NFL Power Rankings Week 2: Expert Consensus from Around the Web

Football fans had been waiting for the start of the 2014 NFL regular season for months, and a wild first week filled with upsets and thrillers has built the anticipation level for the release of the power rankings for Week 2.

Everyone wants to see where his team stacks up against the competition.

With teams like Atlanta, Miami and Buffalo pulling out unexpected victories and postseason contenders like Green Bay, New England and Indianapolis taking early-season losses, the power rankings have shifted greatly.

Here are the latest power rankings from the top experts around the web and my full breakdown and rankings for every team.

Rank	Pete Prisco of CBS Sports	Frank Schwab of Yahoo	Matt Miller of Bleacher Report
1	Denver Broncos	San Francisco 49ers	Seattle Seahawks
2	Seattle Seahawks	Seattle Seahawks	Denver Broncos
3	Cincinnati Bengals	Denver Broncos	San Francisco 49ers
4	San Francisco 49ers	New England Patriots	New England Patriots
5	Atlanta Falcons	New Orleans Saints	New Orleans Saints
6	Green Bay Packers	Philadelphia Eagles	Green Bay Packers
7	Arizona Cardinals	Cincinnati Bengals	Philadelphia Eagles
8	Philadelphia Eagles	Green Bay Packers	Cincinnati Bengals
9	New England Patriots	Carolina Panthers	Indianapolis Colts
10	New Orleans Saints	Indianapolis Colts	Atlanta Falcons
11	Pittsburgh Steelers	Pittsburgh Steelers	Arizona Cardinals
12	Detroit Lions	Chicago Bears	Carolina Panthers
13	Miami Dolphins	Arizona Cardinals	Pittsburgh Steelers
14	San Diego Chargers	Miami Dolphins	Baltimore Ravens
15	Baltimore Ravens	Detroit Lions	San Diego Chargers
16	Indianapolis Colts	San Diego Chargers	New York Jets
17	New York Jets	Tennessee Titans	Detroit Lions
18	Carolina Panthers	New York Jets	Miami Dolphins
19	Tennessee Titans	Baltimore Ravens	Minnesota Vikings
20	Minnesota Vikings	Atlanta Falcons	Chicago Bears
21	Buffalo Bills	Minnesota Vikings	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
22	New York Giants	St. Louis Rams	Dallas Cowboys
23	Chicago Bears	Kansas City Chiefs	New York Giants
24	Houston Texans	Buffalo Bills	Buffalo Bills
25	Cleveland Browns	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Tennessee Titans
26	St. Louis Rams	New York Giants	Jacksonville Jaguars
27	Kansas City Chiefs	Houston Texans	Cleveland Browns
28	Washington Redskins	Dallas Cowboys	Houston Texans
29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	Cleveland Browns	Kansas City Chiefs
30	Dallas Cowboys	Oakland Raiders	Oakland Raiders
31	Jacksonville Jaguars	Jacksonville Jaguars	St. Louis Rams
32	Oakland Raiders	Washington Redskins	Washington Redskins

*Pete Prisco’s Power Rankings via CBSSports.com.

*Frank Schwab’s Power Rankings via Yahoo.com.

*Matt Miller’s Power Rankings via BleacherReport.com.

Donald Wood’s Power Rankings

Tom Gannam/Associated Press

32. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams have a huge hole to fill at quarterback. Without Sam Bradford under center, St. Louis was forced to lean on veteran backup Shaun Hill. Hill struggled and was ultimately pulled from the game with an injury. The Rams now have third-string QB Austin Davis as the starter. It has gone from bad to worse for St. Louis.

31. Oakland Raiders

Kudos to the Oakland Raiders organization for making the hard choice of starting rookie Derek Carr, but the key will be how the team handles his struggles. It takes time to learn at the NFL level, but the team could do serious damage to Carr’s psyche if it turns to high-priced backup Matt Schaub.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jacksonville Jaguars looked like a playoff team for the first two quarters of Week 1, but after halftime, the Philadelphia Eagles scored 34 unanswered points to walk away with the win. There were many players who stepped up in the game (e.g., wide receiver Allen Hurns), but Jacksonville still has weaknesses throughout the lineup.

