What a Wild Week One; Week Two Power Rankings

Rank (Previous) Team Record Comments

1 1 Steelers 1-0 The Steelers run game looked awful against the Titans but luckily Big Ben gave the team a chance in the fourth quarter with another comeback victory. The Steelersdefense played very well especially Troy Polamalu, who looked tremendous in his limited action. This unit must come together with Polamalus absence.

2 2 Patriots 1-0 Tom Brady. Although a bit hesitant, looked solid in his official return. The Patriots could be looking at 0-1 if not for a lucky fumble recovery. The loss of Richard Seymour will be even tougher with defensive player of the year, Jarod Mayo on the bench for up to eight weeks.

3 3 Giants 1-0 Plaxico who? Eli Manning proved he was just fine without his former top receiver. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw will carry a major load for this team. The defensive line may be the best 4-3 d-line in football but the secondary must get healthy.

4 4 Eagles 1-0 Wow! The Eagles took it to the Panthers on both sides of the ball. The loss of McNabb will hurt this team if Kevin Kobb is unable to excel in the pass game. The Eagles defense looked terrific stopping Jake Delhomme and the Panthers run game.

5 5 Colts 1-0 Reggie Wayne torched the Jags in week one for 10 catches and 162 yards. The Colts defense was more blitz heavy than in years past and it proed to work throughout the game.

6 7 Ravens 1-0 Joe Flacco had a field day with the Chiefs secondary, helping the Ravens put up their highest offensive total ever. Ray Rice has taken the spot as the number one running back on the team but LaRon McClain is the X factor. Not only is McClain avalueable fullback but also lined up in single back set as well as at wide receiver.

7 6 Chargers 1-0 San Diegos two minute offense looked tremendous but other than that, this team didnt impress. LaDainian Tomlinson will miss his first regular season game due to injury. Linebacker Shawn Merriman was a non factor during the game.

8 8 Falcons 1-0 Michael Turner didnt do very much on the ground but Matt Ryan is taking the neccissary strides to become an elite quarterback. His new favorite target Tony Gonzalez looked phenominal in his Falcons debut; expect the two to hook up all season long. Although the defense has may uncertainties, they held the Dolphins scoreless for most of the 60:00 minutes.

9 11 Minnesota 1-0 The Brett Favre era has officially begun. The Vikings rode Adrian Peterson for 180 yards and three scores: Peterson looks as explosive as ever. Receiver Percy Harvin caght his first touchdown pass only to be tackled by Favre. Although the Browns scored a late touchdown, their first since last November, the Viking defense kept the Browns in check.

10 10 Titans 0-1 Tennessee almost came away with a victory in Pittsburgh in Thursdays opener. Albert who? The defense controlled the Steelers ground game, holding them to 36 total yards. The Titans needed to ride Chris Johnson more for him to be effective.

11 14 Packers 1-0 So much for the 3-4 being an experiment as the Packer defense forcedChicagos new savior into four interceptions. Aaron Rodgers is starting to make everyone forget about Brett Favre slowly but surely.

12 18 Cowboys 1-0 Tony Romo threw for career high 353 Yards as the Cowboys threw early and often on the Buccs. Roy Williams may not ever live up to the first and third round pick he was traded for but he is the receiver the Cowboys have been looking for.

13 19 Saints 1-0 The Saints put up 45 points on the Lions; the scary thing is if not for turnovers it could have been 70. Dree Brees is on an incredible run dating back from last season; dont you think the Dolphins feel dumb now on passing over him for Daunte Culpepper because of shoulder concerns?

14 9 Cardinals 0-1 This wasnt as much of a shocker as it may seem. With an injured Anquan Boldin and no Steve Breaston, the Cardinals couldnt get anything done of offense. Larry Fitzgerald was constantly double teamed thus Warner had to check down to TimHightower on 12 of his dropbacks.

15 16 Seahawks 1-0 The Seahawks put it on the Rams the whole game. Julius Jones looked impressive on the ground rushing for 117 yard touchdown. Hasselbeck did throw two interceptions but was able to overcome them. Tight end John Carlson is emerging as a top TE in the NFL.

16 12 Bears 0-1 Jay Cutler didnt make anyone in Chicago feel any more comfortable withtheir quarterback position as he threw for a career high four interceptions. The Bears decided to make Cutler the focal point of the offense rather than their stud running back; Matt Forte. The loss of Brian Urlacher is huge no matter what anyone (like Lance Briggs) says. Losing your best player is never easy; the Bears face a tough one in week two vs Pittsburgh.

