Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

Week 4 Rankings (Last Week)


1. Pittsburgh Steelers 3-0 (8)
For the 4th straight week there is a new team atop the power rankings.  The Pittsburgh Steelers defense has been lights out so far this season, and the Steelers have started 3-0 despite currently playing with their 4th string QB.  Rashard Mendenhall has been great so far, and once Big Ben gets back the rest of the offense should kick it up a notch.  That's a scary proposition for the rest of the league, especially since Pittsburgh has already beaten 2 good teams in the Falcons and Titans with almost no passing attack.


2. Indianapolis Colts 2-1 (3)
The Colts defense is giving up large chunks of yards, but luckily for them their offense seems to always do enough to outscore the opponent.  It's looking like Manning is going to have to have a career year for the Colts to win the Super Bowl, and he's on pace to do just that.


3. Green Bay Packers 2-1 (1)
Green Bay played a sloppy and mistake-ridden game on Monday and still almost won on the road against the undefeated Chicago Bears.  They were still in it at the end despite a franchise record 18 penalties for 152 yards, and if it weren't for a careless fumble on their last drive they probably would have escaped the windy city with a big-time division win.  They will get these problems straightened out and be a legitimate threat to win it all.

4. Atlanta Falcons 2-1 (9)
I have to admit I'm very surprised the Falcons were able to beat the Saints in New Orleans.  The Falcons dominated time of possession and capitalized on 3 Saints turnovers, as well as a missed 29-yard field goal by Garrett Hartley that would have won it for the Saints in overtime.  Very impressive win for the Falcons.

5. New Orleans Saints 2-1 (2)
The Saints blew a big opportunity to take the driver's seat in the NFC South despite being outplayed by the Falcons at home.  I still think they will be okay, but we've yet to see the offense click on all cylinders like it seemed to all last season.



6. Tennessee Titans 2-1 (11)
The Titans were out-gained by a bunch against the Giants, but played a turnover free game while capitalizing on 3 New York miscues.  Chris Johnson is picking up right where he left off last year, and this team looks like a contender in the loaded AFC South.


7. Philadelphia Eagles 2-1 (18)
Michael Vick has taken the starting role and run with it (very, very quickly I might add).  Andy Reid is nuts if he puts Kevin Kolb back in as the starter, as the Eagles are clearly a better team with Vick at the helm.



8. Baltimore Ravens 2-1 (5)
Baltimore didn't pummel the Browns nearly as bad as I expected, but the passing game broke out of its funk and Anquan Boldin caught 3 TD's.  They really need to take advantage of the situation this week at Pittsburgh, because if they lose to a Steelers team with Charlie Batch calling the shots, their hopes of winning the division are all but finished. 

9. N.Y. Jets 2-1 (6)
The Jets picked up a big road win @ Miami on Sunday night, and still I dropped them 3 spots in this week's rankings.  They were outgained by the Dolphins, and I'm just not convinced that LT can hold up all season long.  Shonn Greene didn't even get a carry on Sunday, and the Jets are going to need him late in the season if they are going to compete for a championship.


10. Houston Texans 2-1 (4)
The Texans had 3 turnovers and were thoroughly beaten at home by a Cowboys team in desperate need of a win.  Star WR Andre Johnson also re-injured his ankle in the game, and is questionable this week.  The Texans can't afford to lose Johnson, who is arguably the best receiver in the game.

11. Miami Dolphins 2-1 (13)
The Dolphins played well in out-gaining the Jets on Sunday, but their attempt to tie the game with less than a minute to go in the 4th quarter ended on a 4th down interception.  The AFC East battle should be a fun one to watch, and the Dolphins are definitely in the mix.

12. Chicago Bears 3-0 (17)
The Bears got a big win at home on Monday night against the Packers, but still nearly lost despite a franchise record amount of penalties by Green Bay.  It's a great start for Chicago, but I still don't think they're in the same class as the Packers.


13. Minnesota Vikings 1-2 (16) 
The Vikings got a much needed win against the Lions, but their brutal early season schedule only gets tougher from here with a game @ the Jets coming up next, followed by a home game against Dallas before 2 more tough road tilts against the Packers and Patriots.  Minnesota will need more of a contribution from the passing game if it's going to win any of those games, and the return of Sidney Rice can't come soon enough.


14. N.E. Patriots 2-1 (7)
The Patriots struggled mightily with the lowly Buffalo Bills, and that's enough to drop them significantly this week.  Anyone who gives up 30 points to that offense can't possibly be in the top ten.

15. Kansas City Chiefs 3-0 (15) 
The Chiefs are 3-0 and look much improved from the past few years, but we will get a chance to see just how good they really are with a trip to Indy next up on the slate.


16. Dallas Cowboys 1-2 (21) 
The Cowboys got a much needed victory over the Houston Texans on the road, taking advantage of 3 Texans turnovers to cruise to an easy win.  That performance is much closer to what I was expecting to see coming in to this season, and I look for them to rise up the rankings in the coming weeks.

17. Cincinnati Bengals 2-1 (19)
The Bengals didn't look great against a sad Panthers team on Sunday, but they got an easy win nonetheless.  Carson Palmer and the passing game need to find some traction soon, or they risk falling way behind in the AFC North.

18. N.Y. Giants 1-2 (10)  
The Giants are extremely talented, but they can't afford to turn the ball over 3 times against good teams and expect to win.  They are falling fast, and desperately need to stop the bleeding with a home win against the Bears this Sunday night.

19. San Diego Chargers 1-2 (14)
The Chargers put up 518 yards and nearly doubled Seattle's output, but their 5 turnovers sent them back home to San Diego with a loss.  This team can be pretty dangerous if it can clean up its mistakes.

