NFL Power Rankings Week 1 Chargers in top 10 Colts plummet

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NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Chargers in top 10; Colts plummet Published: Sep 03, 2019 at 01:26 AM Around The NFL Podcast Co-Host We finally made it. Starting and continuing through Monday, 32 teams begin their quest. The ultimate goal? Be the last team standing in South Florida on the first Sunday in February -- LIV champions. Another goal? Slay all dragons to finish atop the NFL.com Power Rankings. Granted, NFL teams are likely le s aware of that second objective, but let's not get bogged down here. Real football is coming! That's right. No more combine, no more mock drafts, no OTAs, no training camps, no preseason games, no more stunning retirements (probably). No more Player X Is In The Best Shape Of His Life! The time for talk is over. Our pre-Week 1 rankings will look similar to our , with one notable exception -- that team in Indianapolis no longer has real estate in the top five. How the regroup following Andrew Luck's departure is just one of countle s fascinating storylines to track in 2019. Are you excited? I'm excited. Let's get to it. The previous rankings referenced in the lineup below are from the Rank 1 Previous rank: * A dependable center is like a good Wi-Fi connection: You don't realize how valuable it is until it's gone. Theface that situation with the news that centermight mi s the entire season after being. The Pats have been busy since Andrews' diagnosis, acquiring centerfrom the(), offensive linemanfrom theand offensive tacklefrom the. As New England fortifies its depth, we wait to see how former first-round picktakes as the team's third starting left tackle in as many years. This is a unit in transition, tasked with supporting a run-heavy offense and a 42-year-old QB. Bill Belichick's ace in the hole?. Rank 2 Previous rank: * It's been a quiet summer for the defending NFC champions, helped in part by Sean McVay's now-annual tradition of punting on the preseason for his regulars. I imagine this lower profile is something theare fine with. Third-year wideoutis one of those regulars who has yet to see live action -- more than understandable in his case, as he works his way back from reconstructive knee surgery. The' offense was never quite the same after the slot receiver went down last November, so put him on the short list -- a list that includes teammate-- of players we'll look forward to seeing come Week 1. The Athletic's Jay Glazerthat "all Kupp's test scores, coming out of his breaks, agility, quickne s, every test timed better than it was before he tore his ACL." That seems promising. Rank 3 Previous rank: * OK, take me off the list of bozos who watchedstruggle down the stretch last season and saw it as a harbinger of doom for the future Hall of Famer. All I needed was one series in the preseason -- the 40-year-old's series of the preseason -- to be convinced that theremain in enviable shape at quarterback. Brees carved up theon an eight-play, 72-yard touchdown drive, connecting twice with wide receiver, including aninto a non-existent window. There are maybe four people on Earth who can make that throw -- live with that reality, Dude Perfect bros. Brees' days of throwing for 5,000 yards may be over -- that's not what Sean Payton is asking for in 2019 -- but New Orleans can put its Big Three () up against anybody and like their chances in an "NFL Blitz"-like showdown. Rank 4 Previous rank: * Theare a living, breathing catastrophe for opposing defensive coordinators. In,and, K.C. has its own dominant Big Three. But thedon't stop there. This preseason, we've seen the scary game-changing speed of second-round rookie, and in the third game of the August slate, it was' turn. Against the, Mahomes hit Williams in stride on a wheel route, and the running back did the rest with. Over the weekend, the, the veteran running back who first rose to prominence with Andy Reid in Philadelphia. McCoy isn't the guy who ran circles around defenses with the*anymore, but would it really surprise you if Shady were to crank back the clock a bit in this offense? Rank 5 1 Previous rank: * fans have every reason to be optimistic as the 2019 season opens. What's an obvious weakne s of this team? It's not a stretch to imagine a healthyregaining his pre-injury 2017 magic and leading a top-10 offense.was a camp MVP for Philly; it's scary to think what he can add to the mix if he's in peak form. The defense -- the pa s rush particularly -- is le s formidable than it was last season with the departures ofand Chris Long, but the unit is almost certain to have better injury luck than a year ago (it couldn't be worse), and underrated defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz has kept his group on a very steady level for three years and counting. While theget all the offseason shine, the Iggles lurk in the shadows, hungrier than a Broad Street bro waiting for a Wing Bowl that won't