NFL Power Rankings: First Quarter Grades

By Andrew Marcus
Sportswriter for Montgomery Media

amarcus@montgomerynews.com
Follow me on Twitter @amarcus515

1. Green Bay Packers (4-0) (A) - There is no complete team in the NFL right now, but the defending Super Bowl champs are the closest to it. They will give up their share of yards to an offense, but Aaron Rodgers and crew make too many big plays to compete.
2. New England Patriots (3-1) (B+) - Their awful defensive secondary has already led to a division loss, but the Pats and Tom Brady will more than likely outscore the majority of their opponents and ease into the playoffs by year's end.
3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) (B) - If you can erase that loss to the Titans, which might not look that bad in a few weeks, the Ravens are one of the most balanced teams. They have areas to work on both sides of the ball, but both sides of the ball are also above average.
4. New York Jets (2-2) (B-) - I'm glad they trust Mark Sanchez because I sure don't. And the run game has not been their to support him this year either. Luckily the defense has. 
5. New Orleans Saints (3-1) (B) - They have beaten every team they are suppose to beat and quietly are 3-1. There's more talk about the surprise teams and the Saints just keep winning. They don't have the greatest running game, but Darren Sproles has been a nice add to the offense. 
6. Houston Texans (3-1) (A) - The new Wade Phillips 3-4 defense and been received well by Mario Williams and company. I think over the Steelers is a huge confidence booster. The worries about an injured Andre Johnson do give some concern, however.
7. Detroit Lions (4-0) (A+) - They've won on the road, they come back to win, and they've dominated on both sides of the ball. I can't believe I'm talking about those Detroit Lions. The only reason I don't have them higher is because of their track record.
8. San Diego Chargers (3-1) (B-) Despite the poor play by Phillips Rivers (5 TDs, 6 INTs) the Chargers are 3-1 and have an uncharacteristic fast start. It could be a Super season for the Super Chargers in San Diego.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) (D) The offensive line has been atrocious and it has led to a banged up Big Ben and an inconsistent running game. Even with an injury to James Harrison I'm not ready to write off the Steel Curtain.
10. Atlanta Falcons (2-2) (C) The Falcons will have a huge test on Monday Night hosting the Packers, a team that beat them twice a season ago. Loss on the road to the Bears and Bucs, plus a close game against the Seahawks has been wondering how good really is this Falcon team.
11. Buffalo Bills ((3-1) (A) I would have given them the A+ grade if they could have held off the feisty Bengals. Still, along with the Lions they have been the story of the season and they have chance to prove people how legit they in week 5 when they host a desperate Eagles team.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) (B-) So the opening week loss to the Lions does not seem so bad anymore. Josh Freeman keeps finding ways to win games and the Bucs once again are right in the middle of the playoff picture.
13. Washington Redskins (3-1) (A) Rex Grossman said they'd win the NFC East and if the season ended today they would. The offensive line has allowed a trio of running backs to have success and the defense is really getting a ton of pressure. I still cannot get over Rex Grossman as legit signal caller though
14. New York Giants (3-1) (B) All people can remember for some reason is the amount of injuries the G-Men have, but no one seems to see they are still tied for the division lead. Maybe it does not matter who is on the field as long as they buy into the scheme.
15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) (C-) It depends what Tony Romo will show up, but battered man has led him to two solid wins over some tough defense. However the most recent loss to the Lions have many people puzzled.
16. Chicago Bears (2-2) (C) When you're leading reciever, receptions and yards, is your running Matt Forte something is going wrong. The defense has the ability to win them some games and so does Devin Hester, but not enough to compete in the tough NFC North.
17. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) (F) If there wasn't a final eight minutes or so the Eagles would be 4-0, but teams have made adjustments and just torched the Birds in the fourth quarter. Too many holes on both sides of the ball and the Dream Team is off to a nightmare start.
18. Tennessee Titans (3-1) (A+) No Kenny Britt, a sluggish Chris Johnson and yet the Titans are tied with the Texans for the division lead. Matt Hasslebeck looks years younger in the Music City and they are clicking right now. A win over the Steelers in week 5 will force me to shoot them up these rankings.
19. Oakland Raiders (2-2) (B) If they could play every game on the West Coast or in their Division they'd win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately they have to make a few long flights.
20. San Francisco 49ers (3-1) (A+) Based on the other teams in that division they are a lock for the playoffs, but how far will they go if they only pass the ball 10 times a game to avoid Alex Smith blwoing it. That defense though is something special.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) (A) We are getting close to the teams that want to "Suck for Luck" and get the first overall pick, but not here. The rookie combo of Andy Dalton and A.J. Green is solid and the defense makes enough plays for them to win 5-to-7 games this season.
22. Arizona Cardinals (1-3) (D) We though Cam Newton was the greatest thing since slice bread because of the Cards. Now, while Cam seems legit, the Cardinal worst secondary in the NFL did have something to do with that in week one.
23. Cleveland Browns (2-2) (D) Another team who can beat any team in the league, but likes to lose at the buzzer and in still unable to reel off any kind of win streak. It all leads to 8-8 being the best case scenario.
24. Carolina Panthers (1-3) (C+) Cam Newtown and Steve Smith may be the only two that keeps this team in games. They paid DeAngelo Williams and they don't even use him and the defense is shadow of its former below average self with Jon Beason on the shelf.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) (D) Let's give them some credit for staying competitive despite cutting their starting quarterback days before the season. Blaine Gabbert has made some nice throws, but he needs to make a few more per game if they want to win on a regular basis. 
26. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) D I think they are playing the best they can will the talent the Seattle front office and Pete Carroll has assembled. They need to get into the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes because Tavaris Jackson is not the answer. 
27. Miami Dolphins (0-4) (C) They aren't going to rolled on by many teams, but they aren't going to win many games either. At least their are teams in the NFL that don't give their fans any hope.
28. Indianapolis Colts (0-4) (F) I'd give them a D grade for the ability to fight hard despite losing Peyton Manning, but they get an F grade because of the drafting and the fact this was a one-man show.
29. Denver Broncos (1-3) (F) I know why Denver wants Tim Tebow to play. They know he's worse than Brady Quinn and Kyle Orton and they really want Andrew Luck.
30. St. Louis Rams (0-4) (F) They were suppose to be the top dogs in the NFC West, but Sam Bradford and the Rams defense has taken a step back. Somebody's a week or two away from losing their job.
31. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) (D-) I'll give them some credit because they have lost Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry and Tony Moeaki. Still before those injuries I think they were destine for last place. They give up way too many points.
32. Minnesota Vikings (0-4) (F-) How can you have the best running back in the game in Adrian Peterson and a pass rusher like Jared Allen and be the worst team in the league? Oh right, Donavan McNabb. Didn't they see him get benched for Rex Grossman? It's over for Mac5 - Time to see what Christian Ponder has.