NFL Week 1 Power Rankings: The 49ers Are the Best Team in the League
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How about that?
Week 1 finished with one of the best games we’ll see all season. By the time the Jets’ punt return touchdown became official and the lights went out at MetLife Stadium, our heads had been spun so many different ways by so many colliding narratives that it was hard to remember where we’d begun, and why we watched in the first place.
This week’s power rankings will hopefully be free of too much Jets-Bills hangover. The goal here is to take a more sober look at the first slate of games and prevent ourselves from getting too carried away, even when the games have already reached peak inebriation. Join us!
1. San Francisco 49ers (1–0)
Last week: win at Pittsburgh, 30–7
Next week: at Los Angeles Rams
This summer, I participated in a 5K race that featured a good number of star runners from the local high school team. About a mile into the race, it was exciting to look around and feel the energy from the front of the pack. But as we turned the corner, they all collectively decided to start trying and that was the last I saw of them (here’s to age group categories). That was the 49ers against the Steelers on Sunday, but as I wrote, don’t be too hard on Pittsburgh. This is going to happen to a lot of people.
The 49ers simply have too many ways to win, and with a confident ball distributor running the helm, they are as close to unstoppable as any team we have in the NFL. Watch Christian McCaffrey’s first down scamper with 10 minutes to go in the first quarter. He has massive lanes on each side of the formation. On almost every play, there are two comfortable avenues for him, for Brock Purdy, for everyone. And when you are forced into man coverage, how do you win against someone like Brandon Aiyuk?
2. Dallas Cowboys (1–0)
Last week: win at New York Giants, 40–0
Next week: vs. New York Jets
Putting up 40 beans on anyone in the NFL is something. Doing it while shutting out the opponent is scary. I think there’s a reason Dan Quinn stayed as the defensive coordinator. Sometimes, you can’t leave a masterpiece in progress, and this defense is terrifying. If we want some cold water to calm ourselves down, let’s remember that the Cowboys essentially swung and hit on a knockout blow very early in the game. In a sloppy weather contest, when facing a semi-mobile quarterback vulnerable to speed rushes, Dallas essentially put itself in a position to win early. The romp signified a Giants team playing a game it couldn’t win. Dallas isn’t going to win every game like this, but aren’t we excited for this Jets game next week?
3. Kansas City Chiefs (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Detroit, 21–20
Next week: at Jacksonville
The Chiefs lost at home without their second and third-best players, and those left on the field had game-wrecking drops on multiple occasions. I don’t think that’s a secret. While the Chiefs do have some questions to answer—namely what they really want out of their running game, and how they want to attack their opponents—this was nothing more than an early wake-up call … for everyone in the owner’s suite to wire the funds. The Chiefs’ Super Bowl window is now.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (1–0)
Last week: win at New England, 25–20
Next week: vs. Minnesota
The Eagles caved a little bit in the latter half of Sunday’s game against the Patriots, and if they’re facing a quarterback who can win a down with his legs, they are going to lose a similar game. My dose of realism comes here: Yes, Jalen Carter had a good game against a middling Patriots offensive line and arguably the least athletic pocket passer in the conference. But let’s pump the brakes. Sometimes, these narratives have a penchant for getting out of control. Let’s remember why the Eagles got Carter so late in the draft to begin with. Let’s also remember that on a sunny day we’re not necessarily getting a tipped ball that lands in the perfect place for a touchdown return.
All that said, Philadelphia picked up offensively where it left off. Jalen Hurts is still a multitooled weapon, and without Shane Steichen calling the plays, the team maintained its frustrating, made-you-look offense that never allows a defense to get into rhythm.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (0–1)
Last week: loss at Cleveland, 24–3
Next week: vs. Baltimore
The Bengals were a disaster Sunday, but as we wrote, this was a domino effect situation from the opening snap. There could not have been a worse Week 1 opponent, weather, injury report, etc. Burrow did not have any of his usual pocket finesse and instead became a sitting duck against a team that pummeled their offensive line through vulnerable gap blitzing. More teams will do that. The Bengals will adjust. New England, once upon a time in the Tom Brady era, was also vulnerable to similar pressures.