29. Buffalo Bills

After a stunning win over the Chicago Bears, the Buffalo Bills will go head-to-head with the division-rival Miami Dolphins in Week 2. Miami looked susceptible against the run, and that should be good news for Fred Jackson and C.J. Spiller. This is another upset Buffalo could conceivably pull off.

28. Cleveland Browns

For all of the talk about Johnny Manziel, the Cleveland Browns didn’t utilize the rookie and focused the offense around starter Brian Hoyer. With the support of his teammates and the coaching staff, Hoyer almost led Cleveland to a win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Let’s see how the team handles New Orleans in Week 2, though.

27. Houston Texans

New head coach Bill O’Brien should be thanking whoever made the schedule for the Houston Texans. The team needed time to gel as a unit and learn the nuances of O’Brien’s schemes, and a Week 1 matchup against the Washington Redskins and a Week 2 game against the Oakland Raiders is the extended preseason the Texans needed. Houston could easily go 2-0 to start the year.

26. Dallas Cowboys

After yet another 8-8 finish last season, owner Jerry Jones has grown tired of the mediocrity. Instead of starting the year with a win in Week 1, the Dallas Cowboys were destroyed by the San Francisco 49ers. If Dallas loses to Tennessee on Sunday, panic mode will begin.

25. New York Giants

The New York Giants looked terrible during the preseason. Many fans wanted to believe that the offensive and defensive units would remedy their issues before Week 1, but the Detroit Lions dominated Big Blue in every facet of the game. Sans the Philadelphia Eagles, the NFC East is very bad this year.

24. Tennessee Titans

Football fans need to calm down regarding the excitement for the Tennessee Titans. The team did beat the Kansas City Chiefs, but the key in 2014 will be consistency. Head coach Ken Whisenhunt will have his team putting in the effort behind the scenes, but how well the Titans play against Dallas will determine whether they are contenders or pretenders.

23. Miami Dolphins

Another stunning win on Sunday was the Miami Dolphins holding off the New England Patriots to start the season 1-0. Everyone wants to point at Ryan Tannehill as the reason for the team’s success, but the defense was lights-out against a tough Patriots offensive unit. Let’s see how Miami handles another confident team this week against Buffalo.

22. Washington Redskins

Franchise quarterback Robert Griffin III did not looked sharp this preseason, and the struggles for the Washington Redskins carried over into Week 1. While Griffin deserves some of the blame, there are weaknesses on both sides of the ball that the QB can’t control.

21. New York Jets

A win against Oakland is a good way to build confidence in your players, but the New York Jets must improve drastically on the offensive side of the ball to be a serious postseason contender. If Geno Smith begins to falter and his teammates lose confidence, Rex Ryan must insert Michael Vick into the starting job.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The injury to Doug Martin limited how effective the rushing attack could be for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and the one-dimensional offense couldn’t pull out the win over a Cam Newton-less Carolina Panthers. The Buccaneers get a chance at redemption against a lackluster Rams team in Week 2.

19. Minnesota Vikings

Some may say that the Minnesota Vikings took advantage of a St. Louis team falling apart at the seams, but the players did exactly what they had to do in order to win. While Minnesota’s offense looked impressive, it was the defense that will prove to be the franchise’s biggest asset this year.

18. Arizona Cardinals

An ugly win for the Arizona Cardinals over the San Diego Chargers on Sunday does not make up for the injuries the team has dealt with. A meeting with the New York Giants should help alleviate some pressure, but it will be hard to consider Arizona a true contender in the NFC West.

17. Carolina Panthers

If the Carolina Panthers can pull out close wins with Derek Anderson under center, just imagine how well the team will play with a better all-around QB like Cam Newton taking the snaps. If Newton plays as expected in Week 2, per David Newton of ESPN.com, the battle between Carolina and Detroit will be must-watch television.

16. Detroit Lions

The aforementioned Detroit Lions destroyed the Giants in Week 1. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson proved once again why he’s the best in the league, and the Lions defense played much better than in recent years. Carolina’s defense will be a much tougher test in Week 2, though.

