Post-Week 2 Power Rankings

Cover photo taken from Getty Images.

1 – Bills (2-0)

The Bills reassured everyone of their dominance on Monday night and their worthiness of this #1 spot. They somehow managed to look even better than they did on opening night, absolutely walloping the Titans in front of a national audience thanks to Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs being the best QB-WR duo in the league and their defense continuing to make life hell for opposing offenses. They’ve been the best team in the NFL by a longshot through two weeks and it’s not even close. The scariest part? It looks like they haven’t even broken a sweat in doing so.

2 – Chiefs (2-0)

Kansas City had perhaps the best win of Week 2, coming back to beat the Chargers on Thursday night thanks to the greatness of Patrick Mahomes and their defense stepping up in a massive way. Yes, Mahomes had some poor throws that should have gone the other way. Yes, he had an inferior game to Justin Herbert. Yes, the defense got away with a lot and may have gotten lucky with their game-winning pick six. But, the breaks went their way, and they came away with a win. That’s all that matters. Divisional games are always wonky like that. Don’t lie to yourself, you know the Chiefs are a top two team in this league regardless of how lucky they may have gotten. They showed how great they are at their best, and considering they’ll be the better team in nearly all of their games, they’ll be playing at that level all year long.

3 – Buccaneers (2-0)

I recognize that this may be a bit high for Tampa, but I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt for two reasons. The first is that they have the best defense in the NFC and perhaps the entire league. They look as dominant as they’ve ever been at every level. The front seven is absolutely ferocious and the secondary has been the best in football through two weeks. The other reason is Tom Brady, who may not be playing his best football, but he’s making it work. When the run game wasn’t working, he was able to put points on the board with his arm against a very good defense. This team’s ability to go on the road to a raucous environment in NOLA and win a highly emotional game featuring an all out brawl shows their toughness, which is what they need if they want to get back to a Super Bowl.

4 – Chargers (1-1) 1

The Chargers may have lost on Thursday night, but that was one hell of a loss. Justin Herbert looked phenomenal yet again, despite getting absolutely rocked in the fourth quarter. The pick six that lost LA the game was not his fault, but I know he wants that one back. The defense looked solid until they eventually succumbed to Patrick Mahomes. Under better circumstances, the Chargers probably would have blown Kansas City out. I have no doubts about this team moving forward other than concerns surrounding Herbert’s health. But considering the way he was throwing the ball with one functioning side of his ribs, those concerns should be put to bed.

5 – Eagles (2-0) 4

No team in football is living up to the hype more than the Eagles, and it’s honestly pretty awesome to watch. I hate this team more than almost any other in football, but it’s just too fun watching Jalen Hurts and this offense make plays. They’ve improved everywhere and it’s showing in a huge way. The offense is both explosive and methodical, Hurts has a plethora of playmaking options with his receivers and his arm, the pass rush is dominant, the linebackers fly all over the field, and the secondary has been lockdown. Not many defenses can put Justin Jefferson in a straitjacket like this one did. Darius Slay might cement himself as a top 5 CB by the time this season is over. With a remarkably easy schedule, Philly can play themselves into 1 seed contention if they continue to excel at this level.

6 – Dolphins (2-0) 2

Well, that was a lot. Miami detonated the NFL’s equivalent of a nuclear bomb on Sunday afternoon. Down 21 in the 4th quarter, the high-powered offense finally took flight and proved just how incredibly deadly they can be. Tua Tagovailoa was slinging the ball all over the yard, especially to the WR duo of Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, which I’m already willing to call the best in football and one of the scariest I’ve ever seen. Just to put things in perspective for you, Hill and Waddle are first and third in receiving yards, respectively, through two games. Their speed and quickness left Baltimore’s defense lost and confused en route to an incredible comeback win which saw Tua throw 4 TDs in the 4th quarter and both Waddle and Hill eclipse 10 catches and nearly 200 yards each(!). The defense was getting carved up by Lamar Jackson for three quarters, but when they needed to step up and make plays, they did so with flying colors. The lesson to be learned from that game is that you do not want to see this team when they are clicking like that. They will run right past you and throw up the deuces before you can even turn your head around.

7 – Vikings (1-1) 3

This team got shelled on Monday night, but I’m giving them a pass. For starters, it’s Kirk Cousins on MNF. We all knew what was going to happen. They lost to a better team, plain and simple. It doesn’t change the fact that they had a dominant win over a good team in Week 1 and still have all the talent in the world to be an elite team. I still love what this team has on both sides of the ball, although I think their front seven needs to do a better job of containing the run. Their offense is more than equipped to bounce back as well. When they’re not playing perhaps the best team in their conference on Monday Night Football, they will be more than fine.

