Power Rankings: NFC East now domination central
By Pete Prisco
CBSSports.com Sports Writer
In the South where I live, the local college-football-is-religion fans always prop up the Southeastern Conference, extolling the power of the league. Rightfully so. The SEC is the king of college football this year, with four teams in the top 10.
We expect that kind of power from a college conference. We don't from one division in the NFL.
But after three weeks of the NFL season, the NFC East is a combined 10-2, the only two losses coming to division teams. They are undefeated against the rest of the NFL.
Power, baby, power.
The division features the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the best team in football right now in the Dallas Cowboys, a Philadelphia Eagles team that nearly upset the Cowboys on the road last Monday night and a Washington Redskins team that has won two straight behind a quarterback who seems to have arrived.
In putting together the CBSSports.com Power Rankings this week, the thing that stands out is how top heavy it is with the NFC East. The Cowboys remain atop the rankings after going to Green Bay and beating up a good Packers team.
The Giants, who escaped with an overtime victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, are second. The Eagles are in the fifth spot. The Redskins, whose only loss came to the Giants, are in the 12th spot.
We expected the division to be tough, but this good?
Right now it would be hard to argue against an NFC East team playing in the Super Bowl -- unless they beat the daylights out of each other.
With only two games between the teams so far, it means we have plenty of division wars left to come. Will the team that wins the division be a group of battled-tested warriors or a beaten-up, punch-drunk champ who just happened to be the last team standing?
The way the Cowboys are going, it might be the former. They have an offense that can't be stopped and a defense that showed signs of coming to life against the Packers.
The NFC East is the SEC of the NFL.
How y'all like them rigors of the NFC East?
The Power Rankings after Week 3:
Power Rankings Current Team Previous
1 Cowboys · Trends 1
Can anybody stop that offense? They can pound it with Marion Barber, unleash a speed back in Felix Jones and throw it all over the place with Tony Romo. They are clearly the best team right now.
2 Giants · Trends 2
They got a scare against the Bengals, but that's what good teams do, find a way to win. The pass defense had some issues against Cincinnati that have to be fixed before they get into those wars with Dallas.
3 Titans · Trends 5
As of right now, they are the best team in the AFC. The defense is suffocating and Kerry Collins is an upgrade at quarterback and gives them a better passing attack.
4 Broncos · Trends 7
At 3-0 they're playing great on offense. But they have to be concerned about stopping teams. They can't keep winning with that porous defense.
5 Eagles · Trends 12
They're darn near perfect, except for the tough loss at Dallas. The defense bounced back in a big way in shutting down the Steelers. They looked like they had 13 men on the field.
6 Bills · Trends 10
They're 3-0. Who would have thought that? Is there any doubt now they are the team to beat in the AFC East?
7 Packers · Trends 4
The defense got pushed around by the Cowboys, which is not a good sign. They have to tackle better. The offense didn't run the ball, either. If Al Harris is gone for the season, that will be a damning blow.
8 Steelers · Trends 3
Can Ben Roethlisberger make it through the season? The line took a major step back against the Eagles, and that has to be a concern.
9 Ravens · Trends 17
Joe Flacco is 2-0. He can thank the defense. They have looked like the old Ravens defense, shutting down two good offenses in two weeks.
10 Panthers · Trends 6
They get their first division game this week against the Atlanta Falcons. The loss to the Vikings showed that a running game alone can't carry the team all the time. They have to throw it better.
11 Buccaneers · Trends 19
Brian Griese threw 67 passes and they won? At 2-1, they face a stiff test this week from the Green Bay Packers.
12 Redskins · Trends 23
Jason Campbell looks so comfortable in the pocket. Has he arrived? It looks like it. We'll see against Dallas on the road this week.
13 Patriots · Trends 8
They get a week off to stew about their loss to the Dolphins. How insufferable will Bill Belichick be now?
14 Cardinals · Trends 11
I can hear it already. They're the same old Cardinals. With a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter against the Redskins, a tipped pass turned into a game-changing pick. Bad luck. Typical Cardinals luck?
15 Jaguars · Trends 18
They did what they do best against the Colts, which is run it and run it some more. The passing game still isn't there.
16 Colts · Trends 9
They have major injury issues and it shows. They aren't the same team. It might be a month or so before they are.
17 Chargers · Trends 15
They showed what they are capable of Monday night in beating the Jets. There still are some concerns, though, about the defense. Philip Rivers is carrying the offense right now.
18 49ers · Trends 20
It's easy on J.T. O'Sullivan when Frank Gore runs for 130 yards. He's now 2-1 as a starter. Mike Martz could make me a capable passer.
