2009 NFL Power Rankings: Pre-Season
Bloguin is proud to introduce the Blogpoll NFL Power Rankings. Each week we'll send our NFL bloggers as well as some other respected NFL bloggers a ballot to fill out. We'll then merge those ballots into one aggregated poll like you see below. The comments next to each team were provided by the blogs as well.
Things that stick out:
- NFC Parity: Teams 10-16 were all from the NFC. Playoff spots seem to be very up in the air as only the Giants, Eagles, and Vikings were deemed top ten worthy.
- Wide Receivers not Enticing Voters: The Jaguars, Seahawks, and Bills all made big plays to get receivers in the off season. Despite these moves, none of these teams find themselves ranked higher than 20th.
- Good to be the Chargers: Ranked 6th in these rankings, the Chargers have three conference foes are in the bottom six of the rankings.
- Consistent Competitiveness: The four teams that open up as the top ranked teams account for the last 6 Super Bowls.
- Not Afraid of Sophomore Slump: Both Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco were deemed to be the real deal by the bloggers placing in the top ten.
- The Race for Last: Almost everyone had the Raiders or the Lions as the 32nd ranked team. Surprising a team that went 0-16 and is starting a rookie qb, got the nod over the Raiders.
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 1 |  |
1.66 | 0-0 | vs. Bills |
||
| The best defense is a good offense. With Brady back, all the Pats' D has to do is not give up 30 points per game! |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 2 |  |
1.9 | 0-0 | vs. Titans |
||
| The Steel Curtain has four cupcakes against Cleveland and Cincinnati, and their D and disciplined offense will have them hanging around deep into the winter. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 3 |  |
3.9 | 0-0 | vs. Redskins |
||
| Best two lines of scrimmage in football? |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 4 |  |
5.2 | 0-0 | vs. Jaguars |
||
| The Colts are undergoing a coaching change, but its very undramatic. If Anthony Gonzalez can step up, they remain a contender. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 5 |  |
6.7 | 0-0 | @ Panthers |
||
| Donovan McNabb is a good one, but he needs more than speed at the WR position and he needs a work horse back. The biggest effect could be the unfortunate death of Jimmy Johnson |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 6 |  |
7 | 0-0 | @ Raiders |
||
| A lot of pieces returning but how much mileage will they get out of Merriman? |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 7 |  |
9.2 | 0-0 | @ Browns |
||
| Favre gets the Vikes off to a fast start, but can he continue to play at a high level for 16 games? | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 8 |  |
9.4 | 0-0 | vs. Chiefs |
||
| Flacco continues to develop with a good defense backing him | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 9 |  |
9.7 |
0-0 | @ Steelers |
||
| The Titans' defense will be inferior to their 2008 incarnation, but they'll still be very good. Fisher is one of the best coaches in the league, and without the Vince Young Experience screwing things up, they should be fine assuming their 80 year old QB stays healthy. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 10 |  |
10.7 | 0-0 | vs. Dolphins |
||
| Sophomore Slump for Matt Ryan? Not with a happy Jenkins and a healthy Tony Gonzalez. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 11 |  |
11.7 | 0-0 | vs. Bears | ||
| The Packers will learn that Clay Mathews is another overrated USC product and the defense will still struggle | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 12 |  |
12.6 | 0-0 | vs 49ers |
||
| Can Warner stay healthy? | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 13 |  |
13 | 0-0 | @ Packers |
||
| Cutler is the real deal, put the Monsters of the Midway at the top of a competive NFC North, |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 14 |  |
13.9 | 0-0 | vs. Eagles |
||
| Everyone is bearish on the Panthers after they shocked people last year, but Williams and Stewart are both the real deal. If Delhomme can play like an NFL quarterback again, they're deep in the playoffs. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 15 |  |
14.6 | 0-0 | @ Buccaneers |
||
| Wade Phillips is still the head coach, enough said. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 16 |  |
15.4 | 0-0 | vs. Lions |
||
| Explosive offensive. Huge questions on defense. What's new? |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 17 |  |
17 | 0-0 | @ Falcons |
||
| The playoff team from last year that nobody is talking about.....also called the Chad Pennington effect. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 18 |  |
17.3 | 0-0 | vs. Jets |
||
| A mediocre QB named Matt Schaub who is line to be the next Jake Delhomme | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 19 |  |
18.8 | 0-0 | @ Giants |
||
| Jason Campbell has looked excellent, even if no one else will recognize it. The writing is on the wall for him, and he needs to step up to become a rich, rich man in free agency. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| T- 20 |  |
20.1 | 0-0 | vs. Rams |
||
| The Seahawks have a ton of potential, maybe more upside than any team in the league, and they've taken strides to get younger and faster. Still, recovering from 4-12 you don't get higher than 20th until you prove it when it counts. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| T-20 |  |
20.1 | 0-0 | @ Houston |
||
| The Jets need consistency from Sanchez and some production from Gholston to have a chance at the playoffs. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 22 |  |
22.4 | 0-0 | @ Colts |
||
| Tory Holt adds some intrigue here, but probably not a playoff team. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 23 |  |
22.7 | 0-0 | @ Patriots |
||
| Two #1 receivers and one #2 quarterback does not a top-flight offense make. Sidenote: Marshawn Lynch is both the ugliest and the most over-rated player in the NFL. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 24 |  |
23.4 | 0-0 | @ Cardinals |
||
| Such an old-school team. It's all about smashmouth running and defense to Singletary. They've got the coach, do they have the personnel? | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 25 |  |
23.9 | 0-0 | vs. Cowboys |
||
| The Bucs are arguably the best team in the CFL. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 26 |  |
24.4 | 0-0 | vs. Vikings |
||
| Quinn's the starter, but will Braylon Edwards and Jamal Lewis return to '07 form? Special teams is solid, and defense should be improved. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 27 |  |
25.6 | 0-0 | vs. Benga;s |
||
| The Broncos chased away their best player since Elway, alienated their second best player, signed forty three running backs to the roster, and traded away their 2010 first round pick for a nickel corner. Great success. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 28 |  |
25.7 | 0-0 | vs. Broncos |
||
One of the most bumbling and idiotic organizations in NFL history, watching Hard Knocks proves as much. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 29 |  |
28.3 | 0-0 | @ Ravens |
||
| Glen Dorsey, overrated and now out of position in the 3-4, another clueless organization that doesn't have the personnel to fit the fad defense they want to run. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 30 |  |
29 | 0-0 | @ Seahawks |
||
| The Rams might have a good coach. That's about it. Steven Jackson can be excellent, but he always seems to find a way not to be. The line got better with Jason Brown and Jason Smith, but not good enough to be good. |
||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 31 |  |
30.1 | 0-0 | @ Saints |
||
| The only reason the 0-16 (also 1-23 over the past 2 seasons) in '08 Lions 31st is thanks to Al Davis' incompetence, even though the Lions may have a league worst defense...again. | ||||||
| Ranking | Team | Avg. Rank | Last Week | Change | Record | Next Game |
| 32 |  |
30.4 | 0-0 | vs. Chargers |
||
| Yes, they are even worse than the Lions. This is a godforsaken franchise, death spiraling into irrelevancy. | ||||||
