All of sudden, Detroit is the center of the sports world with their Tigers in the ALCS and their Lions undefeated. And for a city that has suffered sports (well, in non ice sports) and economic-wise, you have to at least feel a bit good for them. Plus, the Lions are an easy team to root for. They were built the traditional way, drafting key players at premium spots and adding veteran free agents to supplement them. Sure, we're only five games in and things could go horribly wrong, especially since the oft injured Matt Stafford does take a pretty regular beating... but why worry about the unknown? All we know for sure is that right now, the Lions are good. Really good.
1) Green Bay Packers - Overcame a bad start in Atlanta to cruise to an easy win in the second half. They're on a collision course with our #2 team for NFC supremacy. LW (1)
2) Detroit Lions - Big win on their return to Monday Night football. This Lions team is very real and now they've got a surprisingly big matchup against the Niners next week. (LW 2)
3) New England Patriots - Handled the Jets pretty easy at home. Now they face the Cowboys in the "Impossible to root for either team" bowl. LW (5)
4) New Orleans Saints - The Saints are kind of laying low this season and not getting a lot of press, despite the fact that they keep winning. (LW 4)
5) Baltimore Ravens - They now come fresh off a bye to face a suddenly undermanned Texans squad. Could really get a head of steam going. (LW 6)
6) Buffalo Bills - The latest benefactor of the Eagles traveling circus of errors. (LW 3)
7) Pittsburgh Steelers - Ben Roethlisberger's performance one week or even one quarter has absolutely no correlation to his performance the next game or quarter. (LW 7)
8) San Diego Chargers - They've ridden a fairly soft schedule to a 4-1 record, but have rarely looked really good doing it. They always play well later in the year, but never have this kind of wins cushion. (LW 9)
9) San Francisco 49ers - Hammered the Bucs this week to move shockingly to 4-1. If they beat the Lions next week, people will believe they're a rel contender. (LW 20)
10) Washington Redskins - Sat on their couch on watched their NFC East lead grow. (LW 14)
11) Oakland Raiders - Won one for Al, but also served notice to the rest of the AFC. (LW 15)
12) Houston Texans - The Texans have lost Mario Williams for the year meaning they'll be without their best offensive player (Andre Johnson) and arguably their best defender with a rough schedule coming up. (LW 8)
13) New York Giants - We were reminded that this is still a pretty thin and inconsistent Giants squad. (LW 10)
14) Tennessee Titans - Got hammered on the road in Pittsburgh and made us reassess just how good they are. Competitive, but not a contender. (LW 17)
15) Cincinnati Bengals - Saw a note on ESPN saying that all three of their wins this year are via fourth quarter comebacks. They're the anti Eagles. Not very productive, but they come up in big spots. (LW 22)
16) New York Jets - They just don't have the same swagger or magic as last year. When even Rex Ryan sounds defeated, it's bad news. (LW 12)
17) Chicago Bears - The Bears have done the impossible. Actually make me feel kind of bad for Jay Cutler. (LW 16)
18) Dallas Cowboys - It was a good bye for the with both Philly and NY losing. Now they get the Patriots, hope they really got their rest. (LW 11)
19) Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons offense goes back to struggling this week as they scored just 13 points in Tampa. Atlanta gave Matt Ryan plenty of weapons, but apparently neglected to give him anyone capable of protecting him. Sam Baker has to among the worst starting OTs in the NFL right now. (LW 18)
20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They haven't looked really good all year, even in their wins it's been ugly. So you had to figure they'd either start playing well or regress. They clearly regressed. (LW 13)
21) Philadelphia Eagles - What is there to say? They're #3 in the NFL in yards, but are 1-4. It's all about untimely mistakes. (LW 19)
22) Seattle Seahawks - Seattle further confuses us with a big road win in New York. Even better, it looks like Clipboard Jesus gets another moment in the sun. (LW 28)
23) Arizona Cardinals - If they're in a position to draft a top QB this year after paying big to get Kevin Kolb... oh boy. Jobs will be lost. (LW 21)
24) Denver Broncos - Tim Tebow threw a screen to Knowshon Moreno, who proceeded to run Tebow in the hearts of the Mile High City. Finally, he'll get a chance to sink or swim. (LW 23)
25) Carolina Panthers - Like they have been a few times this year, they're in games against good team, but they can't turn that into wins. (LW 24)
26) Cleveland Browns - Interesting matchup for them this week off their bye. They head to Oakland in a matchup which should tell us a lot about each team. (LW 25)
27) Minnesota Vikings - Donovan McNabb beat Kevin Kolb in the battle of ex Eagles QBs. Although I expect if Kolb had Adrian Peterson the score would have been reversed. (LW 30)
28) Jacksonville Jaguars - Lost 4 straight and now face Pittsburgh and Baltimore back to back. Say a prayer for Blaine Gabbert will you? (LW 27)
29) Kansas City Chiefs - They've strung together some wins and now get a week off. They'll face Oakland and San Diego when they get back which means they could really get themselves back into the AFC West picture with two wins. (LW 31)
30) Miami Dolphins - They will send Matt Moore out to face a desperate Jets team next week. Maybe include him in your Gabbert prayers. (LW 26)
31) Indianapolis Colts - An awful season like this is worth it if it means Colts fans get to watch Peyton Manning pass the torch to Andrew Luck. (LW 29)
32) St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford is taking a beating, the Rams are just not the up and comer people expected and now they go on the road to Green Bay. The line is already at 15.5 (LW 32)
All of sudden, Detroit is the center of the sports world with their Tigers in the ALCS and their Lions undefeated. And for a city that has suffered sports (well, in non ice sports) and economic-wise, you have to at least feel a bit good for them. Plus, the Lions are an easy team to root for. They were built the traditional way, drafting key players at premium spots and adding veteran free agents to supplement them. Sure, we're only five games in and things could go horribly wrong, especially since the oft injured Matt Stafford does take a pretty regular beating... but why worry about the unknown? All we know for sure is that right now, the Lions are good. Really good.
