Updated: August 8, 2005, 5:17 PM ET

Bucs open season at No. 1

Week:

ESPN.com's Power Poll
This week's rankings were determined by a poll of ESPN.com's NFL staff -- senior writers John Clayton and Len Pasquarelli and ESPN.com NFL editors Peter Lawrence-Riddell and James C. Black. Click here for user comments.
With the Redskins and Jets set to take the field Thursday (9 p.m., ABC), it's almost time for some real football.

That said, it's time for some Power Rankings, too.

Not surprisingly, the Buccaneers, last year's Super Bowl champions, check in at the No. 1 spot, followed by the the Eagles at No. 2.

In the AFC, the early line has the Titans and the Raiders as the favorite in the conference.

Anyway, on to the rankings.

2003 Power Rankings: Week 1
RANKTEAM / RECORD TRENDINGCOMMENTS
1
--

Last Week: NR		Most of the key players return and with another year for Gruden to get the offense going, all systems in Tampa appear to be on go for another trip to the Super Bowl.
2
Eagles
12-4
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Last Week: NR		Eagles fans aren't looking for another trip to the NFC championship game -- it's all about the Super Bowl.
3
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Last Week: NR		If the Raiders can keep Rich Gannon healthy, there's definitely enough left in the tank for another Super Bowl run.
4
Titans
11-5
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Last Week: NR		Steve McNair looks great and can carry Tennessee a long way. One cause for concern, this team isn't deep and any big injuries could sink them.
5
Rams
7-9
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Last Week: NR		An easy schedule and a healthy Kurt Warner means the Rams should be back among the NFC's elite.
6
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Last Week: NR		Bill Belichick usually knows what he's doing. But cutting Lawyer Milloy is a real head-scratcher.
7
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Last Week: NR		Brutal December schedule (at New England, vs. Philly, at Buffalo and vs. N.Y. Jets) could mean another late-season collapse for the Dolphins.
8
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Last Week: NR		Minnesota will be better, but the Packers are still clearly the class of the NFC North.
9
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Last Week: NR		Given the preseason hype surrounding the Chiefs, folks assume that Priest Holmes will be healthy. Without Holmes, the Chiefs aren't a playoff team.
10
Colts
10-6
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Last Week: NR		Edgerrin James looks like he's back, which means the Colts should be back among the NFL's highest-scoring teams.
11
Steelers
10-5-1
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Last Week: NR		Pittsburgh fans better get used to seeing the ball in the air. This version of the Steelers will live with the pass on offense.
12
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Last Week: NR		If offseason additions lift defense from No. 27 in points per game allowed into the top 15, Buffalo will be playoff bound.
13
Falcons
9-6-1
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Last Week: NR		Doug Johnson is a decent QB, but the Falcons clearly take a step back without Michael Vick in the lineup. The question is if the step will be too big to overcome once Vick is back?
14
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Last Week: NR		The Saints have the offense to contend, but the defense has to be better than it was in 2002 or it'll be another disappointing season in the Big Easy.
15
Giants
10-6
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Last Week: NR		There's no doubt Jeremy Shockey is one of the most talented TEs in the NFL. But he better bring his A game every week, because his jersey might as well have a huge bull's-eye on the back.
16
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Last Week: NR		Is Jake Plummer the answer? Mike Shanahan is betting his reputation as a genius that he is.
17
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Last Week: NR		With Ray Rhodes in town, the defense should improve its No. 28 ranking last season. Add in an explosive offense and Seattle could compete for a playoff spot.
18
49ers
10-6
--

Last Week: NR		It's too easy to say, but Jeff Garcia carries the 49ers' hopes on his aching back. If he goes down, the 49ers' season goes down, too.
19
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Last Week: NR		The Vikings need Daunte Culpepper, who has thrown just 32 TDs in the last two seasons, to return to his 33 TD form of 2000.
20
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Last Week: NR		With four receivers with 37 or more catches, Kelly Holcomb will have plenty of targets to throw the ball to.
21
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Last Week: NR		Defense should return to dominating form, but the offense is probably still a year away from making the Ravens a serious contender.
22
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Last Week: NR		We want to pick the Panthers as a surprise team, but we're just not sure how much better they can be in the tough NFC South.
23
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Last Week: NR		David Boston -- 260 pounds at WR -- was literally a BIG acquisition. But can he stay healthy all year?
24
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Last Week: NR		Trung Canidate and Ladell Betts at RB? Not exactly confidence inspiring.
25
Jets
9-7
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Last Week: NR		The Jets looked like an 8-8 with Chad Pennington. Without him? 7-9 or 6-10 sounds likely.
26
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Last Week: NR		Bengals seem to be headed in the right direction with Marvin Lewis in charge. Still, we're not picking them for anything until we see it on the field.
27
Bears
4-12
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Last Week: NR		13-3 in 2000 to 4-12 last season. The Bears will be closer to that 4-12 team this season.
28
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Last Week: NR		Bill Parcells will make the Cowboys better. It just might not be this season.
29
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Last Week: NR		The Jaguars look like a team that is close to rebuilding. That means Byron Leftwich will be playing before too long.
30
Lions
3-13
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Last Week: NR		Early line on rookie of the year: The Lions are going to have to throw the ball a lot, meaning lots of catches for Charles Rogers.
31
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Last Week: NR		Who are Larry Foster, Bryan Gilmore, Anquan Boldin and Jason McAddley? Arizona's top four receivers, who combined have 62 career catches.
32
Texans
4-12
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Last Week: NR		David Carr and Andre Johnson look good for the future. But the Texans will still have trouble keeping Carr on his feet.
Glossary
TG - Tim Graham (AFC East); JW - James Walker (AFC North); PK - Paul Kuharsky (AFC South); BW - Bill Williamson (AFC West); MM - Matt Mosley (NFC East); KS - Kevin Seifert (NFC North); PY - Pat Yasinskas (NFC South); MS - Mike Sando (NFC West)

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