NFL: Week Five Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (5-0): Is Aaron Rodgers the best quarterback in the NFL right now? His stats seem to say so. Rodgers enters week 5 with a 122.9 QB rating, 1,721 passing yards and 16 total touchdowns (14 in the air, 2 on the ground). Looking at the Packers schedule, they have three distinct tough games against the Chargers, Giants, and Lions. Rodgers has Green Bay steamrolling to at least a 14-2 record. This is a team, even with injuries on the offensive line, that just wins. 

Last Week: #1

2. New Orleans Saints (4-1): I guess that classic week 1 matchup between the Packers and Saints wasn’t just a game between two good teams, it looks like it was a matchup of the two best teams in football. Drew Brees is one of the best pure passers in the game right now, and if it weren’t for the Saints defense they would be blowing a lot of teams out. Great comeback over the Carolina Newton’s last week. 

Last Week: #4

3. New England Patriots (4-1): The Patriots drop a spot in this weeks rankings despite running the ball down the throats of the New York Jets in last weeks 30-21 victory. Tom Brady and Wes Welker have gotten all the press for the Patriots relatively uniform start to the season, but if Benjarvus Green-Ellis can continue to rack up 100-yard games, the offense will become all the more dynamic. The only red flag is the Patriots’ 32nd rank defense. 

Last Week: #2

4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1): Baltimore had an early season bye week last week. The defense is playing this season like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis are both in their twenties. This team will only go as far as Joe Flacco can take them, and that should worry Ravens fans. 

Last Week: #3

5. Detroit Lions (5-0): The Lions are 5-0! The Lions are 5-0! For the first time in some 30 years, the Detroit Lions are 5-0. Monday night’s game against Chicago showed that the Lions are not perfect because of an easy schedule. The Detroit defense is the modern day version of the steel curtain. Oh, and Calvin Johnson’s pretty good too. 

Last Week: #5

6. San Diego Chargers (4-1): San Diego has been able to put together a solid start to the season despite losing Antonio Gates for the last few couple of games to injury. Gates is expected to be back for week 8 against the Jets, but until then Phillip Rivers will have to continue to make due with Vincent Jackson. 

Last Week: #6

7. Washington Redskins (3-1): The Redskins make their first appearance in the top 10, and they didn’t even play a game last week. With losses by the Giants, Jets and Bears, the Redskins are given credit for being first in the NFC East. Rex Grossman has caught some heat because of his weight (does anybody remember Donovon McNabb?), but he has put together a bit of a comeback tour. The Redskins picked the perfect year to play like this, with Philadelphia, New York, and Dallas all underperforming. 

Last Week: Not Ranked 

8. Buffalo Bills (4-1): Is it just me, or has every week had a highlight of a Buffalo player returning an interception for a touchdown then jumping into the stands? The Bills are still riding high this week after embarrassing the Eagles in Buffalo. For the life of me I can’t decide whether the Bills defense is lucky or just down right good. My guess is a little bit of both. Much like the Redskins, the Bills couldn’t have picked a better season for their resurgence, as the Jets are woefully unimpressing. 

Last Week: Not Ranked

9. San Francisco 49ers (4-1): As impressing as the play of the Redskins, Bills, and Lions have been this year, the 49ers and rookie head coach Jim Harbaugh have been the most impressive turnaround. The Lions have an amazing group of talent around them, as do the Bills with Fred Jackson. Beyond Patrick Willis and Frank Gore, the 49ers have nothing. Widely expected to win the Andrew Luck sweepstakes at the start of the year, Harbaugh and the Niners have put together an amazing season. The defense can play against anybody, and Alex Smith is showing (some) signs of the skill the Niners drafted him for seven years ago. 

Last Week: Not Ranked 

10. Oakland Raiders (3-2): I thought the Bills, Lions, Redskins, and 49ers being in the top-10 was weird. Throw in the Raiders? Woah. Oakland is the only 3-2 team on this list, and it isn’t just because of the passing of Al Davis. The Raiders are good. The defense fast and athletic. Darren McFadden is one of the most underrated players in the game. Jason Campbell is playing well enough to win, and Sebastien Janikowski can kick a ball from Connecticut to Massachusetts. When it comes down to it, Hue Jackson just has the Raiders winning...baby. 