8 – Packers (1-1) 2

I’m not entirely moved by the Packers dominating the Bears on Sunday Night Football the week after getting smacked for the trillionth straight year, and you shouldn’t be either. That being said, we all know Green Bay is a more than capable team. I still have a ton of questions about their receiving core, but they get fantastic contributions from their backfield of Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon to help offset that. This defense is still one of the best in the league, although them locking up the Chicago offense doesn’t stick in my head as much as when they got diced up by the Vikings. This week’s matchup with the Buccaneers will be the best indicator of where this team truly lies.

9 – Ravens (1-1) 3

The Ravens had a really, really poor fourth quarter on Sunday. It was inexplicable and I’m still trying to wrap my head around it. It makes a lot more sense when you consider how young and inexperienced their secondary is with three rookies who were tasked with stopping the fastest WR duo we’ve ever seen. I’m honestly just sick for Lamar Jackson, who had one of the best games of his career in a loss that wasn’t on him. There’s no excuse for blowing a three score lead in a single quarter, and I’m sure Baltimore will tighten up as the season progresses. This is still a great team, which was on display for three quarters, and as their secondary continues to develop and improve, they will be even better.

10- Saints (1-1) 3

Is this a bit high for the Saints? Maybe. Did they fall apart in the clutch against a great team? Yes. Do I still think this is a great roster that’s more than capable of doing big things? Absolutely. Sunday’s game was highly emotional, and without their star RB in Alvin Kamara against perhaps the best defense in the NFL, I’m giving them a pass for struggling to put points on the board. We know what they’re capable of, and if they can’t produce against their division rival with a suffocating defense, so be it. Let’s not forget how great their own defense was playing for most of the game. That is still a great unit, as is their offense. We can make all the jokes we want about Jameis Winston, but I think he’s going to be just fine as long as his receivers continue to dominate. I have no doubt in their ability to bounce back from a tough loss like this one.

11 – Rams (1-1)

Yeah, I still don’t feel it with this team. Nearly blowing a 28-3 lead at home to the Falcons should really warrant a bump down in the rankings, but I’ll be nice to the defending champs. Their offense was able to bounce back from a brutal opener, putting up big numbers against a porous defense. But, that’s what they should be doing. I’m not moved by Matt Stafford and Cooper Kupp feasting on one of the worst secondaries in football. I am still worried about their nonexistent run game and poor offensive line. The defense also bounced back from a bad first game until they nearly let the game slip away from them. Although they locked it down in the end, I still have a plethora of concerns about this team. I just don’t feel anything positive about them.

12 – 49ers (1-1) 1

Sunday evening was heartbreaking. I feel absolutely awful for Trey Lance, who was ready to take the league by storm this year. He was the reason I felt so strongly about the 49ers this season and had them going to the Super Bowl. I hope he is able to make a speedy recovery and do big things next year. In the meantime, the reins are handed back to Jimmy Garoppolo, which honestly isn’t as bad as it sounds. This team loves him, and he wins games. You can’t ask for much more out of your QB. The defense looked like the dominant unit they are and the offense looked much more dynamic and effective. But, of course that’s going to happen against the Seahawks. I still feel good about this team with Jimmy at QB, and I hope they can continue to prove their worth as the schedule ramps up.

13 – Cardinals (1-1) 7

I’m not sure how any of that happened, but good for you, Arizona. The Cardinals had an incredible comeback win of their own on Sunday, storming back from a 20-0 deficit thanks to the heroics of Kyler Murray, who might be the least containable QB I’ve ever seen, and the incompetence of the Raiders. Their defense had a poor start, but they ramped it up in the second half and OT, eventually winning the game with a scoop and score. The story of the game was Murray’s incredible playmaking ability, and while it was very fun to watch, I have my reservations about him doing that against better teams. The Cards get the Rams in a huge divisional matchup this week, and their performance in that game will give me a much better idea of where this team stands.

14 – Browns (1-1) 2

Don’t get caught up in this team being bumped up this week. A lot of other teams just laid duds. The Browns may have laid the biggest dud of the week, throwing their game by inexplicably allowing the Joe Flacco-led Jets to score two touchdowns in ninety seconds. The glaring issues in the secondary showed in a massive way. That’s the biggest weakness of this team, which otherwise doesn’t really have any. I still like their front seven and their offense, even with Jacoby Brissett at the helm. Nick Chubb has been the best RB in football through two weeks; their ground game is still unstoppable. But that’s as bad of a way to lose a game as you could ask for. This team should be 2-0, and they need as many wins as they can get until… that QB they traded for… returns from suspension.

15 – Cowboys (1-1) 10

As much as it pains me, the Cowboys are the biggest leapers this week. But, the question is this: are they actually good? Or are the Bengals just bad? Time will tell, but in the meantime, I think it’s the former. More specifically, I think Dallas’ defense is for real. Their secondary still raises questions, but their pass rush is legit thanks to Micah Parsons continuing to be the NFL’s most impressive wrecking ball. His DPOY campaign is off to a fantastic start with 4 sacks in just two games. The offense wasn’t necessarily firing on all cylinders under Cooper Rush, but they looked competent enough to be winning games. We’ll see if they can continue that competence on Monday night against the Giants.

