Sporting Joe NFL Power Poll: Week 4

A mere four weeks into the season and a coach is gone.  Dennis Allen’s seat was red hot in Oakland after an embarrassing 0-4 start.  Yet every coach feels pressure, even the best coaches included.  Bill Belichick, Chip Kelly, and Marc Trestman face scrutiny following very rough outings over the weekend.                                               

1)      Seattle- If Kirk Cousins found the Giant’s defense unsettling last week he needs to prepare himself for a rested and raucous Seahawks team on Monday night.               

2)      Denver- The Broncos better have enjoyed the bye week.  Their next four games, Arizona, New York Jets, San Francisco, and San Diego, feature hard-hitting defenses.  The ice tubs will be very busy in the coming month.

    

3)      San Diego- Phillip Rivers has completed 70% of his passes this season and claims a 9-1 touchdown to interception ratio.  There may not be another quarterback in the NFL playing at a higher level.

   

4)      Cincinnati- Geno Atkins does not receive the media attention he deserves.  The best defensive player in the AFC not named J.J. Watt is again anchoring a stingy unit.  The Bengals are allowing a mere 11 points a contest, which leads the NFL.

   

5)      Arizona- The Cardinals have flown under the radar and beaten two good teams, San Diego and San Francisco, now the country will notice should they beat Denver.  Patrick Peterson vs. Peyton Manning is the essence of a generational clash.

       

6)      New England- The offensive line is a pressing issue but Tom Brady and company have overcome adversity in the past.  History and prudence say it is too early to hit the panic button in New England. 

      

7)       Green Bay- Aaron Rodgers taught remedial spelling to Cheeseheads with his R-E-L-A-X comment.  If only he could impress upon his offensive line the value of R-U-N B-L-O-C-K-I-N-G.

 

8)      Philadelphia- Lane Johnson returns this week to bolster an offensive line that found itself as Justin Smith and crew’s personal playthings in San Francisco.  The Ram’s front four will offer another stern test. 

    

9)      Chicago- Bears fans can embrace Matt Forte’s 171 total yards from scrimmage as a positive step or bemoan the fact that Chicago was the only NFC North team to lose this week.  Bears fans will stay positive, right?

10) Indianapolis- The inclination is to rank Houston over the Colts.  That is a valid argument, except that over time Andrew Luck will guide his team to more victories than Ryan Fitzpatrick.

The Solution to Washington’s Identity Crisis

The New York Giants dominated Washington 45-14 Thursday night.  While the game lacked scintillating action, it did serve to slow the hype surrounding Kirk Cousins.  The lasting storyline from the game will not be an on-field result.  Instead, CBS color commentator Phil Simms’ attempt to avoid using the name Redskins underscored an offseason storyline since overshadowed by the NFL’s domestic violence policy.  Simms has brought renewed attention to an unavoidable outcome.  The Washington Redskins will ultimately change their nickname.

Simms is one of an increasing group of broadcasters who have elected to boycott the Redskin name on air or at least work for a name change.  James Brown, Peter King, Cris Collinsworth, Bob Costas, Bill Simmons, Mike Florio, Tony Dungy, Michael Wilbon, and Tony Kornheiser are among the prominent NFL voices that feel strongly in favor of a new nickname in Washington.  They represent a wide spectrum of life experiences and views.  This change will originate from within the NFL, which is why the above list of influential voices looms large in this discussion.  However, the debate has seeped into the mainstream news cycle.  Among those also advocating for a switch are liberal commentator Rachael Maddow and conservative writer/ commentator Charles Krauthammer.  Once people with such diametrically opposed views agree on a course of action then change is coming.

The question is not if Washington should change it.  The pertinent question is what name should Washington adopt?  An amusing irony would be switching the name to the Bullets but that seems highly unlikely.  Therefore, the new moniker should be the Washington Warriors.  Other suggestions exist but Warriors is the best option.  This list of alternatives from Chris Chase of USA Today mentions some of the viable and some of the absurd ideas that are possibilities.  While Red Hawks is viable, the movement for the Bravehearts is whimsical.  It may not seem like it now but the William Wallace/ Mel Gibson jokes will become tiresome.

    

Warriors are number six on Chase’s list because of the obvious fit.  Keeping the team colors, fight song and logo is important.  The Washington Wizards can attest to that statement since they have gradually shifted away from the all-out color switch back to some of the Bullets' old color scheme.  Using an Indian centric name also keeps the Cowboys vs. Indians dynamic alive in the Dallas/ Washington rivalry.  What Chase has failed to appreciate is that Warriors will serve to alleviate the concerns of both sides of this debate.  For those who rightly argue that Redskin can be offensive it eliminates the problem.  However, for those who see a name change as the beginning of a broader assault on Indian based team names this will serve as a compromise.