20. Seattle Seahawks 2-1 (27) 
The Seahawks were handed a win by the Chargers last week, and have a big opportunity to get to 3-1 this week in St. Louis.  Seattle has won both home games, but they looked like a totally different team in their road tilt against the Broncos, and need to improve drastically away from the friendly confines of Qwest Field.  Pete Carroll has done a great job bringing a winning mentality to this team this early into his first season.

21. Washington Redskins 1-2 (12)
Looks like blowing the game late against the Texans in week 2 had the dreaded hangover effect.  The Redskins have quickly gone from looking like a possible favorite in the NFC East to potential obscurity after a loss to the Rams.  Huge game at Philadelphia this week, as their next 3 opponents are the Packers, Colts, and at the Bears.  Tough to find many wins in there.

22. Denver Broncos 1-2 (20)
Kyle Orton threw for 476 yards, and the Broncos still lost to the Colts by 14 points.  The total lack of a running game without Knowshon Moreno really hurt them, and if they're not careful they could quickly find themselves at 1-5 with their next 3 games being @ the Titans, @ the Ravens, and home against the Jets.


23. St. Louis Rams 1-2 (29)
The Rams got a great win at home against the Redskins, and with a wide-open division and a favorable schedule this team could find itself in contention in the NFC West.

24. Oakland Raiders 1-2 (30)
The Raiders really should have beaten the Cardinals last week, but like they have done for several years now, they simply found a way to lose. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski missed 3 field goals, including a 32-yarder to win the game as time expired, and the team had 123 yards in penalties.  This team has improved drastically with the change at QB to Bruce Gradkowski and the emergence of RB Darren McFadden, but they haven't quite shaken the losing mentality of the past few years just yet.



25. Arizona Cardinals 2-1 (26)
The Cardinals were the benefactor of yet another choke job by the Oakland Raiders.  Arizona was clearly outplayed and turned the ball over 3 times, but penalties and a horrible day from the Raider kicking game gave the Cardinals their 2nd win of the season.  No one in the NFC West is very good, so somehow this team could hang around in the division race all season.

26. San Francisco 49ers 0-3 (22)
After 3 weeks it appears this team is pretty formidable at home, and a complete pushover on the road.  RB Frank Gore has started the season very strong as usual, but the rest of the team fails to follow his lead away from Candlestick Park.  With such a weak division, this team still has time to recover.



27. Detroit Lions 0-3 (25)
This team can't catch a break.  After 2 narrow losses, the Lions lost their star rookie RB Jahvid Best to a toe injury and dropped another game to the Vikings.  Doesn't get any better this week as the Lions travel to Green Bay, where an angry Packers team coming off a sloppy loss awaits.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1 (24)
The Steelers brought Tampa back to Earth with a 38-13 beatdown at Raymond James Stadium.  The 2-0 start was nice, but I expect many more losses are on the way for the Bucs.


29. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-2 (23)
Pathetic.  That's the only word to describe this offense right now.  The Eagles nearly doubled them up in total yardage, and the Jags only put up a measly 3 points at home.  It's gonna be a long season for Jacksonville.

30. Cleveland Browns 0-3 (28)
The Browns hung tough before dropping a close one to the Ravens on Sunday.  This team just lacks the talent to win many games in the NFL, and with their next 6 games all coming against winning teams, the near future doesn't look very bright for the Browns.


31. Buffalo Bills 0-3 (32)
The Bills fought their way out of the last spot in the rankings with a valient effort at New England on Sunday.  The switch at QB from Trent Edwards to Ryan Fitzpatrick really jump-started the offense, as the Bills reached the 30 point mark for the first time in recent memory.  Despite the moral victory, the Bills still lost, and I don't see them beating the Jets this week either.

32. Carolina Panthers 0-3 (31) 
Things can't get much worse for my team.  The Panthers were awful again on Sunday, as they failed to put anything together all day and turned the ball over 4 times.  Carolina has to get back to pounding the ball with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart, but if the defense can't make a tackle and the passing game continues to struggle this badly, it probably doesn't matter.

 

Jim Furyk wins The Tour Championship and the Fed Ex Cup

Jim Furyk, 2010 Fed Ex Cup Champion

Despite being forced to miss the first playoff event, Jim Furyk is the 2010 Fed Ex Cup Champion.  Furyk's victory at The Tour Championship today gave him just enough points to pass Matt Kuchar and win the Fed Ex Cup, as well as the $10 million bonus that goes with it.  Kuchar had a pretty sizeable lead coming in to the final event at East Lake, with Dustin Johnson the only other player that was even close.  The way those 2 had been playing coming in, it seemed very likely that one of them would walk away with the Fed Ex Cup trophy and the huge bonus.  I guess the pressure got to both guys (or maybe it was just the curse of being tabbed as the favorites by me), as Kuchar finished tied for 25th, and Johnson a tie for 22nd. 

Furyk came to East Lake 11th in the Fed Ex Cup standings, and needed help to take home the title.  The way the playoffs are set up, any player coming into the last event in the top 5 would win the Fed Ex Cup with a victory.  Furyk got exactly the help he needed, as numbers 1,2, and 4 (Kuchar, Johnson, and Stricker) had terrible weeks, and #3 Charley Hoffman (finished 6th) and #5 Paul Casey (tied for 4th) played well but didn't finish quite high enough.  The win was the 3rd of the season for Furyk, the most he has ever had in one year, and will likely win him Player of the Year honors as well.  Furyk has been great for many years, and it's good to see him take down golf's most prestigious honors in a year when Tiger Woods made them available for someone else to win.  Hopefully Furyk can carry this momentum into next weekend and lead the United States to a victory over Europe in the year-ending Ryder Cup.

