Power Rankings Week 2: Ranking All 32 NFL Teams Ahead Of Week 2

Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, and here are all 32 teams ranked worst to first.

An eventful Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone. Some teams were what we thought they were, while others left a big impression, for better or worse.

While these rankings don’t want to overreact to Week 1 too heavily, what we saw on the field has to play a factor in the rankings. As the season goes on and we get more and more data, these rankings will sort themselves out.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

Last Week: Saints 47, Panthers 10 (L)
This Week: vs. LAC (1:00 PM, CBS)

Even the most diehard of Panther fans didn’t expect last year’s worst team in the league to be a playoff contender, but many expected improvement. It’s early, but from what we saw on Sunday, this remains the worst team in the National Football League. It starts with Bryce Young, who threw an interception on his first pass and looked to have regressed from a terrible rookie year. But, He wasn’t the only sore spot for this team, as they fell behind 30-0. Head Coach Dave Canales has his work cut out for him to turn around the league’s most decrepit franchise.

31. New York Giants (0-1)

Last Week: Vikings 28, Giants 6 (L)
This Week: @ WAS (1:00 PM, FOX)

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. If that’s true, the Giants putting Daniel Jones out there as their starter was completely insane. His intense struggles kept the Giants offense out of the end zone and overshadowed a defensive effort that wasn’t great but had some bright spots throughout the day. At this point, the biggest moment of the 2024 NFL season for Giants fans will be learning where they will pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.

30. Washington Commanders (0-1)

Last Week: Buccaneers 37, Commanders 20 (L)
This Week: vs. NYG (1:00 PM, FOX)

The good news is that rookie Jayden Daniels showed the kind of promise you’d like to see from a second-overall pick in his first start, and made plays with both his arms and his legs. His development is ultimately what this season is about for the Commanders. The bad news is that the defense, especially the secondary, was dreadful, allowing Baker Mayfield to throw nearly as many touchdowns (4) as incompletions (6). 2023 1st-rounder Emmanuel Forbes continues to look like an all-time bust.

29. Denver Broncos (0-1)

Last Week: Seahawks 26, Broncos 20 (L)
This Week: vs. PIT (4:25 PM, CBS)

One thing the Broncos did not always show last year was a willingness to play hard every snap all game long. That was one thing the Broncos did have on Sunday, taking the Seahawks down to the wire with a 4th quarter rally. Other than that, the bright spots were few and far between. Bo Nix looked incapable of completing passes down the field, the defense has plenty of holes, and this is a team that is going to take a another year or two to really fix.

28. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

Last Week: Bears 24, Titans 17 (L)
This Week: vs. NYJ (1:00 PM, CBS)

The Tennessee Titans looked like they were going to be joining the 1-0 club, having outplayed the Chicago Bears most of the game and leading 17-0. But, they wasted a fantastic effort by their defense, giving up touchdowns on a blocked punt and a dreadful Will Levis underhand pick-six as he was going down for a sack that gave the Bears the lead. Ultimately, if this team wanted to surprise people and contend for a playoff spot, losing games that you lead 17-0 will doom that effort pretty quickly.

27. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)

Last Week: Bills 34, Cardinals 28 (L)
This Week: vs. LAR (4:05 PM, FOX)

The Cardinals were another team that could’ve easily stole a win over a better team in Week 1, having led the Buffalo Bills by double digits. But, a young team couldn’t find a way to close the deal, and Kyler Murray didn’t see a wide-open Marvin Harrison Jr. on the team’s final drive for what would’ve been the game-winning touchdown. Still, Murray looked mobile and confident while moving, and this young team is growing up. They’ll get more production out of Harrison soon, as he finished with just 1 catch for 4 yards.

26. New England Patriots (1-0)

Last Week: Patriots 16, Bengals 10 (W)
This Week: vs. SEA (1:00 PM, FOX)

The week’s surprise winner must be the New England Patriots, who surely ruined many people’s entries in Survivor Pools.  Most of the story of this game is about the Bengals offense being pretty inept, but a strong Patriots defense was responsible for a lot of that. Jacoby Brissett didn’t lose the game for them, Rhamondre Stevenson ran hard, and solid defense and special teams made the difference. Bill Belichick would be proud.

25. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)

Last Week: Chargers 22, Raiders 10 (L)
This Week: @ BAL (1:00 PM, CBS)

If you were a Raiders fan hoping to make a playoff run, this was a game circled as a must-win. The Chargers are also rebuilding, and that’s exactly what the Chargers offense looked like in the first half, with credit going to the Raiders defense. But, they gave up multiple big runs to JK Dobbins after halftime, and a confusing decision by Antonio Pierce to punt on 4th and 1 in Chargers territory in the 4th quarter in a six-point game has to leave a bad taste in the mouths of Raiders fans. Ultimately, it’s hard to see Gardner Minshew having enough juice for this team to be any sort of factor.

24. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)

Last Week: Chargers 22, Raiders 10 (W)
This Week: @ CAR (1:00 PM, CBS)

The fears about the lack of explosiveness for the Chargers passing game seem founded, with just 145 passing yards on 26 attempts for Justin Herbert. But, Head Coach Jim Harbaugh is comfortable winning with the defense and the run game, and that’s what happened. JK Dobbins had 135 yards on just 10 carries, breaking off two big ones, the defense consistently pressured Gardner Minshew, and they got a season-opening win. A golden opportunity to go 2-0 awaits against Carolina.

 

23. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)

Last Week: Seahawks 26, Broncos 20 (W)
This Week: @ NE (1:00 PM, FOX)

This is a team that needed to get off to a fast start against a bad opponent, and that’s what they did. It was a good performance by Geno Smith, whose stats won’t blow you away but played effective football while Kenneth Walker II ran it well. And, the defense completely shut down the Broncos passing attack, limiting them to just 138 yards on 42 attempts.

22. New Orleans Saints (1-0)

Last Week: Saints 47, Panthers 10 (W)
This Week: @ DAL (1:00 PM, FOX)

There is very little not to like about the Saints performance on Sunday, as they dominated the Panthers in every facet. Derek Carr was fantastic, they ran the ball well, and played stifling defense. The only thing not to like about it is that they were playing the league’s worst team in the Carolina Panthers. The opponents will get tougher, starting with Week 2. But, if Derek Carr can keep playing good football, they can be a factor in a gettable NFC South.

21. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

Last Week: Vikings 28, Giants 6 (W)
This Week: vs. SF (1:00 PM, CBS)

The big story from a Vikings perspective was the steady play of Sam Darnold. The once-highly-touted quarterback started 12-12 on Sunday and looks to be yet another veteran quarterback rehabilitated by Kevin O’Connell. He got the ball to playmakers like Justin Jefferson, and the offense was productive, though not prolific. Defensively, it was a great performance, but you’re always graded on a curve when playing against Daniel Jones.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)

Last Week: Dolphins 20, Jaguars 17 (L)
This Week: vs. CLE (1:00 PM, CBS)

The Jacksonville Jaguars were rolling in their Week 1 game.  Travis Etienne looked like he was about to cross the goal line for a late third-quarter touchdown and give the Jags a 24-7 lead, only to fumble. A play later they gave up an 80-yard touchdown to Tyreek Hill, and the collapse was on. The good news is that Trevor Lawrence looked much more like the quarterback we saw at the end of the 2022 season than the one we saw last year, and they ran the ball well. They stopped the run, too, but gave up a league-high 337 passing yards. A Week 2 showdown with Cleveland looms large.

19. New York Jets (0-1)

Last Week: 49ers 32, Jets 19 (L)
This Week: @ TEN (1:00 PM, CBS)

For a split second, Jets fans thought they were rolling. Aaron Rodgers led a beautiful first-quarter touchdown drive, the kind of drive that the Jets have struggled to have consistently for years, and their defense had kept the 49ers out of the end zone the first two possessions. Then, it all unraveled. The 49ers scored points on eight straight drives, the Jets offense went cold, and they looked more like the Same Old Jets. But, they won’t play many opponents as good as the 49ers, and the lack of pass rush will likely force the front office to engage with edge Haason Reddick, who is holding out. He will provide a huge boost.

18. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

Last Week: Falcons 10, Steelers 18 (L)
This Week: @ PHI (8:15 PM, ESPN)

The Atlanta Falcons saw their Week 1 game completely wrecked by the inability to block TJ Watt. Granted, plenty of teams will struggle to block one of the league’s best players, But, it was the inability of new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson to game plan around TJ Watt that was most concerning. That’s something that needed to be done, most importantly because Kirk Cousins moved poorly in his first game back from his torn Achilles last year. This team will go aa far as Kirk takes them. But, right now, that doesn’t look very far.

17. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

Last Week: Texans 29, Colts 27 (L)
This Week: @ GB (1:00 PM, FOX)

Sunday gave Colts fans the entire Anthony Richardson experience. His 60-yard touchdown pass that his Alec Pierce perfectly in stride while Richardson was being pressured was one of the great throws you’ll ever see. But, he only completed 9 of his 19 passes and threw an interception. That feast-or-famine stat line is going to have to be something the Indianapolis Colts deal with all year. But, they showed enough in Week 1 against a good Texans team to be in the playoff hunt for a while, as long as they shore up the run defense.

