09-03-2013, 03:42 PM
The calendar has flipped to September, the defending Super Bowl champs (Baltimore Ravens) kick off the season on Thursday night in Denver, and ESPN just released their NFL Power Rankings for Week #1 (and I feel like barfing).
Here they are:
2013 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANK TEAM / RECORD TRENDING COMMENTS
1 Seahawks
11-5 --
Last Week: 1 Russell Wilson and a dominant defense get headlines, but Marshawn Lynch and rookie Christine Michael will give the Seahawks balance. It's Super Bowl or bust in Seattle.
2 Falcons
13-3 2
Last Week: 4 The best offensive skill players in the league won't matter if the offensive line struggles. The departures of Todd McClure and Tyson Clabo leave big holes to fill up front.
3 49ers
11-4-1 1
Last Week: 2 No Michael Crabtree hurts, but Anquan Boldin and rookie Quinton Patton look ready. As for the defense, rookie Eric Reid, Glenn Dorsey and Nnamdi Asomugha join an already fearsome unit.
4 Broncos
13-3 1
Last Week: 3 Missing Von Miller for six games will hurt, especially with Elvis Dumervil in Baltimore. At least the Broncos' offense looks more than capable of picking up the slack.
5 Packers
11-5 --
Last Week: 5 The Packers haven't had a 100-yard rusher in 43 straight regular-season games, more than twice as long as any other team. Is Eddie Lacy or Johnathan Franklin the answer?
6 Patriots
12-4 --
Last Week: 6 With Gronk's injury and Wes Welker gone, the Pats' offense rests on Tom Brady's chemistry with undrafted rookies Zach Sudfeld and Kenbrell Thompkins.
7 Texans
12-4 --
Last Week: 7 How healthy is Arian Foster? Foster's 15 rushing touchdowns led the league last season, but his yards-per-rush average has dropped each year since 2010.
8 Ravens
10-6 --
Last Week: 8 Baltimore lost six Super Bowl starters and Paul Kruger on defense, but quietly reloaded. A defensive draft, plus Elvis Dumervil and Daryl Smith, will keep the Ravens' D formidable.
9 Bengals
10-6 --
Last Week: 9 Andy Dalton has to handle the blitz better to win in the AFC North. Dalton was sacked a league-high 20 times facing at least five rushers last season.
10 Redskins
10-6 1
Last Week: 11 Will the Redskins change their offense to protect RG III? Griffin was hit 101 times between sacks and rushes last season, second to Cam Newton among quarterbacks.
11 Colts
11-5 1
Last Week: 10 New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton established the run at Stanford to open up his tight ends in the passing game. Expect big things from Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener.
12 Giants
9-7 --
Last Week: 12 As injuries pile up for Big Blue, no unit has been hit harder than the offensive line. Playing without center David Baas and tackle David Diehl will be tough.
13 Saints
7-9 1
Last Week: 14 Rob Ryan wants to bring the blitz back to New Orleans. The Saints sent added pressure on half of drop-backs from 2009-11, most in the league.
14 Bears
10-6 1
Last Week: 13 New offensive-minded head coach Marc Trestman has work to do. The Bears' offense has finished above the bottom 10 in total yards once in the past 11 years.
15 Rams
7-8-1 --
Last Week: 15 With upgrades at tackle, tight end and hopefully wide receiver, how long is Sam Bradford's leash? Bradford has never finished a season above 21st in Total QBR.
16 Steelers
8-8 --
Last Week: 16 Guy Whimper is the only offseason addition for the Steelers' offensive line, which produced a league-worst 1.7 yards before contact per rush last season.
17 Vikings
10-6 --
Last Week: 17 Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record survived Adrian Peterson's onslaught by 8 yards last year. In 2013, it might not be so lucky.
18 Cowboys
8-8 2
Last Week: 20 The defense ranked last in QBR allowed on throws deeper than 10 yards downfield last season. Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 will help cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.
19 Chiefs
2-14 3
Last Week: 22 Andy Reid's Chiefs are more talented than last year's 2-14 record indicates. Top pick Eric Fisher, Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe provide a foundation for offensive improvement.
20 Dolphins
7-9 2
Last Week: 18 Ryan Tannehill has a new toy. No player has more receiving touchdowns at least 20 yards downfield since 2009 than new Dolphins wideout Mike Wallace.
21 Lions
4-12 3
Last Week: 24 Get in the end zone! Lions receivers were tackled 23 times at or inside the 5-yard line, at least five more than anyone else.