Last Week: Not Ranked 

Honorable Mentions: New York Giants (3-2, lost to Seattle 36-25); Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2, beat Tennessee 38-17); Houston Texans (3-2, lost to Oakland 25-20)

NFL: Week Five Picks

Matchups	Jarboe	Sloth	Matera
Chiefs v Colts (-1.5)	Chiefs	Chiefs	Chiefs
Cardinals v Vikings (-3.5)	Vikings	Vikings	Cardinals
Eagles (-3) v Bills	Eagles	Eagles	Eagles
Raiders v Texans (-4.5)	Texans	Raiders	Texans
Saints (-6.5) v Panthers	Saints	Saints	Saints
Bengals (-2.5) v Jaguars	Jaguars	Bengals	Bengals
Titans v Steelers (-3)	Titans	Steelers	Titans
Seahawks v Giants (-10)	Seahawks	Giants	Giants
Buccaneers v 49ers (-3)	Bucs	Bucs	49ers
Jets v Patriots (-7.5)	Patriots	Patriots	Jets
Chargers (-3.5) v Broncos	Chargers	Chargers	Chargers
Packers (-6.5) v Falcons	Falcons	Packers	Packers
Bears v Lions (-5)	Bears	Bears	Bears
Last Week	5-10-1	5-10-1	7-8-1
Season	32-28-4	30-30-4	31-29-4

NFL: Ranking the Quarterbacks Under the Age of 26

I made this list after realizing that in the past 4 seasons, the NFL season has seen a wave of young quarterbacks taking over the league. This list was originally supposed to be a 30-and-under group, but with established quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers, Jay Cutler, and Ben Roethlisberger all in their 20s, it seemed better to rank the 11 starting quarterbacks under the age of 26. This list is not compiled based on skill today, but rather potential. An inside look at who will be the best quarterbacks 7-8 years from now, only on The Jockstrap. 

11. Curtis Painter- Indianapolis Colts (Age 26)

     Painter likely wouldn’t have been on this list if it weren’t for the neck injury of Peyton Manning and the concussion of Kerry Collins. Painter finds himself in the starting role for the 0-4 Colts. Although Painter has shown that he can throw a decent enough ball to Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon, his ceiling is the lowest of this list. Painter will likely finish this season as the Indy starter and then remain a career backup for the remainder of his NFL days. 

In Ten Years: Backing up Andrew Luck for the Indianapolis Colts

10. Blaine Gabbert- Jacksonville Jaguars (Age 21)

     So far Gabbert only has two starts under his NFL belt. It was a shock to all when the Jaguars cut longtime starter David Garrard before the season, only to name journey-man Luke McCown the opening day starter. Gabbert took over in week 3 after McCown threw four interceptions in New York against the Jets in week 2. Gabbert has all the skills to be a solid NFL quarterback; strong arm, good pocket presence, and mobile enough to get away from tacklers. The sample size for Gabbert isn’t nearly as large as some of the other names on this list, but as of right now I don’t see Gabbert as the “savior” of the franchise that Jacksonville was looking for when they drafted him 10th overall in last years draft. 

In Ten Years: Gabbert will be a solid NFL quarterback, but nothing to get crazy over. Starting somewhere, but maybe not Jacksonville. 

9. Colt McCoy- Cleveland Browns (Age 25)

     McCoy is a winner, anyone whose ever watched him play in college knows that. He has a really, really weak arm by all NFL standards, but his mobility when the pocket collapses is really something. McCoy reminds me of someone who will never throw for 25+ touchdowns or make a Pro Bowl, but someone who will keep his team in games and maybe make a few playoff appearances. I would really like to see what McCoy could do with a receiving core where the #1 wasn’t named Mohamed Massaquoi. 

In Ten Years: If he’s still in Cleveland, a fan favorite for a franchise that has been heartbroken at the quarterback position over and over again. If it doesn’t last in Cleveland, he’ll be a great backup or solid starter somewhere. 

