The eternal question we will always ask in Week 17 is ”are they going to rest their players?” Coletrain doesn’t think his No. 1 and No. 2 teams are going to go that route. Probably not No. 3, either. But he bids farewell to the 2007 season much of the same way he had been doing it; Miami’s roots stay strong, growing into the No. 32 spot.  

1. Patriots- The Patriots have had the best season in football history at this point. One more game left against the Giants. A bunch of records could be broken against New York Saturday. And you know this team wants them. 

2. Colts- After losing back to back games against the Pats and Bolts, they have reeled off 6 straight victories while their offense has been kicked into high gear again. The biggest decision now: rest players? I think they’ll try to knock Tennessee out now.

3. Cowboys- T.O. will rest the last game of the season, which makes perfect sense. The Boys have nothing else to prove, which is good because they are facing a team that is playing with a vengeance right now.

4. Packers- We found the weakness to the 2007 Green Bay Packers. They can’t beat the Bears. If the Bears were good, that would be a problem. But the Pack Attack won’t be seeing them again. With that loss, Green Bay lost the chance at the #1 seed.

5. Jaguars- Jacksonville is starting to demand attention. They put a merciless beat down on the Raiders to clinch the 5th spot in the AFC. They may be the hottest team in football outside of New England. They have scored at least 24 points for 9 games in a row.

6. Chargers- LT once again rushed for 100+ yards against the dead Broncos as the Chargers have now won 5 straight. And the game next week against Oakland could get ugly quick. They still need Phillips Rivers to be more consistent for them to go deep.

7. Steelers- A win over St. Louis and a Cleveland loss gave Pittsburgh the AFC North. But the loss of Willie Parker put a damper on that note. Without him, the offense could stagger. And if that happens, they are done.

8. Giants- It was all on the ground attack against Buffalo. Manning continued his shaky play but Jacobs & Bradshaw carried the load very well. This is the 3rd year in a row the Giants have made the cut. But they have failed to do much after that.

9. Seahawks- Beating the Ravens these days isn’t impressive, but what is impressive is Shaun Alexander’s running. He looked like his old self Sunday, rushing for 73 yards on 13 carries. Hasselback can’t do it all.

10. Titans- Tennessee has had an up and down season. They have done well as of late, winning 3 out of their last 4. Sure those 3 wins have came against teams that have a record of 14-31, but at least they are winning the games that they should.   

11. Redskins- You have to hand it to this team. After looking like a lost year, they may very well be playoff bound. Just one more win against the Cowboys stands in their way. After losing 4 in a row and losing a teammate, they have won 3 in a row and looked great doing it.

12. Browns- Anderson had an ugly day, throwing 4 interceptions the Browns lost a tough one versus Cincinnati. They no longer can control their future. Either way, it was a great year for a franchise that desperately needed one.  

13. Buccaneers- The Bucs have been inconsistent lately. After blowing out Atlanta, they got upset by San Francisco. But they didn’t play all their players so that’s understandable. The defense is really good but offense has to keep up.

14. Vikings- They were the hottest team in football until they ran into Washington. You know who couldn’t run? Adrian Peterson. He got stuffed behind the line by the Redskins. And without him, the offense staled. Denver will be interesting.

15. Eagles- Philly had had 2 very good games in a row as they try to close the season on a good note. McNabb picked apart the Saints defense. Whether he’ll still be with the Eagles next season is another question. They close the 2007 campaign with Buffalo.

16. Bills- Buffalo got off to a 14-0 lead, but they collapse from there, losing 38-21 to Big Blue. Even though the record doesn’t show it, this team had a really good year considering all the injuries they had to deal with.

17. Lions- Detroit finally stopped the bleeding Sunday, defeating the lost Chiefs 25-20. While the playoffs and 10 wins are now out of the question, .500 is still very possible. T.J. Duckett had maybe his best game of the year.

18. Saints- New Orleans still has a chance at making the playoffs, but it’s slim. The defense has been pretty bad and the offense can be inconsistent. Overall it’s been a disappointing year for the Saints. They just never got over the hump.

19. Cardinals- This team has potential. They have lost a lot of close games this year; the record doesn’t tell the whole story with this team. They needed that FG to beat the Falcons, and the Rams shouldn’t be much tougher.

20. Texans- If the Texans were in an easier division, they would have a better record. Even with a pretty challenging schedule and while playing in maybe the best division in football, they might even out at .500.

21. Bears- Chicago played like it was 2006, completely dominating the Packers in every aspect. The defensive line ate the offense alive and they actually put up points. Their off-season will be very busy.

22. Bengals- The Bengals’ defense was very impressive as they completely shutdown the explosive passing game of the Browns. The defense actually has been very good lately, allowing 10, 20, and 14 points the last 3 weeks. Maybe that can carry over to next season.

23. Panthers- It took the Panthers 3 quarterbacks (Delhomme, Carr, and Testaverde) to get to Matt Moore. The rookie has been very solid so far which makes the QB situation for next season very interesting. Obviously, the addition of Carr didn’t really work out.

24. Broncos- This team seems to be getting worse each week. How’s this for domination? The Chargers have swept the Broncos this season, outscoring them 64-6. That shows you how far behind they are to the division winners.

25. 49ers- They have won 2 games in a row since starting 2-0, but they have also scored 20 points 2 games in a row for the first time this season. Next year they better rebound well, or Nolan could be gone.

26. Raiders- Russell is the future for this team. On paper, the defense looks like it should be very good, just as it was last year. But they haven’t looked right all year. As far as the offense goes, it’s the same old story. They can’t consistently move downfield.

27. Chiefs- For most teams that sink downhill so rapidly, you can point to a moment where it all went wrong and changed everything. For this team, it’s what didn’t happen. They haven’t won a game since before their bye in Week 8.

28. Jets- For the 3rd week in a row, they gave a good team a good fight. They lost to the Browns by 6, the Pats by 10, and the Titans by 4. The big problem with this team has been not getting the big play and giving up the big plays.

29. Rams- The loss to the Steelers wasn’t surprising and another loss to close out the season wouldn’t be either. It’s just been an ugly year for the Rams. Injuries and poor back-ups doomed this team soon after the start of the season.

30. Falcons- The Falcons had maybe the worst year for any organization in all of sports this year. Their star QB goes to jail, the coach quits in the middle of the season, and the team itself is horrid. Nothing went right for this franchise.

31. Ravens- Losing 9 straight is not a bad funk. It’s a total and utter breakdown of every component of your game.  The offense is literary hard to watch. The passing game is the worst in the NFL. They have to find a QB they can stick with.

32. Dolphins- While they may not be playing the worst football right now, they still have the worst record. It started to look bad against the Pats, but they shut them down in the 2nd half. That’s something.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. This is the last edition of The Coletrain Report for the 2007 season. We’re going to try to come with something for him to write in the playoffs. Either way, he can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 16

Week 15

Week 14

Week 13

Week 11

Week 10

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

A few top teams nearly took a hit in Week 13, but Coletrain’s ranking suggest close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades (he’s a master horseshoe player). Top five remains the same, but with the Steelers invading Boston next week, will Week 15 remain the same?

1. Patriots- A win is a win…

2. Cowboys- On Thursday, the Cowboys beat their biggest competition. Romo continued his fantastic season, throwing 4 more TDs. The passing D is struggling but they face no game-changing QBs for the rest of the way. In the playoffs though, that could be a problem.

3. Colts- The Colts won a game they had to win against the tough, gritty Jags. Manning has been giving the ball to Clark and Wayne and they have been getting it in the end zone. They have been able to successfully overcome their surplus of injuries.

4. Packers- Didn’t see the game? You missed a good one. Once Favre was taken out of the game (can’t believe I just said that), Rodgers came in and he put up a fight.  Favre should start again Sunday. Even if he doesn’t, they are facing the Raiders.

5. Jaguars- Garrard threw his first INT in the loss to the Colts. Even so, his team came within 3 of potentially beating Indy. After winning 4 in a row, they played a great game Sunday. It finally seems like the Jaguars are playing consistent football.

6. Steelers- Congrats to Hines Ward for breaking the team record for scoring catches. And congrats to the Steelers for looking like themselves again. The defense was showed up and the pass protection was top notch. Now they face New England. Should be fun.

7. Seahawks- Lofa Tatupu’s 2 INTs in the 1st quarter were the difference as Seattle edged out Philly 28-24. Mike Holmgren has abandoned the rush and let Hasselback do the job. And he has done it very well. The division is theirs.

