Brendan Ondick and Dylan Waterman
Staff Writers
As the season kicks off, and we are all excited for the return of football, here is the first set of NFL power rankings for 2014-2015:
32. Oakland Raiders- 0-3, and showing no signs of improvement.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars- With no capable starting QB, the Jags are heading towards a rough 2014-15 season.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers.- Without a stable starting quarterback, and an injury issue at running back this team will stay among the worst in the league
29. New York Giants- Their new offense is not clicking, and they give away the ball far too much.
28. Tennessee Titans- With struggles at key positions on offense, and a very shaky defense, the Titans have trouble scoring points, and maintaining leads when they have them.
27. St. Louis Rams- With QB Sam Bradford suffering his second ACL injury in as many seasons, this team is looking more towards the future then the present
26. Minnesota Vikings- With rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater taking over this team has some potential for improvement.
25. New York Jets- A stellar front 7 on defense, but struggle in all other areas on the field, which causes them to fold in crunch time.
24. Houston Texans- After starting 2-0 they suffered a loss to one of the worst teams in the league. It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.
23. Washington Redskins- Kirk Cousins is showing he is capable of leading this offense, which is performing well and putting up points, but their atrocious defense is bringing the whole team down.
22. Kansas City Chiefs- With star running back Jamaal Charles injured, as well as some injury concerns on defense, it’s hard to see this team making a push for the playoffs.
21. Miami Dolphins- An injury to their starting running back has caused them to be a one dimensional team that passes the football, a dimension in which they cannot thrive in.
20. Cleveland Browns- With quarterback Brian Hoyer playing well, there is unexpected excitement in Cleveland that is not about Lebron James or Johnny Football.
19. Buffalo Bills- After a 2-0 start the Bills seem to be a team moving in the right direction.
18.Green Bay Packers- With a struggling offense outside of Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson the Packers will continue to struggle.
17. Dallas Cowboys- Heading in the right direction with two straight wins, Tony Romo is getting the Cowboys back on track.
16. San Fransisco 49ers- With Super Bowl expectations the 49ers started 1-2, theres plenty of time left but can young quarterback Colin Kaepernick get his team back to its winning ways?
15. New Orleans Saints- Although the Saints started the season 0-2, it is nearly impossible to count out veteran quarterback and coach combination Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
14. Indianapolis Colts- After starting 0-2, Andrew Luck lead the team to a Week 3 victory, and has the team looking back to normal in all 3 phases.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers- A solid start to the season with a big primetime win over the Carolina Panthers has the Steelers at 13, however defensive injuries may become an issue.
12. Baltimore Ravens- Even with an immense off-field distraction, the Ravens are continuing to focus on the field, and play well.
11. Detroit Lions- Led by veterans Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson, the Lions appear to be a team ready for a playoff run.
10. Chicago Bears- Jay Cutler and the Bears high powered offense has been clicking on all cylinders but injuries to Charles Tillman and other defensive assets could hold them back.
9. Carolina Panthers- With Cam Newton leading the way on offense and Luke Kuechly leading the way on defense, this time has a high ceiling.
8. New England Patriots- Off to a rather slow start, however you can never count out future hall of famer Tom Brady.
7. Atlanta Falcons- With a statement win over the Buccaneers in week 3 the Falcons are a serious contender.
6. San Diego Chargers- You must respect a team that knocks of the Super Bowl Champions, and the Chargers did just that.
5. Denver Broncos- Even after a loss to the Seahawks Peyton Manning and the Broncos are still a serious threat to get back to the Super Bowl.
4. Seattle Seahawks- As the defending champs the Seahawks deserve to be higher but an early loss to the Chargers drops them in the rankings.
3. Arizona Cardinals- The 3-0 Arizona Cardinals have gotten two hard fought wins without their starting quarterback, they are contenders.
2. Philadelphia Eagles- The Eagles have made three straight comebacks to start 3-0, the high powered Chip Kelly offense is clicking on all cylinders, but can the defense hold its own?
1. Cincinnati Bengals- The Bengals have started the season 3-0 and have not experienced much adversity yet, can they keep their winning ways going and stay at that top?
