Fort's Week 1 Power Rankings & Quick Takes

Week One Quick Takes:

1. Carolina Panthers:

In 2015 the Panthers had one of the best offenses as they were tough to gauge and very unpredictable. Last week against the Denver Broncos in the NFL's season opener the Panthers were very predictable. Every time Cam Newton dropped back to pass it were as if Kelvin Benjamin (Wide Receiver) & Greg Olsen (Tight End) were the only other players on the field as Cam targeted them a total of 21 out of 31 times. In the 4th quarter when the game was tight the Panthers found it hard to move the ball in part because, they had abandoned the run and their aerial attack was easy to stop. This cannot be the case if they want to repeat as NFC champs.

2. Dallas Cowboys:

Last year the Cowboys found themselves losing a lot of games as they couldn't score consistently. In 11 out of 16 games the Cowboys failed to score over 20 points. In the five games they did score over 20 points they went 2-3 (the two games they won Tony Romo was present.) If the Cowboys want to have any type of success this season they'll need to put up more than just 19 points.

3. Denver Broncos:

With both Peyton Manning and Brock Osweiler departing, the Denver Broncos had a lot of concern at quarterback. Instead of rolling with top draft choice Paxton Lynch as the new starter, the Broncos decided Trevor Siemian would be the better option. With the Siemian leading the team, Denver was more explosive in their Week 1 matchup with the Panthers than they were in the Superbowl. As Trevor progresses forward the team will as well.

4. New Orleans Saints:

If I told you  Drew Brees threw for 400+ yards, tossed 4TDs and didn't turn the ball over you would think the Saints won. But that's not the case here. New Orleans have the pieces offensively to make some noise; the defense just has to be better.

5. Detroit Lions:

For years the Lions offense has been pretty stagnated as Matthew Stafford would only target Calvin Johnson. This past Sunday the Lion's offensive looked pretty stout, fluid and impressive. If they can continue spreading the ball around and dominate teams on the ground they might have something.

6. Minnesota Vikings:

Defense wins championships. Sunday was a huge indication that the Vikings hold one of the best defenses in the NFL. They won a game where Adrian Peterson (Running back) was held to 31 yards and the offense failed to score a touchdown.

7. Washington Redskins:

For a team that won their division last year, bolstered their depth and have pretty lofty expectations the Redskins looked pathetic. They got cooked in the air and couldn't stop the Steelers run game. In a division where Odell Beckham Jr, Dez Bryant, Eli Manning, Ryan Matthews, Darren McFadden and Alfred Morris reside, the Skins might want to shore up a few things defensively. On the offensive side of the ball Kirk Cousins has to limit his turnovers and the running attack must be potent.

8. New England Patriots:

In a near starless game the Patriots pulled out an away victory over the Arizona Cardinals with Jimmy Garoppolo as their starting QB.... I no longer see them losing a game without Brady.

9. Cleveland Browns:

Everything just got real murky again for the Browns. QB Robert Griffin lll could be out a while with a shoulder injury. And WR Josh Gordon's return is still weeks away. Defensively, the Eagle's rookie QB cooked them.

10. Los Angeles Rams:

This team was bad, horrible, lackluster, unwatchable, depressing and a mess. Something has got give as Case Keenum is not the answer at QB.  Jared Goff where are you?

11. Oakland Raiders:

After years of irrelevancy the Raiders seem to be on their way up. The defense has improved, their QB is pretty damn good and Head Coach Jack Del Rio is making strides. It's still way too early to call them dangerous, but you should still keep an eye out.

12. Seattle Seahawks:

Having played in one ugly game against the Miami Dolphins the Seahawks' early portion of the season could be in jeopardy. Is Russell Wilson's ankle going to hold up like he's implying or is it a serious injury? Remains to be seen.

13. Indianapolis Colts:

Andrew Luck is basically in the same situation as Drew Brees. Both players and their teams will suffer as the defenses aren't sufficient. Only positive takeaway so far for the Colts is that Luck is healthy.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Like the Raiders, Tampa is another young team that is on the come up. The defense looks decent and QB Jameis Winston is making strides. They are already a fun team to watch.

Power Rankings:

1. New England Patriots 1-0 

2. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-0

3. Denver Broncos 1-0 

4. Oakland Raiders 1-0

5. Kansas City Chiefs 1-0

6. Minnesota Vikings 1-0

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-0

8. Philadelphia Eagles 1-0

9. Detroit Lions 1-0

10. Cincinnati Bengals 1-0

11. Green Bay Packers 1-0

12. New York Giants 1-0

13. Houston Texans 1-0

14. Baltimore Ravens 1-0

15. Seattle Seahawks 1-0

16. San Francisco 49ers 1-0 

17. Indianapolis Colts 0-1

18. New Orleans Saints 0-1

19. San Diego Chargers 0-1

20. Carolina Panthers 0-1

21. Arizona Cardinals 0-1

22. Atlanta Falcons 0-1

23. Jacksonville Jaguars 0-1

24. New York Jets 0-1

25. Tennessee Titans 0-1

26. Buffalo Bills 0-1

27. Chicago Bears 0-1

28. Dallas Cowboys 0-1

29. Miami Dolphins 0-1

30. Washington Redskins 0-1

31. Cleveland Browns 0-1

32. Los Angeles Rams 0-1


Losers of The Week:
The whole AFC East Division (not named New England) & The Dallas Cowboys (poor clock management)

Offensive Players of The Week:

Wide Receiver AJ Green (Cin.): 12Rec 180yards 1TD
Wide Receiver Antonio Brown (Pitt.): 8Rec 126yards 2TDs
Quarterback Drew Brees (NO.): 423yards 66.6% 4TDs & QBR: 78.6

Defenses of The Week:

1. San Francisco 49ers (Pitched a 28-0 shutout)
2. Minnesota Vikings ( Forced 3 turnovers returned 2/3 for TDs)
3. Baltimore Ravens (Held opposition to 7 points & 160 yards in Total Offense)