NFL Power Rankings
Quarterback Russell Wilson #3 of the Seattle Seahawks passes against safety David Bruton Jr. #30 of the Denver Broncos at CenturyLink Field on August 14, 2015 in Seattle, Washington.
(Aug. 13, 2015 - Source: Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images North America)
The preseason is over, the final roster cuts have been made and the start of the regular season is close by. It’s time to rank all 32 NFL teams before the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers kick off on Thursday Night.
1) Seattle Seahawks
SS Kam Chancellor’s holdout may be a nuisance but the Seahawks added TE Jimmy Graham to the roster, who is one of the best receiving tight ends in the league.
2) New England Patriots
QB Tom Brady is available in week 1 but the Patriots lost CB Darrelle Revis and CB Brandon Browner, therefore starting the season ranked behind Seattle.
3) Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are my sleeper to win the Super Bowl. Their offense looks almost unstoppable but can the defense and the offensive line hold up their end of the bargain?
4) Green Bay Packers
WR Jordy Nelson’s season-ending injury is a big blow but the Packers tend to always have an abundance of effective and productive receivers.
5) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, which will help the “running back by committee” but how will the defense match up? CB Orlando Scandrick’s season-ending injury weakens the secondary considerably.
6) Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals possess one of the best defenses in the league. On offense, however, they’ll largely depend on QB Carson Palmer’s health.
7) Denver Broncos
The defense is definitely the better unit this year with WR Wes Welker and TE Julius Thomas gone, as well as LT Ryan Clandy out for the season. How much has QB Peyton Manning got left in the tank?
8) Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens don’t look as good as they did last year. WR Torrey Smith and TE Owen Daniels left but they are still the favorites to win the AFC North.
9) Philadelphia Eagles
There will be no Tebowmania in Philadelphia this season. Nonetheless, the Eagles may be one of the most attractive teams to watch this year.
10) Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals will be competitive as they’ve always been these past few years but can they finally get a playoff win again? Their last postseason victory dates back to 1990.
11) Kansas City Chiefs
The acquisition of WR Jeremy Maclin certainly upgrades Kansas City’s receiving corps but is it enough to return to the playoffs?
12) Detroit Lions
The offense looks improved, the defense with the departure of DT Ndamukong Suh looks worse. Is this going to make the Lions better or worse in 2015?
13) Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh’s season is overshadowed by injuries and suspensions. This might be too much of an obstacle to overcome with an otherwise average roster at best. They will be competitive, as usual, but don’t be surprised if they miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
14) Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins made the right moves to improve the roster. The defensive line looks scary and could be the key to a playoff berth.
15) Minnesota Vikings
The return of RB Adrian Peterson will definitely make the Vikings a better team than they were in 2014. QB Terry Bridgewater has shown a lot of promise which could make the Vikings the surprise team of the 2015 season.
16) San Diego Chargers
The Chargers look like a middle-of-the-pack team. They’ll win some, they’ll lose some but whether it’s good enough for a playoff spot remains to be seen. All eyes are on rookie RB Melvin Gordon.
17) Houston Texans
The Texans still have one of the best defenses in the league but an offense led by QB Brian Hoyer doesn’t leave much room for optimism.
18) Buffalo Bills
The team is getting better every year but the quarterback position keeps preventing the Bills from ending their playoff drought; 16 years and counting.
19) New Orleans Saints
Their offense will still be a joy to watch but the defense is not exactly fearsome.
20) Carolina Panthers
WR Kelvin Benjamin’s season-ending injury is a big blow to Carolina’s offense. Let’s hope the Panthers can run the ball.
21) New York Giants
WR Odell Beckham and WR Victor Cruz may be two of the most exciting wide receivers but the defense won’t give the Giants much to cheer about.
22) St. Louis Rams
The defense is still very good but it remains to be seen whether QB Nick Foles is an improvement over QB Sam Bradford.
23) Atlanta Falcons
Their offense will win some games; their defense will lose some games. Give HC Dan Quinn some time and he could turn the Falcons into a serious contender.
24) San Francisco 49ers
This has got to be one of the worst offseasons in the history of the NFL. The team may still be able to provide the occasional highlight on both sides of the ball but they have to get used to losing again.
25) Oakland Raiders
There is some talent on the roster but will it be enough to win more than just a game here and there?
26) New York Jets
Without a doubt, the return of CB Darrelle Revis has made the secondary stronger but the quarterback situation still leaves a lot to be desired.
27) Cleveland Browns
The Browns aren’t the worst team in the league but do you expect to challenge for a playoff spot with QB Josh McCown behind center?
28) Chicago Bears
QB Jay Cutler is still their signal caller. Enough said.
29) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are hoping that they’ve found their franchise quarterback in QB Jameis Winston.
30) Jacksonville Jaguars
QB Blake Bortles showed some promise in 2014. Let’s hope there is no sophomore slump.
31) Tennessee Titans
The Titans will be somewhat in the spotlight thanks to rookie QB Marcus Mariota. Apart from that, how many players do you know on their current roster?
32) Washington Redskins
Not too long ago the Redskins and QB Robert Griffin III were thought to become the next big thing in the NFL. Look at them now.