15. Chicago Bears

Turnovers are the key to whether the Chicago Bears can make the playoffs or not. Not only does Jay Cutler have to do a much better job protecting the football, but the Bears defense must also get back to basics and force fumbles and interceptions. Unfortunately for Chicago fans, the team travels to San Francisco in Week 2.

14. Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs slipped in this week’s power rankings after an abysmal performance against Tennessee. If Andy Reid doesn’t feed the ball to running back Jamaal Charles more often this week, the Chiefs will be destroyed by Denver and struggle throughout the season.

13. Baltimore Ravens

The loss to the Bengals was tough to swallow for the Baltimore Ravens, but there were some positives to take from the game. The Baltimore defense looked strong at times despite injuries, and new offensive weapon Steve Smith lived up to the hype. How the team handles Pittsburgh on Thursday night will be a good test.

12. Atlanta Falcons

Most fans expected a fully healthy Atlanta Falcons offensive unit to be good, but the team proved to be healthy enough to send the New Orleans Saints home with a loss. If the defense can continue to perform at a consistent level throughout the season, there is a chance Atlanta returns to the postseason.

11. San Diego Chargers

A loss to Arizona is no reason to panic for the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers’ defensive unit played well, and the offensive unit was serviceable against a tough secondary and a reliable run-stopping group. If San Diego wants to take the next step, though, it needs to win the close games.

10. San Francisco 49ers

The Dallas cowboys are terrible. The San Francisco 49ers need a tougher test than the one the team faced in Week 1 against the Cowboys, and the franchise gets its wish when the Chicago Bears travel to the Bay Area. The 49ers need to make a definitive statement this week to be considered true championship hopefuls.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Led by the standout performances of wide receiver Antonio Brown and running back Le’Veon Bell, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked strong in Week 1. If the defense stays healthy and Ben Roethlisberger stays upright, the Steelers could be postseason contenders once again.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

A victory over the Baltimore Ravens was a great way to kick off the new season for the Cincinnati Bengals, but the franchise needs to be back to work immediately. With the Atlanta Falcons much better than expected, Cincinnati must be ready for an offensive war in Week 2.

7. Indianapolis Colts

The tough schedule for the Indianapolis Colts is almost unfair. Not only did the team square off against Denver in Week 1, but the team also has to host the vaunted offense of Philadelphia. QB Andrew Luck is one of the best in the league, and as long as he is under center, the Colts have a chance to win every game.

6. Green Bay Packers

There is nothing wrong with losing to the defending Super Bowl champions, but it was the way in which Seattle dominated Green Bay in the second half that should have the entire Packers roster looking to prove themselves in Week 2. A test against the New York Jets is exactly what the doctor ordered.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

After trailing 17-0 at halftime, the Philadelphia Eagles came out like wildfire and scored 34 unanswered points on Jacksonville. If the Eagles can consistently play as they did in the second half, the team could easily put out a win over Indianapolis on Monday Night Football.

4. New Orleans Saints

It’s not time to panic for New Orleans Saints fans. Drew Brees still looked like a dominant force, and the rushing attack was far better than it was a season ago. Unfortunately, the defense was torched by Matt Ryan. The Saints' chance at redemption will come against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

3. New England Patriots

A loss to the Miami Dolphins will be hard to stomach for the New England Patriots, and it should be—the team never should have lost. The hope is that Sunday’s defeat will be New England’s wake-up call, and the Patriots will come out swinging against Minnesota.

2. Seattle Seahawks

Denver deserves the No. 1 spot, but the Seattle Seahawks are right on the doorstep. With the reemergence of Percy Harvin as an offensive weapon and the most dangerous defense in the NFL, Seattle is still the cream of the NFC crop.

1. Denver Broncos

With Peyton Manning commanding a dangerous offensive unit and a defensive group that can pressure the quarterback and dominate in coverage, the Denver Broncos improved the most during the offseason, and it showed in Week 1. Kansas City is next to feel Denver’s wrath.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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