BY JORDAN ROSAS
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
The Chiefs continue to be one of the most dangerous fourth quarter teams we’ve ever seen. They’re the Golden State Warriors of the NFL. They start slow sometimes, but when they turn it on, no one can keep up. Not even the exhausting run game of the Cleveland Browns could eat up enough clock. Some teams were great last year. Others won week 1, and some had tough matchups. The Chiefs were all three, and they deserve the top spot as a result.
2. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Well damn. The Saints went marching in. Not in the typical Big Easy jazz parade sense, but in the scorched Earth, take no prisoners sense. No one made a bigger statement in week one than the New Orleans Saints. Jameis looked like everything the Bucs wished he would be, and the rest of the league still has a huge Alvin Kamara problem. They easily had the best and most impressive opening weekend, and if the Chiefs weren’t coming off back to back Super Bowl appearances, the Saints would easily have the top spot.
3. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Sure, they may have lost, but not many teams could have pulled off that comeback like KC. Before that, the Browns were feeling themselves. They were absolutely beating the brakes off the two time defending AFC champs, and even ran a crazy lateral play to end the first half, WHILE LEADING BY 12 POINTS. And they almost scored. They were playing Madden on rookie mode. These are not the same old Browns. They’re hungry, they’re good on both sides of the ball, and they’re confident. They’ll be a tough team for anyone to beat.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
The defending Super Bowl champions are 1-0, but they needed a late, game winning drive to win a home game against *checks notes* the Dallas Cowboys… A win is a win, but this is concerning. The Cowboys play in what was by far the worst division in the league last year, and still couldn’t make the playoffs. Sure, Dak is back now, but still. More is expected from the reigning champions. To be fair though, this team had a rough start last year and still finished on top. Brady is clearly still effective, as are Antonio Brown and Rob Gronkowski. They’ll need to tighten up going forward, but for now, a win’s a win.
5. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
Matt Stafford impressed in his Rams debut, uncorking a deep throw to Van Jefferson for an early touchdown. Darrell Henderson was a serviceable starting RB, and journeyman kicker Matt Gay was 6 for 6 on the night. The offensive line held up well, and that’s really all the Rams needed. With two of the best players in the league on defense, and now an experienced veteran leading the offense, the Rams, at least through one week, are living up to the lofty preseason hype.
6. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
The Cardinals quickly became an afterthought last season, but they put the league on notice week one by absolutely shutting down the Tennessee Titans. Chandler Jones leads the league with 5 sacks… After one week. Derrick Henry was a still a nightmare, but only for fantasy owners. Tannehill couldn’t get anything going, and the addition of Julio Jones went largely unnoticed. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, by comparison were dazzling. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, their entire division won, so despite a terrific debut, they were unable to distinguish themselves in the NFC West pecking order.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
The Steelers got a lot of undue criticism last year after limping through the end of the season. Let’s not forget this team started 11-0 last year. They may not be the best team in their division, but that’s only because the AFC North is now stacked. The Steelers went into a hostile Buffalo stadium and shut down the MVP runner up, while carving through a strong Bills defense. Even with Avenger Greg Rousseau making tackles that should be physically impossible for humans, the Steelers managed to stage a late comeback and win by a touchdown.
8. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
For a while now, Seattle has been good, but not great. It remains to be seen whether or not they’re great, but they had a good start to the season, beating a solid Colts squad by a comfortable margin. Russell Wilson, always a bridesmaid, never a bride in the MVP race, threw four touchdowns, and Cris Carson was solid on the ground. Unfortunately, they play in the NFC West, so this win does nothing more than keep them tied with the rest of the division.
9. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
The Chargers deserve some patience. They have a second year quarterback and a new new coaching staff. They didn’t need it though. Herbert struggled against a tough Washington defense, but the Chargers did enough to get the win. In a division with Kansas City, they need every win they can get, especially after the gut wrenching season of close losses they had last year.
10. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Give Dallas credit, just not too much credit. They went into Tampa Bay and almost stole a win. But as my dad likes to say, “if you almost won, that means you lost.” Big D starts the season 0-1. To be fair, they look far better than they did last season, but that isn’t saying much. The NFC East should still be pretty weak again this year, but with a healthy core of Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Amari Cooper, plus CeeDee Lamb on a rookie contract, expectations should be higher. The second year WR is going to get a massive payday, so the Cowboys ought to be in win now mode before that happens.
11. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
It’s important not to overreact too much to week one. Still, the Bills left reason to be concerned. Josh Allen looked like the 2019 version of himself: not terrible, but not great either. He missed open throws that 2020 Josh Allen would have hit, and lost his poise. The run game was ineffective, and without Allen performing at an MVP caliber, the passing game couldn’t bail out the offense. The O-line was abysmal. On the bright side, the defense looked good, and with plenty of young talent, the Bills ought to see continuing improvement on that side of the ball. For now though, this is an 0-1 team that lost its first game back in front of home fans.
12. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
There’s a great argument to be made that this team should be higher, at least above the Bills. The Dolphins, after all, sit alone atop the AFC East. However, they narrowly beat the Patriots, while the Bills narrowly lost to the superior Steelers. The Dolphins and Bills will play each other next week, which will give more clarity. Miami didn’t have many standout performances this week, but enough guys did enough to win. That’s par for the course though. They don’t have many stars, but they do have plenty of guys capable of going off and having a big week.
13. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
The Raiders were back to their erratic ways. The game winning touchdown was called short, then an endzone interception sent the ball heading the other way. The team got the ball back, and Derek Carr, who hadn’t noticed any receivers other than Darren Waller all night, ripped a walkoff touchdown bomb to Zay Jones of all people. This wild and loose style of play isn’t sustainable, as the Raiders have proved year after year, but it sure is exciting. And Vegas loves nothing if not spectacle and entertainment.
14. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
Despite the loss, there was plenty for Ravens fans to be excited about. Ty’Son Williams, the former 4th string RB turned starter, looked like the real deal. He was explosive, quick, and fought for extra yardage. Since Lamar Jackson took over, the Ravens typically don’t ask for much from their lead back, but Williams looks plenty capable of delivering. The connection from Jackson to Marquis Brown was as good as ever, and Mark Andrews was only a few near misses away from a big night himself. The defense forced turnovers and the special teams were rock solid. An overtime loss doesn’t change the fact that this is a good team, even if they’re pretty banged up already.
15. Washington Football Team (0-1)
Washington lost a close game to the Chargers, but more significantly, they lost starting QB Ryan Fitzpatrick. The loss hurts, but backup Taylor Heinicke looked good in their playoff loss to the Bucs last year, so there’s still reason for optimism. Antonio Gibson got banged up, but he should be okay going forward. Jaret Patterson is ready to keep climbing up the depth chart though. Next week should give more insight as to what this team will look like moving forward.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Sure, the Eagles played a bad team, but half the battle of reaching the post season is teams winning the games they’re supposed to win. The Eagles did exactly that. Rookie and Heisman winner DeVonta Smith had a great NFL debut, and Jalen Hurts looked comfortable as a starter. It’s still too early to tell exactly what the division will look like this year, but the Eagles are right in the mix so far.
17. Chicago Bears (0-1)
Andy Dalton did exactly what they signed him to do. He played valiantly with heart and soul, but there are just certain limitations he has on the field. The Bears defense wasn’t awful, but they weren’t great either. Unfortunately, this offense still needs great defensive performances to have a shot to win. Rookie Justin Fields saw some action, but not enough to make any real difference. The whole NFC North lost this week, so the Bears are at least tied with the rest of the division.
18. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
They looked terrible. Top to bottom, the Packers easily had the worst opening weekend out of everybody, and looked like the worst team in the league. The only reason they’re not lower is because of how good they were last year. It’s worth noting that the Packers have had the odd awful performances in the midst of otherwise solid seasons, so we shouldn’t panic just yet, but seeing the reigning MVP get yanked in the 4th quarter, especially given all of the off-season drama, was a sight for sore eyes. The Packers are clearly playing catchup from a brutally ineffective off-season, but there’s still enough talent that they should be able to turn things around, especially considering the whole division is 0-1.
19. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
Well alright, Cincy! A healthy Joe Burrow looked great in his return from injury, as the Bengals beat the Vikings in OT. Ja’Mar Chase, who was starting to hear the word “bust” tossed around, put up over 100 yards and a TD in his debut. Tee Higgins scored en route to what many hope is his breakout season. Even Joe Mixon was productive. The offensive line could still use improvements, but the Bengals are finding success anyway.
20. Denver Broncos (1-0)
The Broncos had an easy opponent, but they got the win, which is what matters. They look better than last year, but losing WR Jerry Jeudy is certainly cause for concern. Courtland Sutton was productive and should continue to improve as he gets healthier, which should help mask the loss of Jeudy. Melvin Gordon played like he had something to fight for, and with Javonte Williams behind him on the depth chart, the run game should at least be solid.
21. New England Patriots (0-1)
It’s never good to lose to a divisional opponent. Most people were willing to cut the Patriots some slack after a brutal offseason last year. Between Brady leaving and several key players opting out, the Pats were a shell of themselves. Now though, they’ve had time to address the QB situation, and most of those opt outs are back. Even former Patriot turned Dolphin Kyle Van Noy was back on the New England roster. Yet despite a solid debut from rookie QB Mac Jones, Belicheck’s team starts 0-1, while Brady’s Bucs started 1-0.
22. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
The Vikings lost to the Bengals in OT. A simple pass rush should have been enough to cripple Cincinnati, especially with Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook having productive days. Kirk Cousins had about as good of a day as can be reasonably expected from a player of his caliber. I’ve always said, the worst thing an NFL team can have is a decent QB. Cousins is good enough to not get canned, but doesn’t seem to be good enough to lead the Vikings over the hump.
23. New York Giants (0-1)
Saquon isn’t at 100%, Devontae Booker is not a capable fill in, and half the division won. It’s a rough start for Big Blue. Denver is the type of team that the Giants have to beat if hey want any chance at a playoff spot. Washington and Dallas can be forgiven for losing to good teams. The Eagles also had a weak opponent. They beat the Falcons though. The Giants are 0-1, with one of the easy teams off the schedule. In a victory starved division, this loss could come back to bite them.
24. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Sure, Carson Wentz played, but he’s probably still in recovery. The Colts barely snuck into the playoffs last year, with a washed up Phillip Rivers. Wentz was expected to be an upgrade. Seattle is a forgivable loss, but in order to win the division, they’ll likely have to pull an upset win somewhere down the road. Luckily, the Titans also lost. The Texans sit in first place, but that shouldn’t last long.
25. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
The Niners needed a win just to keep up with the division, and they got it. It’s tough to feel good though, considering how close the Lions were to a massive comeback. With the win in hand, San Francisco can feel a bit better, and they can pat themselves on the back for accumulating such a huge lead early on. They have to tighten up down the stretch though, because other teams will be much tougher. Raheem Mostert got hurt, which highlighted that rookie Trey Sermon was curiously a healthy scratch. The 49ers have talent, and aren’t far removed from a Super bowl berth, but considering last year’s injury plagued season, week one feels all too familiar.
26. Carolina Panthers (1-0)
Look, anyone who expected the Panthers to be barn stormers this year are in for disappointment. That being said, when you pick up another team’s discarded QB, it feels good to beat them. It’s just the Jets, so we would hope for a bigger margin of victory out of a playoff contender, but the Panthers likely aren’t a playoff contender, even with a healthy McCaffrey. They at least don’t appear to be a bottom feeder team anymore. Exactly how good they are remains to be seen though.
27. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Yikes. Sure, the Cards are a good team, but the Titans got absolutely manhandled. It’s not uncommon for run based teams to struggle playing from behind, but the addition of Julio Jones was supposed to fix that. Instead, Derrick Henry was bottled up, and Jones caught 3 of 6 for 29 yards. Chandler Jones is good, but no NFL worthy O-line should be allowing anyone to accumulate 5 sacks in a single game. Any team with Super Bowl aspirations has no excuse for getting demolished like that. The Titans are good, but not good enough to excuse such a disastrous performance.
28. Detroit Lions (0-1)
Same old Lions. For the first time, that’s actually a good thing. While they may not be any better than last year, they picked up 2 first round picks to get 7 years younger at the quarterback position, and didn’t get any worse as a team. Stafford can go ahead and win the Super Bowl with the Rams, this was still an excellent trade for Detroit. Dan Campbell’s team didn’t quit, even when they were down big. They nearly came back from a 41-17 deficit, falling one Hail Mary shy of tying the game. For a team without much to cheer for, these are important little signs of improvement.
29. Houston Texans (1-0)
Houston fans, live it up. The Texans are alone atop the AFC South. Alright, back down to Earth. They beat the friggin’ Jaguars for chrissakes. Let’s not forget the Jags beat a division rival in week one last year, before losing every single game after that. Still, Tyrod Taylor looked as good as ever, and Mark Ingram turned back the clock. For those concerned about the uninspiring trio of Ingram, David Johnson, and Phillip Lindsay, all three backs scored on Sunday. If Ingram can return to workhorse back status, with Tyrod’s ability to extend plays and not turn the ball over, this team could squeak out a few more wins this year.
30. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
After losing Julio Jones, no one expected the Falcons to be good this year. A loss was to be expected. But getting pounded by the Eagles? They were 4-11-1 last year, the worst team, in the worst division! Mike Davis was the decent RB we all expected him to be, but in his first game since Julio left, Calvin Ridley all but disappeared, going 5 of 8 for 51 yards. Kyle Pitts did about what was expected from a rookie TE. Atlanta has had a terrible defense for years. Now they seem to have a terrible offense to match.
31. New York Jets (0-1)
With a new coach and new QB, it’s not surprising to see the Jets lose. They’re also the Jets. Still, losing to a fellow bottom feeder always leaves a bad taste. It’s even worse that that bottom feeder was lead by your old quarterback. But, this is the Jets we’re talking about, so that probably doesn’t even make the list of worst weeks to be a Jets fan. This is a pretty uninspiring roster, so it’s going to be a rough year, but Zach Wilson didn’t look awful, which is the important thing. Especially considering the team around him, he was fine for a rookie QB making their NFL debut.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Is it too early to call for Urban Meyer’s firing? I don’t think so. I don’t know what this front office has against James Robinson, but we now have proof that their hate is completely unjustifiable. This team just got obliterated by the effin’ Texans! No Deshaun Watson, no JJ Watt, no DeAndre Hopkins, no first round pick, no second round pick, and their third round pick was their backup QB. Robinson was good in the limited action he saw, but for some reason, Meyer decided to depend on his rookie QB as much as possible. No high school or college coach ever lost a regular season game with Trevor Lawrence under center. Urban Meyer made sure to change that streak. How many great QBs did Urban Meyer produce at Ohio State? Don’t say Justin Fields, because Meyer drafted Lawrence ahead of him. He couldn’t beat the top teams in college, and it looks like he can’t even beat the worst teams in the NFL.