1st half rankings

by Anthony Calabria (November 1, 2009)

The road to Las Vegas has reached the midpoint of its journey, and now it’s time to see where every team stands thus far.  Some changes in the rankings: teams will be ranked by conference, but no more voting on who is number one, two, etc.

Yin Conference: The Outlaws have continued their momentum from last year’s runner-up finish and lead the conference at 5-2.  Philadelphia got off to a good start, but losing four of five has allowed NY to take over 1st place in the Eastern Division.  Meanwhile, perennial contenders New England, New Orleans, and Houston have fallen on hard times and look to be out of the playoff hunt this season.

1. St. Louis (5-2): After consecutive losses to LV/GS, bounced back against NE.  With Romo catching fire and Gore getting healthy, a repeat run to the title game is certainly not out of the question.

2. New York (4-3): The Rockets hope they’ve solved their QB woes with the addition of Garrard, but the running game may be strong enough to keep them ahead in the division.

3. Philadelphia (3-4): Brees has been spectacular, but injuries to Barber and Westbrook have kept Philly from taking off.

4. Tampa Bay (3-4): This is a team on the rise; Favre has filled the hole at QB and rookies Greene and McCoy have emerged in the backfield.  If Philly continues to struggle, look for the Terps in the playoffs.

5. New Orleans (2-5): The Sharks have been searching for the right combination to surround Rodgers with, but have yet to find it.  Don’t count them out though, if Jacobs, Lynch and Thomas can get it going.

6. Washington (2-5): They have a top QB in Big Ben, but the running game has disappointed and Jennings has not been as explosive this season.

7. Houston (2-5): Finally showed signs of life in Week 7, but still lacking a solid QB and running game.  Jackson has been the lone bright spot.

8. New England (1-6): Brady is back, Rice has taken a big step forward, and Gonzalez is as good as ever.  So why only one win?  Very few contributions from the running game.

Yang Conference: Clowns are eager to get back to the title game, and at 7-0 they are letting everyone know they intend to play the championship on their home turf in a couple months.  But defending champ Golden State is #2 overall at 6-1 and will not let their title go easily.  Other contenders for the playoffs include Northern leader Springfield, Columbus, Detroit and Denver.

1. Las Vegas (7-0): Few flaws, if any, so far but they would like to see Forte step up before the regular season concludes.

2. Golden State (6-1): Since Week 1 loss to rival Clowns, they have won six straight.  To catch Vegas though, they need Turner/Smith to return to form.

3. Springfield (5-2): The running backs, mainly Portis and Williams, haven’t been quite as good this year, but they haven’t missed a beat behind the solid QB play of McNabb/Palmer.

4. Denver (4-3): An opportunistic defense as well as great play from Schaub have this team in the running; however, they need to pass at least one team in the division to make the playoffs.  No easy task.

5. Columbus (4-3): Two games ago, the Dragons were 4-1 and looked to be the story of the season.  Now after back-to-back losses, they need to figure out how to add depth without weakening their core if they want to remain a contender.

6. Detroit (4-3): They have the weakest offense in the league, but keep finding ways to win.  Will that be good enough to make the playoffs?

7. Green Bay (2-5): Some solid pieces on this team, just not enough to put them back into contention.

8. Seattle (2-5): Rookie back Moreno is getting better every week, QB Cassel is not.  With the conference as strong as it’s ever been, don’t expect to see the Slayers get out of their division’s basement in ‘09.