Each week, we will bring you staff NFL Power Rankings. The overall rankings are a combination of polls submitted by Justin Rozzero, Marc Clair, Chad Campbell, Greg Phillips, Andrew Flanagan & Maurice Pogue. Each team is assigned points based on rank and then compiled and ranked overall based on total points. Managing Editor Brad Woodling has the power to break ties.
- San Francisco 49ers (189 pts): The Niners reminded the league that they are the defending NFC Champs with a great win against the Packers. If Anquan Boldin, for whom the Niners only gave up a sixth round pick, keeps this up for the whole season, the Niners offense will be tough to stop. (2)
- Denver Broncos (186 pts): We saw vintage Peyton Manning on Thursday night, tossing seven TDs to a highly skilled group of receivers and picking apart the Ravens defense. Denver had the strongest week of any AFC contender. (3)
- Seattle Seahawks (179 pts): Seattle’s defense looked to be in mid season form but the offense sputtered. Was it the early east coast start, typical Seattle road woes or a sign of struggles to come? (1)
- New Orleans Saints (176 pts): The Saints picked up a big win at home and locked up a key division win. Drew Brees poured on the offense and the defense came up big late. They will need to sustain it to control the South. The swagger is back. (6)
- Green Bay Packers (162 pts): The Packers fell short at San Francisco but the offense already looked sharp. The defense couldn’t hold up late, but they better get things together as RGIII arrives in Lambeau next week. (7)
- Atlanta Falcons (159 pts): Tough loss for the birds, dropping a division game to the bitter rival Saints. They played well but came up just short late. Steven Jackson looked rejuvenated running the ball, which is big for the Falcons. Now, they head home for a winnable game with the Rams as they look to stay in the division hunt. (4)
- New England Patriots (157 pts): The Pats struggled in Buffalo but Tom Brady still got it done. There will be growing pains with the overhauled offense but they should be able to take care of the Jets on Thursday night. At the end of the day Brady knows how to win close games. (5)
- Houston Texans (152 pts): Houston showed poise in coming back from a big late third quarter deficit. The defense did not look sharp but had the game tying interception. Schaub played well and the Texans locked up what mattered. This is the team to beat in the AFC South. (8)
- Chicago Bears (144 pts): The Bears delivered a big win to kick off the Trestman regime. The Cutler & Marshall Show was a hit as usual and the defense did the rest. Despite the win, the D needs to find a way to hang in against high end receivers. (13)
- Cincinnati Bengals (126 pts): AJ Green looked fantastic but the Bengals failed their first test a true contender. Chicago is a tough place to play but they couldn’t stop the air attack when they needed to. The defense needs to plug the leaks, which shouldn’t be too hard against a depleted Steelers squad on Monday night. (9)
- Detroit Lions (126 pts): The Lions took care of business at home and proved they could win without Calvin Johnson carrying the load. Reggie Bush looked unstoppable and the defense forced four turnovers and have a very good chance to move to 2-0 as they head to the desert next week. However, sloppy play still haunted them and prevented this being a blowout. (18)
- Dallas Cowboys (124 pts): The Cowboys got the win but should probably be embarrassed that things got as close as they did. Despite three Manning picks and recovering all five fumbles that hit the ground, the Giants still had a shot late. Dallas needs more consistent and also be able to step on an opponent’s throat to be considered a contender. (15)
- Indianapolis Colts (121 pts): The beat goes on for the Colts, picking up another comeback win on the shoulders of Andrew Luck. The defense needs to improve for the Colts to be a legit contender as Luck can’t do it all every week. Or can he? (16)
- Kansas City Chiefs (110 pts): The Chiefs dismantled a poor Jaguars team and did what good teams should do. Next week brings stiffer competition as the Cowboys come to town. Andy Reid knows Dallas well and will have his defense prepared to pressure Tony Romo. (24)
- Philadelphia Eagles (106 pts): The Eagles stepped up and smacked the Redskins in the mouth in their own park. LeSean McCoy looked like the best running back in the league and Michael Vick did a great job commanding the offense. If Vick and the other weapons stay healthy, this is a team that is going to give a lot of defensive coordinators fits. (23)
- New York Giants (95 pts): The Giants had a nightmare game Sunday and it looks like David Wilson may be back in the doghouse after two fumbles. Despite the sloppy play, the Giants still stayed in the game and had a shot to win. Week 2 doesn’t get any easier, but a win against Denver would help fans of Big Blue feel better about 2013. A loss could send the team into a bit of a tailspin. (10)
