NFL Week 1 Power Rankings

1. New Orleans Saints – The champs are back to defend their title. Having no problems out of training camp is a good sign. I look for the Saints to start strong. They will be tested starting tomorrow with a re-match of the NFC Championship Game.

Flacco has a good receiving core

2. Baltimore Ravens – Baltimore upgraded their roster with Anquan Boldin and added TJ Houshmandzadeh earlier this week to give QB Joe Flacco the receivers he needs to open up the offense downfield. Look for Ray Rice to have another big year on the ground.

3. Green Bay Packers – The Packers look great, and Aaron Rodgers looks like he’s in for an MVP caliber season.  The offense has been clicking on all cylinders during the preseason and I look for the defense to be solid as well. The Packers are my preseason Super Bowl pick.

4. Indianapolis Cots – The Colts once again are amongst the top of the league. They are always dangerous with Peyton Manning under center. Health is the big issue for the Colts; if healthy, they may make another run to the Super Bowl to finish up what was left off last season.

5. Minnesota Vikings – Favre is back if you haven’t heard, and he is coming off a career season. A lot will be determined about this Vikings squad after they visit New Orleans Thursday night. If Adrian Peterson can fix his fumbling problem and Favre can stay consistent, the Vikings are a major threat.

6. New York Jets – I’m not buying the hype that the Jets can win the Super Bowl just yet because I don’t buy Mark Sanchez. He hasn’t looked impressive in the preseason (I know it’s the preseason) and he needs to make huge strides still. The defense gets them this ranking, especially after re-signing Darrelle Revis earlier in the week.

7. Dallas Cowboys – The talent is there and it has been developing. I think Dez Bryant will have a great season, but Romo needs time to throw to him. The offensive line is obviously the big issue here, and will need to show up for Jerry Jones’ dream of the Cowboys playing in the Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium to come true.

8. Atlanta Falcons – I think the Falcons will ride under the radar all season and sneak into the playoffs with a Wild Card birth. Matt Ryan has developed well, and if Turner can stay healthy this year, the Falcons shouldn’t be overlooked.

9. New England Patriots – Don’t sleep on Bill Belichick and Tom Brady just yet. The defense has a new face, but I’m not convinced they’re done just yet. They are going to put up a fight in the AFC East and Tom Brady in the 4th quarter is unstoppable.

10. San Diego Chargers – The Chargers play in an easy division in the AFC West but will be challenged by the Raiders this year. No LT, no Marcus McNeill, no Vincent Jackson are all concerns. Easy start to the season can ride the Chargers momentum, but it’s the playoffs that are always a concern with the Bolts.

Willis is one of the best LBs in the league.

11. San Francisco 49ers – With Alex Smith finally given the full time starting job, the Niners look dangerous in a weak division. They’ll dominate the NFC West, and we’ll see how far Patrick Willis and the defense take them in the playoffs.

12. Cincinnati Bengals – The Bengals had a good year last year but it will be a lot tougher with a stronger Ravens team in their division. Cincy has a solid defense that will get the job done. The question is if Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco can prove the critics wrong.

13. Tennessee Titans – Sure Vince Young isn’t the best QB in the league, but he can do enough to get by. Chris Johnson looks to repeat on a 2000+ yard season (which has never been done) and the defense is strong again. I don’t see them overtaking the Colt’s choke hold on the AFC South, but a Wild Card spot is possible.

14. New York Giants – The G-men have a lot of questions to answer after last year’s debacle. The talent is there, but can they get it together? The Giants are on the playoff bubble. All eyes are on the defense to lead the Giants again.

15. Philadelphia Eagles – Let the post-McNabb/Westbrook era begin. A lot of new faces in Eagles camp playing big roles. Many say Kevin Kolb is more accurate than Donnovan McNabb and will succeed in the West Coast Offense.

16. Houston Texans – The Texans are right on the brink, but have a tough start to the season opening up with the Colts who they are 1-7 against in franchise history. Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson are the most dangerous passing combination in the league but they have to get past the Colts to be considered a threat.

17. Miami Dolphins – This Dolphins team is a young one with a lot of talent that won the AFC East in 2008. A healthy Ronnie Brown, Chad Henne with the full time job, and Brandon Marshall down field can be dangerous. I’m not fully sold yet, but they got my attention.

18. Washington Redskins – No one is buying the Redskins, but I think Shanahan is a great coach, McNabb is a good QB. With that said, improvement is bound to happen. They play in a tough division but don’t be surprised with a winning season in D.C.

McClain will be an impact palyer for the Raiders.

19. Oakland Raiders – The Raiders finally got rid of the plague of JaMarcus Russell, and finally look good after years. Playing in a weak division, the Raiders show all signs leading to improvement. Look for rookie Ronaldo McClain to tear it up, and the defense to be solid in Oak-town.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers – The Big Ben suspension hurts big time. Sure he will be back week 6 after serving is 4-game suspension + bye week, but everyone else will be in mid-season form by then. No more Santonio Holmes either. Steelers in a big heap of trouble with Dixon, I predict a 1-3 start.

21. Arizona Cardinal – If the QB situation wasn’t bad enough with Leinhart, in my opinion it got worse with Anderson. They cut their ties with Leinhart because of lack of commitment, no performance. Leinhart out-performed Anderson in the preseason. This team will be missing Kurt Warner big time.

22. Denver Broncos – Josh McDaniels has a lot to prove. A hot start fizzled out fast last year. Only bright thing in Denver is the entertainment value of Tim Tebow. Oh yeah, they have no running backs that are fully healthy.

23. Chicago Bears – I’m not sold on the Mike Martz offense yet. Going 0-4 in the preseason is never a good sign. Lovie is on the hot seat.

24. Seattle Seahawks – Pete Carroll did an extreme makeover making roster cuts left and right. He put trust in USC alum Mike Williams as his go to wide out. Can this year be the rebirth of Matt Hasselbeck?

25. Carolina Panthers – Matt Moore is steering the ship now and they have a lot of young talent. It’ll be interesting to see what John Fox’s squad does. They have been the flashy “surprise team” pick by many.

MJD will be the Jags offensive force.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars – Maurice Jones Drew is the offense of the team, with a little help from Mike Sims-Walker. Jack Del Rio definitely on the hot seat this year. Jags have too much to overcome with Saints and Falcons in division.

27. Kansas City Chiefs – Matt Cassel has a lot to prove this year to show he was worth the big money KC spent on him. The Chiefs got some playmakers but they have a long way to go.

28. Detroit Lions – The Lions although on the bottom, have made significant progress. They look like they are actually building to something positive, so hats off to Jim Schwartz. The Lions can easily climb up this list if things pan out right.

29. Cleveland Browns – Cue in the Jake Delhomme era. Although they had a solid preseason, the Browns aren’t going anywhere. Rough time to be a Cleveland sports fan (not that I can remember a good time).

30. St. Louis Rams – Sam Bradford has a lot of pressure on him. They will need big time protection which has been hard to come by in St. Louis. Bradford needs a big fragile sticker on him.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – This team is young, I mean young! They claim they will prove critics wrong. I’ll take the “I’ll believe it when I see it” approach.

32. Buffalo Bills – Rough times in Buffalo, or Toronto, or wherever they’re going to play. Nice pick in C.J. Spiller, but that’s about the only good thing going for the Bills.

This is just an opinion, so please…Pardon My Bias.