8. Andy Dalton- Cincinnati Bengals (Age 23)

     Picking between Dalton and McCoy was tough for who was higher on the list. They are very much the same, Dalton was just as much of a winner in college as McCoy was. The only reason Dalton is higher on the list is because of his makeup. Dalton looks and plays like someone who will succeed in the NFL. The only problem is, he plays for the Bengals. The combo of Dalton to AJ Green will be one that will have Bengals fans salivating over for years to come. 

In Ten Years: A few 25+ touchdown seasons, maybe a playoff appearance or two. 

7. Joe Flacco- Baltimore Ravens (Age 26)

     This is the part of the list where fairly established quarterbacks are ranked pretty low. Flacco was anointed as the long awaited “elite” quarterback the Ravens have lacked since their inception in 1996. Since he was drafted, I really haven’t seen Flacco progress dramatically. He’ll have his 3 touchdown days every now and again, but most of the time you’ll be seeing a game manager, and nothing more. Flacco possesses and arm that rivals that of any other quarterback in the league, but that means nothing if your not accurate and clutch in big moments. 

In Ten Years: I could see Flacco leading the Ravens deep into the playoffs, maybe even a Super Bowl birth down the line. The window is closing, however, with Ed Reed and Ray Lewis getting up there in age. 

6. Matt Ryan- Atlanta Falcons (Age 26)

     Coming out of Boston College in 2007, Ryan was easily the best and most NFL ready quarterback in the draft. Since then, he’s led his team to two playoff appearances,  three winning seasons, and an NFL best 14-2 record in 2010. However, I don’t believe that Ryan will be able to elevate his game high enough to get into the discussion of the Manning-Brees-Brady-Rodgers status. Ryan will throw for a lot of touchdowns and win a lot of games, but so far he has yet to win a playoff game, and that is a big red flag for his potential. 

In Ten Years: A fan favorite for the Falcons, taking them to several playoffs and even winning a few postseason games. Will make the Pro Bowls and have the stats, maybe even an MVP. But I don’t see a Lombardi Trophy in his future. 

5. Josh Freeman- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Age 23)

     Freeman is the type of quarterback that scouts salivate over. He’s big, he’s fast, and he’s clutch. Last Sunday Freeman notched his 7th career come from behind victory in only 3 seasons as a starter. He wins, and he’s doing it will a pretty lackluster supporting cast. The only problem I have with Freeman is that I feel he has been overhyped, and that is hard to do when you play in Tampa. Freeman’s style of play is also an injury waiting to happen. Looking at it now, his career can go two ways: the next Ben Roethlisberger or the next Daunte Culpepper. 

In Ten Years: He’ll have his fair share of injury-prone seasons, but I’m confident that he’ll lead the Bucs to the playoffs one day. The only problem is playing in a division with Drew Brees, Cam Newton, and Matt Ryan quarterbacking the other teams. 

4. Mark Sanchez- New York Jets (Age 24)

     Its probably not the best idea to rank Sanchez #4 after putting up the worst ever total quarterback ranking last week against the Ravens (0.6), but I have high hopes for Mark...and its not because I’m a Jets fan. Sanchez possesses the tools that you look for in a quarterback. He may be small by some measures, but the guy is a flat out winner. 4-2 in the playoffs in his first two seasons is a stat that not even Tom Brady can boast about. Sanchez will make a whole bunch of people scream with his poor decisions and average arm strength, but looking at this list if my team was down in the fourth quarter, I would want the Sanchize behind center. 

In Ten Years: Will have a successful career in New York. Will not be shocked if he leads them to more AFC Championship games, and a Super Bowl appearance is not out of the question. A solid offensive line would boost Sanchez’ turnover rate and completion percentage dramatically.

3. Matt Stafford- Detroit Lions (Age 23)

     Its great that this season were finally seeing what a healthy Matt Stafford can do. He has all the skill in the world, and it doesn’t hurt to have the most physically dominant wide receiver in the game on his side. The one thing that will forever hinder Stafford is his injuries. A china doll behind center is not a good sign, even with a good offensive line like they have in Detroit. The Lions, like Stafford, are young and ready to win both now and in the future. 