6. Detroit Lions (1–0)
Last week: win at Kansas City, 21–20
Next week: vs. Seattle
Signature win for Dan Campbell and the Lions, who still managed to keep a lot of their cards close to the vest. That might be the scariest thing about their narrow victory over the defending Super Bowl champions: Jahmyr Gibbs was a few steps away from multiple grand slams and then he’d get taken out of the game. The toughness of the secondary stood out to me as well. While it’s a Kelce-less Mahomes, it’s still a game against Mahomes nonetheless. And Detroit had him spinning.
7. Miami Dolphins (1–0)
Last week: win at Los Angeles Chargers, 36–34
Next week: at New England
Watch the play action on a pass to Alec Ingold in the second quarter that set the Dolphins up in the red zone. The combination of motion and playfake is so devious that, as Tua Tagovailoa rolls out on the bootleg completely unbothered, he has two open throws to make a few yards apart. Mike McDaniel and offensive coordinator Frank Smith aren’t just creating openings, they’re layering receivers like options on a dessert menu. I remember teams catching on to Chip Kelly, the last coach I can recall having this many open receivers. I don’t think teams will catch up to McDaniel any time soon. You can read more here.
8. New York Jets (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Buffalo, 22–16 (OT)
Next week: at Dallas
As I’m writing these power rankings, we don’t have a full perspective on Aaron Rodgers’s injury. As of now, I’m acting as if he’ll return at some point. This team showed so much defensive depth in a stunning win over the Bills. We didn’t see a ton of growth from Zach Wilson, but there was enough confidence to wonder if he’s capable of stringing together a few wins with more lights-out defensive performances. Some players come along more slowly, but pulling the trigger on a few downfield throws and pocket escapes came quicker to Wilson than normal. Quinnen Williams was unblockable, Jordan Whitehead had the game of his life, and Sauce Gardner remains an island.
9. Baltimore Ravens (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Houston, 25–9
Next week: at Cincinnati
Silly that we still even have to mention this but, what do you know? Lamar Jackson looks pretty good in a receiver-heavy Ravens offense. The snap counts from Sunday don’t lie: Baltimore’s third and fourth wide receivers out-snapped its second tight end. Will this continue when Mark Andrews comes back? We don’t know. What we do know is that Jackson looked great establishing a quick game and then working defenders high and low. Zay Flowers is going to be a star.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (1–0)
Last week: win at Indianapolis, 31–21
Next week: vs. Kansas City
The Jaguars survived their Week 1 matchup against the biggest mystery in the NFL. Anthony Richardson gave Jacksonville all it could handle; a raw and more powerful Jalen Hurts who forced their defense to respect the quick draw all game. This was not a laugher. But I don’t think we have appreciated just what a matchup nightmare the Jacksonville offense is going to be. Watch the Jaguars down in the red zone and see how they’re manipulating the defense. Calvin Ridley is threat No. 1, but Zay Jones, all the way at the bottom of that list, is more than a typical No. 3 wide receiver.
11. Green Bay Packers (1–0)
Last week: win at Chicago, 38–20
Next week: at Atlanta
Boy did Jordan Love look good. He’s confident, mature and accurate. Romeo Doubs is a devastating route runner who is going to score a lot of touchdowns, or set the table for someone else to. His cerebral route running is evident. Love’s athleticism on the throwback play to Aaron Jones should turn heads. Matt LaFleur seems to have as much of the Aaron Rodgers playbook at his disposal as he did before, with a few more options that could have been chucked out to keep Rodgers more comfortable.
