NFL Power Rankings 2012: Dominant Preseason Teams That Will Fade This Fall

The 2012 NFL Preseason has produced some intriguing storylines and brow-raising results.

At the moment, a surprising cluster of teams sit atop the NFL power rankings, including the San Diego Chargers and Seattle Seahawks, two West Coast teams that have struggled in recent seasons.

Unfortunately, both franchises are destined to fade this fall. 

Here we break down the dominant preseason units that are set to experience a significant drop-off as the calendar flips to September. 

San Diego Chargers

The Bolts are 3-0 heading into their final preseason game this summer, but somehow I'm not buying them to deliver in the AFC West this season. San Diego routinely underachieves and has some major question marks on defense and in the backfield.

The Chargers' leading rushers from a season ago, Ryan Mathews and Mike Tolbert, are either injured or playing for another team. Mathews suffered a broken clavicle this preseason, while Tolbert signed with the Carolina Panthers this offseason. San Diego was ranked 16th in the NFL in rushing offense in 2011, and 2012 won't start off much better. 

Defensively, the Chargers are under pressure to defend the run better. San Diego ranked 20th in the league stopping the run, compared to 13th against the pass. If opponents are averaging more than 120 yards on the ground against San Diego this season, the Chargers won't win the AFC West. First-round draft pick Melvin Ingram will make an impact, but collectively there are questions. 

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has been wrecking opponents this August, sporting a 3-0 record and a plus-60 scoring differential. Still, the regular season looks poised to rain on the Seahawks' parade this fall. The Hawks had a mediocre offensive attack in 2011 and will start an unproven passer under center this September.

Seattle brought in free agent Matt Flynn to start this offseason, but so far third-round draft pick Russell Wilson has wowed the coaching staff and will start the Seahawks' opener. Flynn has two career NFL starts, and Wilson has zero, which could be a major problem for Pete Carroll's squad in 2012.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Seahawks are hoping that first-round pick Bruce Irvin can help boost the front seven against the run. In a division that features stellar running backs like Frank Gore, Beanie Wells and Steven Jackson, Seattle will need to be superb in defense of the run this fall or risk fading into irrelevance. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It's not hard to diagnose what ailed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season—everything. Tampa Bay couldn't move the ball or stop anyone on defense, and the result was a 4-12 record and 10 straight losses to end the year. 

Despite their 2-1 record through their first three preseason matchups, the Bucs look poised for another losing season in 2012. Quarterback Josh Freeman is coming off a season in which he threw 22 interceptions to just 16 touchdown passes. 

Meanwhile the defense allowed nearly 500 points in 16 games. Tampa's minus-207 scoring differential was second-worst in the NFL last season. Only the St. Louis Rams were worse. Add in the fact that the Bucs will rely on first-year head coach Greg Schiano to lead them, and it's obvious that Tampa Bay will struggle in the loaded NFC South this fall.

My Latest 2012 NFL Preseason Power Rankings

Rank	Team
No. 1	Seattle Seahawks
No. 2	San Diego Chargers
No. 3	Philadelphia Eagles
No. 4	Baltimore Ravens
No. 5	Pittsburgh Steelers
No. 6	Cleveland Browns
No. 7	Houston Texans
No. 8	Tennessee Titans
No. 9	Washington Redskins
No. 10	San Francisco 49ers
No. 11	New Orleans Saints
No. 12	Cincinnati Bengals
No. 13	Carolina Panthers
No. 14	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
No. 15	Dallas Cowboys
No. 16	Chicago Bears
No. 17	Indianapolis Colts
No. 18	New York Giants
No. 19	Minnesota Vikings
No. 20	Oakland Raiders
No. 21	Denver Broncos
No. 22	Detroit Lions
No. 23	Atlanta Falcons
No. 24	New England Patriots
No. 25	Green Bay Packers
No. 26	Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 27	St. Louis Rams
No. 28	Kansas City Chiefs
No. 29	Arizona Cardinals
No. 30	Miami Dolphins
No. 31	New York Jets
No. 32	Buffalo Bills

Follow Bleacher Report Featured Columnist Patrick Clarke on Twitter All Season Long For More NFL Reaction and Analysis.