It's always hard to judge an NFL team from the first game. You don't want to be too impressed with victories but also not too tough on teams who lost. But that's no reason not to put some power rankings for Week 1. Like last year, I will split them up by AFC and NFC, because in my mind, that's all that matters. I try my best not to just rank them by record because many times, the schedule influences a team's record early on.
1. Pittsburgh (1-0) - A good quality win against a tough TEN team. Lack of a running game is a bit of a concern but seeing Roethlisberger sling it was fun. Polamalu's injury hurts the defense but 3-6 weeks is better than season-ending. NEXT: at Chicago
2. San Diego (1-0) - Beating a motivated OAK team on the road in Week 1 is a quality win. Besides the long pass play, the defense looked pretty stout. But why was LT on the sideline on the game-winning drive? NEXT: vs. Baltimore
3. Indianapolis (1-0) - Despite losing Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, some thing just don't change. A close game with JAX and a Manning-Wayne TD pass. Injury to Anthony Gonzalez is not good for an already-thin WR corps. NEXT: at Miami
4. New England (1-0) - The last 5 minutes, they looked the best team in the AFC. But for the first 55 minutes, they looked the 8th best. A timely fumble by BUF is the only thing keeping them a bad home loss. Defense was just decent too. NEXT: at NY Jets
5. Tennessee (0-1) - Gotta give them credit for going to PIT and nearly pulling off the upset. The defense is going to keep them in just about every game. Justin Gage also was a pleasant surprise. The run game should improve too. NEXT: vs. Houston
6. Baltimore (1-0) - Giving up 24 points on defense to a team like KC is a bit scary. But seeing Flacco throw for 300+ yards and Rice run for 100+ yards is a good sign. Next week, the offense may have to duplicate that against SD. NEXT: @ San Diego
7. NY Jets (1-0) - While most of the attention has been paid to Mark Sanchez and his solid debut, give some props to the defense. Gave up less than 200 total yards to a HOU offense that was ranked in the top 5 last year. NEXT: vs. New England
8. Buffalo (0-1) - They fired their offensive coordinator 2 weeks before the season began but it didn't look like it. The Bills no-huddle offense played well pretty much all night. The secondary looks to be the weak spot on defense though. NEXT: vs. Tampa Bay
9. Jacksonville (0-1) - They scored just 12 points but showed that Jaguar intensity that was missing the second half of 2009. The WR corps still worries me. The defense looked great but they did lose Reggie Hayward for the season. NEXT: vs. Arizona
10. Denver (1-0) - If not for the "Mile High Miracle", this ends up being an awful debut for new head coach Josh McDaniels. Kyle Orton is not the answer at QB and the defense won't give up just 7 points all season. NEXT: vs. Cleveland
11. Oakland (0-1) - Have to be impressed with how tough the Raiders played. It's obvious though that they will not compete for a division title this year. Russell is making strides at QB but at the same time, a lot of costly mistakes. NEXT: at Kansas City
12. Houston (0-1) - The offense looked inept and head coach Gary Kubiak said the O-Line looked confused. Maybe that's why Matt Schaub played so poorly. For this team to win, the offense must score cause the defense isn't strong. NEXT: at Tennessee
13. Cincinnati (0-1) - It's never good when people around the league aren't surprised at the way the Bengals lost. Now, it's up to this team to either let that loss define their season or simply let that loss go. Time will tell which happens. NEXT: at Green Bay
14. Miami (0-1) - This may be a bit low but 4 turnovers and an ineffective offense doesn't scream impressive. The wildcat that worked so well last year was slowed by ATL while the defense couldn't stop the ATL pass attack. NEXT: vs. Indianapolis
15. Cleveland (0-1) - It's not easy having to open up the year with Adrian Peterson and a good defense. Quinn didn't look particularly well at QB but the running game didn't help too much. Josh Cribbs though is already in midseason form. NEXT: at Denver
16. Kansas City (0-1) - For playing without Matt Cassel and against a defense like BALT, scoring 24 points is good. Getting Cassel back should do wonders for the passing game though. But this defense struggled mightily. NEXT: at San Diego
