2011 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2
And we're off!
The 2011 regular season is finally under way, with Week 1 providing clues about where teams could be headed over the next few months. Our voters (ESPN.com's John Clayton, ESPN.com's Ashley Fox, AFC South blogger Paul Kuharsky, NFC West blogger Mike Sando and AFC North blogger James Walker) already have some thoughts (see below).
The Redskins make the biggest jump from Week 1 and the Colts fall further than any other team, while the Bears, Cardinals, Seahawks and Steelers also made big moves up and down the rankings.
Things could become even clearer in Week 2. Can the Eagles and Ravens threaten the top two? Might the Lions crack the top 10 with a win over the Chiefs? Will Pittsburgh and Indianapolis regain their footing?
• How they voted | Blogger reaction | Rank 'em
Team Power Rankings charts since 2002 |
Sprow: Jets are overrated 
Editor's note: "LW" indicates each team's ranking in the Week 1 edition of the 2011 Power Rankings.
| 2011 Power Rankings: Week 2 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 |  | -- Last Week: 1 | If you thought QB Aaron Rodgers would cool down after the Super Bowl, think again. (Walker) | |
| 2 |  | -- Last Week: 2 | League MVP Tom Brady couldn't have gotten off to a better start than his dissection of Miami. (Clayton) | |
| 3 |  | 1 Last Week: 4 | There are some issues in Philly, but offensive firepower is not one of them. (Fox) | |
| 4 |  | 4 Last Week: 8 | Baltimore let out all its playoff frustration in a 35-7 drubbing of the Steelers. (Walker) | |
| 5 |  | 2 Last Week: 7 | Mark Sanchez should send Tony Romo a thank you card for opening victory. (Clayton) | |
| 6 |  | 1 Last Week: 5 | Effort against the Packers would have been good enough against anyone else. (Sando) | |
| 7 |  | 6 Last Week: 13 | Jay Cutler quickly got over playoff controversy with 300-plus yards, two TDs and a big win over Atlanta. (Walker) | |
| 8 |  | 5 Last Week: 3 | Too early to push the panic button. Big Ben and his mates usually bounce back after tough losses. (Walker) | |
| 9 |  | 1 Last Week: 10 | Mike Tolbert's three scores help offset a shaky start on special teams. Is that still not fixed? (Kuharsky) | |
| 10 |  | 1 Last Week: 11 | Things couldn't have started any better. Now, how do they react to big expectations? (Kuharsky) | |
| 11 |  | 5 Last Week: 6 | It's tough to believe the mighty NFC South went 0-4 during opening week. (Sando) | |
| 12 |  | 4 Last Week: 16 | It must be the Lions' year if they're winning road games early. (Walker) | |
| 13 |  | 1 Last Week: 14 | Until Tony Romo can prove he is a clutch QB, questions about his ability to close games will continue. (Fox) | |
| 14 |  | 2 Last Week: 12 | Tough loss to Detroit, but at least the Bucs lost no ground in their division. (Sando) | |
| 15 |  | 4 Last Week: 19 | Strong start, but dominating time of possession against others won't be as easy as it was against Titans. (Kuharsky) | |
| 16 |  | 5 Last Week: 21 | New defensive coordinator Ray Horton won't miss Cam Newton this week. (Sando) | |
| 17 |  | 2 Last Week: 15 | Injuries have depleted the Giants' defense, and it might be too much to overcome. (Fox) | |
| 18 |  | 4 Last Week: 22 | Impressive work in AFC West continued with win at Denver, despite a slew of penalties. (Kuharsky) | |
| 19 |  | 9 Last Week: 28 | Rex Grossman proved Mike Shanahan picked the right QB, at least for a week. (Fox) | |
| 20 |  | 3 Last Week: 17 | Injury situation will test the Rams' depth and mettle heading into MNF game. (Sando) | |
| 21 |  | 3 Last Week: 18 | Insult and injury with brutal showing against Buffalo and loss of S Eric Berry. (Kuharsky) | |
| 22 |  | 4 Last Week: 26 | Two home games to open the season are helpful for new coach Jim Harbaugh. (Sando) | |
| 23 |  | 14 Last Week: 9 | Now in unfamiliar underdog role with Peyton Manning out and a bad opening loss. (Kuharsky) | |
| 24 |  | 4 Last Week: 20 | It's hard to win when your QB (Donovan McNabb) throws for 39 yards. (Walker) | |
| 25 |  | 2 Last Week: 23 | New coach, new QB, same old problems in a loss to Jacksonville. (Kuharsky) | |
| 26 |  | 2 Last Week: 24 | Where is the commitment to the run when the Dolphins go three-wides on goal line? (Clayton) | |
| 27 |  | 3 Last Week: 30 | Looks like there may be something to Chan Gailey's four-receiver offense. (Clayton) | |
| 28 |  | 1 Last Week: 27 | Nothing worse than losing a wrestling match with the rival Raiders. Turnovers were no way to start. (Kuharsky) | |
| 29 |  | 2 Last Week: 31 | Cam Newton's stunning performance in opener was the ultimate silver lining. (Sando) | |
| 30 |  | 2 Last Week: 32 | The young Bengals showed moxie in a comeback win over Cleveland with their backup QB. (Walker) | |
| 31 |  | 6 Last Week: 25 | Defense strong, offense weak and special teams horrible in opening defeat. (Sando) | |
| 32 |  | 3 Last Week: 29 | If the Browns can't beat the Manning-less Colts next week, it's going to be a long season. (Walker) | |
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| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by ESPN's Power Panel, a group of more than 80 writers, editors and television personalities. |
