It’s finally here. The postseason kicks off this Saturday and there are many teams capable of raising the Vince Lombardi trophy in New Orleans. Of the 12 playoff teams, four were not in the postseason last year (Colts, Seahawks, Redskins, Vikings). Three of those teams will have rookie quarterbacks leading the offense. Football fans are in for an entertaining postseason.

Leading the way are the Broncos (1). With 11 straight wins and as the only team to have both a top-five offense and defense, Denver is poised for a deep run. The No. 1 seed in the NFC is at No. 4 in the Power Rankings. The Falcons will enjoy a week off before Matt Ryan attempts to win his first playoff game. The two other teams that will enjoy a first-round bye are the Niners (3) and Patriots (4).

Will wild card weekend produce a few upsets? The Seahawks (6) could deliver one on the road against the Redskins (10).

1. Broncos (13-3) — Peyton Manning has led the Broncos to 11 straight wins and guaranteed Denver home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The veteran quarterback has done a tremendous job getting the offense in sync. The passing attack is one of the most dynamic in the league. The defense is ranked in the top five of the league as well.

2.  49ers (11-4-1) — One thing to watch is how Justin Smith deals with his triceps injury. The dominant D-lineman is a big reason why the 49ers defense is the best in the league. San Francisco will be facing some high-powered offenses in the postseason and will need Smith to wreak havoc up front like he usually does.

3. Patriots (12-4) — We shouldn’t get ahead of ourselves, but doesn’t it seem like the Patriots and Broncos are on a collision course for an AFC championship showdown? Grabbing a first-week bye puts the veteran Pats in a great position to return to the Super Bowl. A healthy Rob Gronkowski is key to this team’s success.

4. Falcons (13-3) —  The No. 1 seed in the AFC has a lot of doubters. The Falcons have been in this position before and have failed. The difference now is Matt Ryan is playing better, the offensive is filled with explosive playmakers, and new coordinator Mike Nolan has the defense playing inspired football.

5. Packers (11-5) — No one wants to play the Packers in the playoffs, but Green Bay is vulnerable with a beat-up offensive line, shaky defense, and only one guaranteed game on the friendly confines of the frozen tundra.

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For the second straight week, the No. 1 team has been dethroned in the WEEI NFL Power Rankings. After falling to the Niners at home, the Patriots drop to No. 3 while San Francisco leaps to the top of the class. Nine straight wins has propelled the Broncos all the way to the No. 2 spot, and the red-hot Seahawks fly jump to No. 7.

The Giants (8), Ravens (9) and Steelers (15) all plummet as those three teams are a combined 2-7 in the month of December. With just two games to go, many teams are fighting for their playoff lives. The NFC race will be fascinating as six teams — Giants, Redskins (10), Bears (11) Cowboys (12), Seahawks and Vikings (16) — fight for three remaining spots.

As usual, the Jaguars (32), Chiefs (31), Raiders (30) and Eagles (29) remain the bottom feeders of the NFL.

1. (2) 49ers (10-3-1) — Yes, the Niners blew a 28-point lead, but they also went into Gillette Stadium and beat the red-hot Patriots in December. It was very impressive that they were able to keep their composure after losing the lead. In the end, the best defense in the league beat the best offense. 

2. (3) Broncos (11-3) — With games against two of the worst teams in the league remaining, the Broncos should wrap up the regular season and go into the playoffs with a first-round bye and 11 consecutive wins. 

3. (1) Patriots (10-4) — The road to the Super Bowl got a little tougher, but the Patriots have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick. No team in the AFC will want to play New England once the playoffs begin. Putting up 31 points in a half against the best defense in the league without Rob Gronkowski is pretty impressive.

4. (4) Texans (12-2) — The number of big plays the Houston defense has allowed over the past few weeks has to be concerning to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. The Texans have given up a 30-plus, an 80-plus, and three 60-plus-yard touchdown passes in their last five games.

5. (5) Falcons (12-2) —  As the playoffs draw near, the Falcons made their best case on Sunday for why teams should be afraid to play them this postseason. This is a mentally tough, resilient and well-rounded football team.

6. (6) Packers (10-4) — Packers fans are optimistic their team will make another deep postseason run. Green Bay has won eight of its last nine, has wrapped up the NFC North, and is getting healthy at the right time.

7. (9) Seahawks (9-5) — Since November, the Seahawks have scored 210 points and are averaging 35 points per game. Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch have developed into one of the best quarterback-running back tandems in the league.

