Top 10 regular season NFL Power Rankings, 1989

[74_75_78_79_]

Despite #1 being beyond-obvious and all five NFC playoff teams likely taking up the top-5 spots (or maybe not; Denver over Vikings, anyone?), this should be a nice one to try to put together. Does 0-4 vs Eagles/Rams/Niners box Giants out of the #2 (and 3) spot? Not knowing what would actually happen at Houston and then at Denver in the first two playoff rounds, Steelers' chances making this list don't look good at all despite the 5-1 finish. Do 10-6 Redskins & Packers box-out two 9-win playoff teams? Or does 8-8 Cincy actually butt in front and push both or at least one of them out the way? Sweep both Steelers & Browns, bury Oilers 61-7 penultimate week, win at Arrowhead (that makes six wins vs winning teams albeit each being no better than 9 wins), almost get it done in 'play-in' at Minn MNF finale, defending-AFC champs...I think so.

Edit - Looking at some of the other 8-8s, I see Raiders, Dolphins, and Colts each beat Cincy! Didn't think at first about Raiders going 7-5 once Art Shell hopped onboard. Colts not doing bad first two games vs SF and at Rams (Dickerson's return), split with Buffalo and beat Browns. Dolphins perhaps the weaker of these three. In addition to also beating Cincy, they beat both Browns & Packers but getting blown out at Houston and getting swept by both Bills and Chiefs hurts (they lost to Steelers as well albeit in a monsoon). I forgot all about Saints going 9-7! After their 1-4 start they split with Rams then last three games they win at Buffalo, beat Philly MNF (helping Giants win their division), then pound a Colts team in the finale who had to win. Perhaps this should be stretched to a top-15. This won't be one of the easier ones.

[7DnBrnc53]

1. 49ers
2. Giants
3. Eagles
4. Broncos
5. Rams
6. Vikings
7. Packers
8. Steelers
9. Bills
10. Browns

[74_75_78_79_]

1) FORTY NINERS
2) Rams
3) Eagles
4) Giants
5) Broncos
6) Vikings
7) Bills
8) Bengals
9) Browns
10) Saints

okay, let's dig deeper...

11) Redskins
12) Chiefs
13) Packers
14) Oilers
15) Colts
16) Raiders

Again, this is based strictly on regular season. Otherwise Steelers a definite top-10.

[ChrisBabcock]

The NFC was definitely stacked this year...

1... 49ers
2... Giants
3... Broncos
4... Rams
5... Eagles
6... Vikings
7... Redskins
8... Browns
9... Bills
10... Saints

[ChrisBabcock]

EDIT: Whoah. I completely overlooked the Bengals.

1... 49ers
2... Giants
3... Broncos
4... Rams
5... Eagles
6... Vikings
7... Redskins
8... Bengals
9... Browns
10... Bills

[74_75_78_79_]

To think going into that final week there were 17 of the then 28 teams above-500!

[Hail Casares]

1) FORTY NINERS
2) Rams
3) Eagles
4) Giants
5) Broncos
6) Vikings
7) Bills
8) Bengals
9) Browns
10) Saints

okay, let's dig deeper...

11) Redskins
12) Chiefs
13) Packers
14) Oilers
15) Colts
16) Raiders

Again, this is based strictly on regular season. Otherwise Steelers a definite top-10.

LOL no the Steelers weren't.

[CSKreager]

To think going into that final week there were 17 of the then 28 teams above-500!

And there were only a few really dreadful teams (Falcons/Jets/Cowboys, but even the other cellar-dwellers weren't THAT egregiously bad)