Power Rankings - Week 2
Sept 22, 2020 15:00:01 GMT -5
Colts GM (Darryl), Rams GM (Frank), and 4 more like this
Post by Panthers GM (Jesse) on Sept 22, 2020 15:00:01 GMT -5
No color ranks this time. Made some of the comments hard to read.
32. (-2) Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
The linebacker room in Indianapolis must be a lonely place. So much talent there, but the rest of the roster is, well, not very good.
31. (+1) Houston Texans (0-2)
The lowest scoring team in week 2. Houston still crawls out of the Legacy cellar because Aiyuk is healthy and Myles Gaskin looked good this week. Minshew, Gaskin, Jacobs, Jefferson and Aiyuk are a better offense than plenty of teams field, even with basically nothing behind them.
30. (+1) Cleveland Browns (0-2)
“Jesse, say something nice about the Browns.” “Hmph…They have very nice safeties..and the worst offense in Legacy.” “WHAT WAS THAT YOUNG MAN?!?” “NOTHING MOM!”
29. (-3) Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)
ZERO wide receiver points this week for Cincy. Mike Davis could be a sexy trade chip for the Bengals if they choose to cash in on his current opportunity.
28. (-1) Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
Jeudy and Lamb both played well this week. The Chiefs need to see that kind of growth this season in their young studs. It’s a team that’s closer to contention than they appear.
27. (-4) San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
The 49ers lost Barkley in week 2. This year for the 49ers can be summed up by Tua’s situation. They’re young and aren’t putting up big points yet. Next year when all these highly talented rookies return with a year under their belts and welcome Barkley back into the fold, Tua should lead them to a much better record.
26. (-8) New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Stomped by Carolina in week 2, the Saints had a bad week that included the unknowable surprise start of their rookie QB Justin Herbert over their starting QB Tyrod Taylor this week. This is a young team with talent. Stat of the week: aided by Herbert’s 26 bench points, the Saints starting team would have only beat their bench by 4 points this week. They rank 7th in the league in bench points 2 weeks in.
25. (-5) San Diego Chargers (0-2)
It’s not looking good for the Chargers, who drop to 0-2 with a pretty paltry week 2 score and only 7.5 bench points. At least the Texans are next on the docket.
24. (-2) Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
I agree with my week 1 assessment of the Vikings roster after a week 2 loss to Green Bay. I’m just going to quote myself here.
“Just okay. The best thing the Vikings have going for them is a ton of good pieces on long term deals. That’s a foundation to work on, but the Vikings lack firepower. Expect them to beat bad teams and get beat by good teams all year.”
23. (+5) Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
I sold the Cardinals short last week. Although they are selling, they have way more talent than a lot of the teams I ranked ahead of them. They are capable of putting up over 200 points on a week when their veterans comply. That didn’t happen this week, but they rise anyway.
22. (+2) Denver Broncos (1-1)
That’s better. The Broncos take down Kansas City to level out at 1-1 on the young season, but a date with apparent powerhouse Jacksonville Jaguars is next up. I still expect the Broncos to rack up some late season wins as other teams as the young talent begins to emerge.
21. (+5) Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
The Ravens have separated themselves from the lower tier AFC North teams, but likely lack the offensive pieces needed to take advantage of this spot and gun for the Steelers for the crown. A win over the Patriots would be a valuable one down the road if Baltimore is pushing for an AFC wildcard spot.
20. (+9) Buffalo Bills (0-2)
Again, with a little TLC the Bills should probably be challenging the Dolphins in this division. They’re that talented. A shame, really, but they did cap 200 points this week behind their very good offense. Large spot change due to under ranking them after week 1.
19. (+2) Detroit Lions (1-1)
The Lions should probably get the W just for owning Chase Winovich, who gave us the clip of the week. They’ll be looking to upset Dallas in week 3.
18. (-9) New York Giants (1-1)
The Giants fall (technically) to 4th place in their division with a loss to Washington. One interesting note on this division, the top NFCE scorer this week (Eagles, 219) scored only 30 points than the 4th scorer, the Giants at 189. This division is far from decided, but NYG was perhaps a bit over ranked week 1.
17. (-2) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
The Steelers add Courtland Sutton (Season ending IR) to their laundry list of injuries currently damping their offensive abilities to build off the great defensive performances.
16. (+3) Green Bay Packers (1-1)
The Packers bounce back with a win over the Vikings to get their record back on track. An important game that should be a close on between Green Bay and the New York Giants is on deck for week 3. Losing this game would begin to create a rift between them and the Bears for 1st place in the NFC North, but a hard fought win and a Bears loss to the Eagles would create some real intrigue. Green Bay could have topped 200 points this week if they checked out injured RB Duke Johnson for Darwin Thompson.
