NFL Power Rankings: Teams 1-16

1) San Diego Chargers: This team would have won the Lombardi had it not been for injuries when they played the Pats. Injuries to Phillip Rivers, LT, and Gates stifled their offense and kept their defense on the field far too long. A healthy lineup will equate to a Super Bowl victory in 2008.

2) New England Patriots: They still showcase the most explosive and dynamic offense in the NFL. Their problems will come on defense. Drafting Jerod Mayo was a good step forward, but their LB core is way too old, and their secondary lacks star-power.

3) Indianapolis Colts: Marvin Harrison may not ever be the same after that knee injury. Fortunately for Colts' fans, Reggie Wayne is a more-than-capable first receiver, and Anthony Gonzalez showed promise in the slot. If their defense can stop the run early, they may run away with the second-toughest division in the NFL.

4) Dallas Cowboys: Even without a playoff victory in 12 years, they are still worthy of a top-five spot because of the star-studded offense and improved defense. If Pacman can stay out of the clubs, he will be a very productive player for them at corner and as a return man. Zach Thomas should help on the field and in the locker room as a leader.

5) Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles return almost all of their starters. They somehow found a way to keep Lito Sheppard and sign Asante Samuel, to put together arguably the best secondary in the league. They are consistently in the top-five as far as the offensive line goes, and have addressed WR and special teams with one pick in DeSean Jackson. Watch for the 8-8 Eagles to bounce back hard in 2008.

6) Jacksonville Jaguars: They gave Indianapolis a run for their money last year, and are poised to make a run again this year. They have the best one-two punch with their backfield; Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew are both Pro-Bowl caliber players, and Jones-Drew has only just begun. The defense will have to be stout again, and with the subtraction of Marcus Stroud, they'll need to find a way to get to the quarterback.

7) Pittsburgh Steelers: The only concern with the Steelers will be their offensive line. They don't have a real left-tackle, and they are really going to miss Alan Faneca in the middle. Their running game should get better with Mendenhall, and Limas Sweed is another big target for Roethlisberger.

8) Seattle Seahawks: The addition of Julius Jones will improve the running game for Hasselbeck, and the defense will remain stout. They will play extra hard to send Holmgren out on a good note, and will have six guaranteed wins in the non-competitive NFC West.

9) Cleveland Browns: A team that barely missed the playoffs last year will storm through the AFC North this year, and finally uproot the Steelers. The only question is their defense. They have not proven that they can consistently stop the run or pass, and could have their offense in a lot of shoot-outs.

10) Tennessee Titans: The lack of offense could really hurt this team. Vince Young has to prove that he's a quarterback, and not just a running back that can throw really hard. The lack of WRs could be holding him back, but there's no excuse for a nine TD-16 INT season. If they stick to their run-first/stop the run mentality, they should finish third in the AFC South, still good enough for a playoff spot.

11) Minnesota Vikings: Adrian Peterson can, and will, carry this team. He won't have a choice until they sort out their quarterback situation. I see John David Booty coming in to start sometime in the middle of the season, when Tavaris Jackson proves he can't get it done. This is another team that just needs to stick to its run-first/stop the run philosophy.

12) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Out of the 53-man roster this team will have to put together, about 25 of them will be quarterbacks. I don't think even Gruden knows who is gonna be the guy come September. If they're smart, they'll give the nod to Garcia. He can not only manage a team, but he can light a spark under them, as he proved in 2006 in Philadelphia. Cross your fingers for Cadillac's health, Bucs fans.

13) Green Bay Packers: Yes, they no longer have Brett Favre. Yes, Aaron Rodgers is not Brett Favre. No, it's not going to matter. This is a young and talented team, even without number four. They have a lot of targets for Rodgers in Jennings, Jones, Grant, and Driver. The defense will remain solid, and will lead this team to the playoffs.

14) Baltimore Ravens: New coach John Harbaugh is laying down the law in Baltimore, and is going to see to it that this team is much better than the 5-11 letdown they saw last year. I don't see them making the playoffs, but I do think they'll finish somewhere around nine, maybe 10 wins.

15) Houston Texans: Matt Schaub gets another year in Kubiak's offense and another year of chemistry with Andre Johnson. Last year, if they did not play in the AFC South, they're a 10-win team. They were 7-3 against the rest of the league and 1-5 in their division.

16) Washington Redskins: Jason Campbell will flourish under new coach Jim Zorn's offense. The man is an offensive guru, and is fantastic in developing young quarterbacks. Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts will be a great one-two punch, as they are every year. If they can get the rookies involved early on offense (Malcolm Kelly, Fred Davis, and Devin Thomas), they will be able to stick with most teams.

Teams 17-32 will be coming soon.