Power Rankings: It may not last long, but 2-0 is 2-0

Updated Sept. 18

Do 2-0 starts automatically mean that a team should be in the top 10 of the CBSSports.com Power Rankings?

That's a question I pondered for two days. For some, like the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, it's an automatic yes.

A 2-0 start is something that cheeseheads everywhere can get behind. (US Presswire)

But what about those surprise Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans and Detroit Lions? Are they legitimate top 10 teams considering there are only 10 2-0 teams in the league?

After 48 hours of thinking about it, I came to this conclusion: The first three deserve to be there, but the Lions started so far down that they're just on the outside.

OK, so the reality is that none of these teams are among the 10 best in the NFL. But the 2-0 starts give them reason to stake a claim -- for now.

What's more, shouldn't we let them bask in their success a little? That's especially true with the first three each having games this week against teams deservedly ranked in the top 10.

The Packers play host to the San Diego Chargers. The 49ers travel to Pittsburgh to play the Steelers, while the Houston Texans play host to the Indianapolis Colts. Of those six teams, the only team with a loss is the Chargers, a team some felt was the best in the NFL when the season started.

The likelihood is that one or two or even three of the surprise 2-0 teams will lose this week. I'm not saying they will -- you can't get that information until Friday's picks -- but they're all underdogs according to those wise guys who set the lines.

Would it be a shock if the Packers beat the Chargers? Not the way those two teams are playing. The Texans have played the Colts well, beating them late last season. If Andre Johnson can't play, it will be a tougher task. The 49ers have a real toughie, going on the road for a second consecutive week and facing a red-hot Steelers team.

Let's make this prediction now: At least one of the surprise 2-0 teams will lose.

Then there are the Lions. They're still outside the top 10 because I didn't believe Jon Kitna when he said they'd be good. If they beat the Eagles on the road this week -- which is certainly possible after watching the Eagles on Monday night -- it should vault them into the top 10.

I'm a little shocked the Washington Redskins are 2-0, but most aren't so they're not a real surprise 2-0 team.

Can you imagine if the Packers, Texans, 49ers and Lions all win this week? Nobody could argue against them being in the top of any power rankings.

What's next? A Mother of the Year award to Britney Spears? Bill Belichick admitting he cheats? The comments under my columns here actually being nice?

Maybe by season's end these surprise 2-0 starts will have long faded away. But here's betting that at least one of the four teams -- the Lions, Packers, Texans or 49ers -- finds a way to get into the playoffs.

They might not be top 10 power teams for long, but let them enjoy it for a while. Good things like this haven't happened to those teams for a long time.

Who am I to ruin their parties?

The Power Rankings after Week 2:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Colts · Trends	1
	They're finding ways to win, but they aren't playing great. The offense is moving the ball, but not scoring touchdowns. That can't happen this week against New England.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	The schedule gets tissue soft the rest of the way, except for a game or two. They might really start talking undefeated season.
	3	Vikings · Trends	3
	The concern coming out of the bye is Brett Favre's injured groin. Or at least he says he's injured.
	4	Patriots · Trends	5
	They have a firm grip on the division heading to the second half, but to have a chance at the top seed in the conference they need to win at Indy. The way their offense is getting cranked up, it's definitely possible.
	5	Bengals · Trends	6
	The way their defense is playing, they will be around come January. They can run, throw and play defense. Yes, they're good.
	6	Steelers · Trends	7
	Don't look now, but here come the champs. They have a huge rematch with the Bengals this week in Pittsburgh. They had better win, or risk going the wild-card route.
	7	Cowboys · Trends	9
	Dallas is suddenly a hot team in first place. Where did all those problems go? The defense is really coming on. How do you contain Miles Austin?
	8	Broncos · Trends	4
	Still raving about the way Kyle Orton manages the game? Didn't think so. You need more than that. They are limited offensively.
	9	Eagles · Trends	8
	Hard to believe their offense wend dead against Dallas. Now they have to go to the West Coast and face a surging San Diego team. The last time they went west, they lost at Oakland.
	10	Cardinals · Trends	11
	Weird team. Can't win at home, but they dominate on the road. They are easily the class of the NFC West.
	11	Falcons · Trends	15
	They have to be thrilled with how their coach took up for them on the sideline last week. Mike Smith doesn't back down, and neither do his players. They have to be careful at Carolina this week.
	12	Chargers · Trends	14
	At 5-3, they are now just one game behind the Broncos in the division. So much for being buried. The Eagles will be a tough game this week.
	13	Giants · Trends	12
	They limp to the bye with four consecutive losses. No team has won a Super Bowl after losing four consecutive games during the season.
	14	Texans · Trends	13
	They showed well at Indy, but at some point they have to win a game like that. It's the wild-card route at best for the Texans now.
	15	Ravens · Trends	10
	At 4-4, they have to get it going or they could be playoff-less. Their passing game went dead at Cincinnati.
	16	Jets · Trends	19
	They come out of their bye at .500 and face another .500 team in Jacksonville. They can't afford another loss, not with New England the following week.
	17	Jaguars · Trends	20
	They go to the second half at 4-4, which is a good sign for this young team. At some point, though, they have to win a game on the road like the one they have this week at the Jets.
	18	Packers · Trends	16
	Maybe they're just not as good as we thought they were going to be. They have issues on their offensive line that show up every week.
	19	Bears · Trends	17
	Remember when the Chicago Bears meant defense and nasty football? Now they can't stop anybody. There is nothing black and blue about the way they play now. It's just blue.
	20	Dolphins · Trends	18
	The good news is that Chad Henne is improving. That bodes well for next season, even if the playoffs this season look unlikely.
	21	Panthers · Trends	21
	They are playing better, but to have any playoff shot they have to win at home against Atlanta on Sunday. That won't be easy.
	22	Seahawks · Trends	24
	They actually looked good in the second half against Detroit, but that's nothing to get overly excited about. There is still a lot of work to do.
	23	Bills · Trends	23
	They had a bye, which they badly needed. It could mean Trent Edwards is back. Watching Ryan Fitzpatrick play, you know how much they need Edwards taking snaps.
	24	Titans · Trends	29
	Vince Young is 2-0 as a starter. Really? It helps that Chris Johnson is running wild.
	25	49ers · Trends	22
	Has the hype about this team subsided? They've lost four consecutive games, one at home to the Titans. Ouch.
	26	Raiders · Trends	25
	Hard to believe they're this high, but it says a lot about the bottom of the league. It isn't good.
	27	Chiefs · Trends	26
	Larry Johnson is gone, but does it matter? This isn't a good team right now, with or without him. So why keep him?
	28	Redskins · Trends	27
	How low can they go? You want to point a finger? Blame the men at the top. They didn't do a thing about the offensive line this spring.
	29	Rams · Trends	28
	Here's a hunch: They will be improved in the second half. There are a lot of young players who are starting, and the improvement will show.
	30	Buccaneers · Trends	32
	Josh Freeman showed that he might be their franchise passer of the future. He made some plays in the victory over Green Bay. Maybe they should keep the throwback jerseys they wore that day.
	31	Lions · Trends	30
	There will be calls to pull Matthew Stafford, but that makes no sense. This team isn't going anywhere, so let him learn on the job.
	32	Browns · Trends	31
	Wonder who's getting fired this week? Expect Brady Quinn in as the starter, and that's the way it should be.