Until next preseason, here's a look at the final NFL power rankings for the 2012 season.
1. Baltimore Ravens - What was expected to somewhat of a rebuilding year and seemed to spiral downward with big injuries to Ray Lewis, Terrell Suggs, Lardarius Webb and Jameel McClain turns into a dream season where the Ravens make a miracle run and are Super Bowl champions.
2. San Francisco 49ers - The 49ers started slow in all three playoff games, and it finally caught up with them in the Super Bowl. The good news is that there is a lot to like about this team going forward.
3. New England Patriots - I saw an interesting piece on ESPN's Grantland that flipped Tom Brady's career upside down. The narrative is very interesting and shows a quarterback who actually isn't that coming up big in big games.
4. Denver Broncos - The Broncos will be kicking themselves all offseason after going ultra-conservative in their loss to the Ravens.
5. Seattle Seahawks - If Russell Wilson isn't ROY, there should be a federal investigation.
6. Green Bay Packers - Aaron Rodgers came up short this year, but he is setting himself up for a massive payday.
7. Atlanta Falcons - The Falcons built a big lead for the second straight week, only this time, they could't finish off the job.
8. Houston Texans - The Texans have to wonder if Matt Schaub is going to give them a legitimate chance to get to the Super Bowl.
9. New York Giants - Even in a down season, the Giants are still better than the Jets.
10. Minnesota Vikings - Christian Ponder's stock skyrocketed after Joe Webb turned in that disastrous playoff performance.
11. Chicago Bears - The Bears fired a successful head coach to hire one from the CFL. Alright then.
12. Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals hope the offseason is uneventful and the defensive line can build off their strong second half.
13. Washington Redskins - RGIII may be back in time for the start of next season, but there have to be some serious concerns about his future.
14. Indianapolis Colts - The Colts may not win as many games next year, depending on their schedule, but they should be a better team.
15. Dallas Cowboys - Rob Ryan was let go by the Cowboys, and he made it clear he wasn't happy about it on his way out the door.
16. New Orleans Saints - Expect this franchise to bounce back in a big way next year.
17. Pittsburgh Steelers - The Steelers need to get Ben Roethlisberger healthy and make massive upgrades to the offensive line despite a difficult salary cap situation.
18. St. Louis Rams - Rob Ryan would be an interesting fit in St. Louis.
19. Detroit Lions - Jim Schwartz will be on the hot seat heading into the 2013 NFL season.
20. San Diego Chargers - Mike McCoy seems like a solid hire for the Chargers, who need a spark offensively.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Vincent Jackson had a better than expected season, which is one positive going into 2013.
22. Carolina Panthers - The Panthers lost their offensive coordinator to the Browns, which had to come as a fairly big surprise.
23. Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins might have a huge hole at left tackle if they are unable to re-sign Jake Long.
24. Cleveland Browns - The Browns made a strange hire for head coach, but Norv Turner seems like a logical choice for offensive coordinator.
25. Tennessee Titans - Jake Locker is having shoulder surgery in the offseason, and you have to wonder if the Titans are sold on him as their quarterback of the future.
26. Buffalo Bills - The Bills hope they caught the next hot thing by hiring nearby Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone. At least the relocation costs will be cheap.
27. New York Jets - Rex Ryan took a vacation and ended up creating another controversy, this time over a tattoo on his right arm.
28. Arizona Cardinals - It's hard to figure out why the Cardinals would have any interest at all in hiring Todd Haley as their new head coach.
29. Philadelphia Eagles - A bunch of different, high-profile names continue to be floated around for the Eagles job.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars - Well, that didn't take long. The Jaguars new GM wasted little time in firing Mike Mularkey.
31. Oakland Raiders - It would certainly help the Raiders if they could keep Darren McFadden healthy for an entire season.
32. Kansas City Chiefs - Andy Reid wasn't out of work very long. It's surprising he took this job considering the quarterback situation.













Comments