The 2025 NFL regular season is officially underway, and with the return of football comes the return of NFL power rankings.
Several key matchups took place in Week 1, as some of the league’s biggest heavyweights collided to kick off the regular season. There’s a lot of football left to be played this year, but it’s clear now who the biggest winners and losers from the first week of action are. Here are our NFL power rankings after Week 1 of the 2025 season.
32) Carolina Panthers
Bryce Young showed promise to end the 2024 season, but reverted to some poor habits to begin his third season. The Carolina Panthers QB crumbled when under duress, averaging -0.54 EPA per dropback when pressured.
He only had two games with a mark that low in 2024. It was reminiscent of his embattled rookie season, when he averaged an abysmal -0.61 EPA per dropback when pressured.
31) New York Giants
Russell Wilson struggled mightily in his New York Giants debut on Sunday, leading the offense to zero touchdowns while completing just 45.9% of his passes. That lack of impact on offense caused New York to fall 21-6 to the Commanders.
The Giants’ defense did a solid job of putting pressure on Jayden Daniels up front, but the run support wasn’t where it needed to be. In the end, though, it was a terrible day on offense that buried New York in a hole it couldn’t get out of.
30) Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans kept things pretty close against the Broncos, as they only lost 20-12 in their Week 1 matchup. But it’s their significant struggles on offense in Cam Ward’s NFL debut that place them near the bottom of these power rankings.
Ward completed just 42.9% of his passes with 112 yards and no touchdowns. Granted, he didn’t have much to work with, as his offensive line allowed six sacks on Sunday. But the offense as a whole looked lost, despite a good defensive performance from the Titans.
29) New England Patriots
Drake Maye’s sophomore season got off to a promising start in the first half for the New England Patriots. Before halftime vs. the Raiders, Maye averaged 7.5 yards per attempt and 0.23 EPA per dropback. In the second half, though, he threw an interception on the first drive and completed only 5.3 yards per attempt, with his EPA per dropback falling to -0.20.
28) New Orleans Saints
Though the New Orleans Saints kept things pretty close in their 20-13 loss to the Cardinals, it was clear that Arizona was the more talented team in the matchup. Inconsistency on offense plagued New Orleans in Kellen Moore’s debut as the team’s head coach.
The Saints performed quite well rushing the passer, tallying five sacks on Sunday. That provides reasoning for optimism on defense, but there’s a long way to go on the offensive side of the ball.
27) Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins’ 25-point defeat was their third-largest in a season-opener. In the other instances — a 49-point loss in 2019 and a 27-point loss in 1988 — Miami ended up suffering through double-digit loss seasons.
Four times since 2002 has a team won a game in which they were shutout in the first half and had 8:20 or fewer in time of possession:
- Week 11, 2018 (Steelers over Jags)
- Week 14, 2015 (Raiders over Broncos)
- Week 17, 2006 (Texans over Browns)
- Week 8, 2005 (Patriots over Bills)
26) Cleveland Browns
All things considered, the Cleveland Browns surpassed expectations by keeping their loss to the Bengals down to just one point. That said, their predicted lack of firepower on offense did them in as they dropped their Week 1 matchup in crushing fashion.
Joe Flacco threw for 290 yards and a touchdown, but he also threw two interceptions, and the Browns averaged just 2.0 yards per carry in the run game. Their defense performed very well, allowing just 141 yards.
25) Las Vegas Raiders
At 362 passing yards, Geno Smith threw for the most yards in a single game by a Raider since Jarrett Stidham in Week 17 of 2022. That explosive passing attack played a big role in the Las Vegas Raiders picking up the season-opening win over the Patriots.
“Just one win — we got a long way to go. Happy we got the win, but we got work tomorrow. I’m ready for work.”
– Geno Smith to @AKinkhabwala after the @Raiders W pic.twitter.com/AB7BhHltFu
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 7, 2025
Ultimately, a disappointing run game and a close win over a lackluster opponent keep Las Vegas relatively low in these power rankings. But if Smith can keep slinging the rock the way he did on Sunday, a rise up the board is certainly possible.
