NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Initial Standings Post-Thursday Night Football

One NFL game is officially in the rearview mirror, and the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks picked up right where they left off.

It is a national rite of passage for the nation to overreact to one week of NFL action, so why not overreact to a single game and bust out an entire power ranking? The champs are on top until someone knocks them off the proverbial mountain, but the rest of the spots are up for grabs.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at the initial NFL power rankings.

32. Oakland Raiders

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press

This season is all about building toward the future for the Oakland Raiders, but it’s not going to result in a lot of wins in 2014. 

Derek Carr is the right call at quarterback over Matt Schaub, considering this team is rebuilding, and Khalil Mack will anchor the defense for years to come. Those rookies will produce, but the team needs more pieces around them to contend with the Denver Broncos and company in the AFC West.

31. Cleveland Browns

The loss of Josh Gordon was critical for this offense. That means opposing defenses can virtually triple-team tight end Jordan Cameron, and Ben Tate has not proven himself as a consistent enough running back to make them pay yet.

Joe Haden, Donte Whitner, Karlos Dansby and the rest of the defense will impress at times but not enough to overcome a lackluster offense.

30. Buffalo Bills

Perhaps EJ Manuel makes a jump this season for the Buffalo Bills. Having Sammy Watkins will certainly help, and C.J. Spiller could open up the field. 

Still, the defense will miss Jairus Byrd and struggle to contain Tom Brady and the rest of the AFC East. Manuel may flash his potential at times, but it won’t be enough to win many games this season.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles impressed in the preseason, but the Jacksonville Jaguars are going with Chad Henne instead. Henne may be serviceable at times, but he’s not exactly going to inspire the Jags to win the division or anything. 

Toby Gerhart isn’t Barry Sanders in the backfield either. It’s going to be another long year for Jacksonville.

28. Houston Texans

J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney will be nearly impossible to block, but the questions for the Houston Texans are on the offensive side of the ball. 

Arian Foster only played eight games last year and averaged 4.5 yards per carry, and the box won’t exactly be open with Ryan Fitzpatrick at signal-caller. Perhaps Andre Johnson dips into the fountain of youth and stretches the field yet again.

27. Minnesota Vikings

Elliot Harrison of NFL.com gave his rundown of the Minnesota Vikings:

"

Let's see what Matt Cassel can do. This might be the USC product's last chance to be a true starter in the NFL. It should be interesting to see how he responds, as well as what kind of help the veteran quarterback receives from the young talent around him, namely receiver Cordarrelle Patterson and tight end Kyle Rudolph.

"

Regardless of how Matt Cassel responds with Cordarrelle Patterson and Kyle Rudolph, Adrian Peterson is the man in Minnesota. However, he will face absolutely loaded defensive fronts all season, which will limit his ability to make the big play. 

It will also limit the Vikings' win total.

26. Washington Redskins

Alfred Morris could be in for a big season, especially if Robert Griffin III doesn’t perform up to his potential and the Washington Redskins lean on the running back, but the defense is the problem heading into the season.

In fact, the defense allowed the second-most points in the NFL in 2013 and brought back the majority of the same personnel. That means more struggles in the nation’s capital.

25. Tennessee Titans

ESPN.com noted that the Tennessee Titans have struggled in the turnover department recently, saying that “Tennessee had a positive turnover margin in one of the past five seasons. It’s no coincidence that it was also the team’s only season above .500 in that span (2011).” 

It will be up to Jake Locker to improve those turnover numbers, but the presence of Bishop Sankey could help alleviate that pressure. Still, Sankey is only a rookie and will take some time to emerge as the go-to guy at running back.

Until then, there aren't a lot of big-play threats in this offense.

24. Dallas Cowboys

The offensive weapons for the Dallas Cowboys are familiar and as dangerous as ever. Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Jason Witten and Dez Bryant are a fearsome foursome, and Dallas is going to score plenty of points. 

