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Rick Gosselin's weekly NFL rankings: Cowboys are second best
03:11 AM CDT on Sunday, August 8, 2010
SportsDayDFW.com
The NFL rankings this week from Rick Gosselin, Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee member and NFL writer for The Dallas Morning News and SportsDayDFW.com. Comments are from writers and media outlets from the past week.
1. Indianapolis: Quarterback Peyton Manning has started every game for the Colts over the last 12 years. No team in the NFL has won more games during that 12-year stretch. –Rick Gosselin
2. Dallas: Sitting in the stands at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said tight end Martellus Bennett (ankle), Sean Lee (quadriceps) and safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (hamstring) are unlikely to play in Sunday's Hall of Fame Game against Cincinnati. – Todd Archer
3. Green Bay: When the Green Bay Packers didn't make any significant offseason moves to improve their outside linebacker situation, the emphasis appeared to be on improving from within. Now Packers coaches have tossed a wild card into their search, putting Brandon Chillar at right outside linebacker with the first-team defense. – AP
4. Baltimore: The Ravens suffered a blow when they lost CB Domonique Foxworth for the season with a knee injury in a noncontact drill on the opening day of training camp. He started all 16 games for the NFL's No. 3 defense in 2009, leading the team in interceptions and passes broken up. – Rick Gosselin
5. San Diego: Norv Turner thinks this season's San Diego Chargers can be the best team in his four seasons as head coach. Turner bases his hopes on quarterback Philip Rivers, a defense that he says has made big improvements and a commitment to make the Chargers a better running team. – AP
6. Atlanta: During the first week of camp, Sean Weatherspoon hasn't just impressed coach Mike Smith, the defensive staff and his fellow linebackers. Tony Gonzalez, a 10-time Pro Bowl tight end, is noticing, too. "For a rookie to come in and play like he has, it shows a lot of maturity on his part," Gonzalez said. – AP
7. New Orleans: The defense racked up six sacks broke up numerous passes, forced a fumble and left Drew Brees muttering to himself angrily on the sideline after a string of incompletions in Saturday's scrimmage. – AP
8. Houston: Bernard Pollard is determined to make the most of his fresh start in Houston. Cut by Kansas City before last season, Pollard signed with the Texans a month later and helped transform their defense into one of the league's best over the last 13 games of the season. – AP
9. New York Jets: LaDainian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes had standout performances in New York's scrimmage Saturday night for an offense that quarterback Mark Sanchez says is "big play by committee." "That offense is much better, and I think it's going to be great for our team," coach Rex Ryan said. – AP
10. New England: Tom Brady is unhappy with his contract in New England. Darrelle Revis is unhappy with his contract in New York. If money becomes a distraction to the north, the Dolphins could sneak past the Patriots and Jets in the AFC East. – Rick Gosselin
11. Minnesota: The Vikings still have the NFL's best pass rush and an elite defense. But if Brett Favre's ankle does not let him return, Minnesota slides a notch from Super Bowl contender to playoff contender. Tarvaris Jackson doesn't instill the same fear at QB. – Rick Gosselin
12. Philadelphia: If the Eagles emerge as the team that pushes the Cowboys for supremacy in the NFC East, Philadelphia will have a huge scheduling edge. The Cowboys visit four Super Bowl contenders this season: Green Bay , Houston, Indianapolis and Minnesota. The Eagles play those same four teams at home at Lincoln Financial Field. – Rick Gosselin
13. Cincinnati: Antwan Odom zips around the Cincinnati Bengals' training camp on a two-wheel transport, getting where he wants to go as fast as he can. The Bengals hope the same holds true when he's back in the lineup. – AP
14. New York Giants: They lost their identity last season, finishing 17th in the NFL in rushing. New York ranked in the top 10 in rushing each of the four previous years. "I just want to see us run the ball and be productive running the ball," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. – Rick Gosselin
