SneakerReporter NFL Power Rankings: 9/12

SneakerReporter NFL Power Rankings: 9/12

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by | Sep 13, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Each week, SneakerReporter will put out their power rankings of all 32 NFL teams. 

With Week 2 kicking off tonight (Carolina Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 8:20 PM EST on NBC) it’s time to unveil where each team sits.

The fun begins below and be sure to check back each Thursday to track how far up or down your favorite team moves from week-to-week. 

1. New England Patriots 1-0 (LW: 1)

On the field, there’s zero drama, off the field they welcome the biggest news story of the season into their team when they signed Antonio Brown, buckle up for some fun 

2. Kansas City Chiefs 1-0 (LW: 2) 

The Jacksonville Jaguars weren’t as big of a test as initially believed and the team lost WR Tyreek Hill; no worries just insert Sammy Watkins and rinse, wash, and repeat. 

3. New Orleans Saints 1-0 (LW: 3)

They won the game of the week in their comeback win over the Houston Texans and if they keep playing as they did in the second half, then watch out. 

4. Baltimore Ravens 1-0 (LW: 8)

Is this an overreaction to one game against a team actively trying to lose, maybe, but Lamar Jackson looked MVP-caliber good to start the season. 

5. Los Angeles Rams 1-0 (LW:4)

It seems that the Rams are fully committed to giving Todd Gurley a limited role at the beginning of the season but he’s still good enough to carry this team. 

6. Dallas Cowboys 1-0 (LW: 9)

Dallas flatly embarrassed the New York Giants in their season opener and look the part of a future Super Bowl Champion. 

7. Green Bay Packers 1-0 (LW: 11)

Matt LaFleur’s offense didn’t have the greatest debut, instead, it was the revamped Packers defense that stole the show. 

8. Minnesota Vikings 1-0 (LW:13)

Kirk Cousins wasn’t even needed in last week’s dismantling of the Atlanta Falcons, a healthy Dalvin Cook goes (and can run) a long way. 

9. Philadelphia Eagles 1-0 (LW: 5)

Carson Wentz and his array of weapons looked mediocre at best in their first game against the lowly Washington Redskins, all eyes will be on them as they travel to Atlanta for Sunday Night Football. 

10. Chicago Bears 0-1 (LW: 6)

The Monsters of the Midway haven’t lost a step but their offense did and Matt Nagy is going to get that corrected soon.

11. Houston Texans 0-1 (LW: 10)

Deshaun Watson might be surrounded by some new faces but he’s still taking a beating in the pocket and if Houston can’t keep him upright there will be a lot of wasted talent on this roster. 

12. Cleveland Browns 0-1 (LW: 7)

Browns gonna Browns; a very disappointing first week leads into a primetime spotlight on Monday Night Football—luckily the New York Jets will be beaten up heading into the game. 

13. Los Angeles Chargers 1-0 (LW: 12)

“Melvin Gordon who?” – Austin Ekeler

14. Tennessee Titans 1-0 (LW: 24)

The biggest riser this week made a statement in their opening victory against the Cleveland Browns. 

15. Pittsburgh Steelers 0-1 (LW: 14)

Usually losing by 30 is a reason to take a nose dive down Rankings like these but when the team you lost to is the juggernaut that is the New England Patriots there isn’t much movement required. 

16. Carolina Panthers 0-1 (LW: 19)

This is Christian McCaffrey’s team now and we all need to accept that. 

17. Indianapolis Colts 0-1 (LW: 20)

Jacoby Brissett looked pretty, pretty, pretty good—just saying. 

18. Seattle Seahawks 1-0 (LW: 17)

An unimpressive, close home win over the Cincinnati Bengals isn’t much to cheer about. 

19. New York Jets 0-1 (LW: 15)

Allowing the Buffalo Bills to score 17 unanswered points isn’t great but losing the franchise quarterback to mononucleosis is worse. 

20. Atlanta Falcons 0-1 (LW: 16)

Maybe that was the lowest moment for the Falcons and things will only get better from here. 