15. (-1) Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Dion Lewis maintaining 14 touches a game going forward would be a big gift to an already above average Cowboys offense. Even with the underwhelming offensive bench, the Cowboys are going to have some really big weeks this season. Week 2 vs the Eagles was not one of those weeks.
14. (-6) New York Jets (1-1)
No easy way to say it, the Jets took a big shot with the 100 point loss to the AFC East kings, the Dolphins. With a roster built for a marathon instead of a sprint, the Jets have to roll on collecting wins and hoping shallower teams fall aside as the season goes on.
13. (+4) New England Patriots (1-1)
I don’t think Dak Prescott was thinking about Randall’s Patriots when he did what he did to the Falcons on Sunday, but he won they day for them as well. 47 points from Dak helped fend off a high scoring Bills team and re-establish themselves as a threat. They actually have the slight PPG advantage over the Jets going into week 3.
12. (-7) Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
The biggest fall of the week (on merit) belongs to the Falcons, who got punished for their lack of offensive depth by Tampa. Atlanta needs to take care of business vs Arizona this week to stay from sitting at 1-2 in a rough NFC.
11. (=) Washington Football Team (2-0)
With three offensive starters coming up empty in week 2, Washington still topped 200 points and knocked off the Giants. The excellent defense and considerable defensive depth is keeping them in the hunt. Hopefully for Washington rookie Denzel Mims is close to debuting.
10. (+3) Chicago Bears (2-0)
The offense still looks to be a roller coaster, but with all three of the Bears TEs having good games, it could be worse. They squeak one out past the Lions this week to maintain an undefeated record with the Eagles on deck. That would be a big win for Chicago if they can manage it.
9. (+1) Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
A week after insulting the Eagles for their lack of depth a few of those bench players prove they have chops, especially Dallas TE Dalton Schultz, who exploded in week 2 for 23 points. The Eagles won’t need all that much offensive depth with Kelce, Andrews and now Shultz at TE. Kudos.
8. (+8) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
Riser of the week (on merit). The city of Jacksonville has a contender. Robby Anderson and Calvin Ridley have the looks of one of the best WR duos in Legacy right now. Swapping in Darrell Henderson’s 25 points on the bench for Cameron Brate’s zero would have put the Jaguars at 268 points in week 2. It also would have left them with zero offensive bench points, a possible issue going forward. A winnable game versus Denver looms.
7. (=) Tennessee Titans (2-0)
The offensive depth looks weaker now than it did a week ago and the defense wasn’t able to put up big points in week 2. Still, the Titans sit at 2-0 for their date with the Raiders in week 3. The Jaguars are hot on their tail.
6. (+6) Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
The RB room appears to have shorted itself out, as Leonard Fournette breaks out for 32 points in Seattle’s demolishing of the Cardinals. Still concerning for Seattle, they had zero offensive bench points this week. They need all hands on deck versus Tampa this week to hang with the division leading Rams. Good to see Yannick Ngakoue show something this week.
5. (-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
The Buccaneers slapped the Falcons back to earth with another 230+ point performance in week 2. RB depth is getting worrisome with Jones losing touches to Leonard Fournette week 2, but McKissic looked explosive and seems poised to keep a role in Washington’s backfield. They face a surging Seahawks team in week 3, sure to be one of the games of the week.
4. (+2) Carolina Panthers (2-0)
The first 300 point performance of the 2020 season belongs to the Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton and current Legacy RB1 Aaron Jones leading the charge. WR and TE are looking potentially problematic with Uzomah out for the year and Beckham and Chark both underwhelming. Rams this week and the Buccaneers on deck.
3. (=) Miami Dolphins (2-0)
If a riverboat gambler built a 32 team Dynasty team and lost two of the top 5 overall offensive pieces in the game during the first 2 weeks, it would be trouble. Luckily for Miami, neither injury to MT nor CMC was a season ender so they should be back to full steam by the time the Legacy playoffs begin. In the meantime, they have the players to beat most teams still. Don’t expect a complete tailspin from our friendly neighborhood Dolphins.
2. (=) Oakland Raiders (2-0)
Slightly weaker showing than last week, likely because Chris Godwin missed the week with a concussion. Expect Oakland to flirt with 250+ again next week.
