NFL Power Rankings 2016: Examining the Best Teams Before Start of Regular Season

The first week of preseason games is in the books. Look for NFL teams to ramp up their workloads and their preparation levels as the start of the regular season looms.

While teams have backed off significantly in the amount of hitting that goes on in training camp and in preseason games in recent years, the game is still football, and the teams that can advance their physical play the most will have an advantage when the season gets underway in September.

Our power rankings are based largely on the way teams finished the 2015 season and what they have done in the offseason. In addition to ranking the 32 teams in the league, we take a deeper look at the three best teams before the start of the regular season.

New England Patriots

The New England Patriots are in our top spot, but they are likely to slip in the first four weeks of the season without quarterback Tom Brady. Jimmy Garoppolo is a fine backup, but it’s unlikely that he will be able to keep the Patriots’ sheet clean while Brady is serving his Deflategate suspension.

But once Brady serves out that suspension and returns to the New England lineup, it will be just a matter of a game or two before the Pats are back at top speed.

Look for significant improvement from their offensive line this season, as coach Dante Scarnecchia has returned after a two-year absence. Scarnecchia is a great teacher and an inspirational leader, and he will get a much better and more consistent effort from this group than the Pats got last year.

The running game will be quite effective with Dion Lewis and LeGarrette Blount lining up in the backfield. Lewis has the talent to break the long run, while Blount is the hammer who can carry the ball and keep the chains moving when the Patriots want to run the clock down in the fourth quarter.

The addition of tight end Martellus Bennett gives the Patriots the best one-two punch at that position in the …

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