Have at it: ESPN Power Rankings

The Homer Perspective: This is absolute BS. We have had the best offseason in football and our team is poised to make a championship run. We have the best O-Line in the game, and our franchise QB finally has a top 3 receiver to throw to. Last time we checked our running game was one of the elite groups in the game and our newly revamped defense features an overall stud at MLB and genius Mike Nolan will make all the pieces work together. The AFC East is ours. Dolphins = TOP 5.

The realistic perspective: these rankings are quite fair. OK, we could have been ranked a bit higher (Bengals and Niners I’m looking to take your spot) but we are coming off a 7-9 season where we finished 3rd in our division. Our offseason boosted us up a bit but last time I checked we still play in the AFC East and we have a few holes on the defensive/ST part of the ball. Plus, the fans voted the Dolphins 16th in voting, so one might say the experts are being generous here! Ultimately, It will be up to Henne’s Offense and Nolan’s defense to GAIN some respect, otherwise…. Dolphins= Ranked 10-15

I’d put us right in the middle… about the 7-9th best team in football, but like most any most teams in the league their goal should be nothing short of a Lombardi Trophy.

Just to see how on or off they are…..

I would say Bengals as well but they did make the playoffs and we didnt.

… I can’t believe they put 49ers and Falcons over us! WTF do we have to do to earn alittle respect man!

Captain Checkdown and Sausage Smoker?

1. Saints ( The Champs get No. 1 by default in any preseason ranking by default. Natalya even said that these are subjective without any teams having even played a game. Since this is the case how can you penalize the Champs that haven’t been knocked off their throne yet by anyone?
2. Colts (They lost the Super Bowl, but are the AFC champs)
3. Vikings*(I put an asterik here, and that asteriks name is BRETT FAVRE. If he comes back the Vikes belong here. If he doesn’t, the are out of the top ten)
4. Chargers ( I believe that the addition of Ryan Matthews will negate the holdout of V. Jackson, beside A. Gates is their true No.1 reciever, not Jackson)
5. Cowboys (Dez Bryant – I wouldn’t carry Roy Williams pads either, Like Adam schefter said yesterday, "I’ll take your job, but I won’t take your pads for you!!)
6. Bengals (Defending division champs. Both them and the ravens get a four to six game head start on the steelers)
7.Patriots(Again, defending division champs, but, if their culmination of “fantastic drafts” can’t step up this year, they WILL be fighting the Bills for the cellar dwellar)
8. Cardinals(Matt Leinart has never felt so much pressure to step up and grow up, this season will we see another Ryan Leaf?)
9. Ravens (The Addition of Anquan Boldin alone makes them a contender, but their defense leaves me with alot of questions, especially now that their number 1 pick(Sergio Kindle) is out until the 2nd or third preseason game. That defense needs some youth infused soon)
10. Packers – (Aaron Rodgers is legitand the Packers could win the division even if Favre comes back again)

So there is my top ten, and why. I have to say that I do have the Dolphins at 11 because I believe that all they have done since day 1 is stregthen the roster bit by bit, little by little. The biggest key is going to be the secondary, Particularly the two sophmores(Smith and Davis), and the safety position vacated by G. Wilson. Is Clemons ready to step into that role having sat most of the year?

My personal philosophy is that given the fact that this poll is even pre training camp, the 8 division winners deserve the top 8 spots in this type of poll. I know the packers had a better record (by only one game), but they didn’t win the division.

1. They were the only other team besides the Colts, Saints and Chargers to win their division by more than one game. (Now you are gonna say that it was the NFC West, But they went 8-4 in conference(Ravens 7-5), and 4-2 In the Division (Ravens3-3). Sure the Ravens Gained what the Cardinals lost in Boldin, but who else do the Ravens have at receiver, where as the Cardinals have Breaston, and some guy named Fitzgerald to more than make up for Boldin’s absence, but none of that will matter if Leinart or Anderson cannot get them the ball. I see this becoming Derek Anderson’s team with a FAR SUPERIOR crop of receivers than he had his pro bowl year in cleveland, add in Beanie Wells to take some pressure off of Anderson with his 4.5 yds/carry as a rookie. I think the Cardinals could be a serious threat that is greatly overlooked by the Focus Being on the Saints and the whole NFC east.

I think people forgot we swept the jets last year. oh yeah and improved. I know they added some players but uh… we did too. Also the Pats can’t be the Pats forever with not making moves so how they can have such a gap between us and the jets is beyond me.

… and let the laughing begin. I have no rhyme or reason, it’s just because. It has nothing to do with what perceived improvement they’ve done… only on what I saw last year… and purely what I think they will do this year. And until the Saints don’t make it, they are number one.

Saints
Colts
Ravens
Falcons
Packers
Vikings
Cowboys
Chargers
Dolphins
Jets
49ers
Bengals

…. and rec’d

1. Saints (so much depth, picked up a tight end)
2. Colts
3. Ravens (+ boldin/cody/kindle)
4. Cowboys
5. Vikings
6. Bengals
7. Greenbay
8. Falcons
9. Jets
10. Dolphins (henne > dirty sanchez) but (jets D > miami D)

but to my age-addled mind there has only been 1 pro team built for a 1 year run at a title that actually won said title – the 2003 Marlins.

All others like the Redskins did fall flat on their face. The Jest have basically admitted that they made the additions they did for a run at the SB. Personally I think they did more damage than good. The Phins have built a brickhouse while the Jest have built a shithouse. IMHO

1: Saints
2: Colts
3: Vikings
4: Packers
5: Ravens
6: Cowboys
7: Chargers
8: Jets
9: Dolphins
10: Bengals
11: Patriots
12: Falcons
13: 49ers
14: Giants
15: Texans