8. Buccaneers- Congrats to Ronde Barber for breaking the team’s INT record (I know it happened last week but I forgot to mention it). And congrats to the Bucs for sealing the division. And give credit to Luke McCown, who played very well filling in for Garcia. A great season for the Bucs it is.

9. Giants- Eli Manning has had his genius moments and his meltdown moments. Against the Bears in the 4th quarter, he had a brilliant drive to lift New York over Chicago. The Giants have looked shaky but at least they haven’t fallen apart.

10. Browns- A tough loss against the Cardinals was a rough hit. Cleveland turned the ball over 4 times, 3 of those times resulting in an Arizona TD afterwards.  The schedule is forgiving the rest of the way but this is a young team.

11. Chargers- Turner’s crew won a must win in Kansas City. And they played like Marty was still on the sidelines. The combo of LT darting all over the field again (177 yards, 2 TDs) and the D piling up 8 sacks proved to be way too much for the Chiefs.

12. Titans- The Titans kept their playoff hopes alive with Vince Young proven he can actually throw the football. He threw for 248 yards and 2 TDs as the 3 game slide ended. Can he keep that up? He will have to or else this team is going to fall back again.

13. Cardinals- Arizona has had a weird, up and down season. They got back to .500 again with the win over the Browns. If they beat the Seahawks, that will show how great of a job Whisenhunt has done. He may even be deserving of the Coach of the Year.

14. Vikings- The Vikings have life and energy for the first time in a long while. Adrian Peterson returned nicely, running in for 2 scores. And Travis Jackson has started to look ready. They have won 3 in a row while outscoring their opponents 112-49.

15. Bills- Buffalo won a weird game on Sunday over the Redskins. A game that had a weird atmosphere and a very weird ending. Rain Lindell’s leg gave Buffalo the victory as he kicked the winning FG with 4 seconds left. It was a big win for Buffalo to get them even again.

16. Lions- The Lions are finished. After getting thrown around like a rag doll against the Vikings, they have to face the Cowboys (11-1) and the Chargers (7-5) next. Jon Kitna is always on the ground and the defense still can’t stop anyone. The magic has worn off.

17. Eagles- Philly almost beat 2 really good teams in a row. They lost to the Pats by 3 and the Seahawks by 4. They had a shot to win Sunday but the INTs shot this team in the foot. Did you expect A.J. Freely to play great again?

18. Texans- The Texans have a problem giving up big plays. They gave up too many against Tennessee. And it’s a bad problem to have when you’re facing the Bucs, Broncos, Colts, and Jags next. That run defense is also pretty bad.

19. Bears- The Bears can still make the playoffs, but they have to win the remainder of their games to have a shot at doing so. Chicago had a 16-7 lead entering the 4th quarter, but they coughed that up by allowing 14 points to the Giants. That looked like the nail in the coffin.

20. Saints- The Henderson fumble killed the Saints as that lead to the winning drive for the Bucs shortly after. The schedule from here on out is pretty easy as they face 4 teams with a combined record of 19-29. One more run could get them in.

21. Panthers- Carolina looked like a dominant team for the first time this whole season, blowing out the 49ers 31-14. Testaverde looked like his old self, throwing 2 TDs behind a very good defensive show. But this was against the 49ers.

22. Broncos- Man, this defense is now awful. They can’t stop the run for their lives and they give up all the huge plays. Jay Cutler has been getting better, but the Broncos just can’t seem to get on the right page. Next week, they face the Chiefs. That’s good for them.

23. Redskins- The Skins are drained. They lost one of their teammates, 4 games in a row, and their season. The crushing loss against Buffalo stuns even more. But Gibbs continued his wacky coaching, calling for 2 timeouts in a row. He then realized you can’t do that. The Redskins then lost.

24. Raiders- McCown threw 3 TDs as the Raiders won their second in a row. And Justin Fargas continued to play exciting football. The running game is very good. Everything else is either mediocre or really bad. But they have close to no shot to getting another victory this year.

25. Bengals- The Bengals hammered the Titans but then got shut down for the most part against the Steel Curtain. The Bengals looked like they had a shot for a little while, but the Steelers closed the door not long after. The rest of their games should be extremely easy, so .500 is still very possible.

26. Chiefs- Thud! That’s the sound of the Chiefs falling. Hard. The offense is just so bad. Kolby Smith brought some new blood in the running game for a while, but even he can’t lift this lifeless offense. They have now lost 5 in a row.

27. Ravens– A gutty performance for naught in their self-proclaimed “Super Bowl” loss against the Patriots. Was a timeout called? Was that a false start? Honestly, yes. The officiating probably wasn’t handled as smoothly as the league would have liked, but they made the calls they should have; in particular, the second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on LB Bart Scott, who now holds the most hilarious moment of the year when he chucked a penalty flag 20 rows into the stands. That’ll cost him 15 large.

28. Rams- The Rams almost blew another game but they held on against Atlanta. And they won without Marc Bulger. The defense is getting a lot better. The offense is still a huge question mark in every drive. Should be a high scoring shootout against Cincinnati next week.  

29. Jets- The Jets have scored over 30 only once this season. Against the Dolphins on Sunday, they scored 40 points. This game wasn’t so much the Jets being really good as it was the Dolphins being laughably bad. But it’s a win.

30. 49ers- Their first week under a new offensive coordinator, they scored 37 points. The 2nd week wasn’t as successful. They only put up 14 against the Panthers. No matter who they get as the coordinator, the offense is still going to be putrid.

31. Falcons- After winning 2 in a row, they have lost 3 in a row and have looked like the team that started the season. A disorganized, dull group of players. The passing D is respectable but that’s the only bright spot.

32. Dolphins- The Dolphins have now lost 15 games in a row dating back to last year. After getting blown out by the team that they had the best chance to beat, there’s not much you can say. The collective record of everyone they have left to face (not including the Pats because we all know it’s impossible for the Dolphins to beat the Pats) is 14-21.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 13

Week 11

Week 10

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

DHS finally realized they had been labeling the weeks wrong. Other than that, there’s no significant change at the top of Coletrain’s Power Rankings. Even the bottom stayed the same, despite a close game with this site’s namesake.  

1. Patriots- The Patriots became the first team to clinch a playoff spot Sunday. Even so, the slim win vs. the Eagles showed us they are not perfect. Their defense can get sluggish and you can beat them under coverage. With that said, they are still 11-0.

2. Cowboys- After blowing the doors off the Jets, they look ready for the big showdown vs. Green Bay. The Boys have more firepower on offense, without question. It will be interesting how they contain Favre. Holding the Jets to 3 points is not a big deal, but almost letting the dull Redskins’ offense come back in Week 11 makes you think.

3. Packers- It looks like they may finally have a starting RB in Grant, who has been impressive the past few weeks. They need a running game to go deep. Speaking of going deep, it seems like Brett Favre is getting better as the season progresses. Scary stuff with the defense they have.

4. Colts- Sometime in the 2nd quarter on Turkey Day, they were down 13-0 to the Falcons. Doing their best efforts to avoid a huge bump in the road, they then scored 31 unanswered points. Even with all these injuries, this team still has the explosiveness when needed.

5. Jaguars- They are still only 1 game behind the Colts and they keep staying quiet. Garrard has yet to throw an INT, the defense is incredibly stringy, and their schedule is mostly easy. If they can beat the Colts or Steelers, keep your eye on them.

6. Buccaneers- With a 2 game lead in one of the weakest divisions in football, a win over the Saints will be the nail in the coffin. They are very similar to the Jags. They have a better defense and Jeff Garcia has been perfect with the type of offense Gurden has been running.

7. Seahawks- They’re one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now, winning 3 in a row. They are solid in most areas and they have a veteran club. They don’t face another team over .500 for the rest of the season. And being in the worst division in football (record of Cardinals, 49ers, and Rams=10-23) doesn’t hurt either.

8. Steelers - The special team unit is mediocre at best. That’s the only glaring weakness of this usually solid group.  Big Ben is a heavy risk-taker, but it usually pays off. As long as it doesn’t rain on the Sunday of home games the rest of the way, they have a good chance to holding off Cleveland to win the division.

9. Browns- Cleveland has been getting more and more convincing each weak. Give credit to Romeo Crennel. He has transformed the look of this team. They have won 4 out of their last 5; the one loss was by 3 points to the Steel Curtain. A wild card spot looks sealed up.

10. Giants- The most unreliable team in the NFL once again shows their extremely inconsistent ways, getting hammered by the tied for last Vikings. Eli Manning is a mirror image of the team. 16 TDs and 15 INTs is not good enough. Not even close.

