1. New England Patriots (1-0)
Sure, luck had something to do with it, but Tom Brady’s clutch 4th quarter play showed us all what we needed to see. This offense is slowly getting back to where it needs to be.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Picked up right where they left off: Playing great defense and delivering clutch performances. Still, something has to be done about that paltry rush offense.
3. New York Giants (1-0)
The Redskins made it look a lot closer than it was. Eli Manning was precise with his throws all day, and the aggressive defensive front four made Jason Campbell look like, well, Jason Campbell.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
It’s strange to say it out loud, but their defense surprised some people. They picked Jake Delhomme off four times (who hasn’t?) and shut down Carolina’s powerful rush offense. Now they have to cross their fingers that Donovan McNabb’s injury won’t kill their early momentum.
5. San Diego Chargers (1-0)
Just like the Patriots, they were shaky and not at their best for over half the game. But good (if not great) teams find a way to grind it out, even if it’s against the liked of the Raiders.
6. Indianapolis Colts (1-0)
The big story here was their outstanding defense and the stops at the end of the game. However, on the offensive side, it was clear that Peyton Manning was a little out of sync and missed having a second dependable option after Anthony Gonzalez went down.
7. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
The defense really didn’t do its job against a Brodie Croyle-led offense (no, you read it right). And believe it or not, if it weren’t for Joe Flacco (307 yards, 3 TD), Baltimore would be 0-1 right now.
8. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
Matt Ryan carried the offense as Miami did a solid job in limiting Michael Turner and the ground game. That won’t happen too often, but it’s good to see Ryan can handle the load when needed.
9. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
We saw what we expected from the defense, and if it wasn’t for a Josh Cribbs pun return, this game would have never really been in question. Say what you will about Brett Favre, but he played mistake-free football and looked like he was having fun doing it.
10. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Sure, it was the Lions, but Drew Brees and this offense probably wouldn’t have been stopped by anyone on Sunday. If they can get past the Eagles this week, the Saints are officially contenders.
11. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Their only grave mistake was actually a great play by Pittsburgh’s defense, and they simply came out on the wrong end of a hard-fought battle. But if they are serious about winning this division again, they can’t drop to 0-2.
12. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
Kudos to Dom Capers and the entire Green Bay defense for making Jay Cutler look like am amateur for most of Sunday night. And kudos to Aaron Rodgers for coming out of nowhere to register his first “official” 4th-quarter comeback.
13. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
It took almost an entire half of football for Tony Romo to wake up, but when he finally did, he left no question about his ability in a Terrell Owens-less offense. I’m not quite sure what a win over a Tampa Bay teams means just yet, but Romo was still impressive. Now come the Giants.
14. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Kurt Warner and the entire offense were simply not themselves. I know the 49ers are an improved squad, but is Arizona seriously a title contender right now?
15. New York Jets (1-0)
It’s quite clear that Mark Sanchez was the right choice. Now, is this just the Sanchez-fever in me talking, or does this look like a playoff team?
16. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
John Fox has supported Jake Delhomme for years, and continue to, despite two straight awful games dating back to last year. True, the ground game didn’t help much, but there has got to be a better alternative to four interceptions.
17. Chicago Bears (0-1)
The Bears matched the Packers defensive intensity until Greg Jennings burned them on the Packers last offensive play. And while Jay Cutler was underwhelming in his debut, he did well enough in the second half to leave room for optimism. The real story here is the loss of Brian Urlacher for the season.
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
They played the Colts tough, and fell short by two points. They’ll get another shot at Indy down the line, but worst case scenario, we know this team has heart.
19. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Damn me if I’m wrong, but Shaun Hill is a good NFL quarterback. And while Frank Gore didn’t have any light to run all day, give the guy credit for making things happen and getting in the end-zone. This could be a division contender, after all.
20. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
Let’s not get too excited. After all, it was the St. Louis Rams. Still, a shut-out and an impressive offensive performance leave room for plenty of optimism. Is it just me, or did Julius Jones look really good?
21. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
What’s worse, losing big, or losing like that? That was way too much like that Dallas game in 2007. When will this team learn how to close-out big games?
22. Houston Texans (0-1)
I know Rex Ryan puts together a good defense, but what was that? Were Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson even on the field?
23. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
You knew Atlanta’s defense would be somewhat improved, but a near shut-out? A switch from Chad Pennington to Chad Henne or Pat White could be close than we think.
24. Oakland Raiders (0-1)
Everything about them looked better than last season, although Jamarcus Russell still makes too many bad reads and poor decisions. Regardless, they hung with a good team in San Diego and had the game going to OT with 17 seconds to go. Tough loss.
25. Washington Redskins (0-1)
There’s nothing like the New York Giants to bring out the worst in Jason Campbell. He helped Washington make things interesting in the final minutes, but ultimately was the cause for their mostly ineffective offense. Jim Zorn needs to find ways to get Clinton Portis and Chris Cooley the ball more.
26. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
The Bengals had this game won in every way, but really only had the lead for the first time late in the game. That Brandon Stokley (one in a million) catch is simply another sign of the Apocalypse, as well as evidence that this team can’t catch a break.
27. Denver Broncos (1-0)
Why do I get the feeling that we’re all in Brandon Stokely’s fantasy world, and we’re all going to wake up from a foggy dream really soon? Let’s just call this what it is: a lucky break against an equally awful team. Let’s see how they do in week two.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
They had the upper hand in this game well past half-time, but their age and inexperience at several positions, cough* their secondary cough*, helped Dallas take control. Ronde Barber’s face told you all you needed to know after Roy Williams scored the Cowboys’ last touchdown.
29. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
This could be the same story from last season: the Chiefs playing good teams close, only to inevitably lose the game. While that’s likely the case, it’s hard not to admire Brodie Croyle and his “see, I told you I can play in this league” one-game campaign.
30. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
The Browns defense looked capable of competing for about a half of football, while their only truly impressive play came from their special teams star. Considering how good the Vikings defense is, though, Brady Quinn should only get better.
31. Detroit Lions (0-1)
Week one was fairly forgettable for anyone in a Lions uniform, but putting up 27 points against a solid Saints defense should help ease the pain. It’s not like they had a real chance at winning this game, anyways.
32. St. Louis Rams (0-1)
Marc Bulger continues to hold this offense back, and the Rams can’t stop anybody. Stop me if you’ve heard this for the past three years.
