NFL Power Rankings Week 2: 3 Week 1 Losers Ready for Free Fall

Now, losing the opener isn't always a big deal. The problem comes if you lose the opening game, and then face two or three tougher games.

That's where a playoff contender can become a No. 1 draft pick contender really quickly.

These teams aren't necessarily that bad, but they all have poor spots on the power rankings listed below. Even with the low spots, they will do well to not drop.

Minnesota Vikings

 I have a really hard time counting any team with Adrian Peterson out of anything. But the Vikings are the only NFC North team to drop a game in Week 1. The other three teams all beat 10-win teams from 2010.

Minnesota's best chance at a strong start relies on their quarterback Donovan McNabb. He was awful in the first week. Now, they'll be going against a tough defensive opponent in Detroit.

This is about as much of a "must win" situation that a team can ever face in the second week of the season. Given Detroit's ability to find the quarterback, I see a tough week for McNabb this week.

Atlanta Falcons

The team with the top record in the NFC in 2010 is now looking at a tough task. After being blown out by the Bears in the first week, they will host Michael Vick and the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 2.

After that, a trip to Tampa Bay will give the Falcons another test. An 0-3 start is not out of the realm of possibility.

The Falcons are lucky that every other team in their division lost in Week 2. Obviously, that's not a trend that's going to continue. Atlanta's tough schedule is only going to get tougher. If they don't figure something out quickly, their spot in the power rankings will consistently be in the bottom half of the league.

New York Giants

It's sort of unfair. The Giants have been hit with a myriad of injuries that have crippled their team. Right now, I have them at No. 25. Honestly, if they don't turn their season around and work through the injuries, their spot won't be getting any higher.

The talent is still there in New York, but not enough of it. Eli Manning will need to be stellar all year to keep his injury-plagued defense off of the field.

In Week 2, the Giants take on the Rams in a Monday night battle between two 0-1 injury-laden teams. The loser will have a hard time not plummeting in the rankings.

Michael Dixon's Week 2 Power Rankings:

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	1-0
2	New England Patriots	1-0
3	Philadelphia Eagles	1-0
4	Baltimore Ravens	1-0
5	Chicago Bears	1-0
6	New Orleans Saints	0-1
7	San Diego Chargers	1-0
8	New York Jets	1-0
9	Houston Texans	1-0
10	Detroit Lions	1-0
11	Pittsburgh Steelers	0-1
12	Atlanta Falcons	0-1
13	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	0-1
14	Arizona Cardinals	1-0
15	San Francisco 49ers	1-0
16	Oakland Raiders	1-0
17	Buffalo Bills	1-0
18	Washington Redskins	1-0
19	Dallas Cowboys	0-1
20	Cincinnati Bengals	1-0
21	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-0
22	Minnesota Vikings	0-1
23	St. Louis Rams	0-1
24	Tennessee Titans	0-1
25	New York Giants	0-1
26	Kansas City Chiefs	0-1
27	Miami Dolphins	0-1
28	Indianapolis Colts	0-1
29	Denver Broncos	0-1
30	Cleveland Browns	0-1
31	Carolina Panthers	0-1
32	Seattle Seahawks	0-1