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Power rankings were all over the Internet on Tuesday. Why? Because everyone reads them and wants to see where their team is ranked, even if everyone hates reading them. Here I will round up the major rankings and show you where you Arizona Cardinals are ranked.
To start off, our own power rankings have the Cardinals fifth in the league
With the week 1 win against the Chargers, the Cardinals were fired up and showed their confidence against Eli Manning. The real challenges the Cardinals face in against the 49ers next week. If they pull of a win in the NFC West, the Cardinals would be in a great position to contend for the title.
SB Nation's newest rankings have the Cardinals shooting up from 14th to eighth.
With Seattle's and San Francisco's defeats in Week 2 -- the first time both teams have lost in the same week since 2011 -- sole ownership of first place in the NFC West belongs to the Cardinals, who knocked off the Giants with their second straight fourth-quarter comeback. Arizona may be playing without Carson Palmer for an indeterminate amount of time and the Cardinals are without several of their defensive stars from last season, but they're showing they're not a third wheel in the division.
Locally, AZCentral has the Cardinals moving up from 11th to eighth.
They're off to a 2-0 start and the get pass rusher John Abraham back this week. Question is, will Carson Palmer be able to play? The Red Birds won with Drew Stanton last week at the Giants, but the 49ers are a kit tougher and the offense could have its hands full. Would anyone be surprised if this game is decided in the final two minutes?
ESPN had the Cardinals leaping into the Top 10. They are number nine.
Brace yourself: Drew Stanton has won his past three starts dating to 2010 with Detroit. He passed for nine first downs, as many as Tom Brady and Russell Wilson.
NFL.com's newest rankings have the Cardinals moving from eighth to fifth overall.
Maybe Drew Stanton didn't light it up -- OK, he really didn't light it up at all -- but that was a nice winfor a veteran backup quarterback placed in a tough spot. He got a lift from the Cardinals' run game, which posted 124 yards against the Giants, and from the fact that Andre Ellington didn't put the ball on the turf. Oh, and after Arizona's Ted Ginn fair-caught several punts despite having about 20 yards of open space around him in Week 1, he actually fielded one against the Giants, and went on to reward himself -- and his team -- for it. Good return.
CBS Sports' Pete Prisco is the kindest to the Cardinals. He has them third overall.
With their defense, they are good enough to win games even with a backup quarterback. That will be tough this week against San Francisco.
Lastly, Fox Sports had the Cards moving up from 12th to seventh.
Traveling to the East Coast with a backup quarterback proved to be meaningless for a team that does the small things right. The Cardinals forced four turnovers, returned a punt for a touchdown and didn't commit many drive-extending penalties. This is a short-term recipe for success, but if Carson Palmer's nerve damage in his shoulder is serious, they will need to see more from Drew Stanton to stay atop the standings.