These are my first power rankings of the 2012 regular season and first since my post draft rankings in May.
Remember this isn't a prediction, just a way of ordering which teams I think are "better" at the time I wrote this. In its simplest form, I would think that the tenth best team would beat the 22 behind them and lose to the nine in front. I do my best to apply it to all situations but obviously its not an exact science. Disagree with something? Let me know where I screwed up on twitter @TheBurghReport.
1) New England Patriots: Could end up being the most talented offense ever. Seriously. (PR: 1)
2) Green Bay Packers: Best offensive system in football and as good a bet for a Super Bowl run as anyone. (PR: 2)
3) New Orleans Saints: Bounty scandal; schmounty schmandal. As long as they've got Drew Brees under center, New Orleans will always be a Super Bowl contender. (PR: 3)
4) Houston Texans: I worry about that defense overachieving last year, but a healthy Matt Schaub and Andre Johnson certainly help quell those concerns. (PR: 8)
5) Pittsburgh Steelers: I don't care how old the defense is because as long as Ben Roethlisberger is still out their making plays, this team will contend. (PR: 4)
6) New York Giants: Winning the Super Bowl doesn't mean you're the best team seven months after the fact. (PR: 6)
7) Atlanta Falcons: I don't have Matt Ryan throwing for 5000 yards for nothing. (PR: 14)
8) Dallas Cowboys: In Romo we trust. (PR: 13)
9) San Francisco 49ers: An overachieving defense masked a mediocre offense in 2011. Their legitimacy as a contender will be tested early and often against Green Bay this weekend. (PR: 5)
10) Chicago Bears: After a decade of waiting, Chicago fans finally got that number one receiver they've been praying for. (PR: 11)
11) Baltimore Ravens: If anything were to happen to Ray Rice, this team would struggle to win even six games. (PR: 7)
12) Denver Broncos: If Peyton is Peyton, this is a playoff team. But that's a big "if." (PR: 10)
13) Philadelphia Eagles: They'll live and die by Michael Vick's health. (PR: 9)
14) Detroit Lions: Until that defense proves it can stop someone, it wont matter how talented Megatron is. (PR: 12)
15) Buffalo Bills: Will this finally be the year the Bills end their 21st century playoff drought? (PR: 16)
16) Kansas City Chiefs: Love the defense. Love the backfield. If the passing game is any kind of decent, this team will surprise people in 2012. (PR: 19)
17) San Diego Chargers: As long as Rivers is there, they'll compete, but that can only take them so far. (PR: 17)
18) Tennessee Titans: I'm excited about what's going on in Tennessee. Chris Johnson is determined and Jake Locker is starting. (PR: 18)
19) Seattle Seahawks: Best secondary in football on a team with a lot of good pieces in place. Now its up to Russell Wilson to prove he's worthy of the starting job. (PR: 24)
20) Carolina Panthers: I just can't bring myself to trust Cam Newton. (PR: 21)
21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: I like the additions they made this offseason; now its just a matter of bringing it all together. (PR: 20)
22) Cincinnati Bengals: Andy Dalton just screams "sophomore slump" to me. (PR: 15)
23) Oakland Raiders: I love McFadden but that's about it... (PR: 25)
24) Washington Redskins: I love RG3, I just don't love him competing in the NFC East as a rookie. (PR: 29)
25) New York Jets: Tebow will be starting by week 4 but there will be no magic in 2012. (PR: 22)
26) Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert looked surprisingly good in preseason. Too bad Maurice Jones-Drew wasn't there to enjoy it... (PR: 28)
27) Indianapolis Colts: I have them making the playoffs, but for now they'll need to fight their way up these rankings. (PR: 31)
28) Cleveland Browns: This is a tough team to predict given the influx of rookies on that offense. (PR: 27)
29) St. Louis Rams: People forget just how hurt St. Louis was last year. (PR: 30)
30) Arizona Cardinals: I'll give the Jets this much: at least their QB controversy is entertaining. Arizona's is just sad. (PR: 23)
31) Minnesota Vikings: Even if Peterson returns soon, this will be a long year for Minnesota fans. (PR: 26)
32) Miami Dolphins: Why a struggling organization with a rookie quarterback and new head coach would want to be on Hard Knocks is beyond me. (PR: 32)
Biggest jump: Falcons (Up 7)
Biggest fall: Cardinals and Bengals (Down 7)
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