NFL Power Rankings 2017: Latest Team Standings Ahead of Preseason Week 2

Preseason wins and losses might not mean much in the NFL, yet the details gleaned from the exhibitions provide hints about future league standings.  

Translation: Power rankings season is alive and well.  

Power rankings might seem as trivial during the preseason as the results of the games themselves. Those who dive a bit deeper, though, see them as a tool capable of helping fans get back in the swing of things by offering an all-encompassing look at the league. 

With the second week of the preseason about to get underway, here's a look at power rankings after we've finally had a look at the new faces in new places.

2017 NFL Power Rankings

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

Notables 

8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Heading into 2017, most seem to peg the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tennessee Titans as two teams ready to take over as powers. 

It's not hard to see why, right? One team boasts Marcus Mariota under the center, the other Jameis Winston. A year ago, the latter threw for 28 touchdowns against 18 interceptions with little in the way of notable weapons around him outside of Mike Evans—and the team still won nine games. 

Those Buccaneers then went out and added a strong second option in veteran wideout DeSean Jackson, not to mention arguably the draft's top tight end, O.J. Howard out of Alabama. Third-round rookie wideout Chris Godwin also looks ready to break on to the field and make a difference. 

The hype here means little in the way of excuses for Winston, which he seemed to understand while talking with the media about where he could improve after the Buccaneers lost their first preseason game. 

"Preseason or not, I just want to win. That's the main thing. Our improvements though—scoring in the red zone, that's the main thing. Me and Mike Evans cannot get inside the 2-yard line and not connect on two straight attempts," Winston said, according to ESPN.com's Jenna Laine. 

With what projects as one of the league's better passing games, backed by a Gerald McCoy-led defense, it's hard to ignore Tampa Bay entering the season. For now, a top-10 projection seems right for one of the league's rising teams. 

15. Denver Broncos

Say hello to the team capable of a major swing in either direction right out of the gates.

Fans know all about the Denver Broncos. Great defense, headlined by Von Miller and Chris Harris. Superb set of weapons in the passing game, featuring Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders. 

Questions under center. 

Said questions due to an underwhelming competition between Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch led to rumors from Sandy Clough of 104.3 The Fan in Denver reporting the team had an interest in trading for Cincinnati Bengals backup quarterback AJ McCarron, something Broncos general manager John Elway personally nixed: 

Regardless of whether the rumors have legs, their presence speaks to the validity of the concerns around a team seemingly missing one piece before being one of the most dangerous in the league. 

The Broncos won only nine games last year while both of the mentioned quarterbacks failed to complete 60 percent of their passes and combined for 20 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. For now, at least, both will work behind an offensive line breaking in new names like rookie Garett Bolles and Menelik Watson. 

While the AFC West continues to improve around the Broncos, one glaring weakness has the team knocked down the board ahead of the regular season. 

At the least, the Broncos control their own destiny and make a major climb if key areas develop well. 

26. Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears can only go up from here.

In fact, these rankings might slot the Bears higher than most. But it was the flashes of the future the Bears showed in a preseason Week 1 loss to those Broncos that has the vibes around the team pointing to a big turnaround. 

There, rookie quarterback Mitchell Trubisky went 18-of-25 for 166 yards and a touchdown and gained another 38 yards on three rushes. 

It doesn't sound like much, and it is the preseason, but the Bears have already come a long way from being the team that saw Matt Barkley, Brian Hoyer and even David Fales take snaps under center last year. 

The film alone makes Trubisky look like a natural, even if he is competing with Mike Glennon for the starting gig: 

There are two important things to keep in mind when talking about the Bears: The team finished with one of the highest salary cap numbers on injured reserve during last year's three-win campaign, and that battered roster still managed to lose six games by less than a touchdown. 

The front office in the Windy City not only improved the situation under center, it got the Jordan Howard-led offense some help through the air in free agency and revamped the secondary with names such as Prince Amukamara and Quintin Demps. 

Being one of this summer's most active teams in free agency and otherwise doesn't stop the Bears from still feeling like a team in a transitional phase, but it certainly pulls them out of the league's dumpster. Unlike last year, they'll get to decide how high they climb, too.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com.