1. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 1)
Indy’s first test of the season could be a tough one as they have no idea what kind of offense Buffalo will roll out with Tyrod Taylor under center. We will get to see just how good the Colts’ offense can be right off the bat with a battle against Rex Ryan’s new Bills.

2. New England Patriots (Last week: 2)
The Pats stay here in part because I messed up and didn’t finish the power rankings before last night’s game. The run defense looked atrocious but it won’t matter much if Brady, Edelman and Gronkowski play like they did last night.

3. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 3)
The Packers get a nice easy start to their season. Aaron Rodgers threw for 617 yards and 10 touchdowns last season against the Bears, while completing 72.7 percent of his passes. Even without Jordy Nelson, Rodgers should bully Chicago again.

4. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 4)
This offensive line flat out scares me and facing a group as good as the Rams front four week 1 is not what Seattle needs. This is baptism by fire for this offensive line. The Seahawks are also without All-Pro safety Kam Chancellor which will certainly come as a major blow.

5. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 6)
Dallas added another running back to its stable by trading for Christine Michael. The former Texas A&M star will give the ‘Boys an insurance policy and a good change of pace back. It will be fun to see him get the ball behind this road grading offensive line.

6. Denver Broncos (Last week: 5)
The Broncos drop just because Dallas got better. Cutting Montee Ball was for the best unfortunately. How Denver comes out week 1 against the Ravens will be a big indicator for how their season will go.

7. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 7)
In games Carson Palmer started for the Cardinals last season, they were undefeated. This Arizona team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender with Bruce Arians at the helm. They will be even more of one if Andre Ellington stays healthy.

8. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 8)
While their are still some question marks surrounding this Chiefs team, there are probably even more surrounding division rival Denver. I would not be surprised if Kansas City led the AFC West at season’s end.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 9)
Putting this high-octane offense against the worst passing defense in the league a season ago should be a recipe for a win week 1 for Philly. What will be more telling is how the defense holds up against Atlanta’s offense.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 10)
Pittsburgh’s defense looked lost and confused for good chunks of last night. Leaving All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski wide open in the middle of the field probably wasn’t part of the game plan but it happened on a number of occasions. The running game looked good though with DeAngelo Williams flashing his speed last night.

11. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 12)
I am much higher on the Vikings than most people who don’t live in Minnesota. However, I saw a lot of promise from this young squad in the preseason. If they can win 7 games without Adrian Peterson, I am willing to bet they can win 10 with him.

12. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 13)
DeVante Parker might be back in the fold earlier than expected. That is really good news for Ryan Tannehill as he has the best supporting cast of his young career. With Suh clogging the middle now on defense as well, Miami should be at the edge of the playoff picture all year.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 11)
The Bengals resigned A.J. Green this morning and now have over $200 million committed to their inconsistent signal caller Andy Dalton and the oft-injured Green. Cincy needs for these investments to start paying off if they have any chance of making it past the wildcard round this year.

14. Detroit Lions (Last week: 15)
I am interested to see which Matthew Stafford shows up on Sunday. The one that can’t win big games or the one that shreds teams through the air. Against the Chargers, I think we are going to see the later in a convincing Detroit win.

15. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 16)
I will be honest here. I really don’t like the Baltimore Ravens in 2015. They have no proven receivers outside of Steve Smith Sr. He can only do so much for this team. Joe Flacco better hope the Ravens ground game is as good as it was a season ago or he is in for a very long season.

16. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 13)
San Diego had a rough preseason running the ball. They finished with an abysmal 3.1 yards per carry, which tied them with Browns for 26th in the league. That includes Melvin Gordon, who picked up 45 yards on 20 carries. Phillip Rivers might still be looking for help on the offense.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 17)
Rex Ryan actually won his only game against Andrew Luck in the latter’s rookie year. Luck has grown a lot since then but Ryan has a way for flustering quarterbacks. It wouldn’t shock me if he found a way to get after Luck this weekend and kept the game closer than most expect.