Final Fed Ex Cup Standings

1		Jim Furyk
2		Matt Kuchar
3		Luke Donald
4		Charley Hoffman
5		Dustin Johnson
6		Paul Casey
7		Steve Stricker
8		Jason Day
9		Ernie Els
10		Retief Goosen

Power Rankings: The Tour Championship and Fed Ex Cup Leaderboard

Kuchar has been the most consistent player and comes in with the #1 ranking in the race for the Fed Ex Cup coming into the last event.   However, Johnson is back on his game, and his recent close calls in majors should be a huge advantage.  I'd give these 2 guys the best chance to win in Atlanta, but with only the top 30 in the field, whoever gets hot at the right time is going to take this one down. (a)Matt Kuchar (1-b) Dustin Johnson              Steve Stricker Paul Casey                                 Phil Mickelson Adam Scott Zach Johnson Retief Goosen Jim Furyk Nick Watney Camillo Villegas Ernie Els Kevin Na Charley Hoffman                               Geoff Ogilvy             Luke Donald                   Hunter Mahan                                  Jason Day Ryan Palmer Bubba Watson Kevin Streelman K.J. Choi Justin Rose Ben Crane Martin Laird Tim Clark Ryan Moore Robert Allenby Bo Van Pelt Jeff Overton

Player Events Points # of Wins # of Top 10's Points behind Lead Reset Points 1 Matt Kuchar 24 4,935 1 11 2,500 2 Dustin Johnson 22 4,299 2 7 636 2,250 3 Charley Hoffman 22 3,449 1 4 1,486 2,000 4 Steve Stricker 18 3,372 2 9 1,563 1,800 5 Paul Casey 16 3,015 0 6 1,920 1,600 6 Jason Day 23 2,633 1 5 2,302 1,400 7 Luke Donald 19 2,597 0 6 2,338 1,200 8 Ernie Els 19 2,343 2 6 2,592 1,000 9 Martin Laird 24 2,294 0 3 2,641 800 10 Phil Mickelson 19 2,249 1 6 2,686 600 11 Jim Furyk 20 2,121 2 6 2,814 480 12 Geoff Ogilvy 18 2,121 1 2 2,814 460 13 Justin Rose 21 2,105 2 4 2,830 440 14 Adam Scott 19 2,083 1 4 2,852 420 15 Hunter Mahan 23 2,058 2 3 2,877 400 16 Ryan Palmer 24 1,988 1 4 2,947 380 17 Retief Goosen 18 1,976 0 9 2,959 360 18 Bubba Watson 21 1,948 1 4 2,987 340 19 Zach Johnson 23 1,896 1 2 3,039 320 20 Kevin Na 24 1,837 0 4 3,098 310 21 Tim Clark 22 1,757 1 6 3,178 300 22 Ben Crane 23 1,732 1 5 3,203 290 23 K.J. Choi 21 1,725 0 3 3,210 280 24 Jeff Overton 25 1,669 0 6 3,266 270 25 Camilo Villegas 19 1,621 1 6 3,314 260 26 Ryan Moore 23 1,610 0 5 3,325 250 27 Robert Allenby 20 1,604 0 4 3,331 240 28 Nick Watney 22 1,584 0 6 3,351 230 29 Kevin Streelman 26 1,575 0 4 3,360 220 30 Bo Van Pelt 25 1,572 0 6 3,363 210		FED EX CUP POINTS LEADER BOARD

Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

 Week 3 Rankings (Last Week)

1. Green Bay Packers 2-0 (8)
Green Bay was the dominating team I expected in week 2, but the Buffalo Bills are absolutely anemic in every phase of the game and would probably come in at #3 in this weeks NCAA AP Poll.  Despite the weak opponent, Green Bay has the best combination of great offense and defense so they took over the top spot this week.

2. New Orleans Saints 2-0 (2)
The Saints haven't looked all that impressive, but they've done what they had to do and are 2-0.  Their offense isn't clicking the way it was last year, but they went up against a tough Vikings D in week 1 and a S.F. defense led by Patrick Willis and a swirling wind in week 2, so I'll give them a pass.  This offense is due to explode soon.

3. Indianapolis Colts 1-1 (6)
That's more like it.  The team that annihilated the Giants from the opening kickoff is the team I picked to win the 2011 Super Bowl.  I was tempted to put the Colts back to #1, but I feel like an undefeated team deserves to be at the top this early.  That said, the Colts' loss to the Texans was not a bad one at all, and I expect the Colts to reclaim the top spot eventually.

4. Houston Texans 2-0 (5)
The Texans made a miraculous comeback against the Redskins to get to 2-0 and climb to #4 in this weeks rankings.  Andre Johnson is an absolute beast, and Matt Schaub threw for nearly 500 yards.  With the emergence of Arian Foster, this offense will be impossible to stop all year, and the defense is pretty good too.



5. Baltimore Ravens 1-1 (3)
Speaking of defense, Ray Lewis and company are an amazing unit, and if not for a few questionable calls this team could be 2-0 in spite of its offensive struggles.  I expect Flacco and the offense to get it together, and Ray Rice is due a breakout game.  I feel sorry for the Browns this week.
 
6. N.Y. Jets 1-1 (7)
The Jets were impressive in dismantling the Patriots.  This defense is downright scary, but possibly losing Revis for a game or 2 could hurt, especially with a trip to 2-0 Miami coming up on Sunday night.

7. N.E. Patriots 1-1 (1)
The Patriots lost the top spot and possibly their stranglehold on the AFC East by losing to the Jets, but a drop-off from their amazing week 1 performance was expected.  The Patriots are still a great team and should be fine going forward.


