32. New York Jets (0-1)
A unanimous pick for last place in the NFL, the Jets were selected by all First Seed analysts as the worst team after Week 1. A flat offense, a defense that hemorrhaged yardage to Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense, there just simply was nothing going right for the Jets in week 1. Pair that with the fact that their superstar running back Le’Veon Bell hit the IR this week and you have a miserable outlook for the forthcoming weeks.
31. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
Boy, the two worst teams after Week 1 coming from the same division? Ouch. There just was not that same magic in the air as last year with the Miami Dolphins during their Week 1 game against the Patriots. Fitzpatrick looked flat, Devante Parker left with an injury and the defense did not have an answer for Cam Newton. Is it going to soon be Tua time in Miami?
30. New York Giants (0-1)
This ranking feels almost as if a few things had gone differently on Monday night, this would be a massively different rank. But following a 26-16 loss against the Steelers, we are all airing on the side of caution with the Giants because there is a huge possibility they’re just the same old team as always. Saquon will need to put the team on his back to help carry them to success and up the power ranks.
29. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Teddy Bridgewater proved to be just the spark that the Carolina offense needed to get the passing game going. There were very low expectations in Carolina this season, but giving up 34 points to a mediocre Raiders’ offense was not an ideal start to the season. The defense will have to show up moving forward if the Panthers want to start climbing the power ranks.
28. Washington Football Team (1-0)
Perhaps the most shocking result of Week 1, the Washington Football Team was able to secure a comeback victory over division rival Philadelphia. Washington’s defense was the star of the game, holding the Eagles to zero second-half points. Is Washington a young, fun, up-and-coming team? Are they a playoff contender? We will likely find out in Week 2 as they play a Cardinals team that is coming off a huge victory over Super Bowl runner-up San Francisco.
27. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
A blown field goal cost the Bengals a much higher ranking this week. AJ Green seemed to be healthy and all systems go which is a great sign for the Bengals offense and Joe Burrow. Speaking of Joe Burrow, he looked like the real deal in just his first start of the season and Cincinnati fans have to be very excited about what the future holds. But, for now, let’s temper those expectations in Week 1. (Written prior to Week 2 loss to Cleveland)
26. Cleveland Browns (1-0)
Maybe the Browns deserve a bit of a pass here with having to play the reigning MVP in Week 1. Lamar Jackson demolished the Browns defense in Week 1 and cruised to the biggest victory of the week. But the Browns should not be disappointed so early. Sure, they’re a bit lower in the power ranks than I’m sure fans would like, but the power combo of Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt should provide massive rushing upside for the Browns offense. (Written prior to Week 2 victory over Cincinnati)
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
In one of the strangest rankings of the week, the Jaguars won their Week 1 matchup and still find themselves 4 ranks from the bottom. This may be due in part to the massive number of questions surrounding the team. Is Gardner Minshew for real? Is the defense actually better without all those superstars? Can they survive without Fournette? We’ll soon find out as the Jaguars have a tough Week 2 matchup against Derrick Henry and the Titans.
24. Detroit Lions (0-1)
After blowing a very close game on a late dropped pass, flashes of the 2019 Lions popped into everyone’s mind. The 2019 Lions went a mind-blowing 2-10 in one-score games. So far this season, they are off to an 0-1 start in one-score games. Let’s hope they can turn that around quickly. There seems to be some great potential in Detroit, it just needs to show on game days.
23. Chicago Bears (1-0)
The Bears were able to cling to a victory despite Detroit’s wild last-minute drive. Chicago did get a pleasant surprise in Week 1 though and that was a competent and even (dare I say it..) good Mitchell Trubisky! The Ten-God threw for 3 touchdowns in the 4th quarter alone to help carry his team to victory. With a favorable matchup against the Giants in Week 2, the Bears will look to continue their winning ways and keep Trubisky on his streak of success. If the Bears are also able to get David Montgomery up to the rushing level that he is capable of, then this Bears team could be trouble.
22. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Despite a Week 1 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Denver Broncos showed a lot of good things on tape. Drew Lock still has some growing to do but looked confident under center. Melvin Gordon seemed very comfortable in his new home, and sophomore tight end Noah Fant looks like he could be a budding superstar at his position. The defense will have to look to perform a little better moving forward, but holding a potent Tennessee offense to just 16 points is not too shabby.
21. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Atlanta found themselves right on the brink of the bottom third this week after getting into an offensive shootout with Seattle. Matt Ryan wowed with massive passing numbers to Russell Gage, Calvin Ridley, and Julio Jones. Toddy Gurley also seemed fairly explosive given his significant injury history. Atlanta will need to fix some holes in their defense in order to climb up the power ranks moving forward.
20. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
Another team that was somewhat surprising in Week 1, the newly located Las Vegas Raiders were able to outscore an up-and-coming Panthers offense in a 34-30 victory. Perhaps more impressively, however, was that Josh Jacobs was able to outshine reigning OPOY Christian McCaffrey. Jacobs pounded in 3 touchdowns to give himself the early season lead in rushing touchdowns and carry his team to a victory. Rookie wide receivers Henry Ruggs III and Bryan Edwards will need to provide more production moving forward if this team wants to compete for any sort of postseason action.
19. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Man, what a disappointing start to the season. The Colts were many analysts’ darling of the offseason and showed great promise under the Philip Rivers regime. Losing to the Jaguars was certainly not the start that Colts’ fans had hoped for, especially with Marlon Mack suffering a season-ending injury as well. The Colts face a very exploitable Minnesota defense in Week 2 and will surely need to come away with a victory to help out their chances in the tough AFC South.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
The frequent case in Week 1 seemed to be that the defenses needed to catch up to the offenses, but boy, that was not the case in the Chargers season opener. Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram terrorized Joe Burrow in his first career start and corners Chris Harris and Casey Hayward were able to contain a potent receiving corp. In order for the Chargers to better their power ranking next week, Tyrod Taylor will have to improve his game. 16 points were enough to defeat a rookie-led team, but that case may not be true in Week 2 against a substantially better Chiefs offense.
17. Philadelphia Eagles (0-1)
This was a wildly disappointing season opener for the Eagles. Carson Wentz was under constant pressure and even when he was not, he looked very rusty. It doesn’t help that this offense was also missing their top running back, but against a very young and inexperienced Washington team, none of that should have mattered. The Eagles need to address their offensive line and they need to do it quickly, otherwise they may find themselves in quite a hole.
16. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
The Vikings had an offensive battle for the ages with the Green Bay Packers during Week 1. Through the air, on the ground, it didn’t matter. The Vikings were scoring in any and every way possible, but even that wasn’t enough. If the Vikings want to see the same success that they saw a year ago, they need to address the defensive side of the ball before they do anything else. Their battle with Indianapolis during Week 2 will go a long way in determining whether or not they are a top-half team or a bottom half team.
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
It still feels like we are all sort of clinging to a dream here with the Buccaneers. Sure, it would be great if Tom Brady had one more run in him and Gronk could come out of retirement and dominate like the days of old. But against an above-average Saints team, that just did not seem to be the case. The defense looked impressive, but the offense did not seem to be clicking on all cylinders. We will get a true measure of the Bucs potential in Week 2 against a soft Panthers defense.
14. Houston Texans (0-1)
The Texans are almost certainly going to face an uphill battle after the first two weeks of the season. They drew the reigning Super Bowl champions as their first game and match up with an AFC favorite Ravens team during Week 2. During Week 1, It felt as though the Texans were working through some offensive growing pains with so many pieces that have moved around in the offseason. Deshaun Watson will really get a chance to shine if he is able to carry this team to the playoffs this season.
13. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
It was certainly not the start that Dallas fans were hoping to see. On the opening night of SoFi Stadium, the Cowboys fell to Aaron Donald and the Rams. Not only did they drop the opener, but they also lost several players to injury, including star linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. On the positive side, however, the Dallas offense looked incredible and their passing attack will strike fear in opponents all season. Dallas will look to get back on track this week against a soft Atlanta defense.
12. San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
San Francisco was shocked by division rival Arizona in their season opener. A team that banked on its fundamental running game and stout defense in 2019, the Niners are either going to have to do some soul searching to find their roots, or develop into a different type of team. It could also possibly be that San Francisco is having a hangover from the success they saw last year and may need a year to regroup. Either way, San Francisco will have a few easy weeks ahead of them to work their way up the power rankings with back to back games against the Jets and the Giants, respectively.
