| 1 |  | The Colts proved to the rest of the league that they are indeed the team to beat in 2007. QB Peyton Manning looked as sharp as ever, and the defense held the so-called "Best Offense in the NFC" out of the end zone for the entire game. After their Super Bowl win and coming out strong in '07, the Colts deserve to be number one. | previous rank: 1 |
| 2 |  | Although the Chargers did not play their best game, they found a way to bet one of the elite teams in the NFL. Their defense looked good, causing 4 turnovers and keeping Chicago out the end zone. The good news for their offense is: they'll never play a better defense all season long. | previous rank: 5 |
| 3 |  | Tom Brady and company beat their division rival, the New York Jets, quite soundly. The scary part for the rest of the NFL was how well new WR Randy Moss and Brady gelled. The Pats played well on offense, defense, and even special teams, where Ellis Hobbs returned the second half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown. | previous rank: 2 |
| 4 |  | We all knew that the Bengals offense was good. But who would have predicted the defense to force 6 turnovers? Beating the Ravens should really put the Bengals back in the discussion of top AFC teams, especially if they begin to play consistently. | previous rank: 10 |
| 5 |  | The Bears defense held arguably the NFL's best offense scoreless for 44 minutes and 15 seconds. The offense needs to help out if this team is to repeat as NFC Champs. The scary part is: the defense is so good, this team will beat almost every team in the league regardless of their offensive woes. | previous rank: 4 |
| 6 |  | In the most exciting finish of Week 1, kicker Jason Elam and the Broncos were able to get on the field, set up, and kick a game-winning field goal in 18 seconds. It shouldn't have been that close, though. Regardless, the Broncos went on the road and won a tight game. They'll be nipping at the Charger's heels all season long in the AFC West. | previous rank: 7 |
| 7 |  | Scoring 45 points was very impressive. Surrendering 35 was not. The offense will not always be able to outscore the opponent like they did the New York Giants, so the defense is going to have to tighten it up a little bit. With Wade Philips at the helm, you'd have to imagine that they will. Look out Chicago in the NFC. | previous rank: 9 |
| 8 |  | Going into Cincinnati and winning isn't easy, but the Ravens put up a good fight. The defense was still pretty good, but the offense turned the ball over way too much. The injury bug bit this team bad, but if they don't show marked improvement against the Jets next week, this team will fall in the rankings…fast. | previous rank: 3 |
| 9 |  | Prior to the season, word out of Seattle was that they were back. Nobody seemed to believe them. They took their frustrations out on Tampa Bay, beating them 20-6. The most remarkable factor of the game was how hard Shaun Alexander ran. If he keeps it up, and Hasselbeck remains efficient, the Seahawks will be a dangerous team. | previous rank: 11 |
| 10 |  | In demolishing their Week 1 opponent, the Steelers almost did everything right, even it was against the Browns. The defense created 5 takeaways, and Big Ben threw 4 touchdowns. They ran and passed the ball pretty well. New head coach Mike Tomlin probably isn't very happy about the 6 penalties, but I'm sure he'll work that out. | previous rank: 13 |
| 11 |  | The Panthers look great. QB Jake Delhomme threw 3 TDs and no INTs and WR Steve Smith did the usual, 118 yards and a score. Where this team really impressed is going on the road and shutting down one of the league's best backs in Steven Jackson. Meanwhile, their own rushing attack was formidable. The running game held this team back in '06. If they continue to run the ball like they did in Week 1, they should win their division. | previous rank: 12 |
| 12 |  | What can you say to the Saints? Sorry you had to play the Colts in Week 1? In a match-up that many people thought should have happened in Miami last February, the Saints were spanked and told to go stand in the corner. This team was exposed on Thursday Night, on they have a lot to work on. Start with fixing what you can, namely the offense. Then work some kind of miracle on that horrendous defense. | previous rank: 6 |
| 13 |  | The Titans ran the ball exceptionally well against a pretty good Jaguar defense. QB Vince Young didn't have to do much because the running game set a franchise record of 282 yards on the ground. Winning in Jacksonville is no small task, and the Titans are really trying to make a case for themselves in this year's playoff picture. | previous rank: 20 |
| 14 |  | The Eagles couldn't seem to field a punt, so the Packers dealt this team their first loss of the new season. QB Donovan McNabb didn't look so hot, and the running game faltered as well. A lot of people thought that the Eagles would challenge for NFC supremacy, but they have a lot of improving to do. | previous rank: 8 |
| 15 |  | I like defense and the Vikings know how to play it. Sure, their offense is going to struggle a bit under QB Tarvaris Jackson, but rookie RB Adrian Peterson did look impressive. Besides, the defense doesn't seem to mind putting the points themselves; they scored two touchdowns. It is obvious that they have the second best defense in the NFC North, but I'm willing to say they have the second best defense in the entire NFC. | previous rank: 21 |
| 16 |  | So, some will say, the Packer got lucky. Maybe so, they kept the game close enough to win it with a field goal with seconds remaining on the clock. It is clear that this team can play some defense, too, but they'll have to be more productive on offense. Most teams will not gift wrap the Packers a victory like Philadelphia did. | previous rank: 27 |
