NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Lions crack top three, Cowboys on the rise; Bengals and Browns plummet

Xavier Worthy had a brilliant debut, bringing the big play back to Kansas City’s offense, and Rashee Rice had one of his best games as a pro. There’s plenty of room for improvement, but the Chiefs should be getting Marquise “Hollywood” Brown back from a shoulder injury in the next few weeks, and the Ravens will be one of their tougher matchups all season. K.C.’s defense held Baltimore to 10 points through three quarters but also benefited from a lot of self-inflicted errors from the Ravens. Still, the champs remain the champs, and you better believe they’ll get up for the Bengals coming to town, even after Cincinnati’s shocking loss to the Patriots at home.

Christian McCaffrey (calf/Achilles) sat this one out. His backup, Jordan Mason, ran for a career-high 147 yards, more than doubling his previous best. Mind you, two of the 49ers’ stars, Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams, didn’t have the benefit of training camp due to contract disputes and clearly were still gearing up. (Williams hit the locker room at one point in the fourth quarter to receive IV fluids, according to the ESPN broadcast.) Yet all the Niners did was carve away at a supposedly stout Jets defense for most of Monday night’s contest, to the tune of 32 points, scoring on eight straight drives. The only mild disappointment was settling for six field goals, but Kyle Shanahan coached a gem of a game. He pounded those inside runs with Mason and kept the Jets off balance with his substitutions. Death by papercuts. Now imagine what this team can do at full strength.

The Lions won in a playoff-like atmosphere against a Rams team they barely put away in the playoffs eight months ago. It was not the explosive offensive performance we’ve come to expect from Detroit, but it was an impressive show of toughness and will nonetheless. I say it’s a good thing and a sign of relative growth that Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown can have the kinds of performances they did and the Lions can still win. The Jameson Williams breakout was a terrific development, and the run game closed it out. But that also doesn’t mean the secondary questions on defense have suddenly gone away. Matthew Stafford kinda gutted that group for stretches. First-round CB Terrion Arnold was up against it all night. The Lions are real, but they remain imperfect. 

Brazil was a great stage for two new Eagles, Saquon Barkley and Zack Baun. Barkley has had a three-TD game before, but this was about as good a debut as you could have expected to see. A gorgeous touchdown grab. Hard, instinctive running. You just hope he can stay reasonably healthy for the duration of the season. But with Baun, it was a truly surprising showing, considering he’s playing a new position: off-ball linebacker. OK, Baun did some of that in New Orleans, but his 15-tackle, two-sack performance displayed that new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s instincts on Baun fully changing roles proved correct. So, between Fangio and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, plus Baun and Barkley, it was a great first game for four new Eagles.

Yes, one toe might have been the difference between an opening-game win and a loss, with John Harbaugh prepared to end it with a two-point try, but the Ravens had to have walked away from Thursday’s game thinking they have a lot to clean up. The mini-bye will help, but all three units had some real yuck to them. Lamar Jackson was brilliant but also made some costly mistakes. Derrick Henry had a quiet game after the first drive. Zach Orr’s defense had some operational mistakes, with blown coverages (the final Xavier Worthy TD), communication errors (burning two timeouts because of substitution mix-ups) and failures to adjust (to the same Rashee Rice slant over and over). Yet, it was an extremely un-Ravens-like game, and they still almost won on the road. Hence them not falling too far.

C.J. Stroud was sacked four times, the defense gave up an unseemly 7.0 yards per play and the special teams allowed a blocked punt deep in its own territory that led to a Colts touchdown. That’s what I disliked. What I liked was Stroud picking up where he left off, Nico Collins and Stefon Diggs coming up with some huge catches and Joe Mixon turning in his best rushing total (159 yards) since 2021 in his Texans debut. Mixon looked as spry as I can remember, or perhaps he’s just an ideal fit in this offense. It’s fair to wonder how much that will sustain, but this is a dangerous attack when Stroud has time to operate. Defensively, though, some of the same concerns from 2023 continue to linger. Whether that part of the team improves could be the difference between good and great this season.

