NFL - 1st Quarter Rankings

For most of the teams in the NFL, a quarter of the season has past. 25% down, 75% left to play. At this point, some teams are still trying to find their identity, but we have a few teams that look to have already sealed their fate for the playoffs. Here is my ranking of all 32 teams.


1-
(4-0) There is no denying how well this team is playing. It doesn't look like anyone can stop their offense, and their defense seems to be able to stop everyone. Their average margin of victory is 25 points. In other words, they look unbeatable.

2-
(4-0) This has been the most impressive offense we have seen all year. Their defense isn't nearly as good as the Patriots', but their average margin of victory is nearly 20 points a game.

3-
(4-0) While they haven't been as dominating as the Patriots or the Cowboys, their offense is still clicking. Their defense is much improved from last year, and they are in a good position to return to the playoffs.

4-
(4-0) Brett Favre looks like the #4 of yesteryear. His passes are sharp and on the mark. Not only did he pass Marino's TD record, he looks like he is finally having some fun again. The defense is also playing extremely well, allowing only 16.5 points a game.

5-
(3-1) Though they faltered this past week against the Cardinals, they have still been a pretty dominating football team. They are beating their opponents by an average of 16 points, while their defense is stout again, allowing just under 12 points a game.

6-
(3-1) Another team that has faltered to Arizona, this team will be just fine. Their offense is solid, led by Matt Hasselbeck, who looks to be having another Pro Bowl year. He and the receivers are meshing much better this year. The defense has played relatively well too.

7-
(3-1) Think the Eagles regret not re-signing Jeff Garcia? Garcia looks just as sharp as he did last year for the Eagles. Defense is playing well. It will be interesting to see how this team responds after losing Cadillac Williams for the year.

8-
(2-1) After a week off, can this team feed off their victory over the Saints? I think they can. Vince Young has looked good and their defense has played well. These next 3 games (v. ATL, @ TB, @ HOU) will show what this team is really made of.

9-
(2-1) Their defense has been one of the best in the league. I'm not quite sure their offense is enough to be a serious contender this year. After a win this weekend in KC, they should continue to stay high in my rankings.

10-
(3-1) This has got to be the most surprising team in the NFL. We knew Kitna was a good quarterback, but their offense looks great. If they want to seriously think about making the playoffs, they are going to have to shore up that defense though. We saw what happens when they run into a good offense (ie. PHI in WK 3).

11-
(2-2) A lot of other sports sites have the Texans ranked toward the lower teens. Personally, I like this team. I like what Schaub has been doing at quarterback. They are one of only a few teams to score more than they give up. When Andre Johnson comes back, they'll be looking to get into the playoffs.

12-
(2-2) This Cardinals team has two pretty impressive victories over my #5 and #6 team. As was shown last year against the Bears, they have a decent team, they just need to learn how to put teams away. They may be one year off from the playoffs, but don't be surprised if they sneak in there this year.

13-
(2-2) Boy does this team look different than the one that played against the Cowboys and the Packers. Their defense has looked as good as any in their last two games. Eli's mediocre game should be able to survive yet another season if their defense continues on this path.

14-
(2-1) Maybe a week off is not what this team needed. The game they blew against the Giants has had time to really eat away at them. They have a talented team. They just need to really focus if they want to contend with the Cowboys (however unlikely that is).

15-
(2-2) This team is beyond frustrating. They have the talent, but under perform every week. So far their only wins have come against two awful teams. This week SHOULD be another win for them against NO, but if they fall, their season could be down the drains really quick.

16-
(2-2) I guess Brady Quinn is gonna be on the bench for a while huh? Derek Anderson has played very well, and Braylon Edwards has helped him look good. Their two wins are against playoff caliber teams.

17-
(2-2) Maybe Miami was a little hasty in running Culpepper out of town. As he showed this past weekend, his knee seems to be just fine. Now think, if they had only used their top pick on Calvin Johnson, how good this team might've been. With an easy division, they still have an outside shot at the playoffs.


