NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Preseason Week 2?
The NFL has gloriously returned to your television/computer/mobile device/toaster(?). The exact moment of joy when that happened is pictured above, and now an offseason of maneuvering across the league is coming to life.
That process begins in baby steps, as starters typically played, at most, one quarter in Week 1 of the preseason. But we still get hints of what's to come.
We know, for example, that the Seattle Seahawks have unearthed an explosive kick returner in Tyler Lockett, and attempting to tackle Detroit Lions running back Ameer Abdullah can end with a mouthful of grass. We also know that being an NFL quarterback is hard, and even the most gifted rookies like Marcus Mariota and Jameis Winston require time to navigate the college-to-pro adjustment.
Seeds are planted in early August, with strengths slowly emerging alongside potential weaknesses. We saw only a glimpse of both in Week 1 of the preseason, but enough to wonder about where teams are headed.
Which is exactly what I'll do now in the first edition of our 2015 power rankings. Remember: I probably hate your favorite team.
32. San Francisco 49ers
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Let’s try to stay positive here, because good vibes will be rare for the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 after an offseason when they lost a core defensive player every other minute, in addition to offensive pillars like running back Frank Gore and guard Mike Iupati.
Right now, feeling happy about the 49ers means focusing on a story that could open a new path to the NFL.
Jarryd Hayne hadn’t played in a competitive football game prior to Saturday. The former rugby megastar hadn’t been on the field for a single snap, or asked to read his blocking and find a crease against an opposing NFL defense.
And the result on his second carry when he did all of those things was a 53-yard gain.
Hayne still has a steep mountain to climb in his pursuit of a roster spot, and he's trying to overcome his lack of experience amid a 49ers running back depth chart led by Carlos Hyde, Reggie Bush and Kendall Hunter, with fourth-round pick Mike Davis also complicating matters.
But 63 yards on five carries is already a significant step toward being on a roster somewhere this season, even if it’s not with the 49ers.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars
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It seems there are some powers above that truly and deeply hate the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Julius Thomas became the NFL’s second-highest paid tight end this offseason in terms of average annual salary when Jacksonville awarded the free agent a contract worth $9.2 million annually. After two straight seasons with 12 touchdown receptions he’s set to provide Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles with something he so desperately needs: a reliable red-zone option.
And he’ll probably still do that, but the growth of chemistry between quarterback and pass-catcher just slammed into a wall.
Thomas suffered a fracture in the back of his hand during Jacksonville’s preseason Week 1 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. There’s optimism he’ll be ready when games matter, but Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley said Thomas will miss the remainder of the preseason, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The early preseason injury is another ice bucket dunked on a team that’s won only nine games over the past three seasons.
30. Tennessee Titans
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Marcus Mariota’s NFL debut was at first frightening, and then encouraging. Basically, it was your standard beginning for a rookie quarterback, complete with both facepalms and fist pumps.
He was sacked for an 11-yard loss during his first series against the Atlanta Falcons, and then one play later threw an interception on a screen pass. He struggled while adjusting to an increased game speed that demanded quicker decisions, which also resulted in a fumble after he held onto the ball too long.
He settled in later and led an 80-yard touchdown drive that featured two 17-yard completions into the waiting mitts of wide receiver Harry Douglas. He completed all five of his pass attempts on that drive and collected 78 of his 94 passing yards.
The contrast between the two Mariotas who appeared in that game—one quarterback who looked lost, and another who seemed calm and composed—will likely be the norm for a second overall pick who’s adjusting to a pro-style offense.
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29. Cleveland Browns
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There was hope for the Cleveland Browns during their preseason opener, a loss to the Washington Redskins.
Quarterback Josh McCown seemed poised and confident while completing all five of his pass attempts for 33 yards and a touchdown. He’s still little more than a journeyman placeholder, but McCown looking impressively competent was encouraging nonetheless, as was the progress shown by his backup, Johnny Manziel.
However, early indications are that a problem from 2014 has carried over.
In 2014, the Browns defense was about on par with a container of old hardened Play-Doh in terms of the resistance it offered against the run. Cleveland ranked dead last while allowing 141.6 rushing yards per game. A first-round pick was used on nose tackle Danny Shelton to address that regular gashing, and although he was effective during his preseason debut, the Browns run defense overall remained leaky.