1. Philadelphia (1-0) - All-out team effort. The offense moved the ball down the field with ease. The defense had 4 INT and a fumble recovery for a TD. Plus, a punt return for a TD and a FG. Now, how long will McNabb be out? NEXT: at New Orleans
2. New Orleans (1-0) - We all know Drew Brees is good. But throwing for 6 TD in the first game is scary good. The only concern is the defense. Giving up 27 points to the Lions offense isn't anyone's idea of improvement. NEXT: vs. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta (1-0) - May not have to worry about a sophomore slump for Matt Ryan. 2 TD passes, including one to Tony Gonzalez. The defense looked impressive too, shutting down anything Miami threw or ran at them. NEXT: vs. Carolina
4. Minnesota (1-0) - Winning on the road is easy but winning at Cleveland isn't that hard right now. Peterson racked up 180 yards and 3 TD. Favre played mistake-free, which is all he'll need to do if AP runs wild like that in any game. NEXT: at Detroit
5. NY Giants (1-0) - For all the talk about Eli Manning's contract and lack of WR, the Giants offense played well. The defense had Jason Campbell guessing pretty much all game and held Portis to 62 rushing yards. NEXT: at Dallas
6. Green Bay (1-0) - Aaron Rodgers is doing his best to make Packers fans forget about Favre. With Jennings and Driver, he could throw for a ton of TD this season. The new 3-4 defense played well in its debut but Cutler made it look amazing. NEXT: vs. Cincinnati
7. Dallas (1-0) - Tony Romo had a career day and receivers other than Jason Witten were scoring the TDs. The defense wasn't pushed too hard but they will be in their next game, when they get division rival NYG. NEXT: vs. NY Giants
8. Seattle (1-0) - Matt Hasselbeck started with 2 INT but bounced back with 3 TD and Julius Jones added 117 yds on the ground. But the star of the game for the Seahawks was the defense, completely shutting down STL. NEXT: at San Francisco
9. San Francisco (1-0) - Shaun Hill played solid football but Frank Gore did not, running for just 30 yds. But the defense made up for it, keeping the AZ offense to 16 points. But are they for real or was that a one-time inspired performance? NEXT: vs. Seattle
10. Arizona (0-1) - The defending NFC champs looked like anything but that. Warner struggled all game, unable to find Fitzgerald or Boldin. The defense did fine, keeping SF to 20 points, which is normally enough for this offense. NEXT: at Jacksonville
11. Washington (0-1) - Albert Haynesworth played big in his debut, keeping the Giants run attack fairly quiet. But the pass defense wasn't good. Neither was Jason Campbell, who was hoping to make a statement to head coach Jim Zorn. NEXT: vs. St. Louis
12. Chicago (0-1) - They played better than 12th in the NFC but Cutler's mistakes coupled with Urlacher's season-ending injury are big blows. Cutler won't get it any easier next week when he faces the PIT defense, one of the best in the NFL. NEXT: at Pittsburgh
13. Tampa Bay (0-1) - It's going to be a long season for the Bucs. The defense is without an identity with Monte Kiffin and Derrick Brooks gone. And the offense, while capable of moving the ball, struggles to score points. NEXT: at Buffalo
14. Carolina (0-1) - The Week 1 game is just the start of what will be a difficult season for the Panthers. The defense is thin at every position and leaning on the passing game will not be an option, especially with Delhomme at QB. NEXT: at Atlanta
15. Detroit (0-1) - All in all, the Lions didn't look that bad. Yes, the defense gave up 6 TD to Brees but a lot of teams may do that. Stafford led the Lions to 27 points on offense, which is good. Now, he just needs to lead them to a win. NEXT: vs. Minnesota
16. St. Louis (0-1) - Losing to Seattle isn't embarassing but being shutout 28-0 is. The offense mustered up just 270 yards, including just 67 yds on the ground from Steven Jackson. Things should improve, but when? NEXT: at Washington
It's always hard to judge an NFL team from the first game. You don't want to be too impressed with victories but also not too tough on teams who lost. But that's no reason not to put some power rankings for Week 1. Like last year, I will split them up by AFC and NFC, because in my mind, that's all that matters. I try my best not to just rank them by record because many times, the schedule influences a team's record early on.
