Eighth is not (high) enough
By STEVE KING
Some thoughts on recently-released post-draft NFL power rankings:
*The Browns are better than eighth. They just are. The roster they’ve assembled, which is all-star caliber in many regards, particularly on offense with a real riser at the all-important position of quarterback in Baker Mayfield, is hard to match. They have improved themselves greatly, both through free agency and the draft, on defense, which was sorely needed. And Kevin Stefanski proved in just his first season to be the steady-handed head coach they’ve needed for so long.
*OK, so if they’re better than eighth, what teams ahead of them don’t belong there? Let’s focus on the West Coast with the Los Angeles Rams, who are fourth, and the San Francisco 49ers, who come in just ahead of the Browns in seventh. The Rams think they’ve solved their quarterback issues by trading with the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford, but he’s a guy who, while piling up some nice individual statistics, has never won anything, and those numbers — wins, championships — are how a quarterback’s worth is determined since it’s his job to get both, Plus he’s not a leader, and he doesn’t make enough plays late in games, when it counts most. And as for the 49ers, they’ve got, at quarterback, ho-hum Jimmy Garappolo, and a rookie, though promising, in Trey Lance. You can’t have question marks at quarterback, and both teams do.
*And speaking of quarterbacks, who’s going to be under center for the Green Bay Packers? If it’s Aaron Rodgers, then maybe they are No. 6, which is where SI has them ranked. But if not, then they’re in big trouble. And I think Rodgers has about as much chance of being with Packers by the start of the season as does Bart Starr. He’s mad — really mad — and his relationship with head coach Matt LeFleur and management is irrevocably damaged.
*I agree that the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers are only second, where si.com has them. Teams don’t repeat as Super Bowl winners anymore. They just don’t. The NFL is not built that way. Once you get to the mountain top, your next step isn’t to get firmer footing there, but rather to step off the edge on the other side and go tumbling down. Just ask the Kansas City Chiefs. But if anyone can break that jinx — and he already did it in New England — it’s Tom Brady. So don’t go to sleep on the Bucs. Still, I think the Chiefs are better, and they’ve re-tooled on the offensive line. It was good for them to get whupped by the Bucs last year. It showed them exactly where they needed to improve, and they have.
*The Baltimore Ravens are fifth, three spots ahead of the Browns, who had the same regular-season record of 11-5 as they did last season — that’s what happens when you’ve got an electrifying quarterback in Lamar Jackson — but until that electrifying quarterback improves his passing in the playoffs, which he has not done for three years in a row after being outstanding in the regular season, I’m not going to put much faith in this team to make it to the Super Bowl.
*In fact, I have more faith in the Pittsburgh Steelers to get there. Yes, I do. The Steelers are fading fast, and they looked horrible in getting cane-switched by the Browns in the wild-card playoffs, but I think they have one more year left in them. Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t want to go out like that. The problem is, is he capable of changing that narrative, and does he have enough offensively around him to dio it? I don’t know that for sure but, like I said, I think they do. Nonetheless, they are certainly better than No. 15, which is where SI has them.
