Monday overreaction is always one of the great things about the opening week of the NFL season.
But let’s be clear: One week doesn’t make a team – one way or another. Still, it is inevitable that there will be overreactions until the ball kicks off a second time for all 32 teams.
For example, the Miami Dolphins score 600 points. The Dallas Cowboys will set an NFL team sack record. The San Francisco 49ers remain undefeated. The Kansas City Chiefs are ordinary. The Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals are finished, their quarterbacks are suddenly completely normal. The Detroit Lions are real. The Cleveland Browns defense is the best since the Browns’ dynasty in the 1950s.
It just keeps going and it won’t stop until week 2 is over.
Here’s the reality: We won’t know enough about any of these NFL teams until the first week of October. Until then, everything is just a piece of the puzzle.
It’s great if your team is off to a fast start, but don’t panic if your team doesn’t get off to a good start. The Bengals lost terribly to the Browns, but they’ll be fine. The bills will be fine too. The Seattle Seahawks won’t be as bad as they looked in their loss to the Los Angeles Rams. One overreaction that could be real is that the New York Jets may be out with Aaron Rodgers out this year with a torn Achilles tendon.
With overreactions in mind, week two power rankings are always a challenge. The San Francisco 49ers, my pick to win it all, moved to the top after beating the Steelers on the road. The 49ers are the most complete team in the league, and it showed on Sunday.
The Philadelphia Eagles remain in second place after a mediocre win at New England. The Kansas City Chiefs fall to fifth place, but not so much because they had to play without Travis Kelce in the loss to the Lions. That counts. The Lions are 10. Go ahead and complain.
It’s only a week. That’s it. Good or bad. So let’s stop overreacting. We won’t really know much until October.
Biggest movers
Rk | teams | Change | Rcrd |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 4 | 1-0-0 | |
They were the most dominant team on opening day. The defense appeared to have 13 players on the field against the Steelers. The offense also showed. Brock Purdy is just fine. | |||
2 | — | 1-0-0 | |
It wasn’t pretty against the Patriots, especially on offense. That will change as they play more, starting Thursday against the Vikings. | |||
3 | 3 | 1-0-0 | |
Even on a day when they didn’t look great on offense, they scored 31 points. This is the sign of a special forces unit. They need to be better this week against the Chiefs. | |||
4 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
Without Travis Kelce in the lineup, the offense struggled against the Lions. He should be back this week against the Jaguars. The defense played well at the start of the season and now they get Chris Jones back. | |||
5 | 5 | 1-0-0 | |
They dominated the Giants on Sunday night. The defense, especially up front, was stifling. The pass rush is elite. | |||
6 | 2 | 1-0-0 | |
The new-look offense wasn’t quite as dominant as some expected in the first game against the Texans, but it did do some good things. Losing running back JK Dobbins to a torn Achilles tendon is a huge blow. | |||
7 | 2 | 1-0-0 | |
The defense suffocated against the Bengals, which is a good sign. The offense wasn’t great, but it could withstand the elements. | |||
8th | 3 | 1-0-0 | |
Tua Tagovailoa was special against the Chargers, throwing for 457 yards. The defense had some problems, but they can be solved, and with this type of offense that might not matter. | |||
9 | 5 | 1-0-0 | |
So much for the idea that this team would fall way behind with Jordan Love. He played well in the win against the Bears, but the defense also shined. | |||
10 | 5 | 1-0-0 | |
Winning in Kansas City is a big moment for this young team. This is a message to the league that the hype could be real. | |||
11 | 4 | 1-0-0 | |
With Aaron Rodgers out for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, will the Jets call on a veteran? Matt Ryan still wants to play. | |||
12 | 9 | 0-1-0 | |
That was a terrible loss to the Jets. The loss of this game was inexcusable after Aaron Rodgers went down. Josh Allen needs to stop forcing the ball. | |||
13 | 9 | 0-1-0 | |
What was that against the Browns? Joe Burrow looked lost. So much for the idea that he didn’t need the preseason. | |||
14 | 1 | 1-0-0 | |
Sam Howell had some difficult moments against the Cardinals, but he did enough to earn a close win. This offensive line had some major issues. | |||
15 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
The defense was devastated in the loss to the Dolphins, especially the pass defense. Where was the pass rush? This unit needs to get better. | |||
16 | 3 | 1-0-0 | |
Derek Carr looked good in his first start for the Saints. The defense played even better and dominated the Titans offense. | |||
17 | 3 | 1-0-0 | |
Winning away from home against the Vikings is a good start to the season. Baker Mayfield has done some good things. | |||
18 | 2 | 0-1-0 | |
The loss to the 49ers on Day 1 was as bad a performance as any team in Week 1. They looked terrible, but it’s just one game. | |||
19 | 9 | 1-0-0 | |
They ran the ball and played good defense to defeat the Panthers. The defense’s dominant performance was somewhat surprising, but now they face a tougher challenge in the Packers. | |||
20 | 11 | 1-0-0 | |
Praise Sean McVay for leading his young team to a surprise away win in Seattle. The defense played well. | |||
21 | 4 | 0-1-0 | |
A home loss to the Rams is not the right way to start the season. Geno Smith hasn’t played well, which is a concern. | |||
22 | 4 | 0-1-0 | |
They looked terrible when they were thrown out by the Cowboys. The offensive line was overwhelmed all night, which is a concern. | |||
23 | 1 | 0-1-0 | |
Ryan Tannehill had a tough time against the Saints with three picks. This must be a cause for concern in future new crimes. | |||
24 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
They gave it their all three times in the loss to Tampa Bay, which isn’t a great way to start the season. Now they travel to Philadelphia to play the Eagles on a short week, which presents a challenge. | |||
25 | 4 | 1-0-0 | |
It wasn’t pretty against Denver, but they found a way to take the game away with a late game drive. The defense gave up some yards but only 16 points. | |||
26 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
Russell Wilson played a lot of passes, but the ball didn’t end up in the field sufficiently. That needs to change. | |||
27 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
The defense did some good things against the Eagles, but it took a while for the offense to get going. They recovered from a 16-0 deficit early and turned it into a game that showed some fight. | |||
28 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
Bryce Young had a rookie appearance in his first NFL start, which he lost to the Falcons. That’s to be expected, but he needs to get better every week. | |||
29 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
Anthony Richardson flashed at times in his first start, but there was too much inconsistency and he held the ball too long. He was also beaten late. | |||
30 | 3 | 0-1-0 | |
The offensive performance wasn’t good, but the defense was even worse. So much for the idea of this team taking a step forward. | |||
31 | 1 | 0-1-0 | |
It’s going to be a long season if CJ Stroud plays like he did against the Ravens. But does anyone expect this team to do much this year? | |||
32 | — | 0-1-0 | |
They competed against Washington, which is a good sign. They had their chances to win, which might mean the tank discussion is a bit premature. | |||