Here at Sideline Spice HQ, Jan-Aug is an especially tough time for us. We all love NFL passionately, and the yearly wait for off-season to pass is an annual exercise in drip-torture. The only sustenance afforded to wretched folk like ourselves during those dark times are snippets of player Instagram stories, highlights on YouTube and our love/hate relationship with the talking heads on FS1 and ESPN.

To commemorate the start of the 2018/19 NFL season, our team + guest writer Beau Kennett is proud to present the Sideline Spice NFL Power Rankings.

We have broken this up into AFC and NFC, with Part II to be delivered in a few days. Below, you will find our individual power rankings, the average consensus rank, and a blurb about every single team outlining our reasoning for each rank.

We all hope you enjoy this piece. No doubt some readers may disagree with some of the rankings or arguments. We want to hear your feedback and arguments! Hit us up on Twitter @SidelineSpice, or in the comments below.

1. New England Patriots

It makes me sick to my stomach to have to write a blurb for the football equivalent to the Empire in Star Wars. Love them or hate them though, there’s a reason that the Patriots are at the top of our rankings. This tends to happen when your team has both the greatest coach and greatest player of all time.

Unless Tom Brady shows us that he is human, there is zero reason to bet against this team being amongst the thick of things at the top of the AFC standings. Belicheck and co have gone and drafted a blue chip RB talent in Sony Michel to lighten the load on TB12, possibly taking this offense to new heights this coming season.

The Patriots have more key losses than they are typically accustomed to in an off-season, losing Nate Solder (Giants), Danny Amendola (Dolphins), Malcolm Butler and Dion Lewis (both to the Titans). In theory, question marks also remain on defense as they do every year. The Patriots seem to annually defy conventional wisdom though, consistently churning out solid defenses year on year despite the lack of big name talent on that side of the ball. Cordarrelle Patterson seems to be the quintessential Belicheck player, whose versatility can lead to a number of interesting sub-packages being run.

– Luca.

2. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars are for real. I personally believe their defense is the best in the NFL right now, spearheaded by the always jawin’ Jalen Ramsay, whose bite is just as bad as his bark. On the other end, an already decent Offensive Line has been upgraded with LG Andrew Norwell, helping Brandon Linders out front.

The Jags offense is deadly and versatile, cornerstoned by sophomore sensation Leonard Fournette. Although Blake Bortles is one of the worst active starting NFL QBs, history has shown they can still win despite him at the helm. Losing Allen Robinson in the off-season is a blow, but there’s still plenty of talent with Marqise Lee, Dede Westbrook and ex-Colt Donte Moncrief lining up outside.

My #1 rank is based on Jags improvement on last year, and also predicting a slight regression from New England as Father Time will eventually come knocking at TB12’s door. All of this is however contingent on the health of cornerstone Fournette, which as last season and his college history has shown is by no means a guarantee.

– Derek.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers

Big Ben, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell. Irrespective of the Le’Veon Bell contract drama hanging over the organisation, as long as the three B’s are back in Steel City ready to play ball, this team has the offensive firepower to beat anybody. Throw in a little bit of JuJu magic and they get downright scary.

That’s not to say that they aren’t without their question marks. First of all, Bell’s state of mind plays a big factor in how far Pittsburgh can go. Does he look at this as his chance to show one and for all that he’s worth the money he’s demanding? Or has his love for the Steelers deteriorated to the point that his eyes are only on next year? Without a switched on Bell, Brown better prepare for some Cutler-esque staredowns from Big Ben. Secondly, the Steelers still need to find some mammoth feet to fit those Shazier sized boots left in the middle of their defense, a big ask for rookie Terrell Edmunds. Third, and most importantly, the Steelers know that any road to the Superbowl likely leads through New England, a team that has had their number in recent memory despite their historically good trio of skill players. Is this the year that Ben & Co can finally overcome Bill and Brady?

– Ryan.

4. Los Angeles Chargers

The LA Angeles Chargers come into 2018 with high expectations and quite honestly, what is there not to be excited about? It’s easy to look at their ’17 9-7 record and not be overly impressed, until you dig a little deeper. In 2017, 5 of their 7 losses were decided by one score or less, with the remaining two losses handed to them both times by a very impressive Kansas City Chiefs outfit.

