2018 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2

NFL Power Rankings
Patrick Mahomes looked like the real deal in Week 1. Thus, the Chiefs make a strong debut in the NFL Power Rankings. (Photo Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

We didn’t post a Week 1 NFL Power Rankings because doing so before any games are played is kind of a foolish exercise, much in the vein of the preseason polls in college football. If you would like to delve into the Def Pen predications for this season, check out our division preview series that ran prior to the season kickoff (links below):

NFC: North, South, East, West

AFC: North, South, East, West

The champion Eagles debut at number one, for obvious reasons. Beyond that, we tried to stick to our guns a little and resits over-the-top reactions to the first game. However, some performances were too impressive to ignore.

2018 NFL Power Rankings, Week 1

Tier 1: The Real Contenders

Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

The returning champs got passed Atlanta but weren’t all that impressive in doing so. Philly is working their way back to full health though, so we’re going to be stubborn about moving them out of the top spot. They did a solid job of replacing players lost in the offseason and they’re playing the long game. Moreover, they might be pacing themselves a bit. Look for this team to peak around December.

New England Patriots (1-0)

Bill Belichick’s team has more reputation clout than just about any other team in pro sports. Generally, it’s not all that smart to bet on a team based on past performance – especially if it dates back as far as the Pats dynasty does – but they clearly look like the early favorites in the AFC.

Los Angeles Rams (1-0)

If one were to build a team based on how Philadelphia won last year’s Super Bowl, the Rams would be the model. L.A.’s NFC team deserves to be in the conversation for deepest team in the league. And they have top-end, name talent to boot. They added a lot over the offseason, so it’s still a work in progress here. We’ll give it a little time, but there isn’t much here to be skeptical about.

Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

Patrick Mahomes looked fantastic in his debut as the undisputed starter in Kansas City. There’s bound to be some hiccups though, there always are with young quarterbacks. But this team has the firepower to make up for any less-than-stellar starts from Mahomes. Their defense has to maintain elite-level play in order to be a true Super Bowl contender. Again though, the roster talent is there to make it happen.

Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

Week 1’s win against the 49ers had to be satisfying for Minnesota. However, in the midst of all the Jimmy G. buzz, we’re still not sure how to judge the victory in regards to the Vikings. Still, this is a team that looks like they will have a say in how the top of the NFC plays out.

Green Bay Packers (1-0)

Aaron Rodgers’ performance in the second half against the Bears was remarkable. As a whole, the team looked as good in the third and fourth quarters as they looked bad in the first half. It was a really lopsided game, but pulling out wins in games that looked lost is a good sign for any team.

New Orleans Saints (0-1)

For a team ranked this high, losing to a team like the Buccaneers is nothing short of alarming. However, we’re going to try and resist the knee-jerk reaction to move them way lower. Week 2 will prove as important to this team as anybody in the NFL. It’s far too early to hit the panic button, but New Orleans needs to show more, especially on defense.

Tier 2: The Next in Line

Carolina Panthers (1-0)

Carolina is just solid. There’s also an inherent value in zigging while everyone else zags. The Panthers have plenty of tendencies that match the modern-day NFL, but the way they use Christian McCaffrey and Cam Newton’s presence makes them something of a unique offense, while having a defense built around a superstar, yet somewhat traditional middle linebacker just makes them a team that is supremely tough to prepare for.

Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)

The Chargers put up a fight against the Chiefs. It was a tall task, as being the first team to go against Patrick Mahomes offered a bit of a mystery. This team got their share of preseason attention (not all good, by the way, given the injuries they’ve had already) but it remains to be seen if they can attain the level of success many people thought they could. We’re optimistic still, this is about as high as justifiably possible.

Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

It would be incorrect to call the Falcons’ championship window closed. It’s not … not by a long shot. But, it does feel like this incarnation of the Atlanta Falcons might’ve peaked with the Super Bowl appearance. This is a really good team. A lot will depend on how consistent the defense plays and how quickly they can develop another receiving threat to take pressure off of Julio Jones. That might turn into a bit more of a long-term project.

