Say hello to a future NFL MVP, "Matty Ice" Matt Ryan.
Every week I will be running down my list of the best and worst teams in the NFL. I'll look at and dissect all 32 teams and rank them accordingly. Looking for Power Rankings? Look no further than the official 2M2MG.com Power Rankings.
Here's how things look heading into Week Three.
1. Atlanta Falcons (Last Week: 4)
Right now, the Falcons are the most consistently good team in the NFL. Are they the overall best team in the league? Maybe, and maybe not. However, right now they're getting the job done when it needs to get done which cannot be said of some of the other top teams.
2. Baltimore Ravens (Last Week: 8)
Their defense is a little worrisome, but they should be able to get it together here soon. And really, there's not much shame in giving up over 400 yards to a quarterback like Philip Rivers. The offense is the really impressive part as they've just been tearing it up. Joe Flacco just might be the real deal in Baltimore.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last Week: 2)
They didn't play real well against the Bears, but they should rebound this week. Like a lot of other good teams, we saw them have a let-down, but good teams don't allow a let-down to go past one week. The Steelers are a good team annd will be just fine.
4. New York Giants (Last Week: 6)
The Giants were down in a hard-fought game with the Cowboys, but Eli Manning was able to drive them down the field to pull out the tough win. I've been critical of Eli, but that was an impressive showing. A few more games like that and he might just have me sold. Let's also not forget Mario Manningham who appears to be a star in the making.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 2)
The Eagles are in the same boat as the Steelers. Yes, they lost. Yes, they lost pretty bad. No, their season isn't over because of it. While Kevin Kolb played well, there's just a difference in a team when its starting quarterback isn't in there. I expect them to rebound with an easy slate of games in the coming weeks.
6. San Diego Chargers (Last Week: 5)
The Chargers drop a spot this week because of their loss, but it was to a very good Ravens team so it's difficult to drop them too far. Philip Rivers is a top five quarterback, and as long as they have him they will be contenders. Darren Sproles is really turning into their go-to guy, and as soon as the defense can get it together, they're going to get hot.
7. New York Jets (Last Week: 15)
The Jets manhandled the Patriots. There's really no other way to put it. They talked all week long about beating the Pats, and they did just that. Rex Ryan has instilled an attitude in that team that could have them overachieving all year long. And in case you hadn't put it together, a good team that is overachieving can mean bad things for the other 31 teams.
8. New England Patriots (Last Week: 3)
It's tough to drop the Patriots further than this, but they did not look good against the Jets. They were exposed as a finesse team that will shut down if you hit them in the mouth hard enough. Tom Brady looked shaky, and according to Bart Scott, Randy Moss was afraid to go over the middle, as he probably should be. They need to get more physical if they even want to win their division.
9. Minnesota Vikings (Last Week: 9)
The Vikings beat the Detroit Lions. That does not warrant moving up at all, and in fact may warrant consideration to move down because they didn't destroy them. The Lions were up 10-0 at one point, which is bad news for a Vikings team that has to play with a lead.
10. Indianapolis Colts (Last Week: 10)
They only had about 15 minutes of possession, but it was all they needed to squash a valiant effort by the Miami Dolphins. Chad Pennington and the offense played well, but the defense could not stop Peyton Manning and the big play all night. If they want to win games and be contenders, they're going to have to play defense.
11. Houston Texans (Last Week: 13)
The Texans played a tough game against the Titans, but they made far too many mistakes on defense. Allowing Chris Johnson to be that wide open is completely unacceptable for a team that feels like they can make a playoff push this year. The offense bailed them out, but they won't be able to do that all year.
12. New Orleans Saints (Last Week: 12)
Yes, the Saints did go into Philadelphia and beat an Eagles team that many have slated for the Super Bowl. However, they did it against an Eagles team without Donovan McNabb. Not only that, but their defense still did not look very good. The Eagles lost that game more than the Saints won it, as evidenced by the good numbers Kolb put up against them in his first start.
13. San Francisco 49ers (Last Week: 16)
Personally, I expected the 49ers to be a fairly decent team this year. In the preseason, I put them somewhere between 8-8 and 10-6 because of playing in the NFC West, and it appears as though I may have been right. They have done very well the past two weeks against division opponents, but that's not saying a whole lot. They've got a test this week in the 2-0 Vikings.
14. Arizona Cardinals (Last Week: 19)
The Cardinals bounced back from their Week One loss to the 49ers by completely dismantling the Jaguars. Kurt Warner was on fire, completing 92 percent of his passes and making the Jaguars defense look like they belonged on a high school field. There's reportedly some friction between Warner and Larry Fitzgerald, but I don't buy into that.
15. Chicago Bears (Last Week: 21)
Defeating the defending world champions should mean something, and for the Bears it means moving up six notches in the rankings. Jay Cutler played the way that we know Cutler can, and may have found an early connection with rookie receiver Johnny Knox. If they can cope with the loss of Urlacher all year, they could surprise at the end of the season.
