NFL Week 2 Power Rankings

Week 2 is always a tough week to predict. You're just not sure if what you saw Week 1 was a true representation of the team to come. For some teams like Cleveland and St. Louis, we're starting to see consistency in how they will play. Meanwhile, other teams like Houston and Chicago looked much better than in their season debut.

So how does all this affect the power rankings? Drumroll please...

1. Indianapolis (2-0) - The defense wasn't necessarily lights out against Miami but it's strong enough to put them at the top. Peyton Manning continues to get the job done on offense, despite a real lack of experience around him. NEXT @ Arizona

2. Pittsburgh (1-1) - I know they lost but the Steelers are still among the best in the conference. The defense has been hurt by the loss of Troy Polamulu but they will rebound. The running game still needs to improve though. NEXT @ Cincinnati

3. Baltimore (2-0) - What used to be all about the defense is turning into the Joe Flacco show. Forget a sophomore slump. The former Blue Hen is slinging it now and points are being scored. That's good cause the defense isn't lights out this season. NEXT vs. Cleveland

4. NY Jets (2-0) - They didn't look overly impressive in their win over New England but a win is a win, no matter how ugly it may be. Darrelle Revis has shut down two premier receivers in a row. He'll have no test next week though. NEXT vs. Tennessee

5. San Diego (1-1) - The Chargers are a good team but for once, I agree with Norv Turner who said they're not a good team now. The defense is reeling from injuries, allowing way too many yards, and giving up too many points so far. NEXT vs. Miami

6. New England (1-1) - Maybe it's just me but Tom Brady doesn't look like the Tom Brady of 2007. His timing and decision-making was off all game against the Jets. Having a healthy Wes Welker back should do wonders for him and the offense. NEXT vs. Atlanta

7. Buffalo (1-1) - This team may be better than most thought before the year began. Trent Edwards looks comfortable at QB and Fred Jackson is providing a solid run game. But give props to the defense which has exceeded expectations. NEXT vs. New Orleans

8. Houston (1-1) - The Texans team that showed up against Tennessee is the one I thought would show up in Week 1. That offense is electric, thanks to Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson. Again though, it's the defense that keeps this team mediocre. NEXT vs. Jacksonville

9. Tennessee (0-2) - The Titans defense can't be nearly this bad can it? If not for some long Chris Johnson TDs, the Titans offense didn't look that great either. They took a big step back after that OT loss in Pittsburgh in Week 1. NEXT @ NY Jets

10. Denver (2-0) - It's hard to judge the Broncos, because just about any team can go 2-0 against Cincinnati and Cleveland. This defense is still not good and the offense isn't much better. But alas, they could easily go 3-0 this week. NEXT @ Oakland

11. Cincinnati (1-1) - The hot seat that Marvin Lewis sits on got a bit cooler with that huge road win in Green Bay. The reason for the win is simple. The team developed a running game. They're 4-0 when Cedric Benson rushes for 100+ yards. NEXT vs. Pittsburgh

12. Miami (0-2) - The wildcat offense was potent all game against the Colts. But the defense was anything but, allowing the Colts to score quickly and often. Oh, and that 2-minute drill offense? That was downright awful. NEXT @ San Diego

13. Oakland (1-1) - The funny thing about the win last week is that they played worse than they did in their loss in Week 1. The opponents will just get tougher and that means JaMarcus Russell will need to learn that much faster. NEXT vs. Denver

14. Jacksonville (0-2) - Jack Del Rio better start working on his resume. Oh, and drafting Tim Tebow may not be a bad idea. This Jaguars team looks listless on offense, leaving a already thin defense on the field far too long. NEXT @ Houston

15. Cleveland (0-2) - The coach known as "Man-Genius" is looking like an idiot right now. His team looked awful on offense and defense and the only points come from the special teams units. For more on the Brownies, check this out. NEXT @ Baltimore

16. Kansas City (0-2) - Todd Haley is a good coach. Matt Cassel is a good QB. But this team won't be good this season. Just think how happy Tony Gonzalez is. Now he plays for victories and not moral victories. NEXT @ Philadelphia.


