NFL.com's Vick Carucci's Week 1 Power Rankings

[ThreeSportStar80]

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Posted: 6 minutes ago
Cowboys, NFC leading the way after Week 1

By Vic Carucci | NFL.com
Senior Columnist

This is how the NFL's 32 teams stack up after Week 1:
In the hunt
Teams that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers, but not based on conference.RankTeamRecordComment
1.Dallas Cowboys1-0It didn't figure to be quite so easy in Cleveland, but that's the type of thing a legitimate Super Bowl contender does.
2.New York Giants1-0The defending champs should make it two in a row at St. Louis.
3.Green Bay Packers1-0Brett who?
4.Carolina Panthers1-0A healthy Jake Delhomme makes an enormous difference -- enough to overcome the absence of Steve Smith.
5.San Diego Chargers0-1Tough loss, but this team still has all of the ingredients to be a major factor in the wide-open AFC.
6.Chicago Bears1-0Making the Indianapolis Colts look feeble is no easy task, yet the Bears did exactly that.
7.Indianapolis Colts0-1The Colts can't really be that bad … can they?
8.Buffalo Bills1-0Knocking off the perennial NFC West kingpins is a big deal, especially in as thorough a fashion as the Bills did.
9.New Orleans Saints1-0No team adapts better in a crisis than the Saints.
10.Pittsburgh Steelers1-0The Steelers won big with a familiar formula: Powerful running game and smothering defense.
11.Philadelphia Eagles1-0Disposing of the hapless Rams was easy. A much harder test is coming in Dallas.
12.Denver Broncos1-0A win's a win, but how much can you really gauge from beating up on an opponent as pathetic as the Raiders were Monday night?



The rest Teams listed alphabeticallyMiddle of the packNeed workWeek 2 gamesArizona Cardinals (1-0)Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)Chicago at CarolinaAtlanta Falcons (1-0)Cleveland Browns (0-1)Tennessee at CincinnatiBaltimore Ravens (1-0)Detroit Lions (0-1)Green Bay at DetroitJacksonville Jaguars (0-1)Houston Texans (0-1)Buffalo at JacksonvilleMinnesota Vikings (0-1)Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)Oakland at Kansas CityNew York Jets (1-0)Miami Dolphins (0-1)Indianapolis at MinnesotaNew England Patriots (1-0)Oakland Raiders (0-1)New York Giants at St. LouisTampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)St. Louis Rams (0-1)New Orleans at WashingtonTennessee Titans (1-0)San Francisco 49ers (0-1)San Francisco at SeattleWashington Commanders (0-1)Seattle Seahawks (0-1)Atlanta at Tampa Bay Miami at Arizona San Diego at Denver Baltimore at Houston New England at New York Jets Pittsburgh at Cleveland Philadelphia at Dallas (Mon.)
Have a question for Vic on anything NFL related? Don't just sit there -- send it to AskVic@nfl.com, and the best questions will be answered throughout the season right here on NFL.com!

 

[MarionBarberThe4th]

Underrating the Eagles, overrating the Bears like crazy

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

Underrating the Eagles, overrating the Bears like crazy

The Bears are better than Eagles to me... I think you have to look at the level of competition each team faced.

 

[Billy Bullocks]

The Bears are better than Eagles to me... I think you have to look at the level of competition each team faced.

I wouldn't go that far. Indy made some costly mistakes, and easily could have beaten the Bears (sounds pretty stupid, I know). Matt Forte had a great game, but Westbrook probably would have torched Indy just the same.
Yes it was the Rams, but McNabb looked really good. Kyle Orton is servicable at best. Though I will say the Bears D looked very solid this game.

Green Bay at #3? Come on. Yeah they looked pretty good against a strong Minnesota defense, they have a solid group of WRs and a good Defense, but 3rd best in the league? I would rate Carolina higher, especially because of who they went and beat.

I'm more worried about Philly than GB. But I guess he couldn't put Dallas, NY, and Philly at 1, 2, 3.

Buffalo ahead of Pittsburgh and Philly.? HA! Seatte really hasn't been a good team for a while now. Sure they handled Seattle, but don't forget, 14 points came from a punt return and a fake FG. Pittsburgh has a much better running game, QB, and defense, as does Philly.

 

[ThreeSportStar80]

I wouldn't go that far. Indy made some costly mistakes, and easily could have beaten the Bears (sounds pretty stupid, I know). Matt Forte had a great game, but Westbrook probably would have torched Indy just the same.
Yes it was the Rams, but McNabb looked really good. Kyle Orton is servicable at best. Though I will say the Bears D looked very solid this game.

Green Bay at #3? Come on. Yeah they looked pretty good against a strong Minnesota defense, they have a solid group of WRs and a good Defense, but 3rd best in the league? I would rate Carolina higher, especially because of who they went and beat.

I'm more worried about Philly than GB. But I guess he couldn't put Dallas, NY, and Philly at 1, 2, 3.

Buffalo ahead of Pittsburgh and Philly.? HA! Seatte really hasn't been a good team for a while now. Sure they handled Seattle, but don't forget, 14 points came from a punt return and a fake FG. Pittsburgh has a much better running game, QB, and defense, as does Philly.

Sorry but I don't go by should've's, could've's and would've's... Bottom line is Chicago went into Indy and put a beat down on them.

 

[StarHead69]

I'm more worried about Philly than GB. But I guess he couldn't put Dallas, NY, and Philly at 1, 2, 3.

He probably should have though... I might put Carolina in there

It's starting to remind me of the good ol' days when the SB Champs all came outta the NFC EAST

 

[Ender]

THe NFC is back on top of the nfl

 

[cowboys#1]

THe NFC is back on top of the nfl

nfc old school is back baby.

 

[J-Skip]

Giants, Packers, Chargers, Bears all slightly over ranked.

 

[landryscorner]

wow, yes the bears are overrated but better than the eagles and giants, look at their awesome defense

 

[Billy Bullocks]

Sorry but I don't go by should've's, could've's and would've's... Bottom line is Chicago went into Indy and put a beat down on them.

I agree with the statement you just made completely. Very impressive win for Chicago, going on the road to upset Indy.

I'm making the assessment based on talent on the respective football team that I think Philadelphia is a better team than Chicago. Though you have to tip your hat to the Chicago defense.

Basically, I just feel that a team QB'd by Kyle Orton is not going to be as good as one QB'd by McNabb.

I think it's hard to argue with either team's week 1 outing.

 

[jbsg02]

I know the Eagles beat a bad team, but I think they're better than that. The giants are too high on that list

 

[Billy Bullocks]

As far as I'm concerned, Philly did what a good team does, KILL a bad opponent at home. I'm not scared of Philly, but I definately am not underestimating them. I think we win on Monday night, but it would not surprise me if we split with Philly this year.

 

[CrazyCowboy]

#4 is the team of surprise

 

[DallasEast]

Vic Carucci's just another Giants hater.

He knows his stuff.