12. Buffalo Bills (0–1)
Last week: loss at New York Jets, 22–16 (OT)
Next week: vs. Las Vegas
The narrative is shifting quickly on Josh Allen, from impenetrable franchise quarterback to turnover machine who has stacked a few bad games on top of one another. With Brian Daboll gone for a second straight year, it’s worth taking a game like this against an elite defense and wondering what Allen needs to get back to form. For so long, Allen’s mobility seemed like the equalizer, but when facing a team equipped with enough different body types like the Jets and so much speed, he had to rely on a dropback game that was wildly uneven. A suspicious offseason in Buffalo, where we were certainly not as confident in the Bills as we normally are, bleeds into Week 1.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Miami, 36–34
Next week: at Tennessee
How many teams are not going to be shredded against this Dolphins offense at some point? Miami is great at giving Tagovailoa time, and, conversely, giving Tyreek Hill time to make any coverage nearly impossible. While the 466-yard mark is a gaudy one, the Ravens were similarly whacked last year. On the bright side, Los Angeles’s offense looked as advertised. Brandon Staley’s Space and Pace offense (read more here) was lightening boxes and giving Justin Herbert the opportunity to toss the ball up to his versatile receiving corps full of swing forwards.
14. Cleveland Browns (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Cincinnati, 24–3
Next week: at Pittsburgh
The Browns make a huge jump on our list. Their debut was undoubtedly impressive, though it’s fair to be skeptical about the situation. Bad weather. Hampered quarterback on the other sideline. A new-look defense with no tendencies. This one was teed up for Cleveland. There is a chance this team pivots into full-on contender mode next week. But for now, let’s celebrate responsibly.
15. Los Angeles Rams (1–0)
Last week: win at Seattle, 30–13
Next week: vs. San Francisco
Go back and watch the Rams facing dime personnel in this Seahawks game, and how easy it is for Matt Stafford to confidently check to the running game. This is the secret sauce of the reborn Rams. We’re finding Sean McVay’s ideas on the run combined with some different style inside zone and gap scheme runs that can be easily checked to when the backside of the play is vulnerable. It’s an offense that places its opponents in a no-win situation. Stafford establishing a rapport with Puka Nacua helped scare Seattle into heavy coverage.
16. Seattle Seahawks (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Los Angeles Rams, 30–13
Next week: at Detroit
Did you hear Geno Smith saying “Oh my God!” when Aaron Donald came around the corner on a stunt and nearly turned him into field turf pellets? That was a bit of the story on Sunday. Seattle allowed itself to get outshoved, outpushed and outschemed defensively—with a very young Rams defense even inheriting terrible field position after a blocked Rams attempt, and chasing Smith out of an ability to throw for a first down. Coaches love the idea of Week 1 as a tempo-setter, but I think Pete Carroll can be realistic about how uncharacteristic this looked.
17. New England Patriots (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Philadelphia, 25–20
Next week: vs. Miami
I actually think the Patriots should be thrilled, or as happy as you’re going to be with a loss. Mac Jones looked good. He threw for three touchdowns and just one interception against a very good secondary and great pass rush. The Patriots couldn’t run the ball at all, and Jones took it on his shoulders. He extended some plays deep and started giving that athletic receiving corps some room to run. It makes sense. And, having come back from a 16-point deficit against the conference champions last year, we could see New England getting a lot more comfortable swinging with the heavyweights on its schedule.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. San Francisco, 30–7
Next week: vs. Cleveland
I mentioned this in my AFC North column last night, but I think it bears some (abbreviated) repeating: It’s impossible to judge Kenny Pickett on a buzzsaw game like that one. One of his picks was due to a fallen wideout, and another was the kind of throw you try when the game is out of hand. You’re blindfolded and just trying to strike a match. Pittsburgh’s matchup against the Browns next week on Monday Night Football should provide a far better representation of what this team is.
19. Atlanta Falcons (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Carolina, 24–10
Next week: vs. Green Bay
I know everything is relative, but this team looked fast, it looked physical and it played a complementary style of football that didn’t let the pressure off on the opposing offense. The Falcons never looked like they belonged on the same field with the Panthers. I was super pleased with the way they almost mirrored the Lions earlier in the week, allowing Tyler Allgeier to soften the defense in that hammer role, the same way Ben Johnson used David Montgomery. While, at some point, it won’t make a ton of sense to have a “weapon” used in a complementary way, easing Bijan Robinson into the game as a knockout puncher is so effective. Also, some fullback love while we’re here: Keith Smith was burying folks on Sunday.
