NFL Power Rankings 2012: Patriots, 49ers Top List of Best Teams after Week 1

The 2012 NFL Season is in full swing, with every team playing one game.

There were plenty of surprises in Week 1. Some of the best teams, like the Packers and Giants, lost at home. Some teams that had low expectations, like the Cardinals and Buccaneers, began the year with victories.

Who are the top teams in football after the first week of play?

Here are NFL power rankings, for all 32 teams, through Week 1:

1. New England Patriots

The Patriots showed why they are the favorites to win the Super Bowl with their dominant win over the Titans. They probably have the best offense in the NFL.

2. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers win at Green Bay proved that 2011 was a fluke. With a dominating defense and a quarterback that doesn't make many mistakes, they may be the best the NFC has to offer.

3. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens were the most dominant team in Week 1 with a 31-point victory. Joe Flacco could be on his way to a breakout season.

4. Houston Texans

Houston might be the most balanced team in the league. They are far and away the favorites to win the AFC South

5. Green Bay Packers

The Packers looked a lot more beatable than they were in 2011, showing they can be susceptible to talented offenses. They still, however, have the best quarterback in the league.

6. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan played about as well as anyone in Week 1. The Falcons are good to double-digit wins every year, and this season appears to be no different.

7. Denver Broncos

There are still questions about whether or not Peyton Manning can stay healthy for 16 games, but he looked as good as ever in Denver's win against Pittsburgh.

8. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys looked strong on both sides of the ball in their victory over the defending Super Bowl champions. Tony Romo played one of the best games of his career.

9. Chicago Bears

Andrew Luck's debut was spoiled by Chicago's 41-21 victory. Jay Cutler threw for 33 yards in his return to the field.

10. New York Jets

It's just one game, but mark Sanchez silenced a lot of critics with his three touchdown passes against the Bills.

11. New York Giants

The champs struggled in their home opener against the Cowboys. A poor running game and a weak secondary could prevent them from making another Super Bowl run.

12. Detroit Lions

The Lions had one of the least impressive wins when they beat the Rams. Matthew Stafford was able to recover from a poor first half and lead his team to victory.

13. Washington Redskins

Robert Griffin III may have played the best game of any player in Week 1, and it was his career debut. If he can continue his hot play, the Redskins will have a chance to compete for a playoff spot.

14. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers weren't overly dominant in their opener, but Philip Rivers looks poised to bounce back after a poor 2011 campaign. San Diego is known for achieving, but has a good chance to make a run in a weak AFC.

15. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles barely squeaked by the Browns, almost losing to the Browns and Brandon Weeden's 5.1 quarterback rating. Even with a healthy Michael Vick, Philadelphia had trouble scoring.

16. New Orleans Saints

The Saints seemed to be very effected by not having Sean Payton on the sidelines in their home loss to the Redskins. Perhaps, getting back Jonathan Vilma in the coming weeks will help them avoid what could be a disappointing season.

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers look poised to bounce back from a last place finish last year. They held Cam Newton and the panther to just 10 points in Week 1.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers had a hard time overcoming the injuries to their offensive line and starting running back on Sunday night. It could be a long season for Ben Roethlisberger.

19. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals suffered the biggest loss in Week 1 with their 31-point loss to the Ravens. They surprised people with a playoff berth last year, and could come back to the pack in 2012.

20. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs lost by two touchdowns at home, but they were severely undermanned at home. They should play better when they get healthy.

21. Buffalo Bills

Everything went wrong for the Bills in their game against the Jets. They made some additions to their defense in the offseason, so they'll likely get better as the season continues.

22. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers struggled to score in their opener, but their defense played surprisingly well. Expect them to rush for more than 10 yards in their next contest.

23. Minnesota Vikings

The good news is the Vikings are 1-0. The bad news is they play in, maybe, the best division in the NFL.

24. Tennessee Titans

The Titans should play better when not playing teams as good as the Patriots. Jake Locker expects to play in Week 2, but it's still unknown if he can lead a winning team.

25. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are tied for first place, but that won't continue for long. Between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton, Arizona will struggle to score when they play teams outside of the NFC West.

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars came extremely close to pulling out a road victory in Week 1. Blaine gabber played well in the loss, but he hasn't proven that that type of performance will become the norm.

27. St. Louis Rams

The Rams were one play away from pulling off one of the biggest upsets of the weekend. Even in a close game, Sam Bradford failed to play as well as he did in his rookie season.

28. Oakland Raiders

The raiders looked completely pout of sorts on Monday night, failing to score a touchdown until late in the fourth quarter. Thankfully for them, they play in a weak AFC West, and still have hope of being competitive.

29. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts appear to be in for another long season. Andrew Luck threw three interceptions in his debut and Indianapolis may have the worst defense in the league.

30. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks lost to one of the worst teams in the league, and quarterback Russell Wilson failed to come close to duplicating his preseason performance.

31. Miami Dolphins

Miami's game with Houston was over at halftime. Ryan Tannehill threw three picks in his debut and looks like he'll experience a lot of growing pains in 2012.

32. Cleveland Browns

While rookie Robert Griffin III had the best game of the first weekend, Cleveland rookie Brandon Weeden probably played the worst of any player. His 12-of-35, four interception performance left Browns fans with very little hope for this year.