Top Ten Entering Week 8
1.
New England: Offensively potent, with 35 pts averaged a game. The only weak spot is their rushing average and yards. Against the best defenses that could be problematic, but it hasn't been so far. Defensively? They're average against the pass, uninspiring against the run, by yards. But they're solid in terms of points allowed coming in 12th. The X factor is also solidly in their corner. Exceptionally well coached and a palpable confidence built on a winning tradition and belief in the skill positions, especially the guy pulling the trigger.
Green Bay: 5th best scoring offense. Ranked 1st in fewest points allowed. Might be the actual number one overall, but given who both have played it's really hard to tell. So I'm calling this a tie. Lacy needs to produce more, but has proven he's capable. Rodgers is, to my mind, the best playing his position now, if marginally ahead of Brady. He's younger and more athletic than the Pats qb and more savvy than the younger and more athletic qbs behind him.
3.
Arizona: maybe we're just not accustomed to it, but Arizona's offense compares favorably with New England. All tolled the yards almost cancel out and the difference in production on the board is around two points in favor of the Pats. Defensively? 8th and about two points off Green Bay and two points better than New England. So you could make the argument this is a three way tie. I wouldn't fault you.
4.
Cincinnati: love them/hate them, believe in them or retain the memory of who they've been, there's no denying how good this team keeps playing. 3rd best scoring offense and 11th best defense preventing.
5.
Carolina: hard as it is for me to believe, the Panthers appear to have arrived as a team worth keeping on the radar. 6th best defense (with Seattle being marginally out in front and the best gaining only a two point average on them) and the 6th best offense, with a real balance between rushing and passing effectiveness, they're already looking like at least a darkhorse in the run for the SB, early as it is.
6.
Denver: remarkable to write this after the years Peyton has had in Denver, but this team is a great defense in need of an offense. The only encouraging thing is that as dysfunctional as the offense has looked it's still a solid middle-ish player, coming in at 14th, but within a couple of points of all but the top six, within 4 pts of all but the top three teams. Meaning that the perception of Denver is mostly about what we aren't seeing, instead of what we are. Is that the new offense or father time? We'll see. The point of the new offense was to generate rushing and Denver is fourth from last in yards per carry average. Meanwhile, the best defense in the league is showing signs of wear from the lack of sustained help and sinks down to a tie for second.
If that defense gets a td more a game from the offense this team can beat anyone. But, you know what they say about ifs and wishes...
7.
Atlanta: everyone knows they can score. The 4th best offense in the league with arguably the best pair of wrs playing and has a rare ability to couple that with an actual, sustainable rushing attack. What you might not know is that the sieve like performance of the defense stopped a while ago. They're now better than average by a few spots and a couple of points. Most importantly, they're 9th in terms of average against the pass, which in this league isn't hay.
8.
Seattle: I don't care about the record, they're playing better. The good news? Despite being a little under average in terms of production, the running game is functioning soundly and the per attempt average in the passing game isn't bad at all. A certain high priced qb is going to have to step up and start reminding us he's there and possessing a few unique tricks in a bag that helped get his team to two SBs, both of which they should have won. The defense isn't that dominant bunch for a few years ago, but they're pretty darn good, holding teams to under a hundred yards a game and a sub four average. The secondary is 3rd in limiting yards and 7th by average.
9.
Minnesota: things are turning around for the Vikings. Peterson isn't the lone offensive wolf any longer with the emergence of a passing game to compliment him and take defenders out of a stacked box. They're moving the ball, but they need a little more out of the passing game and a few more points on the board to show for it, being a fg off average. The defense is stellar, tied for 2nd with Denver. It's something of a parallel with Denver, only with a different question. With the Vikings it's more what can the qb develop into than what has the qb become? The answer to that will decide how far the Vikings go this year.
10.
Pittsburgh: they've done well to stay in contention without the great big engine that can, Ben Rothlisberger, under center. Without Ben the offense is below average, by about half a point. The good news is that even relegated to the more predictably one dimensional, the running game has blossomed, with an incredible near tie for second on average and within a yard of pacing 8th per game. That's absurd, given. The defense is 7th and within two points of 1st.
What does this mean? It means if Ben can get back into form they're as good as anyone and maybe better than anyone in relatively short order.
