DTTWSB Week 1 NFL Power Rankings

Can you feel the energy in the air? The NFL season is almost 24 hours away. I will be in front of a television screen tomorrow night watching the Vikings and Saints game. Man I love this time of the year! Right now I'm going to rank the top 10 NFL teams going in to Week 1 of the NFL season. The way I rank these teams doesn't necessarily reflect how far I think they will go this season. It's just who I feel are the best teams in the NFL right now. See if your team is in my top 10, and make sure to voice your opinion on the Down To The Wire Sports Blog Facebook page.

1. New York Jets: From top to bottom this team is loaded. They had the best defense in the league last year and they added more talent to it. They drafted Kyle Wilson out of Boise State who I'm very high on and they traded for Antonio Cromartie. Not to mention they added Jason Taylor and got Kris Jenkins back from a season-ending injury he had last season. Also, they added Super Bowl MVP Santonio Holmes who has looked great in camp. The only question mark is the progression of Mark Sanchez. He will ultimately determine how far this team goes.

2. Dallas Cowboys: Last year they were able to get the monkey off their backs by winning that elusive playoff game. They are returning a strong nucleus that has great chemistry together. Romo is looking better than ever and they added a big-time wide receiver in drafting Dez Bryant. The best part of the Cowboys is there defense which will cause havoc all season long. I wouldn't be surprised if outside linebackers Demarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer have 30 sacks between themselves playing in Wade Phillips aggresive 3-4 scheme. The Cowboys also have two Pro Bowl corner backs in Mike Jenkins and Terrence Newman. The biggest question is the offensive line, if they can consistenly protect Romo the Cowboys should be in the Super Bowl.

3. Indianapolis Colts: This team has been a fixture as one of the top 5 teams in the league for the past several seasons because they have Peyton Manning at the controls of a high-powered offense. Manning may have the best group of weapons he's ever played with. Anthony Gonzalez will be coming back which will be key. They also drafted Jerry Hughes to create more pressure on the quarterback. The big thing with the Colts is that safety Bob Sanders is back and healthy so he will improve their run defense. My major concern with the Colts is can they go punch-for-punch in the playoffs with a physical team like the Ravens, Steelers or Jets? That is yet to be dtermined.

4. Baltimore Ravens: For the first time ever, the staple of the Ravens team is their offense. With acquisition of Anquan Boldin, Donte Stallworth and now T.J. Houshmandzadeh, this looks to be a pass-heavy offseason. With that said, don't forget about running back Ray Rice, who may be their best offensive player. Last year he had a breakout season and I expect for him to secure himself as a top flight NFL running back this year. The biggest concern with Ravens is their depleted secondary. Ed Reed is out for the first six games and they lost two corner backs to injury as well. I'm questioning how far this team can really go, only time will tell.

5. Green Bay Packers: I have nothing but great things to say about Aaron Rodgers, he is a top 5 NFL quarterback. Mike McCarthy and Ted Thompson definitely made the right decision taking Rodgers over Favre. In addition to Rodgers, this team has a lot of young talent. Tight end Jermichael Finley broke onto the scene last year in the NFC Wildcard game against Arizona. Jennings and Driver will be fixtures as well. The Packer defense will be a top 10 unit this season. Outside linebacker Clay Matthews should become a Pro Bowl-caliber player. My major concern with the Packers is can they maintain offensive balance and be able to run the football with that great passing game.

6. New Orleans Saints: Don't talk to me about respect because the Super Bowl was last February. This is a new season and to be honest I didn't think the Saints were the best team in the league last season. I love the offense with Drew Brees at the helm. I don't expect their defense to play as well as it did last year. Sean Payton will have his guys ready for the season but the Super Bowl hangover may be too much. I feel like the Saints will have to experience this season as the hunted instead of the hunter. They're going to have to play 16 Super Bowls this season because everyone will get up to play them. I'm not sure if they can handle that pressure.

7. San Francisco 49ers: This is a very young and up and coming football team that has a lot of great pieces. That defense is stacked with Patrick Willis leading the way. Head coach Mike Singletary has his guys playing with a 'hit you in the mouth' kind of swagger. They fly around the ball and defend the pass very well. Everyone knows about their defense, but not everyone knows about the potential their offense has. The offensive line is a top 10 unit and with Frank Gore running the football behind them, they should be a strong rushing attack. With that being said, it should open up the passing lanes for quarterback Alex Smith. For the first time in his career, he will have the same offensive coordinator for consecutive seasons. If he can play well, look for big things from this team.

8. Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings are on a slippery slope right now. They have put all their eggs into the Brett Favre basket. Their offensive line looked bad at the end of last season. They're still dangerous when running the football because they have one of the leagues best running backs in Adrian Peterson. What's going to hurt them the most is missing wide receiver Sidney Rice for half the season. He stretches the field for them with his speed and height. Also, you shouldn't expect Favre to put up the same numbers as he did last season, he is simply too old and beaten up. I wouldn't be surprised if his consecutive games streak ends this season. Viking country should definitely be worried this year.

9. San Diego Chargers: Oh boy, a few years ago this team was one of the most talented teams in the NFL. They have fallen off because of contract disputes and age. GM A.J. Smith has put a lot of pressure on Norv Turner by not having wide receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeill in camp. Fortunately for the Chargers, they play in the AFC West which is arguably the worst division in the entire league. I think that the Chargers can get McNeill and Jackson back and win double-digit games, but don't look for this team to go deep into the playoffs.

10. Cincinnati Bengals: When you look at this team, there are a lot of things to love. They have a ton of weapons out wide with Terrell Owens, Chad Ochocinco, Jermaine Gresham and Jordan Shipley. Defensively they have a decent pass rush and quality players in the secondary. This is a playoff caliber team, but I don't think this is a team that can win in the playoffs because they have two major issues staring at them right in the face. Number 1, that offensive line is very shaky, if they can protect quarterback Carson Palmer, their offense will be very explosive. But if they don't protect Palmer, they will have trouble moving the ball because they look like they want to become a pass-happy offense. Also, the million-dollar question is can T.O. and Ochocinco co-exist? That will be a storyline followed throughout the season.

Teams knocking on the door of the top 10:

Patriots, Steelers, Giants and Panthers