1. New England Patriots 1-0 (9)
The Patriots are back to their old tricks. The offense appears to be in mid-season form, and Wes Welker seems to have made a miraculous recovery from a devastating knee injury last season. The often criticized defense played great until the game was no longer in doubt, so the Pats look to be a title contender once again.
2. New Orleans Saints 1-0 (2)
The receivers looked extremely rusty in Week 1, but the ultra-competitive, never satisfied duo of Drew Brees and Sean Peyton should combine with this underrated defense to give the Saints a great chance to repeat.
3. Baltimore Ravens 1-0 (4)
Scary team...This defense has somehow managed to remain terrifying for the last 10 years, and they showed they weren't ready to give up the title of the leagues best D to the Jets just yet. The offense had a tough day against the vaunted Jets D, but I have a feeling we are going to see some huge days from Flacco and company this year.
4. N.Y. Giants 1-0 (11)
Being a Panther fan, Sunday's game was tough to watch. The Giants made some mistakes early, but soon to be Pro Bowler Hakeem Nicks (Tar Heel) put on a show and the team looked great in the 2nd half.
5. Houston Texans 1-0 (8)
The Texans have been so close to beating the Colts over the past few years, and they finally got it done Sunday in convincing fashion. Arian Foster completely careered it, and the Texans pounded the Colts despite only 33 yards from Andre Johnson and 400+ passing yards from Peyton Manning.
6. Indianapolis Colts 0-1 (1)
Not really sure how the Colts managed to get blown out so badly with such a great offensive performance, but the run defense clearly forgot to show up. The Colts have some major problems on D, but something tells me they will be ok with one of the best QBs of all time at the helm.
7. N.Y. Jets 0-1 (5)
The Jets D was as good as advertised, but the offense was pathetic. Given they were up against an equally stout Ravens defense, but it's always tough to win with single digit points on the scoreboard. The Jets are in desperate need of the services of Santanio Holmes, and his return should do wonders for this struggling offense.
8. Green Bay Packers 1-0 (3)
Green Bay didn't look as sharp as I expected them too, and they lost RB Ryan Grant for the year in Week 1. That said, I attribute it mostly to rust and fully expect the Packers to be fine without Grant.
9. Tennessee Titans 1-0 (12)
I didn't see much of this game, but it seemed like the Titans did whatever they wanted to all day long against the Raiders. Chris Johnson is unreal, Vince Young is a winner, and the Titans are one of the most well-run franchises in the NFL with a top-notch coach.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-0 (13)
Speaking of well-run franchises, the Steelers won their opener against a talented Falcons team with 3rd string QB Dennis Dixon at the helm. Dixon didn't do much, but Mendenhall and the always vicious defense were enough to pull out the win. This team will be much improved once Ben Roethlisberger returns.
11. Minnesota Vikings 0-1 (19)
I really underestimated just how good this defense is, with Jared Allen and company holding a dangerous Saints offense relatively in check. AP is going to have to carry the load on offense. With Sidney Rice out for at least half the season and the worrisome problems with Percy Harvin, it could be a very long season for Brett Farve.
12. Philadelphia Eagles 0-1 (18)
I think I need to make two rankings for the Philadelphia Eagles. When Kolb was in the lineup the Eagles looked pretty bad, but once Michael Vick stepped in they were extremely dangerous. Vick looked as elusive as ever, and if he can avoid murdering dogs for the rest of the year and Andy Reid gives him the reins (but not the whip), this team could be great.
13. Atlanta Falcons 0-1 (6)
I'm a little surprised the Falcons lost to the Steelers. I keep thinking Atlanta is going to break through and be one of the top teams in league, but they just can't seem to put it all together.
14. Kansas City Chiefs 1-0 (24)
The Chiefs looked great on Monday night, and Arrowhead looks like an amazing place to watch a football game. K.C. made the biggest jump in the power rankings from last week, rising 10 spots to #14. With the additons of McCluster and Arenas, and the continued great play of Jammal Charles carrying over from last season, this team looks extremely fast and finally ready to compete in the NFL.
15. Dallas Cowboys 0-1 (10)
Dallas looked completely out of whack. This team has loads of talent, but clearly has some gaping holes and maybe some serious coaching issues. They nearly won Sunday night despite a poor showing, but the tying TD was taken away by a holding call as time expired, allowing the deserving team to escape with the win. I still expect them to iron out their problems and make the playoffs, but they have a lot of work to do.