Now throw in a much upgraded offensive line with the return of Forrest Lamp and addition of the underrated Mike Pouncey, add a healthy Mike Williams to the mix as well as Kam Chancellor 2.0 aka rookie safety Derwin James, and it’s hard not to salivate.

If you’re still not convinced about the Chargers, just remember they have quite possibly the best edge rush tandem in the NFL in the likes of Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram. In a league where there isn’t enough pass rush, the Chargers can sit back looking down on the other 31 teams in the NFL and gloat, just like Principal Skinner in the famous “pathetic” meme.

– Beau.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs were one of the most exciting teams to watch for much of last season. Alex Smith had the best season of his career and was a legitimate MVP candidate for part of it, Kareem Hunt emerged as the leading rusher in football and Tyreek Hill showed that he was far more than a special teams guy. The question this year is whether they can maintain that high level with some significant roster changes, and/or if they can have some level of consistency throughout an entire season.

Kansas City looked like the best team in football through the first six weeks, only to come crashing back down to earth and scraping into the Wildcard game, where they got upset by an upstart Titans outfit. With year 1 of the Patrick Mahomes era underway, coupled with the addition of Sammy Watkins and the return of Eric Berry, the Chiefs are definitely a threat to make an extended playoff run.

Dealing away the supremely talented Marcus Peters, losing OC Matt Nagy, as well as question marks throughout the front 7, mean that the defensive side of the ball could be the Chiefs undoing.

– Luca

6. Houston Texans

I’m not going to lie to you, when the dust had settled and the rankings of each of Sideline Spice’s esteemed contributors were officially submitted, I was at a loss as to how to justify the Houston Texans place so high in the rankings. For me, there are just so many question marks, most notably wondering how the hugely important trio of Deshaun Watson, J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus will perform returning from season ending injuries last season. Having said that, if all goes well, Houston has the potential to outperform this projection.

Prior to his ACL injury, Watson was in the midst of a historic rookie season. If he can return to similar form quickly this year, combined with DeAndre Hopkins, Lamar Miller and (when healthy) one of the best defenses in football that just welcomed Tyrann Mathieu, this team will be incredibly tough to beat on both sides of the field. Let’s just hope for the sake of these rankings and more importantly football, that all of these players can get back onto the field and back to business. We’ve missed you J.J…

– Ryan

7. Tennessee Titans

I was doing my rankings and at first was like “Why the hell do I have Titans #7?”. But I look down at the 9 teams I’ve got under them and barring any surprises, I don’t really see anyone leapfrogging them. Mariota is an okay QB, good enough to keep you in the game but despite the hype, not in that upper echelon that can elevate a team.

Outside of the Mariota enigma, there’s a lot of interesting, but not necessarily complimentary pieces in Tennessee: a great O-Line led by Taylor Lewan, Derrick Henry and Dion Lewis have some Devonta Freeman/Tevin Coleman two headed monster potential, and I’m waiting for that Corey Davis breakout season.

I’m a believer in Derrick Henry, and Dion Lewis has shown he is top tier in the right situation. My questions are around whether Mike Vrabel will start doing more spread offenses to play to the strengths of the Titans skill players, as Exotic Smashmouth style did not do Mariota and the rest of the squad any justice last year.

– Derek

8. Denver Broncos

RIP the infamous No Fly Zone, a stalwart of fantasy football defenses in years past. Despite key losses and some new blood, this new Broncos defense still figures to be in the upper half echelon with Von Miller and #4 overall pick Bradley Chubb as the focal points. Chubb was an absolute steal for Denver, and I expect him to be a candidate for Defensive ROTY. Offensively, Case Keenum is a significant upgrade over Paxton Lynch, Trevor Siemian and Brock Osweiler. Keenum performed admirably in the starting QB role in Minnesota last year.

There are some doubts around whether ’17 Keenum was the real deal or a one-hit wonder, as the rest of his career hasn’t been quite so solid. I choose to believe it was the Jeff Fisher curse and he is actually a good Quarterback, a la Jared Goff. I expect good things from Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. Obviously not quite the superstar levels of the Peyton Manning glory days, but I’m expecting renaissance years now they have a decent QB throwing to them. Lastly, after letting CJ Anderson go this offseason, Denver invested a 3rd Rd pick on Royce Freeman, which (rightfully) shows Devontae Booker is not their future at RB.

