Week One NFL Power Rankings

Date: September 16, 2017

32. Indianapolis Colts- It was a well-known fact that without Andrew Luck, the Colts were going to be a mess on the offensive side of the ball. Sunday was a disaster for Scott Tolzien, who had two interceptions returned for touchdowns, and created a quarterback controversy in Week One. Don't be surprised if you see Jacoby Brissett starting for the Colts come Sunday. Pair the quarterback mess with a ghostly secondary, and you have the worst team in the NFL.

31. Houston Texans- Even J.J Watt, with a heart the size of Texas, could not stop a young, rabid Jaguars team on Sunday. The offensive line proved to be paper thin, allowing 10 sacks on the day. Head Coach Bill O'Brien will also have to decide between Tom Savage, who he pulled in the third quarter Sunday, and Deshaun Watson, who threw for the team's only touchdown but turned the ball over twice.

31. New York Jets- With Matt Forte and Bilal Powell, the Jets were supposed to have an efficient run game. They were anything but efficient, with Forte and Powell combining for 38 total yards on the ground. The run defense, thought to be strong even without Sheldon Richardson, allowed 190 yards. Could the Jets end up being worse than predicted? Maybe the team will fare better when Josh McCown doesn't throw near his age (38) in pass attempts (39), and have more than 15 rushing attempts as a team.

29. San Francisco 49ers- There were positives in Sunday's loss to the Panthers for the 49ers. Jacquiski Tartt was a monster at the safety position, recording seven tackles and making a ridiculous one-handed interception near the end zone off of Cam Newton. If there was more of a pass rush, they might have held the Panthers to even less than they did. While defense may not be a large concern, the offense should be. They were held to three points Sunday, showing their lack of explosiveness on the offensive side of the ball. Brian Hoyer was unspectacular at quarterback, throwing for 196 yards and an interception. Next week should be challenging against the division rival Seattle Seahawks, who boast one of the most talented defenses in the NFL.

28. Cincinnati Bengals- Perhaps no one in the entire league played worse than Andy Dalton on Sunday. He single handedly had more turnovers than any other team did on Sunday. Four interceptions and a lost fumble for Dalton played a huge part in their shutout loss to the Ravens.

27. Buffalo Bills- The lowest ranked winner from this week, the Bills come off of a win over the lowly Jets. While their defense played solidly, their opponent didn't exactly offer much in terms of an offensive threat. Micah Hyde and Jordan Poyer each contributed an interception, while Ramon Humber recorded 12 sacks. Their running game was the best in the league on Sunday, with LeSean McCoy rushing for 110 yards. Before the Bills move up on the list, they need to prove their worth against a higher level team. They'll have their opportunity on Sunday against the Panthers.

26. Chicago Bears- Going against the NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons, the Bears held their own. Mike Glennon was solid with 213 yards passing and a touchdown in the loss. Possibly one of the most intriguing pieces for the Bears exposed himself this past weekend. Tarik Cohen, their fourth round pick, proved to be a threat both on the ground and in the air. Cohen had 66 rushing yards, paired with 47 yards receiving. The Bears need to improve their passing defense, as Matt Ryan torched them for 306 yards.

25. Cleveland Browns- Fans of the Browns have reasons to get excited again. They are the youngest NFL team, and they held up against a veteran Steelers team that is loaded with offensive talent. DeShone Kizer was solid a quarterback, throwing for 222 yards and a touchdown despite being sacked seven times. If the secondary grows, especially Jabrill Peppers, the Browns have the potential to make some noise.

24. Arizona Cardinals- Is Carson Palmer's age finally catching up to him? Or did the injury to David Johnson force him to make more throws than necessary. Either way, things are looking rough for the Cardinals, with a wrist injury holding him out for 2-3 months. Palmer's performance should bounce back next week though, as he takes on a weak Colts secondary.

23. Washington Redskins- Against the Eagles, the Redskins didn't play badly. Kirk Cousins went back to his gun-slinging ways, passing for 240 yards and a touchdown. He seemed to not be connected with his new target, Terrelle Pryor Sr. They connected on six of eleven passes, but missed a big play in the first quarter. Cousins needs to be more accurate with his passes if the Redskins want a more effective passing game.

