P2: Power rankings

No real changes at the top, where my four best teams held serve. Meanwhile the Panthers became the highest-ranked team to start a slide. But it's early yet.

RISING: Eagles (7); 49ers (3)

SINKING: Jets (-4); Bengals (-3)

1. (1) San Diego Chargers (13-3). Another week with LT on the bench, and the Chargers simply smoked the Rams. They're just good, no matter how you slice 'em.

2. (2) New England Patriots (13-3). On the one hand, they're still without a couple of key components to this retooled offense (RB Lawrence Maroney; WR Randy Moss). On the other hand, that's a pretty pathetic excuse for a "concern." Why can't they get CB Asante Samuel signed?

3. (3) Chicago Bears (13-3). You'd never know it to listen to the ESPN crew, but the Bears' starters outscored the Colts' starters 10-7. Grossman struggled with handling the ball, but he never looked lost out there the way he did sometimes in 2006. Man, this team is stocked with weapons.

4. (4) Dallas Cowboys (12-4). They're out of the pre-season gate in fine form, pummeling Jay Cutler in P2 and running the ball extremely well.

5. (6) Baltimore Ravens (10-6). This upgrade didn't come because the Ravens played great in Pre-season Week 2. They didn't. Instead, it's me acknowledging that the defense isn't fading the way I thought it was. There are still playmakers here, even without Adaleus Thomas. Honestly, DT Haloti Ngata impressed the Hell out of me, and even though Chris McAllister is the team's junior cornerback with only nine seasons, this is a pretty good defensive backfield, too. My assessment of the offensive in general hasn't changed, but the defense is the heart of this team, and it deserves more respect than I've given it.

6. (13) Philadelphia Eagles (10-6). Another amendment: In previous posts I've said I don't want to draft QB Donovan McNabb because he just can't stay healthy. Today's version? I sure hope everyone feels that way so that McNabb can fall to a slot where he makes sense. Because watching him throw the ball last week was really impressive. There are reasons that you look at this team and think they're just not ready to get over the hump, but the least I can give them is this: The Eagles are playing angry right now.

7. (5) Carolina Panthers (11-5). Did I over-rate the Panthers' offensive line in my first ranking (No. 5 overall)? Sure looked like it this week. The Eagles treated the Panthers like prison bitches. Looks like I've over-rated the Panther's defense, too.

8. (8) New Orleans Saints (10-6). It's not good to put a whole bunch into pre-season games, but the Saints aren't waving any bright red flags at the moment. Well, OK, they're waving one, and somebody's written "FIND US SOME CORNERBACKS! QUICK!" all over it.

9. (9) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6). It's confusing, because this is an expansion team from the sweltering South, but when you watch them play they remind you of the old Black and Blue Division, circa 1977. Which is to say: Defense, defense, running game, defense. Can you still win with that? Well, barely..

10. (10) Indianapolis Colts (10-6). The Colts defense showed up pretty well in the first half against Chicago on Monday, but then again, it typically takes two or three quarters for an offense to beat down a substandard defensive line.

11. (7) New York Jets (10-6). That has to go down as one of QB Chad Pennington's worst outtings ever, but I'm not panicking over a pre-season game. Still... they didn't look good.

12. (11) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7). You'd like to see a team in the top half of the league play more convincingly against a team in the bottom half, particularly when it's a new coach and players are trying to make a big impression.

13. (16) San Francisco 49ers (8-8). I could have ranked them as high as No. 9, but I'm leaving them here out of a sense of caution. Talent? They've got plenty. Experience is what I'm afraid of.

14. (12) Seattle Seahawks (9-7). Yes, they got their clocks cleaned, but they were also holding out their veterans, too. Nonetheless, I'm underwhelmed.

15. (14) Denver Broncos (10-6). Yikes. Listen, a second-year QB is going to struggle sometime. He'll struggle a lot less if he isn't running for his life. They lost a quality defender for the season in Ebaneezer Ekuban, but at least RB Travis Henry's boo-boo doesn't look like it will cost him games. He's a tough little SOB.

16. (17) St. Louis Rams (8-8). It's hard to get a feel for this group without Steven Jackson in the lineup, particularly since this offense sets up the defensive game.

17. (19) Minnesota Vikings (7-9). They do two things well: Stop the run and run the ball. That's it. But man, did you see Adrian Peterson?

18. (15) Cincinnati Bengals (9-7). I probably ought to be dropping them more than this, based on the injuries and losses off their offensive line. And the fact that the defense isn't much good. And that Carson Palmer is running for his life.

19. (18) Buffalo Bills (6-10). What kind of team scores only 10 points against the Falcons?

20. (20) Detroit Lions (7-9). First the Bengals, now the Browns. The Lions' pre-season cakewalk continues. 

