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SPF T.I. Poll (Week Seventeen)

It's the last week of the NFL season.  There isn't much left to be decided.  Two SPF teams (Washington and Tennessee) can get in the postseason fun if they win.  We expect them to do so if only because they are playing two other SPF teams (Dallas and Indy) who are already in the playoffs.

Let's take a look at last week's "Team Identity" Poll:

THE ELITE

1. Indianapolis Colts
2. Dallas Cowboys

ON SOLID GROUND

3. Jacksonville Jaguars
4. Tampa Bay Bucs
5. Tennessee Titans
6. Houston Texans

THE POTENTIAL IS THERE

7. New Orleans Saints
8. Washington Redskins
9. Carolina Panthers
10. Cincinnati Bengals

FREE FALL

11. St Louis Rams
12. Miami Dolphins
13. Atlanta Falcons

Here's this week:

THE ELITE

1. Indianapolis Colts - We have been brief all season in discussing the Colts.  That is due to the nature of this team.  While the Pats have received all the fanfare, the Colts have systematically shredded their schedule considering their current title as defending champs.

They are not letting up.  In fact, the Pats undefeated run has given the Colts something that they dearly needed - motivation.

2. Dallas Cowboys - They righted themselves against the Panthers who put up an expected tough battle.  Winning a game like that put the Cowboys back on solid ground.

The Cowboys locked down home field throughout the NFC playoffs last weekend.  That's all they need.  Time to rest their injured players like Tony Romo and T.O.

This team has been one of Jerry Jones's greatest achievements as owner.  He rebuilt a team with a new group of stars.  At the same time, this generation's Cowboys embraced the Cowboys' history.  Read this interview with Cowboys legend, Calvin Hill, who now works for the team.

3. Jacksonville Jaguars - SPF has added a new category.  These two teams' ascendance has put them on the verge of elite.  In Jacksonville's case, there might be no better team poised to crash the playoff party.  It has taken a long time to get here, with a great deal of criticism from SPF all along the way, but the 2007 Jags under Jack Del Rio are young, tough, and hungry. 

Our biggest criticism all year has been the vanilla offense and the lack of imagination.  The Jags have spent several first round picks on WRs and TEs, but none had been much of a factor.  That changed in the second half of the season as the WRs became a larger part of the offense.  This also coincided with their strong second half run.

Having an explosive element to their offense was all this team lacked.  They can now win any kind of matchup - high scoring, low scoring, grind it out in tough weather, or playing fast on turf.

Others have been saying it, but let SPF echo the notion that the Jags have what it takes to go to the Super Bowl.  They are already the third best team in the AFC having soundly beaten the Chargers and the Steelers, who only lie ahead of them in the seeding bracket due to their division championships.  The Jags have been close with the Colts twice this season, and they also have what it takes to beat the Pats.

This could be a magical season for the Jags.  The most important thing is that this franchise could be dominant for a good stretch.  There is finally some continuity and excellence awaiting the Jacksonville market.

4. Washington Redskins - Here's another team we've buried again and again.  Things looked pretty bleak for the Redskins a few weeks back.  Their legendary coach in his second campaign looked old and befuddled.  Their top defensive star had been murdered in his home.  Their young, franchise QB was lost for the season.  Nothing looked good for this team that appeared to be outside the playoff picture.

All of sudden, clarity was found through a backup QB - Todd Collins.  The QB position has been a huge issue since Gibbs took over the Redskins.  He started by putting his faith in Mark Brunell who had nothing left in the tank.  This ultimately forced him to play Jason Campbell a little too early.  Gibbs responded by limiting Campbell's playbook.

Those limitations prevented the Redskins offense from having the benefit of highly paid OC Al Saunders.  Saunders knows what he is doing, but he has to have the full use of his playbook.  The Redskins, like the Jags, limped along offensively allowing too many teams to catch up and beat their defense down.

When Campbell went down, it turned out to be the best thing for the team.  Backup Todd Collins had played under Saunders before.  He knew how to execute the offensive gameplans in full.  Now the team is on a strong run needing only a home win against the Cowboys to make the playoffs, a feat that seemed impossible a few weeks ago.

The NFC is a muddled picture.  It is perfectly possible that the Redskins could get on a run and go to the Super Bowl.  They certainly aren't scared of any of the teams that they would be facing.

Regardless of the Redskins playoff success, the team has a clear future.  Gibbs can stay as coach.  Collins can groom Campbell.  The transition should be much smoother in 2008.

Is this team one of destiny for this year?  We shall see, but the fact that this conversation is happening is a good thing.

5. Tampa Bay Bucs - Three division titles in six years as coach.  That's a good record for Jon Gruden.  The only problem is that this team just feels like it's one and done.

Maybe Gruden might eke out a win against the Giants at home, but the Bucs aren't likely going to the Super Bowl.  Until Gruden starts to develop some young offensive playmakers that can succeed in his complicated offense, this team won't be amongst the elite.

6. Tennessee Titans - Tennessee needs a win against the Colts to make the playoffs.  This would be a major achievement.  On a normal day, the Titans wouldn't be able to pull off a win, but the Colts are set with their playoff seeding, and they might decide to rest some starters.

Vince Young's career would be helped by some playoff experience.  The Titans have already made a one game improvement on last year's record.  Making the playoffs on a 10 win season would be something to build upon in the years to come.

The Titans better be careful because the Colts didn't need to beat the Texans, but they did and then some.

7. Houston Texans - The Texans took a step back last week.  They held the lead for a while but fell apart by the second half.  This team has made strides, but they still have a ways to go.

They need more playmakers on offense to help build a more dynamic attack for opposing defenses.

Jacksonville doesn't need a win on Sunday, but SPF expects them to hammer the Texans even harder than the Colts did.

8. Miami Dolphins - My job, I think, can be simply described as being charged with trying to put a structure in place that will allow the Dolphins to begin to restore a competitive team for the American Football Conference -Bill Parcells from his press conference earlier today.

Parcell is on board.  The Dolphins will immediately be better.  Nuff said.

9. New Orleans Saints - The Saints lost an important home game against the Eagles.  Had they won, they would be in the discussion  for the NFC playoffs.  They still are technically alive, but there is little hope.

This season was a step sideways for the Saints.  They had lots of injuries, but no one really stepped up on a consistent basis.  Drew Brees was still strong, but he had to do too much.

Sean Payton needs to plug some holes going into next season.

10. Carolina Panthers - John Fox's Panthers played the Cowboys tough, but they fell a little short.  The Panthers have a good foundation of players and coaches.  However, they need some serious tweaking to get back on track.

They should expect nothing less than a playoff run in 2008. 

11. Cincinnati Bengals - The Bengals need to follow the same plan as the Panthers.  SPF thinks there might be a few locker room cancers that need to be cut out. 

Next year's draft will be critical for this team.

12. St Louis Rams - The Rams are rudderless.  The only reason they are ahead of the Falcons is that they have sputtered out over the course of a season rather than flaming out in spectacular fashion like Atlanta did.

It's time for Georgia Frontiere to sell this team to a St Louis local.
 
13. Atlanta Falcons - Speaking of selling, Arthur Blank should give it some thought.  He's got no one left.  He has no coach.  He has demoted his GM.  His star player is in jail.

Jeff Schultz writes it best = Atlanta is no longer a Falcons town.  Furman Bisher also has some sage advice for Blank - stay out of the football kitchen if you want your team to get better.

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