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It's May. Pollen and prognostication are in the air.
Yes, we're still months away from a game that matters, but our offseason ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings are nothing to sneeze at -- there's been plenty of tumult since the 2008 Week 18 final edition.
Not surprisingly, the poll of our 12 experts reveals the Pittsburgh Steelers as the top team in the league. The defending Super Bowl champions vault two places from their final 2008 regular-season ranking.
The New England Patriots, energized by quarterback Tom Brady's apparently successful return from injury, are deemed the second-best unit. The Patriots vault seven places from their final 2008 ranking. The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts round out our top five.
Where are the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, who came within a whisker of beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl? Arizona is considered the ninth-best team in the NFL.
Other interesting shakeups in the voting: The Miami Dolphins, facing a tougher schedule in 2009 than they did in 2008, rate No. 15 overall. That's a seven-slot slide. Still, that's nothing compared to the tumble the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken. Without head coach Jon Gruden -- now an analyst on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" -- the Buccaneers rate No. 27 out of 32 teams. Tampa Bay finished last season ranked No. 16. The St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions bring up the rear, ranking Nos. 31 and 32, respectively. Look for our next edition of the offseason rankings when training camps open in July.
Yes, we're still months away from a game that matters, but our offseason ESPN.com NFL Power Rankings are nothing to sneeze at -- there's been plenty of tumult since the 2008 Week 18 final edition.
Not surprisingly, the poll of our 12 experts reveals the Pittsburgh Steelers as the top team in the league. The defending Super Bowl champions vault two places from their final 2008 regular-season ranking.
The New England Patriots, energized by quarterback Tom Brady's apparently successful return from injury, are deemed the second-best unit. The Patriots vault seven places from their final 2008 ranking. The New York Giants, Philadelphia Eagles and Indianapolis Colts round out our top five.
Where are the NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals, who came within a whisker of beating the Steelers in the Super Bowl? Arizona is considered the ninth-best team in the NFL.
Other interesting shakeups in the voting: The Miami Dolphins, facing a tougher schedule in 2009 than they did in 2008, rate No. 15 overall. That's a seven-slot slide. Still, that's nothing compared to the tumble the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken. Without head coach Jon Gruden -- now an analyst on ESPN's "Monday Night Football" -- the Buccaneers rate No. 27 out of 32 teams. Tampa Bay finished last season ranked No. 16. The St. Louis Rams and Detroit Lions bring up the rear, ranking Nos. 31 and 32, respectively. Look for our next edition of the offseason rankings when training camps open in July.
1 (3) Steelers 12-4-0 With 20-of-22 starters returning, the Steelers could chase "dynasty" status. (JW) Draft
2 (9) Patriots 11-5-0 Until further notice, a team coached by Bill Belichick and quarterbacked by Tom Brady is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. (TG) Draft
3 (2) Giants 12-4-0 Top to bottom, not a lot of holes on this team. Can they replace Plaxico Burress' presence on the field? I think so. (MM)Draft
4 (11) Eagles 9-6-1 With the additions of Jeremy Maclin, Jason Peters and LeSean McCoy, this should be one of the top offenses. (MM) Draft
5 (5) Colts 12-4-0 Donald Brown should provide a nice boost. But without Tony Dungy and with two top assistants in limbo for at least awhile, do things stay stable? (PK) Draft
