The first week of the 2022-23 NFL seasons is in the books, and after seeing all 32 teams take regular season action for the first time, there’s been plenty of movement in my weekly Power Rankings.

I apologize for any brevity, lack of pictures, lack of deep analysis, etc., I’m currently on a cross-country moving road trip with limited phone and no laptop access

Previous Rankings

Post-Week 1 Power Rankings

  1. Buffalo Bills (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 1]
    • The Buffalo Bills topped my Training Camp and Preseason Power Rankings, and after handling the defending Super Bowl champion Rams on the road, Buffalo has more than earned their stay at the top of this week’s rankings.
  2. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 4]
    • Patrick Mahomes (5 Passing TD’s) and the Kansas City Chiefs continued their September dominance with a 44-21 road win over the Cardinals.
  3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 3]
    • While Sunday night’s game was nothing like last year’s matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started their season with a Week 1 win over the Cowboys for the second season in a row. Tom Brady had a quiet day in a field goal fest.
  4. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 8]
    • The Baltimore Ravens cruises to a 24-9 win over the Jets behind three passing touchdowns from Lamar Jackson and shut down defense against Joe Flacco in a reunion game.
  5. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 6]
    • Justin Herbert threw three touchdown passes in the Los Angeles’ Chargers 24-19 win over the Raiders, but the bigger story is Khalil Mack and the defense (three interceptions) stepping up.
  6. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 5]
    • The defending AFC champions nearly battled back against the Steelers after digging an early hole, but four interceptions from Joe Burrow and the inability to close out the game in overtime are both causes for concern for the Cincinnati Bengals.
  7. Los Angeles Rams (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 2]
    • And then the defending NFC, as well as Super Bowl, champions had an even uglier showing in a 31-10 loss to the Bills. I’ll give the Los Angeles Rams a break, Buffalo is a great team, but Los Angeles already looks like they might not be the same team as last year.
  8. Minnesota Vikings (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 16]
    • The Minnesota Vikings get the opportunity to jump up these Power Rankings after establishing themselves as the early leaders in the NFC North with a convincing 23-7 win.
  9. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 12]
    • Derek Carr got plenty of use out of his new toy, with Davante Adams hauling in 10 catches for 141 yards and a touchdown. But the Las Vegas Raiders fell short 24-19, and Carr three three interceptions.
  10. Green Bay Packers (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 7]
    • The Green Bay Packers had one of the worst showings of any team in Week 1, putting up just seven points against the Vikings. I’ll give Aaron Rodgers a chance to right the ship, but the Packers need WR help badly.
  11. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 17]
    • The Lions gave the Philadelphia Eagles a tough fight, but three rushing touchdowns and a pick six were enough to lift Jalen Hurts and company. Ideally, the defense would’ve played better, but the Eagles may be the new front-runner in the NFC East.
  12. Arizona Cardinals (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 13]
    • Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs were too much for the Arizona Cardinals to handle at home, falling 44-21 to Kansas City. I’ll cut the Cardinals some slack: the Chiefs are really good.
  13. Miami Dolphins (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 18]
    • The Miami Dolphins fired on all cylinders in Week 1: Tua Tagovailoa was great connecting with Jaylen Waddle and Tyreek Hill, and the defense holding New England to seven points in a 20-7 win.
  14. Denver Broncos (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 9]
    • Russell Wilson couldn’t beat his former team in his Denver Broncos debut despite 340 passing yards from the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback. Denver’s decision to attempt a game-winning 64-yard field goal was both unsuccessful and unpopular.
  15. Tennessee Titans (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 15]
    • After controlling most of the game, the Tennessee Titans fell short against the Giants, losing by one point on a last-minute two-point conversion.
  16. New Orleans Saints (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 19]
    • The New Orleans Saints scored 17 points in the fourth quarter to avoid a bad loss to the Falcons in Week 1. Jarvis Landry had seven catches for 114 yards in his team debut.
  17. Indianapolis Colts (0-0-1) [Preseason Rank: 10]
