With week one upon us, let’s begin our NFL Power Rankings for the season. We started this last season, and we updated it at approximately 25%, 50%, 75%, and at the end of the regular season.
Last season at the end of the regular season, we had the Seahawks first, the Patriots second, the Rams third, and the Broncos fourth. We also had three of the four divisional round losers ranked between 5 and 8. Not too bad.
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Let’s begin the rankings this season. Even though these rankings are out on a Saturday and four teams have played already, we are not looking at those two games in these rankings. These are the rankings I expected from these teams before the season kicked off.
1. Seattle Seahawks
The Rams are the hot team to place atop the power rankings, but when the defending champions return most of their team, you gotta beat the man to be the man.
2. LA Rams
Tough to not have the Rams in the top three. They certainly have all the makings to be the best team in the NFL this year.
3. Buffalo Bills
It’ll be curious to see how Joe Brady looks as the head man, but I think Josh Allen and DJ Moore are poised to have a big year together, and this offense should roll.
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4. Baltimore Ravens
I think things just didn’t fire last year, and I think the Ravens will look like the team we are used to seeing over the last several years.
5. Denver Broncos
I still don’t think Bo Nix is a guy that can lead a team to a Super Bowl, but the Broncos have a formidable roster and should contend all season long.
6. San Francisco 49ers
It’s crazy to have three teams from the same division in the top six, but until I see the 49ers fall apart, I think their demise has been greatly exaggerated.
7. New England Patriots
I expect some regression from this team this year, but tough to put the AFC Champions much lower than this.
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8. Houston Texans
The defense is legit. If CJ Stroud looks like 75% of the QB he was as a rookie, this team will be a serious problem.
9. Chicago Bears
The defense is big-time concerning, but this offense is going to be one of the top three in the league, which should make for a lot of fun football games.
10. Kansas City Chiefs
I will need to see the Chiefs below .500 again to believe that the window is totally closed on Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes.
11. Los Angeles Chargers
With Jim Harbaugh, Justin Herbert, and now Mike McDaniel, it’s tough to think this team won’t be back in the AFC Playoffs.
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12. Philadelphia Eagles
The Cowboys are the trendy pick to win the East, but I still give the (slight) edge to Philly to win the division. This is a big year for Jalen Hurts; if he struggles, his future here may be in doubt.
13. Dallas Cowboys
They have plenty of pieces. But I need to see elite play to believe it from this squad. Until I see it, this is still the Cowboys, and they haven’t exactly been reliable.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars
It may just be decades of bias against the Jaguars, but this is a team I need to see back atop the AFC South to think they’ve fully turned the corner. They feel closer to a .500 team to me.
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15. Minnesota Vikings
If the Vikings went 9-8 with JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz, and Max Brosmer last year, there’s no reason to think they can’t be better with Kyler Murray.
16. Cincinnati Bengals
Another trendy preseason pick; I need to see it come together before I believe it. Another team that I think is closer to .500 than a Super Bowl contender.
17. Detroit Lions
I think the Super Bowl window has closed on the Lions already, but they are still a playoff contender. I think we will learn how important Ben Johnson really was to their success.
18. Green Bay Packers
The Packers are a consensus top-10 team on most power rankings, but I think this team has the most questions of anyone in the North. With Micah Parsons out for several games and Josh Jacobs on the Commish list, this has the makings of a year where they struggle more than people expect them to.
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19. Pittsburgh Steelers
This is basically the same team except Aaron Rodgers is a year older, and they downgraded the head coach. I don’t think the Steelers are a sleeper team; I think they finally have a losing record for the first time in a long, long time.
20. New Orleans Saints
We haven’t ranked any NFC South teams, and the Saints are my pick to win a terrible division. I think Tyler Shough is a legit QB1 in this league. Not sure if he’s anything more than top 16 or so when he settles in, but that’s still going to work.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs really faded down the stretch last year, and I think that’s probably closer to reality right now. Baker needs to play as he did in the first half for a full season for this to change.
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22. New York Giants
The Giants are improved, but I don’t think they will be some surprise playoff team. They will keep games closer and be entertaining in plenty of ways, but I think they are a year away.
23. Carolina Panthers
This is the make-or-break year for Bryce Young, and I think it’s probably going to be a break, and the Panthers will decide to draft a QB next year.
24. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts were the NFL darlings for the first half of the season, but I just don’t believe in Daniel Jones and think they are closer to the team that faded in the second half than the surprise team of the first half.
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25. Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels needs to recoup all his magic that vanished last year for this team to have a chance.
26. Las Vegas Raiders
I hope Fernando Mendoza plays sooner rather than later. Sitting for a few games to get used to the weekly NFL routine is fine, but sitting for 10 or 12 games or the whole season does not help a rookie QB.
27. Tennessee Titans
I think the Titans have some parts, and I think Robert Saleh is a better coach than he gets credit for, but they are still a bad organization, and I don’t pick bad orgs to win many football games.
28. Cleveland Browns
The worst QB situation in the league by far. The Deshaun Watson contract is the worst in the history of sports. Not the NFL. Sports.
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29. Atlanta Falcons
I don’t believe in this team. I think their QB approach this season is baffling. And I think this will be the Saquon Barkley Giants 2.0. You don’t pick the running back if the team is nowhere close to winning. Bijan Robinson makes no sense here.
30. New York Jets
Some people like the Jets, but it’s the Jets, and it’s Geno Smith who didn’t look like he could play anymore. The Jets are the first team that I think is trying to March to Arch.
31. Arizona Cardinals
The Jets tried to cover up their tanking; the Cardinals are about as open about it as any other team (except one). You don’t start Jacoby Brissett if you are actually trying to win more games than you lose. #MarchToArch
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32. Miami Dolphins
The only team being more obvious about it than the Cardinals. If you are a good player on Miami, you probably weren’t back this year (why did they keep Devon Achane?). The only thing that can save them is if Malik Willis has a magical season and plays like a top-10 QB.
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