TGP Power Rankings, Quarter-Pole

[Thanatos 2,847]

Welcome to the first installment of the TGP power rankings for the 2018 season! We have had all but two teams play at least four games, giving us a good assessment of where teams are at early on in the goings. I'm going to try to do this at least bi-weekly this year as its a fun exercise and sparks conversation. As always, feel free to add your own underneath! I don't think number one will be any surprise to anyone, so lets start this off with:

 

1.  (4-0): The Los Angeles Rams are the most complete team in football, with a stout defense and a killer defensive line, a fantastic running game headed by one of the best backs in football, and a great 3rd year QB that understands he doesn't have to do everything- but he absolutely can when the team need him to, as they did Thursday vs the Vikings. The Rams have an absolute stranglehold on the NFC West, with the Cards being awful, the Niners being Jimmy-less, and the Russell Wilsons not being anything but the Russell Wilsons. They should cruise to a division title and a likely first round bye.

2.  (4-0): The Chiefs have the most dynamic young QB in the league, and a speedster WR along with a great second year RB. The concern is this defense, which is one of the worst in the league. In a very weird stat, KC is the best defense in the league on 3rd down- they just have a hard time getting teams there. KC has murderer's row the next three weeks: Jaguars, Patriots, Bengals and then Denver again after all that, but Mahomes has shown he is absolutely up to the challenge.

3. (3-1):  Absolutely the surprise of the season. Several of us predicted the Bears might make a dark horse run, but Chicago has a ferocious defense, and a potent thunder and lightning combo in the backfield from Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen. The Khalil Mack trade looks amazing, as he's the DPOY front runner and is the pass rushing engine to this defense's motor. Trubisky certainly helped his case as a decent starting QB in the NFL by throwing for six TDs against the Bucs.

4.  (3-1): Another shocker here. For now at least, Tennessee is a top-5 team in the NFL. After taking down the Jaguars and Eagles in consecutive weeks, you have to give credit where credit is due. And I love Vrabel going for it on 4th to win the game. Mariota is playing well, and Corey Davis opens up another dimension in the passing attack. The defense holding the Jags to six points is phenomenal and allowed the Titans to grind out an ugly win on the road versus a division rival.

5.  (3-1): The Jags 9-6 loss to the aforementioned Titans is nasty, but considering its a division rival, I am inclined to cut them some slack. They absolutely dominated New England and New York, and closed out the game late versus the Giants in week 1. The Titans loss showcases how to beat this team, though, and I think its fair to question if they can really go all the way in what is suddenly a loaded AFC with Bortles at QB.

6.  (2-1): Carolina is one of the two teams with an early bye, so we only have three games to evaluate them from. Cam Newton is having an excellent start to the season and Christian McCaffrey looks like a do-it-all back. The reason they are above some of the teams below them is because of the return of Curtis Samuel from injury after the bye week combined with the acquisition of Eric Reid, who upgrades the weakest spot on the team by a large margin.

7.  (3-1): A stunning comeback by Andy Dalton and the Bengals on Sunday to win 37-36 against Atlanta. Outside of one misfire against Carolina, that offense has been clicking, and the return of Joe Mixon will only make them better. The defense is a concern, given how they were chewed up in consecutive weeks by the Panthers and Falcons, especially in what looks to be a strong AFC North this year.

8.  (3-1): Baltimore's victory over the rival Steelers was classic Ravens football, win with defense and just enough offense to balance it out. Joe Flacco looks like he was personally insulted by choosing Lamar Jackson, (why are both the Ravens and Saints subbing in QBs for a play btw, that is so weird), and the defense is playing very well indeed. 

9.  (3-1): Drew Brees is still beating Father Time, but the Saints defense is looking like a complete liability again. The Saints week 1 loss to Tampa is the only blemish on their record, but if the Browns had a decent kicker, they would be 2-2. This team can absolutely compete for a Lombardi, but they need that defense to gel like it did last year, and so far it hasn't been happening.

10.  (2-1-1): Any team with Aaron Rodgers always has a chance at a title, and you have to think he will heal from the injury at some point during the season. The Packers lack of a running game really hurts GB now, when the ability to take pressure off of a limping Arod would help a ton in closing out games.

11.  (2-2): Did anyone really believe New England was going to go away after the Lions beatdown? Nonetheless, this team is not in the lead in the AFC East atm and Father Time looks like it has taken a small bit from Tom Brady. Sony Michel breaking out versus Miami can lift this team's offense in a big way moving forward- as can the return of Julian Edelman.

12.  (2-2): The defending world champs find themselves at .500 a quarter way through the season, not too bad considering Bad Nick Foles started two of those games. The Titans loss is not something that was expected, but Philly is still the best team in the NFC East.

13.  (2-1): Washington has an ugly loss to a team that would be winless otherwise, and then two good wins sandwiched around it. Alex Smith is a good QB and the Redskins defense has been far better than expected. Right now, the Skins lead the East by half a game, but something about this team just seems off. I dont think they maintain that lead moving forward.