The Cardinals controlled the clock for about 20 of the first 27-plus minutes and led 17-3, leaving the fans at Highmark Stadium shocked, but it was mana for the folks who had been predicting the Bills’ demise all summer. Then with bookend TD drives on both sides of halftime, Buffalo tied the game and seized control of it — and it would have been more one-sided in the second half had the Bills not allowed a 96-yard kickoff return and two-point conversion midway through the fourth quarter. I realize this sounds like rationalizing, but Buffalo found a way to overpower Arizona in the end the way we’d expect a quality team to after a slow start to a game. Now, Thursday night against the Dolphins will be another matter entirely. Greg Rousseau’s big game gives hope for the pass rush, but the Bills’ secondary feels incomplete right now.

I don’t know if you could have drawn up a much better game script for the Cowboys than what transpired in Cleveland, everything considered. CeeDee Lamb only needed a handful of practices to make his impact felt against some of the better cornerbacks in the NFL. Dak Prescott earned a new mega-contract before the game and played a strong first half before the Cowboys went to clock-draining measures. Dallas’ defense pressured Deshaun Watson for four quarters in DC Mike Zimmer’s return and held the Browns to six three-and-outs, an interception and a field goal in their first eight possessions. Even the special teams came up big, as Brandon Aubrey was 4-for-4 on field goals, including makes from 50 and 57 yards, and my guy KaVontae Turpin had a 60-yard punt-return TD to turn the lights out in the first game of the Huntington Bank Field era. Mike McCarthy and Jerry Jones (with the CeeDee and Dak deals done) have to feel a lot better about the entire operation now.

The run game was non-existent most of Sunday, and the Dolphins left a lot of points on the board with two turnovers on downs and a missed field goal. But Tyreek Hill streaked to the end zone on an 80-yard score following the game-changing forced fumble by Jevón Holland just before Travis Etienne was about to score. That 14-point swing and two Jason Sanders field goals, atoning for the earlier miss, were enough to get out alive against the Jags. De’Von Achane might not have done much on the ground, but his work as a receiver (seven catches for 76 yards) shows he’s expanding his game. I’m still bullish for now.

Is this a repeat of 2023? Bengals fans have to fear that playing out again, as they were held completely in check offensively in Week 1 for a second straight season amid high expectations. It wasn’t a great day for an offense that sets the bar pretty darned high, but even the defense couldn’t get enough big stops against a Patriots unit that didn’t have a single 20-yard gain. I can’t quite figure out why Zac Taylor opted to punt the ball to New England with just over two minutes left, even with the two-minute warning and three timeouts. Punting meant Taylor thought the Bengals could stuff the Patriots’ run game, and that just didn’t happen. An ugly start to the season, but not a season killer. After all, remember how the 2022 season started: with Joe Burrow throwing four picks and losing to Mitchell Trubisky. That team ended up in the AFC Championship Game.

Jordan Love‘s injury in Brazil could have been a lot worse than it was, but it’s still a significant blow for this young team. The schedule is semi-manageable during the 3-to-6-week period he’s expected to miss, but the QB2 situation is less than ideal with Malik Willis and Sean Clifford as the two options they have at the position. Willis, acquired from the Titans a couple weeks ago, apparently will get a chance to prove himself as the starter. But it’s hard not to be frightened about the road ahead. There is a lot on Willis’ plate as he prepares for the Colts in Week 2. The Packers have to find a way to hang on until Love returns.

Ye of little faith, chiding me on social media for my unbridled belief in Jim Harbaugh and the new-blood Chargers! (Don’t worry — your chances to roast me come further down.) Get used to this kind of final score — 22-10 — because I think this is how the Chargers are going to try to (and likely have to) win games this season. The 10 part — as in the work the defense did — is a nice change of pace in Chargers country after last season, although the Raiders and their lackluster offense were part of that equation. There’s still some tidying needed in the Bolts’ secondary, and I fear the lack of weapons for Justin Herbert, but the encouraging debut of J.K. Dobbins and a hard-earned win made for a solid launching pad for the Harbaugh era.

I forgot how much I missed watching Aaron Rodgers throw the football. It’s been nearly two years of more drama than actual play, and after the sloppy start, that third drive was exactly how the Jets’ offense can thrive this season. The moment Rodgers was back back, though, was when he got Leonard Floyd — the guy whose tackle tore Rodgers’ Achilles last year — to jump offsides before hitting Allen Lazard for the freebie TD. There were a few vintage Rodgers moments on Monday, but the Jets’ defense was a big disappointment