ESPN NFL

» NFC: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Power Rankings: Preseason: 14. This week: 21.

2009 Schedule/Results

	AP Photo/Donna McWilliam
	Losing linebacker Thomas Davis was a huge blow to the Carolina defense.

Where they stand: You’d have a tough time finding a more disappointing team than the Panthers. There was preseason talk about a Super Bowl run and bragging about the fact they were returning 21 of 22 starters. Problem is they didn’t do anything to get better (like maybe adding depth?) after a 12-4 season. It’s pretty amazing that an injury to a very average player like defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu could take such a toll on this defense, but that’s what happens when you tie up all of your cap room by giving Jordan Gross a massive contract, giving Julius Peppers an $18 million franchise tag and signing quarterback Jake Delhomme to a contract extension. Yes, the Panthers still aren’t out of the playoff race -- yet. But the picture isn’t very pretty, especially now that linebacker Thomas Davis, who had been the team’s best player for the first half of the season, is done because of a knee injury.

Disappointments: You have to start with Delhomme, but don’t put the blame entirely on him. He gave off warning signs late last season and in a disastrous playoff loss to Arizona. Carolina fans saw there was a need to do something at quarterback. But the coaching staff and the front office didn’t and they’re paying for it now. Delhomme’s been a turnover machine, but some of the blame should go to the coaching staff for asking him to go out and win games on his own after he’s been nothing more than a game-manager his entire career. Delhomme’s struggles have taken a massive toll on wide receiver Steve Smith. I still say Smith is more talented than any receiver in the NFC South, but his numbers don’t show it because the Panthers haven’t been able to get him the ball consistently. Then there’s fellow receiver Dwayne Jarrett. This was supposed to be the year he finally emerged as the second coming of Muhsin Muhammad. Instead, he’s proved he’s the second coming of Keary Colbert. Oh, and that offensive line, which was supposed to be a strong point, hasn’t been.

Surprises: Safety/return man Captain Munnerlyn has shown much more than a seventh-round draft pick should. After going through about 35 defensive tackles after Kemoeatu’s injury, the Panthers finally found a suitable replacement when they picked up veteran Hollis Thomas a few weeks back. Carolina’s pass defense has carried a top-10 ranking all season. That’s great. But I can’t help but wonder if that has more to do with other teams getting ahead and running on them than it does with anything the secondary has done.

Outlook: There’s still time to climb back into this race, and the Panthers have a lot of individual talent. Also, you should never count out a team coached by John Fox. But an improvement is unlikely if there aren’t some dramatic changes in the second half. They haven’t shown many signs they’re improving and the schedule isn’t easy. Unless the running game can get back to being dominant, Delhomme can get back to being competent, Smith can get back to being one of the league’s most explosive players and the defense gets back to looking like a Fox-coached defense, this team might not be coached by Fox anymore. This season began with playoff expectations. Anything less probably won’t be good enough.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Power Rankings: Preseason: 8. This week: 9.

2009 Schedule/Results

	Todd Kirkland/Icon SMI
	Michael Turner has started to get on track the past two games.

Where they stand: The Falcons are 5-3, but we’re still trying to figure out who they really are. So are they. The charmed life of last season is a thing of the past with the Falcons having to deal with a brutal schedule and some adversity. They’ve looked great at times, like when they went out to San Francisco. But losses at New Orleans and New England have showed they’re not quite an elite team. The potential for that is there, but lots of things have to be worked out. Michael Turner and the running game have been at their best the last couple of weeks and that’s a big stride if the Falcons can continue on that path. Quarterback Matt Ryan has had a tough time when the running game hasn’t been there, and the defense remains very much a work in progress.

Disappointments: After hitting a grand slam with his first draft class, general manager Thomas Dimitroff hasn’t looked as brilliant with his second. Top two picks, Peria Jerry and William Moore, are out for the year with injuries and that’s part of the reason the defense hasn’t shown the improvement the Falcons were hoping for. The secondary’s been a big problem spot, particularly at cornerback. With veteran Brian Williams out for the season with an injury, the Falcons have turned to Chevis Jackson, Brent Grimes and Tye Hill to go with Chris Houston. No one in that trio has really stepped forward.

Surprises: The Falcons have made the most out of what was a bad situation by sliding former first-round pick Jamaal Anderson from defensive end to defensive tackle. Anderson’s at least competent in that role and playing Kroy Biermann in Anderson’s old spot at least gives the Falcons the threat of a pass rush. With Moore’s injury, second-year pro Thomas DeCoud won a starting safety job and he isn’t likely to lose it any time soon. DeCoud has been perhaps the only bright spot in the secondary.

Outlook: We’re going to find out a lot about the Falcons in the second half of the season. The schedule doesn’t get any easier and they probably have no chance of catching the Saints in the NFC South race. But the Falcons are very much in the playoff hunt. Can they stay in it? Well, much will depend on Turner. If he can run like he’s run the past two weeks -- and like he did last season -- that’s going to solve a lot of problems. There’s no doubt Ryan has to be more consistent, but that will happen if Turner can take pressure of him. The biggest question is the defense. It’s not like this unit is loaded with talent, so Mike Smith and Brian VanGorder will have to do some strong coaching.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Power Rankings: Preseason: 26. This week: 31.

