NFL Week 2 Power Rankings

Five Quick Hits

* Sweet heaven, how many chins does John Madden have? I don't say this to be mean, but out of genuine concern for the man: he needs to take better care of himself.

* The Lions were leading 10-0, then got outscored 27-3 the rest of the way. Hope is a cruel mistress, Detroit.

* Ricky Williams is 32, older than Larry Johnson (29), LaDainian Tomlinson (30), and Edgerrin James (31). He's outlasted his replacement, Deuce McAllister, who retired at age 30 this offseason. And he still looks good! Yoga and weed, the secrets to a long career.

* The NFL's website is terrible. They have destroyed the GameCenter that used to make the league's site the best place to get info on games. Now the pages take forever to load, there are no links, and the drive charts are indecipherable. Booooo.

* It's time to get rid of last-second timeouts before a field goal attempt. They're against the spirit of the game, and they're unsportsmanlike. They also waste everybody's time.

***

Five short notes about the Monday night game between Indianapolis and Miami:

1. The Colts' 14:53 time of possession was the lowest for a winning team since the NFL has recorded time of possession. Indianapolis ran only three offensive plays in the third quarter.

2. Reggie Wayne doesn't get enough credit. The Dolphins frequently doubled him on Monday night, so he was largely reduced to decoy status, but that attention created opportunities for Dallas Clark (183 yards) and Pierre Garçon (game-winning touchdown). Wayne also saved an interception at the end of the first half, knocking the ball away from Gibril Wilson.

3. Clark leads the NFL in receiving yards (222).

4. Peyton Manning averaged 21.6 yards per completion in this game. That's the highest mark of his career.

5. Ted Ginn had 11 catches for 108 yards. Those are great numbers, but he didn't have a great game. The Dolphins need a big-play threat, and they need Ginn to be that guy.

And now we proceed to the Week 2 Power Rankings. Brackets indicate last week's rank.

1. New York Giants [2] — The NBC commentators said several times that Dallas dominated the game and deserved to win, that the Giants got lucky with turnovers. But weren't New York's struggles in the red zone just as crucial as Tony Romo's interceptions? Five trips inside the 20 yielded four field goals and a missed field goal. If the Giants had gotten a couple of touchdowns in there — say, 23 points instead of 12 — this game would not have been close, and no one would have said that the team with more yards (427/378), more time of possession (34:49/25:11), and fewer turnovers (+4) got dominated. That said, I'm not crazy about ranking the Giants first, and they need to start scoring touchdowns. The Giants are now 0/8 in the red zone this season.

2. New Orleans Saints [9] — Defense remains a concern, but if you average 46.5 points per game, mediocre defense isn't really a problem. Hanging 40 points on Detroit is one thing, but going into Philadelphia and scoring 6 touchdowns against the Eagles is another. The Saints had one of the league's best offenses in 2008, and it's better this year. That makes this a scary team in the vein of the 1999 Rams or the 2006 Colts.

3. Atlanta Falcons [5] — Opened the season with wins over two defending division winners. The bad news is that they haven't yet proven themselves in a road game, which is where the team struggled last year. Next week, the Falcons jump into the deep end, traveling to New England with a chance to show that they can beat anyone, anywhere. Special teams, the one weakness last week, was a strong point against Carolina, including a punt block that set up a touchdown.

4. Dallas Cowboys [4] — Lost the battle of Who Misses Their Top Receiver More? The Giants, playing minus last year's primary target, Plaxico Burress, passed for 330 yards and got a combined 20 receptions from Mario Manningham and Steve Smith. The Cowboys, without Terrell Owens, threw for 127 yards and got a total of four receptions from their wide receivers. Dallas still scored 31 points behind a 251-yard rushing day, held the Giants to two offensive touchdowns, and nearly won despite finishing -4 in turnovers. Romo won't have three picks every week; this is a very good team.

