NFL Power Rankings after Week 1: Chiefs down Ravens, Saquon carries Eagles, Lions and Cowboys roll

Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books and some teams are already looking in midseason form while others are looking like they are still stuck in preseason mode. We kicked things off at the home of the defending champs in KC before taking a trip down south to Sao Paolo and wrapped up the week in the Bay Area. The Chiefs are back to looking like the best team in the league. The Eagles are flying high with Saquon Barkley in the backfield, and Aaron Rodgers made his long awaited Jets “debut” to no avail against a strong San Fran side. These are our Power Rankings after Week 1.

1) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0), last week 1

“You’ve got to be good to be lucky.” The Chiefs aren’t good. They are great. Having said that, there was a certain amount of luck involved in Isaiah Likley’s no-catch in the back of the end zone. KC reminded us why they are the dynasty of this generation. Their defense controlled Lamar Jackson as best they could, and Patrick Mahomes gave us a preview of what to expect with his new batch of weapons at wide receiver. Xavier Worthy isn’t just fast, he is TD threat every time he touches the ball. He and Rashee Rice are going to put up massive numbers with Mahomes driving the bus.

2) Detroit Lions (1-0), last week 3

No one in Detroit thought that the Week 1 matchup against Matthew Stafford and the Rams was going to be easy. It might have been the opening Sunday of the season, but Detroit came into the game with tons of pressure after an offseason of mounting expectations for a franchise that has the Super Bowl in their sights for the first time ever. You lose the first game of the season and suddenly those expectations plummet as doubt sets in. Sure, they needed overtime, but the Lions survived, and if we know anything about a Dan Campbell team, it’s that they get better over course of the season.

3) Baltimore Ravens (0-1), last week 2

Everyone is going to want a crack at the kings, no team more than the Ravens who lost to the Chiefs in the AFC Championship. Well, Baltimore didn’t have to wait long to get their shot at the champs. Lamar Jackson did just about everything he could do to win the game, except win the game. The narrative will continue until he proves he can win the big one, but as we saw in the season opener, the Ravens aren’t far off from the Chiefs. Maybe just a big toe behind at the moment.

4) San Francisco 49ers (1-0), last week 4

No McCaffery, no problem. Jordan Mason, meet the world. World, meet Jordan Mason. The best news coming out of Week 1′s Monday night game for the Niners wasn’t the win. The best news was knowing that maybe just maybe they have someone in the backfield that will lighten the work load for Christian McCaffery this season. Mason had a monster game in his first NFL start rushing for 147 yards and a TD on 28 carries. Purdy and the offense could have made it a blood bath had they been a bit more efficient with the ball, but the defense locked Rodgers and the Jets up and Jake Moody was a perfect 6/6 as the Niners started the season off on the right foot without their superstar running back.

5) Dallas Cowboys (1-0), last week 5

Money talks I guess. If only Jerry Jones could give Dak Prescott a $240 million deal before every playoff game, the Cowboys would really be on to something. Let’s stop with the early jabs at Dallas and give some praise to a team that may have looked better than anyone in the first week of the season. They came out ready for a Browns team that was supposed to be a contender in the AFC, and whooped them in every facet of the game. The O-line kept Myles Garrett quiet as Micah Parsons wreaked havoc on Deshawn Watson. The special teams returned a punt return for a TD and Ezekiel Elliott gave us flashbacks of the running back he used to be in Big D.

6) Houston Texans (1-0), last week 6

Let’s get one thing straight, the Colts are a tough team and they are going to get even tougher. The Texans had a tricky divisional match up on the road against a team that just missed the playoffs last year. This was a perfect test for CJ Stroud and the Texans because this is the type of game they can expect every week. They aren’t under the radar anymore, they are an elite team in the league and they are going to get their best from each and every opponent they play this year. Joe Mixon showed he’s going to be trouble in a Texans helmet, and Stroud and Diggs connected for their first two of many TDs to come.

7) Philadelphia Eagles (1-0), last week 14

The Saquon Barkley era has started in the City of Brotherly Love. Well actually it started Brazil, but you could hear the Philly fans celebrating his three TDs from Sao Paolo all the way up to Scranton. Is this the missing link that the Eagles have been needing to get them back to the top of the NFC? Vic Fangio’s defense still has some work to do after giving up 29 points, but the Eagles offense looks like it could be one of the most explosive in the league.