Overall, although there’s improvements offensively, a porous offensive line and the question mark at RB keep the Broncos out of the top 8 for me.

– Derek

9. Oakland Raiders

The Raiders are one of the toughest teams to peg in the entire AFC. A dominant 2016 season where they emerged as legitimate Superbowl contenders had fans believing that one of the league’s most beloved franchises would finally have a chance at heading to the promised land. Alas, last year was a major disappointment, as they followed up a 12-4 season with a 6-10 showing. Derek Carr regressed, and while Khalil Mack was still one of the best defensive players in football, he didn’t reach the heights of his 2016 DPOY season.

This season, Jon Gruden makes his return to the coaching box. After so much time away from the coaches seat, is he out of touch, or is it the children who are wrong? Carr is still young enough to rebound and return to his 2016 form, but Marshawn Lynch isn’t getting any younger, and they’re going to need Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack to be at their absolute best if they want to contend for a wildcard spot in what looks to be one of the tougher divisions in football.

The Raiders have poured a lot of money into their offensive line over the last few season, new signings Jordy Nelson and Martavis Bryant could be weapons that galvanize the offense and the defense has some playmakers at every level, so it’s up to Gruden to make the most of the pieces he has.

– Luca

10. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens 2017 season ended in the last minute of their final game, losing to the Bengals and missing the playoffs for the third season in a row. Franchise QB Joe Flacco ended the season ranked 25 out of 32 starting QBs and with the added pressure of the Ravens drafting star QB Lamar Jackson, a finally motivated Flacco held offsite workouts with his receivers for only the 2nd time in 10 years – a move that makes sense with a complete overhaul at WR. With Flacco under added pressure there’s every chance we see a Romo/Prescott scenario in Baltimore this season – so being at his best is in everyone’s interest.

Ranked third last in passing yards in 2017, there’s no doubt the Ravens need to improve on offense. However, with a defensive unit that ranks amongst the stronger ones in football, a special teams unit that was ranked #1 in the NFL last season and by virtue of sharing a division with the Bengals and Browns, it’s pretty difficult for me to see the Ravens falling to third or fourth in the AFC North. I think the Ravens start the season 3-0 and somehow find their way to last place in the playoffs, to play the part of ‘speed bump’ in the road to the Super Bowl.

– Josh

11. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals took a big step back over the last two years, missing the playoffs twice in a row after having qualified for the previous 5 years. With the Browns making wholesale upgrades, the Steelers looking to be the class of the AFC and the Ravens always being solid/average, Cincinnati are in real danger of finding themselves in the AFC North cellar for the 2018 season.

Dalton has taken a step back and shown no improvement after a promising start to his career, Tyler Eifert is held together by chewing gum, Vontaze Burfict is supremely talented but a headcase and AJ Green has next to no help out wide. Joe Mixon looks to be a gamer, and the Bengals went a long way to shoring up a porous offensive line by acquiring Cordy Glenn, Bobby Hart, and Billy Price, but how they gel remains to be seen.

As has been the case in recent history, the strength of the Bengals lies in the defensive line led by Geno Atkins. If they want to have any chance of defying the odds and nabbing a wildcard spot, it’ll be on the strength of their front seven. I just don’t see it happening in a division where every team around them is improving at a faster rate than they are.

– Luca

12. Miami Dolphins

There’s not a lot to be optimistic about down in the South Beaches coming into ’18. If you asked a general football fan in 2017 “Who are the the 3 best players on the Miami Dolphins?” your answer more often than not would be Ryan Tannehill, Jarvis Landry and Ndamukong Suh. There is upside in a few of the younger players in Miami but losing two of their big 3 and Ryan Tannehill coming back from a ruptured ACL makes things tough. Not even updating an updated jersey gets me excited to watch this years Miami Dolphins.

I am very convinced that Miami will be in a fierce battle with division rivals Buffalo Bills for who will be on the clock first in the 2019 NFL Draft. Head Coach Adam Gase will need to turn the franchise around quickly if he looks to keep his job for the foreseeable future and will be relying very heavily on hopeful breakout start DeVante Parker, 1st round ‘Mr. Do It All’ Minkah Fitzpatrick and uber talented and freakishly athletic Tight End Mike Gesicki (for those playing at home, please watch some highlights of the young TE on the football field and the basketball court).