 

21. Jacksonville Jaguars 0-1 (LW: 18)

Nick Foles is done for most of the season but Gardner Minshew still is an upgrade over Blake Bortles. 

 

22. Oakland Raiders 1-0 (LW: 21)

The team came out energized after Antonio Brown put their collective backs to the wall but this still isn’t a good team. 

 

23. San Francisco 49ers 1-0 (LW: 22)

15 MORE GAMES JIMMY GAROPPOLO, YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!

 

24. Buffalo Bills 1-0 (LW: 23)

Their comeback victory showed fortitude but besides the final score, there weren’t many positives for the Buffalo Bills in Week 1. 

 

25. Cincinnati Bengals 0-1 (LW: 27)

John Ross III playing like a top 10 pick would be HUGE for his group. 

 

t26. Arizona Cardinals 0-0-1 (LW: 26)

Kyler Murray and Kliff Kingsbury looked like failures for three quarters but when the lights were the brightest they both found a rhythm to pull out a tie. 

 

t26. Detroit Lions 0-0-1 (LW: 29)

Matt Patricia ditched the ATV and the Detroit Lions ditched an easy win in the desert. 

 

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-1 (LW: 28)

Time is running out quickly on the Jameis Winston experience. 

 

29. Washington Redskins 0-1 (LW: 32)

My initial assessment of this team was wrong they are readily better than the Miami Dolphins. 

 

30. Denver Broncos 0-1 (LW: 25)

Not a great start for Vic Fangio and the Denver Broncos.

 

31. New York Giants 0-1 (LW: 30)

Just let Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley do whatever they want for the rest of the year. 

 

32. Miami Dolphins 0-1 (LW: 31)

They’re REALLY tanking.

Sep 13, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Derrius Guice Undergoes Surgery to Repair Torn Meniscus

BREAKING NEWS: Derrius Guice Undergoes Surgery to Repair Torn Meniscus

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by | Sep 12, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Last season, Washington Redskins rookie running back Derrius Guice tore his ACL during the preseason. It put a halt on what looked like a promising start to the former LSU player.

After a yearlong rehab and the team taking it lightly this past preseason, big things were expected out of him now that he was on the field and healthy.

In Week 1 against the Philadelphia Eagles Guice totaled  18 yards on 10 carries. Hardly the start to a breakout campaign in his second season but there were glimpses of promise as the Redskins hung tough for the duration of the game.

The Eagles also have one of the toughest run defenses so it is natural that Guice wouldn’t have a huge game in the opener.

Yet, following the game word came out that Guice was experiencing some issues with his left knee—he tore the ACL in his right knee—and now it has been confirmed that he suffered a torn meniscus.

Guice underwent surgery this morning, which was performed by Dr. James Andrews and he will be sidelined indefinitely.

Sep 12, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Sam Darnold Likely to Miss Multiple Weeks

BREAKING NEWS: Sam Darnold Likely to Miss Multiple Weeks

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by | Sep 12, 2019 | Featured, NFL

The New York Jets are coming off of a disappointing performance in Week 1. They held a 16-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills but then surrendered 17 unanswered points and lost a game they had complete control over.

For Week 2, they were to headline Monday Night Football in their matchup against the—also disappointing and winless—Cleveland Browns. Both teams had made massive changes to their rosters during the offseason and are led by second-year quarterbacks.

News broke today that one of those quarterbacks will not be participating this primetime matchup.

Adam Gase told reporters during his press conference before practice today that their starting QB, Sam Darnold would miss the game due to a sickness he had picked up.

The disease Darnold has contracted is mononucleosis. The team says he will be out indefinitely.

New York has a bye in Week 4, the earliest the Jets are targeting to get Darnold back is Week 5.

Sep 12, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Antonio Brown Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault

BREAKING NEWS: Antonio Brown Accused of Rape and Sexual Assault

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by | Sep 11, 2019 | Featured, NFL

Tuesday was Antonio Brown’s first full day as a member of the New England Patriots. His time with the Oakland Raiders saw his name in the news constantly, eventually the hijinx and off the field activities became too much for Mike Mayock and Jon Gruden to deal with and they released him. He landed on his feet alongside Bill Belichick and Tom Brady and we all awaited what the on-field product would look like.

