NFL Power Rankings Week 1 Seahawks surging toward top spot

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NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Seahawks surging toward top spot Published: Sep 05, 2017 at 04:26 AM Elliot Harrison It's here. Real, live, consequential NFL football. We're officially in Week 1 of the regular season. No more talk about practice incompletions. No more hyping us up for Sean Mannion- third-quarter battles. Hackenberg vs. the ' front four? Be gone! Most importantly, costly injuries in meaningle s games are now a thing of the past (well, until next year). Oh, and no more rehashing the epic comeback/choke job in LI. It's tired, and we have new material. In a related note, though, the begin their title defense by . Kansas City can finally move beyond its own sour finish to the 2016 campaign. You know, when and potentially cost the a trip to the AFC Championship Game -- in Foxborough. That's where we will get our football consciousne s kick-started again, providing a welcome distraction from the news cycle. (Please.) Although not all news is separate from football, and not all news is negative: 10 semi trucks. 4 locations. Countle s incredible volunteers. Just the beginning. JJ Watt (@JJWatt) players have been busy with life lately, making an afterthought in the moment. But come Sunday, all of Houston will be supporting Watt and the city's football team. Again, distractions are good. With a win, the could slide right into the top 10 -- especially given how much has been in flux since just one month ago. The whole league's been pretty batty of late, and we haven't even seen a game that counts since February. So take a gander at the full rundown below, and -- as always -- give me your take: is the place. Now, let the di sension commence! For a full hour of in-depth analysis on the updated league pecking order, tune in to NFL Network every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. ET for the "NFL Power Rankings" show. The lineup below reflects changes from . Watching UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen operate versus Texas A&M the other night, I couldn't help but think of the ody sey of . His days of winning bowl games for Michigan came nearly ago. Yet here Brady is, 40 years old, and resembled the same wild comeback Rosen pulled off against the Aggies -- save for the fact that the Bruins QB is half Brady's age. Speaking of, Brady is half the reason the are No. 1. The supporting cast is still there, although replacing Rob Ninkovich and -- especially in the locker room -- is challenging at best, unrealistic at worst. Might have an early candidate for MVP: . He sure as heck played up to that standard in the preseason. The franchise quarterback made plays out of the pocket, on the run, in the pocket, downfield and in the short game. Throw in a healthy running back rotation that will probably feature , with a (healthy?) serving of and the pesky as insurance. Lastly, one area (outside of offensive line) where Seattle appeared a little thin a week ago: the interior of the defensive line. Enter . To all the haters, the will be playing meaningful football in January again, like it or not. Tough to move the defending NFC champs down. And no, some more lame reasoning (piling on) about the hangover is coming in the next few sentences. The looked formidable in the preseason. The did not . Even the most ardent Atlanta fan will tell you there is some apprehension about new OC Steve Sarkisian running the attack, even if the offense looked viable of the preseason. **Side note:** Could it be that we are all mi sing the point with the , i.e., that they might be -- could be -- more talented on the *other* side of the ball? </content:power-ranking> barely played in August. Preseason football, yo. But I like what I'm seeing. All the hand-wringing about getting pa sed on the depth chart and losing opportunities to is going to go the same place as all those Najeh Davenport-is-gonna-run-for-1,100-yards takes: in the ... er ... trash. Depth on the offensive line and at linebacker is problematic, but the secondary -- despite popular belief -- is not. The stay right in place, even with and . Bell hasn't played all summer, and the were fine with letting the latter (and his contract) walk out the door. Thus, we're holding steady on Pittsburgh as a top-five team without overreacting, particularly to the Haden deal. Like the move, but remember, this is not the same that we saw in, say, 2013 or 2014. Remember the , too. It was on AMC this week. Great movie. Before Ryan Gosling became a modern-day Clark Gable stud bowl, and before every high school played in a spread. . Slight move down for the . The secondary remains the Achilles albatro s for this football team, at least until the corners play better. And as much as we're all about 's return after a year off, we barely saw him play in the preseason. Those legs are fresh, for sure. But how explosive are they? If you Ozzie Albies Jersey watched the offense in August -- like in the secondary -- you know is going to be . Don't think you'll be seeing much drop-off from Big Blue's defensive unit this season. I've on , and could very well be the top safety in pro football. Teams are gonna suck trying to run up the middle on this group again. Concerns, you ask? Jr. for the opener against Dallas, 's stunted preseason, the run game. Especially the run game. has to emerge, right? Or rather, submerged behind that offensive line. Everyone in a Randy White, Darren Woodson or Larry Allen jersey has to be waiting on the news to come down regarding 's . All generations of fans are pumped about the team this year -- Without? Not so much. Dallas fans know their team, and there is no getting around the fact that there will be growing pains in the secondary, especially sans a stifling pa s rush. 