14.  (1-2-1): Call this a bit of trust in Mike Zimmer. The Vikes have a bad loss- a very very bad loss- to the Bills, a tie, (that barring a horrible RTP call should have been a loss) with the Packers and a close loss to the Rams. I think this team is way better than their record indicates and I think that will prove true as we move forward here. Minnesota is very much a contender, sub.500 record or not.

15.  (2-2): Denver gave KC all it could handle on Monday Night, and could have actually been in sole possession of first place in the AFC West with a win. This team has been playing some great football, and Phillip Lindsay is a steal as a UDFA RB. 

16.  (2-2): The Bolts near-loss to a Garapollo-less 49ers squad and their double digit loss to the Chiefs puts a damper on preseason optimism for this team. To look at it another way though, they are at .500 and Joey Bosa hasn't played a snap.

17.  (3-1): A classic case of a deceptive record. Miami is nowhere near as good as 3-1 would indicate, and the Patriots helped prove that with a 38-7 beatdown on Sunday. The Fins are a decent team, for sure, but they benefitted from an easy schedule early on and failed to take a stranglehold in the AFC East when the opportunity presented itself.  Ryan Tannehill has been playing very well for them, barring last Sunday, and Kenyan Drake has shown a lot of promise, but I just really can't see Miami threatening the Patriots this year.

18.  (2-2):  The Hawks are Russell Wilson's team. When he can beat the other team all by himself, they win. When he cannot, they lose. With Earl Thomas going down, this team might be even lower than here, as that defense is now bereft of the last member of the Legion of Boom. It's hard to see Seattle competing in the West for awhile to come.

19.  (2-2): Dallas goes through Zeke at this point. When he has a good game, the Boys can be competitive. Giving Dak Prescott straight garbage at WR isn't helping matters. Here's a hot take: Sign Dez Bryant back to a one-year prove it deal. 

20.  (1-2-1): The news that LeVeon Bell will report in week 7 certainly lifts some fans spirits, but there's two more games between now and then. James Connor has filled in admirably, but the defense has been trash to this point, and AB is having himself a not-so-AB-like start to the season. 

21.  (1-3): Is it too early to call a game a must-win? Falcons vs Steelers is sure looking like one for both teams. Atlanta has been rocked with injuries on the defensive side of things, and Freeman being out for an extended period of time hasn't helped either. Matt Ryan looks fantastic, but without the defense being able to stop anyone, it hasn't mattered in terms of wins/losses. AB being unleashed against that Falcons secondary on Sunday? Oh boy. On the bright side for Atlanta, Calvin Ridley looks exactly as we thought he would look.

22.  (2-2): Tampa is case in point why we wait four weeks into the season to start doing power rankings. Fitzmagic has been replaced by Fitztragic who has been replaced by Jameis Winston. The defense made Mitch Trubisky look like Joe Montana and the run-game is just non-existent. I expect Tampa to once again let down hopes. 

23. (1-2-1): Baker Mayfield is the QB Browns fans have been waiting for for a long time. I don't think Cleveland is going to challenge for anything this year, but I also don't think they will be picking top-5 for the first time in forever. Carlos Hyde has been a nice FA pickup at RB, but dear lord give Nick Chubb more touches. Through four games: 10 touches, 146 yards, 2 TDs.

24.  (1-3): The Lions blowout of the Patriots on SNF gave us a glimpse of what this team could do. They played the Cowboys close, but ultimately fell in the end. I have a bit of cautious optimism for this team, I think they're much better than 1-3 indicates, but I don't think they can contend in a loaded NFC this year. Give Patricia a bit of time, the team seems to be coming together a bit better over the past few weeks.

25.  (1-3): I expected Houston to be a contender in the AFC this year, but Watson has not taken the step forward many thought he would. They still have a chance to make some noise, but Watson needs to quit making mistakes and digging his team into a hole that is so hard to climb back out of.

26.  (1-3): Andrew Luck is looking good in his return to Indy. While I don't expect the Colts to make any noise this year, get Luck some help and next year they could. I may be in the minority here, but I loved Frank Reich going for it on 4th versus the Texans in OT. Play for the win, not the tie.

27.  (1-3): Saquon Barkley has been as good as advertised, but Eli has been caught by Father Time. He's still a decent QB, but he's not going to win many games with an O-line that starts Ereck Flowers at any position. The Giants have been in most of their games, they just can't pull it out in the end.

28.  (1-3): That opening night dismantling of the Lions looks so far away now. The Jaguars just had their way with New York on Sunday, and the Jets have looked lifeless for the past couple of weeks. Sam Darnold is playing like a rookie and going through growing pains so far.