In Ten Years: Stafford will be a god in Detroit. Won’t be shocked if they make the playoffs this year or in the future. Will make Pro Bowl’s and garner MVP votes, but will miss at least another full season due to injuries. 

2. Sam Bradford- St. Louis Rams (Age 23)

     Bradford, like Stafford, is a site to see when healthy. One of the most accurate quarterbacks in the game right now to go along with a good deep ball. The only problem with Bradford is that his team is awful. The offensive line, receiving core, and defense all stink. Bradford is the face of the franchise, and will be for years to come. If he can stay healthy (he has so far in the NFL), and the Rams get him someone to pass to, he’ll turn a whole bunch of heads. 

In Ten Years: Will be a top-5 quarterback in the league. Pro Bowl’s, awards, there all coming his way. Will win the NFC West plenty of times, especially if it remains anemic. 30+ touchdown thrower for sure. 

1. Cam Newton- Carolina Panthers (Age 22)

     All spring and summer everyone talked about how big of a bust Newton was going to be. We all saw the “Gruden QB Camp” video where he couldn’t even draw a play from the Auburn playbook. We all knew that the kid was going to be the smartest quarterback of all time, that he may have a flash here or there of being a force...but did anybody see this coming? Newton came out of the gate with back-to-back 400 yard passing games, and through the first quarter of the season has racked up 1,386 yards passing, an 84.5 quarterback rating, and 9(!) total touchdowns; 4 on the ground and 5 in the air. Newton is a physical specimen the likes the NFL has never seen. a 6 foot 5 quarterback who runs like a wideout and barrels over defenders like a fullback. Who knows if the Panthers will be any good this season or the next, but one thing that is for sure is that Cam Newton is going to continue to drop jaws. 

In Ten Years: A Pro Bowler, fan favorite, media favorite, will be called a locker room cancer, will set records on the ground and in the air, one of the most dynamic players in the NFL without a doubt. A playoff here and there, maybe even taking the Panthers deep into the winter. One thing that will be clear, Newton will be a must-watch every week that he plays in. 

NFL: Week Four Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers (4-0)- Aaron Rodgers notched up 70 points in my fantasy league this week after a 408 yard passing, six total touchdown day (four in the air, two on the ground). Rodgers has had his best season to date so far, and if there are people who don’t put him in the Brady-Manning-Brees echelon then I would love to meet them. 

Last Week- #1

2. New England Patriots (3-1)- Wes Welker is having the season of all seasons for the Patriots this season. Through the first-quarter of the year, Welker has 40 receptions for 616 yards and five scores. Until teams can learn how to stop Welker from going over the middle or on short slants, the Patriots will continue to win. They head home for a divisional game agains the bipolar New York Jets, but if history tells us one thing its that anything can happen when these two teams meet. 

Last Week- #2

3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)- The score doesn’t reflect it, but the Ravens offense was nowhere to be found in the second half of Sunday night’s 34-17 win over the Jets. Quarterback Joe Flacco went the entire third quarter without completing a pass, but the Baltimore defense forced four Jets turnover, three of which went for touchdowns. The Ravens are showing that they are for real this season, and with the Steelers playing without an offensive line, it looks as though Baltimore is already close to punching their playoff ticket. 

Last Week- #3

4. New Orleans Saints (3-1)- Drew Brees didn’t light up the Jacksonville Jaguars defense like so many thought he would, but the Saints still managed to in 23-10. Tight end Jimmy Graham continued his superb season with a 10 reception, 132 yard and one touchdown day. Next week the Saints head to Carolina for a (surprisingly) difficult divisional game against Cam Newton and the Panthers. 

Last Week- #4

5. Detroit Lions (4-0)- Its time to give the Lions the respect they deserve. So far this season their the league’s comeback kids. Down by 24 points in the third quarter in Dallas, the Detroit defense got them right back into the game, taking two Tony Romo interceptions to the house before Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson connected on two second half touchdowns, the latter a game winning score that put the Lions ahead for good. So far this season Johnson has had four straight two touchdown games, a Lions first. Detroit will go as far as Stafford can take them, but its time to give them the respect they deserve; the Lions have come to play. 

Last Week- #7

6. San Diego Chargers (3-1)- This is where the power rankings list starts to get a little hazy. There are a boatload of teams that are 3-1 so far, but some of them I don’t believe are better than some of the leagues 2-2 teams. This isn’t the case for the Chargers, though. San Diego has quietly put together a strong first month, their only loss coming at the hands of the Patriots. I don’t believe the Chargers are among the elite in the AFC this year, but they are going to be a team no one will want to face in late December. 

Last Week- Not Ranked

7. Chicago Bears (2-2)- The Bears move up three spots from last week to this week, even though they only beat the Panthers by 5. The Bears will continue to be competitive, but if they can’t fix the offensive line then they will not be able to keep up with the Packers and Lions in the AFC North. And also, why do teams still kick the ball to Devin Hester?

Last Week- #10

8. New York Giants (3-1)- The Giants won last weekend in Arizona on a controversial call where wideout Victor Cruz fell to the ground on a catch and was not touched, but the whistle was blown and Cruz let the ball go. According to the NFL rulebook, a player is considered down if he makes himself known to be down, as if to say he slides or falls to the ground on his own. I’m not sold on the Giants, I think the defense as no depth and the offense is not explosive enough to keep winning. However, Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs continue to bowl over people, and the Giants continue to win. 

Last Week- Not Ranked

9. Houston Texans (3-1)- The Texans seem to like to jump in and out of the top 10. The defense played extremely well against Pittsburgh, pressuring Big Ben and taking him out at the knees, the only way to tackle a 6 foot 5 inch quarterback. The team will be hurt by not having Andre Johnson (hamstring) for the next game or so, but it seems as if Arian Foster is fully healed (30 carries for 150 yards and a touchdown). 

Last Week- Not Ranked

10. New York Jets (2-2)- I’m not ready to give up on the Jets just yet. The offensive line was absolutely terrible in Baltimore Sunday night. I’m not giving Mark Sanchez a free pass for the loss (the Jets lost by 17, while Sanchez was responsible for giving up 21 points), but it must be pretty hard to make plays when the offensive line gives you 2 seconds of free time in the pocket before it collapses on you. The Jets will look to get All-Pro center Nick Mangold back for this weeks game against New England, but a loss to the Patriots will knock the Jets out of the top 10, and maybe even the divisional race. 

Last Week- #5

Honorable Mentions- Buffalo Bills (3-1, lost to the Bengals 23-20); Washington Redskins (3-1, beat the Rams 17-10); Tennessee Titans (3-1, beat the Browns 31-13); Philadelphia Eagles (2-2, lost to the 49ers 24-23)

NFL: Week 4 Picks

Matchups	Kevin	Sloth	Matera
Lions v Cowboys (-2.5)	Lions	Cowboys	Cowboys
Saints (-8.5) v Jaguars	Saints	Saints	Saints
49ers v Eagles (-10)	49ers	49ers	49ers
Redskins (-3) v Rams	Rams	Rams	Redskins
Titans v Browns (E)	Browns	Browns	Browns
Bills (-3) v Bengals	Bills	Bills	Bills
Vikings (-3) v Chiefs	Vikings	Vikings	Vikings
Panthers v bears (-7)	Panthers	Bears	Panthers
Steelers v Texans (-3.5)	Steelers	Steelers	Steelers
Falcons (-5.5) v Seahawks	Falcons	Falcons	Falcons
Giants (-1.5) v Cardinals	Cardinals	Cardinals	Giants
Dolphins v Chargers (-7)	Chargers	Dolphins	Dolphins
Broncos v Packers (-12)	Broncos	Packers	Packers
Patriots (-6.5) v Raiders	Raiders	Patriots	Raiders
Jets v Ravens (-4.5)	Jets	Ravens	Jets
Colts v Buccaneers (-10)	Colts	Bucs	Colts
Last Week	9-6-1	8-7-1	7-8-1
Season	27-18-3	25-20-3	24-21-3