NFL Power Rankings - Giants already distancing themselves in NFC East

The betonline.com NFL power rankings are back and here to stay for the football betting season. With two weeks in the books, we’re starting to see some patterns forming. The big question is whether or not the early juggernauts are contenders or pretenders; it helps to look at whom they’ve played so far.

1. (4) New York Giants (2-0): No true No. 1 receivers, no problem for Eli Manning. He’s turning Steve Smith and Mario Manningham into stars and wins against the tough Washington and Dallas defenses are nothing to sneeze at.

2. (9) Atlanta Falcons (2-0): Early signs suggest nothing resembling a sophomore slump for Matt Ryan. He’s ready to lead the high-octane offense to another playoff berth; if the “D” can be simply adequate, it will be a special year for the Falcons’ sportsbook odds.

3. (11) Baltimore Ravens (2-0): It’s scary to ponder how good they could be if the offense is for real. So far, so good for Joe Flacco. On defense, Ray Lewis showed the Chargers that he’s an ageless wonder.

4. (10) New Orleans Saints (2-0): Who cares about defense when you can score twice as many points as you allow every week? Blowing out the Eagles suggests the Saints will hang near the top of the NFL power rankings for a while.

5. (6) Indianapolis Colts (2-0): Peyton Manning showed his MVP form Monday night but this team is flawed. The run defense still stinks and Manning needs consistency from either Austin Collie or Pierre Garcon to complement Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark.

6. (17) New York Jets (2-0): Wow. Zero touchdowns allowed against the Texans and Pats, two of the NFC’s most offensively potent teams. Rex Ryan’s fingerprints are all over this turnaround.

7. (7) Minnesota Vikings (2-0): Yeah, yeah. Adrian Peterson rocks. But wins over Detroit and Cleveland may as well be preseason wins. Minny isn’t stopping the run like it’s supposed to. Are we supposed to be impressed yet?

8. (2) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1): It’s increasingly likely that this is the year we find out if Ben Roethlisberger can really lead a team to a championship. Hey – I’m not taking anything away from him. But this may be the first full season when he has to carry the offense himself. The running game is doing nothing.

9. (1) New England Patriots (1-1): Tom Brady is so cool that the Pats almost deserve a higher spot in the NFL power rankings. He didn’t throw anyone under the bus last week – he blamed New England’s problems on his own throwing mechanics. How scary is it that the Pats were a Week 1 two-minute drill away from being 0-2?

10. (5) Philadelphia Eagles (1-1): Allowing 4,596 points to New Orleans did nothing to dispel the notion that losing defensive co-ordinator Jim Johnson and safety Brian Dawkins would deflate Philly’s once-potent defense.

11. (8) Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

12. (12) Chicago Bears (1-1)

13. (28) San Francisco 49ers (2-0)

14. (13) Green Bay Packers (1-1)

15. (27) Denver Broncos (2-0)

16. (15) Houston Texans (1-1)

17. (3) San Diego Chargers (1-1)

18. (21) Arizona Cardinals (1-1)

19. (23) Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)

20. (20) Buffalo Bills (1-1)

21. (18) Washington Redskins (1-1)

22. (14) Tennessee Titans (0-2)

23. (19) Miami Dolphins (0-2)

24. (22) Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

25. (16) Carolina Panthers (0-2)

26. (31) Oakland Raiders (1-1)

27. (24) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

28. (32 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

29. (26) Cleveland Browns (0-2)

30. (29) Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

31. (30) Detroit Lions (0-2)

32. (25) St. Louis Rams (0-2)

The biggest NFL power rankings shocker of the week for online sports betting fans: San Francisco and Denver being ranked above San Diego. Hey – we may as well let the 49ers and Broncos enjoy their undefeated streaks while they last. And forgive us for not getting excited about the Chargers barely edging Oakland and losing to Baltimore.

Keep reading the NFL power ranking every week to help you get a sports betting edge at betonline.com.

Stan Simmons is one of betonline.com's NFL experts.