11. Chargers- The rollercoaster that is the San Diego Chargers under Norv Turner reached another peak Sunday, getting over .500 for the 2nd time this season.  Give them credit for scoring 32 against the Ravens. Of course, the Ravens are the coldest team in football.

12. Lions- The Lions have been doing what many thought they would do in the 2nd half, fall apart. The reason? The main reason is that schedule.
Combined records of teams faced in first 8 weeks=35-42. Their record=6-2
Combined records of teams facing/coming up in next 8 weeks=47-30. So far they are 0-3 in the 2nd half. Not looking good.

13. Titans- Another team that was once 6-2 and now is 6-5. But they are losing to less dominant opponents. The horrible passing game might finally be catching up to them. The division is out of the question, but a WC spot is possible. More points are needed.

14. Eagles- They won 2 in a row and then they almost made the upset of the century with a once 3rd string QB. That game showed this team has the talent when they are all on the same page. Too bad they now face 3 good to great teams in a row.

15. Vikings- They have won back to back games and can still make the playoffs. It’s a slim possibility but it’s not impossible. If they had a Jeff Garcia type QB, one who would limit mistakes, this team would be better. But they have to ram the ball because they virtually have no passing game.

16. Redskins- The loss of Sean Taylor is not something this franchise is going to get over any time soon. Playoffs this year? With that looming over their heads, not to mention the loss of such a dominating player, there’s no post-season in D.C.

17. Texans- Houston appeared to be out of their funk before running into the hot Cleveland Browns, ending their little 2 game winning streak. The rest of there games could be pretty tough, excluding maybe the Broncos. Even they have the ability to surprise people.

18. Bears- It was the meeting of 2 teams that have been all over the place Sunday, as the Bears edged the Broncos by 3 in overtime. What’s amazing is the defense is now one of the worst in the NFL.  The revolving door at QB isn’t helping either. What’s the future of this team?

19. Saints- Trying to avoid their second losing streak of at least 3 games Sunday, they picked apart the Panthers D. When they lost 4, they won their next 4. So since they just lost 2 and won yesterday, they should also win next week if the pattern keeps up. Maybe…

20. Bills- The Bills have fallen fast, been risen up quicker, and now falling even faster than before. They have been embarrassed the past 2 games, being outscored 92-24. With that said, those 2 teams were the Patriots and Jaguars.

21. Broncos- The Broncos have had flashes of brilliance (beating the Steelers) and flashes of total meltdowns (losing to the Chargers 41-3 at home). On Sunday, it was a little bit of everything as they came very close to getting over .500 for the first time since Week 3. Jay Cutler is getting better, which is a great sign for the franchise.

22. Cardinals- Just when you think this young team can take off, they give up 37 points to a team that has the offense of drunken kangaroos. Kurt Warner isn’t doing bad, it’s just he doesn’t have a ton to work with and the defense is a flip of the coin every game.

23. Bengals- The Bengals have won 2 out of their last 3 and their defense is slowly improving. With the schedule being pretty easy the rest of the way, they have a shot at getting at least close to .500. They have the talent to make a run. A big run should also save Lewis’ job.

24. Chiefs- The offense is pitiful and the defense is now not good enough. This team is shot. The loss to Oakland Sunday was the kicker. The lack of a good QB and an extremely disappointing running game has finally taken their number.

25. Ravens- The Ravens are currently on a 5 game losing streak. This is the first time ever in franchise history they have lost 5 in a row. What’s even worse is the only week it looks like they could pull out a win is Week 15 against the Dolphins. They are too old with very little offense.

26. Panthers- This team is now officially horrible. Not only have they also lost 5 in a row, they have done so in humiliating fashion. They have been outscored 133-50 during their 5 game implosion. The defense has looked lost and the offense is completely broken.

27. 49ers -  San Francisco scored more than 20 points for the first time this season on Sunday. And against Carolina next week, they could also win back to back games for the first time since the first 2 weeks of the season. When they were somewhat mediocre.

28. Raiders- The win against the Chiefs Sunday was the first time they beat someone in their division in 3 years. They also ended a 6 game skid. They better win next week, because they aren’t beating the Colts, Jaguars, or Steelers. Oh…and please put Russell in already.

29. Falcons- The Falcons got a good start against the Colts. But it didn’t end well. Joey Harrington wasn’t terrible but the running game once again did nothing to contribute. And Manning decimated the Falcons secondary.

30. Jets- Could the Jets pull off 2 colossal upsets in a row? The answer came quickly. It was a no as they couldn’t even get to mid field against the Cowboys. Kellen Clemens still looks pretty good though. Thomas Jones continues his disappointing year. He still doesn’t have a TD.

31. Rams- Even if they lost to the Seahawks, they made it a game. That and the 2 wins before that game have shown that the Rams still have the talent and potential to be an interesting team. Too bad it’s far too late to be a factor. Spoiling is always fun though.

32. Dolphins – They finally made the move to Beck, but he didn’t help much.Not that any QB would have been successful with that slop around him.  How can he with this cast around him? The Dolphins have a pretty good passing D. But they are a disgrace to the franchise in every other aspect of the game.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 11

Week 10

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

Coletrain, a Long Island native and quiet Jets fan, has bit his tongue most of this week. After Pittsburgh’s embarrassing loss on Sunday, he’s wise to do so. He does drop the Steelers accordingly, though, and we have a new No. 2 on the Coletrain Report.  

1. Patriots - They will never stop. They are relentless. They keep coming. They are like a runaway train, in that they cannot be stopped. There may very well not be a more complete team as them. Ever. 

2. Cowboys - After winning everyone in their tough division three weeks in a row, they are clearly the powerhouse of the NFC. Besides of November 29 game vs. the Pack Attack, its smooth sailing from here. At least it should be.

3. Colts - There are two sides to this team and its record. One is Peyton is struggling, they have lost 2 out of their last 3, and they barely beat Kansas City in Indy. The other point of view is they have been infected by the injury bug, they haven’t been blown out once, and they play in the AFC. I’m with the latter, which is why they are still ahead of the Packers.

4. Packers - Yes, Favre is playing great and the defense is great, but this team isn’t a powerhouse. Of all the teams they have beat, they have a combined record of 42-47. The only team they have beat with an above .500 record was the Giants, and they themselves aren’t good against QBs like Favre.  

5. Jaguars - This team is a very good team. They lose Garrard, yet still manage to go 2-1. Then on Sunday, they beat the Chargers who were rolling. They have one of the best running attacks in the NFL and the defense is nasty. Don’t sleep on this team.

6. Steelers - This team has not looked good the last few weeks. They barely cough up a huge game against the Browns, and then they get shocked by the 2-8 New York Jets. The kryptonite for this team is the special teams, which is pretty awful. They only have a 1 game lead now.  

7. Giants - They needed a win against Detroit to stop the 2nd half collapse talk (for now) and they got it done; only allowing 10 points. Their schedule is super easy up until Week 17, facing no teams over .500. The perfect time to bulk up.

8. Browns - A crazy game and a wacky FG brought them now within 1 game in the division. And they face teams for the rest of the season that have a collective record of 22-38, with the defenses of all those teams ranking on AVG 22nd out of 32 teams. For this offense, that has to look good. 

9. Seahawks - Another team that has looked very good lately with an extremely easy schedule. The offense is really good, even with Alexander not on the top of his game. The defense isn’t great, but it’s good enough for this team in that division. 

10. Buccaneers - They beat the Falcons, who were a pretty hot team, in impressive fashion. Their defense is one of the best units in the NFL and the QB makes very little mistakes. This is a tough team that is a lot more consistent then anyone else in the NFC South.  

11. Titans - Not to ignore Monday’s 34-20 loss at Denver, their defense has been tough overall. The offense keeps getting worse and worse. Even with the running game moving the football, they need Vince Young to pick up the pace.

12. Lions - This team seems to be on the decline. Kitna has been losing his magic and defense never had any magic. Same thing goes for the running game, which is notorious. They have lost 2 in a row and the schedule is killer from here on out. 

13. Cardinals - After losing 3 in a row and looking dead, they have risen and are right back in the playoff picture. The offense seems to get just enough points and the defense is one of the best in the NFC. This is a sleeper team if I have ever seen one.

14. Bills - They did what everyone expected they would do Sunday night: They got obliterated by the Pats. That’s not a surprise. What is a surprise is the fact that they are still at .500. But at the same time, this team has no strong aspect. Next they face Jaguars. The Bills might fade away fast. 

15. Texans - They won 2, lost 2, won 1, lost 3, now they won their last 2. The inconsistency of this team mirrors that of its QB: Matt Schaub.  Having Andre Johnson back will help this team in a monstrous way. Matt needed him back.  

