Power Rankings: Pats No. 1
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady passes the ball in the first quarter against the San Diego Chargers. (Sept. 18, 2011) Credit: AP
1. Patriots (2-0) (4): Tom Brady a passing machine right now with 940 yards and 7 TDs. Pass defense an issue, though.
2. Packers (2-0) (1): Defending champs nearly upset on the road at Carolina. Loss of Nick Collins to neck injury huge.
3. Saints (1-1) (3): Saints bounce back after season-opening loss at Green Bay to pummel the Bears at home.
4. Jets (2-0) (7): Jets haven’t had many blowout wins of late, but they stomp Jacksonville and force Luke McCown into four picks.
5. Falcons (1-1) (10): Matt Ryan makes a huge statement with four TDs against the Eagles and former Falcons QB Michael Vick.
6. Ravens (1-1) (2): John Harbaugh came into Sunday’s game against the 0-1 Titans with an 18-1 record against teams with losing records. And the Ravens were promptly beaten.
7. Eagles (1-1) (5): In his first game in Atlanta since being jailed on dogfighting charges, Vick suffered a concussion and is iffy for this week’s game against the Giants in Philly.
8. Lions (2-0) (11): After clutch road win in Tampa in Week 1, Lions come home to bury the Chiefs, 48-3. Lions apparently still seething over tampering charges filed by Chiefs before the 2010 season. Perfect way to get revenge.
9. Bears (1-1) (6): Jay Cutler was sacked six times and fumbled once against a relentless Saints pass rush. Back to his old ways?
10. Steelers (1-1) (8): Stillers gather themselves after that beatdown in Baltimore and thump the Seahawks 24-0 at home.
11. Chargers (1-1) (9): Philip Rivers can’t keep up with Brady.
12. Cowboys (1-1) (13): A week after a miserable fourth-quarter performance against the Jets, QB Tony Romo battles through a cracked rib and a punctured lung to lead comeback win in OT over Niners.
13. Bills (2-0) (16): It’s still early to pronounce Buffalo a legitimate playoff team. But what’s not to like about a start that has featured a rout of the Chiefs in Kansas City and then a 38-35 thriller at home against Oakland.
14. Texans (2-0) (14): Texans take early control in the Peyton Manning-less AFC South.
15. Raiders (1-1)) (12): So much for that improved defense. Raiduhs couldn’t stop a nose bleed in the second half.
16. Buccaneers (1-1) (15): Josh Freeman now has eight comeback wins in just over two seasons. Latest comes in Minnesota with a terrific fourth-quarter effort.
17. Redskins (2-0) (19): Rex Grossman pulls out the home win over Arizona after beating the Giants in Week 1. Still a long way to go for his prediction of a Redskins divisional crown, though.
18. Cardinals (1-1) (17): Despite a monster day from Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals can’t fend off Redskins on the road.
19. Giants (1-1) (20): After a miserable performance in Week 1 in Washington, Giants settle down at home and have their way against struggling and injury-plagued Rams. Iggles up next in Philly.
20. Titans (1-1) (30): Mike Munchak gets his first win in grand style, as Titans beat up on a Ravens team that didn’t see this coming.
21. 49ers (1-1) (27): Niners had Cowboys on the ropes, but defense wilted in the fourth quarter and OT.
22. Broncos (1-1) (25): The Tim Tebow bandwagon gets a week off after Kyle Orton beats the Bengals at Mile High.
23. Rams (0-2) (21): Sam Bradford is a terrific young quarterback, but he needs some quality receivers.
24. Jaguars (1-1) (23): How does Jack Del Rio not go with Blaine Gabbert?
25. Bengals (1-1) (24): Andy Dalton throws for 332 yards and two TDs but runs out of time in 22-20 loss to Broncos.
26. Panthers (0-2) (26): Cam Newton goes a second straight week throwing for more than 400 yards. All he needs now are some wins to show for it.
27. Dolphins (0-2) (18): Already two games behind after just two weeks, this thing could get ugly in a hurry.
28. Browns (1-1) (29): Browns beat a woeful Colts team to get Pat Shurmur his first win as a head coach.
29. Colts (0-2) (22): By the time Peyton Manning is ready to return, this team might be 1-10.
30. Vikings (0-2) (31): Donovan McNabb threw for over 200 yards – a far cry from 39 a week earlier – but he came up with only three points in the second half of a brutal home loss to Tampa.
31. Seahawks (0-2) (28): Welcome to the Tarvaris Jackson era. Whoop-de-do.
32. Chiefs (0-2) (32): Outscored by a combined 89-10 in the first two weeks, Todd Haley’s time may be short in KC.
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