16 – Bengals (0-2) 4

I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of needs for the winless Bengals: carbohydrates, pain relievers, coffee, tea, and lots of water. Those are helpful cures for a hangover. Because Cincy’s is as real as it gets. Through two games, this team looks worse than they did at any point during their magical 2021 season, and it’s largely thanks to Joe Burrow of all people. You can complain all you want about his supposedly improved offensive line still giving up sacks left and right, but have we taken the time to consider Burrow’s negative pocket presence? Perhaps in an effort to always be making plays, so many of the sacks this team allows are at the fault of their star QB. Their defense is honestly fine to me, but their offense is suddenly the problem. Until Burrow both improves in the pocket and their offensive scheme improves to actually get their WRs open, that side of the ball is going to hold this team back. Imagine telling that to yourself three weeks ago.

17 – Lions (1-1) 9

Yes, this is pretty high for the Lions. But I just really like what this team has going on. Their offense is great, but we already knew that. Jared Goff is a competent QB whether you like it or not, Amon-Ra St. Brown is a bonafide WR1, and D’Andre Swift kills defenses out of the backfield. The offensive line is also much improved and might be one of the best in the league. The defense is still a huge question, but they have found themselves a star in Aidan Hutchinson. The #2 overall pick had 3 sacks in his second career game against a solid Washington OL. He was my pick for DROY for good reason. This is a scrappy, gritty, and flat out fun team that might be able to make some noise. It’s early, but watch out for Detroit.

18 – Commanders (1-1) 3

Until this team fires DC Jack Del Rio, they are genuinely not worth talking about. This defense has been abhorrent for over a year now, and we know exactly who is at fault, yet he is still employed. There is no reason. I don’t know how many games of us getting sliced and diced it will take for someone in the front office to open their eyes and cut ties with the man who is an awful coach and a worse person. He should have been fired long ago. I want to talk about how much I like the offensive production and the performance of Carson Wentz, but I can’t do that much when you can’t muster up 60 yards of offense and multiple first downs in a half against a bad Lions defense. Sunday’s game left as bad of a taste in my mouth as any game in recent memory. It was a comedy of errors. Fitting for this franchise.

19 – Jaguars (1-1) 8

The Jaguars and the Lions are in the same category in my mind. These are young teams with very bright futures thanks to shockingly good personnel decisions. Trevor Lawrence is finally budding into a young star thanks to being surrounded with competent weapons; Doug Pederson is proving to be the perfect HC for him. Christian Kirk is emerging as a true WR1 and the backfield tandem of James Robinson and Travis Etienne continues to produce. And against an albeit awful Colts team, Jacksonville’s defense showed up and showed out to put up the season’s first shutout. This is just a fun young team with a ton of nice pieces that are gelling into a solid squad. In the NFL’s worst division, look out for the Jags of all teams to perhaps be in the playoff mix.

20 – Patriots (1-1) 9

New England shut me up on Sunday, but not in the most emphatic fashion. Their offense looked fine, and their defense played a great game, but it was against Mitch Trubisky. I still don’t feel very confident in this team to do anything worth a damn in games against actually good opponents. Considering the division and conference they play in, I still have little to no faith in the Patriots.

21 – Steelers (1-1) 7

Sunday’s performance was about as poor as any in football for the Steelers. They did approximately nothing from start to finish thanks to a horrible outing from their offense. I will say that I still think this defense is a great unit even without TJ Watt, but they alone cannot overcome the incompetence of Mitch Trubisky and the offensive line that protects him. They still cannot run the ball whatsoever, and their receivers aren’t good enough to bail out poor QB play. I think Kenny Pickett time is fast approaching in Pittsburgh. Not soon enough for their fans.

22 – Raiders (0-2) 4

What a joke. What an embarrassment. Just another week for the Raiders at this point. There really aren’t enough words to describe my disdain for this team. They finally think they have a good thing going, almost beating the Chargers in Week 1 and dismantling the Cardinals for most of the game on Sunday. That is, until they blow a 20-0 lead by allowing two fourth quarter TDs and 2-point conversions and quite literally fumbling the game away in OT. Their splash WR acquisition and supposed best friend of Derek Carr in Davante Adams was held to a whopping 2 catches for 12 yards against a defense that got annihilated the previous week. It’s just a mess all over the place with this team, as it always has been and always will be. Yet somehow, they aren’t even the biggest mess in their own division.