16. Chargers - This team should have lost 3 games in a row but that kicker for the Colts bailed them out last week. They fell right back to .500 in the loss to the Jaguars. Every time it seems like they are ready for take off, they have enough circuit failure.  

17. Broncos - The big strength with this group is their passing D, which is in the top 10. The big weakness with this team is the running D, which is in the bottom 5. Hard team to predict, especially when they go out and put for long scores on Tennessee.

18. Eagles - They have won two in a row, and are still alive in the overall weak NFC. Their schedule is pretty challenging but this team has the talent to make a big run for a WC spot. Holding the Dolphins to 7 points is nothing to brag about, but their defense is a pretty solid unit. 

19. Redskins - The Skins has been on the losing end 3 times the past 4 weeks. Granted, those 3 losses have been to the Pats, Eagles, and the Cowboys. But they almost lost to the Jets, which would have been inexcusable. Not only is the offense pretty dull, but the defense seems to running out of gas.

20. Vikings - Besides of the 34-0 embarrassment against the Packers, they have played pretty well lately. The can stop the run maybe better then any other team not only in the NCF, but in the whole NFL. But since Peterson is out, nothing else jumps out at anyone. 

21. Bears - Grossman is in, then he’s out, now he’s in again. At least for Sunday. This team now has nothing to fall back on, like they had with the shut-down defense last year. The defense has been disappointing and the offense is sleepwalking. 

22. Saints - New Orleans is a little like the Chargers. They look like they are back, but they fall back to mediocrity again. Only this team has been worse. They gave the Rams their first win and then they lose their 2nd in row to Houston. This whole team is inconsistent. 

23. Chiefs - Herm Edwards’ influence on this team is showing. The defense is good, but the offense is shot. The running game is the worst in the NFL this side of the Lions and they have no QB for the future. Their schedule is torture for the rest of the way.  

24. Ravens - It may be time for a rebuilding project. The offense is bad and the defense sure as heck can’t pick it up. The loss against the Browns was a tough one. The combined record of the teams they face for the rest of the way are 36-24. With the only easy game against Miami. 

25. Panthers - The Panthers are another team that has lost 4 in a row (other being the Ravens) but the Panthers have done it in a more horrible fashion. They have been outscored 102-44 during this pitiful stretch. The defense is good, when it faces bad offenses. 

26. Bengals - More of the same from this team. They score in bunches and they give up points non-stop. But the Titans could be a good match-up because Young can’t throw the ball and the Bengals could break through that defense.

27. Falcons - This team was putting together a good run until getting blown away by the Bucs. The defense is the big upside. It’s played very solid football. But the offense is still ugly and they have no big players.

28. Jets - The upset over the Steelers moved them up. Most of the games involving this team are very close, which is a good thing because most of those games are losses and it shows they at least are competitive. Clemens has shown he’s the future.  

29. Rams - The Rams have won 2 in a row and have shown some signs of being awake. It’s way too late for them to make a run, but they could be the best spoiler out their as we near the end. The defense has been very good the past 2 weeks. 

30. Raiders - After Week 4, they were 2-2 and showing promise. But they have completely fallen off the radar. The passing game is now worse than it’s ever been so far this season and they can’t stop any running back. Their best shot for another win this season is the Chiefs.  

31. 49ers - What happened to this team? They started out 2-0, everything was looking promising, and they looked like serious contenders. But something went horribly wrong and now they are on a whopping 8 game skid. The offense is pathetic and the defense isn’t helping the way it was expected to. 

32. Miami - The complete opposite of the Patriots, they are getting blown-out, choking in the clutch, and losing just every way it is possible to in the game of football. Their next loss: They are winning by 1, 5 seconds left; locusts come out of the ground and engulf the whole stadium, a Dolphin player sees the ball on the ground, runs it into the end zone. The wrong end zone. You heard it here first.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 10

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3
 

Coletrain ditched the regular music this week, in favor of the classic movie “Trading Places.” Who are this week’s Billy Ray Valentines, and who are the Louis Winthorpe III? Obviously, Bob Kraft and Bill Belichick are Randolph and Mortimer Duke. Just kidding. Sort of. At the end of 10 weeks, here is how Coletrain sees the league from top to bottom.

1. Patriots - after a tough win against the Colts, the bye week is just what they need to prepare for the run to perfection. The combined record of the teams left for them to face is 26-38. And by the way it looks, Belichick won’t rest his players.

2. Colts - This shows you how good the Colts are. They get hammered by injuries, Manning had the worst game of his career, and they’re facing a hot team with tons of firepower. Yet they only lose by a missed 29 yard FG. The loss doesn’t take much away from them.

3. Cowboys - The Boys are very close to closing out the division. They have looked far superior to their division rivals, with only the Redskins left to beat. With the best offense besides of the Pats and a tough defense, this is the best team in the NFC.  

4. Packers - On Sunday, they finally had a running game. Whether they can keep that up or not is the question. If they can find a running game, than this team would be great all the way around. The match-up against Dallas on November 29th will be very revealing.

5. Steelers - The Steelers almost lost a game that would have been a massive upset. But because of Mr. Roethlisberger, the Steelers were able to edge out the win. The schedule is super easy for the next 3 weeks, facing teams with an average win percentage of .148. The division is theirs.

6. Titans - Vince Young continues to fail at throwing the pigskin. If it wasn’t for his wheels, he wouldn’t be the QB. The defense was a letdown against the Jags, but it’s still an extremely solid group. But without a passing game, this team won’t overcome the Colts.

7. Jaguars - Give this team credit. They got a tough win against a very good team with their starting QB out. The running game is good enough to carry the offense for a little while. The defense is erratic at times, but it usually gets the job done.

8. Giants - The Giants just can’t perform in the big game. Against teams that are over .500, they are 1-3. When looking at their six victories, the combined records of those teams they beat are 15-38. Only the Skins are above .500. And Eli Manning is way too inconsistent. 

9. Lions - They’ve got the Giants next, and the Lions appear ready for a collapse. Out of the next six teams they face, four have winning records. Add the fact that the offense is slowing down. The defense is gradually improving, which is a good sign.

10. Bills - the Buffalo Bills, the team that started out 1-4 and rattled by injuries, have now won four in a row to put them over .500. Even though they will most likely lose against the Pats, this team has made a remarkable comeback. They have a shot at the playoffs.

11. Chargers - So what if they almost blew a 23-0 lead? They still beat the Colts, which is a big accomplishment. This team has shown flashes of last year’s brilliance, then falls back into the rut they’ve seen too often this year. The same thing can be said for Phillip Rivers.

12. Browns - They almost beat the Steelers. Derek Anderson now has 20 TDs. And next they face the Ravens, who can’t score in practice. With that said, they still have the worst defense in the NFL. With the schedule being very kind to them now, they have a real shot at 9-7. 

13. Buccaneers - The only good teams they face from now are the Redskins and maybe the Saints. Drew Brees is the only QB that might give them trouble because this team has a great passing D. And the loss of Cadillac Williams doesn’t seem to hurting them that much.  

14. Redskins - One thing the Redskins have going for them: If their pattern of inconsistently continues, they should win over the Cowboys. But that won’t be easy. This team has a good running game but everything else is really unpredictable. They have never looked dominant at all.

15. Seahawks - They will most likely win a horrible division and even that isn’t automatic. This will help: every team they face for the rest of the season is under .500. That and they have the most talent of any team in the NFC West. They beat a brutal San Francisco team Monday night.

16. Eagles - This team has to have a lot on their mind. With Andy Reid’s family problems and them being stuck in last place, it’s just been an ugly year. But the win against the Redskins was huge and next they face Miami. The Wild Card is not out of the question yet.

17. Bears - They beat the Raiders. Hey, that’s something. The trade of Thomas Jones continues to kill this team, as Cedric Benson has been a bust as a starting back. The defense has had its moments, but they don’t last long. This team just has fallen so hard, so fast.

18. Cardinals - They’re in the playoff picture. This team has a very underrated defense and Edgerrin James has been better than last year. But it seems like this team has a hard time getting on the right page. If they get on a good run, they could win the division.

19. Saints - Just when you think the Saints are ready to really take off, the defense disappears and they give the Rams their first win. Even though the Rams were due, the Saints were the hottest team in football coming into that game. Drew Brees has been playing well again.

20. Broncos - It hasn’t been the type of year the Broncos were expecting. With inconsistency and a truck load of injuries, they just aren’t good. But their schedule does get easier. Jay Cutler has been disappointing. He’s not looked like a franchise QB. 

