NFL Power Rankings
Football is back America as the calendar begins to shift to fall. The weather is cooling down and most of our Sundays are spent worrying and stressing over a team with no idea who we are. Isn’t it glorious?
Week 1 did not disappoint as juggernauts continued their dominance and underdogs began a Cinderella story season. I wish I could say that these rankings weren’t reactive to one week as it is difficult to find trends with such little data, but we have to go on the data we have.
Along with the rankings, I have posed a question for each team that I felt was the most important after the first week of play. Some of these questions may have obvious answers while others will cause ambiguity within even the best of us. Where does your team land? What am I questioning about them? Keep reading to find out!
Biggest Riser: New England Patriots (+8), Biggest Faller: Cleveland Browns (-13)
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Who emerges as the WR1 in this potent Chiefs’ lineup?
Rashee Rice had 7 receptions for 103 yards while Xavier Worthy totaled 2 receptions for 47 yards and 1 touchdown while adding another touchdown on a carry. The rest of the team combined for 9 receptions total, without Marquise Brown. Honestly, this is a good problem to have in Kansas City.
2. San Francisco 49ers (2)
Is Christian McCaffrey as vital to this team as we thought?
Jordan Mason had the 2nd most carries (28) and the 2nd most rushing yards (147) in week 1 across the entire NFL. I’m sure this is in large part due to the surrounding cast members in San Francisco, but it does bring back the argument of overpaying running backs.
3. Detroit Lions (3)
Do the Lions have enough consistency to finally win a Super Bowl?
Detroit threw for 217 yards and rushed for 163 yards against a Rams team that was firing on all cylinders. We know this Detroit team is supremely talented, but putting it all together is another thing. You could argue they have the best roster in the NFL, but just because your roster looks good doesn’t mean that it is good.
4. Dallas Cowboys (6)
Can the offense be as good as the defense?
Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb both received contract extensions and showed why they deserved them in a week 1 rout of Cleveland. Dallas’ defense allowed just a 53.3 completion percentage, 169 passing yards, and 93 rushing yards. That’s dominant. The offense is good but needs to stay good because this defense won’t win everything by itself.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (5)
Are Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni on the same page?
The jury is out for the time being. Hurts threw for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns, but also threw 2 interceptions. He completed just 58.8% of his passes while fumbling twice on 13 carries. Time will tell if this season will be a continuation of last season, but hey, they won the game. Win the week, win the year.
6. Los Angeles Rams (9)
Will this offense thrive without Puka Nacua?
This was sort of an easy question as Nacua is expected to hit IR and miss at least 4 games. We all know how great Nacua was last year, and the sky was the limit this year, but we will have to wait a bit longer to see if this is a perennial superstar or a one-year wonder. Cooper Kupp totaled 14 receptions for 110 yards and 1 touchdown against Detroit and should continue to see a massive amount of volume.
7. Houston Texans (10)
Does Houston have what it takes to return to the playoffs and make a deep run?
Houston lost in the divisional round last year but hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2019. All signs point to Houston being a perennial contender, but that hinges on the play of C.J. Stroud. Stroud immediately cemented himself as an impact player, but he will need to keep it up. This offense looks ready for any dogfight it faces.
8. Baltimore Ravens (7)
Has Isaiah Likely surpassed Mark Andrews on the depth chart?
Likely was the story of the tight end position in week 1 after totaling 9 receptions for 111 yards and 1 touchdown. Likely had another touchdown reversed after he was ruled out of bounds, but it didn’t put a damper on his exceptional day. I expect Andrews to still be a part of this offense, but we heard chirps about Likely being used more this year. This may just be the catalyst.
9. Buffalo Bills (11)
Can Josh Allen carry this team?
Allen showed everyone how silly they were for doubting his ability to run a team after losing many weapons this offseason. Allen threw for 232 yards and 2 touchdowns while also scoring twice on the ground. Allen is the ultimate weapon at quarterback, but every time he takes a massive hit, I wince. His health has been of concern over the last year and his pay style doesn’t seem to reflect any future changes.
10. Green Bay Packers (13)
What is the floor for this team?
The Malik Willis trade looks much smarter now that Jordan Love, unfortunately, will be out for multiple weeks. The ceiling of this team is capped, but the floor is wide open. Willis is nowhere near the quarterback that Love is. I expect a lot of high-percentage, short throws to help Willis manufacture scores. Josh Jacobs gets a huge boost as Green Bay would, presumably, run the ball more.
11. Miami Dolphins (8)
Can the defense keep up with the offense?
Miami has one of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL with speed all over the place. That’s a great problem to have. The issue is their defense. They are without many key contributors from last year and the starters they have now aren’t fully healthy. The offense will keep them in games, but if they are inconsistent, this team will lose a lot of games.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (4) 📉
Is this Cincinnati’s final year of contention?
Let’s face it, this team is good and if they had all of their players on Sunday we wouldn’t be worrying. However, this may be a reality for Cincinnati this year and on. Tee Higgins looks to be out of Cincinnati and Ja’Marr Chase doesn’t want to play until a new deal is reached. Yes, the Bengals were unlucky, but losing two playmakers like that is hard for any team. This could be a sign of times to come.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (16)
Is the resurrection of Baker Mayfield complete?
Mayfield has had a tumultuous career in the NFL but seems to have found a permanent home in Tampa. Mayfield signed a 3-year, $100 million extension this offseason and showed out in week 1. Mayfield threw for 289 yards, 4 touchdowns, and completed 80% of his passes. Tampa fans will be more than happy with that.
14. Indianapolis Colts (18)
Is Jonathan Taylor no longer the focal point of the Colts’ offense?
Anthony Richardson is an absolute stud. Not only did he lead the Colts in rushing yards, but he also showed off an arm that can shred even the best of defenses. There’s a lot of growing left to do and there are a lot of moving pieces in this Colts offense. However, all signs are pointing to a shift in ideology and Taylor might be the odd man out.
15. Seattle Seahawks (19) 📈
Is DK Metcalf the 3rd best receiver in Seattle?
The rumors of Tyler Lockett’s demise were greatly exaggerated. Lockett led the team with 77 receiving yards which is over twice as many as Metcalf had. The emergence of Jaxon Smith-Njigba is happening before our eyes. Metcalf might simply be an athletic freak who is nothing more than a boom/bust player at best. A shame.
16. New York Jets (12)
Is Aaron Rodgers the answer to New York’s offensive woes?
Let’s be clear, Rodgers is a massive upgrade over the travesty of quarterback play the Jets have received in recent years. However, the early returns for this offense are not ideal. He threw for 167 passing yards, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. The 49ers defense is legit, but good quarterbacks perform against any situation. Maybe Rodgers is no more than a serviceable bridge.
17. New Orleans Saints (22) 📈
Has Derek Carr finally figured it out?
Carr is a 4x Pro Bowl quarterback, but that’s all. Nothing more, nothing less. Simply a guy who will win you some games, but also lose some games. You wouldn’t have believed me on Sunday after the performance he turned in. Throwing for 200 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions, Carr was simply good. Sometimes it’s better to be good than great and that’s what we saw with Carr.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (17)
Is Justin Fields the long-term answer?
Let’s face it, this Atlanta and Pittsburgh game was painful to watch. It was a defensive stalemate that featured two offenses that were less high-powered than a battery-powered toothbrush. The crazy part is though, it worked. Fields didn’t have to do anything special or be the hero. He simply let his playmakers do the work. There are a lot of quarterbacks who made an excellent career of this.
19. Minnesota Vikings (26)
Are the Vikings playoff contenders?
It’s easy to look at a team that lost their long-time quarterback and rookie quarterback in the same offseason and think, “They aren’t going to do much”. Insert Sam Darnold. Darnold is nothing more than a serviceable quarterback to be used in dire situations and that’s exactly where the Vikings are. Darnold played good football and managed the game. That’s all you can ask for. Hopefully, he keeps it up.
20. Los Angeles Chargers (25)
Will Jim Harbaugh’s run-heavy scheme continue to work in the NFL?
The Chargers had the 5th most rushing yards (176) as a team in week 1. We heard that Harbaugh was going to white-knuckle this team and institute his offense, but we all had our doubts. The early returns are good, if not great. Only time will tell if this is sustainable and the running back room can stay healthy.
21. Chicago Bears (15) 📉
Is Chicago still a year away?
Chicago fans were rejoicing after this offseason where they were dubbed the biggest winners and the most likely to turn everything around this year. They were a trendy pick to win the NFC North and they still can. The early returns, though, are not great. This offense was abysmal in week 1 and the only reason they won was special teams, defense, and Tennessee having a worse offense.
22. Tennessee Titans (24)
How good can the Titans defense be this year?
The Titans made huge changes across the roster and coaching staff and beefed up a defense that needed it. After 1 week, this defense looks incredible. And this is without star defensive tackle Jeffrey Simmons. If this defense can stay healthy, you could be looking at a top 5 unit in the NFL and a difference-making D/ST in fantasy.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars (20)
Where do the Jaguars go from here?
Trevor Lawrence received his contract extension and Jacksonville spent this offseason retooling the offensive and defensive personnel to cater to their play style. It didn’t work. At least not this week. Jacksonville had the lead and looked poised to beat Miami until they choked it away. I don’t know what to do with this team anymore. What more can the front office do to try and make this team succeed?
24. New England Patriots (32) 📈
Will Drake Maye start this year?
The easy answer is yes, but why would you fix something that isn’t broken? The Patriots knocked off a hapless Bengals team in week 1 and have an incredible amount of momentum heading into week 2. Sure, this offense wasn’t great and they only scored 16 points, but why rush your rookie quarterback if you are winning games? It may be longer than we expected to see Maye play this year.
25. Denver Broncos (29)
Is Sean Payton still a top-tier coach?
Denver traded draft capital to acquire Sean Payton from the Saints and fans rejoiced. They traded for Russell Wilson and proclamations of “this is our year” were screamed. Then everything fell apart. Wilson was traded this offseason, Payton drafted a quarterback in round 1 for the first time, and they still lost in week 1. What’s the common denominator here?
26. Las Vegas Raiders (23)
Is this Alexander Mattison’s backfield?
Zamir White was projected to be the bell cow of this offense, but it was Mattison who was the star of the show in week 1. I don’t expect this team to be that great in terms of NFL success, but the bell cow of a team is always valuable. However, this may be a hot-hand situation. If you feel comfortable guessing who gets the most work each week, be my guest.
27. Cleveland Browns (14) 📉
Will Deshaun Watson be on the Browns roster in 2025?
The Watson trade will go down as one of the worst trades in NFL history. He has lived up to exactly zero of the expectations laid out for him and can’t stay healthy. The problem here is that Watson’s contract is astronomical. According to OverTheCap, Watson can be a post-June 1 trade candidate and it would only leave the Browns with a $26M dead cap hit. I could be completely wrong, but I don’t think anyone would even want to trade for him.
28. Atlanta Falcons (21)
Should the Falcons start Michael Penix Jr.?
Kirk Cousins wasn’t exactly the revelation that Falcons’ fans were hoping for throwing just 1 touchdown, 2 interceptions, and 155 yards. That just won’t cut it. Cousins is still coming back from an Achilles injury and has an offense loaded with talent, so it may take a minute to get in sync, but the Atlanta faithful are restless.
29. Arizona Cardinals (28)
Is Marvin Harrison Jr. overvalued?
It was a brutal day for Harrison Jr. and really the Cardinals offense as a whole. They put up good numbers, but it’s never a good sign when your new receiver doesn’t produce. Maybe we expected too much of Harrison Jr. Or maybe we are overreacting to 1 game. At the end of the day, This can’t be sustainable moving forward.
30. Washington Commanders (27)
Is Jayden Daniels a lock for a 3,000/1,000 season?
Lamar Jackson is the only quarterback to have a season like this, but Daniels’ skillset lends to it being a heavy possibility. While Daniels didn’t light up the world passing, he showed off his rushing ability in the most Jackson-esque way possible. I think it’s a lock that Daniels rushes for 1,000 yards, but he’ll have to start slinging it to eclipse 3,000 yards. Anything is possible.
31. New York Giants (32)
Will New York draft a franchise quarterback in the 2025 NFL draft?
Daniel Jones just isn’t the answer. Daniel Jones wasn’t the answer when he was drafted. This team has tried to fit a square peg in a round hole too many times and they are paying for it. Give your fans to be something happy about and play Drew Lock while drafting your franchise guy in April.
32. Carolina Panthers (30)
Is Bryce Young just JaMarcus Russell with a smaller frame?
Let’s face it, the Panthers are terrible. They were dismantled by a Saints team that surely wasn’t the hardest competition they would play this season. The front office made a myriad of changes from the coaching staff to player personnel that would hopefully result in a quick turnaround. At this point, I don’t even know if a turnaround is ever going to come let alone quickly.