    • Matt Ryan and the Indianapolis Colts found themselves in a 20-3 hole in the fourth quarter, yet somehow forced overtime against the Texans. Indianapolis settled for a tie, but against Houston, that’s basically a loss.
  18. Detroit Lions (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 25]
    • The feisty Detroit Lions nearly knocked off the Eagles, but allowing 38 points (seven of them via a pick-six thrown by Jared Goff) isn’t a winning formula. Still, 35 points scored by the offense is an encouraging sign for Goff and co.
  19. San Francisco 49ers (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 14]
    • The San Francisco 49ers have a Super Bowl roster with a peewee quarterback. Sorry 49ers fans, I’m not on the Trey Lance train, and losing 19-10 to Chicago will have San Francisco playing from behind in the NFC West the rest of the season.
  20. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 23]
    • On one hand, this ranking feels low considering the new-look Pittsburgh Steelers knocked off the defending AFC Champions and picked off Joe Burrow four times. On the other hand, allowing the Bengals to force overtime and barely beating them at the least second isn’t as hopeful of an indicator.
  21. Washington Commanders (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 22]
    • I think Carson Wentz and the Washington Commanders could have a pretty decent season. Beating the Jaguars 28-22 does nothing to push the needle in either direction.
  22. Cleveland Browns (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 21]
    • The Cleveland Browns were able to overcome a drama-filled offseason and beat Baker Mayfield and the Panthers 26-24 with Jacoby Brissett under center.
  23. New York Giants (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 26]
    • The New York Giants started slow, and when Daniel Jones turned a short field into a turnover in the second half, it looked like it could be another lost season already. But fierce running from Saquon Barkley and a ballsy two-point conversion attempt at the end l of the game gave Brian Daboll a win in his Giants coaching debut.
  24. Carolina Panthers (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 24]
    • Baker Mayfield fell just short of revenge against his former team in a 26-24 loss to the Browns. But once this Carolina Panthers team gets rolling, there’s a chance they make some noise with Mayfield and McCaffrey.
  25. Seattle Seahawks (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 28]
    • The Seattle Seahawks stunned Russell Wilson and the Broncos on Sunday night with a 17-16 win. I’ll need to see more from Seattle, but Geno Smith (23-28, 195 yards, TD) certainly exceeded expectations. Losing Jamal Adams for the season stings, but for now, we’ll focus on the positives.
  26. New England Patriots (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 20]
    • Mac Jones and the New England Patriots offense mustered seven points in a loss to the Dolphins, continuing the teams downward trend front evens of last season.
  27. Chicago Bears (1-0) [Preseason Rank: 29]
    • Justin Fields and the Chicago Bears beat the 49ers 19-10 in a pretty ugly game. Chicago’s defense definitely exceeded expectations, but I’ll need to see more from both that defense and Fields’ offense before the Bears rise any higher.
  28. Atlanta Falcons (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 32]
    • The Atlanta Falcons certainly exceeded my expectations in Week 1, but the defense allowed the Saints to dig themselves out of a 26-10 in the fourth quarter to spoil Marcus Mariota’s (20-33, 215 yards) team debut
  29. Houston Texans (0-0-1) [Preseason Rank: 31]
    • Even after holding a commanding 20-3 lead over the Colts in Indianapolis’ first game with Matt Ryan at quarterback, Davis Mills and the Houston Texans settled for a 20-20 tie, which honestly feels worse than an outright loss.
  30. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 30]
    • The Jacksonville Jaguars led the Commanders 22-14 with less than 12 minutes to play, but still find themselves 0-1 after the defense couldn’t hold on.
  31. Dallas Cowboys (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 11]
    • The Dallas Cowboys tumble down the rankings after Dak Prescott was injured in Sunday night’s 19-3 loss to Tampa Bay. Dallas was the only team in the league not to find the endzone. Is it Cooper Rush time, or could Dallas salvage their season with a trade or signing?
  32. New York Jets (0-1) [Preseason Rank: 27]
    • Joe Flacco should not be a starting quarterback in 2022, and asking him to throw 59 times is a losing recipe. But while there were some bright spots, I don’t think Zach Wilson will make the team much better when he returns.
SEE ALSO: Week 2 Picks

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Posted on 0 By Billy Sakmann NFL Posted in NFL, Sak Sports Blog Tagged #, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Billy Sakmann

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