's departure via free agency hurt, although about the Jags' talent level being higher than the ' didn't. While his new team has season tickets to 6-10, Dallas will be vying for the postseason. The just aren't anywhere near the top-seeded outfit from a year ago. Speaking of outfits ... does anyone actually have a Larry Allen jersey? *(**UPDATE:** Arbitrator Harold Henderson , but Elliott will be allowed to play Week 1 vs. the , due to the timing of the decision, while a judge weighs whether to grant a temporary restraining order blocking the suspension.) * </content:power-ranking> While the are one of the easier teams to rank for these purposes, it's difficult to decipher how serious of a contender we should consider them to be. Was anyone that shocked that of the 2016 playoffs? With at the helm for the fifth straight year, the offense should be viable. But will it have the vertical element it needs, especially with the running game a little le s stout ? If is 100 percent and makes it all the way back, I have few concerns about the defense. That group just needs to keep forcing turnovers for the offense. After spinning yarn about the and the lack of a downhill pa sing attack, I can say I have no such qualms about the . truly presents a different dimension for the Arizona offense when he's right. Bruce Arians will call for two moon balls per half, with one usually headed in Brown's Eddie Rosario Jersey direction. The question is the defense, which has several uber-talented pieces but can still get beaten up front by offensive lines like those of the , or even . When it comes to the young quarterbacks in the league, give me . For all the and hype, it still seems as though fans are sleeping on the quarterback. Not in fantasy, where Mariota's legs are absolutely a factor. Yet, his improvement, aligned with the additions of rookie receiver and veteran pa s catcher , should make Tenne see the favorite in the AFC South. Now, that important third preseason game ? That sucked. And that, my friends, is the question: How much will the play down to their opponents? Thinking this team is hovering around the outskirts of the playoffs, fully capable of being the sixth seed in the NFC. Now, earlier in the offseason, I felt Detroit could win the NFC North. to left tackle since -- along with the obvious lack of a consistent pa s rush -- affected that prognostication. The should be fantastic up the middle, with , and rookie Mike 'backer . This secondary isn't Lem Barney, Dick LeBeau, Ray Crockett and Bennie Blades, though. They need pre sure. Le s enthusiastic about the Bucs than I was during the offseason. cannot be turning the ball over in the red zone. If Tampa needed , the coaching staff would merely ask to enter the fray. The ground game failed to impre s in the preseason, as well, although should be the man once he returns . The defense, which just made (something that could help this team move back up these rankings), could be a top-10 unit. is a great player who into the world of G.O.T. Quarterback has been, is and will be the matter at hand for the . Those i sues far predate Bill O'Brien's staff, going back to the days when slung 53 touchdowns over two years, then fell off a cliff. O'Brien merely hasn't been able to fix it. But let's see what can do with health on his side. Frankly, writing about football here, be it Savage or or whatever, seems off. What Houston has gone through with Hurricane Harvey is remarkable. How the people in Texas have rallied -- including one very large member of the -- is equally so. If you haven't been keeping track of 's , please do. . Steady placing for the since the preseason, although this could be a team primed for a postseason run again. That level of play simply wasn't present in the preseason. The defense struggled , while the first-team offense barely performed together. The addition no doubt can make Miami better, but he was out there for two drives and 18 plays versus the . received solid reviews, however. More consistency from him greases the skids for everybody else -- including the defense. Defense is never the i sue for the . gave everybody in the preseason, like that 50-year-old dude who can stroll into a bar, prove he's still got it and jet. Can be a formidable complement? How much will everyone mi s 's energy? Other than those questions, the D is set. Now QB is, too, thankfully. earned the job, even if it was sort of by default. At this point, throw the draft pedigree (or lack thereof) out the window and let him rip, Elway and Co. Not sure anyone in the football industry knows to make of the . The preseason rendering, especially first-teamers, was not pretty for the offense. The other side of the line is no sure deal, either. The back seven carries plenty of talent. How much push will Washington get up front? Luckily, the ground game is not a strength of the or . That said, in Weeks 13-15, with the playoffs potentially on the line, this group will face . Which preseason storyline might you have mi sed amidst all the weird trades, Zeke Elliott drama, injuries, prayers for the cancellation of the fourth week of preseason and more strange trades? The ' defense, which got after it for the preponderance of August. Look, these are merely exhibition stats, but 235.5 yards per game, 10.2 points per game and 17 sacks are legit figures. Well, at least in the context of how historically bad the defense was over the last three seasons. No more 7-9, not if coordinator Dennis Allen's guys fly to the football like they did this summer. The NFC South looks to be up there with the AFC West and NFC East this year. It's very po sible that the can be one of the six new playoff teams the league averages every year. Last year, the , , , , and were newbies. Philadelphia should be able to hold its own against those squads. We saw it in the preseason. What we haven't seen enough of is a new-look first-string offense, which my colleague Brian Baldinger . This spot seems low for the , at least considering the national perception that Minnesota is a wild-card team. Mike Zimmer certainly owns a roster capable of a 10-win season. The reality is that Minnesota didn't look all that impre sive in the preseason. The starting offense struggled to sustain long drives and put the ball in the paint, going TD-le s in August. The secondary was asleep . against and the will reveal much about the Vikes. The could easily reside higher on this NFL pecking order. While not enjoying a stellar 2016 campaign, and while they lost their first two 2017 draft picks to injury