The trouble is the fact that it will need every one of those points with the atrocious defense in place. It finished 30th against the pass and 27th against the run last year and lost DeMarcus Ware along the defensive front.

The scoreboard in AT&T Stadium is going to get a workout.

23. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams lost Sam Bradford, but the team was never built around the passing game in the first place.

Robert Quinn and Chris Long are absolute monsters when rushing the passer, and rookie Aaron Donald in the middle means this defensive line is even more formidable. Throw James Laurinaitis in at middle linebacker, and this St. Louis team has a loaded defense. 

Too bad it won’t be enough to overcome the offensive struggles.

22. New York Giants

John Minchillo/Associated Press

ESPN.com broke down what the problem was for the New York Giants last year and in the preseason:

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Ben McAdoo's offense didn't click in the preseason for Eli and his receivers. Hopefully he can at least limit the turnovers -- Manning posted a career-worst minus-9 TD-Int differential last year.

"

Eli Manning is the key here. The running game will be average at best with journeyman Rashad Jennings, so Manning will need to limit the turnovers.

If he doesn’t, it could be a long season yet again for the Giants.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It’s a new day for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Lovie Smith takes over a squad that gets Doug Martin back and has Josh McCown at signal-caller. If McCown can replicate his success from Chicago by throwing jump balls to Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans like he did to Alshon Jeffery and Brandon Marshall, the Buccaneers could shoot up these power rankings. 

First they have to prove it, though.

20. Detroit Lions

Speaking of contenders for a power-rankings rise, the Detroit Lions could certainly do that. The real question is whether the secondary can hold up against some of the dangerous passing attacks in the NFC North.

Offensively, Matthew Stafford will have Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Eric Ebron and Reggie Bush to distribute the ball to every week. That should lead to more than enough points to win if the defense does its job.

Until it proves that it can, Detroit will stay in the lower half of the rankings.

19. Miami Dolphins

The good news for the Miami Dolphins is the improvement of the offensive line and the presence of veteran back Knowshon Moreno. Ideally, Ryan Tannehill will stay upright more this season and prove that his future is bright. 

However, there isn’t a lot of elite talent on this squad. It could pull off a few wins, but it probably won’t challenge the New England Patriots for supremacy in the AFC East.

18. New York Jets

There is a lot of hope for the New York Jets.

They hope Geno Smith can make a leap after an up-and-down rookie year. They hope Eric Decker can prove he wasn’t just a product of Peyton Manning in Denver. They hope the secondary holds up. 

Until we know how realistic all that hope is, the Jets will stay lower in these rankings.

17. Baltimore Ravens

ESPN.com provided an interested tidbit on the Baltimore Ravens, saying that “The Ravens haven't allowed 4.0 yards per rush in a season in franchise history. Are C.J. Mosley and Timmy Jernigan enough to continue the streak?”

The defense is almost always solid in Baltimore, as that statistic suggests. The question offensively is whether the Ravens can run the ball effectively. Ray Rice is suspended the first two games, but he struggled to produce last year when he was on the field. 

If Baltimore can’t run the ball, the opposing defense will gear up against the pass. That means new receiver Steve Smith won’t have a lot of open field with which to work.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

Harrison of NFL.com didn’t seem too excited about the Pittsburgh Steelers this season:

"

Calling it right now: Dri Archer returns the opening kick of the regular season for a touchdown ... and then the Steelers score 10 points the rest of the game. While I expect them to be OK, something seems off with Ben Roethlisberger and the the first-team offense. Sure would help if receiver Markus Wheaton were to turn it up a notch in Year 2. We're still waiting on that. 

"

Those questions on offense will likely persist all year, which means Pittsburgh will struggle to keep up with the Cincinnati Bengals. With teams like the San Diego Chargers and Kansas City Chiefs battling for a wild-card spot, the Steelers may need to win the division to get to the postseason.

15. Atlanta Falcons

David Goldman/Associated Press

A healthy Julio Jones makes the Atlanta Falcons a much better team, especially since he can team up with Roddy White in a lethal combination. 