From the Kansas City Chiefs to the Golden State Warriors to the Florida State Seminoles there are nicknames that may come under scrutiny despite a lack of offense inherent in the name.  If such names are offensive, then the Notre Dame Fighting Irish certainly are playing into a stereotype as well.  There is concern by many that a change from the Redskins to an option such as the Redtails will build momentum for switching other generic nicknames.  This debate is raging in Washington D.C. where compromise has often been foreign concept since the days of Henry Clay.  While the “Great Compromiser” could not circumvent the problems of his era, Redskins owner Dan Snyder has an opportunity to end the increasingly tense name debate.

Sporting Joe NFL Power Poll: Week 3

The NFC is a stronger conference from top to bottom than the AFC but the Power Poll barely reflects that this week.  The presence of three AFC teams in the top four overshadows the overall six to four split in favor of the NFC.  However, it would be foolish to draw broad conclusions from this data alone.  The AFC also has Oakland and Jacksonville. 

                                          

1)      Seattle- There is no argument that another team is better, at the moment.  The Seahawks failed to shut the door on Denver and that raises some concerns.                

2)      Denver-  John Elway’s much ballyhooed off-season spending binge closed the gap on Seattle.  However, if Denver cannot win a big game in September what gives fans reason to believe that will change in January.

    

3)      New England-  Bill Belichick is a defensive coach.  When the Patriots won Super Bowls, it was on the strength of their defense.  The Pats currently rank fourth in the NFL in scoring defense.

   

4)      Cincinnati-  Hue Jackson is digging into the playbook and adding some panache to Cincy’s attack.

5)      Philadelphia-  Another week and another to close for comfort win.  This could be a sign of the developing maturation of a team or an indicator of a club that is incapable of delivering the finishing blow.

     

6)      San Diego- Beating Seattle was good but following that with a win on the east coast indicates a steadiness that the Chargers have lacked.  File away the fact that San Diego beat Denver in Denver last regular season.

        

7)       Arizona-  Despite losing Carson Palmer the Cardinals are 3-0.  Tough tests await this young crew but a fast start has them playing with confidence.

8)      Chicago-  The slew of defensive injuries, compounded by a gimpy Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey, is the only issue preventing a rapid ascent for the Bears.  If the Bears handle Green Bay that will answer the questions and precipitate a rise in the rankings.

    

9)      Green Bay- Despite an astonishingly lackluster performance in Mo Town the Packers remain in the hunt.  The onus is on Dom Capers to slow down a wounded Bear’s offense so that Rodgers and crew have the opportunity to recapture their rhythm.

10) Atlanta-  Coach Mike Smith will not want to hear it but the Falcons are emulating the Saints.  Road struggles and home dominance will be enough to capture a mediocre NFC South, which is the formula New Orleans has used well.

Sporting Joe NFL Power Poll: Week 2

After what many are calling the worst week in the history of the NFL, football fans are ready for on the field action.  Week Two delivered some quality games and a significant jostling of the Power Poll.  While the top two remain unchanged, that will not be the case in a week after the Denver vs. Seattle showdown.

                                             

1)      Seattle- Yes they lost, but San Diego is a good team and the Seahawks were on the road.  The Champs hold their spot but Percy Harvin’s efficiency is worth watching.

                 

2)      Denver- Yes they won, but beating Kansas City with a goal line stand at home is not an indicator of dominance.

    

3)      Green Bay- The Packers righted the ship thanks to Jordy Nelson and Marty Mornhinweg’s ill-timed timeout.

  

4)      New England- Sunday’s stress free 30-7 win over Minnesota illustrated that the Belichick and Brady train is still on track for late January football.

5)      Philadelphia- Indianapolis does not have dominate offensive line play but their use of power formations controlled the bulk of the Monday night game.  The Eagles need to demonstrate an ability to handle power football before they can become a Super Bowl contender.

6)      Cincinnati- After shutting down Atlanta’s talented trio of wideouts it is safe to conclude that Cincy’s defense is not suffering from a lack of Mike Zimmer currently. 

     

7)       San Diego- The Chargers took what Seattle’s defense offered and executed throughout the game.  The ceiling is high for the Bolts but as is always the case, can San Diego maintain that level of effort and efficiency?

8)      Chicago- A gritty and well-coached win against San Francisco should vault the Bears up the rankings.  Losing Charles Tillman among other key defenders results in a wait and see approach.

    

9)      Carolina- Excitement from a win over a Jim Caldwell coached team is putting the cart before the horse.  However, the Panthers have quietly gotten to 2-0 (against soft competition), which is always a step in the right direction.

10)  San Francisco- Sunday night was a whole lot of ugly.  So was last season’s 29-3 loss to Seattle in week two and their debacle in week 3 to the Colts by a 27-7 margin.  It is too soon to dismiss such a deep and experienced team.

Sporting Joe NFL Power Poll: Week 1

Week 1 of the season is in the books and everything went as expected.  Assuming that Buffalo winning in Chicago, Pittsburgh almost blowing a 24-point lead to Cleveland, J.J. Watt being the best player on the field against Washington, and Minnesota steamrolling St. Louis was all expected.  Week 1 had the requisite surprises and now the mantra for fans must be patience.  Overreaction is tempting but Sporting Joe is taking the season long view. 

