NFL Power Rankings Week 2: Predicting Post Monday Night Football Standings

The majority of the Week 1 games are already in the books, but many football fans have already turned their attention to Week 2 of the 2014 NFL regular season and the accompanying power rankings.

The action continues on Monday Night Football with two marquee matchups. With the New York Giants taking on the Detroit Lions and the San Diego Chargers squaring off against the Arizona Cardinals, football fans get to witness two more exciting games.

Here are the latest power rankings heading into Week 2.

32. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams have a roster full of talented players, but an injury to Sam Bradford may have derailed the season before it ever began. St. Louis started Week 1 with Shaun Hill under center, but an injury forced head coach Jeff Fisher to hand the reins over to third-string quarterback Austin Davis.

31. Oakland Raiders

After a tough battle with the New York Jets, the Oakland Raiders proved the team has more talent than many believed. With rookie Derek Carr as the starting quarterback and a consistent rushing attack, Oakland has a strong core of players and a very bright future.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

For the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Jacksonville Jaguars looked like one of the biggest surprises of the season. Instead of following through and pulling out the victory, Jacksonville faltered in the second half and allowed 34 unanswered points.

29. Buffalo Bills

Few football fans expected the Buffalo Bills to upset the Chicago Bears, but that’s exactly what happened Sunday. Using a stout defense, consistent rushing attack and EJ Manuel protecting the football, Buffalo was able to stun Chicago and begin the season on the right note.

28. Cleveland Browns

There was drama in every training camp before the season, but few had the baggage that came with the Cleveland Browns. In one of the surprisingly entertaining matchups of Week 1, the Brian Hoyer-led Browns almost beat the Pittsburgh Steelers. Cleveland may not be as bad as most experts believed.

27. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans may have beaten the Washington Redskins, but the victory came at a price. No. 1 overall draft pick Jadeveon Clowney suffered a knee injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, and could miss several weeks.

26. Dallas Cowboys

A loss to the San Francisco 49ers is nothing to be ashamed of for the Dallas Cowboys, but it was the way the team was utterly dismantled that was so embarrassing. Dallas only managed to score the majority of its points in garbage time. It’s going to be a long season for the Cowboys.

25. New York Giants

There is trouble brewing in the NFC East. With Dallas and Washington both playing poorly, all eyes will be on the New York Giants Monday night against Detroit. If New York falters and fails, the division will be Philadelphia’s to win.

24. Tennessee Titans

It remains to be seen if the Tennessee Titans are a one-week fluke or one of the most intriguing teams in the league. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt has instilled a hard-nosed style into the team, and the result was a Week 1 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Let’s see if the team’s elite play carries over into Week 2.

23. Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins stunned the New England Patriots on Sunday. While Miami may not have the talent to be a legitimate championship threat, the Dolphins have enough skill at key positions to contend with the top teams.

22. Washington Redskins

One of the toughest teams to read is the Washington Redskins. Under a new coaching staff, there will be a slow transitional period. Unless the team can do a better job of protecting Robert Griffin III, Washington will be in serious trouble throughout the season.

21. New York Jets

Week 1 was far from perfect for the New York Jets, but holding on to a victory over Oakland thanks to the arm and legs of quarterback Geno Smith is all the coaching staff can ask for. There is plenty of potential on New York’s roster, but it will be up to Rex Ryan to maximize it all.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers should have won against the Carolina Panthers. Starting quarterback Cam Newton was out with a rib injury, and the Buccaneers still couldn’t pull out the win. That’s not a good sign for the rest of the season.

19. Minnesota Vikings

There is no doubt that the St. Louis Rams were falling apart on Sunday, and the Minnesota Vikings proved to be adequate enough offensively to pull off a win. The Vikings defense also proved to be tougher than expected. Minnesota could make some noise in the NFC North.

18. Arizona Cardinals

The Arizona Cardinals face a tough test in Week 1 against the San Diego Chargers on Monday Night Football. If Arizona can pull out the win despite a chain of injuries, the team will begin its climb up the power rankings.