Houston Texans (0-1)

The Texans started the season running uphill by virtue of going against the Patriots (not that they had a choice in the matter). But the main takeaway from the game was this: Either the Pats pass rush is improved, the Texans offensive line is as bad as ever, or a combination of both. Most likely, it’s a bit of both. But Houston really needs to figure this out. Even though Deshaun Watson has the ability to be mobile and make people miss, he won’t be able to do it all season if the o-line dam continues to break and let the flood of defenders through.

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

There’s reason to worry already in Jacksonville if Leonard Fournette misses time. He’s as important to their offense as any non-QB in the NFL. Moreover, they almost completely remade their receiving corps, and that’s not a good thing. Especially when the new faces are pretty unproven. We’re keeping our eye on the Jags, but they took care of business in Week 1 and still figure to have one of the league’s best defenses.

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0-1)

The Week 1 tie with Cleveland was as debilitating a non-win, non-loss as any in NFL history. At this point, even this early, it looks like Kansas City is the favorite to challenge the Patriots for the AFC crown. The running game (especially James Connor) looked great in the opener, so it’s unfair to say Le’Veon Bell would’ve been the difference-maker. There’s something wrong in Pittsburgh. The tie may prove to look worse and worse and be more and more costly as the season goes on.

Tier 3: Plenty of Work To Do

Seattle Seahawks (0-1)

Aside from the Rams, at least one team in the NFC West figures to push for a .500 record or better. That should come down to the Seahawks and 49ers. At this point, Seattle gets the benefit of the doubt, although a combination of injuries and more questions on defense now than in the last half-decade, there’s more than enough here to be skeptical going forward.

San Francisco 49ers (0-1)

The opening week gave the 49ers a really tough matchup in the Vikings. San Francisco lost but showed some signs of competitiveness in the process. At this point, S.F. looks to be neck-and-neck with Seattle as second-best in their division. Until proven otherwise, these two will be lumped closely together.

Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

As the winner of Week 1’s most lopsided game, the Ravens raised a few eyebrows just from the visual of the 47-3 final score alone. However, it was against the Bills. There seems to still be a gigantic discrepancy in the expectations for this team. Some think they can make noise in the playoffs, others think their lack of big-time playmakers will hurt them down the line. We’re putting them somewhere in the middle. Obviously, there’s optimism here after Week 1, but Baltimore is nowhere near as dominant as the score of the Buffalo game suggests.

Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

Like the team above, the Bengals looked good in Week 1. But it was against a sub-par opponent. So the jury is still out on the Bengals, perhaps more so than the rest of the league. We wouldn’t be shocked by any outcome here. Cincy making the AFC Championship game seems just as plausible as them picking in the top 10 during the next draft.

New York Jets (1-0)

Since the J-E-T-S made the decision to start Sam Darnold out of the gate, this season became almost exclusively about him. Keeping him upright, healthy, and on some level of a positive developmental track is all New York needs in order to deem this season a success or not. Darnold could prove up for the task, the season could be seen as a successful one, and they could still go 4-12. That’s about right where the Jets should be in the NFL landscape. With that said, Darnold & Co. looked good in Week 1, even though it was against a team that might be one of the league’s biggest disappointments this year.

Washington Football Team (1-0)

Losing Derrius Guice for the season before any meaningful games took place was a big blow for this team. Although never a good thing, losing second-round rookie running backs shouldn’t be a death blow to any team’s season. Adrian Peterson will be able to handle some touches but is getting rather inefficient with age. Washington went through a bit of a beauty-in-the-eye-of-the-beholder situation at quarterback in choosing Alex Smith over Kirk Cousins. Smith will play sound, smart football per usual, but doesn’t have the playmakers around him like he did in Kansas City, and in order to make a run at the playoffs, Washington might have to score 35+ points most games. That’s an awfully tall task.

Tier 4: Walking the Line Between Good and Bad

Miami Dolphins (1-0)

Having the Dolphins (just) inside the top-20 might seem like a bit of a reach. Especially when you realize the 19-slot on this list puts them in second place in the AFC East. But it’s because of the division that Miami will find its way into some wins. Would it surprising if the Dolphins took all four games against the Jets and Bills? Not at all. If that happens, it puts them right on pace for 6-10 or 7-9.