1.(=) Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
Steady goes the Rams’ battleship through week 2. No catastrophic injuries to speak of assuming David Montgomery is healthy. Knocking off Carolina in week 3 would be a pretty feather in the cap of the super bowl favorites.
32. (-2) Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
The linebacker room in Indianapolis must be a lonely place. So much talent there, but the rest of the roster is, well, not very good.
31. (+1) Houston Texans (0-2)
The lowest scoring team in week 2. Houston still crawls out of the Legacy cellar because Aiyuk is healthy and Myles Gaskin looked good this week. Minshew, Gaskin, Jacobs, Jefferson and Aiyuk are a better offense than plenty of teams field, even with basically nothing behind them.
30. (+1) Cleveland Browns (0-2)
“Jesse, say something nice about the Browns.” “Hmph…They have very nice safeties..and the worst offense in Legacy.” “WHAT WAS THAT YOUNG MAN?!?” “NOTHING MOM!”
29. (-3) Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)
ZERO wide receiver points this week for Cincy. Mike Davis could be a sexy trade chip for the Bengals if they choose to cash in on his current opportunity.
28. (-1) Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
Jeudy and Lamb both played well this week. The Chiefs need to see that kind of growth this season in their young studs. It’s a team that’s closer to contention than they appear.
27. (-4) San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
The 49ers lost Barkley in week 2. This year for the 49ers can be summed up by Tua’s situation. They’re young and aren’t putting up big points yet. Next year when all these highly talented rookies return with a year under their belts and welcome Barkley back into the fold, Tua should lead them to a much better record.
26. (-8) New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Stomped by Carolina in week 2, the Saints had a bad week that included the unknowable surprise start of their rookie QB Justin Herbert over their starting QB Tyrod Taylor this week. This is a young team with talent. Stat of the week: aided by Herbert’s 26 bench points, the Saints starting team would have only beat their bench by 4 points this week. They rank 7th in the league in bench points 2 weeks in.
25. (-5) San Diego Chargers (0-2)
It’s not looking good for the Chargers, who drop to 0-2 with a pretty paltry week 2 score and only 7.5 bench points. At least the Texans are next on the docket.
24. (-2) Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
I agree with my week 1 assessment of the Vikings roster after a week 2 loss to Green Bay. I’m just going to quote myself here.
“Just okay. The best thing the Vikings have going for them is a ton of good pieces on long term deals. That’s a foundation to work on, but the Vikings lack firepower. Expect them to beat bad teams and get beat by good teams all year.”
23. (+5) Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
I sold the Cardinals short last week. Although they are selling, they have way more talent than a lot of the teams I ranked ahead of them. They are capable of putting up over 200 points on a week when their veterans comply. That didn’t happen this week, but they rise anyway.
22. (+2) Denver Broncos (1-1)
That’s better. The Broncos take down Kansas City to level out at 1-1 on the young season, but a date with apparent powerhouse Jacksonville Jaguars is next up. I still expect the Broncos to rack up some late season wins as other teams as the young talent begins to emerge.
21. (+5) Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
The Ravens have separated themselves from the lower tier AFC North teams, but likely lack the offensive pieces needed to take advantage of this spot and gun for the Steelers for the crown. A win over the Patriots would be a valuable one down the road if Baltimore is pushing for an AFC wildcard spot.
20. (+9) Buffalo Bills (0-2)
Again, with a little TLC the Bills should probably be challenging the Dolphins in this division. They’re that talented. A shame, really, but they did cap 200 points this week behind their very good offense. Large spot change due to under ranking them after week 1.
19. (+2) Detroit Lions (1-1)
The Lions should probably get the W just for owning Chase Winovich, who gave us the clip of the week. They’ll be looking to upset Dallas in week 3.
18. (-9) New York Giants (1-1)
The Giants fall (technically) to 4th place in their division with a loss to Washington. One interesting note on this division, the top NFCE scorer this week (Eagles, 219) scored only 30 points than the 4th scorer, the Giants at 189. This division is far from decided, but NYG was perhaps a bit over ranked week 1.
17. (-2) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
The Steelers add Courtland Sutton (Season ending IR) to their laundry list of injuries currently damping their offensive abilities to build off the great defensive performances.
16. (+3) Green Bay Packers (1-1)
The Packers bounce back with a win over the Vikings to get their record back on track. An important game that should be a close on between Green Bay and the New York Giants is on deck for week 3. Losing this game would begin to create a rift between them and the Bears for 1st place in the NFC North, but a hard fought win and a Bears loss to the Eagles would create some real intrigue. Green Bay could have topped 200 points this week if they checked out injured RB Duke Johnson for Darwin Thompson.