23 – Broncos (1-1) 4

Good lord. What do the Broncos even have to say for themselves at this point? This team was gassed up all offseason long after acquiring a legend at QB and a supposed offensive guru at HC. All they’ve done through two weeks is show nothing but incompetence and a complete lack of any offensive substance. Russell Wilson and the rest of the offense have been dreadful against two very bad teams, and Nathaniel Hackett continues to prove that he is in way over his head as a coach. The defense has done their job, but nobody else has. Until they do, this team is going absolutely nowhere fast.

24 – Giants (2-0)

I’m pretty sure this is the worst 2-0 team in NFL history, but they are 2-0 nonetheless. Two wins in two weeks against two putrid opponents has this team feeling good about themselves. Good for you, New York. I’m sure that feels nice after nearly a decade of incompetence. Don’t get too full of yourselves, though. I know you think Daniel Jones is finally coming into his own and that your defense is incredible after locking up Ryan Tannehill and Baker Mayfield. It’s only a matter of time before it all comes crashing down. Enjoy it while it lasts!

25 – Titans (0-2) 8

Blow it up. Seriously. It’s time to start over. You had your few years of success, but now you have to hit the reset button. All of a sudden, there’s nothing redeemable about the Titans. The offense quite literally cannot move the football. The defense, which is supposed to be elite, is falling apart. Even Derrick Henry, arguably the best RB in the sport, has been invisible through two weeks. It’s an absolute mess that I never could have seen coming. You have your head coach and QB of the future, a solid young WR1 in the making, and a talented defense. The pieces are there for a rebuild to be short, but productive. This season is over and it’s time to accept that. Just build for the future.

26 – Bears (1-1) 5

The Bears got their annual blowout loss to the Packers on SNF out of the way early this year. I don’t think they looked as horrible as they could have, but it was still ugly. I was thoroughly impressed with David Montgomery, who was undoubtedly their bright spot, running through a great defense all night long with over six yards per carry and nearly 150 yards on the ground. Justin Fields struggled, but got no help from his receivers or his offensive scheme. I guess that’s what happens when you hire a defensive HC and bring in no offensive weapons in the offseason. It’s going to be a struggle every week for the Bears, but they knew that would be the case. The important thing is that the team continues to improve through better defensive play and more reps for their young QB.

27 – Falcons (0-2) 1

The Falcons exorcising the demons of 28-3 would have been one of the cuter stories of the season. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Yes, this team made a furious fourth quarter comeback, but it doesn’t change the fact that they were getting smacked around in the first place. This is a pretty poor team on both sides of the ball, but they have to like what they’ve seen out of their first round WR Drake London. Marcus Mariota has also been as solid as you could ask for. If they can get Kyle Pitts more involved offensively (it’s incredible that he’s not the most involved player), they will be a tough out.

28 – Jets (1-1) 4

How about the Jets pulling off a miraculous win? You do not see that very often. Hell, you don’t see them pulling off any wins very often. Good for them. This is a team that deserved to have something like that happen to them. They let the game slip away late, but somehow pulled off two touchdowns and an onside kick in the final ninety seconds to win it. I personally got great enjoyment out of it thanks to the heroics of their first round WR Garrett Wilson, who is already proving his worth after just two games. Wilson had a monster game with 102 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, including the game-winner in the final seconds. There aren’t many positives with this team, but they can take solace in the fact that they’ve found a stud WR1.

29 – Seahawks (1-1) 7

That was the Seahawks I expected to see this season. Sunday’s game in Santa Clara was just horrible all across the board. The offense was nonexistent, the defense was lost and confused, and nothing went right. Geno Smith looked like the Geno Smith we’re accustomed to seeing. Seattle got their cute little win out of the way in Week 1, and the majority of their games moving forward will look a lot more like this.

30 – Panthers (0-2)

Our expectations for you were low, but come on now. Losing in embarrassing fashion to the Giants? Really? The defense honestly held their own, but the offense’s refusal to hold onto the football cost them the game against a team that’s probably worse than they are. That’s a sign of bad coaching and just bad personnel. The Panthers really should be 2-0 by all accounts, but they have screwed themselves out of both wins and dug themselves an 0-2 hole. If that’s not a sign of what this team has become under Matt Rhule, then I don’t know what is.

31 – Colts (0-1-1) 8

Wow. Just wow. I picked this team to lose and I’m still embarrassed by what they did on Sunday. Zero points and not showing up on either side of the ball against last year’s worst team. It’s just shocking. I know the Colts forget how to play football every time they go to Jacksonville, but there’s just no excuse to play like that. Matt Ryan looks genuinely awful, they only have two real offensive weapons, and the defense looks surprisingly poor through two games. This team should be 0-2 with losses to the Jaguars and Texans. That statement alone is enough to warrant them being this low.

32 – Texans (0-1-1) 1

Welcome to the #32 spot, Houston. Please make yourselves comfortable. You’ll probably be staying here for a long time.

All stats taken from ESPN.