Our first NFC rankings, and Falcons check in at No. 5
As you can see, the New York Giants are very excited about checking in at No. 1 in our first NFC rankings.
In the aftermath of Brett Favre’s official re-birth in Minnesota Monday night and San Francisco’s rise from the dead under Mike Singletary, it occurred to me that the NFC is more competitive than it’s been in years. Given that – and the fact I’m always looking for a cheap blog idea – I’m going to start weekly NFC rankings to get an idea where the Falcons fit into the playoff picture. Unlike college football, I decided to wait a few games before the unveiling. Let me know how I did.
1. NY Giants (4-0): Three of their four wins have come against the Redskins, Buccaneers and Chiefs, but they’re the conference’s best team until somebody proves otherwise. Defense ranks No. 1, offense No. 5.
2. New Orleans (4-0): The Saints are averaging 36 points a game and the defense has been far better than expected. They also destroyed Philadelphia and the previously unbeaten New York Jets.
3. Minnesota (4-0): Favre’s three-touchdown performance in the win over Green Bay spoke volumes about the Vikings’ potential. But coming soon: consecutive games against Baltimore, Pittsburgh and the Packers (again).
4. Philadelphia (2-1): The offense has been productive even without Donovan McNabb. But with him, they’re still a Super Bowl contender. Defense ranks third in the league. Michael Vick: not a factor yet.
Tony Gonzalez has given the Falcons' offense a new dimension. (Curtis Compton/ccompton@ajc.com)
5. Falcons (2-1): The running game has struggled and wide receiver Roddy White has started slow. But tight end Tony Gonzalez has been as good as advertised. Losing rookie Peria Jerry hurts. The defense will be a season-long scramble.
6. Chicago (3-1): The Bears have hung in there but it’s hard to imagine they can be the same team without Brian Urlacher. How good are they? The Falcons will find out next week.
7. Green Bay (2-2): Losing to the Vikings wasn’t as bad as losing to the Bengals in Week 2. But the Packers will win their next two (Lions, Browns) before hosting Favre.
8. Dallas (2-2): Tony Romo has evolved. He used to be the quarterback who didn’t come through in December and January. Now he fades in September and October.
9. San Francisco (3-1): The 49ers earned as much respect in a loss (27-24 at Minnesota in a near-upset) as in their three wins. Turns out, Mike Singletary can coach.
10. Arizona (1-2): Last year’s Super Bowl team doesn’t even look like a playoff team, which makes those of us who drafted Kurt Warner for our Fantasy League team look like a real idiot.
11. Washington (2-2): In the last three weeks, the Redskins beat the winless Rams by two points, lost to the previously winless Lions, and beat the winless Bucs by a field goal. Meet Jim Zorn: Leader of the first-to-get-fired pool.
12. Carolina (0-3): With all the bashing of Jake Delhomme going on, it’s easy not to notice the Panthers’ defense is allowing 29 points and 183 rushing yards per game.
13. Seattle (1-3): The Seahawks have lost three straight since opening the season with a win over the Rams, which almost doesn’t count. And Jim Mora is not taking it well.
14. Detroit (1-3): The Lions aren’t going to win a lot of games (duh) in a division with the Vikings, Packers and Bears. But they’re getting better, and so is Matthew Stafford.
15. Vacant.
16. (tie) St. Louis and Tampa Bay (0-8): They’ve combined to use four quarterbacks and have been outscored in eight losses, 215-78. How long will the losing continue? Nobody knows. They don’t play each other.
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81 comments Add your comment
Larry
October 7th, 2009
5:51 am
Jeff,
Just wondering?
One of the headlines this morning on the Liberal AJC is “Cobb teen told he can’t dress like a female at school.” So, after your shots yesterday at Limbaugh, Republicans, and those evil corporate business types (you know, the ones that build companies to create jobs, like yours?), do you think this male student should be allowed to dress it up and masquerade around the school in feminine attire?
Thank God for private education rights.
NCBravesFan
October 7th, 2009
6:26 am
Personally, I have Vacant in at #7 but otherwise nothing to quibble with here.
drew
October 7th, 2009
6:46 am
Larry…wrong blog, dumbazz! What do NFC rankings have to do with a cross-dresser? Take your whiney azz to the opinion page…or better yet, go listen to your Limbaugh tapes and bask in your (perceived) superior intellect. (BTW…private education is not a right, it’s a privilege…but only for those who can afford it.)
Required Reading | Hard Knox Sports
October 7th, 2009
6:48 am
[...] Schultz’s NFC power rankings. [AJC] [...]
Heath
October 7th, 2009
6:52 am
How about ranking QBs in a blog? At least you didn’t draft Matt Cassel in your FF draft. Tried to warn a friend and now he’s got the 27th ranked signal caller in our league. It’s a long way from New England to Kansas City.