29.  (1-3): A sad day for the Niners faithful when Jimmy G went down with a torn ACL. This team wasn't doing that great before then, but it still had promise. Beathard gave the Chargers a run for their money, but without Jimmy G, the Niners just don't have the firepower to compete in the NFC West. It's doubtful they did even with him this year. As long as Jimmy comes back 100%, this might be a blessing in disguise, as they can get some higher draft picks to help him out.

30.  (1-3): Basically, a blowout win over the Vikes is more impressive than squeaking one out versus the Browns, and that gives this spot to Buffalo over Oakland. Outside of that one game, the Bills have looked like the worst team in football, and Josh Allen came back down to earth after balling out versus the Vikes. I'm more inclined to chalk that up to Minny overlooking their opponent than the Bills being moderately good on occasion.

31.  (1-3): I have been extremely unimpressed with Oakland. The Khalil Mack trade looks stupid, the defense is awful, and Gruden just doesn't seem good atm. Barring a weird ref decision to overturn a first down spot, the Raiders are 0-4. 

32.  (0-4): And bringing up the caboose is the Arizona Cardinals. The sole remaining winless team in the league still has a bit of promise moving forward. Josh Rosen looked good in his first NFL start against the Seahawks on Sunday, and barring some bad special teams, might have pulled out the W. This team has got to get David Johnson in the mix somehow. Feed the man.

Edited October 2, 2018 by Thanatos

[RazorStar 4,025]

Contenders

1. Rams (5-0)

2. Chiefs (5-0)

3. Saints (4-1)

4. Patriots (3-2)

5. Panthers (3-1)

 

Wild Cards

6. Bears (3-1)

7. Bengals (4-1)

8. Chargers (3-2)

9. Jaguars (3-2)

10. Eagles (3-3)

11. Titans (3-2)

12. Ravens (3-2)

13. Vikings (2-2-1)

 

Frauds

14. Packers (2-2-1)

15. Seahawks (2-3)

16. Redskins (2-2)

17. Steelers (2-2-1)

18. Dolphins (3-2)

 

Mediocre

19. Browns (2-2-1)

20. Texans (2-3)

21. Bucs (2-3)

22. Cowboys (2-3)

23. Lions (2-3)

24. Falcons (1-4)

 

Trash

25. Bills (2-3)

26. Jets (2-3)

27. Broncos (2-3)

28. Colts (1-4)

29. Giants (1-5)

30. Cardinals (1-4)

31. 49ers (1-4)

32. Raiders (1-4)

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I think the league is in an interesting place right now with so many good-not-elite teams, so I'm gonna hash this out to see what everything looks like.

1. Rams (7-0)
2. Chiefs (6-1)
3. Patriots (5-2)
4. Saints (5-1)
5. Chargers (5-2)
6. Packers (3-2-1)
7. Vikings (4-2-1)
8. Panthers (4-2)
9. Steelers (3-2-1)
10. Bengals (4-3)
11. Redskins (4-2)
12. Ravens (4-3)
13. Bears (3-3)
14. Texans (4-3)
15. Titans (3-4)
16. Eagles (3-4)
17. Lions (3-3)
18. Dolphins (4-3)
19. Seahawks (3-3)
20. Bucs (3-3)
21. Jaguars (3-4)
22. Falcons (2-4)
23. Browns (2-4-1)
24. Cowboys (3-4)
25. Broncos (3-4)
26. Jets (3-4)
27. Colts (2-5)
28. Bills (2-5)
29. 49ers (1-6)
30. Giants (1-5)
31. Raiders (1-5)
32. Cardinals (1-6)

[Thanatos 2,847]

A good list but I think you're severely overestimating Green Bay. I honestly don't think they make the playoffs. Arod can only do so much.

[Packers Dynasty 2010 116]

I think Green Bay has a lot more potential then it has shown. Getting some injured players back can be huge. While MVS and ESB have done alright and look like they have potential, getting Cobb and GMo back will really help the receiving corps. While Jaire looked like the real deal before injuring his groin. It sounds like he will be back. Then there is Breeland, I'm not sure what to expect from him. If he can play close to what he did last season, then all of the sudden GB has a solid secondary. The lone terrible spot would be Brice at safety and there has been talk of potentially shifting Tramon Williams back there since he did play some safety before for Pettine.

Finally, there is Rodgers and how will he look. He was out hiking mountains this past week so have to think the knee is feeling good and he could be brace-free.

The next 2 weeks will tell how good they truly are. If they can win at least one against LA or NE, they have a good chance of making the playoffs. To do that, they will need to play a complete game, which they haven't done yet, though.

Edited October 23, 2018 by Packers Dynasty 2010

[SteVo+ 3,702]

I admit I always overestimate Green Bay because they have Aaron Rodgers. (Seriously, is healthy? Is he going to get healthy?) As PD said, their upcoming schedule will tell us a lot. As exciting as their win over the 49ers was, it's not too impressive to narrowly beat such a lowly team--at home, so I understand the overrated claims.