24) Atlanta Falcons
Had the Atlanta Falcons secured a victory over the Buccaneers, they likely would have finished in these power rankings as one of the lower-ranked teams to come away with a win. However, a last-second missed field goal keeps them pretty low in the ranks.
Michael Penix Jr. looked good in the season opener, but Atlanta’s run game struggled, and the defense was inconsistent. The Falcons come away from Week 1 with some reason to be optimistic, but there’s a lot of work to do if they are to win the NFC South.
23) Chicago Bears
Going into the Chicago Bears’ season-opening matchup against the Vikings, Chicago projects as the underdog, despite hosting the matchup. There’s a lot to prove with that team, entering a season with a new head coach and several new starters on both sides of the ball.
It’s tough to rank the Bears all that high in these power rankings, given their lack of success in recent seasons. But on paper, there’s potential for this group to rise the ranks if the offense starts clicking under new head coach Ben Johnson.
22) Seattle Seahawks
The start of the Sam Darnold era in Seattle was rather uninspiring, as he finished with just 150 passing yards in the Seattle Seahawks’ loss to the 49ers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba excelled on Sunday, but nobody else was able to get open and make plays in the passing attack consistently.
Though the Seahawks’ defense forced two interceptions and kept them in the game, the offensive output just wasn’t what it needed to be. Expectations will undoubtedly be higher in the weeks to come.
21) New York Jets
Last year’s New York Jets ranked 31st in rush yards (1,561) and 26th in rush EPA per play (-0.10). Things were much different on Sunday, as they ran for 182 yards and three touchdowns as a team. Breece Hall and Justin Fields proved to be a dominant tandem in the backfield.
Poor defensive performance did the Jets in, however. They gave up 34 points to Pittsburgh, failing to capitalize on the 32 points their own offense scored. The New York offense was more explosive than many expected, but Aaron Rodgers was able to dice up their secondary to the tune of four passing touchdowns with no interceptions.
20) San Francisco 49ers
A last-minute touchdown catch by backup tight end Jake Tonges helped the San Francisco 49ers secure a narrow victory over the Seahawks on Sunday. It wasn’t a pretty game at 17-13, but their defense did enough to make up for some mistakes on offense.
Brock Purdy threw two interceptions, but he also threw for 277 yards with two touchdowns. Strong play from Christian McCaffrey in his return from injury also helped San Francisco put together just enough spark on offense to pick up the win.
19) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars’ pass defense averaged 0.17 EPA per dropback, their best in a game since 2023. The Jags only had three games all season with a positive defensive EPA per dropback in 2024. It remains to be seen if this was simply a byproduct of Carolina dysfunction, but it was a promising start after a wildly disappointing 2024.
18) Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones had twice as many rush TDs (2) as sacks (1) in his debut with the Indianapolis Colts. With the Giants, he was sacked 13.9 times for every rushing TD.
In the last 35 years, there have been four NFL players with a passing touchdown and two rushing touchdowns in the season opener. They are as follows:
- 2025 Daniel Jones
- 2024 Josh Allen
- 1998 Troy Aikman
- 1991 John Elway
Daniel Jones passed for 197 yards in the 1st half, the most in the 1st half of a game in his career.
17) Houston Texans
Heading into Week 1, the offensive line was projected as an issue for the Houston Texans. After C.J. Stroud got sacked three times and pressured throughout their loss to the Rams on Sunday, that group has shown it needs to improve if Houston is to compete for a deep playoff run.
The Texans fared pretty well in the run game without Joe Mixon, and the defense also tallied three sacks. There was enough to be optimistic about to keep them in the top 20 of these power rankings, but the offense will need to be sharper in future matchups.
16) Pittsburgh Steelers
Rodgers posted his highest passer rating since Week 10, 2022, on Sunday, on his way to his 35th career regular-season game with four or more touchdown passes. In his Pittsburgh Steelers debut, he managed to turn the clock back with a win over his former team, the Jets.
Pittsburgh’s defense has typically been its strength in recent years, but it was the offense that carried the load on Sunday. The offense was dominant enough to put up 34 points, while the defense stepped up when it mattered most to shut down New York on a two-minute drill.