22 Buccaneers
7-9 3
Last Week: 19 In a division with Brees, Ryan and Newton, it's no surprise the Bucs upgraded defensive backs. Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and Johnthan Banks will fortify the secondary.
23 Panthers
7-9 2
Last Week: 21 Panthers running backs are the sixth-most expensive unit in the league, yet QB Cam Newton led the team in rush yards and touchdowns. Carolina needs more from its rushing unit.
24 Chargers
7-9 1
Last Week: 23 With limited offensive weapons and seven defensive starters gone from Week 1 last season, new coach Mike McCoy faces a transition year.
25 Eagles
4-12 --
Last Week: 25 The Chip Kelly experiment begins with Michael Vick under center. Kelly's Oregon team averaged 20.9 seconds per play last season, four seconds faster than the NFL's fastest team (Patriots).
26 Cardinals
5-11 --
Last Week: 26 Not a good start for the revamped offensive line. Guard Jonathan Cooper, Arizona's seventh overall pick in April, will miss the season with a broken leg.
27 Titans
6-10 --
Last Week: 27 Chance Warmack and Andy Levitre will beef up the Titans' offensive line, but consistency under center is a problem. Jake Locker has never played 12 games in a season.
28 Browns
5-11 --
Last Week: 28 Brandon Weeden had the fifth-worst Total QBR on throws at least 15 yards downfield last year, but new offensive coordinator Norv Turner isn't shy about throwing deep.
29 Jaguars
2-14 2
Last Week: 31 The Jaguars ranked 28th in Total QBR and last in QBR allowed last year. Luke Joeckel is a building block for a team with plenty of room for improvement.
30 Bills
6-10 --
Last Week: 30 Jeff Tuel is the starter (for now). Tuel ranked 64th in FBS in opponent-adjusted Total QBR last season at Washington State and gets the Pats in Week 1.
31 Raiders
4-12 2
Last Week: 29 The Raiders' defense had a league-low 12 sacks with four or fewer rushers last season. That's just one problem of many on both sides of the ball.
32 Jets
6-10 --
Last Week: 32 Muhammad Wilkerson is a bright spot for Gang Green. Wilkerson's 70 tackles last year trailed only J.J. Watt among defensive linemen. Other than that, it's not pretty.
I think it's interesting that ESPN's voters have the 6 worst teams all coming from the AFC.
I'll be posting my pre-season predictions and Week 1 picks soon.
Here they are:
2013 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANK TEAM / RECORD TRENDING COMMENTS
1 Seahawks
11-5 --
Last Week: 1 Russell Wilson and a dominant defense get headlines, but Marshawn Lynch and rookie Christine Michael will give the Seahawks balance. It's Super Bowl or bust in Seattle.
2 Falcons
13-3 2
Last Week: 4 The best offensive skill players in the league won't matter if the offensive line struggles. The departures of Todd McClure and Tyson Clabo leave big holes to fill up front.
3 49ers
11-4-1 1
Last Week: 2 No Michael Crabtree hurts, but Anquan Boldin and rookie Quinton Patton look ready. As for the defense, rookie Eric Reid, Glenn Dorsey and Nnamdi Asomugha join an already fearsome unit.
4 Broncos
13-3 1
Last Week: 3 Missing Von Miller for six games will hurt, especially with Elvis Dumervil in Baltimore. At least the Broncos' offense looks more than capable of picking up the slack.
5 Packers
11-5 --
Last Week: 5 The Packers haven't had a 100-yard rusher in 43 straight regular-season games, more than twice as long as any other team. Is Eddie Lacy or Johnathan Franklin the answer?
6 Patriots
12-4 --
Last Week: 6 With Gronk's injury and Wes Welker gone, the Pats' offense rests on Tom Brady's chemistry with undrafted rookies Zach Sudfeld and Kenbrell Thompkins.
7 Texans
12-4 --
Last Week: 7 How healthy is Arian Foster? Foster's 15 rushing touchdowns led the league last season, but his yards-per-rush average has dropped each year since 2010.
8 Ravens
10-6 --
Last Week: 8 Baltimore lost six Super Bowl starters and Paul Kruger on defense, but quietly reloaded. A defensive draft, plus Elvis Dumervil and Daryl Smith, will keep the Ravens' D formidable.
9 Bengals
10-6 --
Last Week: 9 Andy Dalton has to handle the blitz better to win in the AFC North. Dalton was sacked a league-high 20 times facing at least five rushers last season.
10 Redskins
10-6 1
Last Week: 11 Will the Redskins change their offense to protect RG III? Griffin was hit 101 times between sacks and rushes last season, second to Cam Newton among quarterbacks.