1. Pittsburgh (1-0) - A good quality win against a tough TEN team. Lack of a running game is a bit of a concern but seeing Roethlisberger sling it was fun. Polamalu's injury hurts the defense but 3-6 weeks is better than season-ending. NEXT: at Chicago
2. San Diego (1-0) - Beating a motivated OAK team on the road in Week 1 is a quality win. Besides the long pass play, the defense looked pretty stout. But why was LT on the sideline on the game-winning drive? NEXT: vs. Baltimore
3. Indianapolis (1-0) - Despite losing Tony Dungy and Marvin Harrison, some thing just don't change. A close game with JAX and a Manning-Wayne TD pass. Injury to Anthony Gonzalez is not good for an already-thin WR corps. NEXT: at Miami
4. New England (1-0) - The last 5 minutes, they looked the best team in the AFC. But for the first 55 minutes, they looked the 8th best. A timely fumble by BUF is the only thing keeping them a bad home loss. Defense was just decent too. NEXT: at NY Jets
5. Tennessee (0-1) - Gotta give them credit for going to PIT and nearly pulling off the upset. The defense is going to keep them in just about every game. Justin Gage also was a pleasant surprise. The run game should improve too. NEXT: vs. Houston
6. Baltimore (1-0) - Giving up 24 points on defense to a team like KC is a bit scary. But seeing Flacco throw for 300+ yards and Rice run for 100+ yards is a good sign. Next week, the offense may have to duplicate that against SD. NEXT: @ San Diego
7. NY Jets (1-0) - While most of the attention has been paid to Mark Sanchez and his solid debut, give some props to the defense. Gave up less than 200 total yards to a HOU offense that was ranked in the top 5 last year. NEXT: vs. New England
8. Buffalo (0-1) - They fired their offensive coordinator 2 weeks before the season began but it didn't look like it. The Bills no-huddle offense played well pretty much all night. The secondary looks to be the weak spot on defense though. NEXT: vs. Tampa Bay
9. Jacksonville (0-1) - They scored just 12 points but showed that Jaguar intensity that was missing the second half of 2009. The WR corps still worries me. The defense looked great but they did lose Reggie Hayward for the season. NEXT: vs. Arizona
10. Denver (1-0) - If not for the "Mile High Miracle", this ends up being an awful debut for new head coach Josh McDaniels. Kyle Orton is not the answer at QB and the defense won't give up just 7 points all season. NEXT: vs. Cleveland
11. Oakland (0-1) - Have to be impressed with how tough the Raiders played. It's obvious though that they will not compete for a division title this year. Russell is making strides at QB but at the same time, a lot of costly mistakes. NEXT: at Kansas City
12. Houston (0-1) - The offense looked inept and head coach Gary Kubiak said the O-Line looked confused. Maybe that's why Matt Schaub played so poorly. For this team to win, the offense must score cause the defense isn't strong. NEXT: at Tennessee
13. Cincinnati (0-1) - It's never good when people around the league aren't surprised at the way the Bengals lost. Now, it's up to this team to either let that loss define their season or simply let that loss go. Time will tell which happens. NEXT: at Green Bay
14. Miami (0-1) - This may be a bit low but 4 turnovers and an ineffective offense doesn't scream impressive. The wildcat that worked so well last year was slowed by ATL while the defense couldn't stop the ATL pass attack. NEXT: vs. Indianapolis
15. Cleveland (0-1) - It's not easy having to open up the year with Adrian Peterson and a good defense. Quinn didn't look particularly well at QB but the running game didn't help too much. Josh Cribbs though is already in midseason form. NEXT: at Denver
16. Kansas City (0-1) - For playing without Matt Cassel and against a defense like BALT, scoring 24 points is good. Getting Cassel back should do wonders for the passing game though. But this defense struggled mightily. NEXT: at San Diego
1. Philadelphia (1-0) - All-out team effort. The offense moved the ball down the field with ease. The defense had 4 INT and a fumble recovery for a TD. Plus, a punt return for a TD and a FG. Now, how long will McNabb be out? NEXT: at New Orleans
