The NFL season is just two weeks old, but already full of surprises. Super Bowl hopefuls Seattle, Indianapolis, Baltimore, and Philadelphia all remain winless, while teams like Atlanta and the New York Jets find themselves undefeated. The Cowboys are without Tony Romo and Dez Bryant for several weeks, and the Oakland Raiders are in the thick of the AFC West race.
So, without further ado – the SoBros Network’s NFL power rankings:
15. Miami Dolphins – Ryan Tannehill is clearly the answer in Miami, but the question remains whether or not he has adequate help to turn the Dolphins offense into the juggernaut it could be. Major free agent signee, Ndamukong Suh, has had minimal impact on the defensive line. That being said, this is a team that is going to be competitive in every game.
14. San Diego Chargers – Love him or hate him, Philip Rivers showed some gumption in leading a comeback against the formidable Detroit Lions defense. They came close to knocking off Cincinnati, but fell just short. The AFC West is loaded this season, and San Diego should find themselves in the thick of the hunt well into 2015.
13. Seattle Seahawks – The defending NFC Champions are winless, but they’re still a good team. Though it’s not time to panic, Pete Carroll has to figure out a way to get Jimmy Graham the ball, and get Kam Chancellor back on the football field. They are 0-2 and already chasing Arizona.
12. Kansas City Chiefs – Andy Reid’s team should have beaten Denver, but as Bill Parcells would remind us, you are what you’re record says you are. The AFC looks crowded with contenders, but Alex Smith could have career year with Jeremy Maclin and get Kansas City back to the postseason.
11. New York Jets – Gang Green is 2-0 with first-year head coach, Todd Bowles, at the helm. Chris Ivory is steamrolling teams, and the combination of Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie has restored the Jets to AFC Championship form….at least so far. We’ll see what happens when Philadelphia comes to town.
10. Buffalo Bills – Rex Ryan has brought excitement to Buffalo. The offense is rolling and the defensive is playing well….against teams not called the Patriots. Regardless, Tyrod Taylor’s big play potential is going to keep the Bills in a lot of games this season.
9. Carolina Panthers – This season has been business as usual for Riverboat Ron (Rivera) and the Carolina Panthers. Cam Newton is quarterbacking what we all thought was going to be a receiver-less offense and the defense is on point. So much for that step back, huh?
8. Dallas Cowboys – Jason Garrett’s squad is a solid all-around team, but they’re facing a huge test in losing Tony Romo for 8-10 weeks. He, along with receiver Dez Bryant, should be back in time for a serious playoff push. Remember, 9-10 wins gets you into the playoffs.
7. Denver Broncos – I’m still saying Peyton Manning is dropping off a bit, despite the solid bounce back against Kansas City. The Denver offense had some success against the Chiefs, but they don’t appear to be the juggernaut they were when Manning first came to town. Aqib Talib, Demarcus Ware, and Von Miller may win several games on defense.
6. Atlanta Falcons – I may be higher on Atlanta than others, but Dan Quinn is working wonders so far. Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense are back on track, but the defense has stepped up in a big way as well.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers – Pittsburgh’s offense is going to be one of the best this season. Despite looking unprepared and outcoached in week one, Mike Tomlin’s crew hung 43 on the 49ers. This defense is loaded with quality linebackers, but the secondary remains suspect. If they get the pieces together, Pittsburgh is going to be a tough out come January.
4. Arizona Cardinals –Bruce Arians is picking up right where he left off before Carson Palmer’s injury last season. This is a prime example of the difference a good quarterback can make in the NFL. David Johnson has been a pleasant surprise, and these Cardinals are playing good defense as was expected.
3. Cincinnati Bengals – There are a lot of surprises in the NFL so far, but the improvement of the Cincinnati Bengals is going unnoticed. They’re playing great defense and scoring a lot of points due to Andy Dalton’s stellar play. In a crowded AFC field, they may be the dark horse.
2. Green Bay Packers – Aaron Rodgers is Aaron Rodgers as usual. With the apparent decline of the Seahawks, the NFC is Green Bay’s to lose.
1. New England Patriots – The DeflateGate-inspired chip on the shoulder has been prominently displayed in both games this season. Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are going to be able to score as many touchdowns as they want, but the defense is stepping up and confusing opposing offenses. They’re also unplugging headsets, shaving points, using pine tar on their hands, and betting on the games. Clearly, this is the best team in the NFL, with the two greatest quality wins in the league.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo
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(credit image to AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)