22. Tennessee Titans- A 256-yard passing performance from Marcus Mariota was not enough to compete with a talented Oakland Raiders team. While Mariota didn't throw an interception, he also didn't throw a touchdown. If he wants to turn the corner and become an elite quarterback, he needs to start taking risks and throwing more touchdowns.

21. Miami Dolphins- The Dolphins didn't get to play in Week One due to Hurricane Irma. The situation is desperate on offense though, with Jay Cutler at quarterback and underrated wide receiver Jarvis Landry possibly facing suspension. Uncertainty looms for the Dolphins ahead of their game against the Chargers.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars- A hungry defense debuted for the Jaguars, recording 10 sacks against Houston. Led by Myles Jack, there were five players with at least six tackles for Jacksonville. Blake Bortles played respectably, while Leonard Fournette rushed for 100 yards in his first career game. The Jaguars will play the Titans next, where they will look to bring the same heat to a more formidable opponent.

19. New Orleans Saints- Opening the season in Minnesota seemed like the perfect opportunity for Adrian Peterson to get his toes wet in a Saints uniform. Instead, he only touched the ball six times against his former team, becoming a non-factor. In addition to an unbalanced game plan, the secondary got torched by Sam Bradford. There are a lot of questions left unanswered in New Orleans, and they need to be answered fast if the Saints want a fighting chance.

18. Los Angeles Chargers- One thing they did well against the Broncos was make the most off of turnovers. They turned both second half turnovers into touchdowns, which made it a close game. Phillip Rivers threw for three touchdowns on the night, but it wasn't enough. With a field goal attempt blocked at the last second of the game, the Chargers were left with nothing to show for a strong comeback effort.

17. Baltimore Ravens- The defensive performance is can be looked at two different ways. Either the Ravens had a really strong game, or Dalton had the worst possible game as a quarterback for the Bengals. While the Ravens defense is good, a lot of their production came from mistakes made by Dalton. On offense, Joe Flacco only completed nine passes, which is a low number even for him. Had the Bengals offense been somewhat competent, we are looking at a much closer game.

16. Carolina Panthers- Christian McCaffrey debuted for the Panthers, and despite fumbling, should be a nice compliment to Jonathan Stewart. Cam Newton had two touchdown passes, but is listed as questionable for next week with a shoulder injury. For what some call a "Work in Progress" defense, they played phenomenally. If they continue their strong play, we are looking at a different Panthers team than last season.

15. Los Angeles Rams- If the Rams put a beat down on any other team like they did against the Colts, they would most likely be higher on the list. But because it was the Colts, you need to be precautious. The Rams are an exciting young team. Jared Goff, Jalen Ramsey, and Aaron Donald make for an entertaining team to watch. Put the team against an elite defense though, and a different outcome may happen. Keep an eye on the Rams though, as they could be a youthful threat this season.

14. Denver Broncos- The Broncos narrowly escaped Monday night with a win against the Chargers. In the second half, the Broncos made several critical turnovers in the game; an interception from Trevor Siemian and a fumble by Jamaal Charles put the Chargers back in the game. If it weren't for Shelby Harris's field goal block with one second remaining, we might be talking about how the Broncos blew the game. They need to clean up to be able to hold onto leads late in games.

13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- The Buccaneers are a challenge to rate due to the fact that they did not play this weekend. Many analysts are looking for this to be the breakout season for Jameis Winston, and a talented defense looks to provide some upside for a team that hasn't made the playoffs since 2007.

12. Philadelphia Eagles- Carson Wentz is out to prove that his rookie season was simply a fluke. Based on his game against the Redskins, he's doing a good job of that. He threw for two touchdowns and had a 66% completion rating. It also helps that he now has some receivers to throw to, including a much improved Nelson Agholor. There is still concerns with that suspect secondary though, as they had several players blow coverage.

11. Detroit Lions- Matthew Stafford proved why he received the contract he did this offseason. Again, the quarterback delivered with four touchdowns to defeat the Arizona Cardinals. Jim Bob Cooter's offense was relentless after a slow start. A strong showing from their linebackers and secondary contributed to holding Arizona to 23 points.