2009 Schedule/Results

	Fernando Medina/US Presswire
	Tampa Bay quarterback Josh Freeman gives the Bucs hope for the future.

Where they stand: In the offseason, the Bucs (1-7) began a major rebuilding process that many of their fans couldn’t grasp. That’s understandable because there have been plenty of moves that have caused head-scratching. But the bottom line is the organization didn’t have high expectations for this year. The Bucs got rid of coach Jon Gruden because they were tired of patchwork and mediocrity every year. They wanted a plan for the long term and that came with the departures of veterans like Derrick Brooks, Joey Galloway and Warrick Dunn. The Bucs fully realized they had to take two steps back to move forward with new coach Raheem Morris. The problem is it’s looked like the Bucs have taken about 50 steps back without really showing any hope for the future. But that might be changing now that rookie quarterback Josh Freeman is playing.

Disappointments: I’m supposed to limit this to 100 words, which won’t be easy. Start with the team releasing offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski right before the start of the season. Imagine where the Bucs would be right now if Jagodzinski had stayed and his playbook was as bad as the Bucs described it. Byron Leftwich was supposed to be a bridge to Freeman. He turned out to be a statue. Defensive backs Tanard Jackson and Aqib Talib let the team down with off-field actions. Defensive end Gaines Adams wasn’t having anything close to the breakout year the Bucs wanted and that got him traded to Chicago. Receivers Antonio Bryant and Michael Clayton simply haven’t produced. Running back Derrick Ward has been a complete bust and the kicking situation has been an utter mess. I could go on and on, but I’ve hit my word count.

Surprises: You have to look long and hard to find any positives for the Bucs. But wide receiver Sammie Stroughter has been one. He was a seventh-round draft pick, but he’s probably been the most productive rookie in the NFC South to the midway point. Defensive tackle Roy Miller also has shown some promise. Other than that …well, let’s just move to the next category.

Outlook: If you’re a Tampa Bay fan, do yourself a favor and just erase your memory of the first seven games. That actually makes sense because Freeman started the eighth game and that started a whole new era for the Bucs. Don’t get carried away with Freeman’s 1-0 record because there are likely to be a lot of rookie mistakes. But Freeman also has the physical talent to make some highlight plays. The rest of the season isn’t about climbing back into the playoff picture because that’s impossible. The rest of the season is about next season. It’s about seeing steady improvement from Freeman and finding some guys worthy of staying on this roster.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Pat Yasinskas

Power Rankings: Preseason: 18. This week: 1.

2009 Schedule/Results

	Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
	Saints quarterback Drew Brees has a lot of weapons on offense.

Where they stand: Pretty much perfect. They’re undefeated and the rest of the schedule isn’t that difficult. As expected, the Saints are very good on offense. Quarterback Drew Brees is even better now that he has Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey healthy. It also doesn’t hurt that the Saints have suddenly developed a running game, highlighted by Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell. But the real reason the Saints are so different than last year is their defense. They’ve gone from being very bad to being very good. Give credit to new coordinator Gregg Williams for changing the scheme and the attitude. But also give credit to newcomers like safety Darren Sharper and Jabari Greer for making things happen on the field.

Disappointments: You have to look pretty hard to find any disappointments here. Just about everything that can go right has gone right. If you want to count the injury to left tackle Jammal Brown as a disappointment, go ahead. But the Saints have done a pretty nice job of moving on with Jermon Bushrod in that role. If you want to jump on everybody’s favorite target, you can point at Reggie Bush. This was supposed to be the year he proved he could run between the tackles. Instead, he’s shown he’s a role player as Bell and Thomas have been doing most of the running.

Surprises: Take your pick of about a dozen. Let’s start with Sharper. He’s 33 and there were some people who thought he was washed up when the Saints signed him. Instead, Sharper is playing like a potential defensive player of the year. Greer also has turned out to be an excellent free-agent signing. Defensive ends Will Smith and Charles Grant, who’ve been called underachievers in the past, are suddenly achieving. Defensive tackle Anthony Hargrove, who was out of the league for two years, has earned a starting role and been better than anyone could have imagined. Oh, you want one more surprise: How about Shockey? Ever since that little offseason incident in Las Vegas, he’s been on his best behavior, playing and acting like a true team player. That's a very nice surprise.

Outlook: How can you not like the Saints’ chances? Officially, they’re 8-0, but they’ve got St. Louis and Tampa Bay in their next two games, so let’s go ahead and put them down for double-digit wins. The only games left on the schedule that even look challenging are Dallas, Atlanta and New England. Fans already are talking about the possibility of an undefeated regular season. That’s great and it’s possible, but let’s focus on more important things -- like getting to the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history. To do that, the Saints have to hit their stride in January. They have to stay healthy and there are plenty of little things they can improve on in the second half of the season.