Top 12 NFL regular season Power Rankings, 2002

[74_75_78_79_]

The first season with the 4-4-4-4 format and scheduling formula that's still in place today. Do both 12-4 teams, Eagles & Bucs, make top-2; with Birds getting nod due to they beating TB (again) in Week #7?

Or do AFC's top-seeds, Raiders & Titans, have a say? Titans did beat Eagles in opener; and Raiders beat Titans convincingly in Week #4.

And how about the Steelers in 'the year of Tommy' with that (once he became starter) 9-2-1 finish? Losing at home to expansion Texans yet beating Champs-to-be Bucs at the Big Sombrero on MNF. Go figure. The weakest defense from a Steeler playoff team in the Cowher Era just the same.

Four 9-7 teams that didn't make the playoffs...defending-Champ Pats, Dolphins, Broncos, and Saints.

Also a pair of 8-8s. One of them SD (Marty's first year there) who started 6-1/8-4 beating Pats, SF, and splitting with Raiders & Broncos. 0-4 finish ought to make 'em a shoe-out. Vermeil's Chiefs the other 500 who beat a few winners as well and also splitting with Oakland.

Do any of these teams butt in front of any of the 9-win teams who did make post-season, those teams being Jets, Browns & (one-tie) Falcons? Quite possibly.

And how about the AFC East in-general? Pats, Dolphins, and division-winner Jets all split with each other.

[ChrisBabcock]

2002 was an interesting season. Like you said, first year of the 4-4-4-4, 4-4-4-4. My hometown Bills looked like they had something going early on in the year with Bledsoe & co. but they fizzled. To this day that is the only Bills 4000 yard passing season.

1. Eagles... before the CC games I remember predicting a Titans-Eagles SB. 0 for 2 that day!
2. Bucs... I remember being perplexed that the Raiders were favored in the SB. That D was something.
3. Raiders... 7-1 finish
4. Titans...10-1 finish
5. Steelers... 5-1- finish with a late season win @ Tampa
6. Giants... 4-0 finish including a win at Philly.
7. Colts... 6-2 finish including a win at Philly.
8. Packers... seems weird putting a 12-4 team this low but so many other teams finished strong
9. Falcons
10. Jets... 7-2 finish to take a weak AFC east
11. Patriots
12. Browns

[74_75_78_79_]

Wow, lol, I forgot to mention the Pack going 12-4 as well. Perhaps it's that convincing playoff-loss to Vick's 9-6-1 Falcons that may have subconsciously caused me to forget. They did lose at Tampa in that Sapp-going-absolute-ballistic-at-Sherman post-game fiasco. So that ought to keep them out of my top-2 at least (and really can't imagine placing them above Oak & Tenn). Should I have them as low as #8 though? We'll see.

Perhaps not the worst 12-4 team ever but clearly not the best. Both their Holmgren Era 11-5 squads from both '95 & '98 clearly better. With Holmgren on one side of him, and McCarthy on the other, Mike Sherman the forgotten playoff HC up in GB. Could it be Sherman taking on both HC and GM that may have did him in? Better results had he concentrated strictly on being HC, perhaps? We'll never know. Pack in '02, by the way, did have home-field within reach but were manhandled in the finale by Herm's Jets (who then would put up another 40+burger the following week, 1st Rd, in that insane 41-0 annihilation of Indy).

Also forgot to mention Bills as the other 8-8 team. They actually finishing last have have caused that overlook.

[rhickok1109]

Perhaps not the worst 12-4 team ever but clearly not the best. Both their Holmgren Era 11-5 squads from both '95 & '98 clearly better. With Holmgren on one side of him, and McCarthy on the other, Mike Sherman the forgotten playoff HC up in GB. Could it be Sherman taking on both HC and GM that may have did him in? Better results had he concentrated strictly on being HC, perhaps? We'll never know.

Yes I felt at the time that it was a mistake to give Sherman the GM job, just as I felt it was mistake for Seattle to hire Holmgren as GM and coach. The time was past when anyone could handle both jobs. (And the Seahawks took the GM title away from Holmgren midway through his contract.)

[sheajets]

Wow, lol, I forgot to mention the Pack going 12-4 as well. Perhaps it's that convincing playoff-loss to Vick's 9-6-1 Falcons that may have subconsciously caused me to forget. They did lose at Tampa in that Sapp-going-absolute-ballistic-at-Sherman post-game fiasco. So that ought to keep them out of my top-2 at least (and really can't imagine placing them above Oak & Tenn). Should I have them as low as #8 though? We'll see.

Perhaps not the worst 12-4 team ever but clearly not the best. Both their Holmgren Era 11-5 squads from both '95 & '98 clearly better. With Holmgren on one side of him, and McCarthy on the other, Mike Sherman the forgotten playoff HC up in GB. Could it be Sherman taking on both HC and GM that may have did him in? Better results had he concentrated strictly on being HC, perhaps? We'll never know. Pack in '02, by the way, did have home-field within reach but were manhandled in the finale by Herm's Jets (who then would put up another 40+burger the following week, 1st Rd, in that insane 41-0 annihilation of Indy).

