Power Rankings: Preseason edition

[Arkansas Bengal]

Power Rankings: Preseason edition

By cover32 Staff
July 29, 2014 6:00 am EDT

It’s finally here; football season has officially started. Every team in the NFL has reported for training camp, starting the process of preparing for opening day. And in the process, we’ve started to learn a little – both good and bad – about all 32 franchises.

Some players are already starting to shine, while others are either struggling (best case) or getting injured (unfortunately). Each development, regardless of how small, impacts a team’s standing in the league; every nugget of information makes it easier to grade each club.

With that in mind, the editors at cover32 gathered to assemble this week’s Power Rankings, rating each NFL team from one to 32. Here are the results:

***

1. Denver Broncos – After a tumultuous offseason last year, training camp 2014 is relatively peaceful in the Mile High City. And on paper, the Broncos are a much better team than the one on the field was in Super Bowl XLVIII. (LW: 2)

2. Seattle Seahawks – Something just feels off about the Seahawks this season. A Super Bowl hangover seems to exist, and a fall almost seems imminent. Marshawn Lynch’s holdout, which gets uglier by the day, is just the latest sign. (LW: 1)

3. San Francisco 49ers – The injury bug has already bitten the Niners during training camp, depleting some of their depth at running back. But fortunately, none of the losses have been to extremely key players on San Francisco’s offense. (LW: 3)

4. Green Bay Packers – The talk of camp thus far has been how good Julius Peppers looks, even at the age of 34. It’s easy to be fresh in July, however; let’s see how the defensive end is feeling in November and December. (LW: 4)

5. Philadelphia Eagles – After a crazy training camp last season, one highlighted by the debut of Chip Kelly as an NFL coach and the revelation of racist remarks made by wideout Riley Cooper, this year has been nice and calm in Philly. (LW: 5)

6. New England Patriots – The big news of camp has been the fact that Rob Gronkowski is on the field, seemingly recovered from the knee injury that ended his 2013 season. That drastically changes the Patriots offense. (LW: 6)

7. Indianapolis Colts – The Colts are anxious to prove that they are ready to make the leap from an upstart franchise into a bona fide contender, something that rests solely on the shoulders of quarterback Andrew Luck. (LW: 7)

8. Carolina Panthers – The Greg Hardy trial was ugly, providing a bad way to head into training camp. While the pass rusher has said that he regrets being a distraction, that’s exactly what he’s become for the Panthers. (LW: 8)

9. Pittsburgh Stealers – The media has been trying to make a story out of Big Ben not getting a new contract, with the Stealers wanting to wait until after the season to negotiate with the quarterback. But it’s much ado about nothing. (LW: 9)

10. Chicago Bears – Healthy and ready to go, the Bears offense looks like it is poised to be amongst the NFL’s best again this season. Now, it’s about getting their defense on track, as they were awful in 2013. (LW: 10)

11. Cincinnati Bengals – For some reason, people are down on the Bengals. That’s probably just fine with everyone in Cincinnati, where they’d prefer to stay under the radar in their quest to earn a fourth-straight trip to the playoffs. (LW: 12)

12. New Orleans Saints – The Jimmy Graham saga has been finally been put to bed, which is good for all involved. But there’s something odd about the Saints hosting training camp in West Virginia; it seems like a distracting money grab. (LW: 11)

13. St. Louis Rams – The start of camp came and went without the media creating too much of a circus due to Michael Sam. That’s great news for the Rams, where they can focus instead on working him into an already great defense. (LW: 13)

14. Arizona Cardinals – The Cardinals are trying to figure out how to replace two linebackers from last year’s team, as Daryl Washington was lost for the season due to a suspension and Karlos Dansby bolted for a big payday. (LW: 14)

15. Atlanta Falcons – The Falcons are a trendy pick as the league’s “bounce-back” team in 2014, but trying to fill the void left by the injury to Sean Weatherspoon remains one of the goals of training camp. (LW: 16)

16. Detroit Lions – Golden Tate is finally off of the PUP list, which means the Lions can start figuring out how he’s going to fit into their already potent offense. That’s a step in the right direction, as Detroit simply needs some consistency. (LW: 15)

 

17. Miami Dolphins – Coming off a year that was tumultuous, to put it mildly, things seem to be going fairly smoothly for the Dolphins thus far in training camp. There’s actually a positive vibe surrounding Miami this season. (LW: 17)

