If Gregg Easterbrook can write a long-winded, diarrhea-of-the-keyboard column about pro football, so can we ...
Football season officially kicks off Thursday night when the defending Super Bowl champion Giants host the Redskins for what should be a spirited game of football. This is good for America.Let's kick off Kickoff week by taking a look at how the NFL power rankings would look like if it were like the BCS (well, kinda ... it has much less controversy).
(Of course, this is more like the preseason polls, since no games -- preseason/exhibition contests don't count, silly -- have been played.)
Here are the very first Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM rankings of the season (just the top 12, or the number of teams that would make the playoffs if the playoff teams were based totally on the Just-Totally-Made-Up NFL BCSTM formula, which isn't really a formula at all) ...
1. New York Giants: Surprising victors of Super Bowl XLII are still tops until they suffer that first loss, which could come as soon as Thursday against the Redskins.2. New England Patriots: That 18-1 finish last season still isn't good enough to claim the top spot in this poll.
3. San Diego Chargers: Madman linebacker Shawne Merriman vows to play with two torn knee ligaments, which should be an interesting storyline to follow this season to say the least.
4. Indianapolis Colts: It might be a bit premature to think that the "window of opportunity" is closing on these horseshoe-clad gridders.
5. Dallas Cowboys: Hard to give too much respect a team that hasn't won a playoff game in 12 years.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars: Out to end Indy's reign of terror in the AFC South.
7. Seattle Seahawks: Mike Holmgren hoping to go out in a blaze of glory.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers: Will face still challenge from Cleveland.
9. Philadelphia Eagles: Darkhorse Super Bowl contender in NFC.
10. Cleveland Browns: Hype machine could go into overdrive if Brownies manage a victory over the Cowboys on national television.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Can an aging Jeff Garcia keep it up? Magic Eight Ball says, "Definitely."
12. New York Jets: Brett Favre is in town, and Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller are going to have huge years. We know this because all three are on our fantasy football team.Teams in danger of relegation if the NFL were like European soccer ...
30. Miami Dolphins: Bill Parcells has a lot of work to do. A lot of work.
31. Atlanta Falcons: Rookie Matt Ryan takes over where Michael Vick unceremoniously left off.
32. Kansas City Chiefs: Very definition of "rebuilding."
For fun, let's make some quick predictions ...
Five non-playoff teams in 2007 who could make the playoffs this season:
1. Cleveland Browns: 2007 playoffs would have been more fun had Cleveland made it to the party.
2. New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees leads what should be a potent offense in the Big Easy.
3. Minnesota Vikings: Everybody's vogue pick to unseat the Packers in the NFC North.
4. New York Jets: Favre-to-Cotchery, touchdown Jets ... sounds like music to our fantasy football team's ears.
5. Buffalo Bills: Buffalo/Toronto Bills feature a rebuilt defense, which includes first-round pick Leodis McKelvin (McLovin'?).Five playoff teams from 2007 who could be in for a fall:
1. Green Bay Packers: A-Rod takes over for Favre, but is backed up by rookies Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm. Hope No. 12 can stay healthy.
2. Tennessee Titans: Vince Young is better at making plays with his legs than his arm, which would be OK if he were a running back.
3. Washington Redskins: That NFC East is downright tough, and some team is going to have to get left out of the postseason fun.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers: Face one of toughest schedules in NFL this season.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Given the relative strength of the NFC East, only one NFC South team likely will make the playoffs. With an offensively-scary Saints team and Jake Delhomme's return in Carolina, the Buccaneers could be left out.
Week 1 predictions: Giants over Redskins
Lions over Falcons
Bengals over Ravens
Seahawks over Bills
Jets over Dolphins
Patriots over Chiefs
Saints over Buccaneers
Eagles over Rams
Steelers over Texans
Jaguars over Titans
Cowboys over Browns
Chargers over Panthers
Cardinals over 49ers
Colts over Bears
Vikings over Packers
Broncos over Raiders
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