| 17 |  | The Giants nearly pulled off a remarkable comeback. They played hard the entire game, and put up great offensive number against a good defense. Once again, however, this team has been plagued by injuries. RB Brandon Jacobs will miss some time, and QB Eli Manning is banged up. The defense better improve before this team falls too far behind in the playoff race. | previous rank: 15 |
| 18 |  | Offensively, the ‘Best Show on Turf' the Rams were not. Defensively, they didn't fare much better. This team does have the talent to be a good team, though. How they play against the 49ers next week will determine whether or not this team will keep up with the Seahawks, or just keep ahead of the Cardinals. | previous rank: 18 |
| 19 |  | Rookie RB Marshawn Lynch showed what he can do by running for nearly 100 yards and scoring his first NFL touchdown against a very good Broncos defense. QB J.P. Losman is still the biggest question mark this team has. Will he blossom or will he wither? It's possible we wont know until Week 4, when the Bills play the Jets (Week 2 @ PIT, Week 3 @ NE). | previous rank: 23 |
| 20 |  | Is QB Matt Schaub really the savior of this franchise? He looked like it against the lowly Falcons. Overshadowing the QB was their highly scrutinized number 1 pick of a year ago, Mario Williams. The DE had 5 tackles, 2 sacks, and took a fumble to the house. It was the type of performance the Texans envisioned when they drafted him, and, at least in Week 1, it looked like it paid off. | previous rank: 25 |
| 21 |  | The J-E-T-S looked B-A-D, but it was against the Patriots. The Pats defense kept their prized acquisition, RB Thomas Jones, in complete check, and harassed QB Chad Pennington all day. Pennington showed grit, but it takes more than that to win in the NFL. They might improve, but bet the over/under from here on out. | previous rank: 14 |
| 22 |  | It was a close one, but the 49ers pulled one out against a division rival. QB Alex Smith, who is so crucial to this team's success, didn't look sharp at all, and neither did RB Frank Gore. They did manage to win, and for a team like San Francisco, that should be enough for now. After all, every win builds confidence, and that will help this team later in the season. | previous rank: 24 |
| 23 |  | QB David Garrard did okay, but this team wasn't able to establish the run at all. They only ran the ball 18 times, and they had an injured kicker who couldn't attempt a field goal of more than 25 yards. To me, all this sounds like bad coaching. I blame the loss to the Titians on Jack Del Rio. How does a team lose at home with only 4 penalties and 1 turnover if it isn't the coaching? | previous rank: 16 |
| 24 |  | Yes, it is true. The Lions are not occupying one of the bottom two spots. Their offense was brilliant at times, at others, not. But putting up those numbers against a solid Oakland Raiders defense was impressive nonetheless. They wasted no time in getting their first-round draft pick, WR Calvin Johnson, in the end zone. And you know what they say; the first one is the hardest. | previous rank: 32 |
| 25 |  | It appears the Redskins plan on alleviating the pressure on QB Jason Campbell by utilizing their two running backs. Both Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts had 17 carries each, and even Campbell himself picked up 29 yards on the ground. If Campbell can minimize his INTs (2 in Week 1), then this team has a pretty formula for climbing the rankings. | previous rank: 28 |
| 26 |  | The Cardinals defense needs some help. After holding their opponent to 194 total yards, they lost the game. About the only thing right that the Cardinal did was give the ball to RB Edgerrin James 28 times. Despite all the hype—perhaps because of it—young QB Matt Leinart may not be ready to lead this team. A 50% completion rate and twice as many picks as TDs will never work in the NFL. | previous rank: 26 |
| 27 |  | Trading QB Trent Green may not have been the smartest thing for this team. It made sense if they were going to give the kid a chance to play. Instead they opted for Damon Huard, and the offense did absolutely nothing against the Texans. Until RB Larry Johnson gets his lungs back, this team will continue to struggle. | previous rank: 17 |
| 28 |  | Despite what the score says, the Raiders were only down one score with less than two minutes to go. Inexperience was the major factor, but I was still impressed by this team's tenacity. If you watch them play, they actually think they are going to win. Amazing. At least they finally inked QB JaMarcus Russell. | previous rank: 31 |
| 29 |  | Starting the season with a new head coach and a new QB will make most teams stumble out of the gates, as the Fins did in Washington. QB Trent Green did look good, however. His 87.5 rating is just what the Dolphins need to win more games this year. Of course, they also need RB Ronnie Brown to get more than 11 carries. | previous rank: 22 |
| 30 |  | The Bucs need to open things up a bit, they were much too conservative on offense. Short, little passes aren't going to get it done against a quality opponent, as the Seahawks surely are. Whether or not this team recovers is dependant upon the health of RB Cadillac Williams. If his ribs can sustain the hits, this team could improve as the season wears on. | previous rank: 30 |
| 31 |  | Trading away QB Charlie Frye was smart. Now just put the ball in Brady Quinn's hands and let him learn something. In a year or two, this team might actually be pretty decent. If they delay the inevitable and wait until week 10 to start Quinn, it will only ensure another 2 years of losing. Sorry Romeo Crennel, but you'll be the scapegoat. Hey, at least you tried. | previous rank: 29 |
| 32 |  | The running game was weak, the passing game was weak. The defense did okay, but it was against the Vikings offense. Without you-know-who, I don't think this team will win more than 3 games in 2007, and even two of those could come against division foe Tampa Bay. It is going to be a long, hard road back to respectability. | previous rank: 19 |
