Probably more than any other sport, professional or otherwise, the National Football League does more rankings from the top teams, to ratings for fantasy leagues, to ranking just about anything. Today on the internet, I found plenty. Let’s get rolling.
War Room Scouts, TheSportingNews.com, Ranking the top 25 NFL defensive backs
3. Troy Polamalu, S, Pittsburgh Steelers. A terrific strong safety who plays with great hustle. He excels in pursuit and never gives up on plays. He has great range and can quickly get to any spot on the field from his pre-snap location. Polamalu's speed makes him a great blitzer, and his physical style makes him a punishing tackler, both as a run defender and across the middle of the field against the pass. He gambles often and sometimes can get caught out of position, and injuries have limited him the past two seasons, but he is still a game-changing player.
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FoxSports.com, Nine poised for stardom
There's been a lot of chatter about Holmes' attendance in Pittsburgh this summer. That's nonsense. In talking to Holmes, he's in great condition, feels a special connection with Ben Roethlisberger, and believes he now has a full grasp on Bruce Arians' offense. In fact, Holmes tells me he has never worked harder and is primed for a huge season. Holmes caught 52 passes, eight for touchdowns, last year. He was just below 1,000 receiving yards. While it is a major feat to crack the Pro Bowl at receiver in the AFC and Holmes still has potential Hall of Famer Hines Ward on his team, watch the 2006 first-round pick make countless explosive plays this season. His double-digit touchdowns and 1,100 receiving yards will be impossible to ignore.
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Before I get to more ratings and rankings, this story regarding our boys in Black and Gold follows.
Bill Bender, TheSportingNews.com, Steelers: Challenges ahead for Big Ben and Co.
Name the three best teams in the AFC without stopping to take a breath. Survey says New England, Indianapolis and San Diego, right? History says the Steelers need to be in that same conversation. Since 2000, Pittsburgh has the fourth-best regular-season record (82-45-1) in the NFL. The Steelers have been to the AFC championship three times with a Super Bowl victory in that same time frame, which matches the Colts and Chargers combined total in those departments. The defending AFC North champions will be in the playoff hunt again despite a schedule that tests the limits of the Eighth Amendment (cruel and unusual punishment). That means more fantasy production for Ben Roethlisberger owners. Roethlisberger threw a career-high 32 TDs in 2007. He asked for a tall receiver this offseason to complement veteran Hines Ward and emerging fantasy stud Santonio Holmes. The Steelers responded by drafting Limas Sweed, a 6-4 deep threat from Texas. Throw in reliable red-zone option Heath Miller and the enticing running back duo of Willie Parker and Rashard Mendenhall, and it appears Big Ben is in line for another big year.
The best part? You can win with Pittsburgh players without spending first-round picks or top-dollar auction money. That sort of practice is reserved for landing Patriots, Colts and Chargers.
4-Star Players
Ben Roethlisberger, QB. He had better numbers in almost every statistical category. Roethlisberger also had three games with four touchdown passes or more, and he was nails during the fantasy playoffs (7 TDs, 0 INTs). However, Big Ben has been sacked 93 times over the last two seasons and has an injury history. The Steelers ideally want to run the ball more, but a tough schedule might force Roethlisberger to air it out again. Either way, he's a fine choice in Round 3.
Willie Parker, RB. He rushed for 1,316 yards before breaking his fibula in Week 16 against the Rams. The big reason owners will sour on Parker is his total TDs dropped from 16 in '06 to two in '07. Plus, the addition of Mendenhall will translate into a reduced workload and even fewer goal-line touches. Parker by no means should be dismissed - he has rushed for 1,000 yards in each of the past three seasons and is only 27 years old -- but the presence of Mendenhall drops Parker to a second-round pick. If you draft Parker, make sure you pair him with someone who is guaranteed to get goal-line opportunities.
Key additions: RB Mewelde Moore, LB Keyaron Fox, G Justin Hartwig.
Key losses: Verron Hayes, RB, OL Alan Faneca, TE Jerame Tuman, FB Dan Kreider,
3-Star Players
Santonio Holmes, WR. Holmes is small in stature (5-11, 189 pounds), but big-play in nature. He averaged 18.1 yards per catch in his first year as a full-time starter, the best average among receivers with 50 or more receptions. Holmes is an excellent choice in bonus leagues, a less inspiring find in point-per-reception leagues. Health also is a concern -- Holmes missed three games in '07. Until he becomes more than just a vertical threat, Holmes is a better fit as a No. 2 receiver and should be paired with a high-reception guy.
Heath Miller, TE. Miller racked up career highs in receptions (47), yards (566) and TDs (seven) in '07. Miller isn't going to pile up yardage -- he had just three games with 50 yards or more. That's why he isn't a top-five fantasy play. Miller, however, remains one of the best red-zone tight ends in the game. That's all the Steelers need him to be. If you pass on elite tight ends early, Miller is the starter you want to grab later.