Incidentally, ever noticed how much his wife looks like his twin sister? I submit: http://cache.boston.com/bonzai-fba/Globe_Photo/2008/09/11/Matt-Cassel__1221152665_1556.jpg
honest_abe
October 7th, 2009
6:55 am
did he hurt your feelings that bad larry by stating the obvious on rush? awwww poor baby. get a life.
the only thing i’d change is the order of the top 3.
as much as i hate to say it as of right now.
1. NO – when they get both sides clicking they could be downright scary.
2. NYG – only reason why their #2 is because like you already said they’ve played nobody.
3. Minnesota – i’m still not sold on a 40 year old qb making it through the season fresh. and if you think tavarres king is going to take you to the super bowl its time to check your meds.
falcons will be avg as long as they remain conservative. their defense is young and has too many holes in the secondary. mularkey needs to open up the offense and start winging it or the falcons just might miss the playoffs.
EEJacket
October 7th, 2009
7:52 am
Go Bucs LOL. I’m glad I’m out-of-market this season, I’ll only have two miserable Sundays this year instead of 16.
Cuz
October 7th, 2009
8:15 am
I thought today was Global Warming Wednesday?
Tiny Tim
October 7th, 2009
8:23 am
Tip toe in the tulips in San Fran.
—–The 49er’s Lose Big.—–
greg
October 7th, 2009
8:29 am
Dead on but you know the Flacons could be #10..not sure they are any better than those teams beneath them.
Jam
October 7th, 2009
8:35 am
These rankings mean nothing. Just someone’s wishful thinking.
Elephanthead
October 7th, 2009
8:35 am
Where are the prescient, cutting commentary about the mulitvarious minutiae that the great pontificator Mr Schultz likes to include? Why no mention of Tom DeLay on Dancing with the Stars? Why is there no mention of the evil Dick Cheney? Can we not at least get a little snark from you about how all white people are kloset klansmen and kant wait to get out and burn a kross or two? Since the great and wise Mr Mooore moved on I guess we’ll have to go to you for our periodic dose of sportswriter off topic bloviating. I would exhort you to spend a bit more time in preparation for your next missive – perhaps peruse press releases from ACORN or include musings on the numerology of Minister Farrakhan. Based on who you work for, I am confident you can manage it.
John
October 7th, 2009
8:50 am
The #5 spot is probably about right for the NFC conference. NFL ranking would be #11. I hope as do all Falcon fans that groundwork is being done to build a winning team year in and year out. That said and with this years schedule, I would consider a 9-7 season to be excellent.
Brian Van Gorder
October 7th, 2009
9:02 am
We cant stop a huge running back from rumbling 33 yards on a normal halfback dive to score the winning points. Our defense stinks! Oh wait I dont coach UGA anymore whew! WE will keep San Fran to 10 points this weekend.
sidslid
October 7th, 2009
9:03 am
With Frisco having no passing game, Falcons must beat 49ers for streak to end; otherwise, we are in plateau-ville. There aren’rt enough car dealers left for Smitty to follow Leeman Bennett career path
Paul H
October 7th, 2009
9:06 am
I agree with these rankings. The Rams and Bucs might be worse than the Lions of last year. At least the Lions were competitive a few times.
Love the fact that the Panthers and Bucs are winless. Hate the fact that N.O. is undefeated. Didn’t see that coming.
MightyQuinn
October 7th, 2009
9:14 am
I gotta put the Saints in as numero uno right now. The Vikes look great but so did the Jets for a while last season. Check back on the Vikes in December and see how the old man is holding up (physically and mentally).
PMC
October 7th, 2009
9:16 am
You can argue the Giants haven’t played any really good teams…. but they have beaten the absolute hell out of those bad teams and they’ve done it with all sorts of injuries on defense. They gave up 16 to KC in garbage time when it was over. They shut out Tampa. They are the best defense in the league without all thier players.
Darren Sharper is the MVP of the first quarter…. and the Saints have found a running game.
I’m hoping our Falcons can keep pace.
The Vikings have a very good defense and a solid offense but I’m sorry, Brett Farve as good as he has been early the last two years… is the same QB that cost his team a chance at the SB with that bad int vs the Giants. That’s who he is. I can see them winning 12 or 13 and then going out in the 1st or 2nd round.
Jamaaliver
October 7th, 2009
9:20 am
SAN FRAN at #9 is a bit low. Considering they’d be 4-0 without a single spectacular play by Favre at the buzzer in week 3. Top 5 team easy.