8. (7) Giants (8-6) — The inconsistent play at the end of the regular season has to catch up to them eventually, right? It’s hard to count the Giants out after what they did in ’07 and ’11, but they have put themselves in a very dangerous position with just two games to go.

9. (8) Ravens (9-5) — The Ravens need to find a way to stop the negative momentum that has built up in December. The best way to do that is for Joe Flacco to focus on protecting the football. Flacco has turned the ball over six times this month with three interceptions and three fumbles.

10. (13) Redskins (8-6) — It’s amazing how this team has gone from out of playoff contention to first place in the NFC East. The Redskins control their destiny — two more wins and they can call themselves division champs for the first time since 1999.

11. (10) Bears (8-6) — What good is Jay Cutler if he can’t beat the Packers? The Bears QB is 1-6 against Green Bay since joining the NFC North. It’s hard to imagine that a team that started the season 7-1 could miss the playoffs. Chicago controlled the division for most of the season but lost both of its games to Green Bay this year.

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Is Tom Brady the most valuable player in the NFL right now? Will he win the award? Our DJ Bean takes an in-depth look here. But we want your vote.

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The bye weeks are over and now every team in the NFL has played the same number of games. If we’ve learned anything through the first three months of the current season, it’s that there are a lot of mediocre and below-average teams. There are six teams with a 4-7 record, five with a 6-5 record, and four with a 5-6 record. The Steelers (10) are practically begging to be dropped out of the top 10, but no one is worthy to rise into that elite group.

The Texans (1), Falcons (2) and Niners (3) have maintained stability at the top. At a combined 28-4-1, those three teams continue to roll. Inching closer and closer are the red-hot Patriots. They jump up one spot for the second straight week and sit at No. 4. Aaron Rodgers and the Packers get sacked out of the top five and drop to No. 8.

Week 13′s Monday night matchup should be a much more enjoyable game to watch than last night’s painful display of two equally uninspiring 3-8 teams — the Panthers (27) and Eagles (28). The Giants (7) take on RG3 and the Redskins (15) in an NFC East showdown.

Click here to listen to Mut and Merloni discuss this edition of the Power Rankings.

1. (1) Texans (10-1) — Ten quarters of football in just five days. It’s amazing they have been able to endure and come out on top in both games. Super Bowl-caliber teams are resilient, and the Texans have proven they can overcome any deficit. Expect the Texans to bounce back defensively next week against the Titans.

2. (2) Falcons (10-1) — Week after week the Falcons continue to find ways to win, and doubters continue to question if Matt Ryan‘s team is capable of being successful in the playoffs. It’s a fair question due to the fact that Ryan is 0-3 in the postseason, but the Falcons still deserve to be considered one of the best in the NFL since they’ve found a way to win 10 of 11 times this year.

3. (3) 49ers (8-2-1) — No defense is as physical and dominant as the Niners. San Fran’s D proved its dominance once again against one of the hottest offenses in the league. Going into Sunday’s game, the Saints were clicking on all cylinders in the month of November. They were averaging 32 points per game and Drew Brees had a 72.5 completion percentage with a 125.5 QB rating. Against the Niners, the Saints offense was held to just 21 points (its second-lowest total of the year). Brees’ completion percentage dropped nearly 10 points and his QB rating dropped nearly 40 points. 

4. (5) Patriots (8-3) — There is just one team in the NFL averaging over 30 points per game, and that’s the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick‘s team has stampeded over opposing defenses and has averaged 37 points per game. The last four games have been even more impressive. The Pats have put up 190 points. That’s more points than the Chiefs, Cardinals, Eagles and Jaguars have scored all season.

5. (6) Ravens (9-2) — What are they feeding their linebackers in Baltimore? First it was Terrell Suggs remarkably returning from his torn Achilles much earlier than expected. Now, Ray Lewis reportedly will return before the regular season ends after many thought the veteran linebacker’s career might be over due to his triceps injury.

6. (7) Broncos (8-3) —Peyton Manning helped the Broncos extend their winning streak to six games in Kansas City on Sunday. The Broncos offense sputtered a bit in it’s first game without Willis McGahee. Facing one of the worst run defenses in the game, Knowshon Moreno and Ronnie Hillman rushed for 94 yards. Going into the game, the Chiefs were allowing an average of more than 125 yards.

