The NFC Power Rankings

The White album

It's a quarter into the season and we're amid a boring Dallas Cowboys bye week, so I thought of no better idea than to rank the National Football Conference.

16. Carolina Panthers -- 0-3
And the Jimmy Clausen era begins. A good quarterback means everything. It makes everyone else on offense more useful. Everyone looks better from the receivers, running backs and offensive line. Throw in a laundry list of injuries and you've got a very bad team, including the worst offensive team in the conference.

15. San Francisco 49ers -- 0-3
All you need to do is watch the games to know they they are really bad. Second-worst offense. Worst defense. Often, it's not about how far down you fall, but where you fell from. Many, including me, had the 49ers winning the division. They may not get four the entire season. The biggest issue is that it appears its all internal. Are the players really going all out for this coaching staff? The offensive coordinator's already gone. He might not be the last. It's a team in disarray beyond lackluster execution.

14. Detroit Lions -- 0-3
One dumb call away from at least 1-2. Issue isn't entirely Matt Stafford's injury. The defense -- which they've drafted over and over again to replenish -- is one of two teams to allow, on average, more than 400 yards a game, including 148 on the ground and 265 passing. Still, lost first two games by combined eight points.

13. Arizona Cardinals -- 2-1
Yes, they're 2-1. But those two wins were against St. Louis and Oakland, who missed three field goals, one to win the game. Were clocked by 36 points against Atlanta. Bottom third in offense and defense. Missing Karlos Dansby and Kurt Warner.

12. St. Louis Rams -- 1-2
Two losses came by a total of six points. And who leads the NFC in turnovers? Rams with 10 (including seven fumbles). Got Detroit and Seattle coming up and then Carolina and Tampa Bay to follow. Prediction: Three wins in next five.

11. New York Giants -- 1-2
Remember playing the Giants thinking you might get socked in the mouth through your TV? Now, the Giants give up 28 points a game, including about 150 on the ground. It's a bizarro universe. Meanwhile, Eli Manning's throwing left-handed jump balls at the goalline. Says a lot about a team.

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers -- 2-1
Is it fair putting a team above .500 near others who aren't? Probably not. But if you beat Carolina and Cleveland and then lose by 25 at home to an opponents' fourth-string quarterback, (Pittsburgh) you get bumped.

9. Dallas Cowboys -- 1-2
The Cowboys, being of local interest, are an interesting subject in criticizing an NFL team. If Alex Barron doesn't hold, the Cowboys maybe are 2-1 and everyone's preaching a different tune. There's just something off about this team and it's hard to criticize because there's a logical argument both ways. It's it personnel? Coaching? That dynamic that makes a good team a great team? I guess if I could figure it out, coaches and management could.

8. Washington Redskins -- 1-2
Most disappointing has been their defense, which is allowing like 423 yards of passing per game. I'm also afraid that they're prone to blowing games against bad teams (see: St. Louis). This was an issue the last two years.

7. Minnesota Vikings -- 1-2
They get the edge because they've played better opponents (New Orleans, Miami) and they're defense is still really, really good.

6. Seattle Seahawks -- 2-1
Like the Bucs, the Seahawks are an unexpected 2-1. The difference is that Seattle beat two predicted division winners (San Diego, San Francisco). How they lost to Denver by 17 actually seems like a mystery. They're playing like an above-average team without above-average talent. Their defense has eight turnovers while allowing just 67 yards rushing.

5. Philadelphia Eagles -- 2-1
To all you grandstanding, self-righteous assholes that condemned Michael Vick for killing some dogs: You are gigantic pricks. You crucified the guy as if he were Hitler or Stalin and considered him trash. Now that he's "acting" the right way and throwing touchdowns, you don't seem to upset. Well, you are fatheaded douchebags. I, on the other hand, criticize Vick for being a limited quarterback and I suspect once teams get tape on the guy, opponents will catch up to him. Also, not playing Jacksonville may even things up.

4. Chicago Bears -- 3-0
Given time, Jay Cutler's a good quarterback. Who knew? I would bet that passer ratings would go through the roof if they all had 10 seconds to throw the ball, but I'm no expert. I also think they're getting lucky. That's not a bad thing, but after 12 weeks if they're 8-4, I think we'll have a much better read on them.

3. New Orleans Saints -- 2-1
Offensively, they'll never quite fall off as long as Drew Brees is upright. Defensively, they've hit a wall because the turnovers that defined their championship season a year ago aren't as abundant. Sans turnovers, the offense doesn't have those nice short fields to play with.

2. Green Bay Packers -- 2-1
A really great team. You'd be hard pressed to find a better second-best team in professional sports. The Monday night game disturbs me. The turnovers, stalled drives and penalties. Yikes. Penalties alone lost them the game.

1. Atlanta Falcons -- 2-1
All around the best team. A top 10 defense that gets turnovers and is, so far, allowing nothing. An offense with a good, young offensive line, one of the best tight end-quarterback-receiver-running back options in the league. They're young, hungry and deep.