18. Houston Texans (Last week: 18)
Last week I picked on Houston for not running the ball well without Arian Foster. With reports that the Pro Bowl running back could be back after only two or three weeks of the regular season, the Texans have a much better chance at making a playoff push.

19. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 19)
Atlanta’s reworked defense is going to be tested early and often against the Eagles. It will be a real test for rookie head coach Dan Quinn to get it to hold up for all four quarters.

20. New York Jets (Last week: 20)
New York has struggled at finding a good quarterback to start for them since anyone can remember. Thankfully for them, they are playing the one team who probably has a worse quarterback situation. The Jets’ defense should feast on Cleveland’s lack of skill players in week 1.

21. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 21)
Giving Brees a lot of time in the pocket will be useful but outside of Brandin Cooks and Marques Colston, the skills players are a bunch of unknowns. The crazy thing is, the Saints are in as good of a position as any to win the NFC South this year.

22. New York Giants (Last week: 22)
The Giants finally paid Eli. Now he can focus on football. Victor Cruz is officially out week 1 but the Giants have become pretty adept to playing without him. Now if the offensive line and make shift secondary can hold, New York might have a chance of walking out of Dallas with a win.

23. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 25)
Todd Gurley will officially miss week 1 but once he is on the field, St. Louis has a deep and talented backfield. If they can find any form of consistency in the passing game against the Seahawks on Sunday, there is a chance that the Rams defense can do enough to get the win.

24. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 24)
The Panthers locked up Luke Keuchley for the foreseeable future. Now all they need is a to find a wide receiver who can catch the ball from Cam Newton for the foreseeable future. Carolina will struggle to move the ball and could be upset on the road in Jacksonville.

25. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 23)
I got a little too over zealous last week moving the Browns up to 23 with thoughts they could sign Robert Griffin III. Dropping them back down is good. Sunday will likely start another long season for Cleveland where the most I can see them winning is a handful of games.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 26)
Remember two years ago when San Francisco was in the NFC championship game only a year after losing to the Ravens in the Super Bowl. That seems like a lifetime ago and most of that group that helped them to that success is gone. The 49ers are in desperate need of some new leaders on this team.

27. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28)
There is a little bit of hope in Oakland for the first time in what seems like years. The Raiders are making the right moves and are slowly beginning to develop a young nucleus to build this team around. The results won’t come in 2015 though.

28. Chicago Bears (Last week: 27)
With rumors that Alshon Jeffery could miss week 1, the Bears’ chances of even mounting a push against the Packers are even slimmer. Chicago hasn’t beaten Green Bay at Soldier Field since 2010. And they will likely have to wait until at least next year to even think about breaking that streak.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 29)
Julius Thomas had a successful surgery and should be back for week 4. Unfortunately, that means the Jaguars are rolling out a very inexperienced receiving core. Pair that with a sophomore quarterback and a rookie running back, this Jacksonville squad has a lot of growing up to do this season and they have to do it fast.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 30)
Tampa Bay has a great chance to start the season with a win as the top two picks face off week one. Jameis Winston against Marcus Mariota will one day be a great matchup to watch. For now though, this is two teams fighting to avoid being in the NFL cellar.

31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 31)
The same that was said for the Bucs can be said for the Titans. Adding Browns castoff Terrance West could be a solid move for Tennessee but this team is still a few years away from competing in the AFC South.

32. Washington (Last week: 32)
They deserve to be at the bottom. With the way they handle personnel decisions and the obvious lack of cohesion between the coaching staff and management, Washington is a mess. They have some great skill position players but an inconsistent line and a backup quarterback mean that Washington is in for a rough season.

1. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 1)
Andrew Luck finally found the endzone and the Colts offense got some much needed game reps. It will be really interesting to see how Frank Gore changes this offense.

2. New England Patriots (Last week: 4)
After months of waiting and debating, Brady’s suspension has been overturned. He will be on the field against Pittsburgh and the Patriots look like favorites to run away with the AFC East once again.

3. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 2)
After talking about how happy Green Bay was to have Randall Cobb back, Cobb suffered a shoulder injury himself. It is not believed to be anything serious but if it persists, the Packers could be in a lot of trouble. Also, the defense needs to figure out what went wrong after giving up 25 points in the first quarter against Philly.

4. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 3)
For the third straight week, the Seahawks struggled to move the ball and score points. Seattle’s new look offense has to be scaring some fans who are watching. Marshawn Lynch is not involved as much as he usually would be but still, the offense needs to click Week 1 to restore confidence.

5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 5)
No one knows quite what to expect from Peyton Manning and the Broncos this year. Until I see otherwise though, I see no reason to drop them from the top five.

6. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 6)
Darren McFadden had success running the football for the first time in a long time. It was a limited number of carries but McFadden showed he could still cut well and had some good open field speed.

7. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 7)
I think most people forget just how tough it was to beat the Cardinals before they lost Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton this year. Bruce Arians’ team is as much a title contender as the rival Seahawks.

8. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 9)
Another sharp week for Alex Smith has to make Chiefs’ fans think this offense has turned the corner. Three straight convincing wins for Kansas City makes you wonder if Denver still has a grip on the AFC West.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 10)
Alright, two preseason games with a lot of success can maybe be written off as nothing, but after a third straight week where the Eagles offense went off, that has to put the league on high alert. The defense also shutout the Packers in the first quarter. Most teams aren’t going to blow a 25-point lead. The Eagles look dangerous in the NFC.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
Martavius Bryant will now miss the first four games of the season with a drug suspension and the Steelers’ defense looked helpless to stop the Bills. THE BILLS?!?!? Tyrod Taylor, E.J. Manuel and Matt Cassel ripped the Pittsburgh secondary apart.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 11)
The Bengals bounced back from a really rough second preseason game. Andy Dalton looked very good in limited action and the running game got going. If Cincy gets hot then they are really good but when they are cold, they are among the worst teams in the league.

12. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 12)
Minnesota has had a very convincing preseason and that was without Adrian Peterson on the field. The Vikings could be a tough out and could challenge the beaten up Packers for the NFC North if all falls into place.

13. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 14)
Same deal as last week. Ryan Tannehill looked great while Lamar Miller struggled. It is starting to look like Tannehill has finally come into his own entering his fourth year. He and a strong Miami defense could push them into the playoffs.

14. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 13)
Defense looks like it will not be an issue for the Chargers this year. The running game is downright awful. Donald Brown, Melvin Gordon, Danny Woodhead and Branden Oliver had a combined 2.7 yards per attempt on 27 carries.

15. Detroit Lions (Last week: 15)
The defense took a step back as it failed to reach Blake Bortles even once and the Jacksonville QB had a field day. Ameer Abdullah has looked like a dud since his first week explosion. Should be interesting to see how he fairs in the regular season.

16. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 16)
He might be 36, but Steve Smith Sr. still has a lot of fight in him. Smith torched the Washington secondary for 95 yards and a touchdown on four receptions. Unfortunately, that was about all the offensive production the Ravens had that night.

17. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Everyone though the Bills lacked a starting quarterback. It turns out, all Rex Ryan had to do was rotate them throughout the game. Buffalo played four quarterbacks who went a combined 30 of 33 passing for 386 yards and three touchdowns. One of them can start, right?

18. Houston Texans (Last week: 17)
Running the ball is not something the Texans have shown they are particularly adept at when Arian Foster is not on the field. Their running backs combined for 78 yards on 33 attempts. Houston might make a push when Foster is back but it looks unlikely before that point.

19. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 19)
The Falcons offensive line struggled big time against the Miami defense. Allowing six sacks and only managing to pave the way for 2.1 yards per carry is mediocre at best. If this persists, Atlanta has more to worry about than their porous defense.

20. New York Jets (Last week: 21)
Ryan Fitzpatrick seems to be settling down in this offense and the Jets ran the ball effectively. Antonio Cromartie flashed his big play ability, something New York desperately lacked last year on defense. This team is far from a contender but things are starting to come together.

21. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 20)
New Orleans didn’t leave their starters on the field too long and they seemed effective while they had the chance. There are a lot of question marks surrounding this team heading into the regular season.

22. New York Giants (Last week: 22)
Odell Beckham Jr. finally caught the ball on Saturday night. It didn’t help much as the Giants still lost and the defense was bullied by a strong Jets’ running game for most of the night. The Giants have a lot of holes to fill before week one.

23. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 27)
With rumors that Robert Griffin III might be released in Washington, the Browns have to be licking their chops. With all of the quarterback issues going on in Cleveland, Griffin is far from a sure thing but he does offer some promise and give them a potential starter.

24. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 25)
The offense got creative and the defense looked strong in a tough loss. Two interceptions of Tom Brady was huge for the Panthers secondary. If the Carolina offense can find a way to score even 20 points in a game, the Panthers have a good shot to win.

25. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 24)
Nick Foles rebounded from a pathetic performance a week prior but the Rams ground attack stalled. St. Louis better hope that Todd Gurley is healthy soon and that he can start playing as well as he did while he was at Georgia.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 26)
Colin Kaepernick looked very effective running the ball and completely lost when throwing it. This San Francisco offense has to figure out exactly what kind of team it wants to be.

27. Chicago Bears (Last week: 27)
Once again, the Bears defense looked like it was just about game ready while the offense spun its wheels. Generating 194 total yards of offense is not going to win you too many football games.

28. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28)
There is a little bit of hope in Oakland for the first time in what seems like years. The Raiders are making the right moves and are slowly beginning to develop a young nucleus to build this team around. The results won’t come in 2015 though.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 29)
Blake Bortles had a great outing against the Lions, throwing for 285 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he also led the Jaguars in rushing with only 38 yards. Good to see this type of play from Bortles. Very concerning that the running game was nowhere to be found. And with Julius Thomas missing the first three weeks, that could mean a slow start for the Jags.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 30)
Jameis Winston will maintain that he didn’t take a step back but he certainly didn’t take one forward either. Completing 40 percent of your passes and throwing a pick shows Winston still has a lot of growing to do before this team can start challenging even in the NFC South.

31. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
Tennessee finally moved up! Although that is more due to the short comings of Washington than the Titans success. The defense looked pretty bad this week getting shredded by Alex Smith and Aaron Murray all game long.

32. Washington (Last week: 31)
Washington announced the Kirk Cousins will start the year at quarterback. That’s not the reason for the fall though. The disarray between ownership and management is apparent and Washington lost Junior Galette for the year. This team is floundering at the moment.

1. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 1)
The Pack managed to make it through the first week of the preseason without any major injuries. A win over the Patriots was solid as well. Aaron Rodgers looked sharp in his brief appearance. The future looks bright as well after Brett Hundley’s impressive appearance.

2. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 2)
Don’t read too much into the loss to the Eagles. Andrew Luck complete five of his six passes for 42 yards. The running game will be much improved as well once Frank Gore returns this week. The defense did fairly well with the starters playing, holding Mark Sanchez to just two of seven passing.

3. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 3)
Not the best start of all time for Seattle. That offensive line looks like it could use some work as it allowed two sacks of Russell Wilson in the early going. The big concern was how the Seahawks would fair without Max Unger and it doesn’t look like those concerns were quieted. Tyler Lockett was a bright spot though.

4. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 4)
Hard to judge the Cowboys performance this week versus the Chargers as Tony Romo, Joseph Randle and Dez Bryant all missed the game. However, it was nice to see a strong performance out of Gavin Escobar with five catches for 47 yards.

5. Denver Broncos (Last week: 6)
Denver moves up a spot mainly due to the Patriots’ issues. Peyton Manning didn’t appear in this first preseason matchup but Brock Osweiler, Ronnie Hillman and Cody Latimer all looked good in this one. The latter two could be integral parts of this Bronco offense in 2015.