8. Pittsburgh Steelers 2-0 (10)
This franchise continues to amaze me, but I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore.  They just always find a way to get it done, despite now being down to their 4th string QB.  This defense is spectacular, and Troy Polamalu and company pulled out the win without any help from the offense.

9. Atlanta Falcons 1-1 (13)
The Falcons laid a beatdown on the Cardinals, with Jason Snelling filling in just fine for an injured Michael Turner.  Huge division game at the Saints this week.



10. N.Y. Giants 1-1 (4)
The Colts jumped on the Giants from the opening kickoff, and older brother Peyton put baby bro Eli in his place.  Despite the beating, I still thing the Giants are a playoff team.

11. Tennessee Titans 1-1 (9)
The Steelers defense did the unthinkable, shutting down Chris Johnson and forcing Jeff Fisher to bring Kerry Collins off the bench in relief of an ineffective Vince Young.  Another tough game in New York against the Giants coming up this week.



12. Washington Redskins 1-1 (16)
The Redskins lost an absolute heartbreaker to the Texans, blowing a 17 point 2nd half lead and missing several opportunities to win the game anyway.  I'm still very impressed by this team, and look for them to contend for a playoff spot.

13. Miami Dolphins 2-0 (19)
The Dolphins have pulled out 2 close road wins, including an impressive performance in Minnesota against the Vikings.  It doesn't get any easier this week as the Jets come to town for a Sunday night tilt, and if they leave week three 3-0 I will be a believer.



14. San Diego Chargers 1-1 (18)
The Chargers played a great all around game after a disappointing loss on Monday night in week 1.  The offense exploded despite losing Ryan Matthews to an injury, but Mike Tolbert filled in admirably and Rivers and company seemed to be clicking on all cylinders. 

15. K.C. Chiefs 2-0 (14)
The Chiefs are a surprise at 2-0, but they didn't look nearly as good in week 2 as they did in week 1.  They pulled out a close game late against a pretty sad looking Cleveland team, but this passing game has to find some answers if this team is going to contend for a playoff spot.



16. Minnesota Vikings 0-2 (11)
Tough luck early in the season for the Vikings.  They are clearly missing star WR Sidney Rice, but Brett Farve has had a terrible start to the season and is probably wishing he had stayed at home in Mississippi right about now.

17. Chicago Bears 2-0 (21)
The Bears are 2-0, but I'm not totally convinced they are a playoff contender just yet.  Their offense looked great this week, but the Cowboys are clearly in a funk and Chicago should have lost to Detroit in week 1.  We will learn a lot more about this team when they host Green Bay on Monday night.



18. Philadelphia Eagles 1-1 (12)
The Eagles appeared to have an easy win against the Lions, but they nearly gave the game away late.  This team looks much better with Michael Vick at the helm, but Andy Reid has already said Kevin Kolb will be reinstated as the starter this week against Jacksonville.  Regardless of who starts at QB, RB LeSean McCoy looks great and should be relied on heavily all season.

19. Cincinnati Bengals 1-1 (20)
Didn't get to see much of this game, but I was surprised to see them get the win against the Ravens.  Not really sure how they did it with very little offense, but beating Baltimore is pretty impressive. The Bengals should have it much easier against a pathetic tackling Panther team this week.


20. Denver Broncos 1-1 (24)
The Broncos bounced back well with a savage beating of the Seahawks, but it gets much tougher this week against Indy.

21. Dallas Cowboys 0-2 (15)
The Cowboys have to be the most disappointing team in the NFL so far this season.  They have all the talent in the world, but just can't seem to put it all together.  WR Miles Austin is playing great and the offense is piling up yards, but this team is just making too many mistakes.  They are in desperate need of a win, but a road trip to Houston isn't exactly what the doctor ordered.


22. S.F. 49ers 0-2 (29)
I was pretty hard on the 49ers in week 1, but they were pathetic in getting shelled by the Seahawks and deserved the 29th spot.  They fought much harder in week 2, taking the defending champion Saints to the last second before losing on a field goal as time expired.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-1 (17)
This team just bores me.  Garrard was awful against the Chargers, and running back MJD was nonexistent.  The Jags host the Eagles this week in a game that could decide which way this season will go.


24. Tampa Bay Bucs 2-0 (31)
The good news for the Bucs is they are 2-0.  The bad news is their wins have come against 2 of the worst teams in the NFL, and they have been less than impressive in either game.  Time for a wake up call as the Steelers come to town this week.

25. Detroit Lions 0-2 (27)
This team is really not that bad.  They would have beat the Bears in week 1 if not for a terrible ruling on Calvin Johnson's late TD, and they nearly came back to beat the Eagles in week 2.  Rookie RB Jahvid Best went absolutely nuts this week, and he will never be left on my fantasy football bench ever again.


26. Arizona Cardinals 1-1 (25)
The Cardinals followed up their week 1 road win with a pathetic showing against the Falcons.  RB Tim Hightower and WR Larry Fitzgerald look great, but that's about it.  On the plus side they do have the Raiders coming to town this week, so they should have a great opportunity to get another win.

27. Seattle Seahawks 1-1 (22)
As impressive as the Seahawks were in crushing the 49ers in week 1, they were equally unimpressive in their week 2 flogging at the hands of the Broncos.



28. Cleveland Browns 0-2 (30)
The Browns aren't very good, and it only gets harder with a trip to Baltimore this week.

29. St. Louis Rams 0-2 (26)
This team has a bright future with rookie QB Sam Bradford and stud RB Steven Jackson, but 2 close losses to pretty bad teams means this year will be a bit of a struggle.  They at least should much more competitive than last year.


30. Oakland Raiders 1-1 (32)
Darren McFadden has been one of the best running backs in the league so far, but unfortunately for him he doesn't have much help.  Jason Campbell already got benched in favor of Bruce Gradkowski, a move that should last the whole season due to Campbell's lack of heart.