Redskins running back Alfred Morris averaged 5.3 yards per carry, and Washington finished with 153 rushing yards. Any hope for controlling both the clock and scoreboard will be lost if the Browns can’t at least approach adequate-ness while defending the run.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Jameis Winston’s NFL debut mirrored what we saw from the Titans’ Marcus Mariota, his rookie starting quarterback counterpart.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' first overall pick was unsettled early against the Minnesota Vikings, missing badly on two throws intended for wide receivers Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans. That’s why his second drive ended with a three-and-out, and Winston’s third chance didn’t start much better when he took a nine-yard sack. Then he completed a 40-yard pass to Jackson, and was later intercepted when he tried to go deep again, this time looking for Evans.
A mixed bag gave us a snapshot of both Winston’s strong arm and his decision-making issues when using said arm. The next step? Slowing the game down mentally so more deep connections come through better reads.
27. Houston Texans
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Brian Hoyer appears to have the clubhouse lead in his starting-quarterback battle against Ryan Mallett. He connected with wide receiver Cecil Shorts for a 58-yard touchdown during the Houston Texans' win over San Francisco.
That’s swell for a team fiercely fighting with Buffalo to have the most depressing quarterback depth chart. But the real and most needed source of encouragement came from running back Alfred Blue.
He’s replacing Arian Foster, who could be placed on the short-term injured reserve following groin surgery. Blue averaged 6.6 yards per carry and ripped off runs for 14 and 32 yards. There may be hope yet for a team that will lean on power running and a powerful pass rush to win games.
26. Oakland Raiders
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There were three healthy doses of ugliness from the Oakland Raiders' first-team offense and defense during a preseason-opening win against the St. Louis Rams.
The first came from quarterback Derek Carr, who’s fluttering duck was left well short of intended receiver Amari Cooper, resulting in a red-zone interception. The second moment that furrowed brows was when running back Trent Richardson choose a pile of bodies over a cutback lane. And the third was a defensive gaffe when Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin gained 35 yards after catching a ball that traveled negative-4 yards through the air.
There will be progress this season from a team that has promising youth scattered throughout its roster (most notably Carr, Cooper and running back Latavius Murray). But there will still be a lot of heartbreak, too.
25. Washington Redskins
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Are you an even somewhat tall person? Do you weigh at least 240 pounds? And have you caught a football before? Yes, those Nerf balls with the wretched death screech count.
If you can check off all three of those boxes, then please send in your application to be a Washington Redskins tight end.
Washington’s depth chart at the position is decimated following a preseason-opening win over the Cleveland Browns. Niles Paul (fractured ankle) suffered a season-ending injury, and afterward the expected news of Logan Paulsen’s season also ending (toe surgery) came down.
Toss in the habitually broken Jordan Reed also sitting out due to a hamstring problem and Je’Ron Hamm leaving early with a thigh injury, and in mid-August the Redskins are already dumpster diving for scrap-heap free agents off the street in desperation.
It’s not a good look for an offense led by a quarterback in Robert Griffin III who’s still growing into a pro-style system and needs ample support.
24. Chicago Bears
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This early power-rankings perch already feels a little generous for the 2015 edition of the Chicago Bears.
They avoid a burial deep in the basement beside where you keep that abandoned collection of Pogs mostly because a 30th-ranked defense in 2014 can’t possibly be that awful again. The Bears added safety Antrel Rolle, and new outside linebacker Pernell McPhee will bring a solid edge-setting presence.
But offensively the Bears are destined to be followed by a toilet-flushing sound, especially now with wide receiver and first-round pick Kevin White out at least until Week 6, and likely longer.
White will begin his rookie season on the physically unable to perform list due to a stress fracture in his shin that will require surgery. He was drafted to be a younger version of Brandon Marshall, who was traded to the New York Jets after a poor and injury-plagued season in 2014. But Marshall still isn’t far removed from three straight years with 1,200-plus receiving yards.
It’s a steep tumble down to Eddie Royal, who will replace White, and now the Bears will have to ride running back Matt Forte even deeper into the ground after his 368 touches in 2014.