8) Miami Dolphins (1-0), last week 8

Blame it on the Jags front four, or the Miami Dade Police, but something was off with the Dolphins offense in the first half of the game against he Jags. It’s usually not until the playoffs when we see the Miami passing game freeze up but they took almost a half hour to put their first points on the board. Once the first points went on the board, you could feel a shifting of the sands as the defense took over in the second half. That’s not something we say very often, but if the Dolphins D doesn’t come up with a fumble at the 1, Tyreek Hill doesn’t score his 80 yard TD and Jason Sanders doesn’t have a chance to kick the game winning field goal as time expired.

9) Green Bay Packers, (0-1), last week 7

Inhale, and exhale. Deep breathe in and now out again. Packers fans you can relax because that pop everyone saw in Jordan Love’s knee at the end of their game in Brazil doesn’t seem as bad as it looked. He’ll be out a few weeks, and Malik Willis will do his best to get a few Ws on the board before Love comes back. You’ve got to think we’ll be seeing a heavy dose of Josh Jacobs who looked fantastic in his Packers debut. Green Bay may have lost their game in Brazil, but they survived (no pun intended).

10) LA Rams (0-1), last week 11

You knew that Matthew Stafford was going to do everything he possibly could to silence the fans that booed him in the place he used to call home for 12 years. He was bitter about the playoff loss in Detroit last season, but maybe more bitter about his reception in Ford Field. He was barraged by the Lions D-Line as his battered pass protectors got shredded all night. To make matters worse Puca Nacua went down with a knee injury that will keep him out for at least four weeks. Despite the set backs, Stafford and Cooper Kupp showed they have plenty left in the tank and almost willed the Rams to victory. In the end a tired defense gave up an OT touchdown and Stafford never got a chance to touch the ball in the extra session.

11) Buffalo Bills (1-0), last week 15

We knew it was all going to be all Josh Allen’s shoulders in Buffalo this year after they got rid of basically all of his weapons from last season. It looks like he has accepted the challenge. Allen was nearly perfect in the air, going 18/23 throwing two TDs and running for another two. The chemistry between his WRs is still building, but in the meantime Josh Allen looks like he’s ready to have to carry this team for a while.

12) New York Jets (0-1), last week 13

This was not the Jets offense that New York fans were envisioning when Aaron Rodgers made the move to the Big Apple two off seasons ago. They went into San Francisco, on Monday night, and got beat by a better team. It’s as simple as that. This might be a team that can compete with the Niners at the end of the season, but it’s early and Rodgers will need time with his offense. There were a few flashbacks of the four time MVP throughout the game, but the Niners defense kept him and Breece Hall under wraps while San Fran scored on the final eight straight drives against a defense that was on the field for nearly two-thirds of the game.

13) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1), last week 12

Same old same old for the Jaguars who showed they are a decent team in the first half hour of the game against their fellow Floridians. I’m sure the Jags didn’t need a reminder on just how devastating turnovers can be after last year’s late season collapse, but they got one on Sunday afternoon when Travis Etienne stretched for the goal line and fumbled the ball into the end zone. It wasn’t just Etienne or the fumble’s fault. Trevor Lawrence and offense shut down in the second half. Five of the six drives in the final two quarters went for less than 16 yards and none were over four plays long. The other drive resulted in Etienne’s fumble.

14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0), last week 21

Over the course of the last season and some change, I’ve found I can be too hard on the Bucs just because they are surrounded by a couple of bad apples in the NFC South. Sure the Panthers stink, and the Falcons don’t get my motor running, but the Bucs are a team to watch out for. With Mayfield at QB and Rachaad White proving to be one of the best dual threat RBs in the league this offense is surprisingly entertaining to watch, and the defense is always going to be the backbone of a Todd Bowles team. Sorry for underestimating you coming into the Week 1. Did take the you long to shut me up.

15) Indianapolis Colts (0-1), last week 18

You can’t put a price on getting the face of your franchise back after he missed almost all of his rookie year with a shoulder injury. Anthony Richardson showed up his shoulder is doing just fine, and reminded us why he was the No. 4 overall pick with one of the best throws you’ll ever see for the Colts opening TD. Indy hung tight with what might be one of the top teams in the league, and they should be taking more positives out of Week 1 than anything else.

16) LA Chargers (1-0), last week 16

Bring in a QB coach during the offseason to guide one of the best young quarterbacks in the league back to prominence. Jim Harbaugh and Justin Herbert were under the spotlight in Week 1, but JK Dobbins stole the show with 135 yards on 10 carries. It wasn’t pretty from this new look offense in the first half hour from LA, but the Chargers defense kept them in the game until Dobbins woke the offense up in the second half.

17) New Orleans Saints (1-0), last week 24

Don’t sleep on New Orleans this year. The Saints came marching into the season and laid a smack down on the Panthers. They scored 30 straight points to start the game, and all the while made two statements. First of all, this new look Klint Kubiak offensive system may be for real. Second of all the Panthers still stink. They won’t all be this easy for the Saints, but Derek Carr and Rashid Shaheed might be one of the under the radar QB/WR tandems to look out for this season.

18) Cleveland Browns (0-1), last week 10

A pitiful performance for a franchise and a city that are all too familiar with the word. There was a certain kind of buzz around Cleveland after their shock run to the playoffs last year. A defense that carried a makeshift offense that functioned with a halfway retired quarterback under center. This year they have their starter back on the field, but that couldn’t have mattered less. They met a Dallas defense that put them in a strangle hold and didn’t let go until it was 27-3. After an opening dive FG, Cleveland went three and out on four straight possessions, threw a pick and then went three and out again to end the first half.

19) Cincinnati Bengals (0-1), last week 9

Don’t check your fridge, that’s not where the funky smell is coming from on this Tuesday after Week 1. That stench is coming from Cincinnati after the Bengals shocking home loss to the New England Patriots. Three straight three and outs to begin the game, a fumble on the next possession, a muffed punt on their next one and a turnover on downs before they got on the score board midway through the third quarter. If it’s not Ja’Marr Chase holding out, it’s Burrow banged up to start the season. The Bengals will get better. We know that. We have seen that. But these starts to the season do them no favors once the playoff picture starts to take shape and they let the rest of the conference get a two or three game head start.

20) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0), last week 17

Bad week to be a fantasy owner with any Steelers offensive player. Great week to have Chris Boswell on your fantasy team. The Steelers kicker literally beat the Falcons all on his own. The offense may have well not even made the trip to Atlanta, as Justin Fields and the Steelers failed to score a TD which should come as no surprise after their TD struggles throughout the preseason. As always the Steelers defense made up for their scoring deficiencies, but how long until T.J. Watt and the rest of the D say enough! And start playing both sides of the ball?

21) Seattle Seahawks (1-0), last week 20

Geno Smith bounced back from an opening drive interception and a couple of safeties in the first half to lead his team to an ugly win the Broncos in Seattle. He took a page out of Kenneth Walker III’s book on his 34 yard TD run. Walker had 103 yards and TD himself, and the Seahawks did what the Seahawks usually do. It’s not always pretty, but they find ways to win games. Pete Carroll was a master of that, and that still looks to be the case in the early stages of the Mike McDonald era.

22) Chicago Bears (1-0), last week 23

They won’t all look like that. That’s what Bears fans better be hoping, but a win is a win. The defense and specials teams lifted the Bears and kept Caleb Williams’ name out of headlines for all the wrong reasons. He went 14/29 for just 93 yards and got sacked twice for a total of 29 yards. This isn’t college, or preseason. A lot of the things he used to get away with, he won’t be able to do in the NFL. He’s a rookie. There will be growing pains. But he owes Tyrique Stevenson and Jonathan Owens some sandwiches from Al’s Italian Beef for putting him on a shortlist of QBs taken No. 1 overall that win in Week 1 of their rookie season, along with Jim Plunkett, John Elway and David Carr.

23) Minnesota Vikings (1-0), last week 28

The Vikings defense got an easy introduction to this season. As luck would have it they drew the Giants and their inexistent offensive unit, so we aren’t sure how good Brian Flores defense is just yet. However, Sam Darnold looked comfortable under center to start the season. He completed all but 5 of his 24 passes and Aaron Jones had a big debut in Vikings purple. This team has weapons across the board on offense, and the only doubt was around their QB. Darnold started the process of silencing those doubters with an outstanding opening game in New York.

24) Arizona Cardinals (0-1), last week 22

Things were looking up for Arizona during the first two quarters in Buffalo. Kyler Murray led an TD drive on the opening possession, the defense forced a fumble and just like that the Cardinals had a 17-3 lead to protect. Over the last few years the Cardinals haven’t had many leads to protect and it showed in the second half. Once they saw Buffalo get into the end zone it only seemed like a matter of time before they lost the lead.

25) Atlanta Falcons (0-1), last week 19

Kirk Cousin’s looked like anything but a $180 million man in the Falcons season opener. The defense did their part, holding the Steelers out of the end zone, but there looked to be no chemistry between Cousins and his receivers. This could be because of his lack of snaps in preseason, or it could be that he is not yet full strength after tearing his achilles midway through last year. Either way, it’s a troublesome look for a Falcons team that went all in to make a playoff push now.

26) New England Patriots (1-0), last week 30

Do you believe in miracles? Yes! Ok it may not have been Al Michaels in Lake Placid miraculous, but the Patriots win over the Cincinnati Bengals was the upset of Week 1. The Pats know they have two strengths coming into this year. One is their defense, which kept Burrow and the Bengals scoreless in the first half. The other is Rhamondre Steveson who jumped the Pats out to a 13 point lead with his 120 yards and a rushing TD. The defense would hold off the Bengals the rest of the way as Jerod Mayo got his first win, and Gatorade bath in his head coaching debut.

27) Washington Commanders (0-1), last week 25

It was a lot to ask for a team with a rookie QB and a new head coach to turn things around in Washington in the blink of an eye. It’s going to take time to make this team competitive again, but there were signs of life from Dan Quinn’s side. Jayden Daniels scored two rushing TDs although I doubt anyone in the organization wants to see him running the ball 16 times. His passing numbers were above average, going 17/24 for 184. Dan Quinn’s defense will improve over the course of the season, and this is just the beginning for Daniels.

28) Denver Broncos (0-1), last week 27

With a rookie quarterback under center in Week 1, you know your defense is going to have to step up and make some plays. That’s what Denver’s D did in the opening half of their game in Seattle, coming up with an interception on the first drive of the game, and forcing two safeties. Unfortunately, the Bo Nix led offense couldn’t play their part as the rookie dinked and dunked his way to just 138 yards and two INTs on 42 pass attempts. The run game didn’t do him any favors. Nix was the leading rusher with 35 yards and the only TD of the game which was too little too late for Denver.

29) Las Vegas Raiders (0-1), last week 26

The offensive problems that we knew would present themselves for the Raiders this season didn’t take long to show their face. Week 1′s loss to the Chargers was just about up to our expectations considering they have Gardner Mishew at QB and never tried to replace Josh Jacobs in the backfield. It’s going to be the defense that wins Vegas games this year, but it’s got to be frustrating for the Raiders defense to continuously hold their opponents to three and four play drives and see your offense unable to build a lead to protect.

30) Tennessee Titans (0-1), last week 29

Up by 17 against a team with a rookie QB that could barley move the ball, the Titans were only going to lose their season opener if they dumped it down their leg. That exactly what they did in the final 30 minutes of the game. The special teams unit clocked out in the final two quarters. The kick unit allowed a 67 yard return that resulted in a FG for the Bears first points, and then the punt unit gave up a blocked punt for a TD to start the second half. They passed the torch off to Will Levis and the offense as he got strip sacked which led to a field goal, and then literally threw the game away with a shuffle pass that fell right into the hands of Tyrique Stevenson for the go ahead pick six. I don’t know if the Titans have already planned on tanking, but it certainly looked like it in the second half.

31) New York Giants (0-1), last week 31

It’s going to be a fascinating battle between the Giants and the Panthers to see which team is more terrible this year. Theoretically the game between the Vikings and Giants was a battle at the bottom of the NFL barrel, but the Giants make Sam Darnold look like Peyton Manning. Meanwhile Daniel Jones threw the ball 42 times and didn’t have a 200 yard game. The boo birds are just beginning in the Big Apple.

32) Carolina Panthers (0-1), last week 32

The Panthers assumed their position at the bottom of the rankings to start the season and did nothing to make me think that this team is going to be able to rise up the rankings over the course of the year. They stink and that’s all there is to it. You can’t get blown out by 37 points in the season opener and expect there to be any hope for the rest of the season.