John Berger
Reporter
We’re entering week 8 of the 2011 NFL season and the proverbial cream is rising to the proverbial top in the NFL. As legendary coach Bill Parcells would say, “You are what your record says you are.” Or not, because not all schedules are created equal, and quite frankly, some teams have just had fluky wins and losses. So this list won’t mirror the league standings. But without further ado, here are the top 10 teams in the NFL through week 7:
1. Green Bay Packers- The Packers are undefeated so far this season, in large part thanks to a plethora of weapons at the receiver position. Aaron Rodgers is on fire, coming off Sunday’s performance when he completed 80% of his passes. Pass defense is the Packers most glaring weakness right now, but the defending Super Bowl champs are the best team in the league.
2. New England Patriots- The Pats are off to a 5-1 start this year, outscoring opponents like it’s 2004 all over again. Wes Welker has been quarterback Tom Brady’s favorite target so far, racking up a staggering 785 yards through the first six games of the year. The lack of a pass rush is a bit of a concern, but the Patriots can score with anybody in the league. Patriots fans can be pretty annoying, and unfortunately it looks like they’ll be pretty vocal this season.
3. Baltimore Ravens- The strength of the Ravens is their suffocating defense. The defense is loaded with playmakers like Ed Reed and Ray Lewis. Nosetackle Haloti Ngata is an immovable force on the defensive line, allowing the Ravens’ linebackers to swarm to the ball carrier. Not to mention I’d probably be winless in my Fantasy League without them. Running back Ray Rice is a dynamic threat out of the backfield. Yeah, losing to the Jaguars is a terrible loss, but I’m going to just chalk that one up to a fluke.
4. San Francisco 49ers- I know, I know, the “9ers” haven’t exactly had the toughest schedule to date, and the most notable part of their season has come after a game during the handshake with Jim Harbaugh and Jim Schwartz. Still, they’re 5-1 on the season and look to be pretty good.
5. New Orleans Saints- The Saints have a prolific offensive attack, thanks to the right arm of quarterback Drew Brees. Brees has been incredibly accurate so far this season, completing nearly 60% of his passes and averaging about 8 yards per attempt. I don’t think they are as good as the Packers, and the defense has been streaky thus far, but the Saints are certainly capable of winning another Super Bowl this season.
6. New York Giants- I kept looking for another team to put here, but I just couldn’t find any. Maybe that’s an indictment on the current state of the NFL, I don’t know. Regardless, the Giants have won twice as many times as they’ve lost and that has to count for something. I don’t think they’re a great team by any stretch, but they’re a solid team, and this season that may be enough for them to go deep in the playoffs.
7. Detroit Lions- The Lions have lost two straight, and their bandwagon is losing followers as we speak. I can’t say I’m fully off the bandwagon, but I’m close to jumping off. Let’s not forget, the Lions are only a few years removed from the first 0-16 season in League History.
8. Houston Texans- The Texans began play in the NFL back in 2002 as an expansion franchise and have yet to reach the playoffs. So their chances of sustaining success is pretty slim. But the Colts are without Peyton Manning, and the Texans are the best team in the AFC South. I understand they’re an expansion team, but why are the Texans in the AFC South? It seems to me that professional sports don’t really know what to do with teams from Texas, as their divisional and conference affliliation doesn’t really jive with the geography of the teams. Think about it the Dallas Cowboys are in the NFC East, and in baseball the Texas Rangers are in the AL West? Huh?
9. Chicago Bears- The Bears have been enigmatic to start the year, with a 2-2 record. The defense has played well in spurts and the Bears have run the ball well. Still, the season rests on Quarterback Jay Cutler and his performance in order for the Bears to be considered an elite team. I thought about putting the Jets in this spot, but I just don’t trust Mark Sanchez.
10. San Diego Chargers- They recently lost to Jets, but I still like this team. Phillip Rivers has been constantly underachieving for my fantasy team, but this team is just too talented to not be in the top 10. A game with the Packers looms ahead, and we’ll know a lot more after that.
