Mid Season NFL rankings

It seems only yesterday that Rex Grossman was seeking redemption now he's seeking a new job. Randy Moss was supposed to be the clubhouse cancer now he's the cure. A lot more has changed and a lot has stayed the same. Let's rank these teams where they stand now and see what kind of chance they have at hoisting that Lombardi trophy.

#1
The Patriots
They're not only breaking records (at a record setting pace), but they're breaking bones, minds, and spirits. They have physically and mentally abused every team they have played, and then they leave them morally defeated. This team is top to bottom a force to be reckoned with. The victory over the Colts has probably cemented this top ranking for the season.
Super Bowl Chances: Ask Red Sox how they could have made their celebration better.

#2
Colts
An undefeated defending super bowl champ going into week 8 shouldn't have had to bow down to anyone, but here they are at #2 and that’s where they will stay. You get the feeling this team is lackadaisical about their play right now. Peyton needs to kick it into fifth gear and get this team fired up. If he doesn’t this team will be a minor road block in the Patriots championship season.
Super Bowl Chances: +2 TO differential in the AFC championship game and they are in.

#3
Cowboys
Tony Romo and the Boys will coast into the playoffs, and being in a determined division should stay sharp enough to go deep into the playoffs. The team is fun to watch, but a bit immature, and that’ll cost them again this year in the playoffs. Look for them to be upset in the NFC championship game.
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as a Carrie Underwood, Britney Spears, and Tony Romo sex tape surfacing, with play by play commentary by John Madden.

#4
Pittsburgh
Big Ben is healthy and confident, their skill players in Ward, Holmes, and Parker are all elite in their field, and the D is stringent. Only problem is in the playoffs this team needs home field, and they aren’t going to get it.
Super Bowl Chances: Slightly less terrible than their towels.

#5
NY Giants
Eli has taken a leap forward and the team has followed. Everyone from Tom Coughlin to Benny Blanco from the Bronx is on board as NY tries to usurp the NFC.
Super Bowl Chances: About as likely as the French offering to remodel the Statue of Liberty for free cheese and wine.

#6
Green Bay Packers
Brett Favre is winning ugly and sitting pretty on top of the Cinderella story Packers and this writers pick to represent the NFC in the super bowl. Who needs a running game when you have a revamped D and a great passing package? This is the new NFL with an old gunner.
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as Favre directing a sequel to Something About Mary

#7
Saints
Brees and Bush can lead this team to the playoffs. Who is going to stop them Testaverde, Carr an overachieving Tampa team? It’s theirs for the taking, and I don’t think New Orleans is in the giving kinda mood.
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as Reggie Bush naming a future daughter Katrina

#8
Chargers
This team was an early victim of the Patriots demoralization. They talked the talk and ended up crawling away in a fit of tears. It took them a few weeks to get on track, but anyone outside of the Pats/Colts doesn’t want to play them. Unfortunately for the Chargers the Pats would relish another game against them in Gillette.
Super Bowl Chances: About as likely as LT running through Sanders and Wilfork

#9
Tennessee
Vince Young isn’t ready to lead this team to supremacy, but like the Packers they win ugly. This team can upset a better team and find a way to let a lesser one keep it close. Don’t play the spread with this team take them to win and let Vegas sort it out.
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as Dollywood out earning Disney.

#10
Jacksonville
This team needs a QB. Garrard is hurt and Grey is only serviceable. Jack Del Rio needs to fish Plummer or Bledsoe out of retirement or make a push for Pennington if the Jags want to make the playoffs. If not it’ll be a lost year, but they have a strong core to work with and will be a force for years to come.
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as Quinn Grey catching Tom Brady in TD passes this year.

#11
Wait I haven’t picked an NFC West team yet…oh well!
Washington
Gibbs has this team playing tough and can probably help them get over that loss to the Pats…the Haitian from Hero’s would be better, but you can’t have everything. Portis needs to stay healthy and Campbell needs to continue developing.
Super Bowl Chances: As likely as George Bush getting 4 more years.

#12
Here’s that west team
Seattle
This team is a shell of what it used to be. It still has the offensive weapons, but they just seam to get slower every week. Shaun Alexander wouldn’t even be a first round fantasy draft choice in my opinion.
Super Bowl Chances: As likely as A-Rod leading the Mariners to a World Series…wait that’s a cop out…I could use that for every team/city. Let’s say it’s as likely as tea usurping coffee as the beverage of choice in Seattle. Yeah that’s better!

#13
Detroit
Sorry I’m not a believer in Millen ball. Just upset that their record makes me rank them this high.
Super Bowl Chances: Better than Zero, but man they don’t make a decimal place long enough on this blog to write the actual percentage. I’ll be kind and say it’s just less than 1%!

#14
Arizona
Not necessarily because they’re the 14th best team in the league, but because I think they have a better shot of making the playoffs than the remaining field. Kurt Warner has some pro bowl WR's to target and the Edge can certainly run. Look for them to keep it close with Seattle.
Super Bowl Chances: Bleaker than a starving stray dog in the middle of drought on a hot August day in Phoenix.

#15
Carolina
Jake Delhomme Why has though forsaken me? David car is one sack away from turning TV analyst and Testaverde is one sack away from turning into a corpse. This team is in the same boat as Jacksonville sans Maurice Jones-Drew. Get a QB and they can battle the Saints for the NFC South.
Super Bowl Chances: As likely as Duke and UNC Seniors getting together for a friendly basketball themed Thanksgiving Day dinner.

