[Mappaindy]

1. Baltimore (74.53)- Absolutely dominated the Bucs. Amazing what a QB can do for a team. Look to be the real deal.
2. St. Louis (67.13)- New Coach, New Players, New Attitude. All paid off for the Rams in a slaughtering of one of last year's best teams.
3. Atlanta (62.30)- Probably higher than they should be, but its early. Still, beating up on many "experts" SB XLI favorites should count for something.
4. San Diego (62.26)- Might have been the best looking team this weekend, albeit against the worst looking. Not sure if the Chargers are that good, or the Raiders are just that bad, but either way, when you've got LT, Gates, and Merriman, you're looking pretty good. My pick for AFC Champs.
5. Chicago (58.79)- The best defense in the NFL kicked some Packer ass this week. Should be a dogfight between the Bears and Vikings for the NFC North crown.
6. Seattle (34.99)- Last year's NFC Champs did not look like the 6th best team in the league against a perrenial loser (sorry Lions fans). Only giving up 6 points is why they're ranked so high, but only scoring 9 against the Lions is just bad. Could be a rough year in Seattle with the improvment in the Cardinals and Rams.
7. New Orleans (34.80)- Looked pretty good for the team that had the 2nd pick in the draft. They finally have a real QB, which will go a long way for this team. A backfield with both Bush and McAllister is very scary for opposing defenses. However, the Saints D will keep them from being a huge force. Could make a playoff push in the NFC, but likely falls short because of the D.
8. Pittsburgh (33.49)- Charlie Batch has the highest QB rating in the NFL. That's some scary stuff. The Steelers will be good, because of their sick defense and excellent offensive line. Should make the playoffs, though I still have Cincinnati as the AFC North champs.
9. Cincinnati (31.24)- Looked very solid despite an injured TJ Houshmandzadeh and a rusty Carson Palmer. Once these two things are taken care of, Cincy is the team to beat in the AFC North. They lose to the Chargers in the AFC Championship game.
10. Philadelphia (29.10)- The most impressive NFC team in week one. Depth is unmatched, and if this team stays healthy, they'll be representing the NFC in the Super Bowl. Donte Stallworth is a beast.
11. Jacksonville (27.54)- Beat up on the Cowboys, and looked like a playoff team. One of the top 3 teams in the AFC (Bengals, Chargers).
12. Arizona (16.46)- Looked solid, even if it was against the 49ers. Will win the NFC West. Have the offensive firepower, and are only a defense away from being a serious threat to go to the SB.
13. Buffalo (11.39)- Ranked higher than the Pats, who they lost to, because they simply outplayed them. The rankings take in more than just a win, but how the team played. The Bills should have won that game, and if Losman matures, as well as the Bills offensive line learning how to block, they could be a playoff team.
14. Minnesota (9.54)- One of my favorite teams in the NFC right now. They've got the offensive line and the smart quarterback to make things happen. Brad Childress showed his committment to the running game, something that his mentor did not. That commitment translated into a Vikings victory. Will lose to the Eagles in the NFC Championship game.
15. New York Giants (3.80)- Ranked higher than the Colts mostly because of turnovers. Should finish second in the NFC East and look to be the only threat to the Eagles attempt to reclaim their position as NFC East Champs.
16. Indianapolis (3.43)- Won the game against the Giants despite losing the turnover battle and not being able to run the ball successfully. As the season wears on, Addai should take more and more carries from Rhodes and help the running game. Look for another big season from Harrison and Wayne. Also, look for the defense to improve on their poor showing.
17. New York Jets (-0.57)- Chad Pennington didn't look like a QB who had two major surgeries on his throwing shoulder. That's a good thing for the Jets who don't have a top-notch RB and trying to revamp their O-Line. They could steal some wins from contenders and play the spoilers. A 8-8 season is certainly a possibility.
18. New England (-2.93)- Played very poorly against the Bills, and didn't look like a playoff team. They'll find a way to win, but they don't look like the dynasty team they were. Not having Adam Vinatieri anymore will hurt them more than they might have thought.
19. Washington (-3.87)- Still a good team, but only borderline for the playoffs. They've got the weapons and the defense, but I'm not sure Brunell can hold up for a whole year. Sean Taylor probably cost them the game against the Vikes, and will continue to hurt them with penalties. Should make things interesting in the NFC, but I don't expect a huge year from them like some do.
20. Detroit (-4.22)- I don't expect the Lions to get any higher than this in 2006. Their QB situation is much improved, but they still need a bigger shakeup. This team will never win with the Fords in control, nor with Matt Millen having anything to do with the team.