15) Cincinnati Bengals
The September Cincinnati Bengals were in prime form on offense. Joe Burrow had just 113 yards passing, averaging -0.13 EPA per dropback. Burrow owns a career average of -0.23 EPA per dropback in season-openers and has had a positive mark just once in six tries.
However, the defense was far more effective, recording a 40% non-blitz pressure rate in the win over the Browns. Last year’s Trey Hendrickson-dependent pass rush ranked 24th in that category (29.4%).
14) Dallas Cowboys
Heading into Week 1, Dallas Cowboys fans likely would’ve been content with only losing to the Eagles by four points on Thursday night. While there was plenty to be excited about in Dallas’ play to start the year, it’s also a game they should have been able to win.
The Cowboys were effective on offense to start the game, but a few key drops and inconsistency in the second half slowed them down. For a defense that no longer has Micah Parsons, they did a great job of limiting Philadelphia to three first-half points. Ultimately, they belong near the middle of these power rankings.
13) Los Angeles Rams
Even though their offense didn’t put much together in the way of explosive plays, the Los Angeles Rams’ defense did a stellar job of shutting down the Texans in a 14-9 slugfest. Any time you can hold your opponent to single digits in the NFL, that’s a fantastic performance for your defense.
Los Angeles held C.J. Stroud to under 200 passing yards, and the Rams didn’t allow a single touchdown all afternoon. They would hope for more efficiency in the run game, as they averaged just 2.9 yards per carry on the ground. Still, a win is a win.
12) Arizona Cardinals
It’s always a good week when you come away with a win, and that’s where the Arizona Cardinals sit coming out of their Week 1 matchup against the Saints. Although it was likely more competitive than Arizona had hoped going into the game, it was still a win.
The Cardinals’ pass-catching tandem of Marvin Harrison Jr. and Trey McBride looked the part in the season opener, and the defense held New Orleans to just 13 points. Arizona will need to improve in pass protection, though; Kyler Murray got sacked five times.
11) Denver Broncos
For a playoff team, the Denver Broncos likely expected to beat the Titans by more than they actually did. An eight-point win over the team that held the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft isn’t a tremendous accomplishment, but a win is a win, nonetheless.
RJ Harvey breaks loose for 50yds‼️
📺 TENvsDEN on FOX pic.twitter.com/iciXM3Vh5M
— UCF Football (@UCF_Football) September 7, 2025
Denver’s run game excelled, and the defense sacked rookie quarterback Cam Ward six times. If Bo Nix can cut down on turnovers (he had two picks on Sunday), the Broncos should be able to climb further up these power rankings in due time.
10) Washington Commanders
Though the Washington Commanders’ offense got a lot of attention in their run to the NFC Championship game in 2024, their defense was the star of the show in their Week 1 matchup against the Giants. Limiting New York to six points and allowing just 231 yards of offense is a tremendous start for Washington’s defense.
Jacory Croskey-Merritt and Jayden Daniels proved to be a dynamic rushing duo for the Commanders on Sunday. The passing attack was slightly inconsistent, but Deebo Samuel excelled in his Washington debut with seven catches for 77 yards, as well as a 19-yard rushing touchdown.
9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
It took a nail-biting fourth quarter to do so, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came out of Week 1 with a 23-20 win over the Falcons. Efficiency on third down and a few big plays through the air helped Tampa Bay come away with the win.
The star of the show was rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who had 67 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions in his NFL debut. He looked like a seasoned pro, and if the Buccaneers can keep up their big-play output, they’ll continue to climb these power rankings.
8) Minnesota Vikings
Heading into Monday night, the Minnesota Vikings figure to be the favorites in their matchup against the Bears, even with the game taking place in Chicago. After all, Minnesota is coming off a stellar 2024 season and has a highly talented roster.
The only major questions revolve around the quarterback and cornerback positions. If the Vikings can hold their own in coverage and J.J. McCarthy manages the offense well, they could compete against any team in the league. Time will tell if that ends up happening, though.
