With one preseason game and 1,492 ACL injuries in the books, it’s time to take a look at the National Football Post’s first Power Rankings list of the season.

The numbers in brackets indicate each team’s Power Rating, which is based on a scale of 1-100. These numbers can be used as a baseline to determine the point spread between any two teams on the list. Keep in mind that these numbers do not account for home field advantage, situational analysis (extra rest, back-to-back road games, divisional rivalries, etc), injuries, weather or public perception. They are merely to be used as a baseline for your initial analysis.

2013 NFP PRESEASON POWER RANKINGS

1. Denver Broncos [89.0]: A spot in February’s Super Bowl boils down to whether or not Peyton Manning and John Fox can exorcise their playoff demons, as the 14-year veteran quarterback boasts just a 9-11 career postseason record while the head coach’s ultra-conservative game plan in January’s Divisional Round loss to Baltimore bordered on the absurd. Make the necessary corrections in 2013 and the Broncos are the team to beat in the AFC.

Colin Kaepernick More

Kaepernick will be tested early without the help of wide receiver Michael Crabtree.

2. San Francisco 49ers [88.5]: With wide receiver Michael Crabtree down for the count until November, we’ll find out just how good quarterback Colin Kaepernick truly is early in the season. Arguably the most well balanced football team in the league, you’d be hard-pressed to find a roster better coached than this one.

3. Seattle Seahawks [88.0]: The most significant home field advantage in the league, a quarterback who will only get better in Year 2, a top-flight rushing attack and a defense that ranked fourth in the league last season are just a few of the reasons why, despite many people’s predicted regression, we believe Seattle will be right in the thick of it late in the year. Head coach Pete Carroll must improve on the 8-16 road mark he has amassed since joining the Seahawks in 2010.

4. Green Bay Packers [87.0]: The loss of starting left tackle Bryan Bulaga for the season stings even worse when you consider the fact that no quarterback in the league has been sacked more times since 2009 than Aaron Rodgers (168). But the upgrades made to the team’s rushing attack thanks to the April acquisition of draft picks Eddie Lacy and Johnathan Franklin should help keep opposing defenses off balance, which is something we haven’t seen in Green Bay in either of the last two years.

5. Atlanta Falcons [86.5]: Kicker Matt Bryant booted the monkey from head coach Mike Smith and quarterback Matt Ryan’s respective backs in January with a 49-yarder as time expired against Seattle to give Atlanta its first playoff win since 2004. But the pass rush and secondary are still concerns that will be tested as early as Week 1 when the Falcons head to New Orleans for a divisional showdown with the high-flying Saints.

6. Houston Texans [86.0]: The AFC is as wide open in 2013 as it has been in recent memory, giving Houston its best shot at a Super Bowl berth in franchise history. But the organization will need to take its game to a new level and avoid another late-season meltdown in order to make that possibility a reality. Despite a roster that boasts Pro Bowlers Andre Johnson and Arian Foster, the defense will once again set the tone for the Texans.

7. New England Patriots [85.5]: The losses of pass-catchers Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez, the absence of a vertical threat on the outside and the injury concerns surrounding Rob Gronkowski are all reasons to dismiss the Patriots in 2013. As is the fact that the defense ranked 25th in the league in 2012. But with Brady under center and Belichick on the sidelines, New England will once again hover near the top of the AFC standings during the regular season.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers [84.0]: Stop traffic, the Steelers ranked first in the league in total defense last season, which is just one of the reasons why you should take a good, long look at Pittsburgh’s current 18/1 Super Bowl odds. At that price, backers could find themselves with a great hedging opportunity come the postseason.

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