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The first week of the NFL season is done and it was exactly what we thought it was. Or what we didn't think it was. What are we to think after that bananas first week?! Well, right now, it's still tough to tell where some defenses/special teams are really going to be strong so exercise caution. Did some defensive units really show what to expect all season? Or were some defensive performances just illusions because of poor first week preparation? Looking at you Los Angeles. Take a look at the Week 2 rankings. Still a long season to go.
|
Week 2 Rank |
Team |
Opponent |
Previous Week's Ranking |
Notes |
|
1 |
Seattle Seahawks |
@LAR |
1 |
If the Rams play anything like they did on Monday night, there's no reason to think the Seahawks won't load up the box on Todd Gurley. |
|
2 |
vs. IND |
5 |
IND O-Line has played better, but Miller and Co. have feasted on better lines. I'll say a prayer for you Andrew Luck. |
|
|
3 |
vs. SF |
4 |
Despite being gashed by CJ Anderson, CAR's D still played relatively well. We'll see here if SF Week 1 play was an illusion. |
|
|
4 |
vs. GB |
7 |
Despite turning in 2 defensive scores in Week 1, GB will be a much tougher matchup. A repeat performance against Rodgers will vault this D to the top of the list. |
|
|
5 |
@ BUF |
11 |
Recorded 7 sacks against a good CIN team and now they get Sheldon Richardson back. Watch out Tyrod. |
|
|
6 |
Buffalo Bills |
@ NYJ |
13 |
NYJ's offense didn't exactly inspire confidence last week. Look for Rex to have his defense playing to form against his former team. |
|
7 |
@ MIN |
8 |
GB was up to the challenge of the high-powered Jags Offense. MIN one-dimensional offense may be in trouble here. |
|
|
8 |
vs. MIA |
18 |
NE shocked the football world holding AZ in check for most of the game. Look for them to take care of business against a less-talented MIA offense. |
|
|
9 |
vs. KC |
2 |
HOU played solid in Week 1, but don't underestimate the loss of defensive signal caller, Brian Cushing. How about Jadeveon Clowney though? |
|
|
10 |
@ CHI |
12 |
The Bears aren't much better than last week's opponent. If they can force more turnovers, we could be looking at a solid unit. |
|
|
11 |
@ CLE |
19 |
CLE is playing another starting QB. They stymied the Bills last week. Repeat? |
|
|
12 |
@ HOU |
10 |
KC didn't come to life on D until the Chargers lost their top WR. We'll see if that helped them gain momentum, though. |
|
|
13 |
@ SD |
20 |
JAX might be a defensive unit figuring a few things out. They're lack of consistent pressure is still troubling. |
|
|
14 |
vs. TB |
3 |
AZ got handled by a backup QB and wasn't forcing turnovers. Prompting the hottest Week 1 take: Are we sure Arizona's good? |
|
|
15 |
Cincinnati Bengals |
@ PIT |
9 |
To be fair, no one can stop Antonio Brown. It is a rivalry game, however, so anything is possible. |
|
16 |
@ NO |
14 |
The Giants belong in the middle of the pack here because we're still not sure if this defense is good. The D-line looked vastly improved, but also, here comes Drew Brees. |
|
|
17 |
@ CAR |
21 |
Navarro Bowman was pretty much everywhere on MNF. But don't reach for this defense. The Rams looked completely unprepared which isn't something to expect from CAR. |
|
|
18 |
vs. DAL |
27 |
Will Josh Norman cover Dez Bryant all day? WAS will fare better this week against the rookie, Dak Prescott, as opposed to Big Ben Roethlisberger. |
|
|
19 |
Los Angeles Rams |
vs. SEA |
6 |
How did this team record 0 sacks?! Hopefully, a match up against a porous SEA O-line and a less mobile Russell Wilson (injury) will help them figure things out. |
|
20 |
vs. ATL |
15 |
OAK entered a shootout with NO so it wasn't the best gauge for how good this defense might be. They may have a much easier go against the Falcons if ATL can't figure out their run game. |
|
|
21 |
vs. CIN |
16 |
CIN relinquished 7 sacks on Sunday so PIT may put decent points on the board. They have to try to contain AJ Green, though. |
|
|
22 |
@ NE |
29 |
It's hard to tell if SEA offensive line was just that bad, or was the MIA front 4 actually good? We'll get a better look this week if they can get to Jimmy Garoppolo. |
|
|
23 |
Chicago Bears |
vs. PHI |
28 |
The spotlight will be on Wentz this week in primetime so we'll see what the CHI D can do to rattle him. Sleeper potential this week. |
|
24 |
@ AZ |
17 |
Arizona really started rolling once they let Larry Fitzgerald and David Johnson loose. Not sure if the Tampa D can keep up with them. |
|
|
25 |
vs. TEN |
23 |
DET could fair better defensively against Marcus Mariota as opposed to Luck. That being said, DET D put up -4 pts according to ESPN scoring leaders. |
|
|
26 |
@ WAS |
30 |
Dallas won't be a defensive consideration until they can get a pass rush. And all their pass rushers are suspended for now, so don't expect any changes this week. |
|
|
27 |
Tennessee Titans |
@ DET |
25 |
TEN shut down MIN offense from scoring, but lost anyway. DET's O is much more competent, and putting up serious points. |
|
28 |
vs. BAL |
26 |
CLE is still very young on both sides of the ball and BAL is playing well. Don't expect the CLE offense to stay on the field long enough to provide their D some rest. |
|
|
29 |
Atlanta Falcons |
@ OAK |
24 |
OAK has a ton of weapons and ATL has maybe 1 or 2 good defensive players. Advantage: OAK. |
|
30 |
@ DEN |
22 |
More injuries to the IND secondary might have DEN pass catchers looking at a field day here. |
|
|
31 |
San Diego Chargers |
vs. JAX |
31 |
It's hard to trust a lackluster D to play inspired with an extreme lack of home field advantage and blowing a huge lead the week before. |
|
32 |
@ NYG |
32 |
NO's defense managed -8 points according to ESPN scoring leaders. That's all you need to know. |
Special teams notes:
There were 0 combined kickoff return and punt return touchdowns scored in Week 1 of the 2016 NFL season. The Tennessee Titans almost broke one off and the Cincinnati Bengals are averaging 36.7 yards per kickoff return so far and could be a contender to be the first team to break one.