21. Chiefs - This team has been doing it with smoke and mirrors all season. The offensive line is bad, Haurd has been worse, and the running game is notorious. The defense is actually respectable but not good enough to pick this team up.

22. Ravens - The defense isn’t what it used to be. It’s old and nowhere near as intimidating. The offense is abominable. When you only score 7 points against the Bengals’ D, you know something is not right. Steve McNair looks like he is finished. 

23. Texans - Looking at the rest of their games, it wouldn’t shock me if they lost all of them. Their schedule is very tough. Add the fact they are in quite possibly the toughest division in the NFL and you come to the conclusion that they are done.

24. Falcons - The Falcons have won back-to-back games and they have a pretty good defense. Yes, they are still 3-6. But they have played a lot better than the next team, even though the next team has a better record.

25. Panthers - This team has taken a sharp dive down. They have lost 3 in a row and looked lifeless doing it.  The offense is now terrible and they have a hard time stopping the run. Vinnie Testaverde has done what he was expected to do: not much.

26. Bengals - The win against Baltimore was probably more the result of the Ravens falling apart, but the Bengals still put up 21 points against a defense that is still good. If it wasn’t for Carson Palmer, this team would be so bad…

27. Vikings - Stat wise, they have the best rookie/running back in the NFL. But even that couldn’t help them against the Packers, as they were shut out 34-0. This team can run and stop the run. But they are awful at passing and stopping the pass.

28. 49ers - This team is allergic to the end zone. They just can’t put points up. They have been outscored 184-104 throughout the whole season so far and the most points they put up in one game was 20 against Arizona. That was Week 1.

29. Raiders - Now is the time to go to JaMarcus Russell. You’ve lost 5 in a row, your other QBs have not gotten the job done, and the schedule only gets harder from here. Now is the time to put your #1 pick in. He’s the only thing you have now.

30. Rams - This team had too much talent not to win a game. And they finally did against New Orleans. They looked good too.  Marc Bulger had by far his best game and the defense was good for the most part (until the 4th quarter). That shouldn’t be the only win they get.

31. Jets - They have finally put Kellen Clemens in and he has looked pretty good. Defiantly better than Pennington, that’s for sure. But the defense is pretty horrid. That’s not a good thing when you have Pittsburgh, Dallas, Cleveland, New England, and Tennessee coming up. 

32. Dolphins - The nightmare that is the 2007 season continues for the Dolphins as they are now 0-9. They somehow, someway lost to Buffalo even with entering the 4th quarter with a 10-2 lead. This team could seriously go 0-16. Imagine if the Pats go 16-0 and the Dolphins go 0-16. Don Shula must have a hard time sleeping.  

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 9

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

Going into Week 10, the cream of the NFL rises away from Miami and St. Louis…according to Coletrain, that is. He’s got an NFC-heavy top 10, but if you think about it, that’s probably the case.  

1. Patriots - The schedule only gets easier from here. By coming back from a 20-10 deficient in the 4th quarter against the Colts to win, they have cemented themselves as the team to beat in the NFL.

2. Colts - by almost beating the Pats and putting a fight to the end, they have cemented themselves as the 2nd best team in the NFL. The Colts have become more of a conservative team, while the Pats have become more like the Colts of the past.

3. Cowboys - Romo has been getting most of the credit, but Marion Barber is quietly having an incredible season. He is gaining 5.4 yards a carry thus far. As you can see, the offense is an efficient machine. The defense isn’t bad either.

4. Packers - That bye week must have really helped them a lot. After winning an exciting battle in Denver, they win another tough game in Kansas City by scoring 20 in the 4th quarter. But the next one against the Vikings has “Trap Game” written all over it.

5. Steelers - Willie Parker has been one of the few great workhorse backs this year. The offense wouldn’t be the same without him. And that defense is excellent.

6. Lions - This team is blowing every defense out of the water right now. In their 6 wins, they have murdered their opponents, putting 173 points on the board. The dull defense doesn’t seem to be hurting them that much.

7. Titans - Vince Young has thrown almost 3 times the amount of INTs than TDs. Yet, this team is one game behind the Colts in the AFC South. The great defense and the solid running back combo of LenDale White/Chris Brown have carried the team.

8. Giants -  A bye week could be just the thing they need after the long trip to London. They will need extra preparation for the ‘Boys. If the defense keeps up their play, they have a shot at keeping that offense under control.

9. Redskins - The offensive needs will have to be settled is they want to make/go deep into the playoffs. The defense may not be enough. They needed that win against the Jets in the worst way.

10. Buccaneers - This team isn’t sexy or flashy, but they are fun to watch. While besides of the defense nothing stands out. But they are still being competitive in every aspects of the game. They are playing clean football.

11. Saints - The Saints just blew the doors off that great Jaguars’ defense. This team is on a scary roll, winning 4 in a row and looking great doing it. But the record of the teams they have faced during this streak is 13-19 and none have a defense in the top 15.

12. Browns - After beating the Seahawks in overtime, I have to put them this high. They have just been playing great, exciting football. They continue to rack up points on the board and make the big plays. The Steelers will be tough.

13. Jaguars - They had a chance to move neck-and-neck with Tennessee, but the beating they took at the hands of the Saints shows this team is moving down, not up.  

14. Ravens - The offense is incredibly bland. Even the defense isn’t as scary as it once was. If they can beat the Steelers, than that will show you they still has something left.

15. Seahawks - A tough loss to the Browns pulls them back to .500. The passing D has been pretty bad and Alexander has yet to really get going, But having all their receivers back is a plus.

16. Chiefs - The offense is dead. But all the teams they have lost to have pretty good to very good defense. Then again, the teams that they have beaten have a combined record of 11-21. Then again, they are tied for first in the AFC West.

17. Chargers - After winning 3 in a row and looking dominant doing it, they stumble big time. A shocking loss to the Vikings in which their run D imploded at the hands of Adrian Peterson (more on him later). Next they face the Colts. That doesn’t look good.

18. Bills - For a team that had the worst start to a season ever, they have rebounded in excellent fashion. While facing bad teams, they have played really good football and the defense is improving every week.

19. Panthers - This team is very close to fallen apart. The only thing holding it together is the running game. This is an injury filled team that has no big weapon. And basically no air attack.

20. Cardinals - The offense is killing this team. They have been outscored 63-39 over the past 3 games. The great passing D can only do so much. And next they face the Lions, who have an explosive passing game.

21. Eagles - This team is 3-5, but the schedule has not been kind to them. The combined record of the teams they have lost to is 28-12, with the Bears being the only team having a losing record. But the division and their playoff hopes appear to be slipping away very fast.

22. Texans - This team has a good defense, but the offense is very inconsistent. But the rest of their schedule is pretty easy so they could rebound from their recent struggles.

23. Vikings - Adrian Peterson has been virtually unstoppable. He has been like a runaway train. You can’t stop him. He broke the single game rushing record (296 yards), he is averaging 6.6 yards a carry, and he has 8 TDs. This is a rookie, remember that. Other than that, nothing much for the Vikings.

24. Bears - This team just looks broken. They can’t get on any roll or streak whatsoever. It’s been: Loss, Win, Loss, Loss, Win, Loss, Win, and Loss. The bye week should at least help this team get somewhat organized. Griese hasn’t been too great.

25. Broncos - When this team wins, they barely win. They have not won by more than 3 points this whole season yet. When they lose, they get obliterated. They have been creamed 155-57 in their losses. This is not a good football team.

26. Falcons - This team is pretty bad, but not awful. Their defense is respectable. The offense is sad but the defense has been doing a pretty good job at keeping this team in games. They have a real shot against the Panthers next week.

27. Raiders - at the start of the year, the offense was good and the defense was bad. Now, the offense is bad and the defense is good. If the team could get on the same page, the Raiders could be around .500 right now. They have stayed in all their games, which is a great sign.

28. 49ers - The worst offense in the NFL belongs to this team. The QB position is a complete mess and the running game has been a gigantic letdown. The defense isn’t bad, but with this offense it doesn’t matter how good your defense is.

29. Bengals - Not only does this team have a terrible defense, character issues, and a non-existent running game, but now even the passing game is cooling down.

30. Jets - This team did what they’ve been doing all year n Sunday, blowing another lead late to drop their record to 1-8. They can’t stop the run and the defense has periods of complete meltdowns. Hey, at least you’ll get good draft picks now.

31. Rams - Will the bye week make a difference? Probably not. They face one of the hottest teams in football, The Saints, on Sunday. What happened to this team? Even with their players back, they still can’t get anything going.