15. (-1) Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Dion Lewis maintaining 14 touches a game going forward would be a big gift to an already above average Cowboys offense. Even with the underwhelming offensive bench, the Cowboys are going to have some really big weeks this season. Week 2 vs the Eagles was not one of those weeks.
14. (-6) New York Jets (1-1)
No easy way to say it, the Jets took a big shot with the 100 point loss to the AFC East kings, the Dolphins. With a roster built for a marathon instead of a sprint, the Jets have to roll on collecting wins and hoping shallower teams fall aside as the season goes on.
13. (+4) New England Patriots (1-1)
I don’t think Dak Prescott was thinking about Randall’s Patriots when he did what he did to the Falcons on Sunday, but he won they day for them as well. 47 points from Dak helped fend off a high scoring Bills team and re-establish themselves as a threat. They actually have the slight PPG advantage over the Jets going into week 3.
12. (-7) Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
The biggest fall of the week (on merit) belongs to the Falcons, who got punished for their lack of offensive depth by Tampa. Atlanta needs to take care of business vs Arizona this week to stay from sitting at 1-2 in a rough NFC.
11. (=) Washington Football Team (2-0)
With three offensive starters coming up empty in week 2, Washington still topped 200 points and knocked off the Giants. The excellent defense and considerable defensive depth is keeping them in the hunt. Hopefully for Washington rookie Denzel Mims is close to debuting.
10. (+3) Chicago Bears (2-0)
The offense still looks to be a roller coaster, but with all three of the Bears TEs having good games, it could be worse. They squeak one out past the Lions this week to maintain an undefeated record with the Eagles on deck. That would be a big win for Chicago if they can manage it.
9. (+1) Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
A week after insulting the Eagles for their lack of depth a few of those bench players prove they have chops, especially Dallas TE Dalton Schultz, who exploded in week 2 for 23 points. The Eagles won’t need all that much offensive depth with Kelce, Andrews and now Shultz at TE. Kudos.
8. (+8) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
Riser of the week (on merit). The city of Jacksonville has a contender. Robby Anderson and Calvin Ridley have the looks of one of the best WR duos in Legacy right now. Swapping in Darrell Henderson’s 25 points on the bench for Cameron Brate’s zero would have put the Jaguars at 268 points in week 2. It also would have left them with zero offensive bench points, a possible issue going forward. A winnable game versus Denver looms.
7. (=) Tennessee Titans (2-0)
The offensive depth looks weaker now than it did a week ago and the defense wasn’t able to put up big points in week 2. Still, the Titans sit at 2-0 for their date with the Raiders in week 3. The Jaguars are hot on their tail.
6. (+6) Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
The RB room appears to have shorted itself out, as Leonard Fournette breaks out for 32 points in Seattle’s demolishing of the Cardinals. Still concerning for Seattle, they had zero offensive bench points this week. They need all hands on deck versus Tampa this week to hang with the division leading Rams. Good to see Yannick Ngakoue show something this week.
5. (-1) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
The Buccaneers slapped the Falcons back to earth with another 230+ point performance in week 2. RB depth is getting worrisome with Jones losing touches to Leonard Fournette week 2, but McKissic looked explosive and seems poised to keep a role in Washington’s backfield. They face a surging Seahawks team in week 3, sure to be one of the games of the week.
4. (+2) Carolina Panthers (2-0)
The first 300 point performance of the 2020 season belongs to the Carolina Panthers with Cam Newton and current Legacy RB1 Aaron Jones leading the charge. WR and TE are looking potentially problematic with Uzomah out for the year and Beckham and Chark both underwhelming. Rams this week and the Buccaneers on deck.
3. (=) Miami Dolphins (2-0)
If a riverboat gambler built a 32 team Dynasty team and lost two of the top 5 overall offensive pieces in the game during the first 2 weeks, it would be trouble. Luckily for Miami, neither injury to MT nor CMC was a season ender so they should be back to full steam by the time the Legacy playoffs begin. In the meantime, they have the players to beat most teams still. Don’t expect a complete tailspin from our friendly neighborhood Dolphins.
2. (=) Oakland Raiders (2-0)
Slightly weaker showing than last week, likely because Chris Godwin missed the week with a concussion. Expect Oakland to flirt with 250+ again next week.
1.(=) Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
Steady goes the Rams’ battleship through week 2. No catastrophic injuries to speak of assuming David Montgomery is healthy. Knocking off Carolina in week 3 would be a pretty feather in the cap of the super bowl favorites.