7. (9) Giants (7-4) — The Giants did exactly what they had to do coming off their bye week and two straight losses. If they can stay healthy, no team in the NFC will want to face them in the playoffs.

8. (4) Packers (7-4) — The Packers were forced to reshuffle their offensive line after starting tackle Brian Bulaga was lost for the season. Facing a strong Giants pass rush, Aaron Rodgers was sacked five times. The Packers have a major problem on their hands if the pass protection doesn’t improve.

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How powerful are the top 10 teams in this week’s WEEI NFL Power Rankings? Well, powerful enough to have gone a perfect 8-0 in Week 8 (the Texans (2) and Ravens (8) had byes). Remarkably, the top 10 stayed the same for the second week in a row. Matt Ryan and the Falcons have been at the No. 1 slot for five straight weeks.

On the other side, teams positioned from Nos. 11-19 in last week’s rankings weren’t as lucky. They combined for an 0-9 record in Week 8. The Eagles (16) and Jets (24) both fell significantly after suffering embarrassing losses.

We’re halfway through the season and some teams have overachieved while others have disappointed greatly. At the start of the season, no one would have thought the game between the Dolphins (15) and Colts (25) in Week 9 would have any playoff implications — but astonishingly enough, it does. On the other hand, the Saints (19) and Panthers (30) haven’t come close to living up to expectations. Those two teams have a combined 3-11 record.

1. (1) Falcons (7-0) — They’ve proven they can come from behind, they’ve proven they can blow teams out, and they’ve proven they can win on the road. The Falcons are the league’s best team and the only remaining unbeaten.

2. (2) Texans (6-1) — The best team in the AFC will look to pick up right where it left off after the bye week. The Texans are ranked in the top five in both pass and run defense. This is a team in line to not only win its second playoff game in franchise history but also to go deep in the postseason.

3. (3) Giants (6-2) — It wasn’t a pretty victory, but it was a win against a divisional opponent nonetheless. The Giants have a comfortable 3½-game lead in the NFC East. 

4. (4) 49ers (6-2) — If the 49ers offense can play as methodically and efficiently as it did on Monday night, San Francisco can be the most complete team in the league. Defensively, we know what this team is capable of. The Niners allowed a total of seven rushing yards against the Cardinals. That’s domination.

5. (5) Packers (5-3) — There are reports that the Packers might be interested in trading for Steven Jackson before the Thursday deadline. That would be a solid move for a team that ranks 26th in the league in the running game. Starting running back Alex Green averaged just 2.5 yards per carry against the league’s worst run defense, the Jaguars.

6. (6) Bears (6-1) — The Bears D already has returned six interceptions for touchdowns and is one of the main reasons the team is in first place in the NFC North. If Jay Cutler can stay healthy, the Bears can go deep into the playoffs. That’s a big IF. The Bears QB has been under duress a lot over the last two weeks and has been sacked 11 times in that span.

7. (7) Patriots (5-3) — The Patriots historically get better when the month of November rolls around. It doesn’t hurt that six of their remaining eight games are against the Bills, Colts, Dolphins, Jets and Jaguars. There’s no reason to believe the Pats can’t lock up at least the No. 2  seed in the AFC.

8. (8) Ravens (5-2) — Ravens fans are hoping to see more Ray Rice in the team’s offensive game plan in the second half of the season. The star running back is the team’s best weapon offensively, but for some reason his workload has been limited at times. Baltimore will limp out of the bye week without defensive standouts Lardarius Webb and Ray Lewis.

9. (9) Broncos (4-3) — We already know how impressive Peyton Manning has been this season, but the Broncos D really stepped up in Sunday night’s win over the Saints. Denver held the Saints to just 14 points and Drew Brees passed for just 213 yards. The Saints offense looked out of rhythm for most of the night, and a lot of credit has to go to Denver’s defensive unit.

10. (10) Steelers (4-3) — Jonathan Dwyer has revived the Steelers running game and offense. In two starts, the Steelers running back has averaged 6.7 yards per carry. The strong running game also puts less pressure on Ben Roethlisberger and keeps opposing defenses guessing.

11. (11) Seahawks (4-4) — Since defeating the Patriots in dramatic fashion, the Seahawks are 0-2. All four of their losses have come on the road. Pete Carroll told local radio station ESPN 710 in Seattle that his team “could easily be 8-0.” The problem is that argument could be reversed pretty easily — especially if you look at the legendary “Fail Mary” game against the Packers earlier in the year.