5. New York Jets [14] — Maybe I'm overreacting after only two games, but I think we need to throw a ton of credit in the direction of new head coach Rex Ryan. The Ravens visibly miss their former defensive coordinator, and the Jets have become a defensive juggernaut. They rank first in yards allowed and second in points allowed, despite having played a pair of offenses — the Texans and Patriots — that combined for 69 points (avg. 34.5) when they weren't playing the Jets. New York's defense has not allowed a touchdown this season. This team reminds me a little of the 2004 Steelers.

6. New England Patriots [3] — At last we have found the secret to stopping the Patriots. Get one of the two or three best cornerbacks in the league to shut down Randy Moss, and get Wes Welker to miss the game. I think New England will be fine once Jerod Mayo and Welker are back in uniform, though it wouldn't hurt to cut down on the penalties (11 for 89 yards in Week 2). Mayo (sprained MCL) is likely to miss multiple games, but Welker could be back next week.

7. Baltimore Ravens [8] — It's a good thing the offense has gotten better, because the defense has gotten worse. The cornerbacks in particular are awful. In Week 1, Brodie Croyle had a 116.1 passer rating, and in Week 2, Philip Rivers passed for 436 yards. It seems obvious to me that this team misses its Jets defectors: LB Bart Scott, DB Jim Leonhard, and coach Rex Ryan.

8. Indianapolis Colts [7] — How clutch are the Manning brothers? Both led game-winning drives in Week 2, and not just game-winning drives, but the kind that are all about the quarterback. Peyton can't carry this team, though, and the defense looked atrocious against Miami. Where were the adjustments to stop the run? You can't play base defense against the Wildcat. To make matters worse, it appeared that MLB Gary Brackett was injured at the end of the game.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers [1] — Nothing has changed since last week. Troy Polamalu is a game-changing safety, and the defense misses him. On offense, they need more production from the running game. Defense is a particular concern. Last season, the Steelers averaged 3.2 sacks per game, second-best in the league. This year, they have 2 sacks, tied for 24th. That's after two games, so it's too early to panic, but the team needs to improve in that area if it's going to make the playoffs this year.

10. Minnesota Vikings [13] — Adrian Peterson looks like he's playing a different game than everyone else. You know how Vince Young looked in the 2006 Rose Bowl, a man among boys? That's how All Day has seemed in the first two weeks of the season. He's faster and stronger than the guys trying to tackle him. This defense (fourth in yards allowed, tied for third in sacks) is also very good. The Vikings are +28 in point differential, trailing only New Orleans (+44), but they've played against Cleveland and Detroit. Everyone expected Minnesota to win its first two or three games.

11. Houston Texans [15] — Matt Schaub in Week 1: 166 yards, no TDs, 55.9 passer rating. Schaub in Week 2: 357 yards, 4 TDs, 127.8 passer rating. What didn't change this week was Steve Slaton's lack of productivity. For the season, he has 26 carries for 51 yards. The Texans can contend in the AFC South if that changes. They can't if it doesn't.

12. Tennessee Titans [6] — Okay, pass defense is now officially a concern. In Week 1, Ben Roethlisberger had 363 yards and an 89.6 passer rating. This week, Schaub (see above) and Andre Johnson (10 rec, 149 yds, 2 TD) tore them apart. They're a strong 0-2, losing both games by just a field goal, but with a visit to the Jets next week, this team is in danger of dropping to 0-3 and out of the AFC South division race before October.

13. Arizona Cardinals [17] — Think Kurt Warner is glad to have Steve Breaston back and Anquan Boldin healthy? Warner, as you've no doubt heard by now, set a single-game record for completion percentage (92.3%). That's not quite as impressive as it sounds, though, because these weren't typical Warner down-the-field bombs. Warner averaged 10.1 yards per completion, which is awfully low (he averaged 11.4 last season and 12.9 with the Rams), and Larry Fitzgerald finished the game with 34 yards. Of course, that's still a great game and a nice rebound from a disappointing Week 1.