15. Miami: The motto in Miami this season is "Feed the Wolf." "That was my idea," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "It came full circle when we started talking about our 7-9 season a year ago – that that wasn't good enough, that we should be hungry." – Rick Gosselin
16. Tennessee: So how much better is Tennessee's defense? Well, a full eight days into training camp, it's tough to tell for sure. The Titans wrapped up the first week Saturday with Brown and linebacker David Thornton, starters in 2009, still on the physically unable to perform list. End Derrick Morgan, the top draft pick, has yet to practice with the full defense because of an injured calf. – AP
17. San Francisco: Ted Ginn Jr. was an attractive off-season trade target for San Francisco because of his special teams skills. The 49ers had one of the worst return games in the NFL last season, finishing 32nd in punt returns and 23 on kickoffs. Ginn returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2009 for the Miami Dolphins. But his speed also made him a big-play receiver at Ohio State, and the 49ers are seeing some of that on the practice field this summer. – Rick Gosselin
18. Pittsburgh: Dick LeBeau remembers hearing the same they're-too-old criticism two years ago, when the Steelers' defense - tackling one of the toughest schedules for a Super Bowl winner - put together the NFL's best season statistically in 30 years, leading the league in nearly every major category. Now he's hearing it again. – AP
19. Carolina: Much of the talk during the first 1 1/2 weeks of training camp focused on the improvements the Carolina Panthers made in the passing game after finishing 27th in the league last year. However, it didn't look that way at Saturday's Fan Fest scrimmage. – AP
20. Buffalo: The departure of Terrell Owens will open the door for some of Buffalo's younger wide receivers to play, develop and contribute. Lee Evans, Buffalo's No. 1 receiver, thinks the one guy new coach Chan Gailey needs to get on the field is Roscoe Parrish. – Rick Gosselin
21. Arizona: Beanie Wells seems comfortable with the idea that this could be his breakout season in the NFL. "My goal is to be a lot more productive than I was last year," he said. "If that comes with a breakout season, so be it. I'm happy with that." – AP
03:11 AM CDT on Sunday, August 8, 2010
SportsDayDFW.com
The NFL rankings this week from Rick Gosselin, Pro Football Hall of Fame selection committee member and NFL writer for The Dallas Morning News and SportsDayDFW.com. Comments are from writers and media outlets from the past week.
1. Indianapolis: Quarterback Peyton Manning has started every game for the Colts over the last 12 years. No team in the NFL has won more games during that 12-year stretch. –Rick Gosselin
2. Dallas: Sitting in the stands at the Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Cowboys coach Wade Phillips said tight end Martellus Bennett (ankle), Sean Lee (quadriceps) and safety Akwasi Owusu-Ansah (hamstring) are unlikely to play in Sunday's Hall of Fame Game against Cincinnati. – Todd Archer
3. Green Bay: When the Green Bay Packers didn't make any significant offseason moves to improve their outside linebacker situation, the emphasis appeared to be on improving from within. Now Packers coaches have tossed a wild card into their search, putting Brandon Chillar at right outside linebacker with the first-team defense. – AP
4. Baltimore: The Ravens suffered a blow when they lost CB Domonique Foxworth for the season with a knee injury in a noncontact drill on the opening day of training camp. He started all 16 games for the NFL's No. 3 defense in 2009, leading the team in interceptions and passes broken up. – Rick Gosselin
5. San Diego: Norv Turner thinks this season's San Diego Chargers can be the best team in his four seasons as head coach. Turner bases his hopes on quarterback Philip Rivers, a defense that he says has made big improvements and a commitment to make the Chargers a better running team. – AP
6. Atlanta: During the first week of camp, Sean Weatherspoon hasn't just impressed coach Mike Smith, the defensive staff and his fellow linebackers. Tony Gonzalez, a 10-time Pro Bowl tight end, is noticing, too. "For a rookie to come in and play like he has, it shows a lot of maturity on his part," Gonzalez said. – AP
