BY JORDAN ROSAS
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
Last Week: 4
The defending Super Bowl champs are 2-0, and almost every other playoff team from a season ago has lost a game already. Despite some defensive TDs, the defense probably isn’t thrilled to have allowed 25 points to the lowly Falcons, but when the team puts up 48 points, it hardly matters. They may have a 44 year old quarterback, but when the team puts up 48 points, it hardly matters.
2. Buffalo Bills (1-1)
Last Week: 11
One of the marks of a good team is criticism after a win. A quick scroll through Bills twitter made it seem as though the Bills were on the other end of the 35-0 beatdown in Miami. It’s true, Josh Allen has not yet performed at the level he did last year, and watching Devin Singletary nearly get caught from behind on a wide open 46 yard TD run was a reminder of his flaws. A fumble from Zack Moss showcased perhaps his biggest flaw, even though he scored twice. But that’s the thing. The Bills are good enough that a 35-0 shutout can still feel like an underperformance. Needless to say, the defense is exceptional. They produced solo sacks from the secondary and Greg Rousseau, Covid opt-out turned 30th overall pick, is on the short list for defensive rookie of the year.
3. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
Last Week: 5
It’s a tight division, and the Rams may not even be the best team in it. Still, they’re 2-0 and they seem to have answered most of the off-season questions. Darrell Henderson has been better than expected, Matt Stafford is a natural fit in McVay‘s offense, and Cooper Kupp is quickly becoming a league-wide problem. This is all while beating two of last year’s best defenses in the Bears and Colts.
4. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
Last Week: 6
DeAndre Hopkins had 4 catches for 54 yards and a touchdown. It was barely a top five pass catcher performance on his own team. It’s one thing to dominate with your stars. It’s another level when the whole roster is cooking. Kyler Murray is an early MVP favorite, and the shaky RB tandem of Chase Edmonds and James Conner is at least serviceable. Like the Rams, they play in a stacked division, so losses are nearly inevitable, but they figure to be that team that feels better than their record this year.
5. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Last Week: 14
The Ravens are a two minute drill away from 2-0 as well as 0-2. But their opponents so far are 2-0 when not playing the Ravens. Lamar Jackson has to feel like a weight has been lifted, now that he’s finally beaten fellow MVP Pat Mahomes. He’s still a dynamic rusher, but despite an abysmal start, he showed signs of taking the next step as a passer. Improved passing ability plus a boost in confidence could be a dangerous combination for the rest of the league. Latavius Murray continues to show why he deserved more money than the Saints were willing to offer him, and with a legitimate target rate, Hollywood Brown is a legitimate #1 receiver.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)
Last Week: 1
KC doesn’t have a winning record for the first time in what feels like forever. It’s early in the season though, and they’ve had a tough schedule. Still, the Chiefs in years past have been able to put away even good teams. I’m sure that statement performance will happen soon, but until it does, Kansas City is a team that’s about as close to 0-2 as they are to 2-0. On the bright side, we’re starting to see guys other than the big three step up and make plays.
7. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Last Week: 13
Two weeks in a row, the Raiders beat very good teams. The potential has always been there, it’s the consistency that’s been the issue. As long as Maxx Crosby and Carl Nassib can continue their excellent defensive start to the season, and as long as Derek Carr avoids dipping below journeyman caliber play, the Raiders are dangerously good enough to beat anyone. If recent history has anything to say though, that will be a tall ask as the season continues.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Last Week: 7
They lost to an undefeated Raiders team, and got a road win over a Bills team that just cut up the Dolphins like a seafood restaurant. This is an excellent defense, with three dynamic receivers, a Super Bowl winning QB, and a young RB capable of a heavy workload. In short, this is a team built to win with any game script. They’re in a tough division though, so competitive losses like this could come back to haunt them.
9. Carolina Panthers (2-0)
Last Week: 26
Don’t look now, but Sam Darnold‘s team is tied with Tom Brady‘s for first place in the division. Yes, I know that Sam was traded from the AFC East, but don’t you love the image of an angry Darnold, no longer shackled by Adam Gase, chasing Brady across conferences and divisions for revenge? I didn’t give the Panthers much credit for beating the Jets led by a rookie Qb fresh out of the box. But the Saints?? The same Saints that had the Packers looking like lactose intolerant Cheeseheads? DJ Moore had the secondary begging for less. The only ghosts Darnold is seeing now are the Jedi spirits guiding him on his quest to take down the evil emperor.
10. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Last Week: 10
Progress report. Last week, the Cowboys lost in the final seconds to the greatest comeback artist the league has ever seen. This week, they win by a last second FG against the current best choke artists in pro sports. Are they simply a product of circumstance? Time will tell, but for now, they look good but not great. There’s room for improvement, but they still might be the best Cowboys team in years.
11. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Last Week: 3
What? I’m moving them down 8 spots after a win? Then why did I put them at 3 following a loss in the first place? The Chiefs and Texans are vastly different NFL teams. In a survival pool this week, I picked the Browns to beat the Texans. I was seriously worried in the fourth quarter. As the degenerates say, good teams win; great teams cover. Letting inferior teams hang around late is how heartbreaking losses happen. This team should have learned that lesson the hard way last week. That kind of carelessness might work against bottom feeders. It won’t work in the AFC North.