Also forgot to mention Bills as the other 8-8 team. They actually finishing last have have caused that overlook.

I was shocked at how the Packers absolutely laid down and died week 17 against us, with a bye to play for.

[74_75_78_79_]

1) Eagles
2) - tie - Buccaneers & Raiders
4) Titans
5) Packers
6) Steelers
7) Jets
8) Giants
9) Colts
10) Forty Niners
11) Browns
12) Falcons

Considering the Browns arguably being pro football tops in both '48 & '49, and with Philly's 1-3 closing skid in '80 (to cream-of-crop competition, mind you) and defending-Champ NE & 15-1 Steelers (who whipped 'Birds in Week #9) standing in the way in 2004, this very '02 campaign may be the only one ever - besides 1960, of course - that I'll and I'm sure many of you will place the Philadelphia Eagles at #1 in a regular season Power Rankings poll! Philly having Bucs' number as of late, and beating them yet again regular season with Gruden now at helm, I couldn't help but see a SBXV-rematch-to-be come playoff-time with Eagles getting some 22-year revenge! But not to be; not to be.

Contrary to what you thought going into SBXXXVII, Chris, I didn't think it was that odd Raiders being favorites if however slightly. Perhaps their Gannon-led passing attack w Rice & Brown would spread that D out. A contrast-in-styles, I thought it be; a good game. Wrong I was! Should have figured on Gruden's obvious familiarity with the team he coached just one year earlier (and Callahan simply being the much lesser chess player).

I didn't hold the Pack's 4-3 skid that much against them. Assuming that finale was just an anomaly, I'd take Favre over Tommy Gunn. No QWs at all for G-men in 2002 until clobbering Colts at RCA penultimate week. Following week's win vs Philly? Won't count it! McNabb didn't even play in that 1PM EST game. Eagles already clinched at least a bye. As for the other Meadowlands team? They beat a still-contending defending-Champ in NE penultimate week then crush a 12-3 Favre-led Packer team the following week in the late game (Eagles just lost; finish 12-4). Wouldn't be the last time Pennington tops Favre in a playoff-implications finale (see 6 years later). Yes, with much more QWs to their '02 credit in that 7-2 finish, I got to place Jets where I have them! Better Herm HC moment? Burying GB then Colts in 1st Rd, or beating Chargers at Murph 1st Rd in '04 then coming razor-close to toppling 15-1 Steelers (Jets really should have won)? You tell me. Giants finishing 4-0 and having 3rd-ranked D places them at that 8-spot, but despite belting Colts I'm still a bit reluctant placing them over them and SF; and maybe even over the Browns!

Colts had a bit of QWs as well in '02 (so did Clev). SF? Yes, they beat G-men but in opener; and OT win at Oakland was at the end of Raiders' 4-game funk. Simply a merely 'good' team. Losing at home to Eagles (convincingly) and also GB while barely beating bad teams down stretch. Nothing special at all. Browns winning finale obviously puts they and Falcons in their places. Atlanta, however, with their 1-3 finish just barely squeaked by Broncos & Pats with me. Winning at Giants, sweeping Saints thus triggering their monstrous collapse, and tying Steelers at Heinz served as their life-raft. Still can't understand that double-whammy that the Packers' season ended on!

[ChrisBabcock]

Contrary to what you thought going into SBXXXVII, Chris, I didn't think it was that odd Raiders being favorites if however slightly. Perhaps their Gannon-led passing attack w Rice & Brown would spread that D out. A contrast-in-styles, I thought it be; a good game. Wrong I was! Should have figured on Gruden's obvious familiarity with the team he coached just one year earlier (and Callahan simply being the much lesser chess player).

When its great offense vs. great defense in the Super Bowl, or most games for that matter, the great defense almost always wins the game, usually handily.

[74_75_78_79_]

Contrary to what you thought going into SBXXXVII, Chris, I didn't think it was that odd Raiders being favorites if however slightly. Perhaps their Gannon-led passing attack w Rice & Brown would spread that D out. A contrast-in-styles, I thought it be; a good game. Wrong I was! Should have figured on Gruden's obvious familiarity with the team he coached just one year earlier (and Callahan simply being the much lesser chess player).

When its great offense vs. great defense in the Super Bowl, or most games for that matter, the great defense almost always wins the game, usually handily.

Very true! Yet (although I think Steelers win big over Cards in a hypo-SBX for same reason you state) I thought Den/Sea would be a good one; and though I knew SF would win, I thought Mia would at least give 'em a game in SBXIX.

FWI-possibly-W, Raiders did sort-of comeback - closing gap to 13 - but it simply was too little, too late. Gruden's familiarity and Callahan simply not being a good enough NFL HC to counter it (Gannon, perhaps, to blame too) is what mainly made the game a rout IMO. Had Gruden remained HC in Oak for '02, Eagles (all due respect to Dungy) likely still have TB's number and make SB thus making a possible victory over Raiders less likely with 'Chucky' at helm instead. Do Raiders even suffer that 4-game funk had Jon been onboard? Perhaps it's Oakland finishing regular-season with best record!