6. New England Patriots (Last week: 5)
It is hard to say the Patriots are in trouble after just one week but Jimmy Garrappalo did not exactly instill confidence in Pats’ fans. He completed 20 of 30 passes but only amassed 156 yards. That will improve as more of New England’s starting offensive lineman begin to play, but still not a great first impression.

7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 8)
It was good to see Ben Roethlisberger hit a Steeler wide receiver not named Antonio Brown for a touchdown pass. The Steelers have to hope that Deangelo Williams can fill in for LeVeon Bell those first two weeks still, which is a scary thought.

8. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 7)
Adding Chris Johnson could be a nice addition for this team. Mike Iupati going down for 6-8 weeks is not good though. It was also nice to see Carson Palmer back under center. He looked great too, completing all four passes for 79 yards in his brief appearance.

9. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 9)
The Bengals defense looked good against what many expect to be a potent Giants offense. Cincy also has two great young runners to take some of the pressure of the often-disappointing Andy Dalton. The Bengals have to feel good about their playoff chances entering the season.

10. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 11)
The first team offense struggled without Jamaal Charles in the picture. That should tell you just how valuable he is to this team. They will go as far as he can carry them this season.

11. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: 12)
Ignoring Tim Tebow’s return is for the best in terms of looking at the Eagles’ hopes of doing well. Nelson Agholor showed some flashes though, as did Kenjon Barner. The Eagles might have found some need skill position players to help score points this season.

12. San Diego Chargers (Last week: 10)
Melvin Gordon did not impress much in his first ever NFL game. Six carries for 11 yards is Trent Richardson-like numbers. This Chargers team needs a solid starter to rely on after the mess the backfield turned into last season.

13. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 13)
Teddy Bridgewater looked really strong in his short time on the field. The defense managed to bully the rookie Jameis Winston as well in his first action, recording two sacks and a pick. Good outing for the Vikings. We still all just want to see Adrian Peterson play again.

14. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 14)
If the Patriots struggle out of the gate without Brady, this could be Miami’s division to win. A strong defense and a steadily improved Ryan Tannehill could do the trick for the Fins this year.

15. Detroit Lions (Last week: 15)
Detroit bullied the Jets all night long. The pass defense looked strong and the Lions offense took it to this vaunted New York D. Ameer Abdullah looks as good as he has been advertised in camp too.

16. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 16)
It is going to be tough for the Ravens to make the playoffs again. You have to assume they would be looking for a wildcard spot behind either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati atop the division. And the AFC is wide open with teams that could challenge for those two spots.

17. Houston Texans (Last week: 20)
The move is more due to the circumstances of teams around them. Alfred Blue did pretty well in relief of Arian Foster and Cecil Shorts III looked like he could be a weapon on his 58-yard touchdown reception. Now if only they had a clue as to who will play quarterback.

18. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 18)
Tyrod Taylor is getting a start for the Bills. That probably isn’t a good sign. He might end up being decent but based on his track record, Buffalo is in trouble if this is the best guy they have in camp at the moment.

19. New York Giants (Last week: 19)
Landon Collins will likely miss some time now with a sprained MCL. That is not a good sign to start the season for a Giants’ defense that allowed the fourth-worst yards per attempt average in 2014.

20. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 22)
The Falcons might actually be the favorite to win this division despite looking like a .500 team on paper. If Tevin Coleman can put together a good season for this team though, they will be much more balanced on offense.

21. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 23)
The Saints are not exactly a playoff bound team but they have a shot in the weak NFC South. With Junior Galette and Jimmy Graham gone though, that could be an uphill battle.

22. New York Jets (Last week: 21)
Some were saying the Jets could be a playoff contender if their offseason acquisitions pay off. It didn’t look like it though in Detroit though as New York finished the night with 56 passing yards. That was for the whole game. It might be preseason, but that is not a good sign.

23. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 17)
Carolina struggled to make the playoffs last year. And that was with Kelvin Benjamin. With the second-year wideout done for the season with an ACL tear, Cam Newton is in for a very long season.

24. St. Louis Rams (Last week: 24)
The Rams need Todd Gurley to be a factor this season. That doesn’t mean rush him back but if he does very little, St. Louis is going nowhere in the standings and likely headed for Los Angeles.

25. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 27)
Before anyone gets too excited, let’s remember it’s preseason. That being said, Johnny Manziel looked pretty good the other night. He finally looked like a quarterback with a ton of athleticism rather than an athletic dude trying to play quarterback. There is still a long way to go though from here.

26. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 26)
There is no hiding the fact that this will be a long year for the fans of the red and gold. Carlos Hyde is unproven and there is not a wide receiver with a future on this roster. Now with Aldon Smith gone, San Fran is in a lot of trouble.

27. Chicago Bears (Last week: 25)
With rumors that Kevin White could miss the whole season due to injury, the Bears have to be in panic mode. If people thought Jay Cutler looked bad last year, 2015 could be even worse.

28. Oakland Raiders (Last week: 28)
The Raiders had a good first week of the preseason. This team could pull off a couple of upsets throughout the season, but they will be upsets. The Raiders are favorite against almost no one in the NFL.

29. Washington (Last week: 29)
Robert Griffin III announced to the media that he thought he was the best quarterback in the NFL. Washington proceeded to ban RG3 from future media engagements, and then announced he will start the whole season no matter what. Considering this is election season, I can’t believe the football team is the one surrounded with the most uncertainty in the nations capital.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 30)
Well it is hard to be worse than the Buccaneers and Titans. We will see if the Jags can find a way to get Blake Bortles comfortable in this offense and maybe try to keep him upright for once.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 31)
Well Jameis Winston finally debuted in an NFL uniform. His first appearance was pretty uneven though. He threw a pick and completed less than half his passes but there were certainly bright spots as well.

32. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)
Marcus Mariota first game started about as poorly as possible. He was strip sacked and picked off on his first two drives. However, Mariota settled down and completed the rest of his passes. Seems like the kid can bounce back.

The season is not underway yet but that doesn’t mean we can’t start ranking teams. The preseason is set to kickoff tomorrow so it is time to begin my first NFL Power Rankings of 2015.

1. Green Bay Packers
The Packers come into the season as my Super Bowl pick. Aaron Rodgers is probably the best quarterback in the NFL and he has way too many weapons on offense between Randall Cobb, Jordy Nelson, Davonte Adams and Eddie Lacy. Think the Packers can win based on offense alone? Their 2012 Super Bowl win was due in large part to their second ranked defense. Just saying.

2. Indianapolis Colts
Like Green Bay, this team wins games by scoring points. Andrew Luck is an MVP candidate heading into this season and should have a much improved running game to support him with Frank Gore coming to town. The Colts suddenly have a very deep wide receiving core as well with Andre Johnson and Phillip Dorsett joining Indy during the offseason. The defense probably still needs some work but with the Patriots weakened, this is my pick to win the AFC.

3. Seattle Seahawks
This is supposed to be the year that the Seahawks finally let Russell Wilson loose. He has more weapons than ever, thanks to the arrival of Jimmy Graham. The offensive line might take a little bit of figuring out with Pro Bowl center Max Unger gone but this defense looks just about as strong as it ever did. Seattle is still going to be very hard to beat.

4. Dallas Cowboys
If they still had DeMarco Murray, they might be number one. The Cowboys defense isn’t perfect but adding Greg Hardy and Randy Gregory will improve it and might even push it to the territory of above average. Tony Romo is thankful to keep Dez Bryant around and Bryant is thankful he finally got paid. Dallas should win the NFC East again and make some noise in the playoffs.

5. New England Patriots
Without Darrelle Revis, Vince Wilfork or Tom Brady for the first four games, the Patriots are going to struggle. Even after Brady returns, this team is going to have to find a way to generate a lot of points to make up for the weak defense. They remain at five because they are the raining Super Bowl Champions but this team is going to slide a bit if they can’t get on track.

