Who's Hot & Who's Not

Many teams in the NFL could be presently labeled as "on fire", but there are two kinds of fire: there's the kind when your team appears to be the unstoppable force on their way to a title, and then there's the kind when your team is so bad you just wish the flames would swallow them up completely. Here's the lowdown on the 5 best and 5 worst teams in pro football (and their records through five weeks of play).

Runnin' Hot (ranked worst to best)

These teams are contenders. They have basically erased all doubts and firmly ensconced themselves amongst the NFL elite (at least for thi season). There are no also-rans here. They are the real deal, so it should come as little surprise that they are all undefeated.

5. Denver Broncos (5-0): Most probably had the Broncos written off before the season started (I know I did) due to the turbulent off-season they had. But the wind seems to have died in Denver, as rookie head coach Josh McDaniels has a firmer hold on the team than ever. They just upset McDaniels' former team and mentor in the Patriots and Bill Belichick, proving that they are not pretenders anymore. The Broncos are playing great defense in a 3-4 system despite not really having a dominant nose tackle, so credit goes to McDaniels and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan for assembling that team (particularly a defensive backfield that features Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins). In addition, Kyle Orton seems to have adopted the mantra of the Oakland Raiders ("Just win, baby" and not "Cheating is encouraged") and is now 18-2 at home in his career. His greatest asset is that he doesn't make mistakes, and his succinct management of the Denver offense seems very reminiscent of Brady and the Patriots during their Super Bowl victories in the last decade.

4. Minnesota Vikings (5-0): The Vikings can do most of the things that a Super Bowl caliber team can do. They can run the ball, stop the run and get after the quarterback. Their mammoth defensive line (featuring defensive tackles Pat and Kevin Williams) is playing stout defense as the two tackles are playing as stellar as ever, and former Pro Bowler Jared Allen is returning to the form that made him such a high-end signing when he came over from Kansas City. In addition to sporting arguably the best running back in football in Adrian Peterson, Minnesota finally have a quarterback who is used to high-pressure games. It seems to have rubbed off on the team, who played great in the heavily dramaticized Monday night game against the Packers.

3. Indianapolis Colts (5-0): The Colts may deserve a higher spot on this list (only the return of their key defensive starters will tell us that), but the fact is they live and die on the arm of Peyton Manning. As he rolled to his fifth straight 300-yard game (completing 36 of 44 passes for 309 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Titans), Manning proved that he is probably playing the best ball of his career and, in terms of importance to his team, already has my non-existent vote for MVP. The Colts might be even better now, as safety Bob Sanders and linebacker Gary Brackett practiced this week. The return of those two to the defense should make Indy even more formidable.

2. New Orleans Saints (4-0): The Saints must have most fantasy owners swooning by now. Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense have become the offensive juggernaut everyone thought they could be, and have shown in past weeks that they don't rely too heavily on their quarterback (putting them ahead of Peyton Manning and the Colts) as Mike Bell and others have ran them to victories. But the most important thing for the Saints is that the defense is finally doing their part instead of being a detriment to the team. New defensive coordinator Greg Williams and safety Darren Sharper (who already has five interceptions through four games) seem to have made the difference, and the Saints finally look they may be able to get over the playoff hump.

1. New York Giants (5-0): It's hard to argue with this pick. The G-Men are still playing fantastic football despite injuries to key players such as new acquisitions Chris Canty and Michael Boley. They have the deepest defensive line in all of football (sorry, Vikings) and a solid offense led by QB Eli Manning, who demonstrated his ability to play through the pain as he battled a heel injury. His performance is even more impressive given the young age of the receivers on the Giants roster, which include two rookies in Ramses Barden and first-round pick Hakeem Nicks (both of whom look set to replace Plaxico Burress in years to come).

I would love to see Super Bowl XXIV be a Manning Bowl; I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Crashed & Burning (ranked best to worst)

These teams are, in a word, bad. Just as the five best teams are all unbeaten, most (but not all) of the worst teams are winless. Here's the kicker: the Detroit Lions and St. Louis Rams are not on this list (they probably deserve to be, but they're old news).

