Each week, we preview teams that are moving up and moving down in our weekly Football Relativity comparison. We’ll analyze all 32 teams on Tuesday.
Rise – Cleveland Browns – The Browns are just 5-7, but they’ve definitely got things moving in the right direction. Not only are they playing teams close right now; they’re also starting to win those games, as they did with a 13-10 decision in Miami this week. The Browns are now a mid-level team, and we could see them rallying all the way to 8-8. Eric Mangini deserves to keep his job the way he has the team playing right now.
Sink – Tennessee Titans – The Titans got absolutely blasted at home by the Jaguars, as Jacksonville ran amok in a 17-6 final. While the run defense was abysmal, that wasn’t even the worst problem. As we posted on Twitter, the Titans offense looks downright hopeless right now. Kerry Collins is a wily veteran, but he’s a sitting duck in the pocket, and he can’t make the deep out throws anymore. With Vince Young gone, the Titans’ offensive woes -no TDs in the last three games – aren’t going to get better, and their defense isn’t good enough to overcome the moribund offense. It’s over for the Titans – the playoffs aren’t going to happen in 2010.
Float – Chicago Bears – We have the Bears just below the league’s elite, and they remain there despite a solid 24-20 road win in Detroit. While the Bears have been impressive about taking care of business this year, we still don’t have confidence in their ability to beat a top team in the playoff game. But give Chicago credit for consistently beating the teams they should, even on the road.