12. (13) Cowboys (3-4) — Tony Romo already has thrown 13 interceptions this season, three more than his total all of last year. The Cowboys are a mediocre team that isn’t disciplined enough to be successful in the NFL.

13. (14) Vikings (5-3) — Christian Ponder‘s play of late has to be a concern for Vikings fans. After starting the season without throwing an interception, he’s now thrown at least one in four straight games.

14. (20) Lions (3-4) — The young Matthew Stafford certainly has a knack for leading his team to victory in the fourth quarter. The Lions QB has nine career game-winning drives after downing the Seahawks on Sunday. All three Lions wins this season have come by way of the game-winning drive.

15. (21) Dolphins (4-3) — The Dolphins have rattled off three straight wins, and there finally is postseason hope for fans in Miami. Two of their three losses have come in overtime. It was a good sign that backup quarterback Matt Moore was able to enter the game without any hiccups. Rookie Ryan Tannehill‘s status for Sunday’s game is up in the air, but the quarterback said he was “optimistic” he’d be ready to play.

16. (12) Eagles (3-4) — Michael Vick sure looked and sounded like a beaten man following his team’s loss to the Falcons. The Eagles’ season is quickly spiraling out of control, and you have to wonder how much longer Andy Reid will survive.

17. (15) Chargers (3-4) — No seat is hotter than Norv Turner‘s. The Chargers’ embarrassing 7-6 loss to the lowly Browns was just another step closer to the inevitable firing of Turner. This team has way too much talent for a 3-4 record.

18. (17) Cardinals (4-4) — They didn’t lose in September but didn’t win in October. The Cardinals have lost four straight and quickly are losing ground in the NFC. Until the Cards learn how to protect the quarterback, they will be a pretender.

19. (16) Saints (2-5) — Despite the return of interim head coach Joe Vitt, the Saints defense showed no improvement. The Saints are the first team to allow at least 400 yards in seven straight games. Ouch.

20. (18) Redskins (3-5) — The defense has a poor pass rush and an even worse secondary. The Redskins also missed a lot of tackles in Sunday’s loss to the Steelers. Halfway into the season it’s clear that the team was right to draft Robert Griffin, but Washington is a few pieces away from being a legit Super Bowl contender.

21. (24) Buccaneers (3-4) — Greg Schiano has done a terrific job changing the losing culture in Tampa Bay. This is a young team that has shown improvement throughout the year. The Bucs won just four games all of last year.

22. (22) Bengals (3-4) — Andy Dalton has thrown at least one interception in all seven of his games this year. That’s one important area he’ll have to improve in during the second half of the season if the Bengals want a chance at making the playoffs for the second straight year.

23. (27) Raiders (3-4) — They’ve won two straight, but those were against teams ranked 31 and 32. The Raiders’ schedule gets a little more difficult the next three weeks as they face the Bucs, Ravens and Saints.

24. (19) Jets (3-5) — Rex Ryan probably has one of the most predictable dilemmas of the season. That dilemma is whether or not to start Tim Tebow at quarterback over Mark Sanchez. As soon as the team traded for Tebow, it was obvious that a few bad games for Sanchez would result in an overwhelming push for “Tebow Time.” Jets fans are eager for anything but what they’ve gotten so far. Sanchez has proven what he can do and what his limitations are. This team isn’t going far with Sanchez behind center. Why not try something else?

25. (28) Colts (4-3) — Many believed the Colts would be improved, but it’s been remarkable how fast this team has progressed from last year. A record over .500 seven games into the season is quite a feat for a team that didn’t win a game until December last year.

26. (23) Titans (3-5) — The Titans defense struggles in many different areas. The pass rush is weak, the run defense is terrible, and on Sunday, the communication was terrible. The Titans lined up with only 10 men on the field twice during the Colts’ game-winning overtime drive.

27. (25) Bills (3-4) — The Bills spent the offseason improving their defense, but those signings have shown little positive results. The Bills run defense is the worst in the league and the team is allowing an average of 32.4 points per game.

28. (26) Rams (3-5) — The Rams’ lack of weapons on offense makes it difficult for them to compete against some of the elite teams in the league. Sam Bradford needs more talented receivers to target. Heading into the bye, Danny Amendola should be ready to get back on the field when the Rams play the 49ers in two weeks.

