2012 NFL Preseason Power Rankings – How All 32 Teams Stack Up Heading into Week 1 Regular Season NFL Action: With the preseason wrapping up, the 2012 NFL regular season is set to begin. With that in mind, it is a perfect time to take a look at how all 32 teams stack up. Granted, a lot can change over the course of the year as injuries and other issues occur. However, the first installment of Power Rankings takes into account how the teams look on paper.
2012 NFL Preseason Power Rankings
1. New York Giants: Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin and the defensive line are all back for the defending Super Bowl champs, and those three elements have been the backbone of the franchise’s success. Not to mention that no team seems to play better in big games right now.
2. New England Patriots: Adding receiver Brandon Lloyd makes an already high-powered offense even better, and the Patriots used the draft to upgrade their pass rush. The most consistent franchise in the NFL for the past decade remains a factor in 2012.
3. Green Bay Packers: A disappointing end to a 15-1 regular season will serve as motivation for defending MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. Adding firepower on the defensive side of the ball will also give Green Bay a chance to win two Super Bowls in three years.
4. San Francisco 49ers: San Francisco tried to upgrade its passing attack in the offseason, but the talented defense will make the 49ers a Super Bowl contender once again.
5. Philadelphia Eagles: After gelling at the end of last year, the Eagles got bigger on defense and healthy on offense in the offseason.
6. Baltimore Ravens: A great defense, solid running game and injuries to its biggest division rivals have the Ravens in great shape for the 2012 season.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers: The good news is that the Steelers’ stingy defense is healthy. The bad news is that the rebuilt offensive line lost rookie guard David DeCastro for the season.
8. Houston Texans: Houston has the most underrated defense in the NFL, and if the offense stays healthy, the Texans could be the surprise of the AFC.
9. New Orleans Saints: Despite all the distractions from the bounty scandal, having Drew Brees under center will keep the Saints competitive.
10. Atlanta Falcons: The offense should be explosive, especially through the air, but the Falcons have to prove they can get it done in the postseason.
11. Chicago Bears: Adding receivers Brandon Marshall will do wonders for quarterback Jay Cutler, but the offensive line is still a major question mark.
12. Denver Broncos: Winning the Peyton Manning sweepstakes in the offseason should give the Broncos a leg up in the weak AFC West.
13. Detroit Lions: They can’t keep a running back healthy, but as long as Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are on the field, the Lions will compete for a playoff spot.
14. Cincinnati Bengals: The same young players that took the Bengals to the playoffs last year are back, but injuries have been mounting in the preseason.
15. Buffalo Bills: Buffalo amassed an impressive defensive front in the offseason to address an awful pass rush, but Ryan Fitzpatrick has to prove he is worth the franchise QB money the Bills threw at him last year.
16. Dallas Cowboys: There is plenty of talent at the skilled positions, but a young secondary and porous offensive line will hurt the Cowboys.
17. San Diego Chargers: The window is closing on the Chargers’ core of players, but quarterback Philip Rivers isn’t as bad as he looked for most of last season.
18. Carolina Panthers: Rookie linebacker Luke Kuechly is already helping the defense, and the sky is the limit for Can Newton and the offense.
19. New York Jets: How many incompletions will Mark Sanchez throw before the crowd starts chanting for Tim Tebow? Can you say combustible?
20. Seattle Seahawks: Pete Carroll is building a solid foundation in Seattle, but the fact that Russell Wilson won the starting QB job says something about the state of the position.
21. Tennessee Titans: If Jake Locker hits the ground running, Chris Johnson returns to form on the field, and Kenny Britt stays out of trouble off it, the Titans will be fine, but that’s a lot of ifs.
22. Kansas City Chiefs: Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry are back from injury, but the jury is still out on how far quarterback Matt Cassel can take this team.
23. Washington Redskins: RG3 has a similar skill set to Cam Newton, but he weighs about 40 less pounds and has a terrible offensive line in front of him.
24. Indianapolis Colts: Andrew Luck looks as good as advertised, and the Colts have nowhere to go but up after last year’s disaster.
25. Oakland Raiders: Can Darren McFadden stay healthy? Can Carson Palmer throw the ball to the right team? The answer to those questions will determine Oakland’s record this season.
26. St. Louis Rams: New coach Jeff Fisher’s intensity alone will help, but he wasn’t exactly left with a stocked cupboard as far as talent goes.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The offense has been upgraded at multiple on multiple positions, but Tampa Bay’s success still hinges on the play of quarterback Josh Freeman.
28. Arizona Cardinals: It is the same old story in Arizona. Larry Fitzgerald is awesome, and everyone else is not.
29. Minnesota Vikings: Minnesota is assembling some decent parts on offense, but the Vikings are in the wrong division to have the worst secondary in football.
30. Miami Dolphins: The front office traded away the team’s only decent wide receiver in the offseason and then named a rookie quarterback as they starter. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.
31. Cleveland Browns: Cleveland is counting on two rookies to save the franchise, but Trent Richardson is coming off another knee surgery and Brandon Weeden doesn’t have anybody to throw the ball to.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jaguars are still searching for Blaine Gabbert’s pocket presence, and Maurice Jones-Drew’s holdout clouds the picture for an offense that was already terrible to begin with.
Check the current vegas odds to win the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII plus daily NFL vegas odds and lines updated daily throughout the year at NSAwins.com!
| 2 EASY STEPS to BET on 2012 NFL Football Odds! STEP 1: CLICK HERE to OPEN SBG Global Sportsbook Account STEP 2: Deposit with Credit Card or Deposit by Check and get upto 265% in BONUSES upto $10,000 FREE added to your SBG Global Player Account Funds. |
Need Expert Winning NFL Predictions and Picks? Be sure to check out NSAwins.com’s award-winning NFL Football Season Picks Packages for expert winners against the vegas spreads and totals in NFL Football this season including 2012 NFL Football Picks and Predictions to beat the vegas point spreads and totals!