Franz’s 2013 NFL Power Poll: Week 2
Sep 11, 2013, 3:23 PM | Updated: Apr 28, 2015, 2:00 pm
1) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS: Potential change from last year? Vernon Davis had 0 TD receptions from the slot in 2012. He has 1 in 2013.
2) DENVER BRONCOS: Yes, it’s one game but 7.5 yards per play is legendary.
3) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS: Sean Payton is 11-2 when coaching against Atlanta…no QB has ever had seven consecutive 300+ yard games except for Drew Brees, if he does it at Tampa Bay, he’ll have his second streak before anyone else has one.
4) ATLANTA FALCONS: Huge schedule break for the next five weeks is needed since Roddy White is fighting a high-ankle sprain.
5) HOUSTON TEXANS: Houston is splitting the workload at running back. It’s exactly the right move and the 120 yards rushing proves it.
6) GREEN BAY PACKERS: From Kapernick to RGIII is no picnic, but going from Harbaugh to Shanahan will make things easier.
7) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS: I’m shocked after all the attention from last year that
Week 1 was Russell Wilson’s first 300-yard game.
8) CHICAGO BEARS: A lot of positives, but allowing 7-of-11 third downs to be converted was atrocious.
9) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES: I know I shouldn’t look ahead but they’re at Denver in Week 4…so they want to go faster in the thin air and give the ball back to Manning?
10) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Tom Brady went 1-for-5 with a pick when targeting his TEs. Only the second time since Gronkowski’s rookie season Brady has completed less than two passes to his TEs.
11) CINCINNATI BENGALS: Reports from Cincinnati have them studying ways to get productivity out of Taylor Mays…or they could have hired me when I said Mays is a seventh-round pick at best.
12) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS: 17 games started in Luck’s career, eight fourth quarter comebacks…yes, that’s the highest in history.
13) MIAMI DOLPHINS: Didn’t like the trade to move up to get Jordan but he looked good with that defense…very underrated game at Indy.
14) DALLAS COWBOYS: Still don’t believe…this division is bad.
15) DETROIT LIONS: Looked really good but four of next five on the road is a vicious stretch starting in AZ.
16) ST. LOUIS RAMS: You’d think it’s impossible to win an NFL game going 4-of-11 on third downs but they had one TD drive with no third down needed to be converted…plus there was the +4 on QB sacks.
17) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS: Yes it was only a win over Jacksonville, but if Andy Reid has actually embraced the running game, Denver will not run away the West.
18) NEW YORK GIANTS: I realize there were turnover issues and short fields, but giving up 36 points to Romo has to make Peyton excited to visit the big city.
19) MINNESOTA VIKINGS: Brutal beginning to the season with two road division games…of course Detroit can hit big plays but 28 first downs also shows they shoved it down your throat, too.
20) TENNESSEE TITANS: DT Jurell Casey: “We made sure we put those terrible towels up their butts all day long.”
21) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS: Jerome Boger and Bill Leavy really screwed up, but no one trumped the officiating mistake that killed Kevin Spencer’s special teams unit…hey NFLRA, where are your e-mails to me pointing out all of the replacement refs mistakes, oh, these are the real refs?
22) WASHINGTON REDSKINS: Reigning division champ staring 0-2 in the face at Green Bay…and Jim Haslett prepared for the Eagles by studying Oregon tape — how did that work for you?
23) BALTIMORE RAVENS: This is bad …Flacco is an above-average QB even with Boldin, Pitta and Jones, now he’s overrated.
24) BUFFALO BILLS: No team will start the season with more optimism and end the season faster than Buffalo if they start 0-2 at home and can’t beat Carolina.
25) CAROLINA PANTHERS: Bad team with a great first draft pick.
26) PITTSBURGH STEELERS: With all due respect to kick return ignorance, you were shut out at home.
27) ARIZONA CARDINALS: If this is the real Andre Roberts, it would change everything if Palmer could stand straight up, but I don’t trust the protection.
28) OAKLAND RAIDERS: Number one rushing team in the NFL.
29) CLEVELAND BROWNS: I will never understand why anyone would draft a QB in the first round as old as Weeden.
30) NEW YORK JETS: Geno Smith was the leading rusher with less than 50 yards…I would disagree with that as your secret sauce going forward.
31) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS: You lost to Rex Ryan…that is all.
32) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS: Just to make sure we’re clear, you lost by 26 points to a team in your house in Week 1 that just five months ago had the first pick of the draft.