29. (30) Browns (2-6) — Coach Pat Shurmur gave his players the opportunity to take Monday off after a huge win on Sunday, but they decided to show up for work anyway. The Browns are a young team, and the most important thing right now is that they play hard and continue to show improvement week after week.

30. (29) Panthers (1-6) — Cam Newton has been subject to a lot of criticism. The Panthers have lost five straight games, and the second-year QB has taken a step back from his rookie season. Newton’s fourth-quarter interception was returned for a touchdown. He’s not protecting the football and that’s been an issue the team has struggled to overcome throughout the year.

31. (31) Jaguars (1-6) — If your team has the league’s worst passing offense, that usually translates into a very subpar record in the NFL. Mike Mularkey has yet to find a way to get first-round draft pick Justin Blackmon more involved in the offense. For all the hype, the fifth overall pick has been disappointing to say the least.

32. (32) Chiefs (1-6) — The Chiefs have been outscored by their opponents by an astounding 89 points this season. People in Kansas City no longer have to watch the games to see if the Chiefs will win, they just have to watch to see how much they’re going to lose by.

Which NFL teams are in your top 10? Leave your opinions/comments below or e-mail them to powerrankings@weei.com. You also can send comments via Twitter to @JoeytheFishWEEI.

Matt Ryan and the Falcons survive another week at the top of the WEEI NFL Power Rankings. The undefeated Falcons had the week off and will try to improve to 7-0 when they take on the Eagles. The Texans jump the Giants (3) and reclaim the No. 2 position. The only team to drop out of the top five was the depleted Ravens. A blowout loss and an endless amount of injuries was enough to drop Baltimore to No. 8.

The NFC is dominating the top five with four teams occupying spots. At the other end of the spectrum, the AFC is in full control taking up four of the bottom five positions.

Could the top ten teams be safe for another week? None of them will play a fellow top-ranked team. Week 8′s most intriguing games include the Falcons at Eagles, the Giants at Cowboys and the Saints at Broncos.

1. (1) Falcons (6-0) — The undefeated Falcons saw defensive tackle Corey Peters return to practice Monday for the first time this year. The 6 foot 3, 300-pound defensive lineman should help improve the run defense which is currently ranked 28th in the league.

2. (3) Texans (6-1) — The Texans got their first win against an opponent over .500 on Sunday. It was against an injury-plagued Ravens team but it still was a very impressive victory. Houston ranks in the top of the league in many different offensive and defensive statistical categories.

3. (2) Giants (5-2) — If your team is trailing or tied in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning is the quarterback you want behind center.  For the 27th time in his career, the Giants QB led his team on a game-winning drive when he hit Victor Cruz for a 77-yard touchdown pass Sunday against the Redskins. 

4. (5) 49ers (5-2) — They don’t have an elite offense and a top three quarterback but the Niners are still an extremely entertaining team to watch. They play a different brand of football than what we’ve grown accustomed to watching in the NFL. This team plays tough, is extremely physical, and loves running the ball down the opponents throat.

5. (6) Packers (4-3) — Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense has come alive over the past two weeks. They’ve scored 72 points in two games and that’s without Greg Jennings. They did suffer a crushing blow with the injury to Charles Woodson. The Packers defensive captain is expected to miss six weeks.

6. (7) Bears (5-1) — The Bears defense can carry the team into the playoffs if Jay Cutler continues to protect the football. The Bears have outscored their opponents by a total of 84 points this season and are allowing an average of just 13 points per game on defense.

7. (8) Patriots (4-3) — The Patriots pass defense is horrendous and the team’s inability to close games is certainly alarming, however if the past has taught us anything, Bill Belichick‘s team will improve. The Pats are 16-2 the last two years once November hits and are undefeated in December. This team has to get better in a lot of different areas but they have plenty of time to do so in a mediocre division.

8. (4) Ravens (5-2) — The Ravens have been decimated by injuries and that caught up with them against the Texans. However, a lack of Ray Rice has also contributed to the loss and that is usually the case when Rice’s carries are limited. Rice had just four carries in four drives in the first quarter and two carries in the second quarter. John Harbaugh has to utilize his best offensive weapon more.

9. (10) Broncos (3-3) — Peyton Manning has thrown for over 300 yards in each of his last four games and has 11 touchdown passes with just one interception in that span as well. John Elway‘s gamble on Manning has paid off so far. The Broncos are easily the most well-rounded team in their division.

