Power Rankings: While Peyton wins offseason, Eli's Giants still favorite
By Pete Prisco | CBSSports.com Senior NFL Columnist Follow Pete
|
|
| The Giants look to have staying power, but Prisco says don't be surprised if the 49ers regress. (US Presswire) |
The four biggest misconceptions of the NFL offseason:
• Peyton Manning will make the Denver Broncos an immediate Super Bowl favorite.
• The San Francisco 49ers have staying power.
• The New York Giants can't repeat.
• The Cincinnati Bengals don’t have staying power.
Let's look at all four of those, starting with the Broncos. Manning, if he's back to his old form, gives the Broncos a chance to be a playoff team and maybe more. But they have to fix a defense that struggled for much of last season and they have to adjust to the Manning ways. That could take time.
The 49ers, in my mind, are one of the playoff teams from 2011 that might take a step back. I say that because of style of play. They run it and play good defense. That's a style that has seen many a playoff team fade the next year. The margin for error for those types of teams is slim. The 49ers are no different.
The Giants are a young team that should be much improved from a year ago. Remember, they were 9-7 to just get into the playoffs before getting hot at the right time. They have most of the key players back. And Eli Manning is now a much more confident passer. As for the Bengals, they made the playoffs as a surprise wild card team last season with rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. He is a year older and will benefit from having an entire offseason. In addition, the Bengals had the best draft of any team in the league, which will help fortify what is already a good, young roster. They're not going anywhere.
Take all of those into account, and you will get a better idea of where my thought process was for the latest CBSSports.com Power Rankings. This batch reflects what has happened in the NFL since February and also includes some of my theories about the league that could impact where teams are headed (see 49ers).
Just remember that there will be a preseason batch of rankings coming as camps open, with another one or two before the regular season.
Who knows, maybe before then my opinion of the 49ers and others will change.
| Power Rankings | |||
| Current | Team | Previous | |
 | 1 | Giants · Trends | 1 |
| They are a young team and need to improve in some areas, but why can't they repeat? | |||
 | 2 | Packers · Trends | 2 |
| Deep down, you know they feel they blew a good chance to repeat in 2011. But that defense has to show more in 2012 if they are to bounce back. | |||
 | 3 | Texans · Trends | 8 |
| The health of Matt Schaub is the key, but they might have been the best team in the AFC before he went down last season. They say he's ahead of schedule in his rehab. | |||
 | 4 | Patriots · Trends | 3 |
| Improving the defense and the speed outside in the passing game makes them an improved team. That's scary for the rest of the AFC East. | |||
 | 5 | Steelers · Trends | 7 |
| They did a nice job with their draft of trying to improve the offensive line, but there are some concerns on defense. | |||
 | 6 | 49ers · Trends | 4 |
| Why am I the only one who thinks this team will slip some in 2012? Maybe it's because I don't believe in the passing game. | |||
 | 7 | Falcons · Trends | 9 |
| The change in offensive styles will make this a much better team in 2012. Matt Ryan will have his best season. | |||
 | 8 | Eagles · Trends | 14 |
| If somebody says Dream Team this summer, they just may get cut. The Eagles have a talented roster, which means it's all on Mike Vick. | |||
 | 9 | Saints · Trends | 6 |
| How do you lose an offensive wizard like Sean Payton and just keep on moving forward? When does Drew Brees show up? | |||
 | 10 | Lions · Trends | 11 |
| They will once again be a high-scoring team, but have they done enough to fix a defense that wasn't very good last season? | |||
 | 11 | Ravens · Trends | 5 |
| Losing Terrell Suggs with a torn Achilles tendon is a huge hit. They better hope Courtney Upshaw is the real deal. | |||
 | 12 | Bengals · Trends | 10 |
| They had a great draft to add to a young, talented team. They aren't going anywhere. They will push for a playoff spot -- and maybe more -- again. | |||
 | 13 | Broncos · Trends | 13 |
| I'm not ready to rush the Broncos into the Super Bowl just because Manning is on board. And who knows if the neck will be an issue? | |||
 | 14 | Cowboys · Trends | 12 |
| To say this is a huge year for Tony Romo is an understatement. Even if the criticism he gets is sometimes unwarranted. | |||
 | 15 | Bears · Trends | 21 |
| Jay Cutler is back healthy, which is the big thing for this team. What happens with Matt Forte? | |||
 | 16 | Cardinals · Trends | 17 |
| If John Skelton or Kevin Kolb can take a major step forward, the Cardinals can win the NFC West. That is a big if. | |||
 | 17 | Chargers · Trends | 18 |
| Is this the bounce-back year for the Chargers when all the focus is on the Broncos? | |||
 | 18 | Bills · Trends | 26 |
| Adding Mario Williams in free agency really helps upgrade the pass rush. If Ryan Fitzpatrick can revert to his pre-injury form of 2011, the Bills could get to .500. | |||
 | 19 | Jets · Trends | 16 |
| The worst thing they did was bring in Tim Tebow to a situation where Mark Sanchez has to become the guy. This is going to be a tough season. | |||
 | 20 | Seahawks · Trends | 20 |
| Matt Flynn has to be improved over Tarvaris Jackson, or the Seahawks' talented defense will have to win a lot of games. | |||
 | 21 | Raiders · Trends | 19 |
| New coach Dennis Allen inherits a team with a lot of speed. Look for a big year from Carson Palmer. | |||
 | 22 | Chiefs · Trends | 22 |
| It's all about Matt Cassel. Can he show that he's the long-term answer for a talented young team? | |||
 | 23 | Titans · Trends | 15 |
| For the sake of the franchise, it has to be Jake Locker time in Nashville. What's the point of delaying the inevitable? | |||
 | 24 | Panthers · Trends | 25 |
| With Cam Newton, the offense will be special again. He does need to cut down on the mistakes. Did they do enough to improve the defense? | |||
 | 25 | Jaguars · Trends | 27 |
| It's all on quarterback Blaine Gabbert. If he progresses, they can be good. If not, some heads might roll. | |||
 | 26 | Buccaneers · Trends | 28 |
| They spent big in free agency and did some good things in the draft. But the division is tough and they might be a year away. | |||
 | 27 | Redskins · Trends | 24 |
| Robert Griffin III will start from the get-go, which might make for some tough spots early. But by season's end, watch out for this team. | |||
 | 28 | Dolphins · Trends | 23 |
| I expect them to play Ryan Tannehill early to get the process started. That would be the right thing to do, even if it means it's a clear rebuilding year. | |||
 | 29 | Rams · Trends | 32 |
| Jeff Fisher has a lot of work to get this team back to playoff ready. But having Sam Bradford will make it a lot easier to do. | |||
 | 30 | Vikings · Trends | 30 |
| There are a lot of holes, and how will Adrian Peterson bounce back? The secondary has to be improved for the Vikings to make any strides. | |||
 | 31 | Browns · Trends | 29 |
| They will likely be starting a rookie runner and a rookie quarterback in the backfield. That spells a long season. | |||
 | 32 | Colts · Trends | 31 |
| It's rebuilding time now. There will be growing pains with a young team and a rookie starting at quarterback. | |||
