NFL Power Rankings: 3 Squads Whose Favorable Schedules Will Help Them Rise

For any NFL team, playing well in Week 1 of the season is anything but a guarantee of long-term success.

However, for teams like the three below, who have favorable matchups in Week 2, their momentum from season-opening wins has the chance to snowball into something special as the 2011 campaign rolls along.

Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens notched the most impressive win of any team on opening weekend, throttling the Pittsburgh Steelers, their chief divisional rivals in the AFC North, by a score of 35-7.

Baltimore's defense was in dominant form, forcing seven Steelers turnovers, on which Joe Flacco, Ray Rice and the rest of the offense were quick to capitalize.

As an encore to that virtuoso performance, John Harbaugh's team will take its act on the road to Nashville to face the Titans.

The Ravens must already be crowing with anticipation after watching Tennessee struggle in Week 1 against a Jacksonville Jaguars squad that had career backup Luke McCown starting under center.

Don't expect Ray Lewis and company to show any sympathy for the rebuilding Titans in their second game under new head coach Mike Munchak.

Washington Redskins

The Redskins parlayed a home game against a battered and bruised Giants team into a 28-14 win on Sunday and should be in perfect position to keep the good times rolling when the Arizona Cardinals come to town in Week 2.

If "Sexy Rexy" could pile up 305 yards and two touchdowns through the air against Big Blue, what's to stop him from wreaking havoc against a Cards defense that allowed Cam Newton to throw for 422 yards (an NFL rookie record) and two scores in his first game out of the box?

Other than Grossman's own career track record of inconsistency and ineptitude, that is.

Houston Texans

Speaking of defenses that put up about as much resistance as a stiff wind in Week 1, the Dolphins can't really defend much worse than they did against the Patriots on Monday Night Football.

Tom Brady carved up Miami's secondary for 517 yards (the fifth-most in a single game in NFL history) to go along with four touchdowns and an interception.

Now, Matt Schaub is no Tom Terrific, but he's no slouch, either. He'll have his opportunity to turn the Fins into canned tuna when the Texans travel to Miami on Sunday.

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

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