                                                   

1)      Seattle-  The biggest problem facing Seattle at the moment appears to be Richard Sherman becoming bored during the games due to a lack of targets.

               

2)      Denver- With three first-half touchdown receptions tight end Julius Thomas has served notice that Jimmy Graham may no longer be the unequivocal best at his position anymore.

  

3)      Green Bay-  This is a tricky ranking.  Teams three thru number seven lost last week so no clear-cut number three has emerged.  Green Bay has significant concerns on the offensive and defensive lines.  This could cost the Packers some playoff seeding but they have talent and losing at Seattle is not enough to justify sounding the alarm. 

4)      Philadelphia- Trailing Jacksonville 17-0 is not ideal for starting a season but the Jags are improved.  The Eagles shook off the poor start and reeled off 34 unanswered points.  That is the sign of a maturing team looking to build on last season’s early playoff exit.

5)      New Orleans- Matt Ryan is a good quarterback who has shredded many defenses but the uneven play of safety Jairus Byrd is disconcerting.

6)      New England-  Since Bill Belichik has been New England’s head coach, the Patriots have outscored Miami 356-334 in South Florida but the Patriots are 7-8 during that span, so losing to the Dolphins in Miami in not unexpected.

     

7)       San Francisco- Suspensions and injuries are non-factors for a coaching staff that continues to game plan as well as any in the league. 

8)      Chicago- The Bears have dropped eight straight road games against San Francisco, there last win was in 1985, perhaps the new Levi’s Stadium will end Chicago’s frustration.

  

9)      Miami- The new Philadelphia style offense paid dividends in week 1 as did free agent pick up Knowshon Moreno.

10) Cincinnati-  Andy Dalton’s perfectly placed fourth quarter bomb to A.J. Green should slightly ease the concerns about Dalton’s ability to execute under pressure.

Sporting Joe NFL Power Poll: Preseason

The first weeks of the NFL season always reveal the most about all 32 teams.  The tea-leaves are hardest to read at the beginning of the NFL’s 523 game journey to crown a champion.  The red herrings fill the preseason and one big injury can instantly change the course of a season (See Brady, Tom in 2008).  Despite those potholes, Sporting Joe has evaluated the off-season and preseason NFL action and now unveils his initial top ten for 2014. 

                                                 

1)      Seattle- Arguably Russell Wilson and the Seahawk’s receiving corps have dramatically improved from last season in the form of a temporarily healthy Percy Harvin and rookie wideout Paul Richardson.  Losing Golden Tate to Detroit will be a non-issue.  That is a scary thought for the rest of the NFL.

               

2)      Green Bay- Aaron Rodgers is the best quarterback in the NFL right now.  Per Peter King in the September 1^st, 2014 issue of Sports Illustrated, “Rodgers is 7.7 career passer-rating points better than Manning, 2.4% more accurate than Brady, and has a higher touchdown percentage and lower interception percentage than Drew Brees.”

  

3)      Denver- Theoretically, every off-season move was the right one.  Emmanuel Sanders is better than Eric Decker is and Demarcus Ware is an upgrade to the pass rush.  Adding Aqib Talib and T.J. Ward to the secondary will solidify Denver’s weakest position group.  There is only one question.  How often does a preseason super team stay super all season?

4)      New Orleans- On paper losing Darren Sproles was a setback but Pierre Thomas appears poised to fill Sproles’ role as well as his own.  Coupled with another season of experience in Rob Ryan’s defensive schemes and the Bayou may well host an NFC Championship Game this season.

5)      New England- Tom Brady’s numbers may be down but he continues to win games.  On offense, solid if unspectacular playmakers, aside from Rob “Am I cleared to play?” Gronkowski, surround Brady and that is all he needs. 

6)      Chicago- Jay Cutler, Matt Forte, Brandon Marshall, and Alshon Jeffrey will provide points.  If Chicago’s defensive line stays healthy, they will improve.  The off-season focused on beefing up a unit that allowed 161.4 yards rushing a game.

     

7)       Indianapolis- The Colts will win plenty of games and appear to be poised to take the next step in the playoffs.  However, their offensive line is still a weak point and Andrew Luck’s brilliance will only hide that most of the time.

8)      Philadelphia- No reasonable person expects Nick Foles to duplicate last season’s twenty-seven touchdown against two interceptions line.  The key in Philly will be continued defensive growth.

    

9)      San Francisco- The Santa Clara enigma.  That is the 49ers heading into the regular season.  Myriad off the field problems (arrests, suspensions, holdouts) and injuries to key players (Navarro Bowman, Anthony Davis, Antoine Bethea) combine with an underwhelming preseason to raise doubts.  Yet, this is an amply talented team with a nasty streak and a chip on their collective shoulders.  Expect Jim Harbaugh to channel that experience and toughness back to the playoffs.

10) Miami- A sneaky talented and deep defensive line plus the steadily improving Ryan Tannehill has the Fish poised for a jump.  Their Week 1 showdown with New England will determine how long they occupy a spot that several other teams (San Diego, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Arizona, Tampa Bay) can justifiably claim.