19 Falcons · Trends 25
Mike Smith has the Falcons at 2-1. How? Playing good defense and running Michael Turner. That's the plan.
20 Saints · Trends 13
They should have cut Martin Gramatica on the plane home. How can he miss that field goal? The defense isn't good right now.
21 Bears · Trends 14
They could easily be 3-0 if they hadn't blown two fourth-quarter leads. That's the type of thing that happens when you can't pass it well enough to score a lot of points.
22 Seahawks · Trends 24
Nothing like the St. Louis Rams to help turn your season around. The Seahawks still have major injury questions.
23 Vikings · Trends 22
The move to Gus Frerotte paid off against Carolina. But let's see how he does against that nasty Tennessee defense.
24 Jets · Trends 16
They went into a tough spot against a team with its season on the line against San Diego. But at 1-2, two games behind the Buffalo Bills in the division, they sure don't have the look of a playoff team.
25 Dolphins · Trends 32
Who thought they had a road victory over the Patriots in them? Credit Tony Sparano and his staff for keeping this young team focused. Chad Henne can wait now.
26 Texans · Trends 27
Matt Schaub isn't playing well, and if things go bad this week in Jacksonville there could be a change. They just don't do enough on offense. Steve Slaton looks like a keeper at running back.
27 Raiders · Trends 26
When does JaMarcus Russell start completing more than 10 passes a game? That simply isn't good enough. The Lane Kiffin watch continues.
28 Bengals · Trends 28
How happy are they to get the Browns this week? At least they showed some fight against the Giants.
29 Browns · Trends 21
It's time to start looking to 2009, just as I told you guys it would happen before the season. Brady Quinn time is nearing.
30 Lions · Trends 29
At least last year they had an offense. Now they don't even have that. This thing is getting worse by the week. Now the owner's son wants Matt Millen gone. Who doesn't?
31 Chiefs · Trends 30
If they really want to compete to win games, can they really do it with Tyler Thigpen? How can their quarterback situation be so messed up? Carl Peterson, how did you let that happen?
32 Rams · Trends 31
Say goodbye to Scott Linehan. This is a mess. But I'm not sure it's fixable -- no matter who's the coach.
CBSSports.com Sports Writer
In the South where I live, the local college-football-is-religion fans always prop up the Southeastern Conference, extolling the power of the league. Rightfully so. The SEC is the king of college football this year, with four teams in the top 10.
We expect that kind of power from a college conference. We don't from one division in the NFL.
But after three weeks of the NFL season, the NFC East is a combined 10-2, the only two losses coming to division teams. They are undefeated against the rest of the NFL.
Power, baby, power.
The division features the reigning Super Bowl champion New York Giants, the best team in football right now in the Dallas Cowboys, a Philadelphia Eagles team that nearly upset the Cowboys on the road last Monday night and a Washington Redskins team that has won two straight behind a quarterback who seems to have arrived.
In putting together the CBSSports.com Power Rankings this week, the thing that stands out is how top heavy it is with the NFC East. The Cowboys remain atop the rankings after going to Green Bay and beating up a good Packers team.
The Giants, who escaped with an overtime victory against the Cincinnati Bengals, are second. The Eagles are in the fifth spot. The Redskins, whose only loss came to the Giants, are in the 12th spot.
We expected the division to be tough, but this good?
Right now it would be hard to argue against an NFC East team playing in the Super Bowl -- unless they beat the daylights out of each other.
With only two games between the teams so far, it means we have plenty of division wars left to come. Will the team that wins the division be a group of battled-tested warriors or a beaten-up, punch-drunk champ who just happened to be the last team standing?
The way the Cowboys are going, it might be the former. They have an offense that can't be stopped and a defense that showed signs of coming to life against the Packers.
The NFC East is the SEC of the NFL.
How y'all like them rigors of the NFC East?
The Power Rankings after Week 3:
Power Rankings Current Team Previous
1 Cowboys · Trends 1
Can anybody stop that offense? They can pound it with Marion Barber, unleash a speed back in Felix Jones and throw it all over the place with Tony Romo. They are clearly the best team right now.
2 Giants · Trends 2
They got a scare against the Bengals, but that's what good teams do, find a way to win. The pass defense had some issues against Cincinnati that have to be fixed before they get into those wars with Dallas.
3 Titans · Trends 5
As of right now, they are the best team in the AFC. The defense is suffocating and Kerry Collins is an upgrade at quarterback and gives them a better passing attack.