11. New England Patriots (1-0)
I have to personally say how happy it made me to see Cam Newton having fun playing football again. I think that the league also needs Cam. He is such a dynamic and exciting player that is truly one of a kind. And know who else needs Cam? The Patriots. They looked like quite a contender after their Week 1 beatdown of the Dolphins. I am excited to see what this team can continue to do moving forward.
10. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
The post-Todd Gurley era began this past weekend in LA and the Rams did not seem to miss a beat. Utilizing a two-headed monster of Cam Akers and Malcolm Brown, the Rams were able to do just about anything they wanted to against a banged-up Cowboys defense. Throw in some Robert Woods and some Cooper Kupp utilization and you’ve got a quintessential Sean McVay offense. A win over the highly-touted Cowboys meant a lot for the Rams’ ranking this week.
9. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
What a great victory for the Cardinals in Week 1. Taking down last year’s NFC champion is quite the start to a season. DeAndre Hopkins and Kyler Murray mastered their connection right off the bat and Murray’s rushing upside was obvious. Can the Cardinals follow the Chiefs’ all-offensive mentality to carry them into the playoffs? We at First Seed are very high on the Cardinals as a whole and are excited to see where they go this season.
8. Tennessee Titans (1-0)
A sneaky pick to make a deep run this year, the Tennessee Titans did exactly what they do best: they wore the Broncos down with a heavy dose of Derrick Henry and snuck in some air yardage just to keep the Denver defense honest. Their ground-and-pound method of attack will almost certainly wear heavy on opposing defenses, making this a difficult team to stop. In a loaded AFC, look for the Titans to make their way towards the top of the power ranks.
7. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
The New Orleans Saints showed exactly why they are one of the top dogs in the NFC every year. They dominated the Buccaneers on both sides of the ball and in nearly every way possible. The secondary intercepted Tom Brady twice and the front 7 put a ton of pressure on Brady as well. Perhaps the most impressive part of this victory was the fact that Michael Thomas was not the focal point of the offense.
6. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Sunday was truly the Josh Allen show. The dual-threat quarterback showed off both through the air and on the ground and was not going to be denied. He and the Bills embarrassed the Jets by topping them in nearly every category. Allen and the Bills have another favorable matchup this week against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills should be at the same rank next week, if not slightly higher.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Big Ben certainly proved just how much he means to his offense. In what felt like somewhat of a lost season after his injury last year, the Steelers struggled to score points at all, let alone win games. That was not the case on Monday night when Ben took the field. He found Juju in the endzone twice and was able to make up for a lackluster performance from James Conner. Big Ben paired with the Steelers’ phenomenal defense, a defense that intercepted Daniel Jones twice should have this team rising in no time.
4. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
With a convincing showing against the Atlanta Falcons, the Seahawks demonstrated exactly why they are one of the favorites to not only win the NFC West but to also be the NFC Super Bowl representative. Jamal Adams made a massive impact in his Seahawks debut and Russell Wilson picked apart the Falcons defense with scary precision. The Seahawks will have a real test this week, matched up with the Patriots on Sunday Night Football.
3. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
Many people were projecting the downfall of the Packers this offseason. There appeared to be some trouble in paradise between the Packers front office and Green Bay franchise QB, Aaron Rodgers. But, despite all of that noise, the Packers still managed to put up an incredible performance. Rodgers proved why he should still be considered as one of the best to ever do it and Davante Adams was nearly unguardable. The defense will need to clean things up in Week 2, a task that may not be as simple as it sounds against a dangerous Lions offense.
2. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
There is not much to say about the Ravens that has not already been said. Lamar Jackson is simply incredible. Mark Andrews seems like the tight end stud of the future. The Ravens defense is still amongst the best in the league. If for whatever reason the Chiefs were to just not exist as a team, the Ravens would be the far and beyond best team in the league. It will take a truly impressive performance by them this week to see them jump defending champs in the power rankings.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Does this really come as a surprise to anyone? Last year’s Super Bowl champs opened up at home in front of 15,000 fans and dominated the Houston Texans. The Kansas City offense looked even more potent than last year with the addition of Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and the defense looked like it hadn’t lost a step either. It is going to take a lot to knock Kansas City off of the top position in the power ranks.