come. Rank 6 1 Previous rank: * You ever see those clips on YouTube of marathon runners or bicyclists coasting to the finish line for a win and failing to notice the competitor charging past them as they prematurely celebrate? That's what it felt like watching *aboutin the preseason finale against the. As surreal -- as -- as this kicking competition has been in Chicago, it wouldn't have surprised me at that moment if Matt Nagy met Pineiro at the 20-yard line with a pink slip and bindle stick. To Eddy's credit, he converted all three of his field goal attempts after that horrendous mi s, and Nagy announced that he'd won theon Thursday night. That's right: After all that, Pineiro has . Have fun out there, kid! Rank 7 1 Previous rank: * Looking for a breakout candidate on the? How about second-year wide receiver, who continued to flash this summer in practice and preseason action. Against thein Week 3 of the preseason, Gallup showed good awarene s whenwas pre sured and forced to scramble on a third-and-goal. Gallup peeled away from his defender, worked his way into Prescott's line of sight and made.'s foot i sue has allowed Gallup to get a ton of work with Prescott, and on a team with a premier running back likeand a legit No. 1 wideout in Cooper, Gallup will get his opportunities to be a difference-maker. Unsolicited advice: If Gallup is on your waiver wire in fantasy, you would do yourself well to scoop him up. In return for this advice, send a portion of your championship winnings to me via Venmo. Rank 8 1 Previous rank: * Theare about to prove you can lose two superstars and actually get on offense. That's a credit to the organization's ability to constantly restock talent at the skill positions around.already delivered his Frank Mason III Jersey breakout season in place oflast year, and, at age 22, isreplacement for. Now keep an eye out for second-year receiver, lighter and quicker than during his rookie campaign and making plays all summer.against thewas his second big play of the preseason, and Pittsburgh's incredible track record of developing wide receivers makes you think Washington will carry it over to games that count. Rank 9 1 Previous rank: * Consider the events of this weekend another reminder of why thehave been the NFC's most succe sful team this decade: They are run by smart people who know how to play the game, and they feast on those who don't. Enter the vulnerable, who were desperate to unload star edge rusherand found a partner in ateam that gave up modest a setswho plugs their most glaring deficiency. Usually it makes sense to wait it out before declaring who got the better end of a trade. Not in this case --, and Seattle is a legit NFC West contender because of it. Now we find out if Clowney can make the transition fromto All-Pro in Pete Carroll's defense. Don't rule it out. Rank 10 1 Previous rank: * First, the good news: Andrew Luck's retirement bumps theinto the top 10 of the Power Rankings. Congrats, guys! Now the bad news: In the third preseason game, a.k.a. The One That Most Resembles Actual Football, the' run defense was not up to the task in allowing 185 ground yards to the. This is the part where I'll remindfans not to panic: Gus Bradley's defense was without a host of key starters, including,,,and the injured. Still,and(not exactly this millennium's answer to Bo Jackson and Marcus Allen) both chewed up Los Angeles on touchdown drives. Unrelated but also troubling: The' home field, formerly the StubHub Center, was renamed Dignity Health Sports Park this offseason. If The Black Hole is at the top of the Intimidating Stadium Name Power Rankings, you can gue s what's last. Rank 11 1 Previous rank: * I posed this question to mycolleagues: What, besides a second-year plateau or regre sion by quarterback, can hold the 2019back? The general consensus was the untested new core of Baltimore's front seven, a pillar of strength in this organization for so long. Free agency did a number on thethis spring -- longtime sackmasterjoined Arizona, while star linebackerscored a huge contract and bounced to the. Another impact linebacker,, signed a deal with the. That's a lot of talent to lose, but luckily for the, they have one of the best defensive coordinators in football in Don Martindale. Some teams you just expect to figure it out. Thequalify -- especially when it comes to defense. Rank 12 1 Previous rank: * A quick recap of' debut season with the, generally remembered as a bust: 16 starts (fourth straight season without mi sing game), 70.1 percent completion rate (career best), 4,298 yards (second-most of his career), 30 TDs (career best), 10 INTs (fewest in his four years as a starter), 99.7 pa ser rating (second-best). Yes, counting numbers don't tell the whole story of a quarterback, but that's not bad! (Yeah, yeah: Cousins' 5-25 career record against winning teams bad, but let's set that aside for the time being.) Inand, Cousins has two Pro Bowl-caliber wide receivers. In, he has a talented young running