The common theme in the NFL right now has to be vulnerability. Every team, including the one that went 16-0 last season, is vulnerable.
The Patriots look weak in the secondary. The Steelers have offensive line issues. The Colts aren’t sure if Peyton Manning is 100%. The Jaguars, Eagles and Titans are void of receivers. And those are supposed to be some of the better teams in the league.
Keep that theme in mind while viewing these power rankings. Even though a team is ranked higher than another, the margin that separates the two is likely to be minuscule. A lot of these teams are interchangeable in the rankings as we head into the first weekend of action.
But without further ado, here are the Week 1 NFL Power Rankings:
1. New England Patriots
Rumor has it that Tom Brady is walking around with a broken bone in his foot. And as previously mentioned, the secondary looks incredibly vulnerable. But looking vulnerable is exactly how the Patriots want to be viewed right before they lay a 42-10 smack down on the Chiefs in Week 1.
2. San Diego Chargers
The Bolts have the best player in the league in LT, an effective offense and one of the top defenses in the league. Shawne Merriman’s decision to play with major ligament damage in his knee has people rightfully concerned, but as of right now he solidifies SD’s stacked front seven.
3. Dallas Cowboys
There’s a long way to go before we’re entertaining the question: “Can the Cowboys win in the playoffs?” For right now, they’re stacked on both sides of the football and are clearly the class of the NFC.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags have an outstanding running game, are solid up front on both sides of the ball and are extremely physical. They’re a better overall team than the Colts right now, especially with Peyton Manning’s knee issues.
5. Indianapolis Colts
We’ll see if Peyton Manning is a little rusty after not playing any preseason games due to a bursa sac being removed from one of his knees. The Colts better hope so, because Jim Sorgi has never started an NFL game and he didn’t look too sharp in preseason.
6. New Orleans Saints
Some NFL pundits think the Saints are a playoff contender, while others think they’re not even good enough to win their division. Personally, I see them as a Super Bowl contender with the upgrades they’ve made defensively and also believe that Sean Payton will have a blast dreaming up ways of getting Reggie Bush, Marques Colston and Jeremy Shockey the ball.
7. Minnesota Vikings
There are things to love about Minnesota (the offensive and defensive lines, Adrian Peterson, Jared Allen), as well as things to hate (Tarvaris Jackson’s injury concerns, the secondary, Bryant McKinnie’s suspension). But the division is up for grabs and if Jackson can develop the Vikes are going to contend for a playoff spot in the NFC.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers
The offensive line could be a huge weakness this year after losing Alan Faneca, Willie Parker’s knee is a concern and if Troy Polomaulu can’t stay healthy, the defense could be in trouble, too. But you almost have to give the Steelers the benefit of the doubt at the start of the season with Big Ben coming off a great year in which he led this team to the playoffs.
9. Philadelphia Eagles
Donovan McNabb’s health will be a concern all year and they’re void of talent at receiver, but the Eagles have to be one of the favorites in a week conference. They play in the NFC’s toughest division, but if McNabb can stay healthy, Philly has more than enough talent to make a playoff run.
10. Seattle Seahawks
The Seahawks will compete this season, because they always compete. But it’ll be interesting to see how the running back-by-committee approach pans out and whether or not Mike Holmgren’s impending departure will be a distraction.
11. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have plenty of weapons on offense, have built a solid offensive line and upgraded the defense in the offseason. But can they take the next step? Is Derek Anderson a one-year wonder? Is the secondary too inexperienced? They couldn’t have asked for a better test than the Cowboys at home in Week 1.
12. New York Giants
It’ll probably be boom or bust for the G-Men this season. The offense that helped the Giants win the Super Bowl is still intact and Eli Manning was almost unstoppable in the postseason last year. But the defensive losses of Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Gibril Wilson will be felt and it could mean that the Giants will take a step back this year.
13. Tennessee Titans
Vince Young is going to keep the Titans in most games with his athletic ability and Chris Johnson is a serious OROY candidate. But this team looks very limited, even with a solid defense. Young hasn’t shown signs that he’s developed yet as a passer, which is troubling considering defensive coordinators are starting to figure out ways to keep him in the pocket.
14. Green Bay Packers
Everything revolves around Aaron Rodgers and whether or not he can forget about Brett Favre and concentrate on helping this team win. There’s enough talent around him to succeed, but if he tries to do too much and falls victim to the pressure, the Packers will probably tumble.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs return virtually the same team that went to the playoffs last year, but they’re not going to be able to sneak up on opponents this season. The defense is very good and Jeff Garcia is nothing if not efficient, but Tampa looks like it has a ceiling of about eight or nine wins.