16. Tennessee Titans (Last Week: 7)
The Titans are taking a tumble down the rankings because of the way they lost to a division opponent. They allowed 34 points and seemingly are unable to rely on what was once their strength in the defense. They seem to be playing decent football, but just can't come up with the right plays when they need them.
17. Green Bay Packers (Last Week: 13)
Green Bay laid an egg defensively against Carson Palmer and the Bengals, but that was expected a couple times throughout the year. It's a bit troublesome that it came in Week Two against a team that last year was completely incompetent on the offensive side of the ball, but a complete defensive overhaul is going to create those bumps along the way.
18. Dallas Cowboys (Last Week: 14)
Tony Romo is proving that he's not the caliber of quarterback that everyone thought he was this time last season. He only threw one touchdown as compared to three interceptions that would eventually cost him team the win. Last week's routing of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was apparently a direct result of a poor Tampa team, and not a good Dallas quarterback.
19. Miami Dolphins (Last Week: 20)
The Dolphins move up a notch even in defeat because of the way they were able to control and move the ball. Their defense has to become better at defending the big play, and they will. Sparano will help them to adjust and they will be a better team for it.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (Last Week: 26)
They scored a lot of points against a defense in transition, and also allowed a lot of points. They pulled it out in the end, which is really all that counts, but it wasn't convincing enough to take them seriously just yet. If they can get that defense where it needs to be, they could climb the rankins very quickly.
21. Oakland Raiders (Last Week: 24)
Like the Bengals, they just have not been impressive enough to be taken seriously quite yet, but behind a strong defense and running game, they could have what it takes to shake that losing feeling off of themselves this year. The Raiders were my surprise team this year, so I'm rooting for them, but if JaMarcus Russel can't hit his receivers they won't go anywhere this year.
22. Seattle Seahawks (last Week: 17)
The Seahawks looked good Week One, but that was against possibly the worst team in the NFL. Then when given a challenge in Week Two, they seemed to completely crumble. The defense was awful as Frank Gore rushed all over them and now with Hasselbeck likely out with a broken rib, they could find themselves in an early hole.
23. Denver Broncos (Last Week: 27)
The Denver Broncos are 2-0. At this point, they're atop the AFC West and could be looking to get on a roll, right? Well, no. Probably not. They got lucky against the Bengals, and then they played the Browns, a team in the running for worst in the league. Expect the losing to start real soon.
24. Buffalo Bills (Last Week: 22)
Sure, they beat the Bucs, but that's not exactly going to be a difficult feat for teams to accomplish this year. The Bucs are in complete disarray, and the Bills still didn't look all that polished against them. They have some kinks to work out before they're even in consideration to be contenders.
25. Carolina Panthers (Last Week: 24)
Jake Delhomme still doesn't look good, and they're still losing. Falling to 0-2 may have killed their chances to anything this season as they're showing no signs of being able to turn this around. Nothing is working for them like it was last year, and it could be a long season in Carolina.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last Week: 18)
After sticking with the Colts in Week One, they were destroyed by the Arizona Cardinals in Week Two. I previously thought their lack of explosion on offense was the problem, but now it appears as though everything is the problem.
27. Kansas City Chiefs (Last Week: 28)
They played a hard-fought game against the Raiders, but came up just short. I'm not exactly sure where all this talk of benching Matt Cassel is coming from, as Chiefs fans have already endured the Brodie Croyle era, but it's lunacy. He put them ahead, it was the defense that let them down in the end.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last Week: 29)
They lost to the Bills, but Byron Leftwich looked good and the offense has shown that they can move the ball. Their achilles heel all season long will be the defense. It's in complete shambles and will continue to lose them games.
29. Washington Redskins (Last Week: 23)
Why did they fall so far after a win? Well, it could be because they nearly lost to the St. Louis Rams for the second consecutive year. They won because of three field goals. That is not the way you're supposed to win football games, especially against such a poor team. Expect them to have the dubious distinction of being the Lions first win since 2007.
30. Detroit Lions (Last Week: 31)
They were in it with the Vikings for about three quarters of the game, but eventually the Vikings remembered they were playing the Lions and beat them. It's a sign of life for a team losing to join the '76 Bucs as the worst ever, but I do expect them to end their streak this week against Washington. However, this just in: the Lions are still bad.
31. Cleveland Browns (Last Week: 30)
They looked lost against the Broncos. Brady Quinn doesn't belong on an NFL field and that defense plays like they're afraid to get hit. There is absolutely no life in this team, and really they're only 31 by default.
32. St. Louis Rams (Last Week: 32)
The Browns can thank the Rams for being so bad, because it's the only reason they aren't the worst. Seven points in the last two games is just sad. Like the Browns, they just have no life out on the field and are a shell of the team they once were. Management has stripped this team to nothing and it will be a while before they can rebound.
