2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2
Week:
![[+]](http://a.espncdn.com/community/widgets/i/add_widget_bug.jpg)
The New Orleans Saints and the New York Jets are riding the escalator in the latest edition of the ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings.
The Jets have vaulted from a No. 23 ranking in Week 1 to No. 16, according to a poll of our experts. Rookie Mark Sanchez's crew might be able to flirt with the penthouse should it upend the seemingly vulnerable New England Patriots when the AFC East rivals meet in Week 2.
The Saints, who have moved up six places to No. 12, could make a bid for the upper echelon if they can upset the host Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Eagles are part of the upper crust that has remained unchanged in the 2009 rankings -- the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Patriots, the New York Giants and the Eagles rank Nos. 1 through 4, respectively, once again.
The biggest tumbler this week: The Carolina Panthers have fallen from No. 14 to No. 22. One notable change: The Detroit Lions (No. 31) have leapfrogged the St. Louis Rams (No. 32) to escape the rankings' lowest rung.
• More: Voting | Blog takes | SN: Rank 'em Pick'em | Rate your coach | FB Today 
(Editor's note: LW indicates each team's ranking in the Week 1 edition of the Power Rankings.)
| 2009 Power Rankings: Week 2 | ||||
| RK (LW) | TEAM | REC | COMMENT | |
 |
1 (1) | Steelers | 1-0-0 | They need to get their running game going, but Big Ben seems better than ever. (Chadiha) |
 |
2 (2) | Patriots | 1-0-0 | Tom Brady is magic in the final minutes, but the Pats' defense appears shaky. (Clayton) |
 |
3 (3) | Giants | 1-0-0 | The Giants might not have a No. 1 receiver, but they seem like a No. 1 team. (Clayton) |
 |
4 (4) | Eagles | 1-0-0 | By going for a meaningless fifth TD against the Panthers, Donovan McNabb fractured his ribs and the Eagles' season. (Clayton) |
 |
5 (6) | Colts | 1-0-0 | Jim Caldwell showed some killer instinct at the end, but his running game didn't prove to be worth the faith. (Kuharsky) |
 |
6 (5) | Chargers | 1-0-0 | They escaped with a win in Oakland, but the injury to center Nick Hardwick could be a big issue. (Kuharsky) |
 |
7 (8) | Falcons | 1-0-0 | They beat the Dolphins comfortably without getting much production from Michael Turner or the ground game in general. Matt Ryan already seems to have a rapport with Tony Gonzalez. (Sando) |
 |
8 (9) | Vikings | 1-0-0 | Adrian Peterson already seems like this season's MVP. (Chadiha) |
 |
9 (7) | Titans | 0-1-0 | Mistakes in Pittsburgh kept the Titans from a potential upset, but Jeff Fisher won't let them dwell on the opener. (Kuharsky) |
 |
10 (10) | Ravens | 1-0-0 | Even though it was against the Chiefs' defense, the Ravens' offense appears far more diversified and explosive this season. (Chadiha) |
 |
11 (12) | Packers | 1-0-0 | Aaron Rodgers to Greg Jennings: That's a pretty strong combination. (Chadiha) |
 |
12 (18) | Saints | 1-0-0 | With an assist from the Lions, Drew Brees has accounted for as many touchdowns as the rest of the NFC South combined. You have to like his MVP chances. (Sando) |
 |
13 (17) | Cowboys | 1-0-0 | Roy Williams seems fine as the team's No. 1 receiver, and he doesn't cause the internal problems Terrell Owens created. (Clayton) |
 |
14 (15) | Seahawks | 1-0-0 | Seattle was the only team in the NFC West to show signs of sustainable life on offense, albeit against the Rams. Matt Hasselbeck still is getting comfortable in a new offense. (Sando) |
 |
15 (11) | Bears | 0-1-0 | The loss to Green Bay was tough. The loss of Brian Urlacher for the season was devastating. (Chadiha) |
 |
16 (23) | Jets | 1-0-0 | Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez are two of the most exciting additions to the AFC. (Clayton) |
 |
17 (13) | Cardinals | 0-1-0 | They will get their passing game going eventually, but this team is dealing with something that wasn't a problem in 2008: injuries. Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston are hurting. (Sando) |
 |
18 (22) | 49ers | 1-0-0 | Greg Manusky's defense has a chance to rank among the NFL's best this season -- with a little more help from the offense. No style points for this team. (Sando) |
 |
19 (16) | Dolphins | 0-1-0 | An opening loss to the Falcons was a reminder of how tough this ride will be for the Dolphins. (Clayton) |
 |
20 (20) | Redskins | 0-1-0 | Once again, the Redskins couldn't generate enough offense to win a crucial game against the Giants. (Clayton) |
 |
21 (21) | Bills | 0-1-0 | It's hard to win when the defense is on the field for 29 more plays than the offense. (Clayton) |
 |
22 (14) | Panthers | 0-1-0 | Memories of Jake Delhomme's playoff implosion have unwelcome company. It's a bad sign when the coach has to clarify whether the franchise QB will keep his job in Week 2. (Sando) |
 |
23 (19) | Texans | 0-1-0 | The opening dud left the team embarrassed and the city miserable. Visiting the Titans for Week 2 doesn't seem like a cure. (Kuharsky) |
 |
24 (27) | Broncos | 1-0-0 | Maybe the Broncos were due a bit a karma, after all they've been through this year. (Kuharsky) |
 |
25 (25) | Jaguars | 0-1-0 | The Jags fought hard in Indianapolis and deserve credit for holding the Colts to 14 points. They have to find a big play once in a while. (Kuharsky) |
 |
26 (24) | Bengals | 0-1-0 | This team has to be cursed. There's no other way to explain the loss to Denver. (Chadiha) |
 |
27 (30) | Raiders | 0-1-0 | The Raideres are not looking for moral victories, but the close loss to San Diego suggests the gap between the teams is not that big. (Kuharsky) |
 |
28 (28) | Browns | 0-1-0 | It's got to be hard facing Brett Favre in his debut as a Viking. So what excuse will be convenient in Week 2? (Chadiha) |
 |
29 (26) | Buccaneers | 0-1-0 | Give the Bucs credit for amassing 450 yards against the Cowboys in their opener. They surpassed that total only once all last season. (Sando) |
 |
30 (29) | Chiefs | 0-1-0 | The offense without QB Matt Cassel was better than expected, but the defense was worse in the loss at Baltimore. (Kuharsky) |
 |
31 (32) | Lions | 0-1-0 | A tough day for rookie QB Matt Stafford in the opener. There will be more tough days to come. (Chadiha) |
 |
32 (31) | Rams | 0-1-0 | They kept it close for a half against the Seahawks, and that, sadly, is progress. Marc Bulger needs more weapons in the passing game. (Sando) |
| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by a poll of four voters on ESPN.com's NFL staff: writers John Clayton (AFC East, NFC East), Jeffri Chadiha (AFC North, NFC North), Paul Kuharsky (AFC South, AFC West), and Mike Sando (NFC South, NFC West). |