18-
(2-2) In the past, this team has relied heavily on defense to win games. Lately, they haven't played well enough to mask the mistakes of their offense. This team is gonna have a hard time making it back to the playoffs this year.

19-
(2-2) I know that the Colts have had their number for quite some time, but WOW they looked bad this past weekend. Their two wins are against Buffalo and Oakland; nothing too impressive. Yet another team that will have trouble getting back to the playoffs.

20-
(2-2) This team is hard to figure out. They looked lifeless in their first two games, and after a sluggish win in Week 3, everything seemed to click against the Chargers. I still have trouble believing the ship is righted, but the past two weeks have been a step in the right direction.

21-
(2-2) Gore has looked pretty good, but without the protection of a passing game, he is gonna have a hard time carrying this team. They are still a middle of the road team, beating up on the weak teams, and getting pounded by the good teams. This team is still a year or two off from being playoff bound.

22-
(1-3) WOW that was embarrassing. 12 sacks in one game, 6 by the same person? After Week 3 against the Lions, everyone including myself thought this team would be back on the right track. I guess not. With Westbrook out, they stand to lose a lot of ground in the NFC East.

23-
(1-3) If they find a quarterback to lead this team, they could be a contender. With the talent they have in the backfield with Adrian Peterson (rookie of the year???) and a pretty good defense, they are one good quarterback away from making a push. Maybe next year.

24-
(1-3) As good as this offense is, it was clearly no match for a good defense, let alone the best defense out there. Match that with no defense themselves and fighting on the sidelines, this team is heading nowhere fast.

25-
(1-3) With failing to take advantage of opportunities, this year's Jets team is making last year's team look like a fluke. They were supposed to have shored up their secondary with the addition of Revis. While he has played well, the secondary looks awful, allowing a rookie quarterback to rip them apart. Why doesn't this team run the no huddle more often? It seems to work for them. While Pennington's #s have been good, they were brought down by his first 2 (untimely) interceptions of the season.

26-
(1-3) Last year, they had an offense that clicked and a defense that dominated. This year, their offense can't seem to do anything (including LT) and their defense (outside of a game against the awful Bears) doesn't seem to want to stop anybody. Think San Diego fans are wishing they had Schottenheimer back?

27-
(1-3) So we knew their Offense was horrible. It was actually an amazement to see them beat the Saints last year and go to the Superbowl. So their offensive woes are no surprise. What is a surprise is how unsturdy their defense is. Granted they have had to deal with some injuries and the loss of Tank Johnson, but this team looks to be heading towards the offseason, searching for a Quarterback.

28-
(1-3) So no Micheal Vick and no Matt Schaub. Bobby Petrino doesn't seem to mind much as he has been getting a lot out of Joey Harrington. At 1-3 they still have a ways to go, but a win against the Texans was a step in the right direction. We'll see if they take another step forward this weekend, or if Vince Young tears apart their defense.

29-
(1-3) They pulled out their first win of the season, and the person that led them there was a rookie. They shouldn't feel all that happy though. They were shutout in the first half, and were lucky to come away with a win. They Jets let them off the hook. How bad this team is will show this weekend when they face the unbeaten Cowboys.

30-
(0-4) A lot of sites have Miami all the way at the bottom. I can't put them there because their offense at least appears to fight, which I cannot say for the two teams below them. Their defense is like swiss cheese, which is surprising with Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor there. Hopefully Thomas' injury is only minor and they can turn it around. Most likely they won't. Maybe they're missing a mobile quarterback? Ronnie Brown has looked pretty sharp though.

31-
(0-4) It is hard to believe that the Rams are this bad. They had a pretty good quarterback, some decent wideouts, and one of the league's best running backs. They look helpless and lifeless out there. They don't seem to care.

32-
(0-3) Finally, we reach the biggest disappointment of the year. The Saints look a lost team out there. Maybe Drew Brees is colorblind, and that is why he is always throwing to the other team. The loss of Deuce hurts them really bad, even with the talent they have in Reggie Bush. Their defense (which was pretty good last year) has already given up 103 points in only 3 games. That's nearly 35 points a game. Pair that with only having scored 38 points all season, this team is in trouble.