7. New Orleans: The defense racked up six sacks broke up numerous passes, forced a fumble and left Drew Brees muttering to himself angrily on the sideline after a string of incompletions in Saturday's scrimmage. – AP
8. Houston: Bernard Pollard is determined to make the most of his fresh start in Houston. Cut by Kansas City before last season, Pollard signed with the Texans a month later and helped transform their defense into one of the league's best over the last 13 games of the season. – AP
9. New York Jets: LaDainian Tomlinson and Santonio Holmes had standout performances in New York's scrimmage Saturday night for an offense that quarterback Mark Sanchez says is "big play by committee." "That offense is much better, and I think it's going to be great for our team," coach Rex Ryan said. – AP
10. New England: Tom Brady is unhappy with his contract in New England. Darrelle Revis is unhappy with his contract in New York. If money becomes a distraction to the north, the Dolphins could sneak past the Patriots and Jets in the AFC East. – Rick Gosselin
11. Minnesota: The Vikings still have the NFL's best pass rush and an elite defense. But if Brett Favre's ankle does not let him return, Minnesota slides a notch from Super Bowl contender to playoff contender. Tarvaris Jackson doesn't instill the same fear at QB. – Rick Gosselin
12. Philadelphia: If the Eagles emerge as the team that pushes the Cowboys for supremacy in the NFC East, Philadelphia will have a huge scheduling edge. The Cowboys visit four Super Bowl contenders this season: Green Bay , Houston, Indianapolis and Minnesota. The Eagles play those same four teams at home at Lincoln Financial Field. – Rick Gosselin
13. Cincinnati: Antwan Odom zips around the Cincinnati Bengals' training camp on a two-wheel transport, getting where he wants to go as fast as he can. The Bengals hope the same holds true when he's back in the lineup. – AP
14. New York Giants: They lost their identity last season, finishing 17th in the NFL in rushing. New York ranked in the top 10 in rushing each of the four previous years. "I just want to see us run the ball and be productive running the ball," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. – Rick Gosselin
15. Miami: The motto in Miami this season is "Feed the Wolf." "That was my idea," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "It came full circle when we started talking about our 7-9 season a year ago – that that wasn't good enough, that we should be hungry." – Rick Gosselin
16. Tennessee: So how much better is Tennessee's defense? Well, a full eight days into training camp, it's tough to tell for sure. The Titans wrapped up the first week Saturday with Brown and linebacker David Thornton, starters in 2009, still on the physically unable to perform list. End Derrick Morgan, the top draft pick, has yet to practice with the full defense because of an injured calf. – AP
17. San Francisco: Ted Ginn Jr. was an attractive off-season trade target for San Francisco because of his special teams skills. The 49ers had one of the worst return games in the NFL last season, finishing 32nd in punt returns and 23 on kickoffs. Ginn returned two kickoffs for touchdowns in 2009 for the Miami Dolphins. But his speed also made him a big-play receiver at Ohio State, and the 49ers are seeing some of that on the practice field this summer. – Rick Gosselin
18. Pittsburgh: Dick LeBeau remembers hearing the same they're-too-old criticism two years ago, when the Steelers' defense - tackling one of the toughest schedules for a Super Bowl winner - put together the NFL's best season statistically in 30 years, leading the league in nearly every major category. Now he's hearing it again. – AP
19. Carolina: Much of the talk during the first 1 1/2 weeks of training camp focused on the improvements the Carolina Panthers made in the passing game after finishing 27th in the league last year. However, it didn't look that way at Saturday's Fan Fest scrimmage. – AP
20. Buffalo: The departure of Terrell Owens will open the door for some of Buffalo's younger wide receivers to play, develop and contribute. Lee Evans, Buffalo's No. 1 receiver, thinks the one guy new coach Chan Gailey needs to get on the field is Roscoe Parrish. – Rick Gosselin
21. Arizona: Beanie Wells seems comfortable with the idea that this could be his breakout season in the NFL. "My goal is to be a lot more productive than I was last year," he said. "If that comes with a breakout season, so be it. I'm happy with that." – AP