A Surprising Week One Brings About Different Power Rankings than Expected
John Bekisz
Issue date: 9/20/06 Section: Sports
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Week one provided some exciting games to watch; especially the Sunday Night Football debut pitted the Colts against the Giants. So here are some of the top power rankings in the AFC and the NFC.
Pittsburgh Steelers:Defenses win Super Bowls, and this defense is Super Bowl caliber. Led by Troy Polamalu, James Farrior, Larry Foote, and Deshea Townsend. Their offense will be there, but the way their defense plays, doesn't mean they have to be sharp every game. Big Ben is a strong force in the pocket and Willie Parker is a talented running back. This is the team to beat this year.
Indianapolis Colts: Peyton Manning is the NFL's best quarterback, leading the NFL's best offense. The Colts defense is athletic and aggressive which overwhelms teams at times. They can win a shootout or a standoff: this team is elite.
Denver Broncos: The Broncos add a young and talented receiver in Javon Walker, which they desperately needed for quarterback Jake Plummer's arsenal. Either Mike or Tatum Bell will rush for over 1,000 yards, because Mike Shanahan is just that talented. Their defense bends, but doesn't break, as it is led this year by Al Wilson (MLB), Champ Bailey (CB) and John Lynch (FS).
Cincinnati Bengals:Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson will play some pitch and catch, but the real question on whether this team improves or not is on the defense's shoulders.
New England Patriots:The only team that can give them a run for the money at another division title is the Miami Dolphins. Last time I checked, Tom Brady is still the Patriot's quarterback and Bill Belichick is still their head coach. Mr. Belichick can still draw some great defensive schemes.
Baltimore Ravens:Their big nasty defense is back. Steve McNair has looked like his pro-bowl days in preseason, what's not to like about this team? Oh yeah, their big nasty defense might be back.
That is it for your AFC power rankings, now here it is for your NFC power rankings.
Carolina Panthers: There is nothing wrong with Carolina. The team's defense is solid, especially their front four, and their offense is improved by adding Keyshawn Johnson alongside Steve Smith. Their running back situation is a question, but DeShaun Foster should be able to handle the load.