5. Tennessee Titans (0-5): The Titans had the best record in the league last year at 13-3 before losing to the Baltimore Ravens in the divisional playoff, so their fall from grace was both swift and unexpected. Their only significant loss was defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (who signed with the Redskins, who will be featured here as well), but their defense is a shadow of its former self. Admittedly, they're beaten up (Pro Bowler Cortland Finnegan missed another game as he sat out against the Colts), but their running game is not enough to get it done and needs some help from an anemic pass attack. Even so, QB Kerry Collins doesn't seem in danger of losing his job, which seems to point the finger at what has historically been the problem for Tennessee (the wide receivers).

4. Kansas City Chiefs (0-5): Unlike the rest of the teams that follow later in this list, I think I can see a glimmer of hope for the Chiefs. Yeah, sure, they're 0-5. But the nucleus of young talent necessary to build a good team is there. Personally, I don't think it was worth signing Matt Cassel to a $60 million contract this soon (it's too easy to look good in the Patriots offense), but he has showed flashes of the ability to be a franchise quarterback. The Chiefs also have a talented young defense that performed admirably against Dallas in spite of their stagnant offense, particularly their talent-laden defensive line that features 3 of their last 5 first round picks in Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali and Tyson Jackson. In short, it's not too late to give up on KC. They're a rebuilding team and they know it, which is more than can be said for the other teams on this list. Even so, with a running game that looks pitiful when Larry Johnson runs the ball, it will be rough going for the Chiefs to get their first win. Or perhaps not; Kansas City plays reeling Washington next week and, in a suprise upset, I pick the Chiefs to get their first win as long as they play with the effort and intensity that they showed against the Cowboys.

3. Washington Redskins (2-3): I smell something burning in D.C. I think it's Jim Zorn's seat as head coach. Record-wise, Washington is the best team on this list at 2-3, but they are still woeful both on and off the field. A loss to previously winless Carolina could probably spell doom for Zorn, but the real shocker was the loss to the Detroit Lions. How could you, Washington? You snapped Detroit's losing streak that was going on two years! Now you've given them hope, and you've given yourself the title of "The Team that Lost It" (at least as far as I'm concerned). Seriously, though, the one who has lost it is Redskins owner Daniel Snyder. How could anyone expect to win with a hastily assembled collection of veteran free agents from different backgrounds and different systems? All those free agent deals are basically the anchor weighing the 'Skins down, and now that they need draft picks to pick up some young guys, they don't have any. Mike Shanahan's shadow may be looming large over Washington, but so long as Snyder keeps running the draft for his team I don't see them getting better anytime soon.

2. Cleveland Browns (1-4): Oh, how the Browns try and try, but the fact remains that it's hard to turn around a perennial loser. Despite squeaking past the Buffalo Bills in what could be the lowest-scoring game of the season (the score at the final whistle was 6-3), the Browns remain in a state of disarray. They just traded their best offensive weapon (wideout Braylon Edwards) to the New York Jets for a 3rd-round pick, 5th-round pick and two special teamers, while their other #1 receiver (Donte Stallworth) is suspended without pay and serving house arrest for DUI manslaughter. "Man-Genius" hardly seems an appropriate moniker for head coach Eric Mangini (personally I think "Man-Jackass" might be more fitting), who has effectively alienated the team with his totalitarian regime, which included charging a player over $1700 for a $3 water bottle that was mistakenly not paid for. Worse yet, he is hardly a change from previous Browns coach Romeo Crennel (another former Patriots assistant for whom I had much more respect). At least Crennel was close with his players.

