The NFL rolled along through Week 2 with a fair share of upsets, blowouts, and heartbreakers. There are a few teams that aren’t living up to their preseason hype early on, while others have already exceeded hopes.
Last week’s NFL rankings can be found right here. The top four teams aren’t changing this week. Until these teams start losing, all of the faults you can find don’t mean much. The Bengals are the big movers at the top of the board, but both Oakland and Jacksonville made some big leaps with well-timed wins. The Eagles are the big drop again this week, which has got the Philly media all fired up. The Colts are also a big tumbler after losing a game that was never in doubt to the surprising Jets. Chuck Pagano is already on the hot seat in Indy, so this doesn’t help his cause.
How did the rest of the league play out?
Brady picked apart one of the best defenses in the league like they were a Pop Warner squad. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
1. New England Patriots (2-0; W 40-32 vs BUF) – Two weeks, two big wins. The Patriots are rolling on teams that are supposed to be playoff contenders. Last week: 1
2. Green Bay Packers (2-0; W 27-17 vs SEA) – The Packers got a huge monkey off their back by beating the Seahawks. They’ll need to stay focused to avoid a hangover loss against the Chiefs. Last week: 2
3. Dallas Cowboys (2-0; W 20-10 vs PHI) – The Cowboys are winning games, but losing star players. Without Romo and Dez, the next several weeks could be tough. Last week: 3
4. Denver Broncos (2-0; W 31-24 vs KC) – I don’t know how much longer this team can continue to take a pounding like they have been. But until they start losing, they’ll continue to get respect. Last week: 4
5. Arizona Cardinals (2-0; W 48-23 vs CHI) – The only surprise here is that Larry Fitzgerald was the big target. Rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. Last week: 8
6. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0; W 24-19 vs SD) – The Bengals are feasting on the AFC West right now. Last week: 11
7. Buffalo Bills (1-1; L 32-40 vs NE) – This is still a very good Bills team. Rex Ryan simply does not beat Bill Belichick. Last week: 6
Is there anybody that can stop Julio Jones? Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
8. Atlanta Falcons (2-0; W 24-20 vs NYG) – There are two major questions in Atlanta. The first is: Can anyone stop Julio Jones? The second: What do the Falcons do if somebody can? Last week: 10
9. Seattle Seahawks (0-2; L 17-27 vs GB) – I’m not ready to bury the Hawks just yet…but I’ve got my shovel and have reserved the plot. This team has finally let fame get to its head. Last week: 5
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1; W 48-18 vs SF) – That’s definitely how you rebound. San Fran may as well have been an FCS team. Last week: 15