Top 10 NFL teams, after 4 weeks

NFL Top 10 after week 4!

I think I missed a week, so I better jump right in this one….

There were a lot of questions asked and answered after the Monday Night Game, in which Brett Farve showed why he is one of the best quarterbacks in the league… and why Green Bay management screwed up big time.

But that’s another blog, we have to decide who are the top 10 teams in the NFL as of this week, after many teams have played 4 games, some having played only 3 games.

When I looked over my list, I saw that there are currently 5 teams that are 4-0, and then there are 6 teams that are 3-1. That technically should make up my top 10, but we shall see. I also noticed that there are 2 teams that are 2-1, and 7 teams that are 2-2... Could they possibly make the top ten?

First off I had to eliminate a few teams from my list, which include the following:

Philadelphia Eagles: As long as McNabb is injured this is not the team to beat, even at 2-1 their wins were over the hapless Panthers and the Chiefs. We have to wait and see what happens as the season goes on.

Pittsburgh Steelers: At 2-2 I know they had a good win over the Chargers, but two losses to the Bears and Bengals hurts bad. And here too, they have injury issues. Seems to imply more and more that the best teams are the healthy teams.

San Francisco 49ers: yeah, a 3-1 team is not on my list, but only because I had to drop one of them. In effect I am saying that the 49ers, at this point, are the weakest 3-1 team in the NFL. Yeah, I know they beat the Cardinals, Seahawks and Rams, but where are these teams now? Not any real quality wins yet. But they won enough to get Michael Crabtree to sign…but will they get better with him?

So, let’s get into those top 10, shall we?

#10 New York Jets: At 3-1 there is a lot of fanfare for the Jets, especially after beating the Patriots. This clearly is a team to watch out for, but they have more division games to play, and beating the Texans and the Titans at this point really isn’t saying a lot. But any team that can beat the Pats gets my vote.

#9 Cincinnati Bengals: I almost forgot to put these guys on the list, I forgot that they were winning. A loss to the Broncos seemed to put them in a bad light, but winning three straight games over the Packers, Steelers and Browns isn’t so bad. Some may argue that at this point, neither is a really solid quality win, but anytime you beat the defending Superbowl champs and the Packers, that is saying something.

#8 Baltimore Ravens: Another 3-1 team that has shown that they can score, even with a loss to the Patriots. I think if the refs had not been so careful to make sure Tom Brady’s dress was on right, this game could have gone the other way. The Ravens were always a threat with their defense, and now with some offense, they look awesome. But beating the Chiefs and Browns isn’t saying too much, and the Chargers may not be the team we thought they were. Still, these guys are in the hunt.

#7 Chicago Bears: Who woulda thought that they would be 3-1 after the way they started the season? But beating the Steelers is a nice feather in the cap for Da Bears. The problem here is that their other wins were over the Seahawks and Lions…ugh. And losing to the Packers hurts them in their own division. But like the Ravens, this team has a great defense…but like the Eagles and Steelers, they also have very key injuries.

#6 Minnesota Vikings: Some are gonna fry me for this, because this means I have a 3-1 team ranked ABOVE a 4-0 team. This also means I think the Vikings are the weakest 4-0 team in the NFL. I submit to you that this is a good team, and for what it is worth, I am personally rooting for Farve, but beating the Browns and Lions isn’t saying too much. Beating the 49ers is great, but it took the last play to do it, and the Packers game could have been high emotion for Brett Farve. I know, they are all still wins, but I just think that there are 5 other teams that are better than the Vikings at this period in time. Another win could change my mind, but it still depends on what the other 5 are doing.

#5 Indianapolis Colts: This 4-0 team had me comparing with the Vikings, and what it came down to was quarterbacks. I could have easily put the Colts and Vikings tied, but I thought about who, in the course of a game, would I most likely want on my team. Peyton Manning or Brett Farve? This was very hard, and I love both, but I had to edge with youth. Both have great experience, but I think I want Peyton Manning just a sliver more than I want Farve…neither is a bad choice, I just thought the Colts were a bit better…but again, not by much at all.

#4 New England Patriots: Yep, I put this team above some 4-0 teams because this is one of the best teams in the NFL the last 10 years. We all know how they lost to the Jets, but the Patriots have defeated the Bills, Falcons and Ravens, ALL are pretty good. Few other teams can say that right now. Considering their strength of schedule, I believe at this point the New England Patriots are one of the 4 best teams in the NFL. Better than the Colts, well, that would be a good matchup, but I do think better than anybody else on the list…and mind you, they play the Jets again this year.

#3 Denver Broncos: This is odd, having them here at this time of the year. But they are 4-0, with wins over the Bengals, Browns, Raiders and Cowboys. But I think this might be short lived. Beating the Bengals at the beginning of the year is great, since we see that at this moment the Bengals are actually good. But the Browns, Raiders and Cowboys…well, they can’t all be steaks. But consider their division, and already at 4-0, they could run a bunch of games by the end of the year…maybe 12 wins?

#2 New Orleans Saints: Oh yeah, my HOMETOWN! Finally I can break out my Saints hat and wear it with pride. At 4-0 the Saints have knocked off the Lions, Eagles, Bills and Jets. Now, outside the Lions, that is a pretty good trio. This team is like a Ferrari with a turbo boost, and a defense that can hold it’s own. I know it’s still early, and with division foes like the Falcons still yet to play, and a Carolina team many expect to find a way to rebound, it’s not locked up for the Saints yet…but it is looking good.

#1 New York Giants: One guy on ESPN said this about the Giants, that he felt they were better because they already have 2 division wins under their belt. Well, so does the Vikings. But come on, the Lions don’t count….no jokes about the Redskins yet. Still, the Giants have everything in place to prove that they are one of the best teams in the NFL, and with the Redskins faltering, the Eagles banged up and the Cowboys confused, this could be a run for them. They do have some key injuries, including Eli Manning, but if they can put a healthy team on the field, they may well be in the Superbowl at the end of the year.

So that is my top 10 for now, this can change easily from week to week, and as teams get healthy…or lose players. We shall see.