31. Carolina Panthers 0-2 (23)
It really saddens me to do it, but my Panthers come in as the 2nd worst team in the league this week.  The tackling was absolutely atrocious against the Bucs, and this team is just making too many costly turnovers.  Hopefully the change at QB with Jimmy "Football" Clausen taking over will turn things around, but I'm not holding my breath.



32. Buffalo Bills 0-2 (28)
This team is terrible.  They have a few decent RB's, but they need a QB and a better O-line to be competitive.  With a game in New England coming up next, the Bills should remain the #1 bottom feeder for at least another week.

Nadal Makes History at the U.S. Open

Rafael Nadal

 I waited a few days to let the significance of what Rafael Nadal just accomplished sink in a little bit.  After traditionally struggling at the U.S. Open throughout his career, Nadal finally broke through and completed his career Grand Slam with a  6-4, 5-7, 6-4, 6-2 victory over a game Novak Djokovic.  The 2nd set of the final was the only one Rafa dropped in the entire tournament, a dominant performance for a guy who had never made it past the semifinals at Flushing Meadows.  It's pretty crazy to think about, but as great as Roger Federer has been in winning a record 16 major titles, Nadal will have a very legitimate chance to break that record if he can stay healthy.  Here is a list of the impressive accomplishments of Rafael Nadal, all by the age of 24:

• 9 Grand Slam singles titles
• 7th player in history to complete the career Grand Slam, youngest to do it in the open era
• 2nd player to complete the Career Golden Slam, winning the 4 Slams and an Olympic Gold Medal (Andre Agassi)
• 18 ATP World Tour Masters 1000 titles, already a record and one he will surely build on
• Part of 3 Davis Cup winning teams with Spain
• Became the first man to win majors on clay, grass, and hardcourts in the same year, and the first to win the French Open, Wimbledon, and the U.S. Open in one year since Rod Laver in 1969.
• Only the 2nd man to win at least 2 Grand Slams each on clay, grass, and hardcourts (Mats Wilander)

Extremely impressive list!  While Roger Federer has pretty much dominated the headlines over the past 7 years (and rightfully so), the reign of Rafael Nadal is in full effect.  Federer and Nadal have met in 7 Grand Slam finals, with Nadal winning 5 of them.  Nadal leads the overall head-to-head series 14-7 (10-2 on clay, 1-2 on grass, 3-3 on hardcourts).  There is no doubt Nadal has gotten the best of Roger head-to-head, and I'm excited to see if he can make a run at Federer's record over the next couple of years.  That said, I don't think Roger is quite finished yet, as I fully expect him to sneak in another major or 2 before he is done.  It's a great time in men's tennis right now, and I hope more people will start to watch.  For that to happen, we probably need the next great American player to come along soon, as a great rivalry between 2 foreigners doesn't seem to appeal to the American public.

Who will the next great American player be?  There are currently 4 Americans in the top 23:  Andy Roddick (#11, but clearly on the decline in his career), Mardy Fish (#19, on the rise later in his career after finally getting in great shape),  Sam Querrey (#21, has a great game, but not sure if he has what it takes to be a major winner), and John Isner (#23, hometown boy from Greensboro, NC).  I'll be rooting for Isner, as he seems like a guy I would like to hang out with, and he has the game to beat anyone on a given day in a bunch of tiebreakers, haha.  I also took the worst tennis beating of my life from his older brother in high school, so he's basically my closest connection to a top level pro athlete.  18-year-olds Ryan Harrison and Jack Sock also made big splashes at the U.S. Open this year, so maybe one of them can give the U.S. the top player it's been lacking since Sampras and Agassi.

Week 2 NFL Power Rankings

Week 2 Power Rankings (Previous Week)

 1. New England Patriots 1-0 (9)
The Patriots are back to their old tricks.  The offense appears to be in mid-season form, and Wes Welker seems to have made a miraculous recovery from a devastating knee injury last season.  The often criticized defense played great until the game was no longer in doubt, so the Pats look to be a title contender once again.

 2. New Orleans Saints 1-0 (2)
The receivers looked extremely rusty in Week 1, but the ultra-competitive, never satisfied duo of Drew Brees and Sean Peyton should combine with this underrated defense to give the Saints a great chance to repeat.

 3. Baltimore Ravens 1-0 (4)
Scary team...This defense has somehow managed to remain terrifying for the last 10 years, and they showed they weren't ready to give up the title of the leagues best D to the Jets just yet.  The offense had a tough day against the vaunted Jets D, but I have a feeling we are going to see some huge days from Flacco and company this year.

 4. N.Y. Giants 1-0 (11) 
Being a Panther fan, Sunday's game was tough to watch.  The Giants made some mistakes early, but soon to be Pro Bowler Hakeem Nicks (Tar Heel) put on a show and the team looked great in the 2nd half.

 5. Houston Texans 1-0 (8)
The Texans have been so close to beating the Colts over the past few years, and they finally got it done Sunday in convincing fashion.  Arian Foster completely careered it, and the Texans pounded the Colts despite only 33 yards from Andre Johnson and 400+ passing yards from Peyton Manning.

 6. Indianapolis Colts 0-1 (1)  
Not really sure how the Colts managed to get blown out so badly with such a great offensive performance, but the run defense clearly forgot to show up.  The Colts have some major problems on D, but something tells me they will be ok with one of the best QBs of all time at the helm.

 7. N.Y. Jets 0-1 (5)  
The Jets D was as good as advertised, but the offense was pathetic.  Given they were up against an equally stout Ravens defense, but it's always tough to win with single digit points on the scoreboard.  The Jets are in desperate need of the services of Santanio Holmes, and his return should do wonders for this struggling offense.