However, TMZ broke the news this evening that Brown is being accused of rape and sexual assault by his trainer and college friend. There are three separate incidents reported and they all occur between 2017 and 2018.

According to the alleged victim, each interaction became progressively worse. It began with Brown “exposed himself and kissed [her] without her consent.” Then Brown was positioned behind her and “began masturbating without her knowledge and ejaculated on her back.” Finally, a year after the second alleged assault, he “forced her down onto a bed, pushed her face into the mattress, and forcibly raped her.”

The lawsuit states that the two met while attending Central Michigan University and the accuser describes herself as a “world class gymnast”. She released the following statement:

“As a rape victim of Antonio Brown, deciding to speak out has been an incredibly difficult decision. I have found strength in my faith, my family, and from the accounts of other survivors of sexual assault. Speaking out removes the shame that I have felt for the past year and places it on the person responsible for my rape. I will cooperate with the NFL and any other agencies; however, at this time, I respectfully request that the media please respect my privacy.”
Through his attorney, Darren Heitner, a statement was released vehemently denying these accusations.https://twitter.com/DarrenHeitner/status/1171584983280095233?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5EtweetESPN’s Josina Anderson reported that Brown plans to countersue for civil extortion. The Patriots have issued the following statement:

This story will be updated as more details emerge.

Sep 11, 2019 No Comments
New England Patriots Trade Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets

New England Patriots Trade Demaryius Thomas to the New York Jets

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by | Sep 10, 2019 | Featured, NFL

In what can only best be described as Extreme Home Makeover: Bill Belichick Edition, the New England Patriots have made another move. This time, instead of adding someone to what has become the most talented wide receiver group in the NFL they are letting a piece go.

New England signed Demaryius Thomas this offseason back when there were legit questions over what reliable options outside of Julian Edelman Tom Brady would have to throw to with Rob Gronkowski retired and Josh Gordon indefinitely suspended.

Belichick and the Patriots knew Thomas well as they faced off many times when the wideout was in his prime and partnered with the one true rival to Brady, Peyton Manning.

Thomas was still recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered after being traded by the Denver Broncos to the Houston Texans—who just so happen to have ties to the Patriots within their franchise.

He didn’t practice much with the team but was able to take the field for the fourth and final preseason game where he caught seven of the eight passes thrown his way by rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham totaling 87 yards and two touchdowns.

New England waived him before the season began but quickly brought him back the same week. The. They were able to snag Antonio Brown in free agency and it looked like the Patriots were going to roster three former number one receivers along with Edelman and 2019 first-round pick N’Keal Harry.

However, to avoid a too many cooks situation, Belichick has decided to offload Thomas—the least healthy of the team’s top pass catchers—for a 2021 sixth-round pick. The surprise is where he sent the former Pro Bowler: the New York Jets.

Belichick has been coach and general manager in New England since 2000, which cane about as a trade between the two teams. Over that time he has made a trade with 31 different teams. Until today, the Jets were the only franchise he has not made a deal with.

Their divisional rivalry has ties deeper than just what’s happened on the field. Belichick spurned New York after being named Bill Parcells replacement for New England. There’s also the whole Spygate drama that was initiated by Jets head coach and former Belichick assistant, Eric Mangini.

But the Jets brought in Adam Gase to be their next head coach and he is respected by Belichick—possibly in a way he’s never respected a non-Parcells head coach in New York.

Gase was the offensive coordinator of those Manning-led Broncos team. Not only has he gone head-to-head with Bill but he also has coached Thomas.

If healthy, this reunion could be just the situation. He needs to reaffirm that he still has gas left in the tank. The Jets have long been searching for a true number one option. Given how Thomas looked in his lone appearance this year—albeit against mostly third-string players—there’s a chance he could be just what is missing from Gase’s revamped Jets offense.

Sep 10, 2019 No Comments