16. Cleveland Browns (0-1)

Last Week: Cowboys 33, Browns 17 (L)
This Week: @ JAX (1:00 PM, CBS)

America’s Game of the Week turned into a nightmare for Browns fans. They saw a Deshaun Watson that is now officially a shell of the quarterback we saw in Houston now five years ago. The NFL is about a lot more than just quarterback play. But, all this Browns roster needs to be highly competitive is competent play at the position. It doesn’t look like they’re going to get it from Deshaun Watson, and they need to start to really consider starting Jameis Winston. No matter what they do, it seems likely they are going to have to deal with the mid-nine figures of guaranteed money left on Watson’s albatross deal.

15. Chicago Bears (1-0)

Last Week: Bears 24, Titans 17 (W)
This Week: @ HOU (8:20 PM, NBC/Peacock)

All offseason long, the excitement in Chicago was about a new, high-flying offense led by rookie first-overall pick Caleb Williams. Instead, we saw a Bears offense that managed just 148 yards. But, we also saw a Bears win, as they overcame a 17-point deficit with a defensive touchdown and a special teams touchdown. The offense will almost certainly get better, and the defense that was great down the stretch last season seems to have not missed a beat. The Bears remain dangerous.

14. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)

Last Week: Buccaneers 37, Commanders 20 (W)
This Week: @ DET (1:00 PM, FOX)

It would’ve been reasonable to think that Baker Mayfield’s breakout season last year was a product of now-departed offensive coordinator Dave Canales. If Sunday is any indication, that’s not the case. Baker looked great, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin never seem to age, and the defense got enough stops early on to put the game out of reach. Many in the offseason, including me, had the Falcons as the favorites in the NFC South. Sunday reminded us that it still ought to be the Buccaneers.

13. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)

Last Week: Patriots 16, Bengals 10 (L)
This Week: @ KC (4:25 PM, CBS)

There’s not much positive to say about another slow start to the season from a Zac Taylor-coached Bengals team. The offense was putrid, and the defense didn’t get off the field near as much as it should’ve against a pretty bad Patriots offense. But, they’ve started slow and been just fine before, and the absence of Tee Higgins and the snap count restrictions on JaMarr Chase give reason for optimism that they can turn it around. A trip to Kansas City may not provide that opportunity, though.

12. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)

Last Week: Steelers 18, Falcons 10 (W)
This Week: @ DEN (4:25 PM, CBS)

The Steelers joined the Giants as the only two teams who didn’t score a touchdown in Week 1, and it didn’t matter. That’s due to the fact that a defense led by TJ Watt was absolutely dominant in the 2nd half, seemingly sitting in the lap of Kirk Cousins the entire half. And, Justin Fields, who was a last-minute fill-in for Russell Wilson, was steady, and even found George Pickens down the field a few times for explosive plays. They’re going to have to start finding the end zone, but the Steelers formula remains the same.

11. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)

Last Week: Lions 26, Rams 20 (L, OT)
This Week: @ ARI (4:05 PM, FOX)

Matthew Stafford returned to Detroit for a second-straight loss, but Rams fans should be feeling great about the way their team played in their first game after the retirement of Aaron Donald. After falling behind 17-3 late in the second quarter, they rallied to take a 20-17 lead behind a resurgent Cooper Kupp and a great defensive effort in the second half. Ultimately losing the overtime coin flip and the defense having to go right back on the field after the Lions tied the game doomed them. But, they sure looked like a playoff time.

10. Green Bay Packers (0-1)

Last Week: Eagles 34, Packers 29 (L)
This Week: vs. IND (1:00 PM, FOX)

The concern in Green Bay isn’t a close Week 1 loss thousands of miles from home in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Instead, it’s the health of quarterback Jordan Love. Love was injured on the game’s final drive. It looked to be very serious, but reports are that he could possibly be back by. the end of the month and no later than mid-October. In the meantime, the Packers defense will have to carry a team likely to be quarterbacked by Malik Willis.

9. Miami Dolphins (1-0)

Last Week: Dolphins 20, Jaguars 17 (W)
This Week: vs. BUF (8:15 PM, Prime Video)

The Dolphins looked dead to rights, trailing 17-7 with the Jaguars on the doorstep of another score. But, Travis Etienne fumbled on the way into the end zone, and the rest was history. Tyreek Hill’s 80-yard touchdown catch immediately after got them back in the game en route to a walk-off field goal by Jason Sanders. Tua Tagovailoa was inconsistent, yet productive. A remade defense did just enough, especially in the second-half. And, it was great to see a team that garnered the reputation as being soft fight back and win a game when things didn’t go as planned early on.

