SV’s 2019 Annual NFL Power Rankings: 32-23

Let’s dive into our Power Rankings for the bottom third of the league.

32. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins made a firm move toward a rebuild after trading three core pieces in the span of 24 hours, including left tackle Laremy Tunsil. With Ryan Fitzpatrick – the Katherine Heigl of quarterbacks – at the helm, this team will see a consistent inconsistency in the passing game, as is the trademark of the “Fitz-Magic”. He may have a brilliant four-touchdown performance one week, followed by a five-interception stinker the next. He’s still in the industry despite having flopped with every team that is forced to start him for lack of a better option.

We will see Josh Rosen at some point this season after Fitz has had his fill of thrills, and Miami coaches are thoroughly disgusted with his decision making. Defensively, the Dolphins are nowhere near the level needed to carry what will be one of the most pressured, turnover-prone offenses in 2019.

31. Cincinnati Bengals

About five years overdue, the Bengals finally moved on from Marvin Lewis, replacing him with a 36-year old quarterbacks coach from the Los Angeles Rams. Clearly, the Bengals are hoping Zac Taylor can replicate what Sean McVay has accomplished in L.A. – as the bright, young, energetic head coach movement continues in the NFL. However, this is a hefty ask for an unassuming rookie coach with no coordinator experience.

The Bengals are currently a mess, finishing 32nd and 29th against the pass and rush, respectively in 2018. Wide receiver A.J. Green will miss significant time through the first half of the season due to injury, and the offense will be forced to play catchup without their most dangerous, consistent target. Unfortunately for Cincy fans, this is a recipe for another calamitous season.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Despite the addition of a top-flight head coach, it wouldn’t be a shock to see Bruce Arians having a rough go of it in his first season with the Buccs. This is a team in transition, without an identity other than being able to put up a ton of passing yards in garbage time. QB Jameis Winston will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. It’s going to take a brilliant year from the veteran QB, one would think, for the Buccs to want to continue this experiment.

In theory, Arians should be able to help Winston in reducing mistakes and turnovers. However, Winston’s reckless style and tendency to miss open receivers downfield almost look irremediable at this point. If there’s anyone that can help, it’s Arians. More likely, though, is the Winston experiment ends after this season, and Arians brings in a quarterback of his own preference to build a future with.

29. Indianapolis Colts

What a gut-wrenching end to the offseason for the Colts, and for star QB Andrew Luck who decided to retire due to an unrelenting injury-recovery cycle. In a flash, the Colts went from what many were calling a possible Super Bowl contender, to a team in a very precarious and unprecedented situation. The loss of Luck has obvious consequences for the offense, but perhaps just as significant, for a defense that benefited mightily from having the most efficient third-down offense (49%) of 2018.

Enter Jacoby Brissett, and the potential ceiling for this team looks much less promising than it did just a few weeks ago. While Frank Reich impressed in his first year as a head coach, it will take a Coach of the Year performance to get this team into the playoffs.

28. New York Giants

After all the Daniel Jones hullabaloo, Giants fans will likely get to see what he’s made of at some point this season. Eli Manning has not looked the part of a Super Bowl-winning quarterback for some time now, and all signs point to this being his final year in New York, if not his career. Odell Beckham Jr. is out, and the offense now belongs to Saquon Barkley, a phenomenal talent with the potential to carry a subpar offense a la Adrian Peterson in 2012. You know, his “Purple Jesus” days.

Defensively, the Giants are for the most part a mismatched group of vets, though if rookie Deandre Baker proves to be a rising elite cornerback, the secondary could see a major improvement from having the 10th worst passing defense in 2018.

27. San Francisco 49ers

Things haven’t gone as planned for HC Kyle Shanahan and the 49ers. The organization traded for Jimmy Garropolo, who was supposed to be the answer to the quarterback question that has been lingering in San Fran since the departure of Steve Young. The question that was a couple of feet away from being answered by Colin Kaepernick in Super Bowl XLVII. After an early season-ending injury in 2018, Garoppolo hasn’t quite looked like the Jimmy “G” we saw during his five-game winning streak just a season ago.