18. New York Jets – The Jets are saying that Geno Smith is their starting quarterback, with Michael Vick serving as his backup. That’s a recipe for a slow start, something that could doom the season in New York. (LW: 18)

19. San Diego Chargers – A year after seeing action in only four games during his first season in San Diego, Dwight Freeney has been one of the highlights of camp, providing hope that the 34-year-old pass rusher can contribute in 2014. (LW: 19)

20. Kansas City Chiefs – Despite being the team that most people see taking a huge step backwards this season, the Chiefs seem confident in head coach Andy Reid and his system; that’s a good sign. (LW: 20)

21. New York Giants – New quarterbacks coach Danny Langsdorf has stated that he wants Eli Manning to complete 70 percent of his passes in 2014. Presumably, his referring to players wearing a Giants jersey. (LW: 22)

22. Baltimore Ravens – For months, the main topic of conversation surrounding the Ravens has been the Ray Rice situation. The ongoing drama can’t be good for a team trying to focus on getting back to the playoffs. (LW: 21)

23. Cleveland Browns – Having Johnny Manziel on the roster has turned Berea, Ohio into one of the NFL’s hot spots during training camp. That’s certainly a positive sign for a team that hasn’t received a lot of love in recent years. (LW: 23)

24. Houston Texans – The best news to come out of Houston’s camp thus far is the fact that wide receiver Andre Johnson mended fences with the franchise and reported for duty. He’s a key part of Texans plans for a turnaround. (LW: 25)

25. Dallas Cowboys – How desperate are the Cowboys for help on the defensive side of the ball? They added oft-retired and plenty troubled linebacker Rolando McClain, who still has to serve a jail term in Alabama at some point. (LW: 24)

26. Oakland Raiders – Khalil Mack is being compared to Clay Matthews, while players rave about Matt Schaub having his mojo back. The Raiders couldn’t ask for better news on either side of the football in week one. (LW: 27)

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers – It certainly was a downer when the Bucs announced that Carl Nicks, the offensive lineman they signed to a five-year, $47.5-million deal in 2012, and the team were parting ways. He was a colossal bust in Tampa Bay. (LW: 26)

28. Buffalo Bills – The national media hit Bills camp early, since Buffalo was the first to report, and almost everyone has been raving about Sammy Watkins. That’s great news for a team that gave up a ton to get the rookie wide receiver. (LW: 29)

29. Jacksonville Jaguars – Thus far in camp, the two big stories have been an already suspended receiver (Justin Blackmon) getting arrested again for possession of marijuana and the unveiling of the world’s biggest video scoreboard. (LW: 28)

30. Minnesota Vikings – The Vikings inked Kyle Rudolph to an extension, which was good news, but they also dealt with reports that they won’t keep Adrian Peterson beyond 2014, which isn’t a positive thing in any way. (LW: 30)

31. Washington Redskins – Jay Gruden has been blaming it on the rain, but the weather isn’t the only reason that Robert Griffin III and DeSean Jackson aren’t always on the same page. The Redskins new battery has some work to do. (LW: 31)

32. Tennessee Titans – Dexter McCluster has shown a good burst, but Shonn Greene is overweight. So it’s a mixed bag as the Titans try to replace Chris Johnson in their semi-unproductive backfield (LW: 32)

 

http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/power_rankings_cincinnati_bengals_on_the_rise_in_preseason_edition/16933429

 

[scharm]

hmmmm   Stealers non playoff qualifiers for 2 years ranked above a team that's qualified 3 years in a row.    Seems about right.

 

Bengals could be ranked above Colts as well. 

[USN Bengal]

Every talking head has opined that their strong finish last year along with their "stellar draft" and "fixing their O-line" has them as division favorites.

 

I would love nothing better than to see them lose their first 8... then the only lose to us after that. I could realistically see them losing 5 of their first 8.

[|SF2|]

Couple of observations:

 

I think Miami, with an actual offensive line for once, will be better than 17

 

St Louis will have a very good defense.  Add in the extra picks they have had over the past two season, they will be a team to reckoned with IF Bradford can stay healthy.  Brutal division but their out of division schedule isn't so bad.  

 

The Colts have taken over from the Patriots as the team in the easiest division.  Good lord that division SUCKS.

 

With KC losing 3 of its 5 starters on the oline, 20 seems like the right spot for them.