17. Carolina Panthers

Even with Cam Newton out with a rib injury, the Carolina Panthers still managed to pull out the victory. If Newton’s injury isn’t more severe than expected, Carolina should be even better with the first-string quarterback under center again.

16. Detroit Lions

Squaring off against any team under the lights of Monday Night Football is tough, but the Detroit Lions should dominate the New York Giants. If the offensive unit is as explosive as many predict (the Matthew Stafford to Calvin Johnson connection), Detroit should be in for a big night statistically.

15. Chicago Bears

Despite losing an overtime thriller to the Buffalo Bills, the Chicago Bears are still one of the best all-around teams in the league. Quarterback Jay Cutler must do a better job protecting the football, but the defense and the offensive weapons are good enough to make the playoffs.

14. Kansas City Chiefs

A loss to the Tennessee Titans was absolutely brutal for the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid must find the areas of weakness and address them fast or the embarrassing start to the season will morph into a terrible season overall. Get the ball in the hands of Jamaal Charles more.

13. Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore may have lost the first game of the season, but it came at the hands of a division rival and proved the franchise has all the pieces needed to win. Week 1 is rough for many teams as they continue to get all of the players moving together, but the Ravens will be dangerous if they get everyone focused and confident.

12. Atlanta Falcons

In one of the most shocking upsets of the day, the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints on a last-second field goal. Atlanta has talent on both sides of the ball, and with the majority of the team healthy, the Falcons were able to live up to their potential.

11. San Diego Chargers

The resurgence of Philip Rivers will depict how well the San Diego Chargers perform this season, but the tests begin in Week 1 against Arizona. If San Diego can pull off the win, there is no doubt the Chargers have the ability to be a postseason contender.

10. San Francisco 49ers

Injuries and suspensions have hurt the San Francisco 49ers, but the team still managed to destroy the Dallas Cowboys. With a better test in Week 2 against the Chicago Bears, fans and experts will be able to tell if San Francisco is really this good or if Dallas was really that bad.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

While the Pittsburgh Steelers were once known for their hard-nosed defense, it’s all about the explosive offense now. The defense will still play well in tough situations, but it is players like Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell who will lead Pittsburgh into the playoff chase.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals looked rough around the edges for much of their game with the Baltimore Ravens, but the team pulled out the win. As seen across the league, many teams had a rough start to the season. Fortunately for the Bengals, the team can learn from this game and become stronger moving forward.

7. Indianapolis Colts

A loss in Week 1 is always tough to overcome, but the Indianapolis Colts were defeated by a very talented Denver Broncos team. Andrew Luck proved how well he can play under pressure, and despite losing, Indianapolis will be better moving forward.

6. Green Bay Packers

As long as Aaron Rodgers is under center, the Green Bay Packers will be in contention for the win—unless the team is playing Seattle. Taking the loss in Week 1 was tough to swallow, but facing Super Bowl-caliber talent from Day 1 will help build Green Bay into a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles had a hiccup in the first half of Week 1, but they corrected it by scoring 34 unanswered points to beat Jacksonville. While the slow start was alarming, the Eagles found their rhythm and dominated the remainder of the game. As long as the team plays as it did in the second half for the remainder of the year, Philadelphia will be tough to beat.

4. New Orleans Saints

Despite falling to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, the New Orleans Saints proved they deserve a top-five spot in the rankings. The defense will get better as the unit gains experience, but the offense is already chugging. With an improved rushing attack and Drew Brees, New Orleans will be just fine moving forward.

3. New England Patriots

A loss in Week 1 for the New England Patriots may be a good thing. Tom Brady showed great composure in the game, but there were many players on the roster who didn’t live up to the expectations. This is their wake-up call. New England has a week to work on what went wrong and bounce back against a better-than-expected Minnesota team.

2. Seattle Seahawks

A huge win over Green Bay was the perfect way to start the season for the Seattle Seahawks. With an offensive unit working well and a defense that is unmatched, there is a good chance that football fans get a Super Bowl rematch between Denver and Seattle.

1. Denver Broncos

Everyone wants to talk about Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos offense, but the story of Week 1 was the way the defense performed. With a real pass rush, solid run stopping and a much-improved secondary, Denver is now the most complete team in the league.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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