1. Oakland Raiders (1-4): How the hell did the Raiders beat Kansas City? The team that I saw get drubbed 44-7 by the New York Giants couldn't possibly have won a game. But it's true; the Raiders are 1-4 and, in my opinion (and I'm sure I'm not alone on this) the worst team in the league. You know a team is bad when their owner announces a fire sale of all but their top talent. Confused? That's basically what Al Davis has done. Reports say he has been making calls around the league offering to trade almost all but the Raiders' top young players. There are few ways to interpret this except as a sign that Oakland has given up on the season. The sad part is there isn't much talent to shop for in Oakland. Aside from rookie wide reciever Darrius Heyward-Bey (it's too early to let the hammer fall on him just yet) and running back Darren McFadden, the word is out on the Raiders. Jamarcus Russell looks bad, and by "bad" I mean awful. He doesn't seem to have much of a work ethic; he's consistently overweight and his footwork sucks, leading to missed throws and the lowest completion percentage of any quarterback in the NFL (and also the nickname "Off-the-Marcus", provided by ESPN writer Jason Whitlock). Basically, the Raiders have done too little, too late. While they are shopping their players for picks, they can reminisce about how they gave their first-round selection in 2011 for Patriots defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who probably won't want to return to the dismal Raiders after the one year on his contract expires. Oops.

Carolina and Tampa Bay narrowly avoided making this list. The Panthers beat the 'Skins yesterday so I felt their exclusion was warranted (although Jake Delhomme's ludicrous $42.5 million contract extension was most certainly not), while the Bucs are basically in the same boat as Kansas City and this blog only has room for one rebuilding franchise.

NFL Draft Recap #1

Now that the last pick has been called, the Draft is officially over, but the drama is not. Now each team must get their players signed and on to the practice field. In the meantime, here is the first installment of our Draft Recap.

Most Intriguing Pick: I will not go so far as to say ‘best’ or ‘worst’ pick, since none of these players’ careers or set in stone. But I can say that the most interesting to me was Mark Sanchez, picked fifth overall by the New York Jets. The Jets made a costly trade to get the rights to Sanchez, and most of their hopes will be riding on his shoulders.

Most Puzzling Pick: Knowshon Moreno (Denver Broncos). With all of the focus for improvement on Denver’s ailing defense, they instead elected to take Knowshon Moreno, a running back from Georgia who many Draft analysts expected to be taken in the middle of the first round at the highest, more in the area of the Broncos’ #18 pick instead of their substantially higher #12 selection.

1. Detroit Lions – Matthew Stafford – QB – Georgia: As I outlined previously, the Lions went with Stafford over USC QB Mark Sanchez or Wake Forest product Aaron Curry. While Curry would have addressed the need for a fresh face at linebacker, Stafford could end up being a much more emphatic stamp on this new Lions regime with his elite arm strength and three years of college starts. Sanchez also had a case to go here, but he had some injury concerns in college and Stafford has the toughness that will probably be needed at the woeful Lions, where he can expect to get beat up for a while.

2. St. Louis Rams – Jason Smith – OT – Baylor: With the release of Orlando Pace who has been a feature on the Rams’ offensive line for the past decade, offensive tackle shot up the list of St. Louis’ needs (keep in mind it was already a concern before Pace’s departure, and thus became even more critical afterwards). They met it well, drafting a strong run- and pass-blocker in Jason Smith. While Alabama’s Andre Smith may have had the most potential of all the offensive linemen in this draft, Jason still has tremendous talent and is a safer pick due to his lack of off-the-field issues. I think that, like Pace before him, Smith with anchor the Rams line for a decade or more.

3. Kansas City Chiefs – Tyson Jackson – DE – Louisiana State: This was my first (but not biggest) surprise of this draft. While Tyson Jackson is ideal for the Chiefs’ conversion to a 3-4 defense with his ability to play 3-4 end or even 4-3 defensive tackle during the transition period, he might not have been worth the third overall selection. He is a solid player, but his potential is limited and he isn’t the type of talent who is necessarily going to change the fortunes of a franchise. Now the Chiefs tried to trade down but were unsuccessful, so while Jackson may have been a bit of reach in terms of talent he was likely one of the best players for Kansas City. He and last year’s fifth overall pick Glenn Dorsey will form a formidable tandem on the Chiefs defensive front along with first-rounder Tamba Hali.

4. Seattle Seahawks – Aaron Curry – LB – Wake Forest: Most of the pre-draft hype had Seattle taking a receiver, but with the acquisition of former Cincinnati Bengal T.J. Houshmandzadeh in free agency the Seahawks elected to go with Aaron Curry. One of the best players in this draft, Curry has excellent size (6’1” and 250 pounds), speed, skill, and raw instinct. He fits Seattle’s defensive scheme almost perfectly and can step right into the spot that Julian Peterson vacated, keeping the strong Seahawk linebacker core alive with Leroy Hill and Lofa Tatupu.