6 (6) Ravens 11-5-0 Second-year QB Joe Flacco looks great this offseason. As long as LB Ray Lewis keeps Baltimore's defense elite, this team will be a force once again. (JW) Draft
7 (12) Chargers 8-8-0 The Chargers became the dangerous team we all expected late in the season. This can be an elite team. (BW) Draft
8 (1) Titans 13-3-0 A deep team lost a defensive star and a defensive coordinator and has a tougher schedule, but should still be playoff-caliber. (PK) Draft
9 (13) Cardinals 9-7-0 The next challenge for the Cardinals is showing more consistency throughout the season, not just in the playoffs. (MS) Draft
10 (4) Panthers 12-4-0 They basically haven't done anything this offseason, but the Panthers have 21 starters back from a 12-4 season. (PY)) Draft
11 (7) Falcons 11-5-0 Tony Gonzalez elevates the offense. A little defense could make the Falcons complete. (PY) Draft
12 (15) Bears 9-7-0 The addition of Jay Cutler gives the Bears the early advantage in the NFC North. (KS) Draft
13 (14) Cowboys 9-7-0 I think the offense will be better off without T.O. Maybe this team will peak late in the season. (MM) Draft
14 (10) Vikings 10-6-0 Subject to change based on the Vikings' pursuit of Brett Favre. Without him, they have the same major question -- quarterback. (KS) Draft
15 (8) Dolphins 11-5-0 An encore performance will be difficult, but under-the-radar moves made them better on defense and on the offensive line. (TG) Draft
16 (19) Saints 8-8-0 If the defense can be just average, the Saints will be in the playoffs. (PY) Draft
17 (24) Packers 6-10-0 The 3-4 defense could take some time to perfect, but addressing the scheme was a must. (KS) Draft
18 (18) Texans 8-8-0 A popular pick as a breakout team, they'll need to improve defensively and handle unfamiliar expectations. (PK) Draft
19 (21) Redskins 8-8-0 How much impact will Albert Haynesworth have and how will Jason Campbell respond to an awkward offseason? (MM) Draft
20 (17) Jets 9-7-0 Rex Ryan's defense is shaping up to be entertaining, but their QB situation and receiver corps are enormous question marks. (TG) Draft
21 (23) Bills 7-9-0 The Terrell Owens signing has escalated the excitement level in Buffalo, but the O-line is a huge question mark. (TG) Draft
22 (28) Seahawks 4-12-0 Waiting to see how Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Patrick Kerney hold up through training camp. (MS) Draft
23 (27) Bengals 4-11-1 With QB Carson Palmer (elbow) returning and a sneaky good defense, the Bengals have sleeper potential. (JW) Draft
24 (25) Jaguars 5-11-0 If the top two draft picks are solid and the offensive line is healthy, the running game can key improvement. (PK) Draft
25 (22) Broncos 8-8-0 The Broncos have to show they can win with Kyle Orton and with a rebuilding defense. (BW) Draft
26 (20) 49ers 7-9-0 Shaun Hill's 7-3 record as the 49ers' starter gives him the edge in QB competition.(MS) Draft
27 (16) Buccaneers 9-7-0 New coach Raheem Morris takes over a team with one huge question: Who's the QB? (PY) Draft
28 (29) Browns 4-12-0 The first year under coach Eric Mangini could be a rough one, especially if he cannot settle on a QB. (JW) Draft
29 (30) Chiefs 2-14-0 The Chiefs have improved in some areas but there are still a lot of questions about this team. (BW) Draft
30 (26) Raiders 5-11-0 It's all about whether the youngsters can turn the corner in Oakland. (BW) Draft
31 (31) Rams 2-14-0 Rams need time to develop talent after roster purge made them among NFL's youngest almost overnight. (MS) Draft
32 (32) Lions 0-16-0 The Lions made progress this offseason but had nowhere to go but up. (KS) Draft
2 (9) Patriots 11-5-0 Until further notice, a team coached by Bill Belichick and quarterbacked by Tom Brady is a legitimate Super Bowl contender. (TG) Draft
3 (2) Giants 12-4-0 Top to bottom, not a lot of holes on this team. Can they replace Plaxico Burress' presence on the field? I think so. (MM)Draft