20. Indianapolis Colts (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Jacksonville, 31–21
Next week: at Houston
The Colts took a legitimate conference contender to the final round of this one, which was not lost on how I ranked them this week. Anthony Richardson looked like a rookie at times, and it was a little unnerving to see him replaced by Gardner Minshew at the end of the game after Richardson took a shot that necessitated a look from the training staff. It’s a good reminder that the 6'4", 244-pound quarterback is not made of vibranium. Still, Richardson was not timid, just as we observed in the preseason. The ceiling is higher than expected for this team.
21. Las Vegas Raiders (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Denver, 17–16
Next week: at Buffalo
I am admittedly a sucker for these kinds of things, but the scripted portion of Las Vegas’s offense (the first drive) was so neat. The way that Josh McDaniels had receivers converging at the line and then diverging at different angles was super interesting. Even if Jimmy Garoppolo needed to alley-oop a pass to Davante Adams to salvage a fourth-down try, it looked as though the Raiders put some effort into the offseason. The 2.5 yards per rush can’t happen again, and we’ll see what Las Vegas can do to get the running game, and Garoppolo, some breathing room moving forward.
22. Carolina Panthers (0–1)
Last week: loss at Atlanta, 24–10
Next week: vs. New Orleans
The Panthers’ offense was aesthetically pleasing in Week 1. The pistol looks, the misdirection handoffs and the bunch looks all made for a dressed-up version of a scheme that Bryce Young can run smoothly. I think, against a different team, Carolina will be able to continue mounting its comeback, but the Falcons’ assemblage of skill position talent was too tough to contend with. When Desmond Ridder was in trouble Sunday, the Panthers were getting posterized by Kyle Pitts in double coverage. There’s not a lot they could have done.
23. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1–0)
Last week: win at Minnesota, 20–17
Next week: vs. Chicago
I picked the Buccaneers to win three games this year, so I’ll take my jeers. I seriously underestimated how hard Todd Bowles was going to work to avoid a teardown, having been a part of one incidentally with the Jets during his last head coaching stop. Baker Mayfield, as he did in Los Angeles, exhibited some serious pluck. How many times did we see him rolling into imminent doom and taking shoulder shots from defenders twice his size (Baker, protect that shoulder). I don’t know how long it can work, but I do think the Buccaneers will be better than I thought. I do think Mayfield has a future in this league, and I don’t think they’ll be working with Caleb Williams Inc. anytime soon.
24. Minnesota Vikings (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Tampa Bay, 20–17
Next week: at Philadelphia
I thought my colleague Albert Breer made a great point on the MMQB Podcast this week: for as much as I defended the Giants for being a team that overperformed expectations, I have not given the Vikings enough grace. They are a remarkably similar team, who had a wildly lopsided record in one-score games last year and put themselves in a position where expectations outpaced reality in 2023. So, when I preach patience for Joe Schoen and the Giants, I should be coming down on the same side for the Vikings, who may be an entirely different team in 2024. After watching them on Sunday, one would hope they’re an entirely different team, anyway.
25. Tennessee Titans (0–1)
Last week: loss at New Orleans, 16–15
Next week: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
I think the Titans are owed a strip sack fumble at some point, which is why I’ll keep them above the Saints on this list for now. My problem/concern is how often I saw Ryan Tannehill dropping back without the aid of any play action or complementary motion. While I know motion gives the offense its own problems, Tannehill only revived his career after embracing the outside zone offense. And yet … his play action numbers have dropped steadily over the past three seasons. One thing we can say confidently: Arden Key is a heck of an addition.