10. New York Giants- If you didn't know the value of Odell Beckham Jr. to the Giants, watch some film from the game against the Cowboys. Without Beckham, the Giants offense had no life to it. Brandon Marshall was absent in his first game, and the running game was lackluster as usual. As expected, the defense was the strong point for the Giants, and both Damon Harrison and Landon Collins were major contributors to holding the Cowboys to one touchdown.

9. Minnesota Vikings- Dalvin Cook and Sam Bradford were an elite one two punch on Monday, tearing holes into the Saints defense. Bradford lead the NFL in QBR for week one, while Dalvin Cook introduced himself to the NFL with 127 rushing yards. Don't forget that these numbers were put up against a suspect defense, and that they only won by 10. The defense gave up nearly six yards per play. If they can trim that number down, expect the Vikings to have continued success.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers- It seems that the Steelers have a defensive difference maker in T.J Watt. Watt recorded seven tackles, two sacks, and an interception in his debut. While he produced soundly on defense, Ben Roethlisberger threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns on offense. Against the Browns though, you'd expect the margin of victory to be larger than three points. LeVeon Bell was like a ghost in the game, barely contributing with 32 rushing yards.

7. Dallas Cowboys- The fact that Ezekiel Elliot was allowed to play helped the Cowboys significantly in their victory over the Giants. They played possession, which is their strong game, perfectly. They controlled the ball for over 34 minutes of the game, not allowing the Giants offense to do anything significant. The offense could have capitalized on their opportunities more though, as they were forced to kick four field goals in the win. Look for them to make the most of their opportunities this coming Sunday.

6. Seattle Seahawks- Going into the season, many experts were convinced that the Seahawks defense would be enough to carry the team to success. The strong defense casted a shadow over the weak offensive line and lack of tools that the Seahawks have on offense. That shadow was lifted Sunday, as the Packers defense limited them to three field goals on offense. While having an elite defense is awesome, it would benefit the Seahawks to try to add pieces on offense to get better.

5. New England Patriots- Is it time to panic yet in Foxboro? A blowout loss to the Chiefs at your home opener certainly hurts, but most definitely spell the end. Maybe Tom Brady wasn't at his best, or the defense couldn't stop anything that the Chiefs threw at them, but this isn't the first time that the Patriots have opened like this. In fact, the last time the Patriots started 0-1, they became Super Bowl Champions. Don't expect to see Brady throw 20 incomplete passes again. What you can expect is a more concentrated defensive effort, as undoubtedly Matt Patricia went back to the drawing board after the loss.

4. Kansas City Chiefs- All hail Alex Smith. After hearing all offseason about how Patrick Mahomes was going to steal his job, Smith went into the season opener and smashed the Patriot defense. He and rookie Kareem Hunt came in like wrecking balls and ruined the party for the celebrating Patriots fans. Eric Berry suffered a season ending Achilles injury though, which puts a hole in the Chiefs secondary. It will be fascinating to see how they progress moving forward, and how big of a role it will play.

3. Atlanta Falcons- The Falcons looked shaky on Sunday, nearly dropping one to the Chicago Bears. They pulled out the victory in the end, which is what really matters in the end. Matt Ryan was a wizard, largely carrying the offense on his shoulders and throwing for 306 yards to six different targets. They played average defense, which will need to change for their next opponents, the Green Bay Packers.

2. Oakland Raiders- Beast Mode is alive as ever in Oakland. Against the Titans, the offense for the Raiders looked like a well-oiled machine. Marshawn Lynch bullied his way through defenders, setting up passing plays for Derek Carr. The defense was mean as usual, allowing only 16 points to a fast paced Titan's offense. With a finely tuned offense and strong defense led by Khalil Mack, the Jets should not be a problem for the Raiders come Sunday.

1. Green Bay Packers- Defeating the Seahawks on Sunday proved many things for the Packers. It showed that Aaron Rodgers can and will dissect any defense that gets thrown his way. His chemistry with Jordy Nelson can hardly be found between any other quarter back-wide receiver duo in the league. It also showed that their defense is capable of stopping players like Russell Wilson and Jimmy Graham, as they tore through the offensive line of the Seahawks and rendered the offense incapable of producing anything besides a field goal. These Packers mean business.

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