4 (11) Eagles 9-6-1 With the additions of Jeremy Maclin, Jason Peters and LeSean McCoy, this should be one of the top offenses. (MM) Draft
5 (5) Colts 12-4-0 Donald Brown should provide a nice boost. But without Tony Dungy and with two top assistants in limbo for at least awhile, do things stay stable? (PK) Draft
6 (6) Ravens 11-5-0 Second-year QB Joe Flacco looks great this offseason. As long as LB Ray Lewis keeps Baltimore's defense elite, this team will be a force once again. (JW) Draft
7 (12) Chargers 8-8-0 The Chargers became the dangerous team we all expected late in the season. This can be an elite team. (BW) Draft
8 (1) Titans 13-3-0 A deep team lost a defensive star and a defensive coordinator and has a tougher schedule, but should still be playoff-caliber. (PK) Draft
9 (13) Cardinals 9-7-0 The next challenge for the Cardinals is showing more consistency throughout the season, not just in the playoffs. (MS) Draft
10 (4) Panthers 12-4-0 They basically haven't done anything this offseason, but the Panthers have 21 starters back from a 12-4 season. (PY)) Draft
11 (7) Falcons 11-5-0 Tony Gonzalez elevates the offense. A little defense could make the Falcons complete. (PY) Draft
12 (15) Bears 9-7-0 The addition of Jay Cutler gives the Bears the early advantage in the NFC North. (KS) Draft
13 (14) Cowboys 9-7-0 I think the offense will be better off without T.O. Maybe this team will peak late in the season. (MM) Draft
14 (10) Vikings 10-6-0 Subject to change based on the Vikings' pursuit of Brett Favre. Without him, they have the same major question -- quarterback. (KS) Draft
15 (8) Dolphins 11-5-0 An encore performance will be difficult, but under-the-radar moves made them better on defense and on the offensive line. (TG) Draft
16 (19) Saints 8-8-0 If the defense can be just average, the Saints will be in the playoffs. (PY) Draft
17 (24) Packers 6-10-0 The 3-4 defense could take some time to perfect, but addressing the scheme was a must. (KS) Draft
18 (18) Texans 8-8-0 A popular pick as a breakout team, they'll need to improve defensively and handle unfamiliar expectations. (PK) Draft
19 (21) Redskins 8-8-0 How much impact will Albert Haynesworth have and how will Jason Campbell respond to an awkward offseason? (MM) Draft
20 (17) Jets 9-7-0 Rex Ryan's defense is shaping up to be entertaining, but their QB situation and receiver corps are enormous question marks. (TG) Draft
21 (23) Bills 7-9-0 The Terrell Owens signing has escalated the excitement level in Buffalo, but the O-line is a huge question mark. (TG) Draft
22 (28) Seahawks 4-12-0 Waiting to see how Matt Hasselbeck, Walter Jones and Patrick Kerney hold up through training camp. (MS) Draft
23 (27) Bengals 4-11-1 With QB Carson Palmer (elbow) returning and a sneaky good defense, the Bengals have sleeper potential. (JW) Draft
24 (25) Jaguars 5-11-0 If the top two draft picks are solid and the offensive line is healthy, the running game can key improvement. (PK) Draft
25 (22) Broncos 8-8-0 The Broncos have to show they can win with Kyle Orton and with a rebuilding defense. (BW) Draft
26 (20) 49ers 7-9-0 Shaun Hill's 7-3 record as the 49ers' starter gives him the edge in QB competition.(MS) Draft
27 (16) Buccaneers 9-7-0 New coach Raheem Morris takes over a team with one huge question: Who's the QB? (PY) Draft
28 (29) Browns 4-12-0 The first year under coach Eric Mangini could be a rough one, especially if he cannot settle on a QB. (JW) Draft
29 (30) Chiefs 2-14-0 The Chiefs have improved in some areas but there are still a lot of questions about this team. (BW) Draft
30 (26) Raiders 5-11-0 It's all about whether the youngsters can turn the corner in Oakland. (BW) Draft
31 (31) Rams 2-14-0 Rams need time to develop talent after roster purge made them among NFL's youngest almost overnight. (MS) Draft
32 (32) Lions 0-16-0 The Lions made progress this offseason but had nowhere to go but up. (KS) Draft
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