As the opening week of the NFL regular season comes to an end, it’s time to discuss where each team ranks around the league. Week 1 was full of surprising performances and unexpected results.
In this week’s edition of Pro Football Network’s NFL Power Rankings, we’ll rank each team from best to worst heading into Week 2.
NFL Power Rankings | Week 2
1) Kansas City Chiefs
As the Kansas City Chiefs began the team’s quest for a three-peat, the NFL did them no favors with their opponent in Week 1. Yet the Chiefs lived up to the moment, defeating the Baltimore Ravens 27-20.
While the Ravens were within inches of making things interesting as time expired, Kansas City held on for a statement victory against Baltimore.
Kansas City’s swarming defense held Ravens star running back Derrick Henry in check. Henry averaged just 3.5 yards per carry against the Chiefs.
The Chiefs struggled to get things going on the ground, yet Patrick Mahomes put the team on his back. Although Travis Kelce struggled, Rashee Rice and Xavier Worthy stepped up at wide receiver. Kansas City’s young, dynamic duo combined for nine receptions for 150 yards and two total touchdowns.
Heading into Week 2, here are some stats to know:
- The Chiefs allowed a sack on just 4.4% of dropbacks last season (2nd lowest rate, only BUF was better). The Bengals were sacked on 8.1% of dropbacks (23rd).
- Mahomes has completed over 70% of his passes in four straight and in five of his past six games (a streak that started against the Bengals in Week 17).
- Over their past seven games, the Chiefs have converted just 38.5% of their red zone trips into touchdowns (25 games prior: 63.8%).
- The Chiefs gave up 302 passing yards in the 2022 Super Bowl win over the Eagles. Since then, they haven’t allowed a team to pass for 275 yards and are coughing up just 189.5 yards per game through the air (25 pass TD allowed in those 22 games).
2) San Francisco 49ers
After a shocking announcement that Christian McCaffrey wouldn’t play and a slow start to the game, it was all Niners as they rolled the Jets in the MNF opener.
McCaffrey replacement, Jordan Mason, ran for 147 yards and Brock Purdy did his thing to lead San Fran to the win. Mason looked good against the Jets, but don’t forget that he doesn’t have 90 carries in a season since 2019.
The only negative was their inability to close drives, leading to 6 Jake Moody FGs, but they also scored on 8 consecutive drives to show they remain one of the premier teams in the NFL.
The 49ers went 5-0 through the first month of last season, scoring 30+ points while allowing no more than 16 in four of those contests. They looked great on Monday night and seem to enter the season as prepared as anyone. Can they keep it going in Week 2 against the Vikings without McCaffrey?
San Francisco is 9-3-1 ATS (75%) over their past 13 games as a road favorite, bettering the spread by an average of 7.4 points per game. Add on the fact that Brock Purdy has covered five straight games as a road favorite. In those games, he’s completed 71.3% of his passes with 14 TDs and 1 INT (132.3 Passer Rating).
3) Detroit Lions
The Lions are seeking three straight winning seasons for the first time since 1993-95. Lions starting quarterback Jared Goff was born in 1994.
While Detroit is still regarded as a team on the rise, they will surely get every team’s best punch in 2024. The days of the Lions sneaking up on teams are over, as the Lions are viewed as a potential Super Bowl contender this season.
Detroit’s defense got off to a strong start in Week 1, as the Lions hit Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford six times and forced an interception in the first half. But then they allowed Stafford to heat up and pick them apart in the second half.
The Lions came away with an overtime win, though, and they’ll look to get off to a 2-0 start against the Buccaneers in Week 2.
Since the beginning of December, 2022, the Lions are 10-2 during the regular season at home, averaging a league-high 419.8 yards of offense per game (32.1 PPG ranks 2nd to DAL: 38.2). One key area to watch –the Lions allowed pressure 80% of the time when the Rams blitzed on Sunday night — the Bucs are the 3rd blitz heaviest defense since the beginning of last season.
As for any betting insights, Jared Goff is 24-6 outright when favored by 6+ points, but be careful in assuming that a victory means a cover – his team is 16-13-1 ATS in those 30 games.
4) Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles overcame three turnovers and poor field conditions to beat the Packers in Week 1. Despite the addition of new offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Jalen Hurts continued to struggle with turnovers in Philadelphia’s regular season opener.
Saquon Barkley powered Philadelphia to victory as he recorded three total touchdowns in his Eagles debut. Barkley tied a Super Bowl-era record with three touchdowns in his team debut, joining Terrell Owens as the only other player to do so for the Eagles.
Eagles inside linebacker Zack Baun also dominated in his debut for Philadelphia. Baun became just the sixth linebacker since 2007 to record 15 total tackles and two sacks in a single game.
If Hurts can clean up his turnover issues, the Eagles could return to dominance in 2024.
The Eagles will host the Falcons for Philadelphia’s home opener in Week 2. Over the past two seasons, unders are 53-29 (64.6%) when a team on extended rest (7+ days) plays on primetime. When this game kicks off, the Eagles will have had nine days to prep – when that extended rest filter is ramped up to 9+ days, unders are 21-7 (75%) during those two seasons.
As Eagles fans are watching, keep this little tidbit of information in mind — in 2004, Terrell Owens debuted for the Eagles and had 3 TDs. That season, they had a Week 5 bye, traveled to Dallas in Week 10, hosted Washington in Week 11, and represented the NFC in the Super Bowl. In 2024, Saquon Barkley debuted for the Eagles and had 3 TDs. This season, they have a Week 5 bye, travel to Dallas in Week 10 and host Washington in Week 11 … future NFC champions?
5) Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens were dealt a tough hand in Week 1, as the team was forced to travel to Kansas City and visit the defending Super Bowl champions. Yet, Baltimore was able to make things interesting down the final stretch.
Two-time MVP Lamar Jackson put the team on his back. While Henry struggled to get things going out of the backfield, Jackson picked up the slack.
Jackson completed 26 of 41 passing attempts for 273 yards and one touchdown. He also added 122 rushing yards on the ground.
While Mark Andrews struggled, Isaiah Likely stepped up at tight end. Likely led all tight ends in Week 1 with 111 receiving yards. He also led all players in the Thursday opener with nine receptions.
The Ravens will host the Raiders in Week 2. Unders are 5-1 following Lamar Jackson’s past six outright losses (the Ravens have covered three straight following a loss). But also, From 2016-21, teams catching more than 7 points covered 49.2% of the time (54.1% unders). Since: 56.5% cover rate and 53.6% overs.
6) Houston Texans
The Texans got off to a slow start in Week 1, scoring just six points in the first quarter against the Colts. Second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud eventually found his groove and began to carve up Indianapolis’ secondary.
Stroud completed 75% of his passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns. Stroud had the fourth-highest passer rating among all quarterbacks in Week 1. The Texans had 15 plays of 10+ yards in Week 1 (they’ve hit that total in seven games since the beginning of last season).
While Stroud shined, Joe Mixon stole the show for Houston’s offense. In his regular-season debut for the Texans, Mixon had 30 carries for 159 rushing yards.
Mixon currently leads the NFL in rushing yards, while also leading the league with nine rushes for a first down as well.
Houston’s offense will take on a tough test against the Bears in Week 2. QBs in one of their first two seasons are 10-17-1 ATS (37%) when favored by at least six points since the start of 2022.
7) Buffalo Bills
When the Bills decided to move on from Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis this offseason, many wondered if Josh Allen would be able to shoulder the load for Buffalo’s offense.
It’s safe to say that Allen aced his first test in Week 1. Despite a slow start and falling behind 10-0 to the Cardinals in the second quarter, Allen caught fire in the second half.
Allen completed 18 of 23 passes for 232 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 39 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Buffalo’s star quarterback spread the ball around, as nine different players recorded at least one reception against Arizona in Week 1.
The Bills will head down to Miami Gardens in Week 2 to take on the Dolphins. Josh Allen averages 28.9 fantasy PPG for his career vs MIA (12 games) with 72.9% of points via the pass (34.8% of those points being scored on the deep pass). He’s thrown for multiple scores in every one of those games and rushed for at least 30 yards nine times.
8) Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys have mocked for their inactivity and chaotic contract negotiations this offseason, but Dallas agreed to massive contract extensions with both CeeDee Lamb and Dak Prescott just in time for the team’s regular-season opener.
Prescott and Lamb immediately connected for a 34-yard gain as the Cowboys dominated the Browns from start to finish. While Prescott only completed 59.3% of his passes for 179 yards, Dallas’ defense shut down Cleveland in Week 1.
Deshaun Watson couldn’t get much going against the Cowboys. Watson completed just 53.3% of his passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Watson averaged just 3.8 yards per pass attempt against the Cowboys, the third-lowest average among all quarterbacks in Week 1.
The Cowboys will host the Saints in Week 2. Keep an eye on Ezekiel Elliott – he failed to gain yardage on a career-worst 21.2% of carries last season with New England. Back with Dallas, he picked up yardage on all 10 of his rush attempts against Cleveland last weekend. Can he keep it going?
9) Miami Dolphins
The performance was not what was expected by the Dolphins, but they got the win in the end. After a sloppy first half on both sides of the ball saw the Dolphins go down 10 at the half, Miami rallied to outscore the Jags 13-0 after the break, holding Jacksonville to 105 total yards and six first downs.
While it’s a nice come-from-behind win for Miami, you have to wonder why the offense struggled so much. After leading the NFL with an average of 5.1 yards per carry last year, the rushing game also wasn’t at its best, accruing just 81 yards on 25 carries.
At halftime, the leading rusher was Tua Tagovailoa, which isn’t sustainable.
Ultimately, Tua did his thing by throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, but he was also on the run a lot behind the line.
The defense, while much better in the second half, will need to tighten up if they are to slow down Josh Allen and Bills on Thursday night.
We will know a lot more about the Dolphins after Thursday night against a Bills team that has beaten them 11 of the last 12 times. But keep this in mind — Tagovailoa has never scored over 18.1 fantasy points vs BUF (0.32 FP per pass, essentially a 30% decline from his career average) and has been held under 14 fantasy points in three of his past four showdowns with the divisional rival.
10) New York Jets
The Jets did not get a win in Week 1 but they did get something they did not have in 2023; a healthy Aaron Rodgers at the end of the game.
A road matchup against the defending NFC Champion 49ers was always a daunting start to the season, even without Christian McCaffrey. The Jets’ offense spun its wheels at times but Rodgers looked healthy and Breece Hall should see better running lanes moving forward.
Robert Saleh’s defense was not ready for Jordan Mason smashing into the middle of its line but a matchup at the Titans in Week 2 could give the Jets an opportunity to even its record to start the season.
If Rodgers can simply provide a competent level of QB play, New York could make a deep playoff run this season. Realistically, the Jets could win their next four games (TEN, NE, DEN, MIN). If they could pull that off, they’d be chasing a fifth straight win in Week 6 against the Bills – this team hasn’t won five straight regular season games since Weeks 12-16 of 2015.
11) Green Bay Packers
While the Packers made things interesting against the Eagles in Week 1, they ultimately fell short. But the most devastating blow for the Packers was rising quarterback Jordan Love suffering an MCL injury during the game’s final seconds.
With Love reportedly sidelined for 3-6 weeks, it’s fair to wonder if the Packers will be able to win any of their upcoming games without him. Green Bay is slated to play the Colts, Titans, and Vikings over the next three weeks.
From 2014-23, the Packers won 70% of their September games (2nd best). They are 0-1 and without their starting QB for at least the short-term … they haven’t had a losing record coming out of September since 2013, the longest active streak in the NFL.
Malik Willis has made three starts (all in 2022 for the Titans) and in those games, he posted a 39.0 Passer Rating while averaging just 4.8 yards per attempt (0 TD and 3 INT). For reference, Bryce Young was the lowest graded QB in 2023 – 73.7 Passer Rating and 5.5 yards per attempt.
12) Los Angeles Rams
Despite the retirement of All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald, the Rams have loaded up on defense with a bunch of intriguing, young talent. But if Los Angeles wants to return to the postseason, they’ll need Matthew Stafford to step up.
But Stafford might be forced to do so without his favorite target from last season. Second-year wide receiver Puka Nacua suffered a knee injury and was ruled out against the Lions on Sunday night.
Luckily, former All-Pro wide receiver Cooper Kupp is fully healthy, and he looked like his old self in Week 1.
After falling short of an upset against the Lions, the Rams will look to get in the win column against the Cardinals in Week 2.
13) Cincinnati Bengals
There’s an argument to be made that the Bengals should rank lower than 13th after Week 1. The Bengals lost in embarrassing fashion against the Patriots, as Cincinnati had no answer for New England’s rushing attack.
The Patriots dominated time of possession, holding onto the football for over 35 minutes. Cincinnati’s defense watched helplessly as Rhamondre Stevenson had 25 carries for 120 rushing yards and one touchdown.
Despite the absence of Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase reportedly battling a sickness, the Bengals had more than enough talent to get the job done in Week 1.
Now, the Bengals are at risk of starting the regular season 0-2, as they’ll travel to face the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium in Week 2.
14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Many were worried that Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield would struggle following the departure of his former offensive coordinator, Dave Canales. Yet Mayfield and Tampa Bay’s offense looked just fine in Week 1.
Mayfield put together a near-perfect performance against the Commanders, completing 80% of his passes for 289 yards and four touchdowns. He also added 21 rushing yards on three carries, as well.
Only Saints quarterback Derek Carr had a higher completion percentage than Mayfield in Week 1.
The Buccaneers will face a much tougher opponent in Week 2, as they’ll travel to Detroit to play the Lions.
15) Indianapolis Colts
The Colts ultimately lost to the Texans in an AFC South shootout, 29-27, but the biggest takeaway from the game could be the arrival of Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson.
After Richardson’s rookie season was plagued by injuries, he returned with an epic performance in Week 1 against the Texans. Despite completing just nine passes, Richardson threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns.
While there is still plenty for Richardson and the Colts to clean up, the team’s battle in Week 1 was encouraging.
The Colts will travel to Green Bay to take on the Love-less Packers as each team searches for their first victory of the regular season.
16) Seattle Seahawks
The Mike Macdonald era in Seattle is officially here, as the Seahawks outlasted the Broncos in Week 1, winning 26-20.
Macdonald was brought in to help revitalize Seattle’s defense, and the Seahawks were dominant against Denver.
Seattle held Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix to just 3.3 yards per pass attempt in Week 1, the second-lowest total of any quarterback. The Seahawks also forced Nix to throw two interceptions as Macdonald’s defense took advantage of Denver’s rookie quarterback.
Week 2 will be a battle of first-year head coaches as Macdonald and the Seahawks will visit Jerod Mayo and the Patriots.
17) Jacksonville Jaguars
Come December, this is one the Jags will want back. After dominating Miami for the first half, Travis Etienne Jr. was on his way into the end zone for a dominant 24-7 lead, but he fumbled into the end zone.
The Jags had 13 total yards the rest of the way, being outscored 13-0.
Trevor Lawrence completed nine of 14 passes for 125 yards, averaging 13.8 yards per completion in the first half, picking apart the Dolphins secondary.
The second half was a different story, as Lawrence only completed three passes the rest of the game for 37 yards. The ground game was led by backup running back Tank Bigsby and his 6.1 yards per rush, and star wideout Christian Kirk was held to one catch the day.
The Jags’ defense stuffed Miami’s run game all day, but gave up the big passing plays when it mattered the most in the second half.
Jacksonville plays the Browns next Sunday, where one team will end up 0-2.
18) Pittsburgh Steelers
While many were worried about who the starting quarterback for the Steelers was going to be in Week 1, it truly didn’t matter. Pittsburgh’s defense dominated the Falcons, as Steelers’ fans took over Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
Justin Fields got the start at quarterback for the Steelers and played well. Fields was an efficient passer, completing 17 of 23 passing attempts for 156 yards while also adding 57 rushing yards.
Pittsburgh’s defense was the story of the game, though, as Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw two interceptions. T.J. Watt also recorded one sack and one forced fumble as he begins his quest for another Defensive Player of the Year Award.
The Steelers will attempt to be the next defense to terrorize the Broncos in Week 2, as they head to Denver and look to start the regular season with a 2-0 record.
19) New Orleans Saints
The Saints put together the most dominant performance of any team in Week 1. New Orleans dominated the Panthers in every facet of the game on their way to a 47-10 victory.
Saints quarterback Derek Carr looked comfortable in Klint Kubiak’s offense as he picked apart Carolina’s defense. Carr completed 82.6% of his passes against the Panthers, the highest mark among all quarterbacks in Week 1.
Despite their impressive win, Carr and the Saints will face much tougher competition in Week 2. The Saints will travel to take on the Cowboys, who also put together a dominant showing to start the regular season.
20) Chicago Bears
It looked like the same old Bears early as Chicago, even with first-round picks QB Caleb Williams and WR Rome Odunze in the lineup, put up a first-half dud and trailed 17-3 to Tennessee at the half.
The offense didn’t do much in the second half either, but they didn’t have to as Jonathan Owens returned a blocked bunt for a TD and Tyrique Stevenson had a pick-six as special teams and defense saved the day in Chicago.
The Bears became only the third team in the Super Bowl era to win a game scoring zero offensive TDs and trailing by 17. Williams became the first rookie selected No. 1 overall to win his NFL debut in 22 years.
The Bears won’t be able to win many games with zero offensive TDs, which is why they are still 20th despite winning.
But their defense will keep them in a lot of games. Chicago’s secondary made this game incredibly difficult for second-year Titans quarterback Will Levis.
Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson proved the Bears have one of the NFL’s best secondaries today. Both corners ended the game with an interception, and Stevenson returned his for Chicago’s first touchdown.
While not a part of the defensive unit, safety Jonathan Owens joined the non-offensive scoring party, returning a blocked punt 21 yards for a touchdown.
Most expected the Bears’ offense to shine in this game, but it was the defense that shined brightest on Sunday.
21) Minnesota Vikings
On one hand, the Vikings looked good on Sunday, with Sam Darnold an efficient 19 or 24 for two TDs, new RB Aaron Jones rushing for 94 yards and a score, and the defense holding the Giants to 240 total yards.
On the other hand, the opponent was the Giants. But a win is a win, and you can’t take that away, as the Vikings had a solid showing. Brian Flores’ defense looked solid all day, making Daniel Jones look like, well, Daniel Jones.
But let’s get back to Darnold. He completed his first 12 completions on the day, the most consecutive completions to open a game of his career.
One of those 12 completions was a three-yard touchdown strike to star receiver Justin Jefferson on 4th and 2, which gave the Vikings a 14-3 lead a little past the halfway point of the second quarter.
Darnold finished the first half going 13 of 14 for 151 yards and the touchdown to Jefferson. Earlier in the half, Darnold also dropped a precision pass to Jefferson for a gain of 44 yards. Jefferson finished the game with 59 yards and the score on four catches.
Head coach Kevin O’Connell asked less of Darnold and the passing game in the second half as the team nursed a significant lead and avoided mistakes that would allow the Giants back in the game.
All told, Darnold finished the game going 19 of 24 for 208 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, good for a passer rating of 113.2.
The Vikings moved up a little bit but will need to beat someone better to really move up the rankings. They host the NFC Champion 49ers next week.
22) Cleveland Browns
The Browns are lucky to have only fallen to 22nd in the rankings after a dreadful performance at home vs. Dallas.
Nothing went right for the Browns as Deshaun Watson looked terrible, completing 53% of his passes with two interceptions. All-Pro Amari Cooper only caught two balls, and the running game got nothing going.
It was ugly early as the Cowboys scored 27 consecutive points following an opening Browns FG. A loss at Jacksonville next week could send the Browns’ season out of control quickly, especially with a potential long-term injury to tight end David Njoku.
Njoku took a big hit from Cowboys linebacker Eric Kendricks after hauling in a 29-yard pass from Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson with 11:16 remaining in the third quarter.
Njoku entered the blue medical tent along Cleveland’s sideline for evaluation. He was later spotted trying to run along the sideline, but it didn’t go well.
Cleveland’s medical staff eventually helped Njoku leave the field and limp to the locker room. The Browns announced that Njoku was questionable to return with an ankle injury, but he never re-entered the game.
Unfortunately, Njolu is believed to have suffered a high-ankle sprain, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. He’ll undergo further testing on Monday to confirm the diagnosis.
High-ankle sprains are generally considered four-to-six-week injuries. Cleveland’s bye doesn’t come until Week 10 — over the next six weeks, the Browns will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, Las Vegas Raiders, Washington Commanders, Philadelphia Eagles, and Cincinnati Bengals.
23) Los Angeles Chargers
Jim Harbaugh-led teams do win football games, and that’s exactly what the Chargers did in Harbaugh’s return to the NFL.
It wasn’t pretty, but the Chargers played Michigan Big Ten football in running for 176 yards. Surprisingly, it was J.K. Dobbins with the bulk of it with 135 yards and a TD. Completing 65.4% of his passes, Justin Herbert threw for only 144 yards and 1 touchdown
The story was the defense, which only allowed 296 yards to the Raiders. A 2-0 start is possible with a trip to Carolina next week, and the Chargers offense might feast.
The Carolina offense produce just 193 total yards (average of 3.5 yards per play), scored just 10 points, and turned the ball over three times against the New Orleans Saints. In case you are wondering, those numbers helped produce a total offensive EPA of -19.14 in Week 1.
Quarterback Bryce Young showed very little progress from the struggles we saw from him last year, which makes this a favorable matchup for Khalil Mack, Joey Bosa, and Derwin James entering Week 2.
24) Atlanta Falcons
New coach, new QB, same result.
The Falcons looked listless on offense despite having Kirk Cousins under center and a new head coach, Raheem Morris, replacing Arthur Smith.
The Falcons only managed 226 yards of offense all game and were predictable out of formations, having zero designed runs out of 22 shotgun plays and running 81% of the time out pistol, per ESPN’s Stats & Info.
They are going to need to figure something out before a Monday night date with the Eagles next week. Part of that will be getting Drake London more involved.
London averaged 0.60 yards per route on Sunday. Among the 44 players who ran at least 20 routes through the 1 p.m. ET window of games, he finished 11th from the bottom in that category, alongside names like Van Jefferson, Treylon Burks, and Trenton Irwin.
However, he was also joined by higher-tier receivers like Christian Watson, Chris Olave, and Marvin Harrison Jr., as well as teammate Darnell Mooney.
That figure should improve significantly going forward. With worse offensive situations in each of the past two seasons, he averaged 2.07 and 1.87 yards per route. He also recorded 0.28 and 0.23 targets per route in those seasons; it doesn’t seem likely that his three targets on 25 routes this Sunday will become anything close to his new standard as he’s still the top receiver in Atlanta.
25) Arizona Cardinals
One of the more impressive teams in a loss this week was the Cardinals, who went toe-to-toe as a TD underdog against the Bills.
The Cardinals picked up where they left off last year upon Kyler Murray’s return, amassing 17 first-half points before the Josh Allen show happened.
There is a lot to like about what the Cardinals are doing, and you can expect them to be in the fight each week, especially if they can get Marvin Harrison Jr. going.
Through one half of football, the Cardinals had been effective (17 points on four drives) against the Buffalo Bills, but Harrison had nearly as many targets (three) as yards (four).
Despite the Cardinals finishing with 28 points, Harrison did not see another target. He finished with a stat line of three targets, one reception, four years, and 1.4 fantasy points in PPR scoring.
The silver lining is that Harrison was at least fourth in targets and second only to Dortch at WR. It is tough to know how this will shape up, but talent usually wins through in these situations, and Harrison has plenty of that.
26) Las Vegas Raiders
With the Raiders down by six late in the fourth quarter, they had the ball in Chargers territory and fourth-short-coming up. Head coach Antonio Pierce made the decision to try and pin the Los Angeles near their own end zone with a punt.
Justin Herbert and the Chargers made the Raiders regret that decision as they marched down the field and made it a 12-point advantage, essentially putting the game out of reach.
The Raiders have offensive (Davante Adams, Brock Bowers) and defensive (Maxx Crosby, Christian Wilkins) weapons, but with Gardner Minshew at QB, they cannot afford missed opportunities like this. To his credit, Minshew racked up over 250 yards passing but was picked off once and was sacked four times.
There are also questions at running back and who the lead back will be. In Week 1, Alexander Mattison out-snapped White 60%-38%. Mattison scored the Raiders’ lone touchdown and ran 24 routes to White’s 10.
The Raiders have some things to figure out, and they could be looking at an 0-2 start with a trip to Baltimore on deck in Week 2.
27) New England Patriots
The Jerod Mayo era began with a wire-to-wire victory at Paycor Stadium, as the Patriots controlled the line of scrimmage and earned a 16-10 victory over a projected Super Bowl contender.
Brissett did just enough in a professional effort, and Rhamondre Stevenson starred with 25 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown.
But the story of the day was the Patriots’ defense, which limited the Bengals to just 224 yards and 13 first downs. New England’s offense was better in both categories, finishing with 290 yards and 17 first downs.
Burrow completed 21 of 29 passes for 164 yards, 62 of which were delivered by Chase. Running back Zack Moss contributed Cincinnati’s only touchdown.
The Patriots also forced two turnovers and, perhaps most importantly, committed just five penalties. Remarkably, the much-maligned offensive line was flagged for just one procedural penalty, a false start from Vederian Lowe.
But we have to keep in mind that even though Joe Burrow is back and fully healthy, he was missing Tee Higgins, while Ja’Marr Chase only got six targets (only one deep ball chance) after missing much of the preseason due to a contract dispute.
Additionally, the Bengals have been notoriously slow starters, going just 1-10 in Weeks 1 and 2 under head coach Zac Taylor.
Meanwhile, Jacoby Brissett showed why he was able to hold off Drake Maye for QB1 in Foxboro, and RB Rhamondre Stevenson returned to his 2022 form with 25 rushes, 120 yards, and a touchdown.
The Patriots will have a chance at a 2-0 start in a battle of defensive-minded first-year head coaches at Gillette Stadium when the Seahawks come to town.
28) Tennessee Titans
It was a tale of two halves for the Titans against the Bears.
At the break, Tennessee led 17-3 and seemed to be clicking on all cylinders in the Windy Cindy.
New addition Tony Pollard scored on a 26-yard scamper, and Will Levis threw a dot to Chigoziem Okonkwo for his first score of the year.
The Titans’ defense also made life tough on Caleb Williams in his NFL debut, as he failed to reach 100 yards passing and was sacked twice. Jeffery Simmons and T’Vondre Sweat made it a tough day for center Coleman Shelton specifically, as Williams had pressure in his face nearly all game.
It didn’t matter, however, as Chicago’s defense and special teams took over, with each scoring a touchdown while blanking Tennessee in the second half.
Under first-year head coach Brian Callahan, the Titans will need to learn how to keep the pedal down. And despite having their home opener in Week 2, things could prove difficult with the Titans facing a staunch Jets defense at Nissan Stadium.
29) Denver Broncos
There was good and bad for the Broncos in Seattle on Sunday.
The defense looked much improved for Sean Payton, holding Geno Smith to just 158 yards and picking him once. They also sacked Smith twice and forced a fumble.
The bad was on the offensive side of the ball.
The Broncos could not get the ground game going as they were held under 100 total yards, and we were led on the ground by rookie QB Bo Nix (who did score a rushing TD late). Nix threw the ball 42 times but completed 26 passes for just 138 yards and was picked off twice.
Of the 28 quarterbacks to play through Sunday late afternoon in Week 1, Nix ranked second-to-last in yards per attempt. Nix averaged just 3.3 yards per attempt as the Broncos fell 26-20 to the Seattle Seahawks.
Nix struggled to push the ball down the field against the Seahawks’ secondary, which intercepted him twice. Nix’s 47.5 passer rating was third-to-last ahead of Sunday Night Football.
A Heisman Trophy finalist in 2023, Nix made up for his lack of explosive passing with 35 rushing yards and a touchdown on five carries. The Broncos are hoping Nix can ignite an offense that has been dormant and bland for seven straight losing seasons.
Sunday’s performance, though, didn’t offer the promise that he’s going to be able to do that any time soon.
The rushing attack, which featured Javonte Williams, Jaleel McLaughlin, and Audric Estime, needs to get going in Week 2 for the home opener in Denver, and Nix needs help to settle back in the pocket.
It won’t be easy as Mike Tomlin and a Steelers defense that just held Atlanta to just 10 points comes to Mile High.
30) Washington Commanders
Washington doesn’t have a win, may struggle with inconsistency all season, and may have too many secondary problems to overcome this season. But they do have a quarterback.
Jayden Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick this year, did not back down in his first career start and accounted for two touchdowns while leading the Commanders in rushing while posting a 93.1 passer rating.
He completed 17 of 24 passes and did not throw an interception while racking up 88 yards on the ground and 184 through the air. What Daniels needs to clean up immediately is ball security.
Daniels, who was ranked first in PFN’s Rookie QB Rankings after Week 1, performed admirably. He finished with the highest yards per attempt among the three rookie quarterbacks on Sunday at 7.7 YPA and he was 17th overall in that category through Sunday’s late afternoon games.
Sometimes, with a rookie quarterback, the game plan can be simple and somewhat limited. Checkdowns and getting easy completions can be prevalent in those game plans. But Commanders head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury let Daniels sling it down the field on Sunday.
While the result on the scoreboard may not have been what Daniels and the Commanders were hoping for, the fact that he averaged almost 8 yards per attempt is promising moving forward.
Washington will be able to run the ball with Daniels, Brian Robinson Jr., and Austin Ekeler, but it needs to figure out how to get Terry McLaurin involved earlier. He did not record a catch until the second half and finished with just two receptions for 18 yards.
Despite giving up 37 points to the Buccaneers on Sunday, the Commanders could be favorites in their home opener next week with the much-maligned Giants coming to the Nation’s Capital.
31) New York Giants
Simply put, there were reasons Giants fans were burning Daniel Jones jerseys in the parking lot after Sunday’s game in the Meadowlands.
With an improved offensive line, a true No. 1 receiver in Malik Nabers, and in spite of losing Saquon Barkley, the Giants put forth optimism that Jones could show why he was drafted No. 6 overall. That did not happen in Week 1.
Jones struggled on 42 attempts with just 186 yards and two interceptions while getting sacked five times. Completing 22 passes, his average depth of target was just 3.8 yards. Nabers played his role with 66 yards and five catches on seven targets, but New York could not get in gear with only two field goals despite running 68 total plays.
Due to that low completion rate, paired with the modest depth of each throw, Jones recorded just 186 yards but still threw a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
With a passer rating of 44.3, it was the third-worst game of Jones’ career by that metric. It was also his third-worst game in terms of first downs recorded per pass attempt. All of this was despite the Vikings leading big for more or less the entire game, which should have led to a favorable game script for big passing numbers.
Perhaps most troublingly, Jones saw the second-lowest blitz rate (at 10.3%) he has ever faced in any game of his career, and the third-lowest of any quarterback through the 1 p.m. slot of Week 1. The Vikings’ defense knocked down six passes in the game, but Jones’ poor decisions made them easy knocks.
Big Blue has an NFC East matchup in Week 2 as they head down to Washington to take on Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.
32) Carolina Panthers
With a new head coach who was a quarterback whisperer for Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, there was hope that Dave Canales could work wonders for second-year quarterback and former No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. While that may eventually be true, it did not show in the Panthers’ season opener.
Young, who had a 10.7 QBR and 32.8 passer rating against the Saints, went just 13-of-30 with two picks and four sacks.
Carolina struggled to get anything going while playing from behind and failed to total 200 yards of total offense. Playing in New Orleans is never easy but the Panthers certainly made it easy on the Saints as they gave up 47 points in Week 1.
The Panthers have their home opener in Week 2 as Justin Herbert and the Chargers come to town. But the news got worse on Monday with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown suffering a potentially season-ending knee injury, according to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Pelissero noted that the meniscus injury will require surgery, which will determine the exact timeline of how long Brown will be out.
Is there anything worse than rock bottom?