This could get really bad, really fast again. That doubles as an honest Bears season ticket ad tagline, which would still be better than when the Bills used an end-zone punt.
23. New York Jets
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The starting quarterback getting his jaw broken by a sucker punch is the most New York Jets preseason thing that could possibly happen.
Or maybe that’s a lie, and instead someone on the team thinking Geno Smith deserved to be punched by defensive end IK Enemkpali is peak Jets, per the New York Daily News’ Manish Mehta.
Now a rebuilt Jets defense will be supported by a Ryan Fitzpatrick-led offense. That’s not exactly a death sentence, as Fitzpatrick was impressively decent with the Houston Texans in 2014 while posting a passer rating of 95.3 and averaging 8.0 yards per pass attempt. He’s also reuniting with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, who was the scheming mind behind Fitzpatrick’s best seasons with the Buffalo Bills.
But ideally Fitzpatrick is the trusted and experienced backup who functions as a safety net. Not the guy who has a firm grip on the job as long as he performs somewhat competently, as Mehta also reported.
The Jets could still quickly move up both these standings and the real standings if Fitzpatrick can meet satisfactory game-manager standards. They could also fall down fast, too, because they’re currently one awkward hit away from Bryce Petty taking regular-season NFL snaps.
22. New Orleans Saints
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Since 2013, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has thrown 72 regular-season touchdown passes. And since 2013, former Saints tight end Jimmy Graham has been on the receiving end for 26 of those scores.
Or from another more daunting angle: 36.1 percent of Brees’ touchdown passes over the past two years have gone to Graham.
Life after Graham in New Orleans is going to be weird at first, then really strange and eventually productive after a focus shift. Since replacing Graham isn’t possible, the Saints will have more of a run-oriented offense through running backs Mark Ingram and C.J. Spiller. They'll also thrive on after-the-catch gains following short-to-intermediate throws.
The concern, however, is the red zone, which is Graham's natural habitat. If Ingram’s power-running muscle doesn’t take over, then an offense that ended 60 percent of its red-zone trips in 2014 with a touchdown could struggle.
21. Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons’ offseason wish list featured two main shopping items: a pass-rusher to inject life into their front seven that recorded only 22 sacks in 2014, and an upgrade in their backfield.
Both problems were addressed during the draft when outside linebacker Vic Beasley and running back Tevin Coleman were targeted early. Coleman was the nation’s second-best rusher in 2014 when he finished with 2,036 yards on the ground, while Beasley recorded 52.5 tackles for a loss and 33 sacks over four years at Clemson.
But while all of that is promising, the real upgrade could come from an already rostered player hopefully set to improve in his second season.
Left tackle Jake Matthews endured a brutal rookie year, though in fairness he was slowed by multiple injuries. Matthews allowed 51 total pressures, per Pro Football Focus, which tied him for fourth-most among all tackles.
Quarterback Matt Ryan needs precious time to hook up deep with all-universe wide receiver Julio Jones. And a now healthy Matthews has to start playing up to his first-round status.
20. New York Giants
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Developing players both young and old is an obvious preseason focus. But another clear goal is to just make it through August without any major muscle rips.
The New York Giants should keep rubbing many horseshoes, because it sounds like they bobbed and weaved around a major injury their defense simply couldn’t sustain.
During the Giants’ preseason-opening loss to the Cincinnati Bengals rookie safety Landon Collins crumbled on his second defensive play. A further evaluation has since turned fear into relief: He suffered a minor knee injury, and head coach Tom Coughlin guessed Collins will be out “longer than a week,” per Paul Schwartz of the New York Post.
Collins is a critical cog in a secondary that needs to rebound from a season of aerial bombardment when the Giants allowed 8.0 yards per pass attempt.
19. St. Louis Rams
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Crippling injuries can happen anytime football players are on a football field. But training camp injuries sting a little more because they take place long before meaningful games.
Which brings us to the sad tale of St. Louis Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines, who was blossoming into an absolute steal as a sixth-round pick in 2014. He finished his rookie season with a 79.0 passer rating allowed in coverage, per PFF, which ranked 20th among the 73 cornerbacks who played at least 50 percent of their team’s snaps.
