The NFL put their first week of regular season play behind them with a somewhat crazy beginning to what could be a year that sees a few different teams (as opposed to last season’s contenders) vying for the Super Bowl title at season’s end. Thirteen quarterbacks threw for more than 300 yards. NCAA Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton set rookie passing records in an exciting, albeit losing, debut for the Carolina Panthers. The Indianapolis Colts began with a loss that could herald a tough season without quarterback Peyton Manning. The Dallas Cowboys managed to somehow lose their first game in another season debut disappointment for their fans that somewhat mirrored last year’s now seemingly portentous first game loss. Strong teams like the Steelers, Giants, Falcons, and Saints lost while equally strong teams like the Packers, Patriots, Bears, Ravens, and Eagles won. The power rankings for Week 1 (or preseason) were upended by wins from the Washington Redskins, the Detroit Lions, and the Buffalo Bills, giving the Week 2 power rankings quite a different look — except for which team sat at the top.
The Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers, after dominating the New Orleans Saints in Game 1, retained the top spot in all three major power rankings lists (ESPN, CBS Sports, Fox Sports). The New England Patriots took the No. 2 spot in the ESPN and CBS Sports polls, while Fox’ Brian Billick placed the San Diego Chargers in the second best position. Although Fox’ list put the Patriots at No. 3, CBS placed the Chargers in the third slot, with ESPN rounding out the Top 10 with the Chargers. The Philadelphia Eagles got ESPN’s third place notch, while they rank fourth on CBS’ (and 6th on Fox’). The Ravens, who devastated the Pittsburgh Steelers, ranked no higher than fourth (ESPN and Fox; fifth on CBS’ list). The New York Jets, cashing in on their Fourth Quarter comeback win over the hapless Dallas Cowboys, rounded out ESPN’s power rankings poll, while the Saints, although losers to the Packers, took the No. 5 slot for Fox.
The biggest advances in the listings came, of course, from those who showed decisive wins in games they might not have been expected to win. The Redskins jumped ten spots in the Fox listing (to No. 15), nine in ESPN’s (No. 19) after their win over division rival New York Giants. And although they vaulted an impressive ten notches for CBS (to No. 14), the Buffalo Bills’ win over the Kansas City Chiefs won them that list’s highest jumper award (12 positions to No. 17).
The biggest loser? The Colts fell hard and far in their lopsided loss to the Texans (14 positions to No. 23 for ESPN, 10 spots on CBS’ listing, and 3 slots on Fox’ poll). The Kansas City Chiefs also dropped precipitously (15 positions on Fox’ list to last place, 11 on CBS to last place, and 3 positions on ESPN to No. 21).
Surprisingly, the Cowboys fell only a few notches in two polls and not at all on the Fox list. Perhaps a healthy Tony Romo (he was out after the sixth game last season with a broken clavicle) contributed to the placement decisions.
Oddly enough, nearly half of the Top 16 teams (and exactly half of the CBS list) lost in Week 1. Do not look for Week 2 to be a leavening agent, although it will be for some. The best match-up seems to be when the Eagles travel to Atlanta for quarterback Michael Vick’s first visit as a starter to the city where he started his career. Atlanta will be looking to get their first win.
But some teams are bound to reach records of .500. The Minnesota Vikings and Tampa Bay Buccaneers game (both teams lost in Week 1) will see a loser. The opposite can be said of the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets game (both teams won). The same can be said of power rankings leaders New England and San Diego. The NFL has reached a state of quasi-parity, where roughly two-thirds of the teams can be counted on to play well enough to win, no matter who they play, but it has not got to the point where there are not dominant and excessively weak teams.
There will most likely be several upsets and strange winning and losing trends in the first third or half of the 2011 season, but as the season progresses and teams begin to slip into game plans, the better teams will inevitably rise to the top. Unless, of course, they are like Green Bay, New England, and Baltimore — teams that are already there.
2011 NFL Power Rankings lists:
ESPN NFL Power Rankings Week 2 (last week’s rank in parentheses)
1. (1) Green Bay Packers
2. (2) New England Patriots
3. (4) Philadelphia Eagles
4. (8) Baltimore Ravens
5. (7) New York Jets
6. (5) New Orleans Saints
7. (13) Chicago Bears
8. (3) Pittsburgh Steelers
9. (10) San Diego Chargers
10. (11) Houston Texans
CBS Sports NFL Power Rankings Week 2
1. (1) Green Bay Packers
2. (2) New England Patriots
3. (5) San Diego Chargers
4. (8) Philadelphia Eagles
5. (9) Baltimore Ravens
6. (10) New York Jets
7. (14) Houston Texans
8. (16) Chicago Bears
9. (3) Atlanta Falcons
10. (4) Pittsburgh Steelers
Fox Sports NFL Power Rankings Week 2
1. (1) Green Bay Packers
2. (3) San Diego Chargers
3. (4) New England Patriots
4. (8) Baltimore Ravens
5. (6) New Orleans Saints
6. (7) Philadelphia Eagles
7. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers
8. (9) New York Jets
9. (11) Houston Texans
10. (12) Chicago Bears
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Sources:
“2011 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2,” ESPN.go.com
Pete Prisco, “Power Rankings: Catch your breath, there’s 15 to go,” CBSSports.com
Brian Billick, “Brian Billick’s Week 1 Power Rankings,” FoxSports.com