6. Denver Broncos
There are a lot of question marks surrounding this team. The biggest one is how well will Peyton Manning perform. I think this Broncos offense is going to dip some but due to the losses of Julius Thomas, Manny Rivera and Wes Welker rather than Manning’s declining play. Denver is certainly not a lock to win the West this year.

7. Arizona Cardinals
If Carson Palmer returns to pre-surgery form, the Cardinals could very well be the team to beat in the NFC West. Arizona went 11-5 last season despite playing with either their second or third string quarterback under center for 10 out of their 16 games. With Palmer, they were undefeated. Oh and they had the fourth best scoring defense. This is a complete team.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will struggle without LeVeon Bell in the lineup. Plain and simple. However, with those two games coming against the Bradyless Patriots and the reeling San Francisco 49ers. Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger should be more than enough to beat those two teams.

9. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals will challenge Pittsburgh again for the division. They will also probably end up as one of the wildcards from the AFC. And then they will almost definitely find a way to blow it in the wildcard game. If the Bengals bow out of the first round yet again, expect a new coach in Cincy.

10. San Diego Chargers
Melvin Gordon could be the missing piece in San Diego. Phillip Rivers is in a contract year too so he will be hard pressed to put up good numbers. The Chargers pair they vamped up offense with a defense that ranked in the top ten last season for yards allowed. They should challenge Denver for the division crown.

11. Kansas City Chiefs
Maybe I am over estimating the talent in the AFC West this season but the Chiefs have a vastly improved secondary after getting Eric Berry back and drafting Marcus Peters. Jamaal Charles will still be the workhorse but Jeremy Maclin definitely improves this passing attack and should catch at least one touchdown this season.

12. Philadelphia Eagles
Definitely the toughest team to figure out by a landslide. This Eagles team could be a Super Bowl contender or a basement dweller. No one is quite sure. Losing McCoy and Maclin definitely hurt what was a talented Eagles offense. The jury is still out on the health of DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford as well.

13. Minnesota Vikings
I think a lot of people are sleeping on the Vikings this year. They are loaded up at skill positions and Teddy Bridgewater is the reigning Rookie of the Year. The defense was solid but needed some help when it came to stopping the run. Spending their first three picks on defense showed the Vikings were ready to address the problem. They should be a Wild Card team in the NFC.

14. Miami Dolphins
Miami is right on the cusp of being a good team. Ndomakung Suh immediately improves a Dolphin run defense that ranked 24th last season. Once Devante Parker is healthy, Ryan Tannehill is going to have some weapons to work with as well. Miami could sneak into the Wild Card picture by season’s end.

15. Detroit Lions
You can’t pretend that the loses of Nick Fairley and the aforementioned Suh won’t really hurt the Lions rush defense. Matthew is still not an elite quarterback either. Stafford’s record against teams that finish with winning records is 3-24 over the last four years. Tells you all you need to know.

16. Baltimore Ravens
Short and sweet, I am not a huge fan of the 2015 Ravens. Breshad Perriman cannot replace Torry Smith nor can Timmy Jernigan replace Haloti Ngata. This team is going to struggle to throw the ball with Steve Smith Sr. as the only proven receiver on the roster. And he’s 36.

17. Carolina Panthers
This division should be marginally better than it was a year ago, but still not good. And the Panthers should still win it. The defense looks solid and Cam Newton has a good rapport with Kelvin Benjamin. That offensive line is shaky at best thought. Newton could be in for a long year.

18. Buffalo Bills
The Bills are going to look very different from last season. C.J. Spiller is gone in favor of LeSean McCoy. Matt Cassell takes over Kyle Orton’s role. Kiko Alonso is now an Eagle. And Rex Ryan is now calling the shots. The Bills are one of those teams that, if they had a quarterback, they would be really good.

