When it comes to Creative Misfortune Power Rankings, winning isn't the only thing, but it is the most important component of the rating. I don't believe teams can be powerful if they consistently lose, even to other great teams.
The Forked Few~
Abandon hope and fortune all ye who rank here
# 32 - Cincinnati Bengals (previous: NA)
Large amounts of personnel turnover, a fight so bad with the star quarterback he is willing to retire, an offseason messed up by a lockout, a fresh rookie quarterback at the reins, and a running back in trouble with the law... Nope, nothing to see here. The 2011 Cincinnati Bengals!
# 31 - Carolina Panthers (previous: NA)
A team that generally goes 1-15 the previous season can be expected to improve to at least four wins the next, if they are not located in Detroit, but Carolina will be hard pressed to get there with Newton behind center. Perhaps Williams and Stewart can combine for 3,000 yards rushing and 30 touchdowns, but short of having the most explosive running back tandem in NFL history, the Panthers have no shot in a division with three title contenders.
# 30 - San Francisco 49ers (previous: NA)
Any hopes for a breakout season in San Francisco were cut short by the overwhelming inability of the offense to gain any solid traction during the preseason. In the NFC West, the 49ers still have a chance to compete, but that isn’t really saying a whole lot about their chances in 2011.
# 29 - Denver Broncos (previous: NA)
Tebow may not be the man after all? How disappointing. I really hoped he'd be successful and prove his detractors wrong. Otherwise, the defense continues to be terrible and the offense cannot hope to score 40 points a game to win in order to have a shot at victory.
# 28 - Buffalo Bills (previous: NA)
The Bills will continue to be what everybody expects them to be- the worst team in the AFC East. At least they have new uniforms this year. They've got that going for them.
The Creatively Challenged~
Folly remains ever their mistress
# 27 - Washington Redskins (previous: NA)
Grossman is now the official starter in Washington after wide-open preseason competition with John Beck. Who? Exactly. But Coach Shanahan does have one thing going for his decision- it worked for the Bears once. Of course, Chicago had an outstanding defense back in 2007… Washington in 2011? Eh, not so much.
# 26 - Jacksonville Jaguars (previous: NA)
Jacksonville, already struggling to find any cohesiveness and consistency on offense has cut ties with David Garrard, their starting quarterback up until yesterday. Nothing says, "We're going to win!" like cutting your starting QB six days before the regular season starts. Another brilliant coaching move by Jack Del Rio.
# 25 - Minnesota Vikings (previous: NA)
The Vikings had very little drama during the offseason, aside from jettisoning Bryant McKinnie, an overweight left tackle they should have cut ties with two seasons ago. Normally that would be a sign of improvement, but the offense has no explosiveness and McNabb will not be the answer at quarterback. Ponder may very well be starting by the eighth game of the season as Minnesota turns their attention to 2012 and beyond.
# 24 - Seattle Seahawks (previous: NA)
7-9 in 2010 was good enough to win the division. The Seahawks will be lucky to get to seven wins in 2011.
# 23 - Miami Dolphins (previous: NA)
The Dolphins signed Reggie Bush, little more than an overrated return specialist that can catch the occasional swing pass and turn a short gain into 20. If that is the best that can be said for Miami, they have no shot in the division with New England and New York set to claim the title.
# 22 - Detroit Lions (previous: NA)
This defense is the best ever in the history of non-playoff caliber teams. If the offense can stay healthy and execute, Detroit could be the surprise team of the season.
# 21 - Tennessee Titans (previous: NA)
The Titans take the field without Jeff Fisher for the first time in over a decade. A new coach, a new quarterback and defenses keying on their star running back's new contract are all factors that will have Tennessee struggling to reach a .500 record in 2011.
The Remarkably Average~
Dancing the fine line between misfortune and glory
# 20 - Kansas City Chiefs (previous: NA)
The Chiefs had everything at their fingertips last year and failed to make even the smallest splash in the playoffs. Unfortunately for them, with the resurgence of San Diego and the rise of Oakland, KC will not be repeating as AFC West champions and the wild cards will come out of the North and East.
# 19 - Arizona Cardinals (previous: NA)
Fitzgerald has a new mega-contract and Kolb has the ability to get the ball to him deep, but the Cardinals are way too one-dimensional for them to challenge for a Super Bowl title this season. Division title? Absolutely.
# 18 - Cleveland Browns (previous: NA)
Like the Buccaneers, Cleveland is a young, upstart team with all the potential in the world and two powerhouses above them in the division standings. The Browns are still at least one year away from breaking through to the postseason, but at least they are trending upwards for a change.
# 17 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (previous: NA)
The surprise team of 2010 is all set to become the also ran once again in 2011. Atlanta and New Orleans are huge obstacles in the Tampa Bay's path, but if this young group of players can truly convince themselves they can play with anybody, they could create some serious havoc in the NFC South standings.