And now he’s gone for the season.
Early in training camp Gaines suffered an injury when his foot was stepped on. It wasn’t initially clear how serious the problem was, but then a dreaded word popped up: Lisfranc.
Whenever you consult everyone’s favorite online encyclopedia to learn the basics of a common football injury (pro tip: don’t ever do that), you'll quickly fight the urge to squirm while reading about Lisfranc issues. Gaines couldn’t dodge that bullet and had season-ending surgery, as first reported by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
The Rams have some depth at cornerback, and Gaines will now be replaced by a combination of Trumaine Johnson and Lamarcus Joyner. The latter was a second-round pick in 2014 and also posted a respectable passer rating in coverage during his rookie season (86.1, per PFF). Still, losing Gaines is a tough blow, especially with the always gambling Janoris Jenkins as the other starting cornerback.
18. San Diego Chargers
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The San Diego Chargers finally found common ground with their quarterback Philip Rivers after an offseason of wavering, trade rumors and discontent.
Rivers was signed to a four-year contract extension worth $84 million in new money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, which solves a looming long-term problem for the franchise. That problem, of course, was who would play quarterback beyond 2015 with Rivers in a contract year.
Now there’s a more pressing short-term issue: Will the four-game absence of tight end Antonio Gates be crushing?
Sure, backup tight end Ladarius Green oozes with athletic ability and can stretch the field deep. He recorded five 20-plus-yard catches in 2014 despite sporadic use and only 19 total receptions.
But the comfort of a connection is hard to duplicate. Of the 31 touchdown passes Rivers threw in 2014, 12 went to Gates. He nearly doubled the next closest Chargers pass-catcher in that category (wide receiver Eddie Royal, who finished with seven).
17. Minnesota Vikings
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Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater functioned with the calm and cool of a veteran during his rookie season, completing 57.9 percent of his passes when under pressure, per PFF. The problem when your quarterback plays well under pressure is, well, how often he has to play well under pressure.
Bridgewater was pressured on 39.9 percent of his dropbacks in 2014, again per PFF, and he’s likely about to spend another season frantically dodging bodies after right tackle Phil Loadholt tore his Achilles during Minnesota's preseason opener. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported he’ll miss the season, meaning Bridgewater will be relying on raw fourth-round pick T.J. Clemmings for protection on the right side.
It’s an early blow to an already thin offensive line.
16. Miami Dolphins
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The Miami Dolphins offense in 2014 was about as meh as it gets. Overall, quarterback Ryan Tannehill finished with a career single-season best 92.8 passer rating, but the Dolphins still averaged only 350.1 total yards per week (14th).
That was in part due to Tannehill’s continued inaccuracy when throwing deep, which still stands as the last hurdle for his largest leap forward. Tannehill completed 37.7 percent of his throws that traveled 20-plus yards through the air, which ranked 13th out of the 25 quarterbacks who took at least 50 percent of their team’s attempts, per PFF.
The Dolphins will likely work around Tannehill’s weakness, relying on slot receiver Jarvis Landry to create gains after reeling in short, high-percentage throws. Still, if Tannehill doesn’t improve with his deep heaves, then the field-stretching abilities of wide receivers Kenny Stills and DeVante Parker will be wasted.
15. Kansas City Chiefs
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Early in training camp Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Doug Pederson hinted at monitoring running back Jamaal Charles’ workload in 2015.
“You want to make sure he’s healthy late in the season,” he told Dave Skretta of The Associated Press. “So if that means giving a guy like Knile Davis some reps—whatever you have to do, No. 1, to keep him healthy for 16 games, you do that each week.”
In theory that makes sense, because of course it does. A little less of Charles early in the year can go a long way come December and, hopefully, January. However, in practice cutting back on Charles’ touches means fighting the temptation to ride your best offensive option. And usually, giving the ball to a player who holds that title is a good idea.
Even during an injury-riddled season when Charles missed a game and was severely hobbled in others he still accounted for 26 percent of Kansas City’s offense. Ideally, new wide receiver Jeremy Maclin can shoulder some of that burden now, but Charles is still central to everything the Chiefs do offensively.
