Packers top first-ever AP Pro32 rankings
NEW YORK (AP) -- The Green Bay Packers top the first-ever AP Pro32 NFL power rankings, a new pro football version of the AP Top 25 college football and basketball polls.
Once the NFL season starts, the AP Pro32 rankings will be updated weekly.
Green Bay is followed by New England and the New York Giants. Indianapolis is projected as the worst team in the NFL heading into the 2012 season.
The Packers, coming off a 15-1 record but without a championship, received 374 points from a panel of 12 sports writers and broadcasters who regularly cover the league. The Packers got five first-place votes, as did the Giants, who beat Green Bay on their way to a Super Bowl win over the Patriots last season.
The Associated Press NFL Pro32 Power Rankings, as voted by a 12-member panel, with 32 points for a first-place vote, 1 for a 32nd-place vote. First-place votes in parentheses, 2011 record:
| RANK | TEAM | 2011 RECORD | POINTS | PV |
| 1 | Green Bay Packers (5) | 15-1 | 374 | -- |
| 2 | New England Patriots (2) | 13-3 | 369 | -- |
| 3 | New York Giants (5) | 9-7 | 362 | -- |
| 4 | San Francisco 49ers | 13-3 | 336 | -- |
| 5 | Baltimore Ravens | 12-4 | 315 | -- |
| 6 | Houston Texans | 10-6 | 314 | -- |
| 7 | Pittsburgh Steelers | 12-4 | 308 | -- |
| 8 | Philadelphia Eagles | 8-8 | 290 | -- |
| 9 | New Orleans Saints | 13-3 | 272 | -- |
| 10 | Denver Broncos | 8-8 | 271 | -- |
| 11 | Chicago Bears | 8-8 | 257 | -- |
| 11 | Detroit Lions | 10-6 | 257 | -- |
| 13 | Atlanta Falcons | 10-6 | 255 | -- |
| 14 | Cincinnati Bengals | 9-7 | 218 | -- |
| 15 | Dallas Cowboys | 8-8 | 217 | -- |
| 16 | San Diego Chargers | 8-8 | 216 | -- |
| 17 | New York Jets | 8-8 | 189 | -- |
| 18 | Kansas City Chiefs | 7-9 | 182 | -- |
| 19 | Buffalo Bills | 6-10 | 169 | -- |
| 20 | Carolina Panthers | 6-10 | 167 | -- |
| 21 | Tennessee Titans | 9-7 | 162 | -- |
| 22 | Seattle Seahawks | 7-9 | 137 | -- |
| 23 | Arizona Cardinals | 8-8 | 115 | -- |
| 23 | Oakland Raiders | 8-8 | 115 | -- |
| 25 | Washington Redskins | 5-11 | 101 | -- |
| 26 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 4-12 | 100 | -- |
| 27 | Miami Dolphins | 6-10 | 64 | -- |
| 28 | St. Louis Rams | 2-14 | 55 | -- |
| 29 | Minnesota Vikings | 3-13 | 49 | -- |
| 30 | Cleveland Browns | 4-12 | 42 | -- |
| 31 | Jacksonville Jaguars | 5-11 | 31 | -- |
| 32 | Indianapolis Colts | 2-14 | 26 | -- |
Voter Panel
Chris Berman, ESPN
Clifton Brown, Sporting News
Cris Collinsworth, NBC Sports
Rich Gannon, CBS Sports/SiriusXM NFL Radio
Bob Glauber, Newsday
Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News
Clark Judge, CBSSports.com
Ira Kaufman, Tampa Tribune
Pat Kirwan, SiriusXM NFL Radio/CBSSports.com
John Lynch, Fox Sports
Alex Marvez, Foxsports.com
Dan Pompei, Chicago Tribune
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