# 16 - Oakland Raiders (previous: NA)
Could the Raiders be the team to beat in the AFC West? They owned Denver, San Diego and Kansas City last year, but will that hold true this year? It may not matter if Oakland is able to knock off opponents from other divisions. I still don’t see a winning record for the Raiders, but they will certainly be improved.
# 15 - Chicago Bears (previous: NA)
All the offseason drama surrounding Cutler's ability to play with pain and the media circus surrounding his recent break-up with Kristin Cavallari has created a make-or-break situation for Cutler in Chicago. With an aging defense, an underachieving passing game and a rushing attack that failed to finalize a contract deal before the season started, the Bears are ready to implode. The first two weeks of the season will set the tone for the rest of the year. From here, though, all signs point to Bears fans having another long, cold championship-free winter to look forward to.
# 14 - Dallas Cowboys (previous: NA)
Oh, what a disappointment 2010 was for Jerry's boys. If the defense can't figure out how to stop anybody this year, Dallas will have to win shootouts by scores of 41-35 if they hope to have any shot at the postseason. A healthy Cowboys offense might be up to that task, but this offense hasn’t stayed healthy for a few years now. The potential is there, but reality may be another sub-par season.
# 13 - St. Louis Rams (previous: NA)
At 7-9 the Rams just missed the playoffs last season. Look for them to improve to a winning record this year and, in the NFC West, nine wins should be more than enough to win the division title.
The Fortunate Seven~
The best of those not yet elite
# 12 - Indianapolis Colts (previous: NA)
Could the streaks be at an end? And I am not just questioning Peyton Manning's consecutive games starting streak, but the Colts' streak of consecutive years in the playoffs. Manning, more than any other player, has been responsible for the past decade of outstanding regular season achievements in Indianapolis. Time will tell if this really is the beginning of the end for the Colts, but if they can play at least .500 ball until Manning is back to full strength, they will still have a solid shot at the playoffs.
# 11 - Houston Texans (previous: NA)
Could this be the year Houston finally makes it to the playoffs? Only the Colts can challenge them in the division and the Colts may just be a shell of their former selves if Manning is unable to return to the field anytime soon.
# 10 - New York Giants (previous: NA)
With all the talk focused on the Dream Team in Philadelphia, don’t be shocked if the Giants surprise everybody and steal the division title from the Eagles. The defense is strong, the offense is explosive and none of the Giants have forgotten their late season collapse from a year ago. As the defending "If Real Football Used Fantasy Scoring…" champions from a year ago, there's no reason to believe the Giants won't be successful in 2011.
# 9 - New York Jets (previous: NA)
They talk, they win, they talk, they lose. At least the Jets are consistent and consistency alone this season should be worth a few extra wins.
# 8 - Baltimore Ravens (previous: NA)
If the Ravens could ever beat the Steelers, they could be the talk of the AFC. Until that day, they will always be second in the AFC North's two team race.
# 7 - New England Patriots (previous: NA)
Old, aging superstars? Check. Genius coach? Check. Embarrassing playoff loss? Check. New blood trying to play Belichick's way? Check. The Patriots are primed for another run at a title.
# 6 - Philadelphia Eagles (previous: NA)
Let's buy ourselves a championship. That always works. Just ask Dan Snyder and the Washington Redskins. Sure, the Eagles will make the playoffs, but early season losses while they are trying to make all the pieces fit will force them into the postseason dance as a wild card.
The Creative Elite~
Wielding misfortune at its finest
# 5 - Atlanta Falcons (previous: NA)
The Dirty Birds are still smarting from the loss to the Packers. 13 wins doesn’t mean a lot if you are one-and-done in the playoffs. High profile offseason pickups have made the Falcons even better and if the Saints stumble, Atlanta will be there to kick them while they are down.
# 4 - Pittsburgh Steelers (previous: NA)
Nobody ever talks about them, it seems, but they are always there come the end of the season. They may not win the Super Bowl and probably won’t even make it to the big game, but the Steelers will have some say, one way or another, about who emerges from the AFC as the conference champion.
# 3 - Green Bay Packers (previous: NA)
Is there room in Titletown, U.S.A for one more championship belt? Repeating in the NFL is always difficult, but if any team can do it, these Packers can.
# 2 - New Orleans Saints (previous: NA)
Consistency during the offseason is what will propel the Saints to greatness in 2011. Drew Brees and company are still extremely embarrassed about their loss to the Seattle Seahawks last year and will prove their 2010 finish was a fluke brought on by late-season injuries.
# 1 - San Diego Chargers (previous: NA)
#1 last season in both offense and defense, how this team failed to even reach the playoffs is beyond me. 2011 changes all of that, unless the Chargers stumble to a 2-5 record out of the gate. Then forget I ever said anything nice about them.
Creative Misfortune Super Bowl XLVI Preseason Favorite
Check back tomorrow for the first of Creative Misfortune's 2011 game predictions. Will the Packers or Saints be favored in a clash of two Creative Elite teams?
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