Special Teams Rankings

1. Buffalo Bills – Superior return game, good kicking/punting and solid coverage.  Always one of the best. 
2. NY Giants – Feely’s problems last year were an anomaly.  Great return game.  Always a threat to hit the home run.
3. Miami Dolphins – Always stellar on special teams coverage. Marcus Vick may be a stud returner. 
4. Philadelphia Eagles – Akers studly when healthy; always great coverage.  Expect this unit, with the benefit of health, to get back to form.
5. Cleveland Browns – Anemic offense keeps them busy.  Experienced and accurate kicking game.  Solid, veteran returners. 
6. New Orleans Saints – Return man Michael Lewis is back and Reggie Bush is there, too.  Could be an exciting year. 
7. Cincinnati Bengals – Underrated Graham one of the better kickers.  Young and talented coverage teams.  Could use improvement in return game, though. 
8. Pittsburgh Steelers – The trick plays sometimes work.  Randle-El is gone, but plenty of worthy replacements.  Good, steady kicking game.
9. Carolina Panthers – Steady kicking game and return game may improve with rookie DeAngelo Williams. 
10. San Francisco 49ers – Horrible offense keeps special teams busy.  Nedney is solid and they have plenty of potential return men.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars – Erratic kicking game, but should steady this year.  Rookie Maurice Drew is a huge upgrade in the return game.
12. Washington Redskins – Addition of Randle-El will improve the unit.  If the main cogs of kicking game can stay healthy, this will be a solid overall unit.

Defensive Rankings (No Special Teams)

1. Chicago – Simply dominant on the defensive side of the football.
2. Carolina – Peppers & Company will create plenty of havoc.
3. Pittsburgh – Solid front seven and Polamalu will dominate. 
4. Baltimore – Lewis and Reed are back.  Expect this unit to rebound and play solid defensive football.
5. Tampa Bay – Solid veteran defensive unit.  Always one of the best.
6. Seattle – Solid secondary and Tatupu will only get better.  Great schedule.
7. NY Giants – Bookends Strahan and Umenyiora are sack artists.  Improving secondary; Demps brings veteran leadership. 
8. Dallas – Heavy hitters all over the field.  Young linebackers need to grow up in a hurry, though. 
9. Jacksonville – Solid yet unspectacular.  No big plays, just stuffing the run and solid secondary play. 
10. Atlanta – Addition of Abraham will help.  Young secondary will need to step up.
11. Indianapolis – Unit continues to improve; needs a healthy Bob Sanders to lead the secondary.
12. Miami – Getting up there in age, but Thomas and Taylor are two of the best.

Updated Defensive Rankings (with Special Teams)

1. Chicago Bears – Solid on defense; good enough on special teams, with big-play threats. 
2. Carolina – Great defense, improving special teams.
3. Pittsburgh – Solid defensive unit, and special teams unit that has several trick plays up its sleeve. 
4. NY Giants – Defense will improve dramatically; one of the better special team units out there.
5. Baltimore – Unit will be hungry to improve from last season.  Special teams lost some important ingredients, though.
6. Jacksonville – Quality special teams and potential cupcake schedule make the Jags a nice defensive sleeper.
7. Tampa Bay – The original Cover 2 still has its playmakers.  Horrible special teams, though.
8. Seattle – Solid front seven will improve this season.  Special teams may improve.
9. Philadelphia – Strong secondary and talented special teams.
10. Miami – Solid special teams play coupled with veterans Taylor and Thomas make the Fins a nice sleeper defense.
11. Indianapolis – Addition of Vinatieri will be helpful to special teams.  Defense will again surprise.
12. Dallas – Addition of Indianapolis castoff Vanderjagt will immediately improve special teams.  Young defense is hungry to dominate.