16. New York Jets
The Jets could very easily contend this year in the stacked AFC after upgrading their playmaking ability at quarterback by trading for Brett Favre. The offensive line underachieved last year, but the addition of Alan Faneca should do wonders for Thomas Jones and the running game. The defense is also underrated, although if they can’t stop the run than it won’t matter what legend plays quarterback.
17. Carolina Panthers
Ah, the mysterious Panthers. Are they sleeper Super Bowl contenders or just an 8-8 team posing as a sleeper Super Bowl contender? Jake Delhomme has to stay healthy or else the offense will crumble like it did last year. It would be nice if all-world playmaker Steve Smith would stop punching teammates in the face, too.
18. Washington Redskins
It takes teams a couple of years to learn the West Coast offense so expect quarterback Jason Campbell to go through some growing pains this season. But adding Jason Taylor to an already underrated defense helps, and the running game should keep the Skins in most ballgames.
19. Houston Texans
The Texans have gradually built a nice team. If Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson can stay healthy, the defense is good enough to keep Houston in most games. But the running game has serious question marks and the offensive line is still a player or two away from being solidified. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the Texans competed for a playoff berth this year, but realistically they’re probably still a year away.
20. Buffalo Bills
The Bills have an underrated defense and added some nice young talent on offense. But it’s going to take time before Trent Edwards is ready to carry a team, even though he has a decent offensive line in front and playmakers like Marshawn Lynch and Lee Evans around him.
21. Denver Broncos
Outside of a dynamic cornerback duo in Champ Bailey and Dre’ Bly, nothing stands out about this team. Yeah they’ll be able to run the ball and yes Jay Cutler has shown potential, but the front seven has trouble getting to the quarterback and the aforementioned Cutler hasn’t led a team to a winning record since high school.
22. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals didn’t make a ton of moves in the offseason, but they also didn’t feel like they had to. This team has scattered talent and they could come together to make a run at the division, but Kurt Warner hasn’t been consistent in years and the offensive line still needs more help.
23. Chicago Bears
Devin Hester and the defense will keep the Bears in most games this year, but the offensive line looks shaky and once again Chicago has questions at quarterback. Can Kyle Orton and rookie Matt Forte carry an offense with a suspect offensive line?
24. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals have a ton of issues. Chad Johnson’s shoulder is a concern, Chris Perry is still inexperienced (and injury prone) and the defense is full of holes. The offense just doesn’t look as explosive as it did in previous seasons, but to assume that it can’t score 20-plus points a game would be naïve.
25. Baltimore Ravens
The defense is once again a major strength, but the Ravens will start a rookie at quarterback (Joe Flacco) and running back (Ray Rice) when they open up the season against the Bengals. Usually it’s not a good sign when a team is starting rookies at both quarterback and running back; it’s an even worse sign when hat team has a suspect offensive line.
26. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders have a lot of young talent, but it’s going to take time before it develops. After adding DeAngelo Hall to an already solid secondary, the defense has potential as long as the line can get after the quarterback. While they’re still a few years off, Oakland should be competitive this season.
27. St. Louis Rams
It’s hard to get a bead on how good the Rams will be this year after such a disastrous 2007 season. With Orlando Pace and Marc Bulger healthy, Steven Jackson happy and an upgraded defensive line, the Rams could contend in the West. Or Bulger could get hurt, the offensive line could fall apart, the secondary could get picked apart and everything crumbles like it did last year.
28. Detroit Lions
The Lions made incredible strides last season, but Mike Martz and his offense are now in San Fran and Shaun Rogers (the team’s best defender) is now in Cleveland. The Lions are loaded at receiver and Kevin Smith is a potential OROY candidate, but the offensive line is brutal and the front seven on defense is going to have issues getting to the quarterback (which won’t help a below average secondary).
29. San Francisco 49ers
If all the free agent and drafted talent can come together, the 49ers could surprise in the NFC West. But it’s hard to believe that a team led by J.T. O’Sullivan at quarterback will be a contender for an entire season. Especially since a below average offensive line will be protecting him.
30. Kansas City Chiefs
The good news is that Larry Johnson is healthy and the Chiefs have added some nice young pieces to their defense. The bad news is that Brodie Croyle is the starting quarterback and hasn’t shown that he can even compete in this league. Making things worse for Croyle is that the offensive line might be the worst in the league.
31. Atlanta Falcons
Rookie quarterbacks usually don’t fair well, but Matt Ryan has enough talent in Michael Turner, Roddy White and Jerious Norwood to help ease the transition. The offensive line has to hold up and the defense has to mask potential issues on the line and at corner or else the Falcons won’t win more than three games this season.
32. Miami Dolphins
Bill Parcells has this team heading in the right direction, but the roster is void of talent. Chad Pennington was a nice signing, but he’s limited and who knows what to expect from Ricky Williams. The defense also looks incredibly thin after the team parted with Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor in the offseason.
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