Don Banks and Failure

Don Back, of Sports Illustrated, posted his NFL Pre-Camp Power Rankings today and I am confused.

He ranks the Jets #1.

I'll let that soak in for a second.

The same Jets who were shredded by Manning in the AFCCG. The same Jets who have a QB in his second year and who nearly set a record for rookie picks in a season. Just, no. I'll give you that they will probably win the AFC East, but best in the AFC? Not a chance.

The Saints are second. No problem here. Except for saying that there was nothing fluky about them winning the Super Bowl. I think recovering a trick onside kick and a rare miss by Manning and Wayne would qualify as fluky.

The Ravens are #3. Another team the Colts beat (and have owned for most of the decade) in the playoffs. Boldin is a really good move for them, but adding Marc Bulger doesn't seem all that stellar. At least not enough to vault them above the Colts. They still have some issues at CB, and last time I checked, it was a passing league.

The Colts are #4. I'll let Don explain why:

But I don't see where the Colts really improved this offseason, and the status quo can sometimes be the enemy in the NFL.

Apparently Don hasn't been paying attention to the Colts in the Manning era. They epitomize the status quo and it has led them to win more games than any other team in the league. Generally injuries have kept us out of the Super Bowl, not a lack of offseason moves. Does getting a healthy Bob Sanders (former defensive MVP) and Gonzo not count as something that could possibly improve a team that got to the Super Bowl without them?

The rest of the list seems fine, however I think Green Bay is ranked a bit high. This is a common trend on a lot of people's lists. They are #5 and ahead of the Vikings. If Farve comes back and Peterson learns to hold the ball, the Vikes have that division locked up. Greenbay seems solid, but not an elite team in the league. The still have a poor defense, one that gave up 51 points in a post season loss to the Cardinals. Al Harris may well never play football again, or at least not at a high level. Rodgers has a nasty habit of picking himself off the turf far too often and its not just O-line problems. He holds the ball for a looong time and its very hard to break habits like that. "If" is a bad word to use when you rank a team 5th, but Don uses it to describe O-line protection. "If" does not inspire confidence, but rather trepidation. Lots of people say they have an elite offense, but "if" you cannot keep your QB clean then there is a good chance you will lose.