NFL Power Rankings: Pre-Season Extravaganza Edition II

Football guru Josh Wetmore - yes, he has guru status - returns with Part II of his pre-season power rankings. Today, he gives us the contenders and almost contenders.



The Contenders
Cowboys
Every year the Cowboys seem to be a team to beat and while on paper they’re no different this year, their track record makes them a lot less scary. They have a few question marks along the offensive line and Tony Romo’s tendency to forget about Jason Witten is major flaw.

Bengals
Everyone is talking about the Bengal’s prima donna receivers, but Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens might cause the most damage when opponents don’t stack the box against Cedric Benson. With a solid running game and an underrated defense the Bengals will be a tough team for anyone to beat.

(How long will the honeymoon last in Cincinnati?).

Vikings
Even with Brett Favre back, this just doesn’t feel like the Vikings' year. Adrian Peterson no longer has Chester Taylor to give him a break from time to time and the loss of wide receiver Sidney Rice is huge. That being said they still have one of the league's best running backs and the best front four on defense.

Steelers
Sure, Ben Roethlisberger is suspended for the first four games, but one of those games is against the Buccaneers and with Troy Polamalu and Aaron Smith back from injury, the defense might be able to win a game or two on their own. Once Roethlisberger gets back, however, expect the Steelers to turn into one of the leagues best.

(Any true yinzer knows this song by heart.)

Chargers
Few teams in the NFL have as many issues right now as the Chargers. Their starting left tackle Marcus McNeill and star receiver Vincent Jackson are holding out, but quarterback Philip Rivers is good enough to keep the offense productive enough to win. Even though their defense needs some help, their division is so bad that it won’t matter.

Ravens
As much as the Jets are a paper giant, the Ravens might even be more so, or at least they were until they got infested by a swarm of killer injury bugs. Their offensive line and secondary are decimated right now and it’s hard to call a team elite who has trouble blocking and stopping the passing game.

(That's so Raven.)

The Almost Contenders
Texans
Amazingly, there is a lot to like in Houston. They have a premier pass rusher (Mario Williams), an unstoppable receiver (Andre Johnson), a pro-bowl caliber quarterback (Matt Schaub), and a few other pieces in place. Their secondary could use a little help, but they have an explosive enough offense that if they find a starting running back they could surprise some people. (Ed note: Schaub is my boy, just saying.)

(The Houston Texans, a 2002 expansion team, have never made the postseason.)

Eagles
This is less of a confident prediction and more of an average of the Eagles potential. They clearly have a lot of talent but with young roster and unproven quarterback Kevin Kolb, it’s hard to say how the Eagles will fair in 2010. Also, Philadelphia’s defense isn’t quite what it used to be. Still, they have more fire power than most NFL teams.

49ers
Much like the Chargers the 49ers record will be given a boost by playing in a weak division, but they aren’t a bad team either. Apparently the Niners believe Alex Smith can at least manage a game and with a great running game and a Patrick Willis-led defense, the Niners are a few big pass plays away from a successful season.

(Much of the 49ers success rely on stud HB Frank Gore.)

Titans
It’s hard to believe that the Titans were as good as the end of their season suggested. Even though Chris Johnson is beyond special, that 0-6 start is hard to forget. They’re also without Keith Bullock and Kyle Vanden Bosch from their defense. Apparently Vince Young being on he field even makes the defense play better though, so who knows?

Giants
The Giants are similar to the Eagles only with less upside and less risk of imploding. The key to NY’s season relies on whether Brandon Jacobs remembers how to run over defenders. Also, Big Blue’s interior defensive line looked a little suspect in the pre-season. Eli Manning just isn’t good enough to pass a team into the playoffs.

(Bring back Phil Simms. Make it happen.)

Falcons
Some experts have Atlanta as a dark horse Super Bowl contender but that might be a bit premature. Matt Ryan still has not proven that he is more than an average NFL starter and Michael Turner has only had one good season as a starting running back. While the defense should be improved from the 21st overall defense, that's still not that good.

Redskins
The Redskins round out the NFC East, the division of question marks. Donovan McNabb and Mike Shanahan give the Skins a solid starting place but the organization as a whole is an overpaid wreck - overweight Albert Haynesworth isn’t helping. The defense should be good but it’s hard to guarantee anything with this team.

Bears
The report out of Chicago during training camp was that the Bears offense would explode under the direction of offensive coordinator Mike Martz. The Bears have a slew of fast but unproven receivers and Jay Cutler is a former pro-bowler but a Martz-led offense hasn’t made the playoffs since 2004. (Ed note: Not enough Ditka. Needs more Ditka.)

(This scene is from Kicking and Screaming, the movie that taught us all to love again.)

Look for Part III, which features the best of the best, this Thursday!