Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
No team generated more disparate opinions than Baltimore in our first NFL power rankings for 2008.
One voter ranked the Ravens 13th. Another ranked them 28th. I had them 23rd without knowing quite what to do with them. Have they solved their quarterback situation? No one knows.
The Giants also generated conflicting opinions. One voter ranked them first overall with a nod toward their Super Bowl title. Another voter ranked them 10th. They were fifth on two ballots, including mine, and sixth overall in the rankings.
Meanwhile, voters were pretty much convinced that Atlanta would finish near the very bottom. The Falcons landed 31st or 32nd on every ballot. At the top, three teams drew top-five rankings from every voter: New England, Indianapolis and San Diego.
Miami fell between 25th and 32nd. Two of us ranked the Dolphins last, including me. The thought was that the Dolphins, despite upgrading their roster, might have to re-learn how to win a game.
New England, Indianapolis and the Giants received first-place votes. Four voters ranked San Diego second (I was among them). Dallas led the way in third-place votes with four of them. I was the only voter to rank the Jaguars as high as third, but no one else had them lower than sixth.
Green Bay and New Orleans also proved tough to figure. Both teams ranked as high as sixth and as low as 15th, depending on the voter. I had the Packers 13th and the Saints 14th.
Note: The above rankings are based on strict averages. These averages produced ties in some cases. I notice that editors broke those ties as they saw fit. For example, Green Bay and New Orleans averaged 10.75 in our rankings. Editors made Green Bay 10th and New Orleans 11th. Cincinnati and Chicago tied for 24th with a 23.375 average. Editors made Cincinnati the 24th-ranked team and Chicago the 25th-ranked team. I calculated disparities without breaking the ties. That is why you see two teams ranked 10th and two ranked 24th in the chart.
Update: The Giants and Jaguars also tied (for fifth). Editors made the Jaguars fifth and the Giants sixth.
