Senior writer John Oehser's Week 1 2014 NFL power rankings …
JACKSONVILLE – Here are senior writer John Oehser's Week 1 2014 power rankings. And we all know how important these are:
- Seattle Seahawks (0-0) | - | Champs are champs 'till they ain't the champs
- San Francisco 49ers (0-0) | - | Contenders are contenders 'til they ain't contenders
- Denver Broncos (0-0) | - | Most important offseason move was QB not retiring
- New England Patriots (0-0) | - | Belichick, Brady didn't retire either
- Green Bay Packers (0-0) | - | If officiating stays status quo, Aaron Rodgers has huge year
- New Orleans Saints (0-0) | - | If the officiating helps Rodgers, it will help Drew Brees, too
- Cincinnati Bengals (0-0) | - | Talent will make them tough out in the AFC
- Baltimore Ravens (0-0) | - | Organization too solid to be out of the postseason for long
- Philadelphia Eagles (0-0) | - | Defense must match offense to move up in tough NFC
- Indianapolis Colts (0-0) | -| Reggie Wayne's return significant for Andrew Luck
- Arizona Cardinals (0-0) | - | NFL's best team no one knows about
- Carolina Panthers (0-0) | - | Tough part about a breakout season is repeating it
- San Diego Chargers (0-0) | - | Yes, Philip Rivers is good enough to get them here
- Chicago Bears (0-0) | - | Good enough to contend for postseason
- Atlanta Falcons (0-0) | - | Memory of 2014 too fresh to move them higher
- Dallas Cowboys (0-0) | - | Who knows where they finish? But always fun to watch
- Kansas City Chiefs (0-0) | - | Must show they can beat elite teams to move up
- Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0) | - | Just don't usually stay down long
- Detroit Lions (0-0) | - | Enough talent and a good enough QB to move up fast
- New York Giants (0-0) | - | Eli Manning too good to repeat 27-interception season
- New York Jets (0-0) | - | Last season's 8-8 record was a surprise, but is there upside?
- St. Louis Rams (0-0) | - | Where they'll go without Sam Bradford is anyone's guess
- Washington Redskins (0-0) | - | New coach, new direction – and much still depends on RGIII
- Tennessee Titans (0-0) | - | Ken Whisenhunt will improve this franchise, but there are questions
- Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0) | - | We'll start 'em here and see where they go
- Cleveland Browns (0-0) | - | A lot of potential to get better – and a lot of questions, too
- Buffalo Bills (0-0) | - | LB Kiko Alonso injury, QB E.J. Manuel's preseason struggles troubling signs
- Minnesota Vikings (0-0) | - | Change at the top, but Adrian Peterson still the key
- Miami Dolphins (0-0) | - | Early injuries will hurt, but there is ability here to move up fast
- Oakland Raiders (0-0) | - | A ton of offseason changes, but how much improvement?
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0) | - | New coach, new direction – and a long way to go
- Houston Texans (0-0) | - | Probably won't be here long, but they're here now