 8. Green Bay Packers 1-0 (3) 
Green Bay didn't look as sharp as I expected them too, and they lost RB Ryan Grant for the year in Week 1.  That said, I attribute it mostly to rust and fully expect the Packers to be fine without Grant.

 9. Tennessee Titans 1-0 (12) 
I didn't see much of this game, but it seemed like the Titans did whatever they wanted to all day long against the Raiders.  Chris Johnson is unreal, Vince Young is a winner, and the Titans are one of the most well-run franchises in the NFL with a top-notch coach.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-0 (13)
Speaking of well-run franchises, the Steelers won their opener against a talented Falcons team with 3rd string QB Dennis Dixon at the helm.  Dixon didn't do much, but Mendenhall and the always vicious defense were enough to pull out the win.  This team will be much improved once Ben Roethlisberger returns.

11. Minnesota Vikings 0-1 (19)  
I really underestimated just how good this defense is, with Jared Allen and company holding a dangerous Saints offense relatively in check.  AP is going to have to carry the load on offense.  With Sidney Rice out for at least half the season and the worrisome problems with Percy Harvin, it could be a very long season for Brett Farve.

12. Philadelphia Eagles 0-1 (18) 
I think I need to make two rankings for the Philadelphia Eagles.  When Kolb was in the lineup the Eagles looked pretty bad, but once Michael Vick stepped in they were extremely dangerous.  Vick looked as elusive as ever, and if he can avoid murdering dogs for the rest of the year and Andy Reid gives him the reins (but not the whip), this team could be great.

13. Atlanta Falcons 0-1 (6)
I'm a little surprised the Falcons lost to the Steelers.  I keep thinking Atlanta is going to break through and be one of the top teams in league, but they just can't seem to put it all together.

14. Kansas City Chiefs 1-0 (24)
The Chiefs looked great on Monday night, and Arrowhead looks like an amazing place to watch a football game.  K.C. made the biggest jump in the power rankings from last week, rising 10 spots to #14.  With the additons of McCluster and Arenas, and the continued great play of Jammal Charles carrying over from last season, this team looks extremely fast and finally ready to compete in the NFL.   

15. Dallas Cowboys 0-1 (10)
Dallas looked completely out of whack.  This team has loads of talent, but clearly has some gaping holes and maybe some serious coaching issues.  They nearly won Sunday night despite a poor showing, but the tying TD was taken away by a holding call as time expired, allowing the deserving team to escape with the win.  I still expect them to iron out their problems and make the playoffs, but they have a lot of work to do.

16. Washington Redskins 1-0 (17)
I'm not sure what to think about the Redskins.  They clearly have a good defense, and McNabb is a considerable upgrade at the QB position.  They beat the Cowboys, but were hardly impressive in doing so.  Shanahan is a good coach, but I just don't know if this team has enough talent to go anywhere. 

17. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-0 (22) 
This is one of the few teams I didn't see any of last weekend.  They have some talent, and typically play tons of close games, so if they can win a large percentage of those they will be solid.  This offense is better than most people give them credit for.

18. San Diego Chargers 0-1 (7)
The receivers for the Chargers looked terrible for much of the game.  They need Vincent Jackson badly, and it doesn't look like they will ever have him.  Their special teams were awful as well, so S.D needs to find some answers quickly.

19. Miami Dolphins 1-0 (14) 
Every time I looked at this game it seemed like nothing was happening, and judging by the stats I don't think that was a mirage.  There are many talented players on this team, but the inevitable injury to Ronnie Brown will take away one of the best options on the squad, and I don't really see them doing much.

20. Cincinnati Bengals 0-1 (16) 
The two showy receivers on this team make me sick.  They were annihilated by the Patriots, and only a few garbage time scores made it look respectable.

21. Chicago Bears 1-0 (21)
The Bears really lost in Week 1, but a stupid rule took an obvious TD away from Calvin Johnson and a victory from the Lions.  Matt Forte looked great, but the rest of the team was iffy.

22. Seattle Seahawks 1-0 (31) 
I didn't see any of this team, but Pete Carroll is clearly a great football coach.  Judging by the vicious beating they put on San Francisco, either the Seahawks are a very solid team this year, or the 49ers are awful.  Might be a bit of both.

23. Carolina Panthers 0-1 (23)
The Panthers looked pretty good for a half, but Matt Moore looked much too Jake Delhommy in the red zone.  He made some of the worst decisions whenever Carolina looked poised to score, and there were many terrible play-calling mistakes from the coaches.  How you have a first and goal from inside the 5 and don't even attempt 1 run, when your best attribute is your running game, I will never know.  Just put in Clausen, and run the damn ball.

24. Denver Broncos 0-1 (30)
Kyle Orton is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, but this team still needs some work.  Losing Elvis Dumervil really hurts.

25. Arizona Cardinals 1-0 (26)
This team has many talented players, and if they can get adequate play from the QB position they may rise up the rankings.

26. St. Louis Rams 0-1 (27)
The Rams had a solid showing, with rookie QB Sam Bradford throwing the ball 55 times in his debut.  If his O-line can give him some time, this team could make a big leap as well.

27. Detroit Lions 0-1 (25)
I really want the Lions to be good.  They were robbed of a win on Sunday, as Calvin Johnson's clear touchdown was taken away because of a bad rule.  The injury to Stafford is not good news, and if he misses significant time this team is in for another long year.

28. Buffalo Bills 0-1 (28)
They were miserable in Week 1.  No run game, no passing game, and maybe a decent defense?  Who cares, this team is going nowhere.