12. New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Last Week: 2
What the f*** happened?? Like Jameis Winston, I have absolutley no idea what his trainer told him. I’m guessing he didn’t follow the advice this week though. Alvin Kamara led the team in yards from scrimmage with… 30. EIGHT CARRIES FOR FIVE YARDS. One week they tear up the reigning MVP and NFC finalists 38-3, and the next they get torn up by the worst team in the division, starting a Jet reject at QB. I know what they say about any given Sunday, but still. What the heck am I supposed to do with this in power rankings?
13. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Last Week: 25
2-0 is a good start, but they’ve had a pretty easy couple games so far, and both were close. This feels like the undefeated start the Bears had last year. I don’t know what this team had against RB Trey Sermon, but now he’s concussed. RB Elijah Mitchell also suffered a shoulder injury. RB JaMycal Hasty even left with an ankle injury in solidarity. Don’t forget week 1 starting RB Raheem Mostert is out for the year now. The Ravens may have gotten a head start in the RB injury race, but the Niners are playing catch up with ease, and they’re on pace to replicate last year. Getting George Kittle more involved probably wouldn’t be a bad thing.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1)
Last Week: 9
Oh boy, here we go again. Last season was marred by numerous heartbreaking losses, and Anthony Lynn‘s head coaching career paid the price. Yet, just two weeks into the new administration, we get what can be best described as a typical Chargers game. It was a tight, competitive game that slipped through the Chargers fingers in the final seconds. This team has a strong core in place, and there are plenty of individual performances worthy of commendation, but at the end of the day, wins and losses matter most.
15. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
Last Week: 8
We know Tennessee is better than they looked last week. Still, it’s never good to be the rebound team. It’s even worse when Seattle got help. Some significant calls went their way, and yet they still lost in overtime. Like I wrote last week, the Seahawks have been good but not great for a while. An overtime loss to the Titans is something that good but not great teams do.
16. Chicago Bears (1-1)
Last Week: 17
It remains to be seen just how good the healthy Bengals are. The injured Bengals of last year were pretty terrible though, but a win is a win. Dalton clearly isn’t going to get this team to the promised land, but how confident are the Bears that sitting on the sideline is better for the development of Justin Fields than actually playing? It’s great to see Darnell Mooney emerge as one of the better 2nd receivers in the league. The tools seem to be there for Chicago, but they seem to need a spark to unlock their potential.
17. Denver Broncos (2-0)
Last Week: 20
Look, it’s good to be 2-0. It’s even better that they’re in a tie for first in the division, and it’s not with Kansas City. But let’s be real, their schedule has been a cakewalk. First the Giants, now the Jaguars. These haven’t been particularly dominant wins either. They’re the kind of wins that a decent, average team gets over bad teams. It’s great to see Courtland Sutton have a big game. With Jerry Jeudy sidelined, having Sutton healthy enough to be a true #1 is huge.
18. Washington Football Team (1-1)
Last Week: 15
The Giants aren’t a good team. A razor close win over them isn’t all that impressive. It’s better than a close loss to the Chargers, but not as impressive. Taylor Heinicke is a serviceable starting QB, but it’s concerning that Antonio Gibson was stifled for the second straight week, even if JD McKissic had a pretty good night. Terry McLaurin shined in primetime, but they’ll need more than just an electric wideout to make a real playoff run.
19 Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
Last Week: 19
The Bengals lost a close game to another average team. We saw last week what a high powered offense could do to the Bears defense. We saw this week what the Bears defense could do to a less high powered offense. The Bengals aren’t a bad team, they’re just the fourth best team in a very good AFC North.
20. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
Last Week: 18
Green Bay looks off. Sure, Aaron Rodgers has a great record on Monday Night Football, but let’s be real. This one was close for most of the game. Maybe the Lions are a legitimate team, but the Saints aren’t the juggernaut we thought the were after last week. The Packers are expected to crush the Lions. They’re supposed to own the division. Instead, they’re tied for first with the Bears. We’re used to the Packers being in the upper echelon of NFL teams, but after last week’s debacle, they’ll need a statement win to get back up there. This wasn’t it.
21. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
Last Week: 16
11 points is a bad offensive output, no matter the opponent. San Francisco has some studs on defense, but they also lost a corner for the season last week, and pretty much their entire backfield got hurt this week. That’s a vulnerable team that a good team should beat. Jalen Hurts still lacks experience as a starter, and DeVonta Smith doubled the length of his NFL career this week. The division could still be weak, but that’s no excuse for letting winnable games slip away.
22. Tennessee Titans (1-1)
Last Week: 27
This week wasn’t just about the overtime win over Seattle. A lot of the issues from a week ago were fixed. Derrick Henry had a monster game, rushing for 3 TDs and close to 200 yards. Julio Jones had over 100 yards and had a TD called back. Still, they needed overtime to beat a good team that probably isn’t quite elite. After the disastrous week 1 they had, they’ll need a bigger statement in order to justify moving higher up.
23. Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
Last Week: 22
The NFC North won’t lose forever, so the Vikings will need to get in the win column soon. They’re at least close though. They lost in overtime to the Bengals week 1 and were only 1 point short of the Cardinals this week. If the Vikings were 6-2 heading into this past stretch of two games, we wouldn’t blink an eye. They’re very close to 2-0. Unfortunately, they’re not close enough. They’re 0-2.
24. New England Patriots (1-1)
Last Week: 21
I don’t like moving teams down after a win, but the win this week came over the hapless Jets. Close division losses are usually forgivable, but the Patriots lost to Miami, who just got absolutely humiliated by the Bills, who also happen to play in the same division. As a result, the Patriots no longer look like a team with a legit chance to win the AFC East. So far, New England lost to a team that got obliterated, and beat last year’s second worst team in the league. Even though their record is better this week, their resume looks weaker.
25. Houston Texans (1-1)
Last Week: 29
I’m ready to start giving the Texans credit. They won their first game last week. Sure, it was the Jaguars, but the Texans dominated. Then this week, even though they lost, they gave the Browns a run for their money. No one expects the Texans to be any good this year, so even just going toe to toe with an AFC powerhouse like that deserves commendation. They’re finding success by throwing different looks at offenses with their multitude of RBs, and Taylor‘s conservative quarterbacking at least doesn’t give the game away. I still don’t think they’ll be good, but they’re at least entertaining and worth watching.
26. Miami Dolphins (1-1)
Last Week: 12
Remember when I said there was a case to be made that Miami should have been ranked above Buffalo last week? That case is closed. A close win over New England is their saving grace, but not only did they lose 35-0 to Buffalo, they also lost their starting QB. The questions about Tua‘s NFL capabilities will continue, but Jacoby Brissett is a very good backup QB. Their offensive line is atrocious though. That means Myles Gaskin will continue to struggle bailing out the offense in the run game. With WR Will Fuller missing the game due to personal reasons, Miami’s once threatening passing game is quickly falling to shambles. At least the defense continued their streak of games with a takeaway.
27. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
Last Week: 24
To the Colts’ credit, they hung tight with a very good Rams team. Ultimately though, they’re 0-2. They don’t look like a bad team, but they barely snuck into the playoffs last year, and they look a little worse this year. Tyler Lockett and Cooper Kupp are off to great starts this season, but they’re probably not the best receivers the Colts will have to deal with this year. If they can’t patch up the secondary, it could be long year. Luckily, their two losses so far are both out of conference, and their whole division appears to be weak so far this year. That’s great news for a team that will likely need some help and favorable tie breakers to make the playoffs.
28. Detroit Lions (0-2)
Last Week: 28
Call me crazy, but the Lions look better with Jared Goff than they did with Matt Stafford. Before you do though, name one current Detroit receiver other than TE TJ Hockenson. The MNF team displayed a graphic showing that the Lions are winless in their last 10 games without Stafford. That seems bad at first glance, but they were only 2-8 in their last 10 games with him. Jared Goff nearly orchestrated a comeback last week, and had the Lions ahead of the Packers at halftime this week. Their 0-2 start has to be taken in context. This has been a bad team for years, and the franchise is at the point where merely competitive games have to be appreciated. So far, the Lions have given fans a reason to stick around after halftime.
29. New York Giants (0-2)
Last Week: 23
On the bright side, Danny Dimes lit up a very good Washington defense. On the other hand, it wasn’t enough to get the divisional win against a backup QB, and Saquon is still seeing limited touches. The division doesn’t appear to have improved too much from a year ago, but the Giants sit at the bottom of it. Limited Saquon is better than no Saquon, and despite the addition of a new class of rookies, the Giants appear to be about as good as they were last year.
30. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)
Last Week: 30
Last week, the Falcons looked like a terrible team, and they stayed consistent this week. I suppose hanging 25 on the Bucs defense is a positive, but when the other team puts up 48 points, it hardly matters. Atlanta is quickly climbing the ranks of cities most traumatized by Tom Brady.
31. New York Jets (0-2)
Last Week: 31
Last week, I got a dm scolding me for not being high enough on Zach Wilson. I’d love to hear their thoughts after this week. The rookie QB had 210 passing yards and 4 INTs with no TDs. Sure, Bill Belicheck has a reputation for being merciless with rookie QBs, but let’s call the situation what it is. The Jets jettisoned their QB to a different bad team and drafted a new one. Sam Darnold is 2-0 and the Jets are 0-2. On the bright side, another rookie, RB Michael Carter, who was banged up in the preseason, showed a bit of improvement. If the Jets can get the ground game going, they can take some pressure off of Wilson. Until then, Just Endure The Suffering.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
Last Week: 32
Another week, another loss, another low usage game for James Robinson. Jacksonville has had one of the easiest schedules of any team so far, yet they’re sitting 0-2. Not only that, but the games really haven’t even been close. Josh Lambo missed a FG attempt, but if not for a late kick return TD, the Jags would have been held to 7 points in their home opener. They still host the Dolphins, Falcons, and Texans, and they visit the Jets. After last year’s 1-15 season, I don’t see another reasonably winnable game on their schedule, and even those look tough.
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