ESPN begins trolling season early with the first 2016 season power rankings!
ESPN, the worldwide leader in sports, but not keeping talented anchors, has begun its usual trolling season with Power Rankings that have already started to boil the blood of several teams.
Power Rankings are a fun metric to see what completely subjective opinions are in place for 32 teams, of which you can see from a 5000 ft view in most cases and you have to put as much objectivity into a subjective ranking as you can.
Still, they’re interesting to read and interesting to start a conversation on, why is team X ranked higher than team Y.
That’s why we are here today.
In ESPN’s annual, post-draft, post-free agency rankings, the Arizona Cardinals have been ranked fifth after being, at the very least, the third best time ending the season last year, and at times the team to beat going into the 2016 season.
Now, falling behind the Patriots, Panthers, Packers and division-rival Seahawks, the Arizona Cardinals are treated to this praise:
How are they not No. 1? What’s not to like here? Just because Carson Palmer is 36 and went Full Delhomme in the NFC Championship Game doesn’t change the fact that no team is both deeper and better coached. Underestimate now, but don’t act all shocked in September when you look up and no one can cover all of their receivers.[/blockqoute]
So, ESPN, how are they not number 1? The Cardinals beat two teams above them last year, one of them twice, the second time being a playoff game for the ages, did lose to the Panthers in the NFC Championship game, although the Cardinals gave the ball away every time they touched it like a weird game of hot potato. The Patriots, ranked at number 1, is curious knowing that, right now, Tom Brady will miss four games.
Seattle is a bit of an enigma, spending draft picks on running backs and offensive line, the team needs to find some protection for Russel Wilson, but also find a way to pay money on the offensive side of the ball, defense may win in the playoffs, but you need to score points in this division.
The rest of the top 10 features the Steelers, Bengals, Broncos, Vikings and Chiefs.
Of course, ESPN did what they needed to get us to talk about this ranking, and here we are, but you have to start to feel its another season of a Bruce Arians coached team that has internal expectations set high, but the national media has them finishing 7-9. The last two seasons the Arizona Cardinals defied those expectations, can they do it again?