29. S.F. 49ers 0-1 (15) 
I expected the 49ers to be much improved and maybe even win their division this year.  After taking a drubbing from a Seahawks team that stuggled mightily last year, things aren't looking good.  LB Patrick Willis can make up for a lot of problems, but this team appears to have a few too many.

30. Cleveland Browns 0-1 (29)
Eric Mangini might be one of the dumbest coaches I have seen, and Jake Delhomme still makes the worst decisions in the NFL.  Jake made one of his vintage throws, falling down off of one foot and rifling a sidearm pass directly into the chest of Rhonde Barber of the Bucs, who proceeded to take the easy interception back 64 yards to set up a TD.  The Browns got out to a 14-3 start, but the awful pick was a momentum killer and the Browns found a way to lose.  Why Jerome Harrison doesn't get the ball more is baffling to me, especially after his huge finish to the season last year.

31. Tampy Bay Buccaneers 1-0 (32)
Even though they won their game, I put them behind the team they beat (and almost everyone else) because they looked horrendous, and only won because Delhomme and Mangini are so bad.  I may be too harsh on the Bucs, but they are a huge rival of the Panthers and I hate them.  They were really, really bad whenever I was watching, and only Jake's heroics got them a win.

32. Oakland Raiders 0-1 (20)
What else really needs to be said about this franchise?  Al Davis is nearly brain-dead, and just when you thought the Raiders might be a sleeper team after finishing strong last year, they go out and get absolutely pummeled by the Titans.  McFadden played well, but that's about it.

Recapping the Country Club Sports

BMW Championship

Dustin Johnson

After the 3rd week of the Fed Ex Cup Playoffs, it is becoming apparent that the #1 spot in my power rankings is not a place any professional golfer would want to occupy.  Dustin Johnson held down the #1 spot for the 1st 2 weeks, and while he was in the hunt at the Barclays, he had a rough week in round 2 at the Deutsche Bank.  After dropping him from the top slot for this week's BMW Championship, he responded and left Chicago with his 2nd victory of the season. I knew I was taking a chance putting a relatively inexperienced Jason Day in the one hole this week, but after back to back top 5 finishes, he shot 9 over and finished in a tie for 54th out of 70 players.  I figured since I rated him at the top of the list he probably would drop off a little bit, but I never saw this horrendous week coming.  I feel sorry for the player I rank as the favorite at the Tour Championship, as he clearly has no chance to win the tournament.  My apologies go out in advance to either Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, or Steve Stricker, one of which will be #1 for the final playoff event.  I'm really glad Dustin took down this tournament, as he has been playing great all year long and was definitely due some good breaks.  If not for a few extremely unlucky events, he could have had several more than his 2 wins on the season, including his first major at the PGA Championship.  He handled all his bad fortune with extreme class, especially the debacle at the PGA, and clearly has the mental game to be a multiple major winner.  He has quickly become my favorite player on the tour, and I expect him to be at or near the top of the rankings for years to come.


U.S. Open

When Kim Clijsters had a child a couple of years ago, I figured we weren't likely to see her back competing for major championships ever again, much less this quickly.  She is now 2 for 2 at the U.S. Open since becoming a mother, and her dominating performance in the final showed she's not anywhere close to being finished.  While I'm glad Clijsters saved what was overall a pretty bad tournament for my predictions, I was disappointed not to see my future wife, Caroline Wozniacki on the other side of the net in the final.  Caroline was playing great coming in to her semifinal with Vera Zvonareva, but she showed once again that when she plays the top players, she is vulnerable to the power games they possess.  Wozniacki relies on her consistency, speed, and redirection of pace to defeat opponents, but when she meets players such as Clijsters, the Williams sisters, or Zvonareva, she will often lose if they are on their game.  It's obvious an aggressive player who usually dictates play is much more built to win majors than a defensive grinder, and no one demonstrates this fact better than Wozniacki.

The men's final between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic was rained out today, which was fine by me considering all the other sports options of the day.  I'm sure Djokovic was more than pleased with today's rain in New York, as it gives him an extra day to recover from his epic 5-set victory over Roger Federer in the semis.  Djokovic has shown a tendency to get tight in big matches in the past, but he overcame this reputation by saving a match point against the greatest tennis player of all time and then winning the match 7-5 in the 5th.  It was an amazing match, and while I started the match cheering for Federer, Novak won me over by the end.  It was good to see him finally break through against Roger, who knocked him out the past couple years and has held over him for his whole career.  Nadal-Djokovic has huge implications, as it will result in a 1st time U.S. Open champion, and possibly complete the career Grand Slam for Nadal.  Nadal has yet to drop a set in the tournament, and I can't wait to see if he can add the final piece of hardware to his trophy case tomorrow afternoon.

NFL Season Begins Tonight!!!

The NFL finally kicks off tonight, and I can't be more excited.  The NFL is clearly the best run professional league, and the creation of fantasy football has made this my 2nd favorite sport to watch (behind college basketball).  Here are my preseason power rankings (with schedule slightly factored in), which are sure to change fairly drastically in the middle following the Week 1 games, along with my playoff predictions:

 1. Indianapolis Colts (masters of the regular season)
 2. New Orleans Saints
 3. Green Bay Packers
 4. Baltimore Ravens
 5. N.Y. Jets
 6. Atlanta Falcons (easy schedule)
 7. San Diego Chargers (easy schedule)
 8. Houston Texans
 9. New England Patriots
10. Dallas Cowboys
11. N.Y. Giants
12. Tennessee Titans
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
14. Miami Dolphins
15. S.F. 49ers
16. Cincinnati Bengals
17. Washington Redskins
18. Philadelphia Eagles
19. Minnesota Vikings
20. Oakland Raiders
21. Chicago Bears
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Kansas City Chiefs
25. Detroit Lions
26. Arizona Cardinals
27. St. Louis Rams
28. Buffalo Bills
29. Cleveland Browns
30. Denver Broncos
31. Seattle Seahawks
32. Tampy Bay Buccaneers

