One week is in the books on the 2022 NFL season, and boy, was it a doozy.
Two games in Cincinnati and Houston went into overtime, with neither matchup featuring a team that seemed to want to win. Four games — in Atlanta, Cleveland, Seattle, and Tennessee — ended in some form of a blocked/missed/made last-minute field goal attempt. And nine (!) contests were decided by a single score. There’s no way the league keeps up this dramatic and tense pace moving forward, but crazier things have happened.
With the dust settling on Week 1, we return to the power rankings for the first edition after meaningful games this season. Yes, some juggernauts in Western New York and Eastern Missouri played exactly as we expected. While others with new star quarterbacks (cough, cough) might want to take the cartridge out of the Super Nintendo and reset their game system.
Here’s where all 32 NFL teams stand as we start to look ahead to Week 2.
32
Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 23
They lost to the Cleveland Browns on a day where Jacoby Brissett averaged 4.3 yards per pass. Poor Matt Rhule’s getting put through the wash with a mediocre quarterback again, and he’s not gonna come out the other side with a head coaching job in the NFL.
31
New York Jets (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 25
Until Zach Wilson comes back, the Jets will look like a team playing through an extended preseason. This is a roster built for the former top-two pick. Even if Wilson hasn’t blossomed yet, he’d at least give them a chance with the Bengals, Steelers, and Dolphins’ strong defenses on the horizon.
30
New England Patriots (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 22
This is wildly low for the Pats, but after scoring only seven points against the Dolphins and dealing with a potential back injury for starting QB Mac Jones, it’s tough to argue it too harshly. New England’s defense allowed one of the most efficient games of Tua Tagovailoa’s career, setting the stage for what could be a loooonnnnng season in Foxborough.
29
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 24
Jacksonville showed off resilience even if its young stars put together the kind of brain farts that can swing a win to a loss. Trevon Walker looked solid in his NFL debut, and it’s hard to imagine James Robinson’s return from an Achilles injury going any better than it did against the Commanders.
28
Atlanta Falcons (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 30
There was enough optimism from a Marcus Mariota offense utilizing mismatches with Cordarelle Patterson and Drake London to think Atlanta has hope this year. And Kyle Pitts only caught two passes — that won’t happen every week! But if the Falcons are already blowing massive fourth-quarter leads, such an explosive offense might not matter in the long run.
27
Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 18
After an offseason of passive-aggressive tension, the Cardinals unsurprisingly looked utterly lost against the Chiefs. DeAndre Hopkins might be out for a few more weeks because of a suspension, but Kliff Kingsbury might not have that long with the lead headset.
26
Houston Texans (0-0-1)
Last week’s rank: 32
Houston settled for a tie in Week 1 because 2022 basically doesn’t count. That’s how badly Bill O’Brien burned this franchise down to its foundation. We’re in year two of zero expectations — but hey, at least Davis Mills looks like a potential league-average starting quarterback!
25
Dallas Cowboys (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 16
Even if Dak Prescott returns from a thumb injury this season, there’s no sugarcoating it: The Cowboys’ season is likely already over. If they have to play Cooper Rush for any significant period of time, Dallas will be in line for a top-five pick in April soon enough.
24
Seattle Seahawks (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 29
They’re probably not going to get two goal-line fumbles and the baffling decision to settle for a 64-yard field goal (not even in the thin air of Colorado!) every week. Still, Geno Smith played efficient football, and Pete Carroll got a very 2013-ish performance despite a play sheet that only dialed up 13 handoffs.
23
Detroit Lions (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 27
Jared Goff didn’t look great, but his offensive line kept him upright and cleared a path for Detroit’s run game to average 6.5 yards per carry against the Eagles. The Lions are still a year away from contention, but they’re built to ruin a few other teams’ playoff hopes along the way.
22
Washington Commanders (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 28
Carson Wentz and the Commanders did what they had to against a retooling Jaguars team. Though, when you factor in a few trademark Wentz turnovers while Washington let Jacksonville hang around, and it feels like this operation is held together by glue and thin strings.
21
Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1)
Last week’s rank: 15
Matt Ryan threw for 352 yards but needed 52 dropbacks to get there. Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. looked great. Second-round pick Alec Pierce did not.
20
Cleveland Browns (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 21
Cleveland’s passing offense is vertically challenged, but Nick Chubb is still a freight train between the tackles. Throw in Myles Garrett and a monstrous defensive front harassing Baker Mayfield all day, and the Browns have the makings of frustrating, middling competence.
19
Chicago Bears (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 31
It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. The Bears’ defense stymied San Francisco in the rain, and offensive coordinator Luke Getsy devised a gameplan that separated Justin Fields’ strengths from the weak offensive line and receiving corps around him.
18
New York Giants (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 26
Daniel Jones played like Daniel Jones, and … the Giants won a game? How is that possible? Oh, right, Saquon Barkley (9.1 yards per carry, 164 yards rushing) is all the way back. After a win over the Titans — last year’s No. 1 seed in the AFC — Brian Daboll is pushing the right rebuild buttons.
17
Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 14
Tennessee led this game for 53 minutes and only ran for 93 yards. That’s a very un-Titans number, especially with Derrick Henry healthy. The defense that pushed this team to the AFC’s top seed last season gave up 394 yards against a Daniel Jones offense, which is … oof.
