Week 1 is in the books, and our Week 2 NFL Power Rankings are here!
1 – San Francisco 49ers (5)
The 49ers looked like a team on a mission in Week 1 as they dominated the Steelers in Pittsburgh for a 30-7 victory. Brock Purdy looks as good as ever, and if Brandon Aiyuk can continue to be as much of a factor as he was on Sunday, it’s going to be extremely tough to slow down San Francisco’s offence. On defence, they’re almost just as dominant. Pittsburgh may not have the best offence in the league, but putting up five sacks and two interceptions while allowing only seven points is a great day of work no matter who you’re up against.
2 – Philadelphia Eagles (2)
The Eagles got off to a great start on Sunday, but the rust certainly showed later in the game. After going up 16-0 in the first quarter, Philly managed just nine points for the remainder of the game against New England. It’s probably not even a bad thing for this team to start the season with a close game, but expect to see a big offensive bounce back against the Vikings’ defence in Week 2.
3 – Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs almost managed to beat the Lions despite some serious issues with the wide receivers in the season opener. If that was only a fluke, the Chiefs should be just fine, especially considering they’ll be getting Travis Kelce and Chris Jones back in Week 2. Kansas City’s defence actually played pretty well in the game too, which is certainly encouraging for a team that can put 30 points up against almost anyone in the league when they’re firing on all cylinders.
4 – Dallas Cowboys (6)
Not one team in the league had more fun in their season opener than the Dallas Cowboys. In a game that seemed over before the first quarter even ended, the ‘Boys earned the franchise’s largest shutout victory ever on Sunday Night Football against the Giants. The offence looked fine, but the story of the night was the defence. Dallas’ defensive corps sacked Daniel Jones seven times, forced three fumbles, grabbed two interceptions and scored two touchdowns. What a statement. Now, they’ll see Zach Wilson in Week 2.
5 – Miami Dolphins (8)
The Tua and Tyreek connection is all the way back! Miami’s speedy WR caught eleven balls for two touchdowns and over 200 yards on Sunday, while Tagovailoa ended his day with 466 yards through the air. Sure, the defence allowed 34 points, but with an offence as dynamic as Miami’s, they’ll be tough for any team to beat this year. People forget how good their record was in games that Tua started last season. Let’s just hope he can start them all in 2023.
6 – Detroit Lions (10)
It wasn’t their cleanest performance but give Detroit all the credit for going into Kansas City and coming out with a win in Week 1. This team is going from future contender to legitimate contender in front of our eyes, and much of that is due to the coaching job by Dan Campbell. He seems to get the most out of his guys every night, and they’ll have a great chance to move to 2-0 in Week 2 as they host the Seahawks.
7 – New York Jets (7)
They won, but at what cost? With Aaron Rodgers out for the season, we may end up seeing a very similar Jets team to the one we saw last year. Zach Wilson may be a little better, but he’s still not the compliment to this very talented roster that New York wanted. The Jets managed to find a way to win thanks to their terrific defence, but they’ll have an even tougher test next week against the Dallas Cowboys. We had to keep them in the Power Rankings after the win, but we may not see much of New York in the top 10 after Week 2.
8 – Buffalo Bills (4)
It was an ugly loss on Monday night for the Bills, but at least it was familiar. The team has been living and dying with Josh Allen’s aggressive style for a few years, and although it sucks when it goes wrong, he’s still been very successful in regular season play over the long haul. Expect the Bills to come out very strong in a Week 2 home opener against Jimmy G and the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
9 – Cleveland Browns (N/A)
If Deshaun Watson can get his level of play back anywhere close to what it was in the Texans days, this Browns team will turn a lot of heads in 2023. In a rainy season opener against the Bengals, Cleveland dominated on defence, allowing Joe Burrow and the Bengals to score just three points in the afternoon. The conditions weren’t built for offensive success, but running back Nick Chubb showed once again why he is one of the best in the league as well, going for 106 yards on 18 carries.
10 – Cincinnati Bengals (3)
Much like with the Bills, we can’t overreact here to an ugly Week 1. Joe Burrow looked about as bad as he has since coming into the league, but an offence this talented will definitely find a way to succeed eventually. Hopefully, Burrow can do a better job of getting the ball to his talented arsenal of skill players in Week 2’s divisional rivalry game against the Baltimore Ravens. As bad as the team looked on Sunday, there’s a reason they’re still the favorites for next weekend.
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