NFL Week 2 Power Rankings
By Tim Dillon
Sep 9, 2012; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans defensive end Antonio Smith (94) reacts after a sack against the Miami Dolphins at Reliant Stadium. The Texans defeated the Dolphins 30-10. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE
After week 2, we have some teams on the rise and some that plummeted. Where did your team end up? Let me know what you think!
1. San Francisco 49ers (2-0) – Anyone else scared to play the 49ers? Their team is completely balanced on both sides of the ball and has beaten two very good teams in the Packers and Lions.
2. Houston Texans (2-0) – The Texans look as good as people speculated they might be this year, although they have a weak schedule to open the season. It’ll be interesting to see how they play against Denver next week.
3. Atlanta Falcons (2-0) – “Matty Ice” looked very impressive against the Broncos on Monday night. He leads the team efficiently and with the improved defense, this team is poised for a deep playoff run.
4. Green Bay Packers (1-1) – The Packers’ defense looked great but part of that could have been how bad the Bears O-line was. They completely tore through them and looked like a dominant defense again.
5. New England Patriots (1-1) – Despite the heartbreaking loss against the Cardinals in the final seconds of the game, the Patriots are still one of the best teams in the league. They signed Kellen Winslow Jr. to take the place of injured Aaron Hernandez, who will be out 4-6 weeks. They have a very tough game in Baltimore this Sunday night; it will test this team’s resilience.
6. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) – Where did “Joe Cool” go? Last weekend’s game against the Eagles showed us a very different Joe Flacco than week one. He needs to get back on-point, since they are going to have their hands full against the Patriots this Sunday.
7. New York Giants (1-1) – I was at a loss for words. Did Eli have a good game? Well, he threw 510 yards but 3 picks. The picks don’t really matter, though, since he single-handedly won the Giants the game. He may be clutch in the 4th, but he needs to stay sharp for a full 60 minutes.
8. Detroit Lions (1-1) – The Lions looked very good despite the loss to the Niners. They should bounce back with ease against the Titans next weekend.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) – Ben Roethlisberger did a great job of moving the ball down the field. They should develop the run game more, however, to lighten his load.
10. Chicago Bears (1-1) – I laughed my as$ off watching Jay Cutler get rocked this past Thursday. He had the stones to call out the Packers’ defense and they had a big answer for him. The Bears’ O-line MUST improve if they want to have a shot at a Super Bowl title.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) – The Eagles are probably the worst 2-0 team besides the Cardinals. Vick has thrown 6 interceptions in only two games. He’s lucky the first game was against the Browns and not a good team. I’m inclined to blame the coaching since McCoy should have the ball in his hands the majority of the game and not Vick.
12. Denver Broncos (1-1) – Monday night’s game against the Falcons brought Bronco fans down to reality. Peyton showed the world that he isn’t the same as he used to be; his arm strength just isn’t there. John Fox should work on developing the run game, so the load isn’t completely on Peyton.
13. Dallas Cowboys (1-1) – I originally had the Cowboys winning this weekend’s game at Seattle, but changed my mind because of their shaky past and the 12th man factor of the Seahawks. Looks like I was right. Same old Cowboys.
14. San Diego Chargers (2-0) – The Chargers usually get off to a slow start, but 2-0 has them sitting pretty in a division of mediocrity. If they can maintain their offensive production, perhaps we could see a Chargers team like the mid 2000’s
15. Washington Redskins (1-1) – I’m sure ‘Skins fans all over America are ready to tattoo “I <3 RG3” on their arms. For the first time in ages, they have a quarterback to not only keep them in games, but to actually lead the team and thrive. Sunday’s loss was not his fault.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) – Playing the Browns was probably a breath of fresh air after the beating they took from the Ravens last Monday night. An easy win, plus the Ravens lost.
17. New York Jets (1-1) – I was right, it wasn’t the Jets that were good last week, the Bills were just plain bad. Tebow will not help this team; ignore the cries of the ignorant.
18. Arizona Cardinals (2-0) – The Cardinals got incredibly lucky this past weekend. That deathly fumble at the end can be forgotten. Despite being 2-0, the Cards are the exact opposite of perfect. The QB situation is a mess and doesn’t show signs of being cleaned up any time soon.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) – The Buccs played alright on Sunday until the 4th quarter. Greg Schiano is the best thing to happen to this team since Jon Gruden, but they can’t allow a QB to pass for over 500 yards anymore.
20. Carolina Panthers (1-1) – Cam Newton is the best quarterback to ever set foot in Carolina. Yea, better than Jake Delhomme who took them to a Super Bowl.
21. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) – Russell Wilson looked even better in his second game but there is still plenty of room for improvement. He needs to develop a strong connection with his receivers, particularly Sidney Rice.
22. Buffalo Bills (1-1) – Good news for Bills fans! Ryan Fitzpatrick has more rushing yards than Chris Johnson! He’s a more accomplished rusher than passer.
23. St. Louis Rams (1-1) – The Rams were impressive in a win against the Redskins. They need more receivers to step up in order to help QB Sam Bradford
24. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) – Andrew Luck is developing a Manning-like connection with WR Reggie Wayne. They are still a long way out from making the playoffs, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended the season around 8-8
25. New Orleans Saints (0-2) – Wow, do the Saints miss Sean Payton. I knew the Saints would either thrive without him just to prove everyone wrong, or completely tank. Obviously, they went with the second option. I can just picture Payton screaming at his TV from the couch.
26. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) – Well, the Chiefs are my disappointment this year, and it’s only just begun. I expected them to finally emerge from the AFC West as the team to beat, but clearly not.
27. Tennessee Titans (0-2) – Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick has more rushing yards than Chris Johnson. Need I say more?
28. Miami Dolphins (1-1) – Reggie Bush was a beast last weekend. He still won’t lead the league in rushing, but if he keeps up his production I’ll stop making fun of him for his prediction.
29. Oakland Raiders (0-2) – The Raiders rank 31st in points per game and rushing yards per game. With Darren McFadden in the backfield, this shouldn’t be happening. What a mess of a franchise.
30. Minnesota Vikings (1-1) – Poor Vikings fans. Even with one of the best running backs in the league, the team isn’t going anywhere for a long time.
31. Cleveland Browns (0-2) – RB Trent Richardson gave Browns fans hope for the future this past Sunday. This team is still so young, though, I don’t see any improvement just yet.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) – “With the first pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars select…”