Power Rankings: Let's not be hasty, unless we're burying the Pats
By Pete Prisco | CBSSports.com Senior Writer Follow PeteUpdated Sept. 9
The rushing game is in vogue in the NFL right now.
By that, I mean rushing to judgments.
After opening week of the season, we're already seeing some knee-jerk reactions to the craziness that went on during the games:
• The NFC is better than the AFC, which none of us expected. So maybe the Carolina Panthers and Chicago Bears pulled off big road victories against two of the AFC's elite in San Diego and Indianapolis. They should be lauded for that, but the AFC is still the top conference. Maybe Carolina and Chicago are better than most thought, but I get the feeling they're both glad to get those AFC teams out of the way now.
• There's something wrong with the Colts. They looked bad against the Bears, but it was Peyton Manning's first action and the Colts traditionally hold light camps, which, in turn, could have led to the tackling problems on defense. They'll be fine.
• The Jets made the right move getting Brett Favre and they're now Super Bowl contenders. Hey, the team they beat went 1-15 in 2007. I watched that game live and then watched it again, and Favre wasn't nearly as good as he was portrayed. He was just OK.
• The Dallas Cowboys will win it all. They were dominant against the Cleveland Browns, but they were the best team in the NFC last season before choking away their chance to get to the Super Bowl with a home playoff loss. They're good. But let's slow that coronation down a bit. Win a playoff game first, maybe?
One week does not make a season -- unless you're the New England Patriots. Theirs is over. OK, so that's a bit of a rush. I'm guilty.
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| Felix Jones had a strong debut for the Cowboys. (AP) |
With Brady out for the season with a torn ACL, that puts Matt Cassel into the Brady role this season. He will make his first start since high school against the Jets this week.
Brady at least had Michigan.
Again, aside from the Patriots, one week does not make a season. It does make for a messy second set of the CBSSports.com Power Rankings.
The Colts were my top team last week, and they lost. The Patriots were in the second spot, won, and still dropped way down. No Brady, no respect.
The Chargers lost and dropped. The Jaguars also lost and fell, which means three of my top seven teams lost and the Patriots fell way down.
The new No. 1 team is the Cowboys, although I'm not in that rush to make them world champs yet.
Not a lot of rushing to judgment here. Remember, I like the passing game anyway.
The Power Rankings after Week 1:
| Power Rankings | |||
| Current | Team | Previous | |
 | 1 | Giants · Trends | 8 |
| With a young team, an elite quarterback and a coach who knows how to make these playoff runs, they will be a Super factor again. | |||
 | 2 | Packers · Trends | 1 |
| They have to do a better job on the defensive side of the ball in 2012. There was a major regress by a lot of defensive players in 2011. | |||
 | 3 | Patriots · Trends | 3 |
| Bad drafting is starting to catch up with this team. It's time to fix that. And one has to ask: Has Tom Brady lost his postseason magic? | |||
 | 4 | 49ers · Trends | 4 |
| Alex Smith is a free agent, but don't expect him to go anywhere. But if the 49ers are going to stay a good team, they have to throw it better. | |||
 | 5 | Ravens · Trends | 5 |
| This is a team getting up in years at some spots, which might mean the window is closing. | |||
 | 6 | Saints · Trends | 2 |
| Biggest offseason priority: Getting Drew Brees signed to a long-term deal. You can bet it will happen soon. | |||
 | 7 | Steelers · Trends | 6 |
| They face a lot of uncertainty on the defensive side of the ball. What veterans won't be back? Who shouldn't be? | |||
 | 8 | Texans · Trends | 10 |
| If Matt Schaub comes back healthy, this could be the team to beat in the AFC next season. They have a tough decision on Mario Williams in free agency. | |||
 | 9 | Falcons · Trends | 7 |
| They have two new coordinators, and that might be a good thing. Dirk Koetter will bring more down-the-field stuff to the offense. | |||
 | 10 | Bengals · Trends | 11 |
| This is a young team on the rise. As the young players mature, especially Andy Dalton, they will be a Super contender. | |||
 | 11 | Lions · Trends | 9 |
| It's all about improving the defense and getting more out of the running game on offense. Cliff Avril is a priority free agent. | |||
 | 12 | Cowboys · Trends | 13 |
| We think they underachieve every year, but are they really as good as we think? | |||
 | 13 | Broncos · Trends | 12 |
| The entire offseason will be devoted to making Tim Tebow a better passer. Good luck with that. | |||
 | 14 | Eagles · Trends | 14 |
| The Eagles' big splash last year didn't pay any dividends. Now they have to regroup and try and get back to playoff football. If not, Andy Reid could be gone after the 2012 season. | |||
 | 15 | Titans · Trends | 15 |
| Jake Locker needs to be the starter in 2012. It's time to move forward. | |||
 | 16 | Jets · Trends | 16 |
| How do they fix that broken team? The locker room seems to be a mess. There is a lack of discipline. | |||
 | 17 | Cardinals · Trends | 17 |
| There is talk they will get into the Manning derby? If that's true, what's that say about Kevin Kolb? | |||
 | 18 | Chargers · Trends | 18 |
| Was keeping Norv Turner the right move? Philip Rivers thinks so. But we know he has to win in 2012. | |||
 | 19 | Raiders · Trends | 19 |
| Dennis Allen takes over the NFL's most dysfunctional franchise. Is Greg Knapp the right guy to lead that talented offense? | |||
 | 20 | Seahawks · Trends | 20 |
| Who will be the starting quarterback in 2012? Do they make a push for Matt Flynn? | |||
 | 21 | Bears · Trends | 21 |
| With Mike Martz out, and Mike Tice in, it appears they will move more to a running offense. Is that a good thing? Matt Forte is a top offseason priority. | |||
 | 22 | Chiefs · Trends | 22 |
| Romeo Crennel gets his second chance to be a head coach. Better sweep the office for bugs first. | |||
 | 23 | Dolphins · Trends | 23 |
| I like the hire of Joe Philbin, a bright offensive mind. Now they need to get him a quarterback. Peyton Manning? | |||
 | 24 | Redskins · Trends | 24 |
| Here's another team that is expected to be in the Manning sweepstakes. They have to do something there. | |||
 | 25 | Panthers · Trends | 25 |
| Cam Newton fixed the offense. Now it's time for the defense to be addressed this offseason. | |||
 | 26 | Bills · Trends | 26 |
| They are switching to a 4-3 front. That means they have to find some ends to help the pass rush. | |||
 | 27 | Jaguars · Trends | 27 |
| Mike Mularkey is the new coach, but the key will be how much of new owner Shad Kahn's money they are willing to spend in free agency. | |||
 | 28 | Buccaneers · Trends | 28 |
| New coach Greg Schiano's first order of duty has to be to get Josh Freeman playing to his 2010 levels again. | |||
 | 29 | Browns · Trends | 29 |
| They have to decide if Colt McCoy is the long-term answer. He didn't look like it in 2011. | |||
 | 30 | Vikings · Trends | 30 |
| They need to get better players around Christian Ponder. He needs weapons, especially with Adrian Peterson coming off a torn ACL. | |||
 | 31 | Colts · Trends | 31 |
| The Peyton Manning saga is getting old. The team needs to make a decision soon and move on. New coach Chuck Pagano has a lot of work to do. | |||
 | 32 | Rams · Trends | 32 |
| Jeff Fisher takes over a team with a lot of holes. They have to get Sam Bradford some weapons. | |||
