When it comes to Creative Misfortune Power Rankings, production is combined with potential to determine a team's true strength compared to the rest of the league. Winning isn't the only factor, but it is one of the most important components 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 - Indianapolis Colts (previous: 31)
Even without Manning at the helm, the Indianapolis Colts shouldn’t be this bad. Could 0-16 really be a possibility? If they get to 0-14, I hope Coach Caldwell benches his starting players to make 0-16 a reality. If it was good enough for 14-0, it's good enough for 0-14.
# 31 - Miami Dolphins (previous: 30)
Make up your mind, Reggie Bush. Do the Dolphins stink or are you guys just having too much fun wallowing in your own winless filth?
# 30 - St. Louis Rams (previous: 32)
Unfortunately for the Rams, and the people of St. Louis, the Cardinals can’t celebrate a World Series championship at the Edward Jones Dome every Sunday.
# 29 - Jacksonville Jaguars (previous: 28)
We'll see just how much the Jaguars have left in them this season when they come back from their bye week and face off against the winless Colts. I sure hope a riveting game like that will be shown on TV somewhere.
# 28 - Denver Broncos (previous: 26)
I'm going to go out on a limb and say that last game against the Lions probably wasn't the finest moment in Tim Tebow's career. Unfortunately, it may be a defining moment of his career and that definition was sh… not good. Note: you can’t curse in a post about Tim Tebow! You just can’t. It wouldn’t be proper.
The Creatively Challenged~
Folly remains ever their mistress
# 27 - Arizona Cardinals (previous: 27)
Fitzgerald will be hard-pressed to make his run to the Hall of Fame if the Cardinals can’t get him a decent quarterback in the next few years.
# 26 - Seattle Seahawks (previous: 24)
Aside from the two games against the Falcons and Giants, Seattle hasn't scored more than 17 points. Seven wins this season seems a stretch with such woeful offensive performance.
# 25 - Minnesota Vikings (previous: 29)
The Vikings dodged a bullet on Sunday, but at least they have hope for the future with Ponder looking confident at quarterback.
# 24 - Carolina Panthers (previous: 25)
All the stats don't mean anything if you can't be ahead on the scoreboard when it matters most. The Panthers have another week to stew before they can try and get back into the win column.
# 23 - Cleveland Browns (previous: 21)
Cleveland's disappointing start this season is made even more profound by Cincinnati's great start. Who would have thought before the season the Browns, not the Bengals, would be the team left out of the AFC North mix?
# 22 - Washington Redskins (previous: 18)
The Redskins are primed to finish the season on a 13-game losing streak. I hope to see that happen.
# 21 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (previous: 22)
Backfield injuries may short-circuit Tampa Bay's attempt to challenge New Orleans and Atlanta.
The Remarkably Average~
Dancing the fine line between misfortune and glory
# 20 - Kansas City Chiefs (previous: 23)
From three straight losses to four straight wins and a tie for the divisional lead. The Chiefs may not have all the pieces in place to continue this run, but they certainly have the potential to keep surprising people.
# 19 - Dallas Cowboys (previous: 15)
Seriously, Dallas? THAT was your effort against the Eagles on Sunday?
# 18 - Oakland Raiders (previous: 17)
Nothing like moving into a tie for first place while sitting idle at home. We'll know soon enough if the bye week helped Carson Palmer adapt to the new offense.
# 17 - San Diego Chargers (previous: 13)
The last thing Philip Rivers needed was to choke away the snap in the final seconds of that game on Monday night. Until the Chargers win a playoff game and advance deep into the postseason they will always be the team best identified with underachievement.
# 16 - Tennessee Titans (previous: 19)
Chris Johnson continues to disappoint. Maybe coaches should bench him for a week and turn Javon Ringer loose. That might wake CJ2K up from his contract hangover.
# 15 - Atlanta Falcons (previous: 16)
The Dirty Birds are flying again and the collapse of the Saints in St. Louis over the weekend has given them some hope.
# 14 - Philadelphia Eagles (previous: 20)
As much as I hate to say it, the Eagles may have turned a huge corner with their win over Dallas and could run the table to finish 12-4 if Vick can minimize his turnovers and maximize the big plays this offense is capable of.
# 13 - New York Giants (previous: 14)
Warning: The high-flying Eagles are closer than they appear.
The Fortunate Seven~
The best of those not yet elite
# 12 - New York Jets (previous: 11)
The fate of the Jets will be decided in the next two weeks as they come out of the bye week with games scheduled against Buffalo and New England. That should give them something to talk about.
# 11 - Chicago Bears (previous: 12)
The Bears will most likely be the odd team out of the NFC North's three-team race, but they still have potential to slip into the playoffs as the final wild card.
# 10 - Pittsburgh Steelers (previous: 8)
The Steelers have improved much of late. A victory over the Ravens will prove they are finally back for real and slingshot them into the elite among the AFC.
# 9 - Cincinnati Bengals (previous: 10)
Surprise, surprise. The Bengals are not only relevant halfway through the season, they are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.
# 8 - New Orleans Saints (previous: 4)
Even good teams have off days. I'll give the Saints a pass on their loss in St. Louis last week… if they are able to beat the Buccaneers this weekend.
# 7 - Houston Texans (previous: 6)
The Texans are finally playing like they want to win the division. If Andre Johnson can ever get back on the field, this offense will be even scarier.
# 6 - New England Patriots (previous: 3)
If New England can't figure out how to beat press coverage and aggressive bump-and-run tactics, the brilliant start to their season will become just a distant memory.
The Creative Elite~
Wielding misfortune at its finest
# 5 - Buffalo Bills (previous: 9)
The Bills keep forgetting that they are, well… the Bills. A win this week over the Jets will further legitimize their rise back to the ranks of the AFC elite.
# 4 - Detroit Lions (previous: 7)
The roar is back on track! The Thanksgiving date with the Packers will keep people glued to their TVs instead of running for turkey when Detroit plays. Quite a change from the last 50 years.
# 3 - Baltimore Ravens (previous: 5)
The Ravens shouldn’t have needed such a dramatic comeback to beat the Cardinals… but great teams overcome adversity like that.
# 2 - San Francisco 49ers (previous: 2)
The 49ers are playing well and would be undefeated but for their early season mental lapse against the Cowboys.
# 1 - Green Bay Packers (previous: 1)
Until they lose, the Packers have to be expected to win.
Week 8 Power Ranking Awards:
The Free Fallers - New Orleans Saints (-4), San Diego Chargers (-4), Dallas Cowboys (-4), Washington Redskins (-4), New England Patriots (-3)
The Biggest Movers - Philadelphia Eagles (+6), Buffalo Bills (+4), Minnesota Vikings (+4), Detroit Lions (+3), Tennessee Titans (+3)
Maintaining The Status Quo - Green Bay Packers (1), San Francisco 49ers (2), Arizona Cardinals (27)
Creative Misfortune Super Bowl XLVI Favorite ~ After Week 8
Check back tomorrow for week 9 predictions.
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