32. Dolphins - Even in London, the outcome is the same. Doesn’t matter where they play. This team just sucks. Plain and simple. This franchise has to make a decision on where to go. Can only get better from here.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 8

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

Coletrain can sympathize with the Steelers’ recent history. A big Yankees guy, Girardi is in, Donny Baseball is out (flashes of Grimm-enhunt), and the Red Sox are World Champions. I just threw up a little in my mouth. Anyway, the Rankings must go on…Legs Coletrain is a professional. Sort of.

Written by Coletrain

1. Patriots - Who comes up passing on 4th down up 38 points? Those crazy Pats, of course. No matter if you love them or hate them, they are steamrolling over everybody. The Colts are the only team that has a chance at beating them. Only a chance.

2. Colts - The offense hasn’t really taken off yet, which is scary considering this team scores points at will. It’s really amazing how better the defense is with Bob Sanders. He makes the whole unit play better football.

3. Cowboys - If any stretch is going to make or break their season, this is it. They face the Eagles, Giants, and Redskins the next three weeks. Even though they have won their last 2 out of 3, they haven’t looked that great doing it.

4. Steelers - the Steelers further displayed their scary defense against the Bengals, allowing only 13 points to a very explosive offense. The next 5 weeks should be when they run away with the division, facing teams that are either inconsistent or just plain bad.

5. Packers - They did what the Steelers couldn’t - get a win in Denver (19-13 in OT). This year could be the complete opposite of last year. Last year, they started off bad but got extremely hot to end the season. This year, it seems they have been cooling down after a hot start.

6. Giants - Guess what? The defense that was laughably bad the first two games are now scary good. The big reason why they have now won 6 in a row. And having Brandon Jacobs in your backfield doesn’t hurt either.

7. Titans - My God, Vince Young has been horrible throwing the football. Even so, he’s still a game changer. The defense is the reason why this team is 5-2. That and the running game has been a huge plus.

8. Jaguars - This team never fails to be overlooked. Garrard being out is a huge problem but the running game and the solid defense will keep this tough team in games. The win against the Bucs had to feel good.

9. Lions - The Lions are 5-2, people. Even without any defense. Holding the Bears to seven points isn’t a huge feat, but it’s a start. Both their losses have come from 2 NFC East teams (Eagles and Redskins). So if it keeps going like that, the Lions will go 12-4.

10. Chargers - They’re back! Those Chargers have looked scary again, outscoring their opponents 104-27 in the last three weeks. Granted, the combined records of those three teams (Broncos, Raiders, and Texans) are 8-13, but it’s still impressive.

11. Redskins - The defense has been great, not counting the 52-7 beat down. But that was against the Pats, so it’s not that horrible. Still bad though. If the defense doesn’t show up for this team anymore, they are in trouble because they have no offense.

12. Seahawks - This team has been struggling with the running game. But Shaun Alexander has to turn it on sometime, doesn’t he? He better, if the Seahawks want to go far into the playoffs. One thing to look forward to is their schedule, which should be a cakewalk.

13. Buccaneers - This team is 4-4, but you have to look beyond the record. The combined record of teams they lost to (Seahawks, Colts, Lions, and Jaguars) is 21-7. And the loss against the Jaguars was only by a point. This is a solid football team.

14. Ravens - This team should have a much better record. The first half of their schedule had 5-2 or 6-1 written all over it, but instead they are 4-3 and trying to stay in the playoff hunt. This team has been far too inconsistent so far. Now they face the Steel Curtain.

15. Panthers - They lost to the Colts, but it’s not like that’s a shocker. The QB position is now a mess. Vinny Testaverde can still throw, but he is not a starting QB anymore. If the running game cools off, then so will the team.

16. Browns - Yes, you are reading this right. The Browns are this high. Derek Anderson continues to fly under everyone’s radar. He is 2nd in the league in TD passes, throwing 17 this year already.   Even with having the worst defense in the NFL, they are playing some exiting football.

17. Chiefs - Yes, the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson has been fantastic this year, but let’s not forget about the boost WR Dwayne Bowe has given Kansas City’s Larry-Johnsoned offense. The rookie is top 10 in the league in receiving yards for the surprising division-leading Chiefs.

18. Broncos - The huge win against the Steelers had to boost their confidence,  especially since this team has had a lot on its mind.  They just fell short of replicating it against Green Bay. Jay Cutler has to be so happy he has this running game to work with.

19. Cardinals - The Cards have to bank on Kurt Warner bringing stability to the QB job. If he doesn’t, they’re in deep trouble. Edgerrin James has been moving the ground attack and the pass D is really good. Tampa Bay will be a tough test.

20. Eagles - QBs have been pretty successful against this team. Except for the Vikings, of course. It seems they can’t get the big play at the big moment. If they lose to the ‘Boys and ‘Skins the next two weeks, their division hopes are all but lost.

21. Saints - The Saints have won three in a row now, against one good team and two not so good teams. The offense has been slowly getting back on track and the defense has been average. But if the offense somehow goes back to the way it was last year, they could very well still win this division.

22. Bears - Quite the fall from grace. The Bears are battling injuries all over the field, and sitting at 3-5. This makes Week 8’s showdown with the Raiders crucial if they want to stay on life support in the NFC North.

23. Texans - This shallow team has basically fallen out of it now. At least it has seemed that way. They have lost 3 games in a row. Two by blowouts and one to a team that was missing their starting QB. Matt Schaub has fallen very fast and they have no running game to fall back on.

24. Bills - This team is showing a lot of fire. You can see it in their play. After upsetting the Ravens and holding the Jets to 3 points, they are actually mediocre now, not terrible. Trent Edwards has had his good moments and his bad moments.

25. Bengals - If it wasn’t for Cleveland, this team would have the worst defense in the NFL. Actually, this team and the Browns are very similar. They even play in the same division. And exist in the same state….anyway, the only difference is that the Browns can offset their defense shortcomings with their offense and clean play. The Bengals, on the other hand, can not.

26. 49ers - It looks like we have found the most overrated team coming into the 2007 NFL season. The offense sucks on ice, and even the defense has been disappointing. This team just looks broken. They have a chance against the Falcons.

27. Raiders - Daunte Culpepper started off very fresh but he has stumbled lately. And Josh McCown isn’t an MVP himself. The defense has actually been very good all of the sudden but the offense has cooled down drastically.
 
28. Vikings - Not signing an experienced QB in the off season has turned out to be a horrible move. Tarvaris Jackson doesn’t look like the answer yet and this team is the worst in all of football in stopping the pass.

29. Falcons - So this team signs Byron Leftwich to turn on the offense and what happens? He goes down with an ankle injury. Welcome back Mr. Harrington. No area of this team is above mediocre.

30. Jets - Mangini pulled a Lovie Smith, keeping the struggling QB as the starter. Only this time, the team is playing horrible football. The Jets have just been overpowered in every aspect of the game. Now they face the very good D of the Skins. Kellen Clemens gets the nod this week against Washington. Might as well keep Pennington in.

31. Rams - Will the bye week help? Chances are…no. Not that fans will notice, the games will likely be blacked out for the rest of the year. This team is broken and pounded with injuries. They have maybe one of the worst offensive lines ever and the defense isn’t helping matters.

32. Dolphins - The worst team in football right here. They have nothing on either side of the ball, and have a tough division leader to deal with. Both of the NFL’s worst teams have a bye week coming up. After that, they go back to losing.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 7

Week 6

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3

It’s all about Meat Loaf for Coletrain this week. That might explain why it took Coolong the length of Paradise By the Dashboard Light to go over his weekly Power Rankings. To sumise…Bat Out of Hell, Patriots, good. Miami, bad. There are 30 other teams with some lesser known observations below.  

1. Patriots - Running up the score or not, it really doesn’t matter in the long run. The Colts are the only team that has a chance to stop this powerhouse. Tom Brady is on pace for 61 TDs. Just ridiculous. Moss and Welker have combined for 1,256 yards. Going into Week 8. These numbers aren’t even realistic (Editor’s Note: I once racked up 2,700 yards and 31 TDs through seven games with QB “Wes Mantooth” in Madden 06. Brady’s got nuthin’ on the Evening News Team…)

2. Colts - This team is better then last year, which is when they won the Super Bowl. The offense is superb and the defense is actually really good. The schedule is entering the tough stretch, but they’ll be ready. Just look at what they did to AFC South “rival” Jacksonville Monday night: 29-7, and if it wasn’t for the dank Fla. humidity, they wouldn’t have broken a sweat.

3. Cowboys - After 2 tough games (even though they won one of those tough games), they bounced back against the Vikings, outscoring them 17-0 in the 2nd half. The offense is in the top 3 in the NFL and the defense is very solid. They have 3 games in a row now against their own division.

