NFL Power Rankings: 5 Teams Sure To Fall After Opening Weekend

It really was an exciting first weekend of NFL football, but for some teams it was undoubtedly a very disappointing one.

The first weekend of the NFL season is always bound to be crazy, but this past weekend the 2011 NFL season really started off with a bang.

We had everything from upsets to epic comebacks. We saw rookies perform like old veterans and old veterans play like they’ve never stepped on a field in their lives.

In the end we are left trying to breakdown what really happened. Which teams performed well, and which teams left their fans with a bitter taste in their mouths?

That’s what NFL rankings are for, and since the preseason I’ve been keeping tabs on how I feel your favorite NFL team is doing.

I started a ranking right during the preseason, which you can find here.

Last week, when the news that Peyton Manning would be out for a few months broke, I re-ranked the teams because obviously that played a huge factor.

Now that we’ve seen most of the teams play, here are five teams that I believe need to fall down the rankings based of their Week 1 performance.

Where is your favorite team, and what do you think?

Atlanta Falcons: 4 to 8

The Falcons absolutely looked horrible against the Bears, and the score reflected it. The Bears defense was all over Matt Ryan and forced a pick and a fumble, both from Brian Urlacher. The fumble was taken back for a touchdown, and the Falcons lost 30-12. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 11 to 14

The sky isn't falling for the Buccaneers, but needless to say they didn't look good against the Lions at home. The offense was inconsistent, which was part the Lions defense, and part Josh Freeman not being able to get anything going. They made a late run, but lost 27-20.

Kansas City Chiefs: 14 to 21

The Chiefs looked horrible in an upset loss to the Buffalo Bills. They allowed Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to throw for four touchdowns. Many people thought they were a playoff team coming into the year, but if they play like that again they wont be. They lost 41-7 in the biggest upset of the week.

New York Giants: 17 to 22

It's hard to trust the New York Giants and quarterback Eli Manning. They are far too prone to turnovers, and it cost them against an inferior Redskins team. Manning went 18-of-32 with an interception in a 28-14 loss.

Indianapolis Colts: 27 to 31

Anybody who thought that the Colts might have a chance without Peyton Manning lost all hope after watching this debacle. The Colts couldn't get anything going, while the Texans sought revenge on the team that always seemed to have their number. The Colts lost 34-7 and are on their way to being one of the worst teams in the league.

Andrew Kulha's 2011 NFL Power Rankings
1. Green Bay Packers
2. New England Patriots
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. Baltimore Ravens
5. New York Jets
6. New Orleans Saints
7. San Diego Chargers
8. Atlanta Falcons
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
10. Houston Texans
11. Detroit Lions
12. Chicago Bears
13. St. Louis Rams
14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
15. Seattle Seahawks
16. Arizona Cardinals
17. Washington Redskins
18. Dallas Cowboys
19. Oakland Raiders
20. Cleveland Browns
21. Kansas City Chiefs
22. New York Giants
23. Carolina Panthers
24. Minnesota Vikings
25. Denver Broncos
26. Miami Dolphins
27. Buffalo Bills
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
29. San Francisco 49ers
30. Tennessee Titans
31. Indianapolis Colts
32. Cincinnati Bengals