Power Rankings: Going trendy can make you stupid
Updated Oct. 24
Sometimes when we try and predict the football season, we look for reasons not to pick teams, rather than reasons to pick them.
We often look for a trendy pick, a team like the Miami Dolphins, hoping to be right when it hits.
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| Some fans have been smart enough to believe in Indy all the way. (Getty Images) |
Then, after seven weeks, we look at the standings and the trendy pick is languishing near the bottom and those obvious picks for the playoffs, the ones right in front of our faces, are right back at the top.
Take the Indianapolis Colts. All offseason the doubters looked for ways to pick them apart. There was talk that Peyton Manning had alienated his teammates with his comments after the playoff loss, a notion that the Colts flatly denied.
There was all the talk that losing Edgerrin James would cripple the offense. It hasn't. In fact, the running game is more explosive.
And now, almost halfway through the season, the Colts are 6-0, Manning is on fire again and they're the best team in the AFC, maybe the league.
So much for all that talk that the window is closing.
The Colts are second in the CBS SportsLine.com Power Rankings behind the Chicago Bears, but a case could be made they deserve the top spot. Of the teams near the top, the Colts are alone in terms of playoff teams that many picked apart before the season started.
How many said the Chicago Bears didn't have enough offense? Or that Jake Plummer and the Denver Broncos weren't good enough to even win their division?
Then there are the Patriots. They are in the fourth spot in the rankings and have all but clinched the AFC East, with nine games left. Before the season, many speculated that their losses in free agency, players like Willie McGinest and Adam Vinatieri, would doom their chances to win another division title.
Wrong again.
The Patriots are quietly having a good season, off to a 5-1 start, and they will be there in the playoff picture again.
The trendy Miami Dolphins, the team many expected to take the division title from them, will be lucky to end the season at .500.
Moral of the story: It's not wise to look for flaws on good teams or pretty girls. They're that way, no matter how you might try and think otherwise.
| Power Rankings | |||
| Current | Team | Previous | |
 | 1 | Giants · Trends | 1 |
| They are a young team and need to improve in some areas, but why can't they repeat? | |||
 | 2 | Packers · Trends | 2 |
| Deep down, you know they feel they blew a good chance to repeat in 2011. But that defense has to show more in 2012 if they are to bounce back. | |||
 | 3 | Texans · Trends | 8 |
| The health of Matt Schaub is the key, but they might have been the best team in the AFC before he went down last season. They say he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. | |||
 | 4 | Patriots · Trends | 3 |
| Improving the defense and the speed outside in the passing game makes them an improved team. That's scary for the rest of the AFC East. | |||
 | 5 | Steelers · Trends | 7 |
| They did a nice job with their draft of trying to improve the offensive line, but there are some concerns on defense. | |||
 | 6 | 49ers · Trends | 4 |
| Why am I the only one who thinks this team will slip some in 2012? Maybe it's because I don't believe in the passing game. | |||
 | 7 | Falcons · Trends | 9 |
| The change in offensive styles will make this a much better team in 2012. Matt Ryan will have his best season. | |||
 | 8 | Eagles · Trends | 14 |
| If somebody says Dream Team this summer, they just may get cut. The Eagles have a talented roster, which means it's all on Mike Vick. | |||
 | 9 | Saints · Trends | 6 |
| How do you lose an offensive wizard like Sean Payton and just keep on moving forward? When does Drew Brees show up? | |||
 | 10 | Lions · Trends | 11 |
| They will once again be a high-scoring team, but have they done enough to fix a defense that wasn't very good last season? | |||
 | 11 | Ravens · Trends | 5 |
| Losing Terrell Suggs with a torn Achilles tendon is a huge hit. They better hope Courtney Upshaw is the real deal. | |||
 | 12 | Bengals · Trends | 10 |
| They had a great draft to add to a young, talented team. They aren't going anywhere. They will push for a playoff spot -- and maybe more -- again. | |||
 | 13 | Broncos · Trends | 13 |
| I'm not ready to rush the Broncos into the Super Bowl just because Manning is on board. And who knows if the neck will be an issue? | |||
 | 14 | Cowboys · Trends | 12 |
| To say this is a huge year for Tony Romo is an understatement. Even if the criticism he gets is sometimes unwarranted. | |||
 | 15 | Bears · Trends | 21 |
| Jay Cutler is back healthy, which is the big thing for this team. What happens with Matt Forte? | |||
 | 16 | Cardinals · Trends | 17 |
| If John Skelton or Kevin Kolb can take a major step forward, the Cardinals can win the NFC West. That is a big if. | |||
 | 17 | Chargers · Trends | 18 |
| Is this the bounce-back year for the Chargers when all the focus is on the Broncos? | |||
 | 18 | Bills · Trends | 26 |
| Adding Mario Williams in free agency really helps upgrade the pass rush. If Ryan Fitzpatrick can revert to his pre-injury form of 2011, the Bills could get to .500. | |||
 | 19 | Jets · Trends | 16 |
| The worst thing they did was bring in Tim Tebow to a situation where Mark Sanchez has to become the guy. This is going to be a tough season. | |||
 | 20 | Seahawks · Trends | 20 |
| Matt Flynn has to be improved over Tarvaris Jackson, or the Seahawks' talented defense will have to win a lot of games. | |||
 | 21 | Raiders · Trends | 19 |
| New coach Dennis Allen inherits a team with a lot of speed. Look for a big year from Carson Palmer. | |||
 | 22 | Chiefs · Trends | 22 |
| It's all about Matt Cassel. Can he show that he's the long-term answer for a talented young team? | |||
 | 23 | Titans · Trends | 15 |
| For the sake of the franchise, it has to be Jake Locker time in Nashville. What's the point of delaying the inevitable? | |||
 | 24 | Panthers · Trends | 25 |
| With Cam Newton, the offense will be special again. He does need to cut down on the mistakes. Did they do enough to improve the defense? | |||
 | 25 | Jaguars · Trends | 27 |
| It's all on quarterback Blaine Gabbert. If he progresses, they can be good. If not, some heads might roll. | |||
 | 26 | Buccaneers · Trends | 28 |
| They spent big in free agency and did some good things in the draft. But the division is tough and they might be a year away. | |||
 | 27 | Redskins · Trends | 24 |
| Robert Griffin III will start from the get-go, which might make for some tough spots early. But by season's end, watch out for this team. | |||
 | 28 | Dolphins · Trends | 23 |
| I expect them to play Ryan Tannehill early to get the process started. That would be the right thing to do, even if it means it's a clear rebuilding year. | |||
 | 29 | Rams · Trends | 32 |
| Jeff Fisher has a lot of work to get this team back to playoff ready. But having Sam Bradford will make it a lot easier to do. | |||
 | 30 | Vikings · Trends | 30 |
| There are a lot of holes, and how will Adrian Peterson bounce back? The secondary has to be improved for the Vikings to make any strides. | |||
 | 31 | Browns · Trends | 29 |
| They will likely be starting a rookie runner and a rookie quarterback in the backfield. That spells a long season. | |||
 | 32 | Colts · Trends | 31 |
| It's rebuilding time now. There will be growing pains with a young team and a rookie starting at quarterback. | |||