16
Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 7
Dating back to Week 18 of last season, Aaron Rodgers has not thrown a touchdown in his last approximate 10 quarters of football. Either the league has finally found an answer for the four-time MVP, or he’s just waiting to breathe fire like a dragon again. TBD on whether the 38-year-old can still manage such excellence.
15
San Francisco 49ers (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 10
Trey Lance looked bad, but he was stuck playing in a three-hour downpour without one of his most trusted targets, thanks to George Kittle’s absence. San Francisco gets the Seahawks at home next week; we’ll know more about what he’s capable of after that.
14
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 19
The Steelers stole a game in Cincinnati absolutely no one wanted to win, but it came at a tremendous cost. With a pec injury, Pittsburgh may not see reigning Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt for a while. For a team predicated on an attacking defense that flat-out bullied Joe Burrow (seven sacks, four picks), it’s an awful scenario.
13
New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 17
It wasn’t pretty — and it was the function of some pretty extreme Falcon-ing — but Jameis Winston eventually found his rhythm and rallied the Saints to a Week 1 win. New head coach Dennis Allen kept Sean Payton’s tradition of unleashing Taysom Hill on unsuspecting opponents alive; he had more than double Alvin Kamara’s rushing yards on only four carries.
12
Denver Broncos (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 8
If you were told Russell Wilson threw for 340 yards at a crisp eight yards an attempt before Monday night’s game, you would’ve thought the Broncos blew Seattle out. Uh, they did not. Even with the unfortunate goal-line turnovers, Wilson and Friends looked out of sync all evening. Factor in the mystifying coaching end-game sequence, and we’ve got some red flags on the Colorado Front Range.
11
Las Vegas Raiders (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 11
The final verdict on Las Vegas’ first performance with new head coach Josh McDaniels and a bunch of moving parts? Incomplete, with rough patches. After regularly connecting all afternoon, it’s clear Derek Carr and Davante Adams are on the same wavelength. When the rest of the Raiders’ roster catches up chemistry-wise, watch out.
10
Minnesota Vikings (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 20
Justin Jefferson found all sorts of open space against a talented Packers secondary, and Kirk Cousins had the wisdom to lob him the ball as much as possible. That’s going to win a whole bunch of games. So will holding opponents to only seven points — though not everyone will have a receiving corps as tragic as Green Bay’s.
9
Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 4
Cincinnati had the more optimistic of two losses from last year’s Super Bowl teams. The Bengals’ sloppiness could be hand-waved away thanks to an offense that didn’t play a single snap together in the preseason and a kicking game derailed by an injury to the team’s long snapper. Or it could be the first symptom of a growing disease that returns this franchise to its pitiable roots.
8
Los Angeles Rams (0-1)
Last week’s rank: 2
It’s just one week, and the Rams are so well-coached and have so much elite talent that they’ll probably rebound quickly. That said, warning signs of a less-than-healthy Matthew Stafford, a sieve offensive line, and a top-heavy defense with no answers for an elite passing game should be troubling. Any “hangover” conversations are not too early.
7
Miami Dolphins (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 13
Miami didn’t look great in turning the Patriots upside down, but they didn’t have to be anything more. Tua Tagavailoa turned in a solid game-managing performance while leaning on Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. And Mac Jones never had a chance on the other side. All is going according to plan for new head coach Mike McDaniel.
6
Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 12
The Ravens did their job against Joe Flacco and the Jets but still got out-gained 378-274. One hundred ninety of those New York yards came after Baltimore went up 21-3 late in the third quarter, so perhaps I’m worrying about nothing. And hey, Devin Duvernay looks good!
5
Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 9
Giving up 35 points to Jared Goff and the Detroit Lions wasn’t ideal, but Jalen Hurts has his No. 1 target in A.J. Brown, and there’s a wide-open path to the NFC East title with Dak Prescott injured in Dallas. It’s fair to wonder if the Eagles’ run defense and pass rush are ineffective, or was that just a function of a powerful Lions offensive line?
4
Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 3
The Chargers’ final score of 24-19 in their win over the Raiders might have been the most deceiving result of Week 1. L.A. was in complete control, with Justin Herbert positively dealing and Khalil Mack destroying planets again. This dynamite mix bodes well for the rest of the Chargers’ season.
3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 6
This defense absolutely harangued the Cowboys, holding them scoreless after an opening drive field goal. Red zone concerns may be an issue — five first-half drives inside the Dallas 30-yard line ended in five Ryan Succop field goal attempts. Even so, Tom Brady has plenty of time to iron out his offense and push the Bucs back to the Super Bowl.
2
Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 5
Patrick Mahomes threw five touchdowns while hitting 10 different receivers against the Cardinals. With a new-look defense that harrassed Kyler Murray, Kansas City looked like the Big Red Machine we’re all accustomed to seeing. Is anyone really surprised?
1
Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Last week’s rank: 1
The Bills turned the ball over four times against the defending champions and still won by 21. Josh Allen made all the right reads and trucked a few guys on the ground as well. And that pass defense looks up to snuff, even against what appeared to be a reduced Matthew Stafford.