21. (21) Arizona Cardinals (7-9). Supposedly the Cardinals looked better this week. I didn't see the replay.

22. (22) Washington Redskins (6-10). They're lucky they've still got their QB after the hit Jason Campbell took.

23. (25) Houston Texans (6-10). Matt Schaub is making strides, and there's talent in the defensive front seven.

24. (27) Green Bay Packers (5-11). This is Brett Favre in a nutshell: One week he looks awful, the next he looks like... Brett Favre. However, after watching NFL Playbook on the NFLN, I'm ready to give more respect to the Packers' front seven, regardless of what Favre does..

25. (23) Tennessee Titans (6-10). Things aren't off to a running start for Vince Young. The other pundits say he'll be fine once "the playground mentality" clicks in. I'm not so sure.

26. (24) Tampa Bay Bucs (6-10). They just didn't show up against their cross-state rivals in Jacksonville.

27. (26) New York Giants (5-11). The hard part for the Giants this week had to be the Sunday Night Football tape of Tiki Barber revealing what most of us probably guessed: Eli Manning is just too much of an aw-shucks goober to impress professionals in the huddle. .

28. (29) Oakland Raiders (4-12). Daunte Culpepper has small hands and a career-long fumbling problem. But he looked a LOT healthier on his knees than he did in 2006. He still may not start, but... .

29. (28) Miami Dolphins (5-11). Trent Green got the starting job. Yipee.

30. (30) Cleveland Browns (6-10). All anybody in the media can talk about are Brady Quinn's game stats from Week 2. A reminder to these putzes: Quinn's success came against third-stringers.

31. (31) Kansas City Chiefs (3-13). Train wreck.

32. (32) Atlanta Falcons (2-14).   They lost their third QB. They might consider trading for someone else to be their No. 1 QB while they're at it.

1. (1) San Diego Chargers (13-3). Another week with LT on the bench, and the Chargers simply smoked the Rams. They're just good, no matter how you slice 'em.

2. (2) New England Patriots (13-3). On the one hand, they're still without a couple of key components to this retooled offense (RB Lawrence Maroney; WR Randy Moss). On the other hand, that's a pretty pathetic excuse for a "concern." Why can't they get CB Asante Samuel signed?

3. (3) Chicago Bears (13-3). You'd never know it to listen to the ESPN crew, but the Bears' starters outscored the Colts' starters 10-7. Grossman struggled with handling the ball, but he never looked lost out there the way he did sometimes in 2006. Man, this team is stocked with weapons.

4. (4) Dallas Cowboys (12-4). They're out of the pre-season gate in fine form, pummeling Jay Cutler in P2 and running the ball extremely well.

5. (6) Baltimore Ravens (10-6). This upgrade didn't come because the Ravens played great in Pre-season Week 2. They didn't. Instead, it's me acknowledging that the defense isn't fading the way I thought it was. There are still playmakers here, even without Adaleus Thomas. Honestly, DT Haloti Ngata impressed the Hell out of me, and even though Chris McAllister is the team's junior cornerback with only nine seasons, this is a pretty good defensive backfield, too. My assessment of the offensive in general hasn't changed, but the defense is the heart of this team, and it deserves more respect than I've given it.

6. (13) Philadelphia Eagles (10-6). Another amendment: In previous posts I've said I don't want to draft QB Donovan McNabb because he just can't stay healthy. Today's version? I sure hope everyone feels that way so that McNabb can fall to a slot where he makes sense. Because watching him throw the ball last week was really impressive. There are reasons that you look at this team and think they're just not ready to get over the hump, but the least I can give them is this: The Eagles are playing angry right now.

7. (5) Carolina Panthers (11-5). Did I over-rate the Panthers' offensive line in my first ranking (No. 5 overall)? Sure looked like it this week. The Eagles treated the Panthers like prison bitches. Looks like I've over-rated the Panther's defense, too.

8. (8) New Orleans Saints (10-6). It's not good to put a whole bunch into pre-season games, but the Saints aren't waving any bright red flags at the moment. Well, OK, they're waving one, and somebody's written "FIND US SOME CORNERBACKS! QUICK!" all over it.

9. (9) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6). It's confusing, because this is an expansion team from the sweltering South, but when you watch them play they remind you of the old Black and Blue Division, circa 1977. Which is to say: Defense, defense, running game, defense. Can you still win with that? Well, barely..

10. (10) Indianapolis Colts (10-6). The Colts defense showed up pretty well in the first half against Chicago on Monday, but then again, it typically takes two or three quarters for an offense to beat down a substandard defensive line.

11. (7) New York Jets (10-6). That has to go down as one of QB Chad Pennington's worst outtings ever, but I'm not panicking over a pre-season game. Still... they didn't look good.

12. (11) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7). You'd like to see a team in the top half of the league play more convincingly against a team in the bottom half, particularly when it's a new coach and players are trying to make a big impression.