1) Green Bay Packers - Overcame a bad start in Atlanta to cruise to an easy win in the second half. They're on a collision course with our #2 team for NFC supremacy. LW (1)
2) Detroit Lions - Big win on their return to Monday Night football. This Lions team is very real and now they've got a surprisingly big matchup against the Niners next week. (LW 2)
3) New England Patriots - Handled the Jets pretty easy at home. Now they face the Cowboys in the "Impossible to root for either team" bowl. LW (5)
4) New Orleans Saints - The Saints are kind of laying low this season and not getting a lot of press, despite the fact that they keep winning. (LW 4)
5) Baltimore Ravens - They now come fresh off a bye to face a suddenly undermanned Texans squad. Could really get a head of steam going. (LW 6)
6) Buffalo Bills - The latest benefactor of the Eagles traveling circus of errors. (LW 3)
7) Pittsburgh Steelers - Ben Roethlisberger's performance one week or even one quarter has absolutely no correlation to his performance the next game or quarter. (LW 7)
8) San Diego Chargers - They've ridden a fairly soft schedule to a 4-1 record, but have rarely looked really good doing it. They always play well later in the year, but never have this kind of wins cushion. (LW 9)
9) San Francisco 49ers - Hammered the Bucs this week to move shockingly to 4-1. If they beat the Lions next week, people will believe they're a rel contender. (LW 20)
10) Washington Redskins - Sat on their couch on watched their NFC East lead grow. (LW 14)
11) Oakland Raiders - Won one for Al, but also served notice to the rest of the AFC. (LW 15)
12) Houston Texans - The Texans have lost Mario Williams for the year meaning they'll be without their best offensive player (Andre Johnson) and arguably their best defender with a rough schedule coming up. (LW 8)
13) New York Giants - We were reminded that this is still a pretty thin and inconsistent Giants squad. (LW 10)
14) Tennessee Titans - Got hammered on the road in Pittsburgh and made us reassess just how good they are. Competitive, but not a contender. (LW 17)
15) Cincinnati Bengals - Saw a note on ESPN saying that all three of their wins this year are via fourth quarter comebacks. They're the anti Eagles. Not very productive, but they come up in big spots. (LW 22)
16) New York Jets - They just don't have the same swagger or magic as last year. When even Rex Ryan sounds defeated, it's bad news. (LW 12)
17) Chicago Bears - The Bears have done the impossible. Actually make me feel kind of bad for Jay Cutler. (LW 16)
18) Dallas Cowboys - It was a good bye for the with both Philly and NY losing. Now they get the Patriots, hope they really got their rest. (LW 11)
19) Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons offense goes back to struggling this week as they scored just 13 points in Tampa. Atlanta gave Matt Ryan plenty of weapons, but apparently neglected to give him anyone capable of protecting him. Sam Baker has to among the worst starting OTs in the NFL right now. (LW 18)
20) Tampa Bay Buccaneers - They haven't looked really good all year, even in their wins it's been ugly. So you had to figure they'd either start playing well or regress. They clearly regressed. (LW 13)
21) Philadelphia Eagles - What is there to say? They're #3 in the NFL in yards, but are 1-4. It's all about untimely mistakes. (LW 19)
22) Seattle Seahawks - Seattle further confuses us with a big road win in New York. Even better, it looks like Clipboard Jesus gets another moment in the sun. (LW 28)
23) Arizona Cardinals - If they're in a position to draft a top QB this year after paying big to get Kevin Kolb... oh boy. Jobs will be lost. (LW 21)
24) Denver Broncos - Tim Tebow threw a screen to Knowshon Moreno, who proceeded to run Tebow in the hearts of the Mile High City. Finally, he'll get a chance to sink or swim. (LW 23)
25) Carolina Panthers - Like they have been a few times this year, they're in games against good team, but they can't turn that into wins. (LW 24)
26) Cleveland Browns - Interesting matchup for them this week off their bye. They head to Oakland in a matchup which should tell us a lot about each team. (LW 25)
27) Minnesota Vikings - Donovan McNabb beat Kevin Kolb in the battle of ex Eagles QBs. Although I expect if Kolb had Adrian Peterson the score would have been reversed. (LW 30)
28) Jacksonville Jaguars - Lost 4 straight and now face Pittsburgh and Baltimore back to back. Say a prayer for Blaine Gabbert will you? (LW 27)
29) Kansas City Chiefs - They've strung together some wins and now get a week off. They'll face Oakland and San Diego when they get back which means they could really get themselves back into the AFC West picture with two wins. (LW 31)
30) Miami Dolphins - They will send Matt Moore out to face a desperate Jets team next week. Maybe include him in your Gabbert prayers. (LW 26)
31) Indianapolis Colts - An awful season like this is worth it if it means Colts fans get to watch Peyton Manning pass the torch to Andrew Luck. (LW 29)
32) St. Louis Rams - Sam Bradford is taking a beating, the Rams are just not the up and comer people expected and now they go on the road to Green Bay. The line is already at 15.5 (LW 32)