Foxboro Blog Top 12: Week 2

Trying to predict the NFL season before it kicks off is nearly impossible.  To be quite honest, making any assessment after Week 1 is nearly equally as futile.  It should come as no surprise, then, that there is some major moving and shaking going on in the Foxboro Blog Top 12 this week.  Teams will be flying up and down the board like it’s nobody’s business, and there will likely be some newcomers as well.  Click “Read More” below to view the rankings!

Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
1		4	3	2-0	@ Bears
		I’ve been resisting buying into the Green Bay hype, but only four of last week’s Top 10 teams are still 2-0.  The Texans and Steelers certainly still have something to prove.  That left the Saints and the Pack.  Given the fact that GB laid the smack down on Buffalo and the defending champs eeked by for the second week in a row, the Packers are given the top spot.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
2		2	1	2-0	vs. Falcons
		Two wins.  Two games that were too close for comfort against teams that aren’t here in the Top 12.  Undefeated is undefeated, but there has to be some cause for concern in New Orleans.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
3		5	2	1-1	@ Broncos
		In my defense, the Packers, Saints, Ravens, and Patriots all looked much more solid than Indy in Week 1.  Was some of it a bit of over-reaction?  No doubt.  But I fully admit that there’s some bias in these rankings and the Colts are never going to end up on the good side of it.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
4		2	2	1-1	vs. Browns
		The Ravens beat the Jets, who beat the Patriots, who beat the Bengals, who beat the Ravens.  It makes things a bit tough to sort out.  I’m just going to go with my gut and rank those four teams the way I believe they should be ranked.  We’ll let the next 15 weeks sort the rest out.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
5		3	2	1-1	vs. Bills
		Tough loss on the road against a very good and very desperate team.  The Patriots had opportunities to nail the coffin shut on the Jets season, but never made the plays.  The better team on Sunday won.  That being said, I still believe the Patriots are the better team, period, thus their firm grasp on the #5 spot.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
6		7	1	1-1	@ Dolphins
		Call me a homer.  I don’t care.  Keep in mind that the Jets looked dreadful in Week 1 and the Patriots looked stellar.  Yes, the Jets won head to head, but if the Patriots lose to the Bills next week I don’t think anyone would expect to see Buffalo on top of New England in the rankings, either.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
7		8	1	1-1	@ Saints
		The Falcons followed up their close OT loss on the road with an absolute thrashing of the Cardinals. Now the big challenge awaits next week…
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
8		9	1	2-0	vs. Cowboys
		There’s reason for optimism in Houston at 2-0.  However, an overtime win against an inferior team won’t have the Texans skyrocketing up this board, like they have on so many other rankings.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
9		10	1	2-0	@ Buccaneers
		They followed an overtime win at home with a road win against a team they should have beat.  The Steelers are certainly looking fiesty and certainly could be contenders, but I need to see more before I start believing.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
10		N/A	N/A	2-0	vs. Jets
		The Dolphins followed up a struggle in Buffalo with a tight win over Minnesota, who may or may not be good.  Still, the Phins sit atop the AFC East at the moment and are proving to be as frisky as I hoped they wouldn’t be. They also have created quite the dilemma as I decide who to root for next week.  Actually, who am I kidding?  Go Phins!
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
11		11	0	1-1	vs. Seahawks
		The 11 and 12 spots were tough calls for me.  Both the Bolts and the Bengals looked horrendous last week.  This week SD killed a bad Jaguars team, and Cincy beat the #4 team.  Ultimately, I have a hard time justifying dropping somebody after a 25 point victory, so the Chargers will stand pat.  They had better show up against Seattle next week, though.
Ranking	Team	Last Week	Change	Record	Next Game
12		N/A	N/A	1-1	@ Panthers
		The Cowboys plummet off the charts after starting the season ranked #3. The Giants also fall from the #12 after getting spanked by the Colts.  That leaves the Bengals, who absolutely need to capitalize on one of the few easy games they’ll have this season vs. Carolina.