating between really, really good and really, really bad. It’s like every time people begin to whisper Eli has caught up with Peyton, he just goes into the tank and loses 4 games in a row.
15. Baltimore Ravens (4-4): 1-4 since starting 3-0 and having Colin Cowherd declare that you are a full 10 points better than anybody else in the NFL. I have enjoyed every second of it as well.
16. Miami Dolphins (3-5): This team is pretty good. Unfortunately they have one of the toughest schedules in the NFL, so pretty good equals 3-5. I’d take them over Green Bay, Chicago, and possibly the Ravens.
17. Green Bay Packers (4-4): Lose to TAMPA BAY!?! Weak. Their Offensive Line might be one of the top 5 worst units in football.
18. Chicago Bears (4-4): Their defense sucks, and their coaching is worse. How does a team with Matt Forte and no receivers run the ball only 4 times?
19. Carolina Panthers (3-5): They won’t make any sort of run in the second half, but a 5-3 finish wouldn’t surprise me. This team, underneath the whole Jake Delhomme fiasco, is pretty good. Unfortunately for them, Quarterback is a pretty bad position to have a “fiasco” at.
20. Tennessee Titans (2-6): Yeah, they’re 2-6. But name me a team beneath them in these rankings  you would legitimately take in a bet against the Titans. Just one.
21. New York Jets (4-4): Rex Ryan is a fat ass. Mark Sanchez is a douche bag. Their defense is the most overrated unit in football. They don’t have that many sacks and have given up a lot of points 3 times this year, including 31 to Miami. And oh yeah, this was the easy part of their schedule. Now they have to play real teams.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-4): This is a bad team with the 2nd best Runningback in the NFL and an emerging legit #1 Wide Receiver, which means they can surprise teams they’re worse than, but also lose 41-0 to the 3-5 Seattle Seahawks.
23. Seattle Seahawks (3-5): How does a team with only 3 wins have 2 of those wins be by 41 and 29 points? I’d take them over the 49ers and wouldn’t be shocked if they upset the schizoid Cardinals next week.
24. San Fransisco 49ers (3-5): They just lost 4 games in a row. Alex Smith doesn’t look so good. Their defense couldn’t contain the Tennessee Titans. And yet… no. They’re bad.
25. Buffalo Bills (3-5): Just a completely irrelevant team at this point. Not part of the “worst in the NFL” convo, but they aren’t gonna win more than 6 games.
26. Oakland Raiders (2-6): hey, they beat the Eagles. That’s good enough for 26th on my list.
27. Washington Redskins (2-6): When Albert Haynesworth is calling your team out for its lack of heart, your team sucks dick at playing football. It also means Albert is a giant hypocrite with no self awareness. But your team still sucks.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-7): Of all the one win teams, their one win is the most impressive.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-7): The obligatory “they put up a fight in every game” team that can’t ever turn putting up a fight into wins.
30. Detroit Lions (1-7): Since they actually won a game I think the players have taken off the rest of the season.
31. St. Louis Rams (1-7): I can’t wait to see how many yards Chris Johnson gets on this team.
32. Cleveland Browns (1-7): Is this the worst team to ever make it on Monday Night Football? Lets go with yes.

Midseason MVP: Peyton Manning – Without him the Colts are 4-4 or worse. He gets the edge over Drew Brees because if you replaced Drew Brees with an average Quarterback, the Saints are probably still 6-2 or 5-3.

AFC Defensive Player of the Year: Elvis Dumervil – He is on pace for a lot of sacks, and the defense he anchors has gone from worst to top 5.

NFC Defensive Player of the Year: Jared Allen – I could see this guy getting 8 sacks in a game. He is unbelievable.

AFC Rookie of the Year: Kenny Britt – Yeah, I’m that biased. I stand by the pick though.

NFC Rookie of the Year: Aaron Curry – He has been awesome for the Seahawks defense. Unfortunately, nobody else has.

Midseason Super Bowl Pick: New Orleans Saints vs. New England Patriots – New England is getting it together, the Colts will lose to the Chargers in the 1st Round, and the Steelers can’t win two in a row. In the NFC, the Saints will be the clear favorite after Minnesota’s second half collapse and early ousting in the playoffs.

Tags: Aaron Curry, Elvis Dumervil, Jared Allen, Kenny Britt, meaningless rankings, New orleans Saints vs New England Patriots Super Bowl, NFL Midseason Report, Peyton Manning, power rankings, T-Rac's Power Rankings