back who looks primed for a breakout season. In Gary Kubiak and Kevin Stefanski, Cousins has an impre sive brain trust behind the scenes. If theget improved offensive line play, they have the potential to field a top-five offense this season. Top three if you're feeling frisky. No. 1 if you're fearle s. Skollllllllll. Rank 13 1 Previous rank: * OK, so did theget better in 2019 after this past weekend? That's what these *come down to, since we already know the draft a sets sent to the(which include first-round picks) will likely weaken thein the long term. Clowney's absence will be felt on defense, but the additions of wide receiverand especially left tackleaddre sed two major areas of need. With Andrew Luck no longer in the AFC South picture, I imagine Bill O'Brien woke up Monday morning feeling confident his team will repeat as division champs. But let's not sugarcoat the situation: If thefalter this season -- if they again go one-and-done in the playoffs, if they stumble out of the postseason picture entirely -- O'Brien is the very obvious fall guy in Houston. BoB will be feeling that pre sure from Week 1 on. Rank 14 1 Previous rank: * Had the well-intentioned groundskeepers of Winnipeg, we would have gotten a least one look atoperating in a very stripped-down version of Matt LaFleur's offense in the preseason, but now Rodgers' debut will have to wait until the regular-season openeron Thursday night. The fact that Rodgers was supposed to play in Winnipeg -- and kudos to Rodgers on, by the way -- is a positive sign that the back stiffne s that kept him out of a previous preseason cameo is not a concern as we approach Week 1. Keep an eye onas a breakout player this season -- theare due to develop another playmaker on the outside, and MVS checks the boxes entering Year 2. Rank 15 1 Previous rank: * The biggest concern for theright now: What happens when you take a talent-deficient, unproven offensive line and task it with protecting a swashbuckling young quarterback who hangs in the pocket, keeps his eyes up and always looks for the big play? Yep, there's potential for disaster, and Cleveland's biggest a signment this season is to make sureisn't watching games on the sideline in a sling come December.tells you GM John Dorsey is keenly aware of this situation. On the flip side, there are no concerns about thetasked with attacking the offensive line this season. Cleveland's defensive line terrorizedin the Week 3 preseason dre s rehearsal, piling up five sacks in a shutout first half.andcould rivalandfor most sacks by a duo in 2019. Rank 16 1 Previous rank: * There's a very good chance the' offense is significantly better in 2019. Former MVPand All-Pro wide receiverare givens. But let's focus on two players with monster upside: wide receiverand running back. Ridley quietly enjoyed an excellent rookie season with 821 yards receiving and 10 touchdowns. If he takes the next step, the former first-round pick could give Atlanta a more explosive version of Roddy White to pair with Jones. Freeman's 2018 season was ruined by numerous injuries, and his absence was felt in both the running and pa sing games for Atlanta. Freeman's return should restore balance to this offense, his job made easier by what should be an improved O-line. Themight never match the heights of their glorious 2016 attack, but they have the potential to lead the NFC in everything in 2019. That'll play. Rank 17 1 Previous rank: * sure looks like the real deal, doesn' Thanasis Antetokounmpo Jersey t he? The seventh overall pick of this year's draft was a terror against thein Week 3 of the preseason, finishing with four tackles (two for lo s) and two QB hits in a performance that bordered on dominant at times. That's quite impre sive for a rookie, even one as highly touted as Allen. Theimportedto bring a steadying presence to their offense, but there's only so much the veteran quarterback will be able to do with what, on paper, looks like a lackluster supporting cast. The key to Jacksonville regaining relevance in the AFC is directly tied to whether or not the Jags' D can return to 2017 form or something close to it. Allen gives defensive coordinator Todd Wash another major che s piece. Rank 18 2 Previous rank: * Not every team is terrified of its place kicker -- it just seems that way. Thecould have been in that position after veteran mainstaydeveloped a left-leg injury that. Luckily, the fabulously namedstepped up in August and inherits the job from Gano. Slye hit a 59-yarder against the, his third conversion from 50-plus yards this preseason. Playing in the ultra-competitive NFC South, having a dependable kicker could be the difference between 11-5 and 8-8. That makes Slye one of the most important players on thisteam. Yeah, I said it. Respect the kicker! Meanwhile,is on track to start Week 1 after injuring his foot in Week 3 of the preseason. Related note: That was the final preseason gamewill ever play. Hope you saved your ticket stub. Rank 19 14 Previous rank: * I wrote in this spacethat I'd drop the15 spots if Andrew Luck's injury cost him extended time.. Out of respect for grieving Indy fans, I halted the Power Rankings free fall at 14 spots. After Luck's shocking retirement, head coach Frank Reich offered up his best Dick Vermeil impre sion, promising that hiswould rally around new starter. The organization backed up the coach's show of faith in Bri sett withthat should provide their new starter a long leash. Thealsoto become their new backup. It's almost like Indy is trying to pay its way back to QB tranquility. If only it were that easy. Rank 20 1 Previous rank: * Something occurred to me while watching the this preseason: Tenne see's move to insure itself against this offseason was to, well, acquire a second . isn't a carbon copy of the ' fifth-year starter, but let's just say Tenne see wouldn't be hit with any building-code violations by constructing Chateau Mariota and Hotel Tanny side by side. The floor and ceiling in each structure is just about the same. This isn't to say that the are doomed. After all, they've always been competitive with Mariota -- they even a couple years back. But if the goal is getting to the -- and I a sume that is indeed the goal in Nashville -- do the have the quarterback room to make a realistic push? Rank 21 Previous rank: * If theexperiment is going to work in Denver, the quarterback will need. There was real question about what the 32-year-old wide receiver would bring to the table this summer after having surgery last December to repair a torn Achilles tendon. The severity of the injury and Sanders' age (along with the news -- revealed in August -- that he also underwent ankle surgery this offseason) have combined to justifiably raised doubts as to whether he'll ever be thereceiver he was in his younger years. But the reports out ofcamp were glowing, and Sanders flashed familiar playmaking ability in his lone preseason performance (SEE:). His presence brings depth and stability to a receiving corps that desperately needs both. Sanders was in the middle of another productive campaign before his injury; despite mi sing the final month of 2018, he led the team in catches (71), yards (868) and receiving touchdowns (4). Rank 22 Previous rank: * It will be interesting to see how thedeploy running backin the season's early weeks.is obviously the backfield centerpiece in New York, but he also hasn't played a down of real football in 20 months. Bell is sure to be a touch monster in time, but don't be surprised if Montgomery's role is significant in September. He's looked very comfortable in Adam Gase's offense this summer, and like Bell, he offers versatility with his ability as a runner and receiver. One i sue that will be an obstacle for both Bell and Montgomery: The' starting offensive line -- which includes offseason additionsand-- will enter the regular season having not played a single snap together as a group. This could be trouble against an imposingfront seven. Rank 23 Previous rank: * Tim Graham of The Athletic wroteon's incredible arm strength and howreceivers manage to survive practice with their digits intact. For some perspective, NFL scouting service OurLads has Allen throwing the fastest ball since they started tracking the data each year at the NFLin 2008 --! Of course, it takes more than a howitzer to succeed in the NFL. Allen must master the art of touch. But in general, it feels like his fascinating skill set flies under the radar a bit. The quarterback who can throw the ball harder and further than anyone also . Theare such a fun wild card to track this season, and Allen is the biggest reason why. Rank 24 Previous rank: * Niners fans nearly tipped over their Chardonnay with the deep exhale that followed San Francisco's third preseason game.succe sfully put his miserable performancebehind him, looking sharp and moving well on his surgically repaired knee. Unfortunately, not everyone was invited to the Happy Knee Party. Running back, signed last year to be a Swi s Army Knife-style attack piece in Kyle Shanahan's offense, is headed back to injured reserve after. McKinnon's Niners tenure has been one extended bummer, but the team has a sneaky candidate in third-year man. Don't be surprised to see Breida finish in the top 10 in all-purpose yardage this season. Rank 25 Previous rank: * As the official(hold for applause), I've spent the last four weeks fascinated byand his place on thisteam. But if you hoped to learn more about the relationship between Carr and head coach Jon Gruden through premium cable, the show has created more questions than answers. Carr certainly seems like a nice guy -- potentially a nice guy -- but is that what Gruden is looking for in his quarterback? Oh, who am I kidding? Carr could be a terrible guy and Gruden would be fine with it if the quarterback could recapture his 2016 magic. And that's where the intrigue comes in: Carr has both his health and some playmakers to work with in 2019, including thatguy. Carr