- Baltimore Ravens (91 pts): Things got ugly fast in Denver, but the team looked solid in the first half. They return home for Cleveland, which gives them a good chance to right the ship and pick up a divisional win. (11)
- Miami Dolphins (79 pts): Miami quietly took care of business, shutting down the Brown offense and getting just enough offense to salt the game away. Ryan Tannehill was solid and did what he needed to for the team. (21)
- Washington Redskins (78 pts): The Redskins looked out of sorts and unprepared in their home opener. RG3 was rusty, turnovers were abundant and the defense had no answer for Chip Kelly’s offense. Things don’t get easier as the Skins head to Green Bay in Week Two. (12)
- St. Louis Rams (74 pts): The Rams narrowly squeezed out a division win at home. Sam Bradford played well in leading the comeback and the defense stepped up when needed. TE Jared Cook looks to be a force for this offense and at the very least you can say the team always plays hard for Jeff Fisher. (20)
- Carolina Panthers (71 pts): Carolina played strong in a tough home loss to the Seahawks. There is no shame in losing to Seattle and if the defense plays that way every week, Carolina could develop a lot more quickly than expected. (19)
- Minnesota Vikings (66 pts): The Vikings need to find stability at QB while Adrian Peterson is still a monster. The defense broke down as Christian Ponder tossed three picks, and AP was up and down while battling the stingy Detroit run defense. (17)
- Buffalo Bills (54 pts): Just when the Bills suck in their fans, they dash it all away at the end as usual. EJ Manuel and the Bills offense showed that they can hang with the big boys and played with a lot of poise but the team needs more experience on closing out games and taking advantage of opportunities. (29)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (52 pts): Tampa Bay played a sloppy game Sunday and looked ill prepared as they fell to the Jets. Despite all of the missteps, the team had the game locked up late before a stupid penalty cost them. Josh Freeman looks to be stagnating as well. This team will never take a step forward until it plays smarter football and takes the necessary steps to polish off competition. (22)
- New York Jets (48 pts): The Jets picked up a big win at home as Geno Smith played well in his debut. He made a few bad decisions, but at the end he did what it took to get the win. The defense looked fantastic and if they play that way on Thursday, they could make things very uncomfortable for Tom Brady. (28)
- San Diego Chargers (48 pts): The Chargers were impressive early on offense but the defense sagged, leading to a tough loss in Mike McCoy’s debut. If the offense can play at this level on a regular basis, the Chargers may be able to compete in the AFC. But none of it will matter if they can’t close out games. (25)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (42 pts): The Steelers had the most disappointing outing on Sunday, losing to a bad Titans team at home. Roethelisberger looked out of sorts and the offense didn’t get going until it was too late. Next week’s game at Cincinnati is suddenly a must win for both teams, but the Steelers are suddenly wounded on both sides of the ball. (14)
- Tennessee Titans (40 pts): The Titans shocked the football world with a suffocating win in Pittsburgh. The defense looked much improved in shutting down the Steelers but Jake Locker needs to improve greatly for Tennessee to have a shot in the South. (30)
- Arizona Cardinals (37 pts):The Cardinals played well in St. Louis but Carson Palmer tossed a late pick that sealed their fate and let the Rams back in. Still, with Palmer at the helm, Arizona actually has a legit offense to go with an improving defense, which will make Larry Fitzgerald quite happy. Also, the Honey Badger just makes plays! (27)
- Oakland Raiders (27 pts): Terrelle Pryor officially knocked Matt Flynn into a backup role with a nice showing in Indy on Sunday. If Darren McFadden stays healthy, the Raiders may be more competitive than expected in 2013 if the OL can protect Pryor. (32)
- Cleveland Browns (25 pts): Brandon Weeden’s leash gets a bit tighter as the QB struggled mightily against Miami. Things get even tougher next week as they head to Baltimore to play an angry Ravens team. (26)
- Jacksonville Jaguars (7 pts): The Jaguars looked terrible while getting mauled by the Chiefs. It is quite evident that Blaine Gabbert is not the answer and the team is going with Chad Henne in week two, which should help the offense get off the deck. (31)
Biggest Rise: Kansas City Chiefs (+10)
Biggest Fall: Pittsburgh Steelers (-13)
PTB Game to Watch: San Francisco @ Seattle, Sunday 8:30PM (NBC)
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Also, be sure to check out Scott & Justin’s weekly NFL predictions on the Place to Be Podcast. And you can join the official PTB Predictions Contest right here!