NFC PLAYOFFS
1.  New Orleans Saints              NFC TITLE GAME
2. Green Bay Packers                Packers over Saints
3. Dallas Cowboys                    
4. S.F. 49ers
5. Atlanta Falcons
6. N.Y. Giants

AFC PLAYOFFS     
1. Indianapolis Colts                   AFC TITLE GAME
2. Baltimore Ravens                   Colts over Ravens
3. N.Y. Jets
4. S.D. Chargers
5. Houston Texans
6. N.E. Patriots

SUPER BOWL
Peyton Manning leads the Colts back to the Super Bowl, and this time cashes in for his 2nd title.  Aaron Rodgers and the Packers make a great run, and are sure to win a Super Bowl of their own in the next few years.

BMW Championship

Charley Hoffman

My 2nd edition of the power rankings went very well, with my sleeper pick of Charley Hoffman taking down the Deutsche Bank with a final round 62, and 25 or the top 30 making the cut.  Jason Day once again took a lead into the final round, but was overtaken by Hoffman's spectacular 62.  Day has been in contention seemingly every week but just isn't closing the deal.  That said, his consistency puts him atop the top 30 this week in the BMW Championship at Cog Hill.

 1. Jason Day
 2. Steve Stricker
 3. Tiger Woods (needs a great week to stay in the playoffs)
 4. Matt Kuchar
 5. Jim Furyk
 6. Luke Donald
 7. Zach Johnson
 8. Adam Scott
 9. Stewart Cink
10. Phil Mickelson

Jason Day

11. Brandt Snedeker       21. Bubba Watson
12. Dustin Johnson         22. Hunter Mahan
13. Ryan Palmer             23. Rory McIlroy
14. Paul Casey               24. Ernie Els
15. Retief Goosen           25. John Senden
16. Nick Watney              26. Bill Haas
17. Charley Hoffman       27. Kevin Na
18. D.J. Trahan               28. Rickie Fowler
19. J.B. Holmes              29. Martin Laird
20. Michael Sim              30. Bo Van Pelt



Sleepers:  Justin Leonard (59th in the Fed Ex Cup standings) and Jason Dufner (65th) both need great weeks to make it to the Tour Championship, and I expect both to respond and play well.

U.S. Open Update

With the U.S. Open over halfway home, the headlines have been the weather and a continuation of the year of the Spanish.  The heat played a huge part early on, followed by the strong winds after a partial visit by Hurricane Earl.  As I write this 7 of the 8 men's quarterfinalist are set, and and Venus Williams has already made it through to the semifinals on the women's side.  I would have been better off projecting all the top seeds to get to the quarters on the women's side, but several of my darkhorse picks were just barely beaten in tight battles in the round of 16.  My early upset pick of Sam Stosur nearly paid off, but after squeaking out a tight one against unseeded Vesnina in the first round she has since gone on to make the quarters. She is currently in action against Clijsters with a spot in the semis on the line.

I picked with my heart a little on the men's side, projecting Roddick to make the semifinals more because I was hoping he would rather than actual belief.  That will be the last time I use my heart on any projections on here, with the exception of the UNC Tarheels.  The Spaniards have been the story on the men's side, and I'm a little upset I didn't have more belief in a few of them.  The usual "clay court specialists" have really had a great run in New York on the hard courts, and that fact will be duly noted for later projections.  Here are the actual quarterfinals, and my updated picks for both the men and women:

Caroline Wozniaki

Women's Quarterfinals
Caroline Wozniaki (1) v. Dominika Cibulkova
Vera Zvonerava (7) v. Kaia Kanepi (31)
Venus Williams (3) v. Francesca Schiavone (6)
Kim Clijsters (2) v. Samantha Stosur (5)

If you've been reading you know I previously picked Maria Sharapova to beat Caroline Wozniacki, but I couldn't be happier to be wrong.  This girl is absolutely gorgeous, and an unbelievable fighter on the tennis court.  She is often up against an opponent with more power, but her amazing consistency and will to win keep her moving on time and time again.  On top of this, she seems to be a beautiful person on the inside as well, and always appears to be in a great mood.  I think I'm in love, and Caroline if somehow you read this, I'm ready to get married when you are.  That said, I expect Wozniacki to make the finals, and be matched up against either Clijsters (she's in the 3rd set right now against Stosur) or Venus Williams.  I really don't want to change my pick since I had Clijsters winning from the beginning, but Venus has looked strong and will be a very difficult challenge in the semis if Kim can get through her match.  Regardless of who wins that one my allegiances will be with Ms. Wozniacki in the finals, although I think either Williams or Clijsters would be a slight favorite against her.

Roger Federer

 Men's Quarterfinals

Federer (2) v. Soderling (5)
Djokovic (3) v. Monfils (17)
Youzhny (12) v. Wawrinka (25)
Nadal (1)-Lopez (23) v. Verdasco (8)

There aren't any real shockers on the men's side, unless of course Rafael Nadal is upset later tonight.  The only real surprise is the absence of Andy Murray, but he was taken out by a former top 10 player in Stanislas Wawrinka so it really isn't that huge of an upset.  Neither Rafa nor Roger Federer has lost a set, and they appear to be on a collision course to meet in the final.  I'm sure this is the match that everyone wants to see, and I would stick with Federer to win if that's the matchup.  Nadal has a great record against Federer, but since Nadal has yet to win the U.S. Open and Roger has dominated in New York, I'm sticking with the 5-time champ.