Defense/special teams. Pittsburgh ranked first in total defense (266.4 yards per game) and second in points allowed (16.8 per game), but it's still on the fringe as far as upper-tier fantasy units. Why is that? They had a down year in sacks (36) and interceptions (11). The emergence of Pro Bowl linebacker James Harrison and sackmaster-in-waiting LaMarr Woodley will improve the sack total. A healthy Troy Polamalu will shore up the secondary. The Steelers also are good where it counts -- stopping the run. Plus, those oh-so awful Heinz Field conditions actually play into this unit's favor. This is a solid choice as a starting unit.
2-Star Players
Hines Ward, WR. He missed three games last season and underwent offseason knee surgery, but Ward remains the Steelers' best possession receiver. The 32-year-old still managed 732 yards and seven TDs in '07. He loves tormenting Cleveland and Cincinnati (and their fans). Ward had 308 yards and six TDs against those two teams in '07. Ward no longer is a threat to get 1,000 yards -- Holmes is Big Ben's big-play guy -- but Ward remains useful as a No. 3 receiver, especially in point-per-reception leagues.
1-Star Players
Jeff Reed, K. He enjoyed three straight games with 10 points or more to start '07, but he accomplished that feat just three more times the rest of the season. He hit 22-of-25 field-goal attempts, including an impressive 13-of-14 mark at Heinz Field. Yet Reed still managed to score just 113 points, which ranked 16th among kickers. A lack of field-goal opportunities leaves Reed as a bye-week option.
0-Star Players
Rashard Mendenhall, RB. He compiled 1,999 total yards and 19 TDs as a junior at Illinois, but he managed to slip to the Steelers late in the first round. The prevailing fear is Mendenhall was a one-year wonder with the Illini. Mendenhall does step into a favorable situation -- if you haven't noticed the Steelers love to run the ball. He will steal carries from Willie Parker; the big questions are how many and how fast. It might take Mendenhall four or five weeks to make an impact, but he's still a must-have handcuff.
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Ultimate Fantasy Football Tip: It's almost criminal that you don't have to pay top dollar to get the Steelers' defense. Pittsburgh costs just $3.6M, while the higher-priced units such as San Diego, New England and Chicago are $5M apiece. Let other owners fall for that trap. Pittsburgh's lackluster interception and sack totals from last season are the reason they weren't an elite play. Expect a return to form in '08. You're getting a potential elite unit at a reasonable price.
Coaching: Steelers coach Mike Tomlin eased the transition from the Bill Cowher years by getting the Steelers back into the playoffs. Tomlin loves to run -- the Steelers had a 46-to-54 pass-run ratio in '07. The addition of Mendenhall can only mean the Steelers want to "run it until the wheels fall off" again. Roethlisberger's improved accuracy can be attributed to offensive coordinator Bruce Arians and quarterbacks coach Ken Anderson, who still holds the NFL single-season record for completion percentage.
Defensively, coordinator Dick LeBeau will continue to use the 3-4 defense that is all things "Blitzburgh." As always, the unit is built around its linebackers, and LeBeau has a lot of young talent to work with. He also finds creative ways to get Polamalu involved. Improved play in the secondary is a must in '08.
Offensive line: Pittsburgh finished third in the NFL in rushing yards (135.5 per game). It's the fourth straight season the Steelers ranked in the top 10 in rushing. That's the good news. The bad news is standout guard Alan Faneca signed with the Jets in the offseason. This unit also allowed 47 sacks in '07. Roethlisberger might not be able to withstand that kind of punishment again without suffering serious injury. The Steelers want to run the ball even more this season, but that will hinge on the play of guards Chris Kemoeatu and Kendall Simmons. As Ringo Starr once said, you know it don't come easy. Pittsburgh faces seven of the top 10 run defenses from last season, which leads us to ...
Schedule analysis: The Steelers' first-place schedule includes the AFC South and NFC East and offers few (if any) breathers. Pittsburgh faces eight playoff teams from last season -- all after Week 5. That includes a stretch from Weeks 10-13 where they play the other three defending AFC division champions (Indianapolis, San Diego, at New England) and rival Cincinnati. Expect two or three of those games to be played in sloppy weather. The fantasy playoff schedule also is unforgiving, with matchups against three of the top six run defenses from '07 (Dallas, at Baltimore, at Tennessee). Fantasy Strength of Schedule: fourth hardest (or 28th easiest).