16. Washington Redskins 1-0 (17)
I'm not sure what to think about the Redskins. They clearly have a good defense, and McNabb is a considerable upgrade at the QB position. They beat the Cowboys, but were hardly impressive in doing so. Shanahan is a good coach, but I just don't know if this team has enough talent to go anywhere.
17. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-0 (22)
This is one of the few teams I didn't see any of last weekend. They have some talent, and typically play tons of close games, so if they can win a large percentage of those they will be solid. This offense is better than most people give them credit for.
18. San Diego Chargers 0-1 (7)
The receivers for the Chargers looked terrible for much of the game. They need Vincent Jackson badly, and it doesn't look like they will ever have him. Their special teams were awful as well, so S.D needs to find some answers quickly.
19. Miami Dolphins 1-0 (14)
Every time I looked at this game it seemed like nothing was happening, and judging by the stats I don't think that was a mirage. There are many talented players on this team, but the inevitable injury to Ronnie Brown will take away one of the best options on the squad, and I don't really see them doing much.
20. Cincinnati Bengals 0-1 (16)
The two showy receivers on this team make me sick. They were annihilated by the Patriots, and only a few garbage time scores made it look respectable.
21. Chicago Bears 1-0 (21)
The Bears really lost in Week 1, but a stupid rule took an obvious TD away from Calvin Johnson and a victory from the Lions. Matt Forte looked great, but the rest of the team was iffy.
22. Seattle Seahawks 1-0 (31)
I didn't see any of this team, but Pete Carroll is clearly a great football coach. Judging by the vicious beating they put on San Francisco, either the Seahawks are a very solid team this year, or the 49ers are awful. Might be a bit of both.
23. Carolina Panthers 0-1 (23)
The Panthers looked pretty good for a half, but Matt Moore looked much too Jake Delhommy in the red zone. He made some of the worst decisions whenever Carolina looked poised to score, and there were many terrible play-calling mistakes from the coaches. How you have a first and goal from inside the 5 and don't even attempt 1 run, when your best attribute is your running game, I will never know. Just put in Clausen, and run the damn ball.
24. Denver Broncos 0-1 (30)
Kyle Orton is one of the most underrated players in the NFL, but this team still needs some work. Losing Elvis Dumervil really hurts.
25. Arizona Cardinals 1-0 (26)
This team has many talented players, and if they can get adequate play from the QB position they may rise up the rankings.
26. St. Louis Rams 0-1 (27)
The Rams had a solid showing, with rookie QB Sam Bradford throwing the ball 55 times in his debut. If his O-line can give him some time, this team could make a big leap as well.
27. Detroit Lions 0-1 (25)
I really want the Lions to be good. They were robbed of a win on Sunday, as Calvin Johnson's clear touchdown was taken away because of a bad rule. The injury to Stafford is not good news, and if he misses significant time this team is in for another long year.
28. Buffalo Bills 0-1 (28)
They were miserable in Week 1. No run game, no passing game, and maybe a decent defense? Who cares, this team is going nowhere.
29. S.F. 49ers 0-1 (15)
I expected the 49ers to be much improved and maybe even win their division this year. After taking a drubbing from a Seahawks team that stuggled mightily last year, things aren't looking good. LB Patrick Willis can make up for a lot of problems, but this team appears to have a few too many.
30. Cleveland Browns 0-1 (29)
Eric Mangini might be one of the dumbest coaches I have seen, and Jake Delhomme still makes the worst decisions in the NFL. Jake made one of his vintage throws, falling down off of one foot and rifling a sidearm pass directly into the chest of Rhonde Barber of the Bucs, who proceeded to take the easy interception back 64 yards to set up a TD. The Browns got out to a 14-3 start, but the awful pick was a momentum killer and the Browns found a way to lose. Why Jerome Harrison doesn't get the ball more is baffling to me, especially after his huge finish to the season last year.
31. Tampy Bay Buccaneers 1-0 (32)
Even though they won their game, I put them behind the team they beat (and almost everyone else) because they looked horrendous, and only won because Delhomme and Mangini are so bad. I may be too harsh on the Bucs, but they are a huge rival of the Panthers and I hate them. They were really, really bad whenever I was watching, and only Jake's heroics got them a win.
32. Oakland Raiders 0-1 (20)
What else really needs to be said about this franchise? Al Davis is nearly brain-dead, and just when you thought the Raiders might be a sleeper team after finishing strong last year, they go out and get absolutely pummeled by the Titans. McFadden played well, but that's about it.
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