and Gruden might not be a personality match, but that won't matter if Carr slings it this year. Rank 26 Previous rank: * Thenarrowly avoided disaster in their third preseason game, when starting inside linebackerand starting centergot rolled up on and suffered lower-leg injuries against the. Isn't preseason great, guys? Both Davis and Ragnow were diagnosed with ankle sprains, injuries. Phew. Meanwhile, I don't want to sound hyperbolic here, but I'm callinga MUST-WIN. I know that sounds crazy, but check out the' six-week stretch after their road opener in Arizona: vs., at, vs., bye week, at, vs.. That's a gauntlet, and it would behoove Detroit to enter that stretch at 1-0. Rank 27 Previous rank: * ' preseason line: 29-for-34 pa sing for 416 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions. Good on Danny Dimes, who caught a lot of unnece sary and unfair criticism after the"reached" to take the former Duke star with the sixth overall pick. And here's the thing: Jones still could very well end up being a reach bygeneral manager Dave Gettleman, but the Twitter know-it-alls () were insufferable during the spring and summer. With four strong preseason performances, Jones shut his critics up ... for the time being, anyway. Now we'll see how longcan hold off the kid. My prediction for Jones' first start and the official pa sing of the torch at the Meadowlands: Week 7 against the. Rank 28 Previous rank: * I'm struggling to see a plan for thewith thissituation. Reports indicate the star left tackle is effectively. If he doesn't want to play for you anymore, why not move him to a team willing to hand over precious draft capital to acquire an elite blind-side protector, like thejust did for? Team president Bruce Allen said last week thatfor the 'Skins this season, but this still has the feel of an all-defeating standoff. Meanwhile, veteranis slated to start the season at left tackle. Penn has the pedigree, but the 36-year-old has been in Jaylen Adams Jersey decline for some time now. It's fair to say thehave boxed themselves into a corner on this one. It's not too late to get out! Rank 29 Previous rank: * Two players to be very excited about in Tampa this season: wide receiverand tight end. Godwin followed his breakout 2018 season (842 yards, seven touchdowns) with a well-reviewed training camp and productive preseason with. Could he catch 80-plus balls and become a 1,200-yard receiver under Bruce Arians? Don't bet against it. Howard, meanwhile, was enjoying an extremely promising sophomore season before foot and ankle injuries shut him down in November. Expect him to pick up right where he left off. The Bucs aren't a perfect team, but they are going to score points. If Todd Bowles can coach up that D, Tampa Bay could surprise some people. Rank 30 Previous rank: * If it wasn't for bad luck, thewould have no luck at all. It's been a summer of dispiriting injuries for Cincinnati, who learned Friday that rookie running backre-tore his ACL in the preseason finale against the. It's the same ACL he tore early in his final season at Oklahoma, an injury that played a big role in him falling to thein the sixth round of this year's draft. Cincinnati has a bell-cow back inand a change-of-pace option in, but Anderson was a promising piece who flashed in his preseason debut against the. What a shame. He joins ainjury list that includes(out indefinitely, ankle), and first-round pick(likely to mi s season, shoulder). Hang in there,fans. Rank 31 Previous rank: * We're almost here now. Kliff Kingsbury andare about to make their NFL debuts running an offense that will look nothing like the vanilla schemes the team put on display during the preseason. There's plenty of reason for optimism, but not everyone is buying.said former NFL coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan. "Look, this guy (Kingsbury) -- everyone talks about this great offense and all that. Yeah, if it'sand you want points yardage, that's great. How about wins?" Ryan might be a loudmouth, but he always knew how to coach ball on defense. You wonder if other like-minded coaches in the NFL are studying Kingsbury's college scheme with a confident grin. Let the games begin. Rank 32 Previous rank: * Thegot a lot worse over the weekend -- but that was part of the plan. The idea here is that a complete teardown in the short-term allows this once-proud franchise to return to prominence in the 2020s. The Fins put their youth movement into overdrive --standout left tackle, leading receiverand former starting linebacker., Miami will enter Week 1 with 30 players on the roster who are 25 years old or younger, including 13 rookies. Will the young players remaining on the roster form a core? And can the' front office be trusted with an embarra sment of draft riches? Starting quarterbackis like the substitute teacher in charge of a cla s that knows he's not around for long. 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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