11 Colts
11-5 1
Last Week: 10 New offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton established the run at Stanford to open up his tight ends in the passing game. Expect big things from Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener.
12 Giants
9-7 --
Last Week: 12 As injuries pile up for Big Blue, no unit has been hit harder than the offensive line. Playing without center David Baas and tackle David Diehl will be tough.
13 Saints
7-9 1
Last Week: 14 Rob Ryan wants to bring the blitz back to New Orleans. The Saints sent added pressure on half of drop-backs from 2009-11, most in the league.
14 Bears
10-6 1
Last Week: 13 New offensive-minded head coach Marc Trestman has work to do. The Bears' offense has finished above the bottom 10 in total yards once in the past 11 years.
15 Rams
7-8-1 --
Last Week: 15 With upgrades at tackle, tight end and hopefully wide receiver, how long is Sam Bradford's leash? Bradford has never finished a season above 21st in Total QBR.
16 Steelers
8-8 --
Last Week: 16 Guy Whimper is the only offseason addition for the Steelers' offensive line, which produced a league-worst 1.7 yards before contact per rush last season.
17 Vikings
10-6 --
Last Week: 17 Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record survived Adrian Peterson's onslaught by 8 yards last year. In 2013, it might not be so lucky.
18 Cowboys
8-8 2
Last Week: 20 The defense ranked last in QBR allowed on throws deeper than 10 yards downfield last season. Monte Kiffin's Tampa 2 will help cornerbacks Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne.
19 Chiefs
2-14 3
Last Week: 22 Andy Reid's Chiefs are more talented than last year's 2-14 record indicates. Top pick Eric Fisher, Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and Dwayne Bowe provide a foundation for offensive improvement.
20 Dolphins
7-9 2
Last Week: 18 Ryan Tannehill has a new toy. No player has more receiving touchdowns at least 20 yards downfield since 2009 than new Dolphins wideout Mike Wallace.
21 Lions
4-12 3
Last Week: 24 Get in the end zone! Lions receivers were tackled 23 times at or inside the 5-yard line, at least five more than anyone else.
22 Buccaneers
7-9 3
Last Week: 19 In a division with Brees, Ryan and Newton, it's no surprise the Bucs upgraded defensive backs. Darrelle Revis, Dashon Goldson and Johnthan Banks will fortify the secondary.
23 Panthers
7-9 2
Last Week: 21 Panthers running backs are the sixth-most expensive unit in the league, yet QB Cam Newton led the team in rush yards and touchdowns. Carolina needs more from its rushing unit.
24 Chargers
7-9 1
Last Week: 23 With limited offensive weapons and seven defensive starters gone from Week 1 last season, new coach Mike McCoy faces a transition year.
25 Eagles
4-12 --
Last Week: 25 The Chip Kelly experiment begins with Michael Vick under center. Kelly's Oregon team averaged 20.9 seconds per play last season, four seconds faster than the NFL's fastest team (Patriots).
26 Cardinals
5-11 --
Last Week: 26 Not a good start for the revamped offensive line. Guard Jonathan Cooper, Arizona's seventh overall pick in April, will miss the season with a broken leg.
27 Titans
6-10 --
Last Week: 27 Chance Warmack and Andy Levitre will beef up the Titans' offensive line, but consistency under center is a problem. Jake Locker has never played 12 games in a season.
28 Browns
5-11 --
Last Week: 28 Brandon Weeden had the fifth-worst Total QBR on throws at least 15 yards downfield last year, but new offensive coordinator Norv Turner isn't shy about throwing deep.
29 Jaguars
2-14 2
Last Week: 31 The Jaguars ranked 28th in Total QBR and last in QBR allowed last year. Luke Joeckel is a building block for a team with plenty of room for improvement.
30 Bills
6-10 --
Last Week: 30 Jeff Tuel is the starter (for now). Tuel ranked 64th in FBS in opponent-adjusted Total QBR last season at Washington State and gets the Pats in Week 1.
31 Raiders
4-12 2
Last Week: 29 The Raiders' defense had a league-low 12 sacks with four or fewer rushers last season. That's just one problem of many on both sides of the ball.
32 Jets
6-10 --
Last Week: 32 Muhammad Wilkerson is a bright spot for Gang Green. Wilkerson's 70 tackles last year trailed only J.J. Watt among defensive linemen. Other than that, it's not pretty.
I think it's interesting that ESPN's voters have the 6 worst teams all coming from the AFC.
I'll be posting my pre-season predictions and Week 1 picks soon.