32. New York Jets (+/-) – This seems like the perfect season opener for the Jets. McCown throws for 187 yards with 0 TDs / 2 INTS with absolutely no help from the running game, with their leading rusher, Powell, gaining only 22 yards on 7 carries. The defense was also of little help, allowing LeSean McCoy to run for 110 yards on 22 carries. With these feats, the Jets will keep their 32nd spot on the rankings list.
31. Indianapolis Colts (-3) – A few words to describe this Colts team?… really, really bad. If you listen closely you can hear Jim Irsay crying in his mansion, begging God to magically heal Andrew Luck… and now that you mention it, a competent head coach and a NFL level defense. Long story short, Scott Tolzien and Co. did not set the league on fire Sunday. He went threw for 50% with 2 interceptions, that were both returned for TDs, while Jared Goff threw for 306 yards and a TD.
30. Cleveland Browns (+1) – Even with a loss, the Browns put up a fight. Kizer looked like he could become a starting quarterback, and while they had no answer for Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell was locked up, only allowing him 32 rushing yards. This should be looked at as a positive for the team, maybe a glance in the right direction.
29. San Francisco 49ers (+/-) – The 49ers dropped one spot from last week due to a stagnant offense, which only managed to put up 3 points. They also were highly inefficient on 3rd downs, going 2-11, and 1-4 on 4th down. One bright spot for them was that their offseason addition from Washington, Pierre Garcon, hauled in 6 catches for 81 yards.
28. Cincinnati Bengals (-3) – I have two words for you… four interceptions. The Marvin Lewis/ Andy Dalton era has officially come to an end in Cincinnati. If you lose, especially by 20 points, to a team whose quarterback threw for 121 yards with TD/ INT then you really have to reconsider your franchise. This is going to be the start of a very rough season for Bengals fans.
27. Buffalo Bills (+/-) – They won, but it was against the Jets, which negates any type of post-game celebrations. But a win is still a win in the NFL, so they will definitely take it. LeSean McCoy ran all over the Jets defense with 110 rushing yards. The defense also snagged two interceptions to go with just one sack. The Bills should try to hold on to this win, even against the Jets, for as long as possible, as I predict they will come few this year.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars (+4) – Wow, even with the disfunction in the preseason, the Jags were still able to prove to league that Fournette is not a bust, and that their defense is, in fact, elite. They allowed only 164 total passing yards (from two quarterbacks) and only one touchdown. Even though it is widely known that the Jaguars will have a losing season due to quarterback play, this is a nice reminder that they haven’t fed into the talk.
25. Chicago Bears (+/-) – One play away from defeating the NFC Champs, even if it is week one, that is saying something. Bears fans should be happy, even with a loss, about this game, as it shows that against a top tier team that they still compete until they very last second, literally. We also saw the breakout of Tarik Cohen, who could act, with Jordan Howard, as a two headed monster at running back, similar to the Falcons last year.
24. Los Angeles Rams (+2) – Has the Jared Goff Bandwagon officially taken off? Because if it has I’m jumping on for the ride. Obviously it was the first game of the season and against the worst defense in the NFL, but what matters is that he showed he actually can do it, which is what Rams fans needed to see. With Gurley in the backfield, an improved offensive line, a defense that scored 14 points off of pick sixes, and coaches that know what they are doing, the sky is the limit for Goff and Co.
23. Los Angeles Chargers (-3) – It came down to a kick by Younghoe Koo to send it to overtime, and unfortunately it was blocked, but Chargers fans shouldn’t be discouraged… they are coming back this season with an improved and more matured defense along with a better and healthier receiving core to go along with Gordon in the backfield. Even with this week one loss, this season should be filled with many wins, and even a wildcard spot.
22. Carolina Panthers (+1) – The offense did what it needed to do, but the real story is the defense. Shutting down Kyle Shanahan’s offense and allowing just 3 points is a good start at proving to the NFL that the secondary can operate at a high level, even without any stars. I still think that Cam and Kelvin Benjamin need to get on the same page with only one complete out of five targets, which did go for 25 yards.
21. New Orleans Saints (-3) – Same old Saints, right? Well there’s no other way to say it… the defense got absolutely torched on Monday night. Sam Bradford threw for over 300 yards, Dalvin Cook ran for over 120 yards, Adam Thielen had over 150 receiving yards, and Stefon Diggs had 2 touchdowns. In other words, it was not a fun day for the Saints.
20. Baltimore Ravens (+1) – Whenever you shutout your opponent, and force four interceptions, you know you’re doing something right. The defense definitely made it easy for Flacco, who is returning from back surgery, to get the job in Cincinnati. A good sign for the future.
19. Washington Redskins (-2) – The Skins gave Wentz an open invitation to tear through their defense, allowing over 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. They did have one bright spot of D, which was Ryan Kerrigan’s pick six. If they want to win vs the Rams this week then they must establish a run game, which was nonexistent this game.
18. Miami Dolphins (+/-) – The Phins did not play this week, so no commentary will be offered for week 1. I do think it is a bad break for both teams that now they don’t have a bye week.
17. Denver Broncos (+5) – In a nail biter against the Chargers, a blocked kick with time expiring was the deciding factor, and the Broncos took the win at home. HC Vance Joseph’s experience for the game could be best described by ESPN sideline reporter, Sergio Dipp, as “having the time of his life.”