Chicago Bears (0-1)

If we’re counting everything that happened right up until the start of the regular season as “offseason,” then the Bears have a case to make that they added more talent this “offseason” than any team in the league. With Khalil Mack now on board, the defense could wreck opposing teams. The Bears also took a wise risk on Allen Robinson, who’s been very good in Jacksonville but is coming off an injury. There’s a lot to be encouraged about in Chicago but they’re a team built to play with the lead but not have the weapons to consistently get out front early in games.

Dallas Cowboys (0-1)

The only thing that could’ve made this Cowboys offseason get much worse is if we had to go through another will-he-play-or-not soap opera with Ezekiel Elliott again. Not long ago, Dallas’ offensive line was the envy of the league. That unit literally battered and bruised opponents, allowing the offense to have their way. Injuries and ailments have decimated the line, though, and the Cowboys could be hoping for a leap from quarterback Dak Prescott that doesn’t happen to the extent they need.

New York Giants (0-1)

It looks like Eli Manning is on board for (another?) rebuild in New York. The Giants took somewhat of a tear-down-to-build-back-up approach to a defense that was one of the bigger disappointments last season. How big a step back will be a huge factor in how well this team does in 2018. Since they’re in a relatively weak division, the G-Men could factor into the playoff picture by virtue of fighting for second-place in the NFC East. It wouldn’t be a smart bet at this point, though.

Denver Broncos (1-0)

With a nice win already under the belt against Seattle, Denver was better than most expected already. They still need to prove they have the talent to put around Von Miller on defense, however. They were able to overcome some Case Keenum turnovers, although that may prove to be more on Seattle’s inability to capitalize. Despite the turnovers, Keenum played well, though.

Tier 5: The Bottom Feeders

Cleveland Browns (0-0-1)

The Browns actually have an intriguing team this year … and that’s not just the Hard Knocks talking. Still, it feels like there’s a lot of people trying to speak a competitive Browns team into existence. We’re a ways from that yet. For a team that went winless a year ago, five wins would be a huge accomplishment for the franchise. That’s about where we’re projecting them in these NFL Power Rankings. There’s been a sky-is-falling mentality with Cleveland over the years but for the first time in a while, things are looking up.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)

Ryan Fitzpatrick looked unbelievable in Week 1. However, it’s a bit more believable when you remember that he’s looked really good before. He’s proven to be a top-of-the-line backup, but pretty ordinary as a starter (Week 1 and a few select games exempt). The Bucs could be better than most thought, but most thought this was one of the three or four worst teams in the NFL. Jameis Winston’s situation might make things interesting from an off-the-field perspective, but we expect this team to come back down to earth going forward.

Tennessee Titans (0-1)

For those (still) keeping score, Marcus Mariota has a commanding lead over Jameis Winston for best quarterback of that draft, at least as far as the first picks are concerned. However, Mariota is in midseason form in that his status for next week is up in the air. He must stay healthy for this team to succeed. But that hasn’t been an easy task.

Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

The mere return of Andrew Luck to the field was something of a win for the Colts. Now they need to show they’re capable of pulling off actual wins.

Detroit Lions (0-1)

The typical season for the Lions goes a little something like this: They get out to a good start, win a couple surprising games in the middle, then collapsing late in the season to either back into the playoffs or come up just short. This year, though, that early hot start may not happen. In Week 1 Detroit turned in as defunct a performance as any in the NFL. This season figures to leave the Lions with more questions than answers.

Arizona Cardinals (0-1)

David Johnson is supremely talented. He’s not talented enough to – nor does he play a position optimal for – carrying a team through an entire season. A few years back the Cardinals were in the discussion of boasting one of the league’s best rosters top-to-bottom. That’s no longer the case. In fact, it’s closer to the opposite.

Oakland Raiders (0-1)

Jon Gruden’s ten-year contract already looks like it was about nine-and-a-half years too long. Nothing about this situation feels stable.

Buffalo Bills (0-1)

Well, Bills fans, hope you had fun in the playoffs last year.

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Ryan lives in Wisconsin. He was raised on a steady diet of whole milk, cheese, sports, WWF/WWE wrestling, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

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