1. New Orleans (2-0) - The defense showed it stuff against Kevin Kolb but the star of this team is still the offense. Drew Brees is well on his way to an MVP award while Marques Colston is turning into one fine WR in the NFL. NEXT vs. Jacksonville

2. Atlanta (2-0) - No sophomore slump for Matt Ryan. The addition of Tony Gonzalez has just made him that much better. The defense is still bending an awful lot but they haven't been broken. First road test this week and it's not easy. NEXT @ New England

3. NY Giants (2-0) - Tony Romo gift-wrapped the win for the Giants but Eli Manning's last-minute drive put the bow on it. The defense gave up a lot of points but also forced 4 turnovers that led to just about every offensive score. NEXT @ Tampa Bay

4. Minnesota (2-0) - Falling behind to Detroit wasn't in the gameplan but seeing Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson bring the Vikings back had to look good. The defense hasn't been challenged yet so not sure just how good they are. NEXT vs. San Francisco

5. Philadelphia - With Donovan McNabb, this offense could probably equal the offense of the Saints with points. With Kevin Kolb, it's not even close. Getting Michael Vick involved is now on the to-do list for the Eagles. Should be fun. NEXT vs. Philadelphia

6. San Francisco - Time to give Mike Singletary some credit. He picked the right QB in Shaun Hill, knows who to give the ball to on offense in Frank Gore, and has a young but talented defense playing above their potential. NEXT @ Minnesota

7. Green Bay - The loss to the Bengals stings but chalk that up to underestimating them. The offense is still dynamic and should score with just about any team. The defense is still learning the 3-4 scheme and should improve with each game. NEXT @ St. Louis

8. Arizona - It's a good sign to see the Cardinals win a game on the East coast, something they failed to do last year in 5 tries. Now it's time to see if the defense that shut down a Jacksonville offense can slow down Peyton and the Colts. NEXT vs. Indianapolis

9. Dallas - Tony Romo continues to struggle in bad games. One has to wonder how long this trend is going to continue. The guy has tons of talent but you can't single-handedly account for 4 turnovers and expect to win a ballgame. NEXT MON vs. Carolina

10. Chicago - Solid win over Pittsburgh. Good sign to see Jay Cutler not force passes and instead, allow receivers to make plays or just throw it away. Also, the defense looked fine without emotional leader Brian Urlacher in the middle. NEXT @ Seattle

11. Seattle - Losing Matt Hasselbeck at the half killed any flow the team had on offense. The defense didn't play overly bad, except for the 200+ rush yards given up to Frank Gore. With Hasselbeck healthy, this team will be fine. NEXT vs. Chicago

12. Washington - Despite playing the worst team in the NFC, the Redskins struggled mightily on offense and scored just 9 points. The defense did stop the Rams from any offensive flow, but again, they had none of their own. NEXT @ Detroit

13. Carolina - After getting blown out by Philly, they put up a game effort against Atlanta. But the fact of the matter is Jake Delhomme is fading as a QB and the defense isn't nearly as good as last year's division-winning squad. NEXT MON @ Dallas

14. Detroit - Jim Schwartz has this team on the right track. They play hard and stuck with the Vikings for 30 minutes. Matthew Stafford is still learning on the fly so there will be bumps in the road. The losing streak could end this week. NEXT vs. Washington

15. Tampa Bay - Jon Gruden is probably glad he's not around to coach this team. The offense is just anemic, especially when it comes to the running game and the defense looks lost without the leaderhsip of Monte Kiffin and Derrick Brooks. NEXT vs. NY Giants

16. St. Louis - It's a shame to see Stephen Jackson on a team that's so awful. Mark Bulger is healthy but has no one to throw the ball too. The defense is young and making stupid mistakes. They may go winless this season. Yep, I said it. NEXT vs. Green Bay