2008 NFL Top 12 Power Rankings

[74_75_78_79_]

Before I begin, if any of you are getting a bit tired of this 'monster' of PRs threads I've created, just say the word and I'll make this the last one I do for a while. They're a bit hard to resist and different than 'what-ifs'. As Chris stated in the '85 one, they simply cause you to look at "what really went on" in a regular season. Quite a few regular seasons sprinkled throughout history where certain playoff teams are debatably lesser than either lower-seeded teams or teams not making the playoffs at all.

2008 is an excellent example as well! Despite everyone knowing who my team is, and what they ultimately ended up accomplishing (and that historic D of theirs; at least statistically), not only will I not place them at #1, but not #2 nor #3 either. G-men being the defending-Champs, even better than they were a year prior (top-seeded 12-4 to wild-card 10-6), and beating Steelers at the Burgh if however barely, ought to place them #1 with everyone myself included. Colts also beat Steelers at Heinz and the top-seed Titans beat them at LP penultimate week albeit Steelers shooting themselves in feet with 4 turnovers to Titans' zero (end of game 83-yard INT-for-TD making score seem more lopsided than it actually was). A win is a win though. Plus, in the only game between the two that mattered (of course not the finale when they already clinched 1st-seed), Tennessee did beat Indy. That ought to give Fisher and the gang the consensus #2.

And then you got another 12-4 team in Carolina along with four 11-5s; one of them, of course, not making the playoffs! All-but-definitely, that Brady-less squad barges into everyone's list and likely finishes above all teams mentioned so far this very paragraph, even division-champ Dolphins. Chargers at 8-8 all-but-definitely boxed-out and that very 9-7 SB-participant-to-be can't feel safe at all! Not only getting slaughtered at snowy Foxboro penultimate week, but letting Favre's Jets put up a 56-burger on them. Not just Mangenius's troops winning that one, but beating the Pats followed immediately by not only averting a 'let-down', but hammering Titans at LP! Is that enough to keep them afloat for that 12-spot despite collapsing down-the-stretch? Not too sure the other 9-7s have a case, or do they? As I mentioned on a previous thread, "The Football Outsiders" FWIW called the 9-6-1 Eagles the best team in 2008 "play-for-play". Beating Steelers & Falcons, Giants on the road, destroying both the Cards and later Dallas in that 'play-in' finale making for some nice artillery in these rankings.

What are your takes? This won't be easy deciding each and every position.

And, again, I'll chill-out a bit if any of you think these PRs are getting to be too much. In fact, I'll ease up a bit even if I don't hear from any of you.

[CSKreager]

Chill out with these Power Rankings? There are too many other years that need power ranking discussions on here (1988-1999-2002-1995-1997).

[ChrisBabcock]

As long as you keep posting em, I'll bite. But if you decide to take a break I won't be heartbroken.

1. Giants... Definitely felt like the strongest team in the league poised to repeat as champions.
2. Panthers
3. Colts... 9 game winning streak heading into the playoffs. I remember predicting a Giants/Colts SB this year.
4. Stillers
5. Titans... I'm amazed this team got this far with Collins at QB.
6. Eagles... Played like a 12-4 team but only managed 9 wins.
7. Ravens
8. Patriots
9. Chargers... yes, the 8-8 Chargers crack this list. Won their last 4 and scored 149 points in those games.
10. Dolphins
11. Vikings... Peterson, Peterson, Peterson
12. Falcons

If I'd rank further I very well might have the Cardinals in the low teens. I doubt anyone predicted they'd get as far as they did. Finished the season 2-4 including a clobbering @ New England.

[74_75_78_79_]

Chill out with these Power Rankings? There are too many other years that need power ranking discussions on here (1988-1999-2002-1995-1997).

Good suggested years! 2006 also a good one amongst many others. If others decide to post them I'll most likely respond. I, however, will ease up on my own contributing. Perhaps wait until this very one and any others I do sinks into the second page.

As long as you keep posting em, I'll bite. But if you decide to take a break I won't be heartbroken.

1. Giants... Definitely felt like the strongest team in the league poised to repeat as champions.
2. Panthers
3. Colts... 9 game winning streak heading into the playoffs. I remember predicting a Giants/Colts SB this year.
4. Stillers
5. Titans... I'm amazed this team got this far with Collins at QB.
6. Eagles... Played like a 12-4 team but only managed 9 wins.
7. Ravens
8. Patriots
9. Chargers... yes, the 8-8 Chargers crack this list. Won their last 4 and scored 149 points in those games.
10. Dolphins
11. Vikings... Peterson, Peterson, Peterson
12. Falcons

If I'd rank further I very well might have the Cardinals in the low teens. I doubt anyone predicted they'd get as far as they did. Finished the season 2-4 including a clobbering @ New England.

SD on the list? Only win vs winning team down that 4-0 stretch was against faltering Bucs. However the three games leading up were close 'quality' defeats. Early on they did give Panthers (opener) & Dolphins good games as well as beating Jets & Pats in convincers. Yeah, they may not be as much a shoe-out as you'd think. Maybe I'll include them. This one is going to be a tough one.

Carolina #2? Yes, did take G-men into OT at Meadowlands. DeAngelo 4 TDs, Jacobs 3 TDs, Ward out-rushing them both combined without scoring a TD himself! Two top-seeds-to-be in each conference playing each other that penultimate week. Wonder if that happened ever before.

[74_75_78_79_]

1) Giants
2) Titans
3) Colts
4) Steelers
5) Panthers
6) Eagles
7) Falcons
8) Ravens
9) Patriots - upon further review, no, not above Car & all the 11-5s
10) Dolphins
11) Chargers - yes, Chris, followed your example in the end
12) Vikings

If only Jets spun one of them down-the-stretch defeats into a win. As for that NFC-champ-to-be...(not knowing what would happen)...3-7 outside a bad division not only doesn't cut it for this top-12, not only doesn't cut it for 'honorable mention', but doesn't seem to hold much if anything (yes, despite beating Dallas early on) over the three remaining 9-7 teams.