16. Arizona Cardinals (-3) – This loss seems irrelevant now that it has been discovered that David Johnson, the teams core and offensive leader, will be out for 2-3 months. The Cardinals are now right smack in the middle of Jets style rebuilding and contending. So, which will it be Arizona?
15. Houston Texans (-4) – Ok, so you lost 29-7, big whoop, right? Actually no, and let me tell you why. This was a game for the Texans to figure things out at quarterback, they now know, even with only a half played, that DeShaun Watson is their guy. Unfortunately for them, it was against the Jags, which makes it look worse than it actually is… so relax Houston, there’s enough things to worry about down there.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (+2) – A convincing win, Carson Wentz’s coming out party, a competent receiving core. Things seem to be looking up in Philly, finally. The Eagles are finally a contender for first place in the NFC East, especially with the way things are looking in New York at the moment.
13. Detroit Lions (+1) – Did someone say another Matt Stafford comeback win. (Cue the Stafford “nice lead you had there, it would be a shame if someone came and took it” memes.) The Cardinals looked completely lost after David Johnson went down. Another bright spot was rookie Kenny Golladay who hauled in two fourth quarter touchdowns.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+/-) – The Bucs did not play this week, so no commentary will be offered for week 1. I do think it is a bad break for both teams that now they don’t have a bye week.
11. Minnesota Vikings (+4) – Congratulations to Sam Bradford, who (even against the Saints defense) passed for a whopping 346 yards and 3 touchdowns. He could not be stopped, and neither could rookie sensation (and Adrian Peterson’s replacement), Dalvin Cook, who rushed for 127 yards. Adam Thielen, who broke out last year as the real deal, caught 9 passes for 157 yards, along with Stefon Diggs, who also had a big game with 93 yards and 2 touchdowns.
10. Tennessee Titans (+/-) – They were unable to get the job done against Carr and Co. While Mariota passed for 256 yards and ran for 26 and a TD, he was unable to close the deal. Walker, their #1 tight end, showed some massive receiving skills, which was criticized for in the past (a good sign).
9. New York Giants (-2) – The Giants really, really miss Odell. Like the Cardinals with DJ out, the Giants offense looked completely lost with no identity against the Cowboys. This might be the final piece OBJ needs to secure max contract this offseason. Also, many are speculating that it is finally time for Giants to part ways with Eli Manning.
8. Seattle Seahawks (-6) – Another team that looked lost out there, except this time there was no excuse, just bad football. As a football team, you cannot win when your quarterback only throws for 158 yards, is the leading rusher, and when the opposing quarterback throws for 311 yards. The Hawks should make it a focus this year to get the offensive line into shape, because right now they do not look NFL ready.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (-2) – A win against the Browns is not saying much in the NFL, and when you scrape by, winning by a mere 3 points, it doesn’t say that your football team is in top notch position. It also was apparent the Le’Veon Bell was having issues.
6. Oakland Raiders (+/-) – In Marshawn Lynch’s debut he rushed 18 times and totaled 76 yards and Carr threw for a modest 262 yards and two touchdowns. In the highly anticipated matchup between Carr and Mariota, Carr was the one who won the matchup and the game.
5. Atlanta Falcons (-1) – The Falcons looked less than impressive vs the Bears. It all came down to the last play of the game, where the Bears could have won it… but none the less Glennon was sacked by Brooks Reed to seal it and give the Falcons their first win of the season.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (+5) – The key to this game was the speed combination of Hill, Hunt, and Kelce outplaying, what looked to be like, a slow and unprepared Patriots defense. Alex Smith broke out of his shell and threw for 368 yards and 4 TDs, while running back Hunt ran for 148 yards and a TD, and speedster Tyreek Hill caught 7 passes for 133 yards and a TD.
3. New England Patriots (-2) – This showed that the Patriots were still hungover from the Super Bowl. The defense looked out of sorts, Brady looked helpless out there with the loss of his favorite target and best buddy, Julian Edelman. Brandin Cooks, their new star receiver acquired from the Saints, was unable to break free from Chiefs corners, and while Amendola had 100 receiving yards, Brady just could not connect with his receivers or tight ends.
2. Green Bay Packers (+1) – The narrative on the Packers is that without Aaron Rodgers they would be anywhere from an average to below average team. Against the Seahawks they proved different… the defense finally showed up, and not over a weak team either. They shut down Wilson to only 158 passing yards with no TDs and forcing the Hawks to rely solely on the passing game.
1. Dallas Cowboys (+7) – Our biggest mover this week belongs to the Cowboys, who had a convincing win against the Giants, a team that the struggled against (to say the least) last year. While it was known that OBJ was absent from the Giants this game, it shouldn’t take away from the Cowboys that they only allowed the Giants leading rusher to 16 yards. They also only allowed 220 yards and a INT from Eli Manning. It is safe to say that keeping Zeke from suspension (whether he deserved it or not is up to you…) has not only helped the Cowboys win the game, but also assist them in jumping to our number one spot for week 2.
Biggest Movers: Seahawks move down six spots after only scored 9 points against the Packers. Cowboys move up 7 spots due to an impressive defensive performance, only allowing 3 points from the Giants.
(Thursday Night Football, which was the Texans vs the Bengals did not affect the ratings. That game’s results will take effect in the week 3 edition of Power Rankings)
(Again, apologies for lack of media, such as pictures, etc. Once again this week was rushed to be released before week 2 begins. We will work at hopefully posting Power Rankings before Thursday Night Football every week.)