13. (16) San Francisco 49ers (8-8). I could have ranked them as high as No. 9, but I'm leaving them here out of a sense of caution. Talent? They've got plenty. Experience is what I'm afraid of.

14. (12) Seattle Seahawks (9-7). Yes, they got their clocks cleaned, but they were also holding out their veterans, too. Nonetheless, I'm underwhelmed.

15. (14) Denver Broncos (10-6). Yikes. Listen, a second-year QB is going to struggle sometime. He'll struggle a lot less if he isn't running for his life. They lost a quality defender for the season in Ebaneezer Ekuban, but at least RB Travis Henry's boo-boo doesn't look like it will cost him games. He's a tough little SOB.

16. (17) St. Louis Rams (8-8). It's hard to get a feel for this group without Steven Jackson in the lineup, particularly since this offense sets up the defensive game.

17. (19) Minnesota Vikings (7-9). They do two things well: Stop the run and run the ball. That's it. But man, did you see Adrian Peterson?

18. (15) Cincinnati Bengals (9-7). I probably ought to be dropping them more than this, based on the injuries and losses off their offensive line. And the fact that the defense isn't much good. And that Carson Palmer is running for his life.

19. (18) Buffalo Bills (6-10). What kind of team scores only 10 points against the Falcons?

20. (20) Detroit Lions (7-9). First the Bengals, now the Browns. The Lions' pre-season cakewalk continues. 

21. (21) Arizona Cardinals (7-9). Supposedly the Cardinals looked better this week. I didn't see the replay.

22. (22) Washington Redskins (6-10). They're lucky they've still got their QB after the hit Jason Campbell took.

23. (25) Houston Texans (6-10). Matt Schaub is making strides, and there's talent in the defensive front seven.

24. (27) Green Bay Packers (5-11). This is Brett Favre in a nutshell: One week he looks awful, the next he looks like... Brett Favre. However, after watching NFL Playbook on the NFLN, I'm ready to give more respect to the Packers' front seven, regardless of what Favre does..

25. (23) Tennessee Titans (6-10). Things aren't off to a running start for Vince Young. The other pundits say he'll be fine once "the playground mentality" clicks in. I'm not so sure.

26. (24) Tampa Bay Bucs (6-10). They just didn't show up against their cross-state rivals in Jacksonville.

27. (26) New York Giants (5-11). The hard part for the Giants this week had to be the Sunday Night Football tape of Tiki Barber revealing what most of us probably guessed: Eli Manning is just too much of an aw-shucks goober to impress professionals in the huddle. .

28. (29) Oakland Raiders (4-12). Daunte Culpepper has small hands and a career-long fumbling problem. But he looked a LOT healthier on his knees than he did in 2006. He still may not start, but... .

29. (28) Miami Dolphins (5-11). Trent Green got the starting job. Yipee.

30. (30) Cleveland Browns (6-10). All anybody in the media can talk about are Brady Quinn's game stats from Week 2. A reminder to these putzes: Quinn's success came against third-stringers.

31. (31) Kansas City Chiefs (3-13). Train wreck.

32. (32) Atlanta Falcons (2-14).   They lost their third QB. They might consider trading for someone else to be their No. 1 QB while they're at it.

1. (1) San Diego Chargers (13-3). Another week with LT on the bench, and the Chargers simply smoked the Rams. They're just good, no matter how you slice 'em.

2. (2) New England Patriots (13-3). On the one hand, they're still without a couple of key components to this retooled offense (RB Lawrence Maroney; WR Randy Moss). On the other hand, that's a pretty pathetic excuse for a "concern." Why can't they get CB Asante Samuel signed?

3. (3) Chicago Bears (13-3). You'd never know it to listen to the ESPN crew, but the Bears' starters outscored the Colts' starters 10-7. Grossman struggled with handling the ball, but he never looked lost out there the way he did sometimes in 2006. Man, this team is stocked with weapons.

4. (4) Dallas Cowboys (12-4). They're out of the pre-season gate in fine form, pummeling Jay Cutler in P2 and running the ball extremely well.

5. (6) Baltimore Ravens (10-6). This upgrade didn't come because the Ravens played great in Pre-season Week 2. They didn't. Instead, it's me acknowledging that the defense isn't fading the way I thought it was. There are still playmakers here, even without Adaleus Thomas. Honestly, DT Haloti Ngata impressed the Hell out of me, and even though Chris McAllister is the team's junior cornerback with only nine seasons, this is a pretty good defensive backfield, too. My assessment of the offensive in general hasn't changed, but the defense is the heart of this team, and it deserves more respect than I've given it.