That means Matt Ryan will put up impressive numbers in this offense. The real question, though, is whether Steven Jackson can find a way to produce like he did in his prime. Otherwise, defenses will focus on the pass only.

14. Carolina Panthers

We trust Cam Newton here more than some, and Kelvin Benjamin could answer the wide receiver questions.

Benjamin is a tall target who is able to get the ball at its highest point and beat defenders in the red zone. That combination could lead to plenty of touchdowns, even if there are questions in the running game and along the offensive line. 

The fact that the defense is among the league’s best also helps.

13. Arizona Cardinals

Harrison of NFL.com discussed the Arizona Cardinals:

"

There are reasons to be positive about the Arizona Cardinals in 2014, given the potential of young running back Andre Ellington and receiver Michael Floyd on offense, as well as the weakening of the 49ers and Rams -- which includes the delightful promise of teeing it up against Shaun Hill twice -- in the NFC West. But then there's the losses of linebacker Daryl Washington (suspension) and defensive end Darnell Dockett (torn ACL). Hmmm. 

"

The Cardinals won 10 games last year largely because of their defense. Losing a number of important members of that group will hurt Arizona’s chances in a loaded NFC West, especially since Carson Palmer is a question mark at quarterback.

12. Kansas City Chiefs

Tom Lynn/Associated Press

Jamaal Charles, Jamaal Charles, Jamaal Charles.

The Kansas City Chiefs will heavily rely on their running back, but there may be some regression to the mean from last year’s ridiculous 19 total touchdowns considering his career high in a season before that was only eight. That means Alex Smith will have to make some plays in the passing game. 

Fortunately, Smith will face a loaded box and respond accordingly throughout the season.

11. Chicago Bears 

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times passed along an interesting quote from Michael Irvin:

The notion of Jay Cutler as an MVP may seem crazy to some, but he has so many offensive weapons surrounding him that it isn’t out of the realm of possibility. Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are as good as they come in the wide receiver department, Matt Forte is one of the best players in the entire NFL, and Martellus Bennett gives Cutler a security blanket at tight end.

This offense scored more points than everyone except the Denver Broncos last season and returns all 11 starters. That means the scoreboard will be on fire all year, as opposing defenses will have to pick their poison between Forte's running and the aerial attack in place.

The reason Chicago isn’t higher on this list is the defense. It was last in the league against the run in 2013 and needs to show improvement before we move the Bears closer to the top. However, the additions of Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston should help. 

The defense doesn’t have to be dominant this year, but it needs to be at least average. If it is, it could be a special season in the Windy City.

10. Green Bay Packers

Despite what the intro said, let’s not overreact to a single game, at least for the loser.

The Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Seattle Seahawks Thursday said more about the defending champion than it said about Aaron Rodgers and Co. Seattle rarely ever loses at home in front of a raucous crowd, was flying around on defense and received formidable performances from Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch.

As for the Packers, Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson look like a dominant receiving duo, and Rodgers will certainly find a way to get the two pass-catchers involved all season. Eddie Lacy is a bruising back who will take advantage of the respect opposing defenses give to Rodgers, even if he didn't have any room to operate Thursday. 

Much like Chicago, the Packers only need to be average on defense to contend. Fortunately for them, they don’t have to play in Seattle every week.

9. Indianapolis Colts

Look for Andrew Luck to make yet another leap with an extra year of experience under his belt, especially with a healthy Reggie Wayne, T.Y. Hilton and Hakeem Nicks at his disposal.

All those weapons in the passing game could also open up some looks for Trent Richardson, who may not be the superstar many hoped he would become out of college but is still capable of producing with weapons around him. 

The opening game against Denver will be a solid test.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

We may be a bit higher on the Cincinnati Bengals than most, but this has been the best team in the AFC North the past couple of seasons, at least from September to December. 

