Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
Our 2008 power rankings have made their debut without much regard for West Coast teams.
NFC West teams averaged a league-worst 20.3 overall ranking in voting by eight staffers (the AFC West was close behind at about 20.2). Meanwhile, teams from the NFC East averaged a 9.2 overall ranking, best in the league. THe AFC South (11.0) wasn't far behind.
The 49ers (27th) and Rams (28th) made the NFC West the only division with two teams ranked in the bottom six of the league. And this was despite the No. 19 ranking I gave the Rams -- a ranking that qualifies as a charitable contribution when held against the votes of my colleagues. No other voter listed the Rams higher higher than 26th on his ballot (another glass of that Rams Kool-Aid, please, and thanks for asking).
My thinking on the Rams goes like this:
- They have a Pro Bowl-caliber quarterback, which separates them from just about every other team ranked among the bottom 10;
- We can trace their 3-13 record from last season directly to a long list of injuries along the offensive line;
- It's unlikely an offensive line would suffer that many injuries two seasons in a row;
- The Rams' defense was respectable for most of last season, and the improvement should continue as long as depth at linebacker holds up.
Of course, all bets are off if Orlando Pace succumbs to another injury. Pace missed 15 starts last season and eight in 2006, so perhaps the odds are against him.