6. (13) Philadelphia Eagles (10-6). Another amendment: In previous posts I've said I don't want to draft QB Donovan McNabb because he just can't stay healthy. Today's version? I sure hope everyone feels that way so that McNabb can fall to a slot where he makes sense. Because watching him throw the ball last week was really impressive. There are reasons that you look at this team and think they're just not ready to get over the hump, but the least I can give them is this: The Eagles are playing angry right now.

7. (5) Carolina Panthers (11-5). Did I over-rate the Panthers' offensive line in my first ranking (No. 5 overall)? Sure looked like it this week. The Eagles treated the Panthers like prison bitches. Looks like I've over-rated the Panther's defense, too.

8. (8) New Orleans Saints (10-6). It's not good to put a whole bunch into pre-season games, but the Saints aren't waving any bright red flags at the moment. Well, OK, they're waving one, and somebody's written "FIND US SOME CORNERBACKS! QUICK!" all over it.

9. (9) Jacksonville Jaguars (10-6). It's confusing, because this is an expansion team from the sweltering South, but when you watch them play they remind you of the old Black and Blue Division, circa 1977. Which is to say: Defense, defense, running game, defense. Can you still win with that? Well, barely..

10. (10) Indianapolis Colts (10-6). The Colts defense showed up pretty well in the first half against Chicago on Monday, but then again, it typically takes two or three quarters for an offense to beat down a substandard defensive line.

11. (7) New York Jets (10-6). That has to go down as one of QB Chad Pennington's worst outtings ever, but I'm not panicking over a pre-season game. Still... they didn't look good.

12. (11) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7). You'd like to see a team in the top half of the league play more convincingly against a team in the bottom half, particularly when it's a new coach and players are trying to make a big impression.

13. (16) San Francisco 49ers (8-8). I could have ranked them as high as No. 9, but I'm leaving them here out of a sense of caution. Talent? They've got plenty. Experience is what I'm afraid of.

14. (12) Seattle Seahawks (9-7). Yes, they got their clocks cleaned, but they were also holding out their veterans, too. Nonetheless, I'm underwhelmed.

15. (14) Denver Broncos (10-6). Yikes. Listen, a second-year QB is going to struggle sometime. He'll struggle a lot less if he isn't running for his life. They lost a quality defender for the season in Ebaneezer Ekuban, but at least RB Travis Henry's boo-boo doesn't look like it will cost him games. He's a tough little SOB.

16. (17) St. Louis Rams (8-8). It's hard to get a feel for this group without Steven Jackson in the lineup, particularly since this offense sets up the defensive game.

17. (19) Minnesota Vikings (7-9). They do two things well: Stop the run and run the ball. That's it. But man, did you see Adrian Peterson?

18. (15) Cincinnati Bengals (9-7). I probably ought to be dropping them more than this, based on the injuries and losses off their offensive line. And the fact that the defense isn't much good. And that Carson Palmer is running for his life.

19. (18) Buffalo Bills (6-10). What kind of team scores only 10 points against the Falcons?

20. (20) Detroit Lions (7-9). First the Bengals, now the Browns. The Lions' pre-season cakewalk continues. 

21. (21) Arizona Cardinals (7-9). Supposedly the Cardinals looked better this week. I didn't see the replay.

22. (22) Washington Redskins (6-10). They're lucky they've still got their QB after the hit Jason Campbell took.

23. (25) Houston Texans (6-10). Matt Schaub is making strides, and there's talent in the defensive front seven.

24. (27) Green Bay Packers (5-11). This is Brett Favre in a nutshell: One week he looks awful, the next he looks like... Brett Favre. However, after watching NFL Playbook on the NFLN, I'm ready to give more respect to the Packers' front seven, regardless of what Favre does..

25. (23) Tennessee Titans (6-10). Things aren't off to a running start for Vince Young. The other pundits say he'll be fine once "the playground mentality" clicks in. I'm not so sure.

26. (24) Tampa Bay Bucs (6-10). They just didn't show up against their cross-state rivals in Jacksonville.

27. (26) New York Giants (5-11). The hard part for the Giants this week had to be the Sunday Night Football tape of Tiki Barber revealing what most of us probably guessed: Eli Manning is just too much of an aw-shucks goober to impress professionals in the huddle. .

28. (29) Oakland Raiders (4-12). Daunte Culpepper has small hands and a career-long fumbling problem. But he looked a LOT healthier on his knees than he did in 2006. He still may not start, but... .

29. (28) Miami Dolphins (5-11). Trent Green got the starting job. Yipee.

30. (30) Cleveland Browns (6-10). All anybody in the media can talk about are Brady Quinn's game stats from Week 2. A reminder to these putzes: Quinn's success came against third-stringers.

31. (31) Kansas City Chiefs (3-13). Train wreck.

32. (32) Atlanta Falcons (2-14).   They lost their third QB. They might consider trading for someone else to be their No. 1 QB while they're at it.