14. Buffalo Bills
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The Buffalo Bills will likely start Matt Cassel at quarterback.
Not because they necessarily want to, and not because he’s the best option. No, because he’s the only realistic option when the other two arms on the depth chart are an inexperienced career backup (Tyrod Taylor), and a spiraling draft bust (EJ Manuel).
The Bills transformed their offense throughout the offseason by adding running back LeSean McCoy, wide receiver Percy Harvin and tight end Charles Clay. But even with those significant upgrades it’s a real challenge to take this team seriously when their likely Week 1 quarterback hasn’t started a full season since 2010, and in 2014, Cassel completed only 57.7 percent of his pass attempts.
13. Carolina Panthers
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How do you solve a red-zone problem? You draft a walking crane, that’s how.
In 2014, the Carolina Panthers squeaked into the playoffs while winning a division that should have been relegated to some other football league on a different planet. The NFC South will still be weak in 2015, which means capitalizing on scoring opportunities is critical.
That’s why the Panthers invested a second-round pick in wide receiver Devin Funchess. His towering 6’4”, 225-pound frame will ideally revive an offense that ranked 31st in red-zone efficiency during the 2014 regular season, according to Stats Inc.
12. Philadelphia Eagles
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Philadelphia Eagles head coach Chip Kelly is a man of mystery. He also does a really great penguin dive.
Mostly, though, he doesn’t understand why you care about him so much, telling NFL Network’s Albert Breer he thinks the interest in his personal life is bizarre. We care, Chip, because there’s always a natural curiosity about any innovative gambler.
Since Kelly took over control of personnel decisions he’s assembled an Eagles team with sky-high upside in his uptempo offensive scheme, but also hovering questions. The leading two being: Can quarterback Sam Bradford stop snapping important ligaments? And will running back DeMarco Murray do some breaking of his own after 497 touches in 2014?
More than wins and a championship are on the line in 2014 for the Eagles. Kelly’s reputation as a football wizard is also at stake.
11. Baltimore Ravens
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At 36 years old, Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Steve Smith still has Olympic-level trash talking skills. However, the laws of time tell us eventually his fade on the field will begin.
That hasn’t happened yet, as Smith caught 79 passes for 1,065 yards during his first year with the Ravens. But it’s coming, and the Ravens could be staring at a mighty thin wide receiver depth chart.
A first-round pick was used on speedster Breshad Perriman, who clocked a blazing time of 4.25 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his Central Florida pro day. But he struggled with drops throughout his college career, and that problem continued in the offseason when four balls thudded off the 21-year-old’s hands early during OTAs.
In 2014, he finished with seven drops on 54 catchable passes, per PFF’s Steve Palazzolo. Even more concerning right now is Perriman’s health, as he’s missed most of his first NFL training camp with a knee injury.
Perriman has the skill set to replace former Ravens wide receiver Torrey Smith, and do it effectively. But if drops and health become a problem, Baltimore’s wide receiver depth will be a concern…again.
10. Detroit Lions
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Detroit Lions rookie running back Ameer Abdullah isn’t Barry Sanders quite yet. But you just might have a future when an opposing head coach makes that comparison. Even loosely, as New York Jets head coach Todd Bowles did following a preseason game between the two teams Thursday night, via ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
The second-round pick who finished his collegiate career at Nebraska with two straight 1,600-plus yard rushing seasons showed his lightning quick lateral mobility against the Jets and how easily he accelerates after each cut. The highlight was a 45-yard run that featured defenders who spun in search of the running back they had lost.
Abdullah can be the final offensive piece Detroit has been searching for, and an answer for an ailing backfield that’s lacked punch.
9. Arizona Cardinals
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If it was legal to send a quarterback onto the field in bubble wrap, the Arizona Cardinals would be fitting Carson Palmer for a Michelin Man suit right now.
Palmer has made a remarkable recovery from his latest ACL tear. He wasn’t restricted during OTAs, and that hasn’t changed now with the training camp intensity cranked up. It’s all some modern medical weirdness, because a 35-year-old who’s now torn the same ACL twice shouldn’t be feeling this good well less than a year removed from having his knee carved up.
