NFL Power Rankings: Teams on the Rise Heading into Week Two

As always, Week 1 of the NFL season was a three-pronged story about those that lived up to expectations, those that failed expectations, and those that far exceeded expectations.

In today's check-in with the power rankings, we're focusing on the latter. These teams either came away with shocking upset wins or simply looked so dominant that we were forced to reevaluate preseason assumptions.

Here's a look at how every team stacks up after Week 1, including expansive breakdowns of those teams that delighted heading into this week's action.

1. New England Patriots (1-0)

Every time you think the Patriots are going in one direction, they shift the paradigm 180 degrees. After years of struggling to find consistency at running back, it looks like New England has a gem in Stevan Ridley.

With 125 yards and a touchdown, the second-year back looks like the type of workhorse that could give the Patriots some semblance of balance. And with the defense having a solid game against the Tennessee Titans as well, there is no team in football that looks better than the New England right now.

2. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

Anyone who wants to argue that previous point would head straight for the 49ers. Though the team's 30-22 defeat of the Green Bay Packers in Week 1 doesn't denote dominance, make no mistake that San Francisco controlled that game for all 60 minutes.

The Packers' rushing attack failed to make even the slightest dent against the 49ers, with lead running back Cedric Benson amounting for just 18 yards on nine carries.

And while Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers had a great game on-paper, it was in the face of voracious pressure led by star linebacker Aldon Smith. The second-year pass-rusher had just one sack on Rodgers, but three hits that had the MVP candidate a little skittish in the pocket.

For a team that many projected for a precipitous fall, the 49ers looked better than ever on Sunday.

3. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

Another team that some expected to disappoint in 2012, the Ravens looked like one of the more explosive offenses in the league Monday night. Joe Flacco tossed for 299 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Ray Rice made all of his fantasy owners happy with a pair of scores himself.

If the defense continues its stellar play, Baltimore will be dangerous going forward.

4. Houston Texans (1-0)

The Texans' offense picked up right where it left off pre-Matt Schaub's injury last season in Week 1, providing a balanced attack that's dangerous against any team.

One problem area: Arian Foster gained just 79 yards on 26 carries on Sunday. As the new offensive line meshes, that's an area to look at going forward—especially after a less-than-stellar performance against the lowly Miami Dolphins.

5. Green Bay Packers (0-1)

Despite massive questions in the running game and secondary, I'm not ready to jump off the Packers' bandwagon yet. They're still led by the NFL's best quarterback and should be fine going forward.

Putting them any lower would simply be an overreaction.

6. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)

The Falcons would have been one of the big risers this week had the team not lost cornerback Brent Grimes for the season.

Defensive coordinator Mike Nolan's system is predicated on three top-tier corners, so we'll have to see how Atlanta does replacing Grimes before moving the team up more.

On the other hand, that offense looked amazing against the Kansas City Chiefs in Arrowhead.

7. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)

It seems every season analysts jump all over the Cowboys' bandwagon and insist that this is the year the team finally breaks through for a deep playoff run.

Well, if Week 1 is any indication, those predictions may actually come to fruition in 2012.

Tony Romo and the passing attack looked, as per usual, top-notch, as the Dallas quarterback threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns last Wednesday. But it was the fantastic job the Dallas offensive line blocking that was key to the Cowboys' success.

Romo went down just twice against the Giants' vaunted pass rush—and those were the only two times he was hit all night. Running back DeMarco Murray also benefited from the strong offensive line play, scampering for 131 yards on just 20 carries.

On the defensive side of the ball, the once-atrocious secondary looks vastly improved this season. Offseason signing Brandon Carr and first-round pick Morris Claiborne helped lock down Eli Manning for just 231 yards as the Giants' passing game struggled to get anything substantive going.

If the Cowboys can keep this up, they may join the upper-echelon of NFC teams.

8. Denver Broncos (1-0)

Another team that made answering all the preseason questions a priority in Week 1 was the Broncos.

