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Overrated/Underrated

Five weeks into the season there have been plenty of surprises, both good and bad. There are several teams that are surprisingly much better or worse than I had expected, Green Bay and New Orleans come to mind. Looking at power rankings on Yahoo and CBS there are some teams that stood out to me as being overrated or underrated. First off, the top four seems locked in with NE, IND, DAL, and PIT (in that order). All three polls are the same except that CBS has IND #1 and NE #2. I can't argue with that order very much although I still think Pittsburgh would beat Dallas if they played, but Dallas is 5-0 and Pittsburgh is 4-1 so I understand.  

Overrated:

Tennessee Titans  Average rank: 5.3
Sure they're 3-1 and a really good defense (59 points allowed), but they rank 24th in the league in offense and 30th in passing. Vince Young is a leader who knows how to win but is not a good quarterback yet. He's completing an impressive 62% of his passes but is only averaging 5.8 yards per attempt and he's thrown 5 picks compared to just 3 touchdowns. The running game is a `by committee' approach with Chris Brown and LenDale White, as they both have over 50 carries so far. They average 153 yards per game on the ground (4th in the NFL), but after exploding for 282 yards in week one, they've only broke 100 yards in one other game. The opponents they've beaten this year are also a combined 4-9.

Baltimore Ravens  Average rank: 9
They've only played one team that has a winning record and they've still lost two games. The defense has been the staple of this team for nearly ten years but it looks like father time is wearing them down as they rank 14th in scoring after giving up 97 points through 5 games. The Ravens won't win a ton of games giving up 20 points per game because their offense just isn't strong enough. McNair isn't the MVP he was several years ago as injuries and age have reduced him little more than a bus driver.  He's averaging just less than 6 yards per pass attempt and has a QB rating just above 80. They should be 5-2 heading into a week 9 game at Pittsburgh, but the real test for this team will be weeks 12-17 when they play SD, NE, IND, SEA and Pitt.  

Underrated:

Philadelphia Eagles  Average Rank: 22.6
They're 1-3 but haven't played a team with a losing record yet; their opponents are a combined 13-6.  They've still scored more points than they've allowed (84-73) and they rank in the middle of the league or better in scoring offense and defense (15th and 11th respectively).  Donovan has been harassed so far with 17 sacks through four games but his TD to INT ratio is still very good at 5:1.  Uncharacteristically the Eagles have been good running the ball with 126 yards per game (11th) but have struggled throwing the ball with 211 yards (18th). The schedule won't lighten up for the Eagles because the NFC East looks much better than expected through 5 weeks, but they should still be in the running for a wild card spot.  

Oakland Raiders  Average Rank: 22.3
Hey stop laughing, the Raiders aren't that bad this year.  They're 2-2 and should be 3-1 because they were burned by the now unpopular "coaches' timeout" to freeze the kicker. Janikowski nailed a 52 yard field goal in overtime only to have it erased by a timeout and he missed the retry.  Their defense has been surprisingly bad so far ranking 24th in scoring and 26th in yardage but an even bigger surprise is how good the offense has been. They rank 6th in scoring and 9th in yardage.  Culpepper looks to have taken over the reins, at least until the youngster is ready, and if he is half the quarterback that he was in 2004, this should be a fun team to watch. LaMont Jordon is proving that when he's healthy, he's a good back and he'll get some help this week as Dominic Rhodes comes off his 4 game suspension. With Denver and KC struggling so far this year, the Raiders could sneak up and win 7 or 8 games.  

So who do you think is overrated or underrated and are my teams way off?

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let's see
Titans may be a bit overated but I think they're a really complete football team that can still improve. No qualms with Baltimore, although I don't think I would put them to much further down. Maybe in the 13-16 range at worse.

I definitely agree Philly is underated. Oakland may not be underated, but they're soooo much better than they were a year ago.

by Michael Bean on Oct 11, 2007 1:54 PM EDT reply actions  

I think
Dallas is seriously overated, but you can't argue their record I guess (though that includes both the 0-5 Dolphins and Rams; plus they made the Bills look like the Pats on Monday).

I agree with Philly especially since Mcnabb is not 100%.

Watch Washington. They may be the class of the NFC, and the only team constructed to give top AFC teams problems.

by Ivan Cole (RickVa) on Oct 11, 2007 3:00 PM EDT reply actions  

You, sir
are good people.

by Skin Patrol @ Behind the Steel Curtain on Oct 11, 2007 3:44 PM EDT up reply actions  

right on
I think Dallas is pretty overrated as well but they're 5-0 so we all have to live with the hype until they get spanked this Sunday.  I won't even mention that the record of thier 5 five opponents so far is a combined 6-18.

Washington looks much better than I expected and looked really good against the Lions last week.  The NFC East should be tight race as none of the four teams is that much better than the others.  

by cgolden on Oct 11, 2007 3:51 PM EDT up reply actions  

Dallas
I think this team could give us fits if we played them.  They have all the elements that tend to give us trouble. They have a really strong offensive line that picks up blitzes well.  They have a mobile QB who is hard to bring down if you can get to him. They have a big physical receiver in TO and they have an elite pass catching tight end.

Although they looked awfully beatable last week fwiw

by schnifin on Oct 11, 2007 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions  

i would
agree with most of the teams on the list, except that I would add a team, New England.  Don't get me wrong, they will easily make the playoffs, if not simply because the other 3 teams in their division have a ridiculous 2 wins between 3 teams.  

But I don't think that they are the amazing team that everyone says.  The combined record for their opponents is 7-18, with no team having more than 2 wins.  The Jets, Browns, Bills, Bungals, and Chargers.  Only the Chargers could even remotely be given a chance at the playoffs this year.  I'm sure NE will win games against tough opponents this year, but its way too early to be popping champagne in Foxborough just because they have whupped on some lousy franchises.

Of course, this could all be bias, since there is no team in pro sports that I hate more.

by steelerark on Oct 12, 2007 1:19 PM EDT reply actions  

chargers will improve
Like most people I just shook my head when the Chargers hired Norv Turner but they are a good football team and underrated in these polls. They should easily still win their division and make the playoffs.

My pick for overrated in the polls are the Packers. They have come up with a few dramatic wins (ie, the late comeback vs. SD) but I don't think they can run the ball nearly well enough to stay successful.

Agree with comments about Washington. They look like a very solid team. The Eagles also are better than rated. Throw in the Giants and the NFC East is actually a pretty good division. I don't think the Cowboys are a lock to win it yet.

by steeler lifer on Oct 12, 2007 7:06 PM EDT reply actions  

chargers
A friend bet me 25:1 that the Chargers wouldn't make the AFC championship game. Mind you, they did't have to win the game, just make it to the final round of the AFC playoffs. FOr 25:1, shiiiiiiit, give me those odds any day of the week.

by Michael Bean on Oct 13, 2007 2:41 AM EDT reply actions  

LOL
Can I get in on that??!!

However, your friend may very well win that bet.

by Ivan Cole (RickVa) on Oct 13, 2007 10:41 AM EDT reply actions  

Great bet
25-1 !!!!!! Sheesh, I could use a few friends like that. Winning their division puts the Chargers at home in the first round of playoffs, probably against one of Jacksonville, Tennessee or Baltimore. Tough game, but winnable if they play up to potential. Then they're on the road and you're just one win from cashing in. Definitely worth a bet at those prices.

by steeler lifer on Oct 13, 2007 6:21 PM EDT reply actions  

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