17 20 Jets 1-0 VIVA LA SANCHEZ! I have to applaud at this one because the Jets look like a whole different team under Rex Ryan. Sanchez played like a seasoned vet in first NFL start. The Jets defense held Steve Slaton to 17 yards and Andre Johnson to 35 yards; that is no easy task. If the Jets can beat the Patriots, they will sky rocket up the power rankings.

18 26 49ers 1-0 What a great win for niner country. Singletary has this team ready to play. Shaun Hill might never be a superstar but he is efficient and runs the offense well. Issac Bruce still has it in the tank with a beautiful 50 yard catch in the win. If only the MichaelCrabtree saga would be over already.

19 24 Bills 0-1 Buffalo could be 1-0 right now with a huge win over the Patriots, insteadLeodis McKelvins lawn was vandalized and the team lost a huge game. Trent Edwards seems to be getting comfortable in the no huddle offense but the team needs Marshawn Lynch back from suspension. The loss of Paul Pulzansky will be tough.

20 13 Panthers 0-1 This was ugly. Jake Delhomme has 11 turnovers in his last two games; he looked absolutely awful. The Panthers got nothing from the ground game and Steve Smith was nonexistant. Lets hope this isnt an ongoing problem all season.

21 15 Texans 0-1 Bad loss for the Texans, who have high hopes this season. The offense was stalled on almost every series versus the Jets. Matt Schaub needs to get healthy and stay healthy for once. This team has big expectations this season; if the season is anything like week one, back to the bottom for the Texans.

22 17 Dolphins 0-1 This season is going to be a tough one for the Dolphins, who have the leagues hardest schedule. The offense looked awful for most of the game.

23 23 Jaguars 0-1 David Garrad missed open receivers downfield more than handful of times during the loss to the Colts. The defense played well in that they held the Colts to 14 points.

24 27 Raiders 0-1 Although they lost, they were impressive at times. This team can only go as far as JaMarcus Russell can take them. He is making his reads better this season but his accuracy is poor. Besides the deep touchdown pass, Russel couldnt get anything going. Richard Seymour helped this defense out in so many ways. He is playing with a chip on his shoulder; if he can sustain his week one level of play throughout the season, this unit will be much improved.

25 22 Redskins 0-1 As much as people want to root for Campbell, he just isnt cutting it. The problem is, he isnt concerned about his play. The Redskins couldnt convert on third down, something that was a problem last year as well.

26 25 Broncos 1-0 How does a team who wins go down in the rankings? When they score 12 points, 7 of those coming on a 87 yards fluke td with 11 seconds left. Lets face it, Denver got a lucky break. This team stinks. Brandon Marshall dropped two passes, one a deep seem pass. Rookie Knowshown Moreno had 17 yards but had very limited action during preseason and training camp.

27 21 Bengals 0-1 It doesnt get much worse for the Bengals who took the lead with 38 seconds left only to be victims of bad luck. Ocho Cinco offseason workouts seem to be helping from a terrible season last year but the Bengals couldnt do much even with a healthy Carson Palmer.

28 29 Buccaneers 0-1 The Buccs defense was burned by Tony Romo all game, which should be of some concern. The good news for the Buccs is that Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward are going to be a great one-two combo. Antonio Bryant needs to get healthy asap.

29 30 Chiefs 0-1 The Chiefs have problems. Matt Cassell needs to be healthy right away for this team to do anything. They were lucky enough to get quick scores in the fourth quarter but allowed a team record 501 offensive yards to the Ravens, who ranked 18 in total offense last season and 28th for pass offense. The Chiefs have some potential on offense but without a surefire receiver this team will struggle. (The signing of Bobby Wade will help but not enough)

30 31 Browns 0-1 THE BROWNS SCORED AN OFFENSIVE TOUCHDOWN!!! Its tough to be a Browns fan right now. This team has problems and coach Mangini has his hands full. Quinn was the right choice as starter because if he plays poorly, chances are he wont be pulled as quickly as Derrick Anderson would have been. The defense allowed 225 yards on the ground last week.

31 28 Rams 0-1 The Rams struggles continue with a twenty-eight point defeat. The Rams need to get Steven Jackson in a rhythm for the offense to do anything.

32 32 Lions 0-1 The Lions scored 27 points but allowed 45 to the Saints. The defense was able to make a few big plays which gives coach Schwartz some hope. The defense is learning to play together so expect the unit to improve as the season goes on. The offense is another story. Kevin Smith was held to 20 yards on 15 carries. Matthew Stafford displayed tremendous arm strength but was picked off three times; throwing to Calvin Johnson may be Staffords only chance of success this season.