4. Packers - Favre hasn’t been great, but he has made the big passes. But this team has own share of worries. The running game could be the worst in the NFL and next they face the Broncos. If the running game doesn’t step up, then they might be putting too much on Favre.

5. Steelers - The loss to the Broncos was a shocker. That great defense evaporated, as they gave up 31 points to a team that had been on the edge of a meltdown all season. Roethlisberger has been all or nothing this season. Facing the Bengals next should be just what the Steelers need.

6. Titans - No Vince Young, no problem. With the help of LenDale White and Rob Birones’ leg sending 8 balls through the uprights, the Titans got a huge victory. The crazy victory is a testament to the breaks going to the fundamentally sound football team with a great coach.

7. Jaguars - Monday night was a tough loss, (29-7 vs. Indianapolis), but this team is an extremely solid group that plays tough, tight football. Maurice Jones-Drew is an animal with the pigskin in his hands. They just might have to do the job without QB David Garrard, who suffered a sprained ankle and could miss next week’s game against Tampa Bay.

8. Giants - It’s funny. The defense for the first 2 weeks was laughably despicable. But ever since then, it’s been a scary unit. Eli Manning still isn’t great yet, but he’s stepping up at the right times. And the running game has been surprisingly explosive.

9. Redskins - You can clearly see the NFC East is the best division in football. Three out of the four teams in that division in the top 10. The Skins almost repeated their Week 3 performance, nearly coughing up a game to the Cardinals with a 21-6 lead going in the 4th quarter. In Week 3, they gave up a lead to those Giants. But hey, they still won. Now they face the Pats. Uh…Oh…

10. Panthers - They come in at 10, but how long will they stay here? Vinny Testaverde will never die. He will play forever. This team has a great running game, but they might not last long. The QB situation can get very messy very quickly and the Colts and Titans are on deck.

11. Ravens - This is a wacky team. The defense has virtually no weakness but the offense looks like statues moving around on little carts. Basically, really stiff. The loss to the Bills was a tough one. With the talent they have, they should’ve won that game.

12. Lions - The win against the Bucs proved this team can challenge for a wild card this year. The offense seems to be good enough to overcome the suspect defense. This team should do very good against the Bears. Match up’s well for them.

13. Seahawks - I think this team is ready to bolt toward another division title. Their schedule for the next 4 weeks is a piece of cake, RB Shaun Alexander is bound to pick it back up and Hasselbeck has been good.  

14. Buccaneers - Give Gruden credit. He has made this a mistake-free football team. The offense doesn’t care anyone, but the defense will keep them in any game. Jeff Garcia still hasn’t thrown an interception.

15. Chiefs - This team isn’t that impressive. They aren’t bad but they’re not that good. They have no strength but no glaring weakness. Larry Johnson has finally gotten on the board for TDs. That should help. And the QB position is in shambles, so lucky for them they have rookie WR Dwayne Bowe and TE Tony Gonzalez.

16. Bears - Brain Griese has been good for the Bears. They got him going at the right time, as he’s finally added some stability to this team’s offense. The defending NFC Champs are showing some fight after a dead start. They’ve won their last 2 out of 3 including barely losing to the Vikings.

17. Chargers - This team looks like it has righted the ship. Phillip Rivers is starting to look…like an actual QB in the NFL. LT is always dynamite and you can’t run against this unit. In the weak division they are in, coming back from that terrible start doesn’t seem that hard.

18. Cardinals - They’re now down to their 3rd QB. They started off with a young, smart QB coming into his own and a wise vet. Now they have Tim Rattay, who is neither. Go figure. If it wasn’t for that defense, they would be in some trouble. Thank God for that bye week.

19. Broncos - Maybe they are a little too low. The victory over the Steelers was impressive with all the issues they have had come to them. This team can run well and their pass defense has done a great job without CB Champ Bailey. Too bad they can’t stop RBs.

20. Texans - QB Matt Schaub is beat up, which isn’t good. And Ahman Green isn’t running well anymore. And the defense isn’t that good. Yet, somehow, this team plays some good football. They have a good receiving core though.

21. Eagles - A extremely tough loss at home against the Bears. McNabb has been pretty good, the running game has been tough to handle, and the defense is pesky. So…why are they 2-4? I have no idea. McNabb seems to be having a hard time completing the big passes.

22. Browns - Derek Anderson has thrown for 1,496 yards and 14 TDs. He has more touchdowns then Peyton Manning. That’s one crazy stat. The offense has been so great it has been able to make everyone oblivious to the God-awful defense. If that unit improves, this team is moving on up. To the east side. To a de-luxe apartment…you get the idea.

23. Saints - This team is not dead yet. Close, but not yet. They are finally starting to play like a team. The offense still hasn’t put up great numbers but the defense has picked its game up. Now they face the dull 49ers. Speaking of which…

24. 49ers - Only one way to describe the offense- the absolute worst. All there is to it. This team can’t score points. No surprise when you have Trent Dilfer under center. The defense is good, but that can only help so much.

25. Vikings - Adrian Peterson is a monster. He looks unstoppable. He is the one bright spot for this offense. Tarvaris Jackson has been flat-out bad and the defense isn’t much better. The passing D is the worst in the NFL. This team has some potential but they just can’t seem to get it done at times.

26. Bills - Trent Edwards may be the guy this team needs. No matter what, the win against the Ravens was very encouraging for this team. If this team didn’t get hammered by injuries, they would no doubt be better.

27. Bengals - They beat the Jets, but they spotted one of the league’s worst teams a 23-10 lead and needed a strong comeback in the fourth quarter to get the W. This isn’t exactly breaking news in Cincinnati, but the offense is great. Their defense has, and will  continue to keep holding them back. Marvin Lewis is aggravated and I wouldn’t blame him with this messy team.

28. Raiders - Culpepper has started to look like he was when he was wearing those purple uniforms. This is refreshing to see for the Raiders. LaMont Jordon has so far bounced back from a frustrating 2006. Just like the team.

29. Falcons - Harrington has been a surprise. This time, in the good way. Not in the “Oh my God, where the hell was he throwing to?” kind of way. But that’s been pretty much it. They have way too many issues to fix to be competitive this year. And the running game is depleted.

30. Jets - This team is actually hard to watch. They have been figuring out different ways to lose. PUT CLEMENS IN ALREADY! Obviously what’s going on now is not working. Add the fact that this team can’t seem to do anything right in the 2nd half of these games. This team has been like the Armando Benitez of football. Stop choking.

31. Rams - This team can disrupt the passing game really good. That’s pretty much all they have going for them. They can’t pass, they can’t run, they just can’t play football this year. Peter King of Sports Illustrated said the Rams could have the worst offensive line in the history of the league. Ouch!

32. Dolphins - You can clearly see the AFC East is the worst division in football. I’ve got 3 out of the 4 teams in that division in the bottom 10. Sorry, I just couldn’t put the Pats down here. Wish I could. Ronnie Brown has had a very good year thus far. It was something for Dolphins fans to at to smile about…until he had season-ending knee surgery.   And the hits just keep comin’ for Cam down on South Beach.

Coletrain is crankin’ Foreigner’s ”Cold As Ice”…Steelers don’t move up, even when the previous No. 3-ranked team loses? Ouch, Coletrain. But as Coolong’s Real Job Boss asked him Monday, “So who the hell is Coletrain anyway? Did you make him up or something?” He’s plenty real, and he’s back again with his Power Rankings.

1. Patriots - I can’t put this team anywhere else. Technically they are not the team to beat since the Colts won it all last year, but the Pats look better than their past SB teams. This team has no weak spot. Nothing even mediocre. Everything area of their game is incredibility strong.

2. Colts - Not as dominating as the Pats, but still the team you do not want to face under any circumstance. This is the rough stretch of their schedule starting against Jacksonville. This team has started 5-0 for the 3rd year in a row. That’s a model of consistency.

3. Cowboys - After playing horribly in Buffalo (yet still winning), they were right with the Pats until the 4th quarter when the Pats broke it open. Is that surprising? The biggest weakness with the Boys is their passing D which is actually really bad. 

4. Steelers - The defense is top notch and should eat the struggling Jay Cutler alive. The offense, specifically the passing game, has been slow. But the defense has overcome that with its stellar play.  

5. Packers - They have not played that good the last 2 games. Brett Favre has cooled down very fast. The bye week is exactly what they need at this point. Quite frankly, they have played pretty ugly. 

