The first week is in the books, and there were some surprises. Six of my top-12 teams lost, resulting in a slight shakeup. It’s important not to overreact in certain instances, but blowouts carry a lot of weight to me.
Here are my power rankings heading into Week 2:
1. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Last week: 1
Utter domination in the opener. I wish I could put the Bills higher than 1 because they were that good in a throttling of the Rams.
2. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Last week: 2
The final score may not have shown it, but the Chargers outplayed the Raiders pretty thoroughly in the opener and secured a 24-19 win. They stay here for now, but have a huge showdown with the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Last week: 3
As the NFC crumbles around them, the Bucs proved on Sunday night that they have the potential to be elite on both sides of the ball.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Last week: 4
Pretty good, Patrick Mahomes. Prettay, prettay good.
5. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Last week: 7
The Ravens will get tougher games than an easy win over the Jets, but both sides of the ball were efficient in the opener. That’s all you can ask for against an inferior foe.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Last week: 9
Detroit stormed back late, but the offensive firepower exhibited by Philly is a good sign for the future. Oh, and congrats on clinching the NFC East after Week 1, Eagles fans.
7. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
Last week: 6
I’m not too worried about the Bengals. They turned it over a bunch and still would have beaten the Steelers if not for a long-snapper injury.
8. San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
Last week: 5
Bad start for the 49ers, but it came in the rain against an underrated Bears defense. But the clock is officially ticking for Trey Lance to show something as Jimmy Garoppolo waits in the background.
9. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Last week: 15
Tremendous start for Minnesota. Justin Jefferson is a monster.
10. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
Last week: 14
It was a really nice opener for the Dolphins, who controlled things from start to finish in a win over the Patriots. Most encouraging? Tua Tagovailoa finished Week 1 with a top-5 ranking in ESPN’s Total QBR.
11. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)
Last week: 8
Maybe the Rams will be fine, but Matthew Stafford did not look right against the Bills. And the loss of left tackle Andrew Whitworth is not being talked about enough.
12. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Last week: 10
Sloppy opener for the Broncos, but they aren’t going to lose two fumbles at the goal-line again. Next time, though, trust Russ.
Trade for Russell Wilson and then take the ball out of his hands for a 64-yard FG. Got it.
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 13, 2022
13. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Last week: 13
Not a very good performance against a Falcons team that should have been overmatched, but New Orleans did escape with the win. That matters a lot in a 17-game season.
14. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Last week: 12
I wasn’t very high on Green Bay coming into the season and Sunday did nothing to expel the concerns. The Packers turned it around after a disastrous opener in 2021, but that was with Davante Adams.
15. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)
Last week: 17
Speaking of Adams, he was as advertised for Las Vegas. But Derek Carr threw three picks and was sacked five times by the Chargers. This team has great pass-catchers and edge rushers, but holes elsewhere.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Last week: 19
The T.J. Watt injury puts a damper on things, but the Pittsburgh defense was tremendous against Joe Burrow. The Steelers might not have a very high ceiling but they are a tough team to beat.
17. Cleveland Browns (1-0)
Last week: 24
The Browns picked up a nice last-second win over the Panthers on Sunday. The AFC is stacked, but if they can grab some close wins, they may still be in the playoff race when Deshaun Watson returns.
18. Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1)
Last week: 18
Not a great start as Indy tied Houston. But it’s looking like eight or nine wins can win this division.
19. New England Patriots (0-1)
Last week: 20
New England’s expected offensive issues have materialized. Even so, the coaching staff alone should keep the Patriots in games this year.
20. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Last week: 16
Even grading on the Patrick Mahomes curve, it was a truly wretched defensive performance in Week 1. Super Bowl contention should be a realistic expectation in Year 4 with Kyler Murray, and the Cardinals are miles off that track.
The question I have after Sunday's debacle: Why didn't the Cardinals see this coming?https://t.co/8bWDAWRWZM
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) September 12, 2022
21. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Last week: 11
Like Arizona, the Cowboys didn’t address key deficiencies this offseason, and it was painfully obvious against Tampa Bay. And now Dak Prescott is out for several weeks. A return to the playoffs won’t be easy.
22. Detroit Lions (0-1)
Last week: 21
A pretty decent effort against the Eagles, all things considered. It wouldn’t be a shock for Detroit to remain in the wild card mix for much of the season.
23. Chicago Bears (1-0)
Last week: 27
Chicago has some real talent on defense. If Justin Fields can make the big plays like he did against San Francisco, the future will start to come into clearer focus.
24. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Last week: 22
They probably should have won it, but a loss to the Giants is not a fun way to start the season.
25. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
Last week: 31
Geno Smith was really impressive for the Seahawks. They got a bit lucky, but either way, nice win over Denver to start the season.
26. Houston Texans (0-0-1)
Last week: 29
The Texans had a solid showing in their opener, playing the Colts to a tie. They might not be terrible this year.
27. Washington Commanders (1-0)
Last week: 26
The Commanders won a back-and-forth affair with the Jaguars at home. Nothing to be too excited about.
28. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Last week: 23
Baker Mayfield averaged 8.7 yards per pass attempt against the Browns, but made some mistakes that reminded us why they shipped him out this offseason.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Last week: 25
Christian Kirk had six catches for 117 yards in his debut with the Jaguars. Maybe that contract wasn’t so bad after all.
30. New York Giants (1-0)
Last week: 28
The Giants won, but they still finished No. 26 in weekly DVOA. They drop a little bit.
31. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Last week: 30
The Falcons had a really good chance to beat the Saints and blew it. In a season when wins figure to be few and far between, that stings.
32. New York Jets (0-1)
Last week: 32
Not much debate. The Jets easily look like the worst team in the NFL.