We will have picks #5 through 11 on the second edition of our 2009 NFL Draft Recap.

Pre-Draft News

In two days, the 2009 NFL Draft will be officially kicking off. Of course, the draft clock has been ticking for the #1 overall pick holder Detroit Lions ever since the end of the NFL's first ever 0-16 season. Amidst talk of possible trades for the first selection and the debate over who should get picked first; it appears that the Lions have zoomed in on a target; according to NFL.com's columnist Steve Wyche, Detroit has entered final contract negotiations with former Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, despite Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry's pledge to sign for less money if he were picked first.

In other news, the Atlanta Falcons have traded for Kansas City's future Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez. In return, the Chiefs recieve Atlanta's second round pick in next year's draft. While they did lose an iconic and productive veteran player in Gonzalez, stockpiling picks could be just what the Chiefs need to boost their ailing franchise and perhaps follow the example of last year's resurgent Falcons.

Michael Vick: What He's Really Worth

Michael Vick recently released papers to the bankruptcy court entailing his plan for repaying his debts, a plan that assumed he would make ten million dollars a year upon his reinstatement to the NFL. Does anyone else see anything wrong with this picture?

There is no doubt that Vick is (or at least, was) one of the greatest athletes to ever grace an NFL field (note the use of the word athlete, not quarterback). His electrifying speed dazzled many fans during his previous career with the Atlanta Falcons, and he was at one point considered to be one of the most (if not the most) exciting player to watch in the whole league.

But slow down, Mr. Vick. An NFL team is not likely to sign you at all—let alone for $10 million annually—unless you can prove you're back in shape. A year and a half of incarceration and prison food would wreak havoc with the body of even a great athlete, so pardon the NFL teams for being skeptical. And that's completely ignoring the whole reason why you went to prison in the first place, or your less-than-spotless record before then.

Now, there are undoubtedly some times that will show some interest in Vick. That being said, the number of teams with a dire quarterback need is growing thin. The Detroit Lions, of course, hold the #1 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft and could select Georgia QB Matthew Stafford, reducing their motivation to sign Vick, and their cap room, considerably. On the other hand, signing Vick could give the Lions the opportunity to select an offensive lineman (a left tackle, specifically) and then either trade down or pick the best player available with their second 1st-round pick (#20 from the Dallas Cowboys). If Vick proved that he could still cut it at the NFL level, this situation could bode very well for the Lions.

The Jacksonville Jaguars could also try and be in the hunt for Vick's signature. David Gerrard has proved that he can play well, but I think the Jags have reason to be somewhat concerned about their depth at quarterback and the resemblance between Gerrard's and Vick's playing styles is perhaps the best you will find in the league.

The Kansas City Chiefs, having just recently traded for Matt Cassel, are most likely out of the question, as are the New York Jets, who have recently publicly stated that they are happy with thier current group of signal callers, and the Chicago Bears, whose style of power run does not fit Vick's abilities.

Having just placed Jay Cutler on the trade block, the Denver Broncos could pursue Vick, but I see that as being unlikely. The signing of a player like Vick—with a controversial past and demands for a salary equaling Peyton Manning and surpassing Tom Brady— would seem to directly contradict the policy of "team before stars" that Josh McDaniels is trying to set up in Denver.

I think the team to not rule out, though, is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Their infamous quarterback carousel under Jon Gruden may have faded away, but unless they trade for Jay Cutler their short- and long-term solution for quarterback remain unsolved. Vick had superb arm strength before he left the league and his outstanding speed and mobility were the envy of quarterbacks everywhere. With some improvements to his accuracy, I believe he could excel in the same type of West Coast offense that Jeff Garcia and, going further back, Steve Young played in.

So, my advice to Vick: Don't expect to start or make a starter's wage, don't expect a warm welcome back into the league immediately, and (here's a little bit of a plea in here as well) please, PLEASE keep your head on straight. I'm sure that if you prove yourself to the league, there will inevitably be a job waiting for you somewhere.