8. Houston Texans (1-0)

Last Week: Texans 29, Colts 27 (W)
This Week: vs. CHI (8:20 PM, NBC/Peacock)

We all knew that the Texans would be able to throw the ball effectively. But, if they run the ball like they did on Sunday, they’re going to be the best offense in the NFL. They had 40 carries for 213 yards, 159 of them belonging to newly-acquired Joe MIxon. Defensively, they were good on  play-to-play basis, but gave up two big chunk plays in the passing game that kept the game competitive. Overall, a good opening-week win.

7. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)

Last Week: Chiefs 27, Ravens 20 (L)
This Week: vs. LV (1:00 PM, CBS)

Yes, the Ravens did lose their AFC Championship rematch. But, the way they played on the road in a tough environment was very encouraging. That starts with Lamar Jackson, who dealt with pressure all night to consistently make plays. Tight end Isaiah Likely had a breakout game, and had his toe not been on the end line, they may have won. The run defense stood out, giving up just 72 yards on 20 carries.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

Last Week: Eagles 34, Packers 29 (W)
This Week: vs. ATL (8:15 PM, ESPN)

The glass-half-empty view of the Eagles’ season-opening win is that Jalen Hurts was, honestly, pretty bad. The glass half-full view is that Hurts was pretty bad, and they won anyways. A lot of that falls to a rejuvenated Saquon Barkley. Playing behind a good offensive line for the first time in the NFL, and even in college, Barkley looked great. He scored 3 touchdowns and was stopped a foot short of a fourth. Meanwhile, young defensive tackle duo Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis dominated. The former Georgia teammates need to have a huge season for the Philadelphia defense, and they’re off to a good start.

5. Buffalo Bills (1-0)

Last Week: Bills 34, Cardinals 28 (W)
This Week: @ MIA (8:15 PM, Prime Video)

It took a while for Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills to get going. But, when they did get it going, Josh Allen reminded us why he is a perennial MVP candidate. Allen was sensational, running for two touchdowns and throwing for two during the team’s 34-28 comeback win. The Bills were run-heavy, with 33 rushes to 23 passes. Expect that to be a winning formula for them on offense. Defensively, a young secondary was shaky, but Greg Rosseau looks like he’s ready to become a household name.

4. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)

Last Week: Cowboys 33, Browns 17 (W)
This Week: vs. NO (1:00 PM, FOX)

Dallas was absolutely dominant on the road against a Cleveland team most had as a playoff team coming into the year. It started with the Dallas defense under first-year defensive coordinator Mike ZImmer. Like last year, they pressured the quarterback at a high rate, led by all-world destroyer Micah Parsons. But, the improvement came in the secondary, where they were incredibly sound and significantly limited the Browns’ passing attack. The offense was on cruise control after a quick start just a few hours after a massive contract extension for Dak Prescott. After a not-so-great offseason, this was a statement performance by the Cowboys.

3. Detroit Lions (1-0)

Last Week: Lions 26, Rams 20 (W)
This Week: vs. TB (1:00 PM, FOX)

Late in the 1st half, the Lions took a 17-3 lead, and, set to receive the second-half kickoff, looked to be in complete control of their opener.  But, the Rams took a 4th-quarter lead, forcing a late Lions field goal to send the game into overtime. Once there, they won the toss, chose to receive, and ran off a physical drive that featured 6 runs for 60 yards to win the game. The young secondary needs to continue to improve, and the offense looked rusty at times. But, they’re so good up front on both sides of the ball that it will be a tall task to beat them.

2. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

Last Week: 49ers 32, Jets 19 (W)
This Week: @ MIN (1:00 PM, CBS)

No Christian McCaffrey, no problem for the San Francisco 49ers. Jordan Mason filled in admirably and ran well behind a dominant 49ers offensive line that not only opened holes in the run game but gave Brock Purdy plenty of time. After a shaky start, Purdy found a rhythm similar to the one he was in much of last year. And, the defense settled in after giving up an early touchdown drive to shut down Aaron Rodgers and the Jets for much of the game. The 49ers remain as complete a team as any in the league.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

Last Week: Chiefs 27, Ravens 20 (W)
This Week: vs. CIN (4:25 PM, CBS)

It wasn’t always pretty. Week 1 wins rarely are. But, Patrick Mahomes and Co. did what they do best, finding a way to win, thie time by just a single toe. Had Isiah Likely been inbounds on his touchdown catch as time expired, it would’ve set up a do-or-die two-point conversion for the game.  

Chris Jones was dominant, and rookie speedster Xavier Worthy made his presence known with two touchdowns in his debut, one on the ground and one through the air. The Champs are still the champs.