Andy Dalton threw for more than 4,000 yards and 33 touchdowns last year, A.J. Green is an absolute star and Giovani Bernard is set for a breakout campaign. The defense also finished fifth against the run and fifth against the pass last year and will carry the load for the Bengals if the offensive stars aren’t producing.

7. San Diego Chargers

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com passed along some kind words regarding Philip Rivers:

Rivers is going to carry this team, but he is not the only reason we see a postseason spot in the future for the San Diego Chargers. Rookie Keenan Allen tallied 1,046 receiving yards in his first year and should be even more productive this time around.

That combination could win plenty of games for the Chargers.

6. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles' offense under Chip Kelly is a marvel to watch, and it should be no different in 2014 now that Nick Foles has a year of experience under his belt.

What’s more, Philadelphia gets a healthy Jeremy Maclin back, added rookie Jordan Matthews to the passing attack and has some guy named LeSean McCoy as another offensive weapon. The Eagles have the potential to be the best offense in the league, and in a watered-down NFC East, that would be more than enough to win the division.

Look for plenty of points this year.

5. San Francisco 49ers

Sure, the San Francisco 49ers didn’t look great in the preseason, but so what?

It’s called the preseason for a reason, and they were still a Richard Sherman-batted pass away from being in the Super Bowl last year. Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore are still an excellent duo on offense, and the defense still has Patrick Willis leading the way. 

Also, don’t overlook rookie running back Carlos Hyde, who is an absolute bowling-ball runner and has the speed to get to the outside. He will give this offense an extra dimension as San Francisco challenges the Seattle Seahawks all season.

4. New Orleans Saints

Harrison of NFL.com is definitely up on the New Orleans Saints:

"

New Orleans has every opportunity to be scary in 2014, especially if rookie receiver Brandin Cooks works out the way many of our NFL.com analysts think he will. That said, I'm looking at the safety combo here -- Kenny Vaccaro and Jairus Byrd -- and wondering if there's any limit as to how effective coordinator Rob Ryan's defense can be.

"

It’s difficult to describe the reason for optimism any better than Harrison did there. New Orleans is loaded with offensive weapons in Drew Brees, Jimmy Graham, Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston and will be even better on defense. 

The Seahawks could have company atop the NFC.

3. New England Patriots

Elise Amendola/Associated Press

Somehow, the New England Patriots are being overlooked in the AFC.

They still have Tom Brady, who is a sure-fire Hall of Famer at quarterback, and Rob Gronkowski returns to give the offense a lethal weapon up the seam. What’s more, the presence of Darrelle Revis means New England has a legitimate lockdown corner who will contain the opponent’s top receiver all season. 

The typical dangerous offense and an improved defense will lead to plenty of victories for the Pats this year. Whether it will be enough to challenge Denver remains to be seen.

2. Denver Broncos

Yes, the Denver Broncos looked terrible in the Super Bowl, but that was more about how great the Seahawks were than the Broncos.

Peyton Manning and the offense put up Madden-type numbers in 2013, and No. 18 made Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas look like absolute stars. Manning will also have a healthy Wes Welker available after the wide receiver’s suspension, and the defense looks better after the addition of Ware. 

There is no reason to expect a dropoff for the high-flying offense in Denver.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Was there even a question who would sit atop these power rankings?

The Seattle Seahawks absolutely dominated the Green Bay Packers on Thursday to the tune of 36-16 and reaffirmed their status as the kings of the NFL. The defense looked as dominant as ever and picked off Rodgers and sacked him three times. There was also little running room for Lacy, who ended up with a meager 34 yards.

Offensively, Lynch ran for 110 yards and two touchdowns, and Wilson threw for 191 yards and two touchdowns. Wilson in particular was a model of precision, as he made the right read in the offense almost every time and directed multiple drives down the field.

The Super Bowl champs are going to be on top of this list until someone proves otherwise. The way they dismantled a potential division champ in Green Bay should scare the rest of the NFC. 

We may just see the Lombardi Trophy stay in the Pacific Northwest after all.

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