19. New York Giants
Injuries once again plague the Giants and the season hasn’t even begun yet. Will Beatty will miss most of this season with a torn pectoral muscle. That means Ereck Flowers will be thrown into the starting role. Having a rookie left tackle protecting Eli Manning’s blindside is not comforting.

20. Houston Texans
Like the Bills, the Texans have just about all of the pieces in place, except for at quarterback. They at least have a group with some promise. It will be interesting to see how the franchise fares with Andre Johnson though. A lot is riding on DeAndre Hopkins being a true number one receiver.

21. New York Jets
Probably the only team in the league that benefits from having their starting quarterback’s jaw broken. Ryan Fitzpatrick knows the system from his time with offensive coordinator Chan Gailey in Buffalo. The Jets could compete this year, or completely fold and go 5-11.

22. Atlanta Falcons
Offense has never been the problem for Atlanta. Still the Falcons bolstered their ground attack with Tevin Colemon. On the other side of the ball, Dan Quinn arrives from Seattle to rejuvenate the league’s worst statistical defense. I think Vic Beasley is a bust (see Gohlson, Vernon for comparison) but only time will tell.

23. New Orleans Saints
Giving Drew Brees more time to throw the ball was a good decision. The Saints need some of their gambles, like C.J. Spiller and Stephone Anthony to pay some immediate dividends if New Orleans has any hope of returning to the playoffs in 2015. It’s a slight chance but with Brees under center you never know.

24. St. Louis Rams
How on Earth the Rams front office convinced the Eagles that Sam Bradford was worth Nick Foles AND draft picks is beyond me. If Foles stays healthy, the Rams could be a sleeper team to challenge for a wild card spot. However, Foles doesn’t have the same targets he did in Philly.

25. Chicago Bears
Jay Cutler is a marked man in Chicago. However, Adam Gase is pretty good at coaching up quarterbacks. With Kevin White and a fully healthy defense, the Bears should improve this season. Based on how tough the division (ok mostly the Packers) look though, it might not be by much.

26. San Francisco 49ers
It’s amazing that just two years ago, this team was a crazy Seattle interception away from being in the Super Bowl for what would have been a second consecutive season. Now, the 49ers are the basement dwellers in the NFC West in terms of talent. This is going to be a long year for the Bay Area football.

27. Cleveland Browns
Yeah I know the Browns almost avoided a losing record and weren’t eliminated from the playoffs until Week 16 but Cleveland is still a mess. After letting Brian Hoyer walk, the Browns found themselves with Josh McCown and the science experiment still known as Johnny Manziel. Pair that with the fact that former quarterback Terrelle Pryor might be Cleveland’s best receiver and you understand why they are ranked where they are.

28. Oakland Raiders
The beginning of the David Carr era was less than stellar but there was some promising moments for the young quarterback. With a real weapon in Amari Cooper and a potential possession receiver in Michael Crabtree, Oakland’s offense could be at least average. Especially with Latavius Murray in the backfield. Watch out for that kid on highlight reels.

29. Washington
This ranking could change very quickly if Washington finally finds a competent quarterback. The running game is there and the defense is starting to come along with some bright young corners and a couple of potentially impactful pass rushers. If RGIII comes close to his 2012 form, Washington will be better this year.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars
Losing your first round pick mere weeks after signing him to a season-ending injury is rough and yet it totally seems to for the Jaguars. With reports Justin Blackmon will never play again, the Jags keep losing out on young talent. However, Blake Bortles seems to be the exception.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
They might have finished with the worst record in football a season ago so the Bucs are already in better shape than a season ago. This team is still lacking in talent but locking down the talented guys they have like Lavonte David is how Tampa needs to continue to rebuild.

32. Tennessee Titans
Without a clear running back or wide receiver set to start for Tennessee the offense will probably struggle. Pair that with the fact that they have a rookie quarterback and it’s almost a guarantee. The defense doesn’t look much better but bringing in Brian Orakpo is a step in the right direction. The Titans probably won’t be leaving the NFL cellar anytime soon though.