10. (11) Steelers (3-3) — Not even injuries could prevent the Steelers from evening up their record at 3-3. They had standout performances from a third-string running back, Jonathan Dwyer, and a heavily criticized cornerback, Ike Taylor. Dwyer rushed for over 100 yards and Taylor held AJ Green to just one catch.

11. (9) Seahawks (4-3) — The Seahawks are in a division filled with some of the best defensive teams in the league. The passing offense must improve. Seahawks receivers dropped five passes against the Niners on Thursday night. Having a strong defense is important but you have to be able to put points on the board as well and Seattle ranks 31st in the league in average points scored.

12. (13) Eagles (3-3) — Coming off their bye week, it’s obvious where the Eagles need to improve most — turnovers. The team is on pace to turn the ball over 45 times this season.

13. (14) Cowboys (3-3) — Jason Garrett‘s squad stymied a two-game losing streak but lost offensive lineman Phil Costa in the process. That’s a tough loss to an already shaky line. The Cowboys have a key divisional game against the Giants Sunday and they’ll attempt to take the season series.

14. (16) Vikings (5-2) — It’s always important to put a W in the column but Christian Ponder‘s play of late has been alarming. He’s been making some real questionable decisions with the ball and has thrown two interceptions in each of his last three games.

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A wild and exciting Week 1 is officially in the books and already we have a new No. 1 team that reigns over the WEEI NFL Power Rankings. Bolstered by a new and improved defense, the Patriots climb to the top spot. Meanwhile, in the NFC, the 49ers “Lambeau leaped” the Packers after beating them in a statement game in Green Bay.

Aaron Rodgers and Co. drop down to No. 5 after their loss. The Texans clawed their way into the top five and sit at No. 4. Peyton Manning and the new-look Broncos are the fourth-ranked team in the AFC and stand at No. 7 overall.

Looking ahead to Week 2, there are a few matchups to watch that could impact the rankings. The Bears and Packers will battle in an NFC North showdown, and the Jets and Steelers will face off in a battle could move the winner into the top 10 of next week’s rankings.

Listen to Mut, Merloni, and Zarbano discuss the NFL Power Rankings on WEEI.

1. (2 last week) Patriots (1-0) — A young, rejuvenated defense makes Bill Belichick‘s squad the clear AFC favorite after Week 1. This D has much bigger tests ahead of it, but holding Chris Johnson to just four yards in 11 attempts is very impressive. The versatility the pass offense showed on Sunday was expected. If Stevan Ridley can balance the offense and become a threat on the ground, the Patriots will be as close to unstoppable as a team possibly can get.

2. (4) 49ers (1-0) — The defense picked up exactly where it left off. The 49ers made Aaron Rodgers and the Packers look confused and out of rhythm. I don’t think there’s another defense in the league that is capable of that. The Niners are a well-rounded, well-coached team that made a statement to the entire NFL in Week 1: Last year was no fluke.

3. (5) Ravens (1-0) — It wasn’t the defense, it was Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense that was most impressive in the team’s win over the Bengals. With Ray Rice in the backfield, opposing defenses always have to respect the run. On Monday night, the Ravens’ play action was in full effect.

4. (6) Texans (1-0) — After the Texans’ 30-10 victory over the Dolphins, Andre Johnson said to reporters, “Man, we didn’t even play that well and won by 20 points. It’s crazy.” That quote says a lot about how good Houston really is. The Texans have playmakers on both sides of the ball and will go deep into the playoffs if they can stay healthy.

5. (1) Packers (0-1) — Just one week into the season and the Packers already have matched last year’s loss total. Still, why panic? When Aaron Rodgers is behind center, Green Bay has a shot to win every Sunday. A Week 1 loss to a well-balanced 49ers team doesn’t mean the Packers won’t contend for  a Super Bowl.

6. (8) Falcons (1-0) — The Falcons’ prolific offense showed how dangerous it can be. Matt Ryan played just the way he needs to play all season if Atlanta wants to win the NFC South.

7. (11) Broncos (1-0) — It’s tough to believe Peyton Manning hadn’t played a game since the 2010 season after watching the 36-year-old QB on Sunday night. Manning and the offense were in rhythm and operating like a well-oiled machine. Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil made sure to remind everyone that the Broncos D is just as dominant.

8. (14) Cowboys (1-0) — Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne did a great job at shutting down the Giants’ dynamic receivers. The Cowboys could turn into the favorite in the NFC East if their defense can consistently perform like it did on opening night.

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