26. New Orleans Saints (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Tennessee, 16–15
Next week: at Carolina
The Saints are going to be a bit like the 2010 Jets, if the Jets had a Mark Sanchez version 1.5. Carr is going to succeed in New Orleans because he gets the ball to playmakers, and while it’s not going to be a laser light show, the fact that their most talented players are getting a steady diet of targets against a really good defense is a positive moving forward. I do think Carr’s willingness to try Michael Thomas deep in single coverage early in the game will yield benefits down the road as more teams start to respect the depth of this group.
27. New York Giants (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Dallas, 40–0
Next week: at Arizona
My complete thoughts on the Giants can be found here. The short of it? They rolled after catching some breaks last year early in the season. They have great coaches. They had a softer schedule in 2022. Their playoff win was against the Vikings (who were not good enough to beat the Buccaneers in their season opener Sunday). All of this is a long way of saying, we need to be gentle on the Giants. Last year, they were bad enough to earn themselves a new GM and head coach. Good for them for making the process look like it was moving along faster in ’22. But this roster still needs time to grow.
28. Washington Commanders (1–0)
Last week: win vs. Arizona, 20–16
Next week: at Denver
Commanders-Broncos is going to be a sneaky banger next week. One team tries to fend off absolute embarrassment while the other tries to hoist a Sam Howell-quarterbacked team to a first place start in the NFC East. Howell is tough, by the way, and was no worse than any of the quarterbacks who made up that middle-tier equator of passers last year. He threw players open, and, at least against the Cardinals, they were able to create a lot of space in the run game.
29. Denver Broncos (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Las Vegas, 17–16
Next week: vs. Washington
I was told on social media that my analysis of the Broncos, which included a criticism of the strength of their pass rush, was offensive. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. In their debut against a stationary Jimmy Garoppolo, who did not even make the top 15 of snap-to-throw times in the NFL this past week (simply put: he was there for the taking), the Broncos logged three quarterback hits and no sacks. So, time will tell, but it’s certainly something to keep an eye on.
I was also told that it was sacrilegious to extrapolate any meaning from Wilson’s bad preseason performances, and that how he behaved on a handful of specific, scripted drives was the true Wilson. Also fair enough, given that everyone is legally allowed to say what they want. When Wilson had Denver near the goal line with a chance to put the team up by 10 in the fourth quarter, he sidearmed a ball into a defender, then drifted halfway out of the stadium before sky hooking a third down pass into the stands. So, yeah, much different than the preseason.
30. Chicago Bears (0–1)
Last week: loss vs. Green Bay, 38–20
Next week: at Tampa Bay
That Lukas Van Ness sack, and some of the plays that preceded it in the second quarter, show just how much effort Justin Fields is going to have to go through if he wants to continue to play as freely as he did a year ago. Fields did a nice job when Chicago schemed his immediate targets open, but we’re seeing how most teams are going to play him now. Nearly every team has athletic, off-ball defenders. It’s time for the Bears to evolve.
31. Houston Texans (0–1)
Last week: loss at Baltimore, 25–9
Next week: vs. Indianapolis
God bless C.J. Stroud, who took a batted pass swatted into his arms and tried to carry it forward against a surging Baltimore defense. He’s tough enough for the job, that’s for sure. The rookie got put in some bad spots and was exposed a few times against all-out blitzes. What we saw on Sunday was what we spotted in the preseason a bit: Stroud isn’t letting it rip soon enough. While his snap-to-throw time was top 10 for the week, it was when the ball wasn’t immediately designed out of his hands that trouble arose.
32. Arizona Cardinals (0–1)
Last week: loss at Washington, 20–16
Next week: vs. New York
The Cardinals lost, but not quite in the way we expected. Here’s what I think we should try and make room for as we digest this season: Is there a way a coach can win over a locker room while the place is designed to get run over on a weekly basis? I think it’s possible, if only because the Cardinals hung tough against a better Commanders team. Arizona’s drive at the end of the first quarter was impressive, with some of the play designs breaking big gains even as its backfield skill position players smashed into one another.