#16
Baltimore
This is an uninspiring team whose electric defense has fizzled out. If they make the playoffs it’ll be as a wild card that gets bounced back to Baltimore faster than you can say “Quoth the Raven ‘Nevermore.’”
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as A-Rod leading the Orioles to a World Series title.

#17
Chicago
Just so you Bears fans didn’t think I forgot about you, and so that you can see who you’re actually looking up at in the standings this year. Grossman or Griese did it really matter? This team lost its heart before the season even started. It’s time to cut the fat and keep the personnel that want to be there.
Super Bowl Chances: A-Rod…Cubs…stupid recurring joke killing article….Da Bears have about as much chance to win the Super Bowl as Brian Urlacher has at winning Jeaopardy’s Tournament of Champions.

#18
Minnesota/Buffalo
These teams are pretty similar…Losman/Edwards and Lynch on the Bills; Jackson and Peterson on the Vikes. Solid defense and young talent. Look for some upsets along the way and a much better showing next year.
Super Bowl Chances: If you doubled the cold from the areas these two play in during
playoffs it might just be enough to make hell freeze over

#20
Cleveland
Nice story in Anderson, and he makes the Winslow/Edwards connection every week. Too bad they already have the QB of the future in Brady Quinn. But hey don’t look a gift horse in the mouth right? Well unless it’s a free Chevy Malibu and you make over 9 million a year…
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as Romeo becoming the first black coach to coach a super bowl. Wait that already happened? How come no one told me about that last year!?! Oh well guess the Browns don’t have a good shot this year.

#21
Philadelphia
Just like Chi town two big cities with big loud mouth fans, which were overrated and managed to underachieve to no one’s surprise but their fans. McNabb and Westbrook can still salvage the team. The D isn’t going to get it done on its own, and I just don’t think Andy Reid can keep this team focused and running near perfection all season.
Super Bowl Chances: There’s a better chance the fans will hijack the Liberty Bell put Santa in it and roll it down those Rocky Balboa steps. Go ahead Philly fans belt out a chorus of Eye of the Tiger you deserve it.

#22
Denver
This team doesn’t look that good, but they’re tough and they have key injuries right now in Walker, Henry, and Bailey. Give them a chance to get rolling and maybe they sneak in with that wild card.
Super Bowl Chances: About as good as Miami outranking Aspen as the top skiing destination this year.

#23
Kansas City
They aren’t going to get better talent wise, but they are playing better together as a team. Larry Johnson’s advantage is quickly negated by Herm Edwards ineptitude.
Super Bowl Chances: About as likely as Larry Johnson running through Merriman, Wilfork, Sanders, and the Incredible Hulk.

#24
Tampa
Likes: Jeff Garcia’s heart…Ronde Barber’s ironic last name since he’s bald.
Dislikes: Jeff Garcia’s talent…the lack of a RB…the rest of the team

Super Bowl Chances: Jeff Garcia is the type of person the devil would love to take advantage of. Good soul, big heart, desire to win at any cost…just an inability to do so. Don’t do it Jeff!

#25
Houston
Houston we have a problem!
Schaub is inconsistent, but it seams the D is competing for the most inconsistent title on the team. This team will see better years just not this one.
Super Bowl Chances: Better chance of meeting the real life King Kupa than Super Mario Williams leading this team to a title.

#26
Jets
This team gave up on this year after they suffered the Pats demoralization effect. Mangini would be smart to forfeit the next game so the effects don’t become permanent. They have good solid core though and perhaps Clemens is the answer to get the ship righted going into next year.
Super Bowl Chances: As likely as a sober Joe Namath on New Years Eve

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#27
Cincinnati
Overrated, injured, demoralized and underachieved. Good news…at least we can still count on them in fantasy leagues. Bad news….not getting better any time soon for Ohioans.
Super Bowl Chances: First Lebron roots for the Yankees. Then the Tribe blows a 3-1 lead on the Sox. You think Cincinnati football stood a chance? There’s a better chance Chad Johnson renounces football gets a sex change operation and joins a convent.

#28
Oakland
End the Culpepper era. This team needs a whole image makeover..you can’t be the menacing black hole when your team is filled with cream puffs. Change the name to the Oakland Care Bears for a year or two and maybe that will toughen these guys up.
Super Bowl Chances: As likely as the team name being changed to the Oakland Care Bears

#29
Atlanta
At least they got one home win for the fans. Good luck to that organization…it’s a good thing they don’t play the Pats or we might have seen an actual suicide on field.
Super Bowl Chances: Thanksgiving…Vick….PETA…sharing…you got it!

#30
San Fransico
Alex Smith has got to get it going by the end of the year. Vernon Davis is a Freak and Frank Gore is a serviceable RB. This team has more holes than a gold diggers colander.
Super Bowl Chances: Better chance of finding Montana wearing assless chaps dancing with Rice in a gay bar.

#31
St. Louis
Like Cincinnati only without the fantasy points to alleviate the pain.
Super Bowl Chances: As good as Stephen Jackson’s promise to break all those rushing records.

#32
Miami
Ugly. No Qb an injured RB and forced to play the Pats twice…it could get even uglier. The defense is getting older. I mean this team could actually be getting worse.
Super Bowl Chances: As Good as Hell and Miami freezing over, turning it into a ski resort to rival Aspen, while A-Rod leads the Marlins to the World Series, and a concussed Trent Green beats Urlacher in the Jeapordy Tournament of Champions.

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