Past Power Rankings: Week 1
These Power Rankings of mine started off last week with the help of NFL.com. Since we are now one week into the season, I decided to take it from there.
Now, there are a few things we have learned this week, and you can click HERE to check out what Derek Tang’s take was on this past week.
There were also a few upsets that really shocked us on opening weekend. Bills over Bears, Titans over Chiefs, and Dolphins over Patriots. Who would have guessed? It’s been an exciting start to the 2014 regular season.
Now, let the Power Rankings commence!
1) Seattle Seahawks
Beating the Packers didn’t seem like it would be an easy task. Well, the Seahawks proved us wrong. There’s a reason why I picked the Seahawks to make it to the Super Bowl, again. The defense, just as last year, is potent and the offense has matured. Marshawn Lynch looks as good as ever, too. At this moment, they have the team to repeat.
2) Denver Broncos
The Broncos turned an early lead into a game that slowly began to collapse on them. Luckily, rookie CB Bradley Roby was there for the save. Despite losing the game a little, the Broncos looked good on both sides. Yes, the defense bent a little, but it did not break. A lot of promise from the new acquisitions.
3) San Francisco 49ers
Many of us thought the 49ers would suffer greatly after the suspensions that were handed to members of their defense. Well, 4 turnovers, one fumble returned for a touchdown, helped propel this team far past the Cowboys. Might I mention that it looked like they were playing a home game in Dallas. What was up with that?
4) Philadelphia Eagles
Down 17-0 at halftime to the Jaguars, I was ready to say that Nick Foles was a fluke. I was a little too quick on the trigger. 34 unanswered points in the 2nd half showed us why the Eagles were in the top-10 in the first place. Darren Sproles has already begun to put in his part, rushing 11 times for 71 yards and 1 TD. Both he and LeSean McCoy will continue to wreak havoc.
5) Cincinnati Bengals
After blowing a 15-point lead to the Ravens, Andy Dalton and AJ Green staved off the comeback. Dalton was very impressive, throwing for 301 yards as he completed 25 of his 38 passes. Looks like his new contract may not have been a bad idea.
6) Carolina Panthers
Playing without Cam Newton, Derek Anderson and the Panthers were able to win in Tampa. Rookie WR Kelvin Benjamin‘s debut was perfect, catching 6 passes for 92 yards and 1 TD. The defense, to no surprise, was stout as they opened up on an away game against a division rival.
7) Green Bay Packers
I feel a little generous leaving the Packers up this high but losing to the Seahawks wasn’t too much of a surprise. Their run game was non-existent, Eddie Lacy and James Starks combining for 71 rushing yards. Even Aaron Rodgers didn’t have a game to talk highly about, completing 23 of 33 of his passes, 189 yards, and 1 TD. But hey, it’s only game one.
8) Arizona Cardinals
In a game that was essentially lost, the Cardinals were able to come back from an 11-point deficit in the 4th quarter at home against the Chargers. The defense had a few men missing but there was no problem whatsoever. Carson Palmer was able to click flawlessly with Michael Floyd, who had 5 catches for 119 yards.
9) New Orleans Saints
The Saints lost a tough one to the Falcons but the points they put up keeps them in the top-10. The offense looks great but Rob Ryan needs to tighten up the defense, who happened to give up 448 passing yards to Matt Ryan.
10) Atlanta Falcons
Right underneath the Saints? Yeah, I know. Doesn’t seem fair but we can’t give it to the Falcons just yet. Matty Ice put on a clinic, dissecting the Saints defense. But, Drew Brees returned the favor, throwing for 333 yards. In other words, the defense needs to lock down and work on giving up less points.
11) Miami Dolphins
In the shocker of the week, the Dolphins were able to shut out the Patriots in the second half. The result, a 33-20 win over the division rival. Knowshon Moreno burst for 134 yards on 24 carries. All while Ryan Tannehill went 18 for 32, 178 yards, and 2 TDs. It’s only week one, but the Fins sure do look good.
12) New England Patriots
The Patriots did not expect to sit in last place of the AFC East after week one. A few bright spots for the Patriots. Having Rob Gronkowski healthy helps a lot and Julian Edelman has become a great target for Tom Brady. Now, the upgraded defense just gave up 33 points against the Dolphins. Needs some fixing.
13) Indianapolis Colts
It’s not easy marching into Denver on week 1 of the regular season. This game was running away from the Colts in a nearly embarrassing fashion. After falling into a 24-0 hole in the second quarter, the Colts were able to adjust but still fell 31-24. Now, they didn’t make it easy for the Broncos but if the Colts want to compete, they need to get the running game going. Trent Richardson led the team with 6 carries for 20 yards. Behind him? Andrew Luck with 5 carries for 19 yards.
14) Detroit Lions
Megatron continues to reign. Calvin Johnson had 7 catches for 164 yards and 2 TDs. And it just looked too easy. Matthew Stafford also looked sharp, going 22-32 with 346 yards and 2 TDs. Golden Tate also emerged as a threat and will come in handy as the season progresses. Joique Bell may also take some more snaps away from Reggie Bush after his week 1 performance.