 

Why is Tennessee ranked last?  7-9 last year with a backup QB (Fitz) playing most of the year , easy division, point differential of -19 which is better than 13 other teams, Locker was 3-1 with an 86.7 rating before he got hurt.

 

If RGIII is 100%, no way Washington ends up 31st although I don't see them being a playoff caliber team.

 

If Zimmer can improve the defensive ranking of Minn from 31st to mid teens, they will be  better than 30th.  The Peterson discussion is laughable.  Team is in full rebuild mode and the cold hard fact is RBs don't age gracefully, even if they are named Peterson.   If he stays healthy, some team trying to get over the hump will pay  huge dollars (or draft picks) for him.   

 

Dallas will be HORRIBLE this year on defense.  I mean FUCKING HORRIBLE.  Firing Rob Ryan and replacing him with Monte Kiffin was just fucking stupid.  Ryan turned the worst defense in football (Saints 2012) into the #4 defense in ONE YEAR.  Granted, I think they are more around 8 to 10 but they sucked in 2012.  Kiffen took Ryan's 19th ranked defense in Dallas, a defense with ZERO talent and turned them into the worst defense in the league.   Rolando McClain is your answer???  LOL.  Yippy Kye Aye mother fuckers.

[scharm]

The new Jacksonville scoreboard is going to be a factor in that division.  

 

 

The whole NFC East should be ranked 15-19 consecutively because that division is always a jumbled mess going into the final weeks of the season.

[USN Bengal]

Dallas will be HORRIBLE this year on defense.  I mean FUCKING HORRIBLE.  Firing Rob Ryan and replacing him with Monte Kiffin was just fucking stupid.  Ryan turned the worst defense in football (Saints 2012) into the #4 defense in ONE YEAR.  Granted, I think they are more around 8 to 10 but they sucked in 2012.  Kiffen took Ryan's 19th ranked defense in Dallas, a defense with ZERO talent and turned them into the worst defense in the league.   Rolando McClain is your answer???  LOL.  Yippy Kye Aye mother fuckers.

My wife is a Cowboys fan... she hates  life right now.

 

If Rolando McClain is your answer, then you probably shouldn't have asked the question.

[|SF2|]

My wife is a Cowboys fan... she hates  life right now.

 

If Rolando McClain is your answer, then you probably shouldn't have asked the question.

So how does a team with a terrible defense enter the year OVER THE CAP?

 

Simple answer:  Jerry Jones.

[Jason]

11 is too low.

[Bleeds Orange]

hmmmm   Stealers non playoff qualifiers for 2 years ranked above a team that's qualified 3 years in a row.    Seems about right.

 

Bengals could be ranked above Colts as well. 

 

The Stealers begin every season as better than the Bengals until the Stealers and Bengals prove otherwise.  It's the way of the world.

[|SF2|]

hmmmm   Stealers non playoff qualifiers for 2 years ranked above a team that's qualified 3 years in a row.    Seems about right.

 

Bengals could be ranked above Colts as well. 

The Colts play in a horrible division and will have more bye weeks than us...by far.  Their away schedule is an absolute joke compared to ours.

[scharm]

The Colts play in a horrible division and will have more bye weeks than us...by far.  Their away schedule is an absolute joke compared to ours.

 

I think Bengals beat them (Colts) in regular season and if they match up in playoffs we get them again.   We are just a more physical team than them right now.

[SnickyCat]

11 is too low.

Agree...we are a top 10 team.
Eagles 4th??....agree with Scharm, all the NFC East teams should be ranked in the middle somewhere since thats where they all always end up..lol

[cincity]

I don't see how all these teams "potential" out weighs what theBengals have actually donepn the field...

Whatother teams have a top ten offense and defense? Saints, and I forgot who else....

[Oldcat]

The Colts play in a horrible division and will have more bye weeks than us...by far.  Their away schedule is an absolute joke compared to ours.

 

Power rankings aren't supposed to be equal to record.  A team with more losses with a tough schedule should be more powerful than some team that plays patsies and is undefeated.

 

Now most power rankers seem to ignore this.

[|Harley|]

Bengals should be ranked #8; this doesn't mean 10 wins though.

Colts vs 49ers in Super Bowl

Steelers ranked way too high.

Miami could be decent.

Rams will be much better but it won't matter in that division.

AZ will challenge again but come up short of playoffs.

Jax should be #32