early, the Bolts looked sharp in the preseason. is ready to rock. can be placed in the category. appears quick and healthy, and given that his knee injury came a full calendar year ago, he probably is. The pa s rush could terrorize quarterbacks with a Melvin Ingram/ sandwich. Perhaps most exciting: Having a healthy prove he is a top-flight corner for 16 games. Look out for these guys. An ascending team. You might ask why the were 28th in the first place. Well, at that time ... No sure timetable for 's return, an underwhelming run game and the prospects of a Ryan Mallett-dependent offense -- that's why. Then the defense came on in the preseason like a ton of bricks , and . , and are rising talents, while veteran team leaders and can still play. The defense will be top-five. The win total depends on out of the gate. We should find out . The most unrankable group for Week 1. Admittedly, I am probably too low on the . This feels like a po sible 9-7 outfit, but only one team can inhabit the No. 16 spot in these rankings. And of the groups in pro football's Middle Earth, I have the most concerns and questions about this Carolina team: 1) What about the pa s rush coming off the edge? 2) Who can hold coverage, other than ? 3) Who is the vertical threat in this offense? 4) threw all of two pa ses in August. 5) How long can keep being the top option? Am I mi sing something? Would love a few hot takes. Just how close are the to returning to the playoffs? Depends on the defense -- specifically, the newbies in the front seven. and were added in the draft to provide with some semblance of help. Pre sure would make the secondary -- and especially the safeties -- appear much better than their showing in the preseason. Funny how things change ... When the defense was balling out, everyone complained about . Now Dalton is the best thing that ever happened to this football team. is your starter. For Week 1, anyway. Had the lanky former Buc not looked efficient a couple weeks ago, would be getting the nod right out of the gate. Unfortunately, whoever's under center will definitely mi s -- the ' best wideout is already out for the season. So why is Chicago UP in these here rankings? The vastly underrated front seven -- and because the Jags, and stepped in it more than they avoided it in the preseason. The Mafia is dejected, and with cause. The potential of is now gone, as are Buffalo's second-round picks from 2015 and '16. No one really knows if is the answer, but what we do know is that the Brandon Beane/Sean McDermott regime is working toward 2018 and beyond. There is no shame in it. for Beane to deal Watkins, and in his first few months on the job. It also e sentially a sures no playoffs for the The defense is going to play for McDermott this year, though. GM Chris Ballard let it be known that , which means the ' chances of starting 1-0 rest on the shoulders of . Obviously, no one is high as a kite about Indy's prospects with the career backup, but going on the road (even without Josh Tomlin Jersey 's services) makes this an even taller order. On that subject, the prognostication for Indy's defense? Le s than decent. Fair? Probably, although won't present a stiff challenge. After looking pedestrian through the first two weeks of preseason, Chuck Pagano's D made a few plays . Takeaways will be the key for this unit. The are better than you think. will flourish in Kyle Shanahan's offense. Yet, far more exciting than what's going on with the offense is the potential on defense. No, seriously. 's move to strong safety plays to his strengths. is . When and start playing on feel -- i.e., when the game slows down for them further -- the San Francisco front will rival any in the NFC West. The key figure here, though, might be a guy who is on the field: defensive coordinator Robert Saleh, whose could reveal itself in alignment and scheming all year. Excited about this group. The , for all their door dings and cracked engine blocks, have an incredible opportunity to open the season. First, they'll at home. After dodging one of the better quarterbacks in the game, they have to take on another in -- but the QB is still trying to mesh with his new offensive teammates, and . Thus, the be 2-0. Then , another winnable game. The following week brings , for which the could be mi sing . Maybe by the time , A) The light bulb will have come on for , and B) will be on the field, playing lights out. Smart move to start now. The aren't expected to compete for the AFC North in 2017, and clearly was not the answer. Although, you must hand it to team bra s for trying to get something for Brock Lobster. Cleveland's Rock & Roll had a better chance hiring Axl Rose as a tour guide than the did of acquiring so much as a conditional fifth for Osweiler (who openly stated he ). Non-sequitur: Cleveland is going to give Pittsburgh . Incredible. Incredible that Doug Marrone would hand the reins back over to , citing the mobility factor while saying Bortles' good plays were e sentially non-factors. Huh? While Bortles isn't bad on the move, he's no Randall Cunningham, much le s a 1996-esque Mark Brunell. Not to mention (but we'll mention), what me sage does this send to the rest of the offense? That Bortles' "benching" -- and the brief transition to -- was merely a stern directive to the young quarterback to get into gear? Maybe will go off , rendering this whole point moot. Against that stout front. Yeah, and maybe the could have gotten a first-round pick for Osweiler via trade ... As much as it is on point for Cleveland to evaluate , consider it equally adept of the to lend the starting nod to veteran . displayed a ... well ... lack of readine s, to put it kindly. It's one thing to go into eval mode early; it's entirely another to get a young quarterback while the rest of the team slides into frustration. On the subject of defensive fronts ... Doubt anyone was surprised by the trade. His probably didn't thrill the front office. Merely a gue s. This article has been reproduced in a new format and may be mi sing content or contain faulty links. Please use the Contact Us link in our site footer to report an i sue.
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