4 Broncos · Trends 7
At 3-0 they're playing great on offense. But they have to be concerned about stopping teams. They can't keep winning with that porous defense.
5 Eagles · Trends 12
They're darn near perfect, except for the tough loss at Dallas. The defense bounced back in a big way in shutting down the Steelers. They looked like they had 13 men on the field.
6 Bills · Trends 10
They're 3-0. Who would have thought that? Is there any doubt now they are the team to beat in the AFC East?
7 Packers · Trends 4
The defense got pushed around by the Cowboys, which is not a good sign. They have to tackle better. The offense didn't run the ball, either. If Al Harris is gone for the season, that will be a damning blow.
8 Steelers · Trends 3
Can Ben Roethlisberger make it through the season? The line took a major step back against the Eagles, and that has to be a concern.
9 Ravens · Trends 17
Joe Flacco is 2-0. He can thank the defense. They have looked like the old Ravens defense, shutting down two good offenses in two weeks.
10 Panthers · Trends 6
They get their first division game this week against the Atlanta Falcons. The loss to the Vikings showed that a running game alone can't carry the team all the time. They have to throw it better.
11 Buccaneers · Trends 19
Brian Griese threw 67 passes and they won? At 2-1, they face a stiff test this week from the Green Bay Packers.
12 Redskins · Trends 23
Jason Campbell looks so comfortable in the pocket. Has he arrived? It looks like it. We'll see against Dallas on the road this week.
13 Patriots · Trends 8
They get a week off to stew about their loss to the Dolphins. How insufferable will Bill Belichick be now?
14 Cardinals · Trends 11
I can hear it already. They're the same old Cardinals. With a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter against the Redskins, a tipped pass turned into a game-changing pick. Bad luck. Typical Cardinals luck?
15 Jaguars · Trends 18
They did what they do best against the Colts, which is run it and run it some more. The passing game still isn't there.
16 Colts · Trends 9
They have major injury issues and it shows. They aren't the same team. It might be a month or so before they are.
17 Chargers · Trends 15
They showed what they are capable of Monday night in beating the Jets. There still are some concerns, though, about the defense. Philip Rivers is carrying the offense right now.
18 49ers · Trends 20
It's easy on J.T. O'Sullivan when Frank Gore runs for 130 yards. He's now 2-1 as a starter. Mike Martz could make me a capable passer.
19 Falcons · Trends 25
Mike Smith has the Falcons at 2-1. How? Playing good defense and running Michael Turner. That's the plan.
20 Saints · Trends 13
They should have cut Martin Gramatica on the plane home. How can he miss that field goal? The defense isn't good right now.
21 Bears · Trends 14
They could easily be 3-0 if they hadn't blown two fourth-quarter leads. That's the type of thing that happens when you can't pass it well enough to score a lot of points.
22 Seahawks · Trends 24
Nothing like the St. Louis Rams to help turn your season around. The Seahawks still have major injury questions.
23 Vikings · Trends 22
The move to Gus Frerotte paid off against Carolina. But let's see how he does against that nasty Tennessee defense.
24 Jets · Trends 16
They went into a tough spot against a team with its season on the line against San Diego. But at 1-2, two games behind the Buffalo Bills in the division, they sure don't have the look of a playoff team.
25 Dolphins · Trends 32
Who thought they had a road victory over the Patriots in them? Credit Tony Sparano and his staff for keeping this young team focused. Chad Henne can wait now.
26 Texans · Trends 27
Matt Schaub isn't playing well, and if things go bad this week in Jacksonville there could be a change. They just don't do enough on offense. Steve Slaton looks like a keeper at running back.
27 Raiders · Trends 26
When does JaMarcus Russell start completing more than 10 passes a game? That simply isn't good enough. The Lane Kiffin watch continues.
28 Bengals · Trends 28
How happy are they to get the Browns this week? At least they showed some fight against the Giants.
29 Browns · Trends 21
It's time to start looking to 2009, just as I told you guys it would happen before the season. Brady Quinn time is nearing.
30 Lions · Trends 29
At least last year they had an offense. Now they don't even have that. This thing is getting worse by the week. Now the owner's son wants Matt Millen gone. Who doesn't?
31 Chiefs · Trends 30
If they really want to compete to win games, can they really do it with Tyler Thigpen? How can their quarterback situation be so messed up? Carl Peterson, how did you let that happen?
32 Rams · Trends 31
Say goodbye to Scott Linehan. This is a mess. But I'm not sure it's fixable -- no matter who's the coach.
posted by The Gryphon at 5:56 PM
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