While defensive back Richard Sherman is still good enough to force some QB’s into shying away from his side, offenses have simply exploited the various others holes in the 9ers defense. Drafting DE Nick Bosa with the second overall pick is a good start. If management can plug up some of the other holes, and Garropolo can begin to fulfill his potential, Shanahan’s offensive ingenuity may just be enough to get something brewing in San Fran’s near future. Just not this season.

26. Arizona Cardinals

Short of crowning Kyler Murray, it’s a reasonable bet to say the transition from Josh Rosen’s subpar quarterback play, to Murray’s sensational combination of talents could be the catalyst for an improvement of three to four wins. Granted, Rosen was not all to blame playing behind a patchwork offensive line. The Cards set out to improve their pass protection in the offseason, and in the process pulled off an absolute steal from the Pittsburgh Steelers. By acquiring tackle Marcus Gilbert for a sixth-round pick, whom the Steelers didn’t believe they could hold on to, the offensive line now has an anchor to protect the (hopeful) franchise quarterback.

Arizona ranked dead last in the stopping the run, surrendering an average of 154 rushing yards per game. Seeking to remedy this with the additions of Terrell Suggs and D.J. Swearinger, suddenly the Cards have a couple of versatile veteran leaders to right the ship. All-Pro CB Patrick Peterson will serve a six-game suspension for PED’s. Upon his return, the secondary has enough talent to statistically finish in the middle of the pack, maybe even steal a game or two.

25. Buffalo Bills

The Bills secondary was phenomenal in 2018, allowing a league-low 179 passing yards per game. Teams weren’t exactly running over the Bills either, as they ranked a modest 18th against the run. So what happened? Well, let’s just say Buffalo wasn’t getting the most efficient play out of their quarterbacks. Josh Allen completed just 52.8 percent of his passes, throwing 12 interceptions to just 10 touchdowns.

While the big man also brings a lot to the table using his legs (631 rushing yards, 8 TD), he’ll need to show major improvements in his accuracy and poise in the pocket to prove he belongs in this league. The Bills defense will naturally see some regression, but will surely be keeping this team in position to win some games.

24. Washington Redskins

Just when it looked like Washington might be on the rise – having put together back-to-back solid drafts, quietly building one of the best young defensive fronts in the Eastern Conference – they’ve yet again found a way to self-sabotage. This time, management alienated their franchise LT Trent Williams to the point where he’s vowed never to play for the team again. Now, the Redskins are asking Case Keenum – a journeyman QB – to produce without a reliable #1 target at receiver, behind a line not known for its pass protection, now operating sans its best player/leader. The Redskins will have to lean heavily on the legitimate three-headed-monster that is their committee of running backs, featuring Adrian Peterson, Derrius Guice and Chris Thompson.

Without Williams’ protection of the blindside in a division teeming with elite pass rushers, starting Keenum is the right move. The Redskins want to avoid ruining the confidence of first-round pick Dwayne Haskins, who will learn from the bench, for as long as they can. Washington has been overwhelmed by injury at virtually every position in recent years. In fact, injuries have been such a problem for so long, that not even the Redskins medical staff has escaped media scrutiny. Playing quarterback in Washington is not exactly the safest job out there, so expect to see Haskins starting a few games, whether by choice or out of necessity.

23. New York Jets

It will be interesting to see what the new head ball coach Adam Gase can scheme up in this offense. The tools are certainly there – a pocket passer with a cannon for an arm, an elite workhorse running back, a duo of speedy wide receivers. The addition of superstar RB Le’Veon Bell should take some pressure off sophomore QB Sam Darnold. If the offensive line can show some improvement, the sky’s the limit for a coach with Gase’s offensive prowess.

Adding a proven defensive coordinator like Gregg Williams to the mix makes sense. The Jets defense features some promising cornerstone pieces in safety Jamaal Adams and defensive end Leonard Williams. The new leadership should produce a more physical, disciplined Jets defense with the potential to finish in the middle of the pack.