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Unless you are a Seattle Seahawks fan, the 2013 NFL season ended rather boring. When a team wins by a margin of 35, most viewers continue to watch for the usually disappointing and over hyped commercials. You have to admit though, either Peyton Manning proved that he is in fact the choke artist that everyone claims he is, or the Seahawks proved that their “Legion of Boom” is by far one of the best defenses the NFL has ever seen.
One thing is for sure; the Seahawks have been at the top of the NFL world since nearly the start of the 2013 season. With 2014 NFL Regular Season less than 8 weeks away from the first kickoff between Seattle and the Green Bay Packers, Power Rankings before training camps start are in order.
1. Seattle Seahawks: Can they be the first team since the “Pats” to win back-to-back Super Bowls?
2. San Francisco 49ers: Do you think Colin Kaepernick wishes he could play against the Packers all 16 games of the season?
3. Denver Broncos: Will this be Manning’s last year, or will he begin pulling a “Brett Favre”?
4. New England Patriots: If you thought that Patriots were dangerous last year, how do you think they’ll be this year with a healthy receiving corps?
5. Carolina Panthers: With receivers on the roster that haven’t caught a single pass in 2013 for the Carolina Panthers, will Cam Newton be able to pull a Tom Brady of last year?
6. Indianapolis Colts: Will Andrew Luck‘s luck run out, or will they once again take the division in arguably one of the leagues weakest divisions?
7. Cincinnati Bengals: Is Andy Dalton really that bad, and if the Bengals feel that way and replace him, will AJ Green really not accept passes from another signal caller?
8. New Orleans Saints: If the Atlanta Falcons had a fluke season last year, does that mean the Saints will be in a three headed dog fight for the NFC South?
9. Kansas City Chiefs: Alex Smith proved that he was able to continue to be the game manager Jim Harbaugh turned him into. The question is, can they repeat last years success with a stronger schedule?
10. Philadelphia Eagles: Will Chip Kelly‘s fast paced offense be even better in it’s second year in the league, or will they stumble?
11. Green Bay Packers: How much better will the Packers be with Aaron Rodgers back in charge?
12. Arizona Cardinals: How angry do you think Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians are about missing the playoffs with a 10-6 record?
13. San Diego Chargers: Can Philip Rivers extend his comeback tour into the 2014 season, or will the 2004 first round draft pick stumble into his old ways?
14. Pittsburgh Steelers: With all but Troy Polamalu and Ben Roethlisberger gone from the days of Bill Cowher, are the Steelers of today showing what life is like with Mike Tomlin?
15. Dallas Cowboys: With a big question revolving around who the backup QB will be, are the Cowboys any better with Kyle Orton or Brandon Weeden if Tony Romo goes down?
16. Baltimore Ravens: Joe Flacco may not be the best Quarterback in the league, but does anyone really believe that it’s a coincidence that every year except last year, they’ve made the playoffs with him at the helm?
17. Chicago Bears: Only two questions ring out for the Bears. Do they truly believe Jay Cutler is worth that much money, and if/when he goes down, are they going to regret letting Josh McCown go to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
18. Miami Dolphins: Ryan Tannehill is slowly turning into a Quarterback worth mentioning, but will it be enough to help them compete in what’s looking to be a stronger AFC East?
19. New York Jets: Who will be the starter in week one, Geno Smith or Michael Vick, and which one has a better chance at getting the team over .500?
20. Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson have been a dangerous duo for a couple years now. Will Golden Tate help get the Lions over that last hump?
21. St. Louis Rams: Is this a team on the verge of greatness, or a team on the verge of destruction?
22. New York Giants: Eli Manning threw the most interceptions last season. Will that be enough to motivate him to be a smarter decision maker or will he take more chances in 2014?
23. Tennessee Titans: This has to be Jake Locker‘s last chance at being a starter for the Titans doesn’t it?
24. Buffalo Bills: Can EJ Manuel stay healthy enough to play in all 16 games this season, and will it help the Bills out of mediocrity?
25. Minnesota Vikings: Teddy Bridgewater or Matt Cassel? Does it really matter when Adrian Peterson is your Running Back?
26. Atlanta Falcons: Was Julio Jones‘ injury the reason the Falcons became so bad last season or was it just a bad year?
27. Jacksonville Jaguars: Every year there is at least one dark horse team, will it be the Jaguars?
28. Oakland Raiders: With all the spending on veteran players this offseason, can the Raiders finally put together a winning season?
29. Cleveland Browns: Is Johnny Manziel the future or will he come another failed first round QB for the Browns?
30. Washington Redskins: Will Robert Griffin III have a comeback year and be the franchise player they expected him to be?
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: With new Head Coach Lovie Smith and newly acquired Quarterback Josh McCown, will the Buccaneers be a new force to be reckoned with?
32. Houston Texans: The big question in H-Town is with a new head coach, a new quarterback and a new season, will the Texans be able to give their loyal fan base hope again?
It is hard to argue that the Seattle Seahawks do not belong at the top of this list. Who knows what type of impact the rookies will make for their respective teams this season? The only thing anyone can be sure of is what happened last season and what the Free Agents signed this offseason already bring to the table. One thing is for certain, anything can happen on any given Sunday.
Michael Craig is a Writer for Couch Rider Report. Follow him on Facebook.