15) San Diego Chargers
The Monday Night Football curse strikes the Chargers, again! Leading 17-6 in the 4th quarter, the Bolts found a way to lose 18-17. Eddie Royal was more of a detriment to the offense than anything else. On the bright side, Antonio Gates looks like he won’t be slowing down any time soon and the defense has found some new starts in rookies Jeremiah Attaochu and Jason Verrett. Now they get to look forward to their home opener… Against Seattle.
16) New York Jets
Opening against the Raiders at home? And against a rookie QB? Easy win? Not so much. I’d be lying if I said if Geno Smith looked terrible. The guy went 23 for 28, 221 yards, and a TD. They also found a running game with both Chris Ivory, 102 yards in 10 carries, and Chris Johnson, 68 yards on 13 carries. Now, they need to finish if they want to beat better teams such as New England and Miami.
17) Minnesota Vikings
Now, beating the Rams is no big feat but beating them with no problem in St. Louis is something to talk about. The offense was effective, to say the least. The o-line played tremendously, giving the likes of Matt Cassel, Adrian Peterson, and most of all Cordarrelle Patterson the time and room to make big plays. The defense also did a very good job, leaving the Rams at 6 points.
18) Pittsburgh Steelers
What did the Steelers prove this Sunday? Well, they certainly have no run defense after giving up nearly 200 yards on the ground to the Browns. They nearly lost the game too, as Brian Hoyer lead a furious comeback and force OT. Did I forget to mention that this was in Pittsburgh?
19) Baltimore Ravens
A loss to Cincinnati at home and the cutting of Ray Rice is sure to bring a dark shadow over the Ravens. Joe Flacco did just fine but now he lacks a running game to compliment him. And the secondary lacks the ferocity we are accustomed to seeing on this team. So many question marks floating over this franchise.
20) Buffalo Bills
Not many people would have predicted that the Bills would walk out of Chicago victorious on week 1. Despite giving up the 17-7 lead, the Bills were able to take the game in OT, stunning the Bears. But now, they get to face Miami, who just dropped the Patriots like a rock. Enjoy the win this week but now it’s time to adjust for the division rival.
21) Tennessee Titans
The Titans did a good job to annoy hundreds, if not thousands, of fantasy football owners. They did what many can’t, hold Jamaal Charles to 19 rushing yards. With the 26-10 beating of the Chiefs, the Titans already look like a team that can compete for a playoff spot.
22) Chicago Bears
The Bears don’t have much to say after dropping a tough one at home against the Bills in OT. The one thing they can say is that Matt Forte looks great after posting 169 total yards
23) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Nobody stepped up in this game. Josh McCown did little to nothing. Same thing could be said about Vincent Jackson. They lost to a “Cam Newton-less” Panthers team. They’re playing the Rams this week at home. Maybe a win?
24) Kansas City Chiefs
Alex Smith was picked off 3 times against the Vikings. Weirdly enough, he was also the teams leading rusher. After making the playoffs last season, things aren’t looking good for the Chiefs after week 1.
25) Houston Texans
The Texans benefited from having one of the top defenses in the league but they also need the offense to score points. It didn’t look flashy but Ryan Fitzpatrick and the offense were able to put up 10 points and rookie Alfred Blue was able to take a a punt he blocked home to the end zone.
26) New York Giants
Before the season began, folks began to name Eli Manning as this year’s “Philip Rivers“, waiting for him to revitalize his career. 2 interceptions doesn’t exactly help with that. Even the defense seemed to be somewhere else. The bottom of the NFC East looks like where this is headed.
27) Jacksonville Jaguars
A 17-0 lead against the Eagles turned into a 34-17 loss. But let’s not get too discouraged here. This team dominated in the first half after being lead by Chad Henne and rookie WR Allen Hurns. Hurns finished with 4 catches for 110 yards and 2 TDs. The Jags may be up to something here.
28) Cleveland Browns
Losing to Pittsburgh by 3 points doesn’t tell the whole story. This team was down 27-3 after the first half and rallied behind Brian Hoyer. Terrance West rushed for 100 yards and the team accounted for 180+ rushing yards. Now to see if this can be continued.
29) Dallas Cowboys
Oh boy. What can’t we say here? Tony Romo just looked bad. No, it wasn’t his receivers. No, it wasn’t his line. It was him. His throws were horrendous throughout the whole game. He tried to force plays that weren’t there. Things look bleak in “Jerry-Land”.
30) Washington Redskins
Nothing impressive here. Although the Texans have an elite defense, the Redskins lost to Ryan Fitzpatrick. Really?
31) St. Louis Rams
I had hopes for this team, until Sam Bradford was lost in what could have been his career saving season. The cellar of the NFC West is the ideal place for this team unless they can pull of a miracle.
32) Oakland Raiders
The Jets were literally handing the game over to the Raiders on Sunday. Seriously. Neither team was truly impressive but Oakland still found a way to lose. Derek Carr showed a few good moves and Charles Woodson looked 5 years younger but it’s going to take a lot more for this team to leave the cellar of the NFL.
Biggest Movers
Falcons & Bills: 9
Chiefs: 11
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Photo Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports