NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Eagles soar to top, 49ers still dominant, Chiefs fall after loss

Week 1 is in the books and the regular season started with plenty of theatrics, some shocking upsets, and couple of blowouts and a heartbreaking injury in New York. There has been plenty moving and shaking in the Power Rankings from last week’s preseason edition to this week’s.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0), last week 2

1. The Eagles wasted no time releasing some of the pent up anger that carried over from their Super Bowl loss on the Patriots in the first quarter from New England. They led 16-0 after Darius Slay Jr.’s pick six and looked like they were going to run away with a blowout win, but they flat lined in the final three quarters and almost gave the game away late in the fourth. In the end, they were on the road, it slippery conditions on a day where the Pats were honoring the greatest Patriot of all time. They did well to get out of their with a win, but Nick Sirianni will have his team more prepared to play a full 60 minutes next week.

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

Until the Sunday night game in NY, the Niners gave the performance of Week 1 by blowing out the Pittsburgh Steelers, and doing in on both side of the ball. Brock Purdy was perfect, Christian McCaffery looked like he could break a run for a TD at any moment, which he did at the beginning of the second half, and the defense was as sound as ever under new coordinator Steve Wilks. If there was any doubt or worry that there would a bumpy transition of power at the QB position in the Bay, those grey clouds cleared up pretty quickly in Week 1 from the Steel City.

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

Patrick Mahomes went into Thursday night’s season opener with a perfect record in Week 1 having thrown 18 TDs and 0 INTs. If it weren’t for Kadarius Toney’s disaster of a night, Mahomes probably would still have that TD-INT ratio unblemished and the Chiefs would likely still be undefeated in season openers during the Mahomes reign. KC had their chances to win the game, but they uncharacteristically didn’t enter the end zone in the second half and failed to get a first down in their final two possessions. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, these are still the defending champs, and they lost to an up and coming Lions team, so they aren’t going to far down the list.

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

Is it possible that we witnessed the game of the season in Week 1? Maybe, maybe not, but there is no question that this Dolphins team is as explosive or more than they were last season. For some reason I was a little skeptical of Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins offense coming into this year. Tua posted 466 yard and 36 points to shut my trap and moved them up the rankings real quick. They will still need a little balance in the running game when they square off against tougher, more physical teams than the Chargers, but the Dolphins have shown that they live and die by the deep ball, and if nothing else it will be spectacular to watch this season.

5. Dallas Cowboys (1-0), last week 18

No team had a more meteoric rise than Dallas did from last week to this week. To be fair no team was more underestimated in last week’s Power Rankings than the Cowboys who spanked their division rivals on road with a 40-0 mopping of the Giants in a rainy MetLife Stadium. The special teams and the defense got into the end zone before Dak and the offense did, and by the time Tony Pollard ran in his first of two TDs midway through the second quarter, the game was already over. Maybe the most impressive thing about the Cowboys win was their relentless second half. The were unforgiving as they ran up the score on their division rivals, and cleared out the fans on a miserable night in MetLife.

6. Baltimore Ravens (1-0), last week 6

We finally got a first look at new contract Lamar Jackson, and you must say it was just about par for the course for the one time MVP of the league. It wasn’t breathtaking, of course it was always going to be difficult against a DeMeco Ryans defense, but he was accurate and ran when he needed to not when he wanted to. The defense kept the Texans out of the end zone, which isn’t a big shock against a rookie QB making his debut. The only troubling thing for the Ravens is the news of JK Dobbins torn ACL. This team can’t keep their running backs healthy. On the bright side they have learned to play with second third and fourth string rushers over the year.

7. Detroit Lions (1-0), last week 9

I love Mike Tirico, but suggesting to put an asterisk next to the Lions win in KC like he did at the end of Thursday night’s game is an unjustice of unparalleled proportions. The Chiefs didn’t have Travis Kelce, and Chris Jones watched the game from the Arrowhead suites having yet to agree to his one year deal with the defending champs, but that takes nothing away from what the Lions did on kickoff Thursday. They went into the champs house, slapped them around and incredibly it was their defense that won it for them in the second half. They allowed just six points and 140 yards to Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs offense in the second half.

8. Buffalo Bills (0-1), last week 5

Is it just me, or does it seem that John Allen isn’t the same quarterback that he was before that two game slide in the middle of last season? He threw two picks in the first of two losses last season, and it seemed to rattle him as his aura of invincibility diminished in MetLife Stadium last year. He used to be the guy that made “the play” that won his team football games. On Monday night against a wounded, and emotionally devastated Jets team he made “the plays” that lost his team the game. Three interceptions and a fumble were just about the only way the Jets were going to win that game without Aaron Rodgers and that’s exactly what Allen served up. I would have liked to be a fly on the wall when Stefon Diggs and Allen locked eyes in the locker room post game.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0), last week 11

Rookie quarterback or no rookie quarterback, the Jags always struggle against the Colts, especially in Indy. Jacksonville made the playoffs last year, and are the frontrunners in the AFC South by a country mile. They made some silly mistakes that better teams probably would have punished them for. The fumble recovery for a touchdown will make a coaches stomach turn until he’s blue in the face, but in the end they made the plays to win the game in a hostile environment against a division rival they generally have trouble against. In the end it was Trevor Lawrence and Travis Ettiene Jr. who led the Jags to victory after giving up the lead in the second half. Jacksonville probably know they can afford to lose a few head scratchers of games and still win the division, but beating the Colts is definitely a a game you want to win especially to start the season.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1), last week 3

Ja’Maar Chase said that he didn’t want Joe Burrow playing Week 1, unless he was 100% healthy. His strained calf may have been alright, but Burrow looked nowhere near ready to make his debut as it seemed like he was rushed back under center for Week 1. In the end Chase was right. Their big money face of the franchise went 14/31 for 82 yards and had a QB rating of 52.2. Chase was also correct when he said that they would be okay without Burrow, meaning that win or lose when Burrow is back to his best this team is a force to be reckoned with. Now that Burrow was rushed back the Bengals will have to answer a load of unwanted, uncomfortable questions until the ship is righted.

11. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1), last week 10

In games like the one the Chargers and Dolphins played on Sunday afternoon, it so often comes down to whoever has the ball last is the team that wins. That wasn’t the case for the Chargers who had more than enough time to march down the field and score, but the Dolphins sacked Justin Herbert a couple times and forced an intentional grounding the final series to wrap up the win on the road. The Bolts offense isn’t going to be the problem LA this season. If they don’t start knocking people in the mouth on the defensive side of the ball, it won’t matter how much their offense scores.

12. New York Jets (1-0), last week 7

Forgive me Jets fans, but you had to know it was coming. After Monday night’s magical win amid heartbreak and sorrow, a drop down the Power Rankings was inevitable. Aaron Rodgers and the Jets’ Super Bowl hopes lasted just four offensive plays before MetLife Stadium was stunned, silenced and slumped in to a momentary depression before Xavier Gipson’s walkoff overtime punt return TD. The ecstasy of Monday night has faded and today Jets fans woke up in the somber shadow of the of Rodgers’ MRI results. The worst was confirmed as tests showed a torn achilles for their QB1. Don’t get me wrong, this is still a fantastic team, with weapons on the defensive and offensive side of the ball. But Rodgers had this team on Super Bowl track before he even took a snap. With Wilson under center, this team is going to have to find ways to win like they did against the Bills, with everything other than their offense.

13. Cleveland Browns (1-0), last week 19

Tell me you saw the Browns blowout over the Bengals coming and I’ll shake your hand, congratulate you even though I know you’re lying. The Cleveland D held one of the top rated offenses in the NFL last year to just 142 total yards, and six first downs all game. Maybe the most impressive thing about the Browns day was keeping the Bengals out of the red zone throughout the four quarters. The running game carried Deshaun Watson and the offense as the former Texans QB still looks to recover his form from his days in Houston.

14. Green Bay Packers (1-0), last week 20

Green Bay fans take a sigh of relief, it looks like you guys are in good hands for the years to come. It’s way to early to start comparing Jordan Love to Aaron Rodgers, but it seemed like the torch was passed from Rodgers to the new QB1 in Green Bay at least when it comes to owning the Bears. Love threw for three TDs and 245 yards in a 38-20 thumping of Chicago in the Windy City. Aaron Jones is now the leader and anchor of that offense and he acted like it in Week 1 as the Packers defense did a great job containing Justin Fields on the ground.

15. Los Angeles Rams (1-0), last week 24

Where are the Rams right now? Are they anywhere near the Super Bowl winning team they were two seasons ago? Or are they the team that had the worst title defense in NFL history last year? It’s going to take a while to find out, but they have Matthew Stafford back and healthy, and once Cooper Kupp comes back he will have another weapon in the receiving corp to take some of the pressure off of him. Fifth round pick, Puca Nacua had 10 catches for 119 yards and is going to get even more of the ball in the coming weeks until Cooper Kupp comes off the IR.

16. Atlanta Falcons (1-0), last week 23

There was a certain margin of error for the Falcons in their debut game against the Carolina Panthers. They had to know coming in, if they took care of the football, played sound on the defensive end and got into the end zone a couple times that would be enough to topple No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young and the Panthers. Desmond Ridder still has some work to do before he declares himself as a certified quarterback in this league, but the defense came up with three turnovers, picking off Young twice and forcing a fumble, and those turnovers translated into 17 points as the Falcons flew away with the game in the fourth quarter. As long as Bijan Robinson keeps making plays like he did in his debut the Falcons offense will pack a punch despite their current shortcomings.

17. Washington Commanders (1-0), last week 26

The Commanders game in Washington was just about the least attractive game of the opening week for anyone not from the state of Arizona or D.C. If you did happen to tune in you saw the good side and the bad side of Sam Howell who threw a touchdown, ran for a touchdown but also gave up a TD on a strip sack and threw another interception. With the offense puttering through the game, it was the defense that was going to have to step up and in a game that featured five turnovers, it was Montez Sweat who made the decisive play, forcing a strip sack to bury the Cardinals in the nations capital. Winning games in the NFC East isn’t going to be an easy thing to do for Washington, but if they want to have a chance in the divisionm they have to win these gimme games, especially at home.

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0), last week 25

Replacing a legend is never an easy job to step into. Baker Mayfield had to earn the job before worrying about filling Tom Brady’s shoes in Tampa Bay, and got a grit(ty) win on the road. It’s not always pretty with Mayfield, but one thing you can never question is his heart and his passion. After last years stinker of a season in the Bay, passion and heart is exactly what this team needs. Mayfield stepped up and made a play when it mattered most as the defense kept the Bucs in the game until the end, which is more than we can say about Todd Bowles’ unit last year.

19. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0), last week 17

It turns out that the Jimmy G effect is capable of working outside of the Bay Area. Josh McDaniels went out and recruited Garoppolo in the offseason and these days he is one of the few remaining quarterbacks that parallel in style to Tom Brady. Of course, Jimmy G and McDaniels know each other from their days in New England, and now that they are reconnected they are both on a redemption tour of sorts. McDaniel’s first stint as a head coach didn’t go as planned, and Jimmy G’s success in San Fran was always tied to their stellar defense. On Sunday Garoppolo had the perfect game managing statistical performance completing 20/26 passes for 200 yards and leading his team to a go ahead drive mid way through the first quarter. It wasn’t pretty, but it rarely is against the Broncos. The AFC West will be one of the toughest in the divisions in football, and getting a win on the road against a divisional rival is worth it’s weight in gold.

20. Minnesota Vikings (0-1), last week 13

I must admit I didn’t watch the Vikings game live, or really see much of it on NFL RedZone, but I will say when I saw Kirk Cousin’s and Justin Jefferson’s stats on the bottom line, I was certain that they had beat the Bucs. How does a QB go for 344 yards, and the best WR in the league rack up 150 yards on nine catches and the team only score 17 points? Turnovers are a big reason why, the Vikings lost two first half fumbles and Cousins threw a red zone interception right before the halftime break to really swing the momentum in the favor of the Bucs, and turn the fans against the home side.

21. New Orleans Saints (1-0), last week 22

The good news in the Bayou, is it looks like there is finally a new, established QB1 in the Caesars Super Dome in the post Drew Brees era. Derek Carr signed with the black and gold over the offseason and he threw for 305 yards and a TD in his Saints debut, but NO got into the end zone just once all game. Luckily for the Saints, Tennessee couldn’t get into the end zone at all despite an opening kickoff fumble recovery. There is still a lot of work to do in New Orleans, but a win in Week 1 win sit just fine in the minds of Who Dat Nation.

22. New England Patriots (0-1), last week 21

Taking on the Super Bowl runners up who only got stronger in the offseason was never going to be an easy task for Bill Belichick’s side. They got punched in the teeth after 15 minutes, going down 16-0 before the end of the first quarter. Credit to Mac Jones and the offense, they battled back and didn’t make life easy for the Eagles in the second half, and if Kayshon Boutte was able to get his second foot down on 4th and 11 from the PHI 20, we might be singing a very different song.

23. Seattle Seahawks (0-1), last week 14

Might the Seahawks just be questioning their decision to pay Geno Smith big bucks this offseason after a he and Seattle’s offense laid a dud at home against the Rams on Sunday afternoon? Smith passed for just 112 yards in his first game after setting a franchise record for passing yards in a season last year. Kennth Walker III rushed for just 64 yards, which isn’t terrible considering he got just 12 carries, but the Seahawks collapsed in the second half and gave up 23 unanswered points to Matt Stafford and the Rams.

24. New York Giants (0-1), last week 12

What in the world happened in the Meadowlands? That’s what Brian Daboll and the Giants will be trying to figure out after putting up a goose egg to open the season. Anytime you get body slammed 40-0 it hurts, but this loss is especially painful considering the hype coming into to the season in the Blue part of New York. A rare playoff birth was followed by a block buster deal for Daniel Jones after the franchise finally decided he is the face of the future under center. Saquon Barkley signed a one year deal, which means he will be on display for the entire season as he looks for a new contract at the end of the season. Unfortunately the offensive line didn’t allow either one to make an impact on Sunday night. Jones was sacked 7 times and Barkley touched the ball just 15 times after the Giants went down big early and had to abandon the running game. Disaster is a strong word, but the worst loss in the series history will be a tough pill to swallow for the Giants, who are back to square one after an offseason full of hope.

25. Denver Broncos (0-1), last week 15

Sean Payton may be on the sideline in the Mile High City, but it was more of the same for Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos offense. WIlson was on target for most of the night, and scored TDs on two first half redzone drives which was a big problem last year, but the offense never appeared after the halftime break. In fairness to them, they only had three possessions, but Denver had a chance to close out the Raiders midway through the fourth quarter with a first and goal from the 8 but couldn’t stretch the lead out to a two possession game, and the Raiders punished the Broncos at home with a late go ahead touchdown.

26. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1), last week 16

For as high as spirits in the Steel City were coming into this season, they couldn’t be much lower waking up on Monday morning. The Steelers were absolutely manhandled by the Niners who showed what a real Super Bowl contender looks like. Pittsburgh’s first four possessions went like this: three-and-out, interception, three-and-out, and three-and-out. They did make a claim to get back into the game right before the halftime break, but Run CMC’s 65 yard run on the second play of the third quarter shut the door on the Steelers chances to make a comeback.

27. Chicago Bears (0-1), last week 28

Justin Fields needs some help, for the good of the Bears and the good of his body. He simply cannot keep on taking these beatings week after week. I’ll be the first to admit, he is spectacular, and sometimes is prone to relying on his legs too often, but I’m sure if he had the option to pass more he would, but at the moment he doesn’t have the same trust in his receivers as he does in scrambling ability. Dual threat quarterbacks are the new fad in the NFL, but the Bears are relying too much on the rushing ability of their quarterback and that could cost him and the franchise dearly.

28. Arizona Cardinals (0-1), last week 30

Not a whole lot of praise to rain down on the Cardinals after their loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday afternoon. This is a team in complete rebuilding mode, and games like this will be more prevalent then fans in the desert desire. Jonathan Gannon took the job in Glendale knowing that the franchise QB wasn’t going to be available for the start of the season, and hopefully that gives him a little grace period as he gears his team up for the return of Kyler Murray.

29. Indianapolis Colts (0-1), last week 32

It wasn’t all bad for Anthony Richardson during the first four quarters of the No. 4 pick in the drafts’ debut. He went for 24-37 for 223 yards, a TD and an INT and led the Colts in rushing with 40 yards on 10 carries. Unfortunately, having that much of the ball took it’s toll and he had to exit the game after taking a big hit in the final minutes of the fourth quarter. He should be back next week, and hopefully having learned the lesson that if he is going to run the ball, a slide is a QBs best friend.

30. Tennessee Titans (0-1), last week 27

The first five seconds of Sunday’s game in New Orleans couldn’t have gone any better for the Tennessee Titans. A recovered fumble on the opening kickoff set up an early field goal as the Titans took the lead on the road. Three interceptions later and zero touchdown drives the Titans still had a chance to get the ball back with 1:55 to go, but Mike Vrable’s defense gave up a 41 yard bomb on 3rd and 6 to essentially ice the game. The most shocking stat about the Titans’ loss was Derrick Henry only got 15 carries on a night in which his quarterback was obviously struggling.

31. Carolina Panthers (0-1), last week 29

Bryce Young’s introduction to the NFL was a forgettable one. The No. 1 overall draft pick was picked off twice and completed just 20/38 passes. He did throw for a touchdown that tied the game before the halftime break, but back to back turnovers in the third quarter didn’t help Carolina’s cause. the Falcons ran away with the game in the fourth quarter as Tyler Allgier ran in a couple of insurance TDs to hand the Panthers their first loss of the season.

32. Houston Texans (0-1), last week 31

It’s going to be a long road for the Texans this year, but they put up a fight for the first 30 minutes against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. C.J. Stroud threw the ball 44 times, completing 28 of those passes and didn’t have an interception which is always big for a rookie quarterback on his NFL debut. Defensively, DeMeco Ryans side kept Lamar Jackson in check, but if the Texans are going to have success in the future the run game is going to have to step up and help out their rookie quarterback