That’s all positive and peachy news. But Palmer endured the punishment of 41 sacks in 2013. The fate of head coach Bruce Arians’ vertical attack rests with his arm—and knee. So does the Cardinals’ 2015 season, along with any hope they have of repeating an upstart 11-win campaign.
8. Cincinnati Bengals
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Everything is in place for the Cincinnati Bengals to reach a talent ceiling that’s been high for quite some time.
Running back Jeremy Hill finished his rookie season in 2014 with 1,339 yards from scrimmage even while starting only eight games. That included four starts when he recorded 140-plus rushing yards. Then there’s wide receiver A.J. Green, who’s still A.J. Green, and a now-healthy tight end Tyler Eifert.
The last remaining puzzle piece? Quarterback Andy Dalton, and any shred of competence from him in January when games matter a whole lot more.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers
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In the absolutely not arbitrary rankings of offensive players who are the most fun to watch, Pittsburgh Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell is comfortably in the top three.
Bell totaled 2,215 yards from scrimmage in 2014, and 854 of those yards came as a receiver. A running back finished with more receiving yards than all but six tight ends. He’s a dynamic runner who can be a workhorse when needed.
About that: Bell might be needed quite a bit if the youth spread throughout a rebuilding Steelers defense falters. Linebacker Ryan Shazier was his usual blur-like self during Pittsburgh’s preseason opener, but there are health concerns that follow him after a rookie season where he missed seven games. Then there’s Shamarko Thomas, who will replace Troy Polamalu at safety after playing a mere two snaps in 2014.
The Steelers defense has potential, including plenty from first-round outside linebacker Bud Dupree. But there’s also plenty of uncertainty and inexperience.
6. New England Patriots
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At first this ranking seems criminally low for a team fresh off winning the Super Bowl. Oh, and a team that’s been to four straight AFC Championship Games and has won its division six years in a row.
But pending the outcome of Tom Brady’s appeal, the New England Patriots are also a team that will be without a two-time MVP quarterback for four games. Losing the heart of your offense for a quarter of the season is no easy blow to recover from. It's even more concerning after backup Jimmy Garoppolo struggled during the Patriots' preseason opener and was sacked seven times.
Brady could be sitting for a stretch that includes tough games against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys, with a brief reprieve week against the Jacksonville Jaguars tossed in there.
It’s entirely possible the Brady-less Patriots start their 2015 regular season with a 1-3 record. However, that hole may only seem like a puddle for a team with plenty of talent elsewhere still. But the margin for error in the AFC East became a whole lot thinner after premier talents like defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh joined the division.
5. Dallas Cowboys
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The Dallas Cowboys saw an overflowing field of red flags this offseason and shrugged.
They signed defensive end Greg Hardy, whose 10-game suspension following a domestic violence charge has since been reduced to four. Their focus on improving a 28th-ranked pass rush continued when a second-round pick was used on Randy Gregory, who tumbled in the draft for strange, often cryptic reasons.
That’s partly why 2015 is a season starting with questions for the Cowboys. If those bright red flags are buried when Gregory and/or Hardy form a formidable pass-rushing tandem with Demarcus Lawrence, then the reward is well worth that risk. But if behavioral issues create a locker room divide while losses mount, one of quarterback Tony Romo’s remaining prime years will be wasted.
The other looming questions ask which is more important: a bulldozing offensive line that creates running room? Or the running back who averaged 141.3 total yards per game throughout the 2014 regular season?
That running back is DeMarco Murray, who joined the Philadelphia Eagles as a free agent, and now there’s a step down to his primary replacement, Joseph Randle. But it might be a stumble off the curb instead of a crash down the staircase. Randle has the ideal one-cut running style, and 46.5 percent of his rushing yards in 2014 came on 15-plus yard runs, per PFF.
4. Indianapolis Colts
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The common poker expression “going all-in” has been associated with the Indianapolis Colts all offseason after wide receiver Andre Johnson, running back Frank Gore and outside linebacker Trent Cole highlighted their free-agent signings.
Which isn’t wrong, I guess, but it feels like the correct poker image we should be going for here is of the heavy-chipped kingpin who bullies the table before collecting all the cash and bling.