21. San Francisco (-10.73)- Alex Smith looked good, but the team still needs a lot of work. They still lack a #1 WR, and the O-Line and entire defense needs improvement. The 3-4 should help, as it confuses many teams, but they're just not good enough to be serious contenders. Will be the NFC spoiler.
22. Tennessee (-21.02)- Billy Volek should be the starter here. He really got screwed by the Titans. Kerry Collins? Come on. We'll see who starts next week, but as long as Collins is starting, the Titans are a basement team.
23. Dallas (-22.56)- A good first drive, and a pathetic rest of the game. Rumors of Tony Romo are becoming chatter, and could be shouts if Bledsoe has a poor game against the Skins. A good defense can only get you so far, unless you play the Lions and Packers a twice a year.
24. Houston (-23.10)- Much better than in years past, and much better than some of the teams ahead of them. Will win some games this year, and be the other spoiler in the AFC. Gary Kubiak will have this team in the postseason next year if he can build an offensive line better than swiss cheese.
25. Kansas City (-24.37)- Very rough game, and the loss of Trent Green will hurt. Expect LJ to get even more carries than usual. Herm Edwards could be facing a very long, uphill battle this season.
26. Cleveland (-27.75)- The team will improve as Charlie Frye gains some experience and poise. He could be a very solid QB in the future. Braylon Edwards and Kellen Winslow are essentially rookies, and as they mature and develop with Frye, this team will be good. Having Romeo Crennell at the helm will certainly be a big help as well.
27. Miami (-28.06)- I thought the Fins were much better than this, and still do. But I was largely unimpressed with their performance against the Steelers. Maybe they just need to develop some better on-field chemistry. And like most struggling teams, they really need to fix their offensive line. Borderline for the postseason, but could still win a division that is very much up for grabs.
28. Green Bay (-52.43)- It'll be another rough season in Wisconsin for football fans. The Packers are improved over last season, especially on defense, and in the running game, where Ahman Green is both healthy and focused. They'll be fighting with the Lions to stay out of last place, but shouldn't be too much of a challenge for anyone this year. Another top 10 pick is assured.
29. Carolina (-52.79)- How long Steve Smith is out is going to go a long way in determining how successful this team is. However, their defense looked pretty crummy, giving up a lot of rushing yards. Could be a rough season in Carolina. They could still take the division though, as all the teams will beat up on each other in the South.
30. Oakland (-53.83)- In my mind, this team should be last. In fact, I'm wondering how they're not with a paltry 48 yards passing. Aaron Brooks is a joke at QB, but behind that offensive line, not even Peyton would be successful. Things are not looking good in Oakland. Not at all.
31. Denver (-58.55)- It could only be a matter of time before Jay Cutler is starting in Denver. Jake Plummer needs to pull himself together after his horrendous performance (costing me a fantasy victory, no less). In most leagues, he actually lost points.
32. Tampa Bay (-70.66)- Not putting up any points and giving up 27 is why they're so low. They'll get better, but they're not going to be anything special. A playoff berth is a pipe dream right now, but they could certainly do some damage to other teams. Won't be at the bottom for long.

[fedordzen]

Okay, so these are going to suck for the first few weeks. Some teams will have their positions greatly skewed due to odd numbers (like the Rams 5/0 turnover ratio for example). They should hopefully fall into place as time wears on. I did a quick run-through on last years numbers, and throwing them in, I seemed to get pretty close as far as records went. It's not even close to perfect, and may take numerous seasons to perfect, but here goes.

Oh yeah, I take into account Points For, Rushing Yards, Passing Yards, Takeaways, Giveaways, Rushing Yards Allowed, Passing Yards Allowed, and Points Against. They're weighted and totaled and a total value is the result.

[sPncEjF7]

It's strange how the Colts are ranked below the Giants, New England below Buffalo. It'll all work itself out over time, though, like you said.

[XqrkN4a0]

It's strange how the Colts are ranked below the Giants, New England below Buffalo. It'll all work itself out over time, though, like you said.

I sure hope so.

I did this pretty quick considering, and I will probably adjust it for a long time until I get it how I like. But it could take multiple seasons to perfect.

[kimaddison]

Bump for commentary.

[SHUSIATULSE]

Bump for commentary.

Blows.

Don't quit your day job.

[catarleriarly]

Blows.

Don't quit your day job.

I'd expect nothing less from your red-headed gene pool.