NFL Power Rankings Week 2: All 32 Teams

Heading into the second week of NFL action, power rankings have seen a few major shakeups.  After impressive wins by the Baltimore Ravens and Chicago Bears, and record-breaking performances by the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers, teams are rising and falling significantly from their Week 1 positions.

Here, I will detail my rankings of all 32 teams going into Week 2.

Just to note, in compiling my power rankings, I take more than just the prior weeks' performances into account. I also consider overall team expectations, the nature of each given win and loss, and how well each team will carry over the previous week's lessons into the one that follows.

No. 1: Green Bay Packers (1-0)

The Green Bay Packers dispatched one of the most elite teams in the NFL in Week 1, the New Orleans Saints, on their way to attempt a repeat of their 2010 Super Bowl season. If New Orleans can't stop them, there's little hope for the rest of the league to do so.

No. 2: New England Patriots (1-0)

The Patriots defeated a scrappy Miami Dolphins team in Week 1, despite having difficulties on defense. Quarterback Tom Brady hasn't lost a step, and the offense remains as explosive as ever.

No. 3: Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

With Michael Vick at the helm of the Dream Team for a second year in a row, they managed to give the St. Louis Rams nightmares in Week 1. Even scarier? They'll only get better with time.

No. 4: New Orleans Saints (0-1)

Despite a Week 1 loss, the Saints remain in the top five in the NFL. They managed to score 34 points against the vaunted Green Bay defense, Drew Brees is devastatingly accurate, and Darren Sproles has new life. This team won't see many more losses in 2011.

No. 5: New York Jets (1-0)

The Jets' defense single-handedly defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1, containing their receivers and stopping the run. With quarterback Mark Sanchez emerging as an asset to the team, they are better balanced than in their last two AFC Championship-contending seasons.

No. 6: Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

The Ravens dismantled the Pittsburgh Steelers in the season opener. The only reason they aren't higher on this week's rankings is that I am not convinced it wasn't so much a Ravens win than a Steelers loss; additional dominant performances, however, and they will be a top-five team in no time.

No. 7: San Diego Chargers (1-0)

The Chargers had a dominant win against a miserable team, the Minnesota Vikings, in Week 1, and still had issues at special teams. Like the Ravens, they have more to prove before they are in my top-five.

No 8: Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)

The Steelers' uncharacteristic breakdown against the Ravens in Week 1 has me hesitant to drop them out of the top-10. If they struggle this week against the Seattle Seahawks, then the theory of the Super Bowl hangover might hold water yet again.

No. 9: Houston Texans (1-0)

The Texans proved that their running game doesn't suffer when Arian Foster isn't on the field, and they humbled the hobbled Indianapolis Colts on both sides of the ball. I still want to see more out of them against a tougher opponent before they can rise much farther.

No. 10: Chicago Bears (1-0)

The team that many dubbed a fluke in 2010 does it again in their season opener, defeating a Super Bowl favorite, the Atlanta Falcons, by 18 points. Quarterback Jay Cutler showed skill and maturity, and the defense is as intimidating as ever.

No. 11: Detroit Lions (1-0)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers kept the game close, but the Lions pulled off a rare away win in a season with the highest expectations the Lions have seen in over a decade. So far, so good.

No. 12: Dallas Cowboys (0-1)

The Cowboys suffered a heartbreaking loss on Sunday night against the Jets after quarterback Tony Romo threw a pick in their final drive. The team has many question marks hanging over their heads as they enter Week 2; a win this week against the 49ers would answer a number of them.

No. 13: Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

Nothing went the Falcons' way in their loss against the Bears in Week 1. If they can't shore up their inconsistencies on both sides of the ball, they are likely to go from a team favored to win it all to a team struggling to end above .500.

No. 14: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)

Where youth was an advantage to the team last year, it doesn't appear to serve them so well at this early point in the season. A significantly more difficult schedule than in 2010 will also stall their climb up the rankings as the season progresses.