2. New Orleans (1-0) - We all know Drew Brees is good. But throwing for 6 TD in the first game is scary good. The only concern is the defense. Giving up 27 points to the Lions offense isn't anyone's idea of improvement. NEXT: vs. Philadelphia
3. Atlanta (1-0) - May not have to worry about a sophomore slump for Matt Ryan. 2 TD passes, including one to Tony Gonzalez. The defense looked impressive too, shutting down anything Miami threw or ran at them. NEXT: vs. Carolina
4. Minnesota (1-0) - Winning on the road is easy but winning at Cleveland isn't that hard right now. Peterson racked up 180 yards and 3 TD. Favre played mistake-free, which is all he'll need to do if AP runs wild like that in any game. NEXT: at Detroit
5. NY Giants (1-0) - For all the talk about Eli Manning's contract and lack of WR, the Giants offense played well. The defense had Jason Campbell guessing pretty much all game and held Portis to 62 rushing yards. NEXT: at Dallas
6. Green Bay (1-0) - Aaron Rodgers is doing his best to make Packers fans forget about Favre. With Jennings and Driver, he could throw for a ton of TD this season. The new 3-4 defense played well in its debut but Cutler made it look amazing. NEXT: vs. Cincinnati
7. Dallas (1-0) - Tony Romo had a career day and receivers other than Jason Witten were scoring the TDs. The defense wasn't pushed too hard but they will be in their next game, when they get division rival NYG. NEXT: vs. NY Giants
8. Seattle (1-0) - Matt Hasselbeck started with 2 INT but bounced back with 3 TD and Julius Jones added 117 yds on the ground. But the star of the game for the Seahawks was the defense, completely shutting down STL. NEXT: at San Francisco
9. San Francisco (1-0) - Shaun Hill played solid football but Frank Gore did not, running for just 30 yds. But the defense made up for it, keeping the AZ offense to 16 points. But are they for real or was that a one-time inspired performance? NEXT: vs. Seattle
10. Arizona (0-1) - The defending NFC champs looked like anything but that. Warner struggled all game, unable to find Fitzgerald or Boldin. The defense did fine, keeping SF to 20 points, which is normally enough for this offense. NEXT: at Jacksonville
11. Washington (0-1) - Albert Haynesworth played big in his debut, keeping the Giants run attack fairly quiet. But the pass defense wasn't good. Neither was Jason Campbell, who was hoping to make a statement to head coach Jim Zorn. NEXT: vs. St. Louis
12. Chicago (0-1) - They played better than 12th in the NFC but Cutler's mistakes coupled with Urlacher's season-ending injury are big blows. Cutler won't get it any easier next week when he faces the PIT defense, one of the best in the NFL. NEXT: at Pittsburgh
13. Tampa Bay (0-1) - It's going to be a long season for the Bucs. The defense is without an identity with Monte Kiffin and Derrick Brooks gone. And the offense, while capable of moving the ball, struggles to score points. NEXT: at Buffalo
14. Carolina (0-1) - The Week 1 game is just the start of what will be a difficult season for the Panthers. The defense is thin at every position and leaning on the passing game will not be an option, especially with Delhomme at QB. NEXT: at Atlanta
15. Detroit (0-1) - All in all, the Lions didn't look that bad. Yes, the defense gave up 6 TD to Brees but a lot of teams may do that. Stafford led the Lions to 27 points on offense, which is good. Now, he just needs to lead them to a win. NEXT: vs. Minnesota
16. St. Louis (0-1) - Losing to Seattle isn't embarassing but being shutout 28-0 is. The offense mustered up just 270 yards, including just 67 yds on the ground from Steven Jackson. Things should improve, but when? NEXT: at Washington
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When the Browns beat Denver on Sunday you better have them above both the "Bungles" and the Broncos. If not i will drive to GA and kick your ass. haha. If we lose, feel free to drop them to 16th in the AFC like i know you're dying to do
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