14. Chicago Bears [18] — When the Bears made the Super Bowl in 2006, they consistently got a strong pass rush from their defensive line. So far this year, they're doing the same thing. Adewale Ogunleye was a terror in Week 1 (2 sacks and innumerable pressures going against Allen Barbre), and Alex Brown picked up a pair of sacks in Week 2. They need to get the ground game going on offense. Last season, Matt Forte averaged 77.4 ypg and 3.9 yds/att. So far this season, his averages are 42.0 ypg and 2.2 yds/att. Teams will line up to stuff Forte until Jay Cutler proves he can beat them with his arm, but 2.2 is a pretty miserable average even with eight in the box.

15. San Diego Chargers [11] — As great as Darren Sproles is, they missed LaDainian Tomlinson on Sunday. The Chargers went 0/5 in the red zone (4 FG, one turnover on downs) without L.T., who ranks second all-time in rushing TDs (Emmitt Smith). Really, though, the problems start up front. Last year, the middle of their offensive line was (from left to right) Kris Dielman, Nick Hardwick, and Mike Goff. Those three all played at a high level, especially at the end of the season. This year, Goff is in Kansas City, Hardwick is injured, and Dielman is playing the worst football of his career. In the "More Bad News" category, all-pro NT Jamal Williams was placed on injured reserve with a triceps injury on Saturday. That's a major blow for this defense.

16. San Francisco 49ers [20] — Frank Gore rushed for 207 yards with a 12.9 average and 2 touchdowns. He had a 79-yard rush in the first half and an 80-yarder in the second half. Gore also led the 49ers in receiving, with 5 catches for 39 yards. Apart from the two long runs, San Francisco had only 200 yards of total offense (3.4 per play) and three field goals.

17. Philadelphia Eagles [10] — Embarrassed in their home opener, losing the game by 26 and losing Brian Westbrook to an ankle injury. Kevin Kolb threw for half a billion yards this week, but he also tossed three picks and has a career passer rating of 50.6. This does not appear to be an above-average team with Kolb at quarterback. How much has the playbook changed in the last 2½ years? I have to believe Jeff Garcia, who had a passer rating of 90.2 last season, is their best option.

18. Green Bay Packers [12] — Amid a sea of yellow flags, they were done in by Cedric Benson's rushing (141 yards) and Antwan Odom's pass rushing (5 sacks). Pass protection is obviously a major issue for this team. If not for Odom's ridiculous day and the major upset (Cincinnati was a 10-point underdog), the story of this game would have been Ed Hochuli's officiating crew, which called 24 penalties for 176 yards.

19. Buffalo Bills [23] — The offense, given up for dead after a tumultuous preseason, is playing at a high level. Buffalo is sixth in scoring (57), behind the strong play of Trent Edwards (104.9 passer rating) and Fred Jackson (220 yards, 5.1 average). The team still needs to work on its red zone offense. They were 0/4 in Week 2, and Jackson has yet to score a touchdown.

20. Denver Broncos [28] — They're 2-0, with an AFC-best point differential of +26. But how much do a last-minute win over the Bengals and an easy victory against the Browns mean? This is the third straight season that Denver has opened 2-0. The previous two years yielded a combined record of 17-19 with no playoff appearances, so you'll have to forgive me for being slow to the bandwagon. If they win at Oakland next week, I'll get them into the top half of the rankings.

21. Seattle Seahawks [16] — Couldn't handle The Inconvenient Truth, but how about this pass rush, which has 7 sacks through two games? Backup defensive end Lawrence Jackson leads the team with three, and won't be a backup for long if he continues at this pace. Jackson also knocked down a pass on Sunday. Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck fractured a rib and probably won't play in Week 3, but Seneca Wallace is a capable replacement.

22. Carolina Panthers [19] — Jake Delhomme played a lot better, both running backs were effective, and there's still no one who can cover Steve Smith. Unfortunately, the defense looked almost as bad as it did in Week 1. The Panthers have already allowed 66 points this season. That's third-worst in the NFL, ahead of only Detroit and Tampa Bay. Carolina is one of only three teams to allow twice as many points as it has scored (joining the Rams and Browns), and is last in the NFL in point differential, at -36. This ranking could easily be viewed as generous.

23. Miami Dolphins [21] — Matt Millen after the game: "For the Miami Dolphins, that's as good as they can play. They did everything they wanted to do ... [if] we beat them in time of possession 3:1, and if we outrush them, and we control the football, and we keep Manning on the sidelines, [we should win the game]." The Dolphins rushed for 239 yards with a 4.9 average, made 27 first downs (including a ridiculous 71% on third downs), and had 45:07 TOP. The Wildcat offense won't work that well again all season. Miami and St. Louis are tied for last in the NFL with one touchdown each in the 2009 season.

24. Cincinnati Bengals [30] — Odom has 7 sacks this season, almost twice as many as second-place Elvis Dumervil (4). This was the 13th five-sack performance since sacks became an official statistic in 1982, and the first since Osi Umenyiora sacked Donovan McNabb six times in a 2007 Sunday night game. I feel sorry for Dumervil, who had four sacks this weekend and got his thunder stolen by Odom's five.

25. Washington Redskins [22] — When does a win feel like a loss? When you only beat the Rams by two, at home. When you're favored by 10 and score nine. When you have first-and-goal four times and come away with three field goals. I have hammered Jason Campbell in this space — he stares down receivers, and his deep ball lacks accuracy — but he mostly avoids major mistakes and he had a couple of nice runs on Sunday. The Rams game, rather, was about head coach Jim Zorn. He's being criticized for a pair of bold fourth-and-one calls, going for it twice at the end of the game and succeeding once, but I actually liked the decisions. They were risky, but this team needs to start taking some risks. Of more concern are Zorn's conservative and predictable playcalling, especially in the red zone (run, run, pass), and his general ineptitude as a game manager (special teams coach Danny Smith intervened to stop Zorn from calling a timeout when Washington was trying to run out the clock). It starts at the top.

26. Oakland Raiders [26] — How do you win when your opponent has twice as many yards, twice as many first downs, and almost twice as much time of possession? Win the turnover battle, play well on special teams, and save your best for the red zone, on offense and defense. JaMarcus Russell had an exceptionally poor game in the win.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers [25] — Remember when this team was built on a suffocating defense? The Bucs rank 31st in yards allowed, points allowed, and opponents' passer rating. They're 29th in rushing average allowed and 32nd in yards per play allowed. Where have you gone, Monte Kiffin?

28. Jacksonville Jaguars [24] — Another team whose once-proud defense has gotten soft. From 2004-2006, the Teal Curtain was a top-10 defense every season. Now the Jags are averaging less than one sack per game, and they're fourth-worst in opponents' passer rating, 108.7. Jacksonville also ranks 28th in scoring, one of only five teams yet to reach 30 total points this season. It's going to be a long year.

29. Kansas City Chiefs [27] — Gained 409 yards, but only scored 10 points. The Chiefs blew an easy opportunity for three points at the end of the first half, throwing a 1-yard pass from the Oakland 9-yard-line with :14 left in the first half, and running out of time before they could get the field goal team on. They settled for a field goal in their other trip to the red zone, and repeatedly lost field position on special teams and turnovers.

30. Cleveland Browns [29] — Last in the NFL in total offense, with exactly half as many yards as the Saints. They're only second-to-last in scoring, tied with Washington and ahead of St. Louis. The defense is also bad.

31. Detroit Lions [31] — Rookie QB Matthew Stafford (1 TD, 5 INT, 40.5 passer rating) is really struggling, but the biggest problem continues to be defense. The Lions have allowed opponents a combined passer rating of 134.9, by far the worst in the league. Detroit has given up 72 points this season, which is also a league-worst.

32. St. Louis Rams [32] — Don't let the close score deceive you: the Rams got pushed around against Washington, at least between the 20s. They were out-gained by over 100 yards and lost time of possession by almost 10 minutes. Steven Jackson had 104 yards, but 58 came on one play. The rest of the game, he gained 46 yards on 16 carries (2.9/att). The Rams were not impressive on offense or defense, and the close game was more a reflection of Washington's offensive inadequacies than of anything positive from St. Louis.