No. 15: New York Giants (0-1)

The Giants have been decimated by injuries to their secondary, and it showed in their Week 1 loss against division rival Washington Redskins. With receiver Hakeem Nicks likely sidelined for Monday's game, there's proof things can get worse for the Giants.

No. 16: St. Louis Rams (0-1)

The Rams were pegged as clear favorites to win the NFC West this season. Their 31-13 drubbing at the hands of the Eagles in Week 1 shows they still have a lot of work to do if they want to hold their own with the big boys.

No. 17: Arizona Cardinals (1-0)

The Cardinals pulled off one of the least-impressive wins of the week, and their ranking reflects that. If they cannot defend passes from a rookie quarterback who looked awful in the preseason, then there's not much hope for Arizona going forward.

No. 18: Washington Redskins (1-0)

Another unimpressive win came from the Rex Grossman-led Redskins. They succeeded at passing only because they took advantage of an injury-depleted Giants secondary, while running back Tim Hightower managed just 2.9 yards per carry.

No. 19: San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

A Week 1 win against one of the worst teams in the NFL does not make much of an impression on me. They managed only 209 total yards of offense in the win. If the Niners beat the Cowboys this week, then we can talk.

No. 20: Miami Dolphins (0-1)

No, quarterback Chad Henne isn't terrible, but he's not great either. Their running back situation doesn't help matters much, either.

No. 21: Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Yes, they beat the Cleveland Browns this week, but it took them until the final two minutes to do so. All aspects of their game remain highly suspect.

No. 22: Cleveland Browns (0-1)

While the Browns will likely improve as the season progresses, a loss to the Bengals isn't a good way to start out the year.

No. 23: Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

I don't see many more wins coming for the Jaguars this season. They have a poor defense and only one offensive playmaker, Maurice Jones-Drew, to carry the entire team.

No. 24: Oakland Raiders (1-0)

Despite beating the Denver Broncos on Monday night, quarterback Jason Campbell struggled to score points and the running game produced only one touchdown in 193 yards. The win was not impressive, and is a sign of trouble ahead.

No. 25: Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Despite over 400 yards worth of completions for rookie quarterback Cam Newton, the Panthers could not manage a win over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 1. Newton's performance was the exception, not the rule, for a team that will struggle to win three games this year.

No. 26: Buffalo Bills (1-0)

The Bills impressed in their Week 1 41-7 win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but it says more about Kansas City than it does Buffalo. They need more wins, over better opponents, to rise up my ranks.

No. 27: Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

The Seahawks boast a terrible defense and even worse offense. They are in for a shock when they travel to Pittsburgh to face the Steelers in Week 2.

No. 28: Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)

No other team has slid so far from Week 1 to Week 2 than the Chiefs. You know those rumors that Kansas City has a bad offense now that they've lost offensive coordinator Charlie Weis to the NCAA? They're proving to be true. Losing Eric Berry on defense doesn't help matters one bit.

No. 29: Denver Broncos (0-1)

Twenty-five yards of offense on the ground, and 304 ineffective ones in the air, combined with a defense playing weaker than it should: It's looking bad for the Broncos in 2011. With the crowd chanting for Tebow on Monday night, it just got worse.

No. 30: Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

No, the Colts miss Peyton Manning more than he misses them. They're missing a defense, too. Everyone needs to step up or the Colts will be one of the worst teams in all aspects throughout the season.

No. 31: Tennessee Titans (0-1)

After giving running back Chris Johnson the payday he asked for, he ran the ball just nine times for 24 yards in the Titans' Week 1 loss to Jacksonville. Their supposed new-look defense couldn't stop a Jaguars squad that is doomed to struggle this season. The future is dim for Mike Munchak's squad.

No. 32: Minnesota Vikings (0-1)

Donovan McNabb just managed 39 yards passing in their loss to San Diego in Week 1. And yes, he played all four quarters. That's reason enough to name the Vikings the worst in the league heading into Week 2.