NFL Power Rankings Week 2
By Liam McKeone
Your Week 2 NFL Power Rankings.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
The Dolphins confirmed they were very bad in Week 1, but I don’t know if anyone knew they’d be this bad. Can’t see them budging from this spot over the next four months.
31. Arizona Cardinals (0-0-1)
An encouraging comeback in Kyler and Kliff’s debut, but they looked pretty terrible for three-and-a-half quarters. They can’t rely on the immortal Larry Fitzgerald like this all year.
30. New York Giants (0-1)
Well, Daniel Jones has already seen the field, so there’s that. The Giants looked overmatched against their divisional foes and, for some reason, didn’t run their offense through Saquon Barkley for most of the afternoon.
29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
Hoo, boy. If a classic Bruce Arians career revival is going to come for Jameis Winston, it ain’t gonna be any time soon. Despite their talent, the Bucs took themselves out of a close game in an embarrassing Week 1 performance.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Nick Foles going down on his first touchdown pass is the most Jaguars thing to happen in Jacksonville in quite some time. Gardner Minshew wasn’t a disaster, but unless he’s the latest iteration of sixth-round pick turned superstar, the Jags will have a tough time winning games this year.
27. New York Jets (0-1)
Things were going decently for the Jets until the fourth quarter. It seems like they have a lot of room to improve, but the defense clearly hinges on the health of C.J. Mosley and Sam Darnold is still a work in progress.
26. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Josh Allen looks better than he did at the end of last season, and the defense remains stingy. Still, this formula needs to be more battle-tested before they rise in the rankings.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
The Bengals actually gave the Seahawks a run for their money, and Zac Taylor clearly knows how to run an efficient NFL offense. Kind of feels like this is as good as it gets for Cincy, though.
24. Denver Broncos (0-1)
The defense was unable to stop Derek Carr or Josh Jacobs. Not a great start to the Fangio era. They have to improve, because Joe Flacco is not going to save the day.
23. Oakland Raiders (1-0)
The Raiders came out fired up for their last MNF game at the Coliseum, and walked all over what was supposed to be an elite Broncos defense. The lack of overall talent remains concerning, but an encouraging start after the weirdest lead-up week in team history.
22. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Yikes. Baker Mayfield looked bad and the Browns somehow gave up 43 points to the Titans. They appear to have too much talent to fail, but they better prove it soon.
21. Washington Redskins (0-1)
Ultimately it was a disappointing loss, but Washington looked better than expected while gaining an early lead against the Eagles. But Philly doesn’t have the most intimidating secondary, and there remain major questions about who will be effective for Washington at wideout.
20. Detroit Lions (0-0-1)
Darrell Bevellseems to be a net positive for the offense, but conservative playcalling killed them down the stretch. Not the start the Lions were looking for, but there are reasons for optimism, even if they’re few.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Oh me, oh my, did Pittsburgh look bad. The defense blew several coverages and the offense didn’t get anything going. Tough to bet against the names they have on both sides of the ball, and the Patriots are the Patriots, but they couldn’t have had a worse start to the year.
18. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
The offense didn’t look good, but the defense rose to the occasion. The Bucs aren’t a particularly impressive notch in the win column, but a win nonetheless.
17. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
The Colts kept it close and ultimately lost because their Hall of Fame kicker missed only his second 30-yard field goal attempt in 12 years. They want to be competitive, and they gave the Chargers a real run for their money at home.
16. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Matt Ryan had a tough day and Devonta Freeman could get nothing going on the ground, but the defense looks like it’s coming together, even if there are still a few big issues to work out.
15. Tennessee Titans (1-0)
The Titans showed up the Browns in front of their home crowd with a dominant pass-rush and an excellent day from Marcus Mariota. A good start to a pivotal season for the franchise.
14. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
They ultimately lost to Los Angeles, but the defense played well enough to keep a lid on the offense until later in the game and Cam Newton looked healthy. They need more of their young playmakers to step up to build on this success, though.
13. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Dalvin Cook is the key to their season. He looks as healthy and explosive as he has been as an NFL player. If he stays that way, the pass game opens up and Kirk Cousins feasts off play-action. A tough team to beat if the offense plays as well as the defense usually does.
12. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Lamar Jackson is not a running back, y’all. An absolutely spectacular opening game of the season catapults Baltimore up the power rankings. Yes, it was against the Dolphins, but everything clicked in Week 1 for John Harbaugh’s crew.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
A few costly turnovers kept the Colts in this game far longer than necessary, but the Chargers persevered and won in OT. Austin Ekeler looks to be filling in for Melvin Gordon without much trouble. Not exactly a smooth ride, but a win remains a win.
10. Chicago Bears (0-1)
Mitch Trubisky looked really, really bad. The defense looked really, really good. All remains the same in Chicago, apparently. Trubisky has to get better, but the Bears remain an extremely tough team to beat with their ferocious pass-rush keeping teams in check.
9. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
As previously mentioned, the Bears are one of the NFL’s best defenses, but Matt LeFleur’s new offense still looked worryingly bad. The defense, however, looked better than it has in years. Things need to come together, but they still have Aaron Rodgers.
8. Houston Texans (0-1)
Another new season, another new way for the Texans to lose in heart-breaking fashion. Deshaun Watson picked up right where he left off last season, but his health is a big concern with how often he’s gotten hit. Still, when he’s in the game, this team can hang with anyone.
7. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
An outstanding debut for the ‘Boys, even if it was against the lowly Giants. Dak Prescott looked as sharp as he ever has, and Ezekiel Elliott clearly hasn’t lost a step after hanging in Cabo all summer. The defense looks stingy. This is a well-rounded team.
6. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
It’s never a good sign when Andy Dalton drops a career-high in passing yards on your defense, but the Seahawks still got the win, and the Russell Wilson-D.K. Metcalf connection looks to be strong already. Pete Carroll will figure it out on the other side of the ball.
5. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
It took them a bit to get revved up, but by the end of their win in Carolina, the Rams looked like the same old Rams. More importantly, Todd Gurley looked good. They remain one of the top teams in this league.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Similar to the Rams, it was a slow start in Philly before Carson Wentz starting connecting with DeSean Jackson. After that? Curtains. The defense might be a bigger problem than anyone anticipated, but the offense looks dangerous enough to compensate.
3. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Despite the best efforts of the referees, the Saints squeaked out a win against Houston. The offense and defense both look like elite units. They needed a favor from the Texans to get into field-goal range, but not much has changed since last year in the Big Easy.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Another Sunday, another 40-burger for the Chiefs offense. This time, it was Sammy Watkins doing the majority of the damage. Losing Tyreek Hill is tough, but they still have Patrick Mahomes. Things will be fine.
1. New England Patriots (1-0)
The Patriots belong at No. 1 after their perfect performance in Week 1, and they’re yet to add Antonio Brown. Josh Gordon looks as good as he ever has, and the defense may be the best we’ve seen from New England in a long time. Again, they’re adding Brown to this squad. As per usual, the Pats are the team to beat until further notice.