6. Jaguars - Jacksonville might finally be for real. They just creamed the Texans, the team that has always spoiled their fun. Garrard still has not thrown a pick yet and Maurice Jones-Drew has carried the running game. They are a tough football team. <Editor’s note: I’ve been in Jacksonville for a Monday Night game. Drunken southern trash milling around in teal

7. Ravens - The offense isn’t terrible. It’s alright. This is good enough for this team to eventually take a Wild Card spot. The Bills should be an easy win, but so should have the Browns. And the Ravens coughed that one up. The real test will be against the Steelers in Week 9.

8. Buccaneers - This is one of the surprise teams to come out this year. The are really good at stopping the passing attack. That is their strength. But stopping Detroit’s air game will be extremely difficult. And the offense has to improve for this team to keep it up.

9. Panthers - This team is 4-0 on the road, yet 0-2 at home. Very odd. They just signed Vinny Testaverde, who is like the Roger Clemens of the NFL. Only he’s not ridiculously overpaid. David Carr now is holding the starting QB job. They have a bye week, then run into the monster that is the Colts

10. Chargers - This team is now back on the right track. LT is waking up and the defense has been producing. After the bye week, their schedule is easy buts get tough after Week 9. Better get fat now.

11. Redskins - This team is looking very solid with a very nice mix of fresh faces and veteran leadership. The defense is great and Campbell has showed signs of great talent. And both of the games they lost have not been by very much.

12. Seahawks - It’s hard for me to put them here after 2 tough losses. But the offense is really solid and the schedule is very easy. Shaun Alexander will pick his game back up. He has gotten off to a rather slow start.

13. Titans - Vince Young’s throwing has been pretty bad this year, throwing twice as many INTs as TDs. But the running attack helps disguise that weakness. And that also includes Vince Young himself. The rushing D is the best in the NFL.

14. Giants - Eli Manning has shown flashes of the true franchise QB they thought he would be, and the defense has improved with every game. The defense is now actually strength. Hey, giving up 10 points is giving up 10 points, even if it is against Atlanta.

15. Lions - This team might be the most inconsistent team in all of the NFL. The passing game is nothing short of fantastic. The rushing game is nothing else but pathetic. The rushing D is pretty good. The passing D is almost as bad as the rushing game.  So what will kill this team?

16. Cardinals - Kurt Warner now has the job because of the battered Leinart. This improves the passing game for the time being. This team really has no big weakness, but they have no big strength either. They will be in many games, but they might win much of them.

17. Texans - This is a really solid team. If that darn running game could pick up some slack, this team would be much more complete. Instead, they have to relay on the passing game too much. The passing game is not bad by any means, but this is a team that needs something else.

18. Chiefs - The offense barely looks like an offense. LJ still can’t get the wheels turning after signing that huge deal and the QB spot is up in the air. The defense is the thing that has kept this team above water. Holding the explosive Bengal’s offense to 20 points was a good example.

19. Eagles - Boy, did they need that win against the Jets. Because the schedule is very challenging. And with the way the rest of the division is looking, they have to get going very soon. Actually, they have to get going now. The win versus the Jets was a good start.

20. Broncos - I think this team might be in for a really rough stretch. Their schedule is absolute murder. Steelers, Packers, Lions, Chiefs, and then Titans. That is a very tough run. They do have the number 1 passing D in the NFL which should help, but this team has looked shaky all year.

21. Browns - They are climbing up that ladder. The offense just violated the Dolphins D, but the defense wasn’t killer either. The Dolphins game tells the whole story. There offense can put points on the boards, but the defense will struggle. And against good teams, they won’t be the ones with the win.

22. 49ers - The defense hasn’t been that great, but it’s not as bad as the horrid offense. This may be the worst offense in the NFL right now. Alex Smith or Trent Dilfer can’t pass right now and Frank Gore has not been that big lift this team needs really badly.

23. Vikings - The shocking win over the Bears was the thing this franchise needed. While the passing game and the passing D are both broken so far, the running game and the running D are spectacular. Adrian Peterson is running like he is on fire.

24. Bears - A funny thing has happened (if you’re not a Bears fan). Now, not only it is the offense that needs fixing, but also the defense looks shot. This team has had no strength this year.

25. Raiders - Culpepper is looking pretty good. Good enough for this Raiders team. Too bad this team can’t stop the run. They sure can run, but they can’t stop it for their lives. That could be just the thing LJ needs (see Chiefs)

26. Bengals - The name of the game with this team: Try to out score the opponent. That’s what they have to do because the defense is a complete mess. The question becomes: Can this great offense keep up or will the defense make everything come crumbling down? It’s looking like the latter. <Editor’s note: HA!>

27. Saints - The win against the Seahawks must have felt great. Next they face the Falcons. This team could be starting that long climb back up from the gigantic hole they dug themselves in to start the season. Brees has got to start throwing to his own team.

28. Falcons - They just got Bryan Leftwich to shore up the shallow QB dilemma they have. Joey Harrington shown flashes of mediocrity here and there,  and the defense has been respectable. But they can’t stop the run (the Giants had 188 on the ground last night in a 31-10 loss at home) and the schedule isn’t easy.

29. Jets - The time to put Clemens in is now. Facing the Bengals D isn’t exactly torture. Put him in, Mangani. Pennington’s accuracy is way too inconsistent this year. And Thomas Jones has looked like Cedric Houston 2.0 so far.

30. Bills - This team is not only bad, but they are injured beyond belief. Trent Edwards has struggled mightily so far and passing D is awful.  The schedule gets really tough in a few weeks. Not a good sign.

31. Rams - This team is ugly to watch. The offense has been beyond bad. Bulger and Frerotte have combined to throw 5 TDs and 12 INTs. I don’t care how good your defense is, you are going to struggle if that is your QB status.

32. Dolphins - So many huge issues, so little time. The passing D is actually really good, buit everything else has just not worked for a second. Trent Green can’t be having a good time working behind this offensive line and the schedule is absolute murder.

Coletrain is a contributing writer to Die Hard Steel. The Coletrain Report will appear Tuesdays through the season. He can be reached at Mojorising@optonline.net

Week 5

Week 4

Week 3
 

Only a writer as gutsy as Coletrain could have the Patriots and the Colts this high…well, maybe not. While his - and everyone else’s - No. 1 and 2 haven’t changed, his No. 31 and 32 have changed for the third straight week. Can you blame him? The Battle for the Bottom is more interesting than the one for the top.   

Written by Coletrain 

1. Patriots - The most complete team in the NFL. Can the offense be stopped? Can the defense be overtaken? They wouldn’t be No. 1 if they could. Brady had his worst game this season, only completing 58 percent of his passes…for 265 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers.  

2. Colts - The only concern is the run D, but even that is nowhere near terrible. With a bye week coming up, they will be ready for the tough spot of their schedule. Say what you will about the Pats at Cowboys matchup next week, Indy at Jacksonville on Monday Night is a can’t-miss game.

3. Cowboys - Hey, any team able to endure Romo’s implosion Monday night and still win must be pretty good overall. His five picks dropped him into a tie with Derek Anderson for the second-to-last spot in the NFL with eight. The mediocre passing D is not as good sign in a division full of very solid QBs.  

4. Steelers - A very impressive win against the Seahawks was a huge lift for them. They have maybe the best defense in the NFL and they can pound the ball on the ground. The air attack has struggled, despite Willie Parker’s league-leading 507 yards.

5. Packers - A very disappointing loss dropped them 2 spots.  The running game has been pretty terrible. If anything is going to stop this team, that’ll be it. Good for them that after next week (Redskins), the schedule gets easier.

6. Redskins - The hype machine is starting up for Jason Campbell. Yes, he had a very good game but the Lions have the worst passing defense in the NFL. Don’t jump the gun yet. One thing to be excited about is the defense, who shutdown the great Lions offense.

7. Jaguars - Every year, they flow under the radar. Once again, they are a very dependable team. Garrard is looking pretty good, although they haven’t used him much yet. And the defense is great like always with this team. 

8. Titans - This team has been very predictable. They run the football and the defense has been better then expected. They controlled the Falcons, holding them to one TD.   

9. Seahawks - They got dominated by the Steelers, but the schedule is anything but hard and they don’t have one huge weakness. They aren’t great, but they play fundamentally sound football (most of the time).  

10. Ravens - They we’re classic Ravens in Week 5. Completely overwhelming the 49ers flat offense getting just enough points to edge out the victory. May not be enough for the entire season, but is good enough for one week.

11. Panthers - This game had “upset” written all over it. The Saints were due for a win. And it looked like they we’re going to get one. But the Panthers came storming back in the 4^th quarter scoring 10 points to take the game. They better get used to David Carr, no Delhomme for the rest of the year.