First of all, my apologies to fans of the teams in the NFC West. Due to time constraints (college) I was unable to complete the previews for those four teams. Hopefully I can make it up to you guys somehow. No guarantees. But never mind all of that, because the season is finally upon us. Rejoice my fellow NFL super-fans, grab some chips and a drink, sit down in your favorite chair, and let the NFL take care of your concerns for the next 17-plus Sundays. Now onto the rankings.
The Broncos hold down the top spot in the rankings right now, and barring some miraculous collapse, they should remain in the top five for most of this season. Rounding out the top three will be the NFC West-rivals 49ers and Seahawks, each of whom squeaked out close victories last week. They’ll meet in prime-time this Sunday night in a very anticipated matchup. Bringing up the rear will be the Jacksonville Jaguars, who somehow have less hope for a successful year in 2013 than they did a week ago.
1. Denver Broncos (1-0)- Seven touchdowns. Seven nonchalant touchdowns for Peyton Manning on what was presumed to be one of the league’s better defenses. They are easily the league’s best team right now.
2. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)- An impressive win over the Packers in week 1 was highlighted by Colin Kaepernick’s 412 passing yards. This team will coast through the rest of the NFC if he keeps that level of play up.
3. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)-They really dominated the Panthers this week but only came out with a mediocre-looking 12-7 victory. Their first real test will come next Sunday night.
4. New Orleans Saints (1-0)- Part two of the Sean Payton era has gotten off to a great start after a victory over the hated Falcons. I really like this team as a contender in the NFC South.
5. New England Patriots (1-0)- A come-from-behind win in Buffalo keeps the Patriots in the top five for now, but injuries in that game to a few key offensive players could spell doom for them in the coming weeks.
6. Green Bay Packers (0-1)- Sure they took a loss in week one on the road in San Francisco, but can you really punish them all that much for it? This team will be fine again in 2013.
7. Houston Texans (1-0)- Houston certainly avoided early-season disaster at the hands of the Chargers late Monday night/Tuesday morning. There are questions (Arian Foster), but for now they’re still a top-10 team.
8. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)- Even after the week one loss in New Orleans I still don’t have many major concerns about this team. Although if they could score a touchdown inside the redzone with the game on-the-line late that would be nice.
9. Chicago Bears (1-0)- A nice home win over the talented Bengals last week gives Chicago a top ten spot for now. They look like early contenders for the NFC North crown.
10. Indianapolis Colts (1-0)- A very unimpressive win over the Raiders at home is certainly nothing to brag about, but they appear to still have that knack for pulling out close games late. The AFC South should be very fun at the top this season.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)- Don’t let the loss in Chicago discourage you, this is still a very potent offense which can and will do big things this season.
12. Detroit Lions (1-0)- Is Reggie Bush the perfect fit at running back for this offense or what? A career-high 104 yards after the catch for Bush gives Lions fans a ton of hope for the remainder of this season.
13. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)- Well, the defense finally looked vulnerable and, dare I say, mediocre after surrendering 49 points to the poignant Broncos last week. The super bowl champs better get going quickly.
14. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)- A bit of good fortune certainly fell upon the Cowboys in Jerryworld on Sunday night, but a win is a win, especially when it’s a win over the Giants in that stadium.
15. Washington Redskins (0-1)- Alfred Morris looked incredibly average, while RG III took quite a while to get going on Monday night. It’s not time for major concern just yet, but with a trip to Lambeau Field looming, things don’t look so great right now in Washington.
16. New York Giants (0-1)- Despite the interceptions, Eli Manning played well. Despite the 36 points allowed (23 actually), the defense played well. It’s the running game that should be a huge concern in New York.
17. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)- Not sure what to take out of the Chiefs victory in Jacksonville last week. Sure they looked dominant, but at this point the Jaguars are the NFL’s equivalent of the Washington Generals. We’ll no more about them after this week.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)- The first half of the first game of the Chip Kelly era in Philadelphia could’ve have gone any better. The second half? Not so great. Nonetheless, the Eagles still should feel good about where they’re at right now.
19. San Diego Chargers (0-1)- It seems like only the Chargers could lose a game like that. Insanely stupid penalties, costly turnovers, and three-and-outs on your final five possessions are not the way to hold on to a second half lead. It’s like Norv Turner never left San Diego.
20. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)- This will be the story-line all year in Minnesota, who can produce besides number 28? Peterson didn’t play that great either but until Christian Ponder improves, things won’t be getting any easier for this offense.
21. Miami Dolphins (1-0)- They handled the Browns offense last week, but I’m not sure how much we can really take out of that. Enjoy it while you can Dolphins fans, Andrew Luck and the Colts come to town next week.
22. Tennessee Titans (1-0)- Well someone had to win that game in Pittsburgh last week. The unexpected victory will go a long way for the Titans, and now a win over the Texans next week would make things even better. Trust me, don’t count on it.
23. St. Louis Rams (1-0)- Led by Sam Bradford and tight end Jared Cook the Rams offense actually didn’t look too bad in the first game of the post-Steven Jackson era. We’ll see how this unit fares as the season goes along.
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)- A home loss to the Titans coupled with the losses of center Maurkice Pouncey and running back LaRod Stevens-Howling is how the season got underway for Pittsburgh. Ouch.
25. Carolina Panthers (0-1)- The defense actually looked pretty good, holding the potent Seahawks to just 12 points. The offense on the other hand did not. Understandable for now, but the Panthers better hope this trend doesn’t continue.
26. New York Jets (1-0)- For once fortune favored the Jets one Sunday. A terribly stupid late hit on Geno Smith propelled New York to a miraculous victory in week one. Hurrah for now, have fun in New England this Thursday.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)- Too many mistakes for a team who simply cannot afford to make them. Is it possible that Greg Schiano could be on the hot seat already? I certainly think so.
28. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)- The new-look offense led by Carson Palmer was somewhat of a bright spot on Sunday, but overall this team will be a work-in-progress this season.
29. Buffalo Bills (0-1)- Rookie quarterback EJ Manuel looked and played well in his first NFL start. The future is looking somewhat bright, but for now the Bills are not a very good team.
30. Oakland Raiders (0-1)- What a pleasant surprise Terrelle Pryor was in Indianapolis this past Sunday. Not only did he play well but he nearly led them to an impressive road victory. Hey, that’s better than what the past 25 quarterbacks in Oakland have been able to do.
31. Cleveland Browns (0-1)- This front office was already reasonably skeptical about Brandon Weeden as the signal-caller for this team going into the season. After last week that skepticism certainly looks valid.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)- I’ve ripped on the poor Jaguars enough in this post, I won’t pile it on here.
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