Ran Man
October 7th, 2009
9:57 am
Woah Elephanthead – those were some big words you used. I had to look some of them up twice…
JSS
October 7th, 2009
9:59 am
Jeff Schultz, doesn’t yesterday and the carryover of the Wingnuts make you wish fondly for the simplicity of the old race baiting days of 06, 07and 08…
Sunday is going to give us flashbacks to the bad old days of the ol’ NFC West… Who would have thought that you’d see “smash mouth football” from a West Coast team?
Paul's Johnson
October 7th, 2009
9:59 am
Larry:
“So, after your shots yesterday at Limbaugh, Republicans, and those evil corporate business types (you know, the ones that build companies to create jobs, like yours?), do you think this male student should be allowed to dress it up and masquerade around the school in feminine attire?”
Dude, this is a blog about football. The Lintball post is is yesterday’s news. Just like you right wing nutjobs to continue dwelling in the past.
Why are you asking Jeff for his thoughts regarding your son and his crossdressing tendencies? Hire a counselor.
mountain_jim
October 7th, 2009
10:10 am
Good summary Jeff.
I lol at dittoheads like Larry. Boy will he and racist-Rush be surprised when the US Corporation and Dollar go bankrupt later this month, if the Fed-Bankers and Goldman Sachs can’t arm-twist China and Japan to loan us any more dollars and the Fed can’t get anyone to buy their worthless newly-printed ones anymore…. This will be blamed on Obama but he does not run things, he is just a sales rep for the bankers and the Pentagon/National Security-lawless state that really run the country these days, and Bush let these corporations Larry is so proud of (like Halliburton and Blackwater?)steal and waste trillions of our dollars in a war-of-choice. Did everyone forget the Pentagon ‘misplaced’ 2 trillion of our dollars, announced by Rumsfield (coincidentally) on 9/10/01? Yes – these corporations have been so good for us, creating all those jobs and all….
now Go Falcons! Take our minds off this largely-failed democracy replaced by corporate dollarocracy.
Boo Boo
October 7th, 2009
10:10 am
To say the reasons the Falcons rank number five is they have “struggled”, started slow”, lost rookie … hurts”, and “defense … season-long scramble”, after making the statement, “the NFC is more competitive than it’s been in years”, implies that the NFL sucks so bad that a stinky Falcon team is in the top five. A league that bad will soon be out of business. Might want to brush off your resume Jeff. Boycott the NFC.
midnite
October 7th, 2009
10:13 am
I hope Singletary forgets we snubbed him twice. Hopefully the impending signing of Craptree will be a distraction for the 49′ers this week. Will the Saints will fall back down to Earth before we play them? This week will be a real test, at least the bye week odds are in our favor.
boog
October 7th, 2009
10:20 am
Jeff… how in the world do you have time to write another article about the Falcons. I know you have been terribly busy “grinding your ax” over how GT is a better program than UGA. How do you do it all?
TigerBait
October 7th, 2009
10:20 am
All of you guys talking smack about Larry talking politics but then continue to give your political points….Get the hell off the board!
midnite
October 7th, 2009
10:31 am
Hey Schultz, can you put a lid on that can of political stank you opened the other day? It reeks up in here.
TigerBait
October 7th, 2009
10:32 am
Now going back to NFL. Saints are #1! Nothing else matters!
matt r
October 7th, 2009
10:33 am
I think the 49ers are 5 and maybe the Bears 6. We are probably 7th at best, which is bad when only 6 make the playoffs.
Hillbilly Deluxe
October 7th, 2009
10:33 am
I’d put Vacant at #3 but I reserve the right to change that if it starts looking like I’m wrong as the season goes on.
U-no
October 7th, 2009
10:33 am
An honest assessment of the Falcons would have to conclude that they have not looked as sharp so far this year as they did in the second half of last year. The word that comes to mind is “timid” and that is going to have to change if they are to have a winning season this year. I don’t think they rank at number 5 yet, but they certainly are much better that the teams fighting to be in the basement.
After watching the Monday night game, my vote for number one is the Vikings. The Saints deserve a number two spot with the Gaints coming in at number 3.
I just can’t get comfortable with the way the Falcons have played thus far this year. That “something” we saw and felt last year just hasn’t yet appeared. I hope it does…
Tech sucks
October 7th, 2009
10:41 am
49ers at 9??
They are one miracle pass at the end of the game against Minnesota (IN MIN btw) from being 4-0. A lot of Falcons fans are going to be surprised after Sunday. The Niners will win by double digits.
Ethan Benoff
October 7th, 2009
10:43 am
Wow!! It surprises me that we quickly jump off the Falcons bandwagon after an akward and inept performance at New England. If you watched that game, you would know that we very easily could have won that game if it were not for an unfortunate turnover in the redzone and a questionabl PI call that took back a touchdown. If we had not made those mistakes (which obviuosly we did), this power ranking would look totally different. The Falcon’s offense will explode this year and our defense is not all that bad, I mean how were we supposed to game plan for a two tight end set when New England had never shown that set before. Too many times journalist/analyst jump the gun on one loss and turnm the tables on a team that really still has it all put together. Stay consistent in your blogs it will add credibility to your journalism! If you predict the Falcons to be a TOP 3 NFC team don’t allow one loss to completely effect your view on a team.
mountain_jim
October 7th, 2009
10:53 am
You are right Tigerbait – sorry I got carried away.
I would also put Minn at #1 after watching them Monday night. I sure wish the Falcons had a Dline like that one – man o man! And until we get better corner-play we can’t blitz like the Giants did to NE….
I want to see Ryan and Malarky relocate their long-ball passing attack and quit letting defenses get away with stacking the box.
Jethrine Craig
October 7th, 2009
10:57 am
OK it was me trying to go to school in drag. My dad “Larry” bought my dress. Yes, that’s Larry Craig.
He’s posting his “conservative” views again. He is toe-tapping and keystroking away in the stall right now with another response in defense of Rush Limpballs.
Green Tea
October 7th, 2009
11:20 am
I still don’t know what “mulitvarious minutiae” means and I’ve looked it up 3 times…
I think Elephantbrains just put Schultzie in his place.
fACLCONS BACK GROUND NOISE
October 7th, 2009
11:33 am
THE FALCON MAKE THERE MOVE! DOWN HILL. WATCH HOW THEY GO DOWN HILL AND FAST!
Arno
October 7th, 2009
11:35 am
It doesn’t look like the 9ers think the Falcons are #5.
http://www.49ers.com/news-and-events/article-1/A-Look-at-Atlanta/e9364a0f-c490-4ef5-a893-a18b070a1c5e
BAND FROM AJC & AFMB
October 7th, 2009
11:36 am
I DONT CARE
Kimmer
October 7th, 2009
11:38 am
At this point I would have to switch the saints and giants. Other that its about right.
loel
October 7th, 2009
11:40 am
drew,,,,,,,and you voted for Obama too.. the measure of your genious?????
Victor
October 7th, 2009
11:40 am
1Giants:defense is one of the best in the NFL.2Saints:offense is the one of the top 3 teams in the NFL if not first.3Vikings:have one of the best running back,defense and quarterback on the same team.4Eagles:defense has always been one of the best and they have plenty of play makers.5 49ers:defense have kept them in all of their games and have a good running game.6Bears:offense started out slow but improving weekly and defense is good.7Falcons:balance on both offense and defense just need be more aggressive.8Packers:offensive line need to improve and their defense will be coming along.Giants is the team to beat in the NFC.Giants and Saints will get a bye week in the playoffs and mark this down.
David Towns
October 7th, 2009
11:42 am
First I am a Faclon fan. However, San Fran should probably be ranked a little higher like 5 or 6!
T.C
October 7th, 2009
11:45 am
Falcons aint who we thought they ? niners #5 easy.We give the falcons too much credit just because there the home team.Being realistic,the falcons rank about 7th or 8th.
Paul's Johnson
October 7th, 2009
11:51 am
loel:
“drew,,,,,,,and you voted for Obama too.. the measure of your genious?????”
You spelled genius wrong, genius.
DERRICK
October 7th, 2009
12:15 pm
Enter your comments here LOL… NUMBER 5 REALLY.. IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE THIS FAR OFF WHY NOT SAY NUMBER 1….THE FALCONS WILL NOT MAKE THE PLAYOFFS AND THEY WILL LOSE THEIR NEXT 4 GAMES. THE FALCONS HAVE NO SWAG.. I’M NOT TALKING ABOUT OLDSPICE..
Bill Heller
October 7th, 2009
12:16 pm
The Saints look like the team we hoped the Falcons would be.
TBizzle
October 7th, 2009
12:46 pm
Part of the reason why the Panthers defense is giving up 29 ppg is because Delhomme continues to give the ball to the other team. It’s hard to stop the other team from scoring when your QB turns it over that much.
Jeff Schultz
October 7th, 2009
12:53 pm
JSS – I think the fact that the “Wingnuts” as you termed them want to keep the Rush debate going speaks volumes about them, don’t you? I just hope they’re not the one making my burger the next time I’m at the drive-thru.
On 49ers — Yeah, I get your point. But I covered a lot of those 49ers teams and they had some pretty outstanding and tough guys on defense — Ronnie Lott, Michael Carter, Eric Wright, Jeff Fuller, Hacksaw, Dean, etc. … I knew Lott personally and he’s my all-time favorite athlete (for any sport).
Green Tea: “I think Elephantbrains just put Schultzie in his place.” This is pretty funny.