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Back to the numbers…
Peter Schrager, FoxSports.com, Super Bowl foes top offseason Power Rankings
1 — New England
2 — New York Giants
3 — San Diego
4 — Indianapolis Colts
5 — Dallas
6 — Jacksonville
7 — Seattle
8 — Cleveland
9 — Pittsburgh: Big Ben got big money this off-season, but he also lost his steadiest protector, Alan Faneca. In a seven-week span starting in late October, Pittsburgh takes on the Super Bowl champion Giants, the NFC wild-card qualifying Redskins, the AFC South champion Colts, the AFC West champion Chargers, the rival Bengals, the AFC champion Patriots, and the NFC East champion Cowboys. All in a row. It's the toughest schedule in the league, and arguably the toughest I've ever seen. Pittsburgh's good, but I'm not sure they're good enough to survive that slate. They'll battle Cleveland for the AFC North title this season. It won't be easy. Camp: Latrobe, Pa.
10 — Washington
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Michael Fabiano, NFL.com, Consistency meter: Brees, Hasselbeck headline quarterbacks
Fantasy football owners love it when their quarterback throws for 350 yards and four touchdowns. But the true test of a player's value exists not in one performance but in his level of consistent production. With that in mind, we've examined which players were the most consistent last season, and whose final numbers were deceptive overall. The parameters of our examination revolves around the final numbers of the position's top players based on a 12-team league that utilized NFL.com's standard scoring system. Since most fantasy leagues are over before the final regular-season week, we've use the numbers from the first 16 weeks. All the quarterbacks listed started at least 10 contests, but time missed due to injuries counts against his final percentage. The foundation for consistent production was based on the average points of the sixth-rated (or middle quarterback of the top 12) on NFL.com last season That quarterback is Drew Brees, who averaged 18 points per game. Quarterbacks that recorded 18 or more points in a week were rewarded for their efforts, but a week with 17 or fewer points was rated as less than consistent based on Brees' average. Also remember that a consistent level is relative to the position's overall production, so 40-50 percent can be labeled as consistent in some cases.
Most consistent
Pittsburgh Steelers
Ben Roethlisberger. (60 percent). A tremendous draft value, Roethlisberger found immense statistical success in the offense of coordinator Bruce Arians and finished the fantasy season with 312 points. Big Ben scored 20 or more points seven times and had four 30-plus point performances in his 15 starts. Roethlisberger's best performance of the season came in Week 9, when he scored 38 points on 209 yards and five touchdown passes in a 38-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens.
Consistency meter: Cooley, Winslow headline tight ends
Pittsburgh Steelers
Heath Miller. (40 percent). It's evident that 40 percent out of a possible 100 is not too consistent in simple mathematical terms, but Miller still came in as a reliable option at what was an unreliable position last season. He hit the eight-point mark six times, and recorded three double-digit point performances. Miller had his best stat line in Week 7, when he saddled the Broncos for 17 points on 50 yards and two touchdowns in a 31-28 loss at Denver.
Consistency meter: Crosby, Gould highlight kickers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Jeff Reed. (53 percent) If there was ever a roller coaster ride of a kicker, it was Reed in the 2007 season. He scored double-digit points in each of his first three starts, failed to hit that mark in his next five contests, and then scored a combined 22 points the next two weeks. Overall he hit our eight-point mark on eight different occasions, so he was consistent based on our parameters. However, Reed will be seen as a No. 2 fantasy kicker this season.
Consistency meter: Eagles, Ravens weren't reliable in 2007
Pittsburgh Steelers. (53 percent). The Steelers opened the 2007 regular season with three 20-plus point performances in the first five weeks, but this unit did falter a bit down the stretch. Still, the Steel Curtain hit our 13-point mark eight times and scored 20 or more points on five different occasions. Their best stat line of the fantasy season came in Week 9, when the Steelers scored an impressive 28 points on six sacks with seven points and 104 total yards allowed in a monster win over the Baltimore Ravens.
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Finally for today, say you worked for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In any capacity. You were an employee for them during one of the Super Bowl runs where they won the Lombardi. For that you get a Super Bowl ring. EVERY employee does. Would you ever consider selling that ring? EVER? Well, two knuckleheads did. Read on.
Dan Majors, PittsburghPostGazette.com, Steelers two Super Bowl rings bring $66,000 on eBay
Two Super Bowl rings from the Steelers' first two championships in 1975 and 1976 sold at auction on eBay today for a combined $66,000. The rings, which belonged to a Steelers front-office employee whose estate is being liquidated through a bankruptcy sale, were sold separately, but the winning bids were submitted by the same person. The ring for Super Bowl IX against the Minnesota Vikings -- the Steelers' first Super Bowl -- sold for $32,751 after receiving 77 bids. The ring for Super Bowl X against the Dallas Cowboys sold for $34,100 after 55 bids. Both rings were listed on eBay for one week, but most of the bidding action took place in the last five minutes, when three determined bidders tried to one-up each other before the deadlines. Fred Fall, of Fall Liquidators in Oakmont, said all of the money, minus costs, will go to pay the debts of the former Steelers employee.
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