Quarterback Peyton Manning looked like an in-his-prime No. 18 against the Steelers on Sunday night, completing 19-of-26 passes for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Most importantly, he looked healthy and showed solid zip on the ball when needed.

The running game also showed at least some signs of life as Willis McGahee gained 64 yards on 16 carries against a tough Pittsburgh defense.

Regardless, the Broncos' most impressive unit on Sunday was the defense. The pass rush sacked Ben Roethlisberger five times and hit the Steelers signal-caller nine times total. And it was cornerback Tracy Porter's pick-six with 1:58 remaining in the game that sealed the deal for Denver.

Staying healthy will be the key, but there's no denying the Broncos' status as AFC West favorites.

9. New York Giants (0-1)

Another victim taking a ride on the overreaction carousel is the Giants. Despite being outplayed in nearly every facet of the game against Dallas, the defending Super Bowl champs stuck in the game and never gave up until the final whistle.

There are problems (most notably in the rushing attack), but expect the Giants to course-correct against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this week.

10. New York Jets (1-0)

After failing throughout the preseason to get any substantive movement on offense, the Jets were Week 1's biggest surprise.

Their 48-28 drubbing of the Buffalo Bills was not only shocking because of the amount of points put up, but due to the myriad of ways the team scored.

Embattled quarterback Mark Sanchez looked brilliant after a slow start, completing 19-of-27 passes for three touchdowns and just one interception. In another strange turn of events, Sanchise's favorite target turned out to be rookie Stephen Hill over established No. 1 receiver Santonio Holmes.

If the Jets' defense can continue causing turnovers going forward (Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick tossed the team three interceptions on Sunday), then 2012 could be a comeback season for Rex Ryan's crew.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

A myriad of questions surround the Steelers' running game and offensive line, but those were problems that the team survived last season.

However, there could be problems in Pittsburgh if the team fails to get a pass rush like it did against Denver on Sunday.

12. Chicago Bears (1-0)

Jay Cutler may have found the weapons he's so desperately lacked with the Bears in Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall.

And with the offensive line and rushing attack both looking good against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, Chicago could be among the NFC's highest-scoring teams.

Nevertheless, age and talent concerns on defense prevent the Bears from moving any higher until they look top-notch against an elite team.

13. Detroit Lions (1-0)

After throwing a league-high nine dropped interceptions in 2011, Matthew Stafford's mistakes did not hit the turf against the St. Louis Rams in Week 1.

The NFL's Comeback Player of the Year threw for three interceptions on Sunday, nearly single-handedly giving the Rams the game. Detroit's offense looked explosive otherwise, so curbing the turnovers will be a necessity going forward.

14. San Diego Chargers (1-0)

The Chargers' defense looked ferocious against the run Monday night, holding Darren McFadden to 32 yards on 15 carries at home.

On the other hand, San Diego's offense struggled against the run and almost completely lacked downfield explosion. That will have to change for the team to make a serious playoff run.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)

One of my sleeper teams heading into 2012, the Bucs looked every bit the part against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. The defense locked down second-year sensation Cam Newton and the Carolina rushing attack tried just 13 carries against the Tampa defense.

If the Bucs can get any form of offensive firepower going forward, they could be a dangerous dark horse in the NFC South.

16. Washington Redskins (1-0)

Robert Griffin III and the Redskins were the toast of the NFL's first week, and there are few questioning why.

The rookie dual-threat QB looked sensational in his pro debut, throwing for 320 yards and two touchdowns while adding another 42 on the ground. Griffin even became the first rookie in NFL history to win the offensive player of the week award in Week 1 (per ESPN).

If Griffin and fellow rookie starter Alfred Morris can continue their brilliance from opening week, it could mean huge things for the Redskins' future.

Nevertheless, you cannot expect consistency from an all-rookie backfield. There will be some bumps and bruises along the way, but it'll be scintillating entertainment.

17. New Orleans Saints (0-1)

If the Saints continue what seems like a precipitous fall out of the NFL's elite teams, we'll learn how valuable Sean Payton truly was to the organization.

