This is a big week for the Saints. We're a half game up on the Falcons and going up 1.5 games as opposed to being -.5 is obviously huge, but just more from a confidence standpoint they've been thoroughly mediocre on the road (losing to Tamps, lol Rams, closer than necessary games against Jax and Carolina, their best showing was probably week 1 against GB). I'm just hoping to see some glimmer that they're just as capable of being the great offensive team they usually are at home on the road as well, and this is a huge week to sort those issues out.

Rodgers hasn't played a defense yet tho, not really. If he torches Detroit like that then teams will have to trry to food poison him or something. He took an awful lot of sacks vs SD. I think it's plausible some team could whip the **** out of that line and keep Rodgers off his game. Also the Packers defense being godawful. Team is not invisible.

Their defense actually is pretty elite. Combined with their elite special teams always putting them in great positions on O and D and their elite turnover +/-.

Also I don't understand why you think a shootout is likely to happen in the playoffs? Check the playoff scores from last year and I'm pretty sure the only shootout was the Super Bowl and possibly one more game I can't remember right off the bat.

The Ravens/Steelers game from last night was way more indicative of a playoff type game. Not the Packers/Chargers.

Packers are also pretty overrated by 2p2 terms. They're very very average in all categories besides their historically great passing game. We'll see how they do in the 2nd half - 8 out of their last 9 games vs teams .500 or better

it's hard to coach when you have jerry jones as an owner. he will 100% make garrett give jones carries b/c of arkansas connection

Discounting HFA the Steelers were 0.5 pt favorites before last night. Despite the disadvantage of HFA and the refs stealing away 4 points on the Ravens opening drive, the Ravens beat the Steelers last night. The Ravens are now more confident, particularly the offense(Flacco, Smith, etc.). Its more than reasonable to think they'd be pick em' or the Ravens would be the slightest of favorites if they played a neutral site game next week.

I mean historically elite as in 2000 Ravens, 85 Bears, type thing. 49ers are fairly elite in the year to year sense. I don't think they can get away with success running the ball and having Smith make 20 throws a game throughout the playoffs - bye helps here I reckon. Maybe I'm wrong. This team is very similar to last year personnel wise, can Singletary be that inept?

It's nice no one is jumping the gun on the power rankings since we finally have a meaningful MNF game to wait on.

I was going to mention this team has been pretty good 'personnel wise' in the previous two years not including Smith but it's pretty clear what a big difference Harbaugh has made. Singletary was a terrible head coach.

Usually a pretty good recipe for being elite. See Indy/Pats over the years. Had some down years on D and still coasted to Ws.

SRS rankings:

1. GB 12.9
2. Det 11.9
3. SF 11.8
4. Balt 8.2
5. NO 7.8
6. Phil 6.4
7. Chi 6.3
8t. Atl 5.0
8t. NE 5.0
8t. Hous 5.0
11. NYJ 4.9
12. Buf 4.6
13. cincy 4.5
14. Dal 3.3
15. Pit 1.9
16. NYG 0.3
17. Car -1.9
18. SD -2.1
19. Min -2.5
20. Was -2.8
21. TB -3.6
22. Mia -4.1
23. Sea -4.9
24. Jax -5.0
25. Ten -5.2
26. Ari -5.7
27. Den -6.
28. Oak -6.9
29. Cle -8.5
30. Stl -10.1
31. KC -11.
32. Indy -17.1

Detroit seems clearly the second best team to me (lol). Lions have very few problems and no bad losses. I don't get why everyone has them 8-10 but if you asked them to rank the top 10 offenses and defenses they'd put Detroit top 5 in both (I should hope). How many teams have great offenses and defenses that people are skeptical of, ever? Like none. Just because it is the Lions and the Lions can't be good cuz they are the Lions.

Yeah Lions top 5 ez anyone who puts them 8-10 is drooling, especially if they put em behind the BILLS

the problem with the lions offense is that the 'chuck it up to calvin no matter how many people are all over him' plan isnt likely to continue working

Absolutely love the Niners defense; literally have zero holes on D. Still baffled by Carlos Rogers though. Culliver needs to start.

Packers secondary is having historically bad communication issues. On basically every touchdown, the corner looks at the safety with this "wtf man" look. It's pretty inexcusable at this point since they're such a talented group. I expect them to get their **** together but we'll see I suppose. Pass rush is just abysmal. Basically Clay versus the world.

Mason Crosby GOAT kicker tho

Uh yes it is.

Aff you're right about Crosby

Yeah C. Rogers will still get the nod given his 3 picks

Charles Woodson was total aids vs San Diego. No idea what he was doing on the first Charger touchdown, and he must've been flagged 5 times.

to the people that have the bengals in the WC spot, and people asking for respect for them.. They have 1 win over a winning team(bills which might end up not making the playoffs), and 1 loss to a losing team.. They've done nothing to earn respect yet and they have 4 more games that in the division that they will be decent underdogs in. plus SF which they will be a dog in.. im sorry it's still LOLcinci..

lions run d is susceptible

Bengals have won games albeit not in terribly impressive fashion against poor competition. Nobody thinks they are good afaik and the inevitable soul crushing is inevitable. Maybe some hardcore Bengal fans are slurping the Kool-Aid but I bet most already see the season as a huge success.

finally saw the Painter play where he throws it twice. ****ing hilarious.

For all the talk on ESPN and above about how the Bengals haven't beaten anyone good, Pittsburgh's resume is eerily similar if we look at who each team beat. Hell, Pittsburghs Wins have a combined worse record than the Bengals Wins. Only diff is Pitt has 1 more L but no bad losses like the bengals did in wk2 @ denver. At least 4 of the bad teams the bengals beat were on the road. They also already lost to San Fran, a game the Bengals were favored in at kickoff fwiw.

Bengals Ws---------Pitt Ws
vs Indy---------@ Indy
@ Sea---------- Vs Sea
@ Jax-----------vs Jax
@ Tenn---------vs Tenn
@ Cle-----------@Arz
vs Bills----------vs NE

Bengals are +3 in this game currently. Obv i dont think they should be favored, but this feels a lot more like a pickem game to me (and not bc of the lol useless analysis above). Pitts WRs are scary elite when Hines isnt in the game (hopefully he gets back and takes snaps away from Brown and Sanders) and will pose problems. The front 4 pressure from the bengals, has been really good and its not like the Steelers have been good in pass protection in years. All reports Ive read are optimistic that Dunlap, Rey, and Pacman will play and those are critical for the Bengals.

As weird as it may sound, I think Dalton will be just fine in the game. Neither team is going to be very successful running. Scary thing for steelers fans is I think Tomlin might try to come in and be stubborn and "get back to the lolsteelers run da ball" style. The quicker both teams change to a ~2-1 pass to run ratio the better both offenses will be. I think Dalton will have more time to throw than a lot of people think and his best attribute so far has been how quickly he gets rid of the ball.

I expect AJ Green to have a big day regardless, especially after reading the profootballfocus article about Ike Taylor just being ok, not elite, and not belonging in the same sentence with Revis. Very good read if interested http://www.profootballfocus.com/blog...cal-deception/

they already lost to san fran. they will be favs in 3 games the rest of the way. prior to the season everyone had the bengals in the luck sweepstakes and many had them as the fav.

anyone who actually was paying attention was saying no no, they have a cake schedule and are around an average team. ocho and TO were not good and their rec core will be much better. the d lost joseph but they picked up 2 linebackers and booted dhani jones old ass to the curb. their dline has shown improvement every year and the pertinent players (dunlap, jonson, atkins, rucker) are entering their primes.

i actually predicted they would win 10 games and make the playoffs bc of the cake schedule.