NFL power rankings roundup: Where do Saints stand entering Week 2?

Slowly moving up the charts.

With the New Orleans Saints’ impressive 47-10 victory against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1, most major outlets have the team inching just a little bit closer to the top-20 mark in their NFL power rankings. It seems as though even playing the most complete game of all teams in Week 1, many are still hesitant to push them further up the board. This is mainly due to their opponent being the Panthers who finished 2-15 just a year ago.

The team’s highest ranking this week is at No. 14, where Pro Football Focus has them. CBS Sports as well as The Ringer each has them at No. 25 marking their lowest ranking:

• ESPN: 23rd (last week: 25th)
• NFL.com: 24th (last week: 28th)
• Pro Football Focus: 14th (last week: 16th)
• Bleacher Report: 18th (last week: 23rd)
• Yahoo Sports: 22nd (last week: 23rd)
• ProFootballTalk: 23rd (last week: 24th)
• CBS Sports: 25th (last week: 27th)
• The Ringer: 25th (last week: 27th)
• FOX Sports: 21st (last week: 28th)

It’s understandable for most to keep the team hovering around where they were previously due to the reasons mentioned above. However, the team has a great opportunity this week against the Dallas Cowboys, who are traditionally one of the leagues top teams year in and year out. If Klint Kubiak and the offense are able to put together another efficient afternoon against Micah Parsons and Co., they should be able to match up well against this team. There’s confidence that Dennis Allen will put the team in the best position defensively to win the game, even if they have to do that without their top corner in Marshon Lattimore.

With a win in Dallas, this team would almost certainly put the league on notice, and likely mark their biggest win in Allen’s tenure. Let’s see if they can rise to the challenge.