7) Los Angeles Chargers
Sunday was Justin Herbert’s first game with 300 passing yards and three pass touchdowns since 2023 Week 10. He had gone 21 straight games without hitting those marks. The Los Angeles Chargers’ defense fared well enough to keep the Chiefs at bay, and the passing attack helped them capitalize.
Regarding Herbert’s strong start to his NFL career, he has achieved this in 28 games with 300 or more passing yards. At 27 years old or younger, he has the fourth-highest total in NFL history behind only Patrick Mahomes, Dan Marino, and Matthew Stafford. That’s pretty good company.
6) Philadelphia Eagles
The defending Super Bowl champions were thrust into the spotlight with a Thursday night matchup against the Cowboys. Dallas cranked the heat up, but it wasn’t enough to topple the Philadelphia Eagles in a 24-20 win for the latter team.
In the coming weeks, Philadelphia would benefit from more consistent coverage, as it struggled to stop Dak Prescott consistently on Thursday. They also benefited from a few lucky CeeDee Lamb drops. However, the Eagles are clearly a talented team that can perform well enough in any game they play. When we’re dissecting a season-opening win, that says more about the high expectations around that team.
5) Detroit Lions
The first game of the post-Ben Johnson era couldn’t have gone worse for the Detroit Lions offense. The Lions’ streak of 46 straight games with an offensive touchdown was saved only by an Isaac TeSlaa garbage-time TD, as the unit looked toothless for the first time in years.
The running back duo of Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery was completely stifled. Detroit averaged -0.35 EPA per rush and a 22.7% success rate on the ground. Both of those were their worst marks in a single game since 2023.
4) Kansas City Chiefs
Steve Spagnuolo became the Kansas City Chiefs’ defensive coordinator in 2019 and has generally done a fantastic job in the role. Since then, Friday’s 68.1 Defense Impact grade ranks 102nd out of 120 games he has coached (including playoffs). Needless to say, Kansas City didn’t start the season the way they had hoped.
A loss in Week 1 isn’t the end of the world. We’ll trust the Chiefs’ sustained history of success over one loss when executing these power rankings. But their inability to slow down the Chargers’ passing attack was a concern. It will be interesting to see if they can get their act together as they prepare for the intense AFC West competition ahead.
3) Baltimore Ravens
Even facing tough competition in their Bills matchup, the Ravens have looked the part of a heavy hitter on Sunday…until they didn’t. Going on the road in Buffalo is no easy task, but Baltimore has the firepower on both sides of the ball to hang with any team in the league.
RELATED: Lamar Jackson Shoves Bills Fan in Heated Exchange After Ravens’ Dominance in Buffalo
The Ravens showed inconsistent results in limiting Josh Allen. However, the run game has shown tremendous strides, even in a stunning fourth-quarter collapse. You have to take into account the quality of their opponent in their Week 1 matchup. Ultimately, they would end up highly ranked in our power rankings, regardless of the outcome of Sunday night’s result.
2) Green Bay Packers
Micah Parsons got on the board with his first sack in a Green Bay Packers uniform on Sunday. However, what makes Green Bay scary is how effective the defense looked without the All-Pro edge rusher entirely up to speed.
Welcome to Green Bay, Micah Parsons 🤩
DETvsGB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/rijPUZ6ELm
— NFL (@NFL) September 7, 2025
The Packers stifled the Lions to 3.8 yards per play, highlighted by a 36.8% non-blitz pressure rate. For context, only the Browns and Broncos posted better marks in 2024. With Parsons still getting ramped up after skipping the entire offseason, the Packers’ Super Bowl hype train will be full speed ahead after this impressive win.
1) Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills took on a difficult task by facing the Ravens in Week 1, and they’ve fared well. Josh Allen looked as sharp as he did last year in his MVP-winning campaign in leading Buffalo to a thrilling late comeback victory over the Ravens.
Buffalo has long been one of the best teams in the AFC, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump in the postseason. Part of that has fallen on their defense’s inability to stop the likes of Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes. They had inconsistent results, stopping the former on Sunday, but still managed to start the season 1-0.