On the other hand, Week 1 could have simply been a momentary blip on the radar. Don't be surprised to see New Orleans in the top half of the power rankings again next week.

18. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

Anytime a team barely scrapes by against a rookie quarterback who threw four interceptions, it deserves the lowest spot for a 1-0 team on the power rankings.

Nevertheless, there is too much talent on both sides of the ball for anyone to objectively rank them below the Minnesota Vikings or Arizona Cardinals.

19. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

Simply put, the Bengals are not nearly as bad as they looked on Monday night. The team still has a cavalcade of promise between second-year stars Andy Dalton and A.J. Green, and BenJarvus Green-Ellis looked like a huge improvement over Cedric Benson in the backfield.

20. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

While many seem to be fighting to get off the Panthers' bandwagon, I'm not one of them. Carolina still has Cam Newton leading the offensive attack and three talented running backs in its rotation.

Expect a return to the norm for the Panthers' offensive explosion in the weeks ahead.

21. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)

Wasn't John Skelton supposed to be the Cardinals' quarterback who valiantly comes off the bench to save the day?

Well, considering Skelton's injury and Kevin Kolb's great performance on Sunday, expect a reopening of Arizona's preseason quarterback controversy going forward.

22. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

A Week 1 overtime victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars isn't going to excite anyone. Nonetheless, Adrian Peterson looked like his old self and Christian Ponder wasn't terrible.

If these two trends keep up, the Vikings could be better than expected.

23. Oakland Raiders (0-1)

Both sides of the ball looked fine against San Diego on Monday night. Carson Palmer didn't commit any turnovers and Darren McFadden continued his streak of fantastic performances when healthy.

Nonetheless, until the team stops committing penalties in key situations, there's no chance that Oakland makes a playoff push.

24. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)

If their true identity is the team that went into halftime down 20-17 against the Falcons, all the preseason sleeper hype could be warranted.

If the Chiefs are the team that looked broken in the second half, then it could be time for Kansas City fans to start thinking up creative names for a Matt Barkley tanking effort.

25. St. Louis Rams (0-1)

This team still has far too many holes to be taken seriously in the long term. However, Jeff Fisher's boys came to play against the Lions on Sunday and have some serious late-season spoiler potential going forward.

26. Buffalo Bills (0-1)

Ryan Fitzpatrick's improvement during garbage time is the only reason the Bills don't rank lower on this list.

The team's hyped front seven looked like all smoke and mirrors against the Jets as it made Mark Sanchez look like an upper-echelon quarterback.

27. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

Despite his struggles in his NFL regular-season debut, Russell Wilson still didn't do anything to make the Seahawks lose the game. He may not turn out to be a star in 2012, but he's a project with a ton of potential going forward.

And let's not forget that Seattle wins that game if Wilson's receivers hold onto the ball.

28. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

Chris Johnson's stat-line in Week 1: 11 carries, four yards. I don't think much more needs to be said about the Titans' chances this season.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

On the bright side, at least Maurice Jones-Drew ran the ball for more than 11 yards against the Vikings.

Only one problem: It was against the Vikings. There are never many takeaways from a contest between two lowly squads, so we'll need to see how much of a punch this offense has going forward before taking it seriously.

30. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

Andrew Luck didn't have a magical opening game like Robert Griffin III.

The top pick is also surrounded by a complete dearth of talent and had to throw the ball 45 times for the Colts to compete.

It's going to be a rough 2012 in Indianapolis, but there is no reason to hit the panic button. Some of us actually remember year one of Peyton Manning.

31. Miami Dolphins (0-1)

The team is terrible and should compete for the worst record in football. However, they do have Jake Long and Reggie Bush.

That's more than what you can say about our last-ranked team.

32. Cleveland Browns (0-1)

By now, everyone has made the Chris Weinke-Brandon Weeden comparison. Unfortunately for the Browns, they would have won on Sunday had Weeden even played up to Weinke's level.

One game is far too early to make a sweeping generalization, but Cleveland may have wasted two critical first-round picks in April.