– Beau

13. Cleveland Browns

Don’t let the 1 in 32 record over the past two seasons fool you, the Cleveland Browns have added far too much young talent on both sides of the ball over that time to not parlay those additions into additional W’s on the left side of the ledger.

Tyrod Taylor won’t wow you every snap under centre, but he is a marked improvement on any other signal caller on the Browns infamous QB list, and the competition he provides rookie and number one overall pick Baker Mayfield will be instrumental in the Heisman winner’s development.

Picking arguably the best cornerback in the draft, Denzel Ward, at fourth overall, bringing back former first-overall pick Myles Garrett at defensive end and the dynamic linebacker duo of Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey (who in case you weren’t aware, combined for 300 odd tackles last season) constitutes a defense alone that can grind out Ravens/Broncos style wins. Yes, the Browns still have a long way to go, and this is still a team that is going to lose more than they win, but it’s a team that is finally starting to look like it’s headed in the right direction.

– Ryan

14. New York Jets

I love Sam Darnold as a development project, and I’m happy that they want to bring him along slowly while expected starter Josh McCown mans the fort. The key words however, are development project, and in 2018 McCown and the rest of Jets offense will be protected by possibly the worst OLine in the NFL.

On the offensive front, if Isaiah Crowell struggled with the underrated Browns O-line last year, I’m expecting even worse results this season with the swiss cheese offensive line of the Jets. Robby Anderson is a highly underrated WR, who hopefully stays out of trouble long enough to have a productive season. I’m expecting a breakout from him this year, if only because there’s nobody else to throw it to.

Maybe there’s hope for this bunch of misfits. Thomas Rawls, Isaiah Crowell, Teddy Bridgewater and Terrelle Pryor were all exciting prospects not that long ago. I miss the old NY Jets featuring Revis Island, Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker etc. They were a fun team to watch. This new rebuild has some great building blocks and potential, but they’re 2 years away from being 2 years away.

– Derek

15. Indianapolis Colts

Indianapolis have a high ceiling in 2018 but sit in one of the tougher divisions in the AFC with the Jaguars, Texans and to a lesser extent, the Titans. So what do they have going for them? New coaches, new players and a (potentially) healthy Andrew Luck.

Offensive-minded Frank Reich arrives as the new HC off the back of his OC role in the Philadelphia Eagles first ever Superbowl, and will look to utilise Andrew Luck’s franchise arm that hasn’t seen a snap since January 2017. The Colts cleaned up this years draft with five picks in the first two rounds – two of which strengthen the line in front of Luck. This is important because last year’s starting QB Jacoby Brisset was the most-sacked QB i the NFL in 2017. Ouch.

The lack of strength in Indy’s defense and relying on inexperienced rookies in what could be considered the worst offensive line in football will likely keep them well away from the playoffs and in the AFC South cellar. Horseshoe fans need to pray that the combination of a healthy Andrew Luck, a new HC and some highly-ranked rookies will be enough to defy the odds and have the team playing in January.

– Josh

16. Buffalo Bills

I do not feel good about writing this. After snapping a historic 19-year postseason drought last year, it seems almost certain that the Buffalo Bills are destined for a return to an early off-season this year. Tyrod Taylor was good if unspectacular, but he’s gone, and his list of potential replacements reads as follows:

AJ McCarron, who won a lot of football games in college; Nathan Peterman, he of throwing five picks in a half fame; and Josh Allen, of Twitter fame (who also happens to be ‘straight off the bone’ raw).

Personally I’m picking the one known for winning football games. Unfortunately for Mr. McCarron ,these Bills aren’t his Alabama Crimson Tide. Worst of all is, this is all without even considering the potential question marks surrounding LeSean McCoy’s potential legal trouble and the accompanying consequences.

Again, I’m sorry Bills fans, this is not going to be a good year for those partial to upstate New York. If you’re in need of a boost though, you’ve got one in the shape of barely out of high school Tremaine Edmunds, who is a certified freak of nature. At only 20 years of age, Edmunds possesses the potential to transform this defense over the next few years. Not this year though.

– Ryan