Since drafting quarterback Andrew Luck the Colts have logged three straight 11-win seasons. Sure, those years all ultimately ended in postseason disappointment, but along the way Indianapolis still won three playoff games and appeared in an AFC Championship Game.
That journey has advanced the maturity of young talent, including Luck and his top target, wide receiver T.Y. Hilton. Now a running back who defies the basic laws of aging has been added, along with even more field-stretching speed from first-round pick receiver Phillip Dorsett.
An offense that averaged 28.6 points per game in 2014 is about to score a whole lot. Again.
3. Denver Broncos
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Let’s just go ahead and assume the Peyton Manning we saw for about the last month of 2014 isn’t the real guy.
That was an imposter Denver Broncos quarterback who was operating without a fully assembled right quad. I’ve never been a professional quarterback, but I did throw a ball through some driveway hoop contraption once. That’s how I know leg muscles are pretty important when heaving a ball any distance.
But let’s also assume that even if Manning has recovered now and his passes have more zip—as Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas told Mike Klis of the Denver Post—he’s still not quite the real Manning. The real Manning has been checked out for some time, as a gradual arm-strength fade began even before the quad problem. That’s why a Broncos offensive shift to the run game began earlier in 2014, which resulted in running back C.J. Anderson averaging 113.5 rushing yards per game between Weeks 10 and 13.
Which Manning will we see this season then? The 2015 version of a Canton-bound quarterback in possibly his final season will be somewhere between the injured Manning and the fading Manning. Which is just fine, because maybe 80 percent of Manning is still better than nearly 100 percent of anyone else.
Anderson’s role will continue to grow under new head coach Gary Kubiak, whose offense has repeatedly pumped out 1,000-plus yard rushers. Between Anderson, Thomas and fellow receiver Emmanuel Sanders, there are plenty of options who can gain yards after the catch when Manning’s passing focus inevitably shifts to short and intermediate routes.
Basically, the Broncos will still be downright frightening offensively, and they still have all the primary pieces of a third-ranked defense.
2. Green Bay Packers
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This is usually when I would mention a tiny, minuscule concern that’s hidden somewhere on the roster of a loaded Green Bay Packers team and express some level of dread.
Any ideas?
A team that had two pass-catchers with 1,200-plus receiving yards in 2014 (wide receivers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb) is now giddy about the forthcoming emergence of wideout Davante Adams after he grew up fast during the playoffs, compiling 117 yards and a touchdown on seven receptions against the Lions.
The overflow of offensive talent doesn’t end there, as the Packers also used a third-round pick on receiver Ty Montgomery, whose shifty explosiveness led to 2,459 yards from scrimmage and 19 touchdowns over four years at Stanford. Then there’s running back Eddie Lacy, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry in 2014.
But since I am in the business of splashing cold water on nice things, there is one minor worry for the Packers: run defense. That area improved when Clay Matthews started to shift inside, showing his versatility as a linebacker. Still, overall, Green Bay ranked 23rd against the run in 2014.
It’s a potential weakness that might not matter even a little bit if the Packers' offensive fireworks eliminate the opponent’s run game early.
1. Seattle Seahawks
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A team that’s played in the Super Bowl two straight seasons—and probably would have won it two straight times had they hit the triangle button in Madden—finally addressed a desperate need.
When the Seattle Seahawks traded for tight end Jimmy Graham an offense that scored touchdowns on only 51.5 percent of its red-zone opportunities in 2014 drastically upgraded in that part of the field. Graham is a skyscraper of a man who’s snatched 54 touchdowns receptions since entering the league in 2010. He’s behind only the Patriots’ Rob Gronkowski during that five-season period.
There is some mild concern, however, and it’s tied to what a running team sacrificed to get Graham.
Through running back Marshawn Lynch, the Seahawks are powered offensively by a deep desire to mow down defenders and bury them in a grassy grave. That won’t change even with Graham’s addition, but his effectiveness as a blocker could become a lingering question mark.
Pro Football Focus’ grades ranked Graham’s run blocking 97th in 2014 among the 120 tight ends who played at least 25 percent of their team’s snaps.
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