Assembling Week 1 power rankings is a bit of a tough balance to strike.
How much weight can be given to the perception of a contender entering the season with how they performed on the field in a small sample size?
Well, let’s find out.
1. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
The defense remains dominant, and Sam Darnold won’t be out for long.
2. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Strong debut for Jesse Minter, who gets the benefit of inheriting Lamar Jackson.
3. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Had the most impressive win of Week 1, a beatdown of the presumptive Super Bowl favorites.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Patrick Mahomes is back and he has company in Kenneth Walker III. That means the Chiefs are back, too, after throttling last year’s No. 1 AFC seed, 31-10.
5. Chicago Bears (1-0)
The Chicago Bears scored 59 points? Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams may be wizards.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
Trevor Lawrence continues to thrive in Liam Coen’s offense, delivering the week’s most comprehensive win.
7. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Josh Allen exorcised some Houston demons, helping Joe Brady win his debut.
8. New England Patriots (0-1)
Not taking advantage of a Drew Lock game might leave a mark. Drake Maye’s three-interception game could, too.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
A solid win. But it was a bit closer than it should have been. The new Philly Special?
10. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)
The Niners loss was a splash of water in the face of their preseason hype. And now Myles Garrett is out.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
The defense forcing four turnovers instead of relying solely on Joe Burrow is a promising development.
12. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Bo Nix and the defense have to hope Monday’s loss says more about Kansas City than the Broncos’ 2026 fortunes.
13. Houston Texans (0-1)
A worrying first game for a Houston defense which anchored last year’s playoff run
14. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Carson Wentz (not Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy) anchored quite a late-game surge.
15. Detroit Lions (1-0)
Eking out an overtime win over the Saints was not a step in the right direction.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
This week’s game at New England will be a litmus test after a satisfactory win.
17. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
A big surprise of Week 1 with a convincing road win over the Chargers in Mike LaFleur’s debut.
18. New York Giants (1-0)
John Harbaugh immediately brought an air of competence to the Giants.
19. New York Jets (1-0)
First Week 1 win since 2018? Not bad, Geno Smith.
20. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
They’ll have to beat someone better than the Dolphins to show they’re legitimate.
21. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)
Early returns on the Mike McDaniel experiment are not good.
22. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Getting outscored 22-0 in the fourth quarter by Carson Wentz is not recipe for longevity.
23. Washington Commanders (0-1)
OL struggles made life hard for Jayden Daniels, who still nearly led a comeback.
24. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
A new defensive coordinator hasn’t fixed Dallas’ underlying issues.
25. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
A tough start at redemption from their 2025 collapse against a far superior Ravens team.
26. New Orleans Saints (0-1)
Someone has to win the NFC South. They are a trendy pick.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
A bad first game from Baker Mayfield after signing a three-year extension.
28. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
The type of defensive performance which immediately puts DC Ejiro Evero on the hot seat.
29. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
The QB carousel leaves the Falcons praying Michael Penix Jr. can go this week.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Not the start you were looking for to begin Cam Ward’s second season.
31. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
A strong contender in next April’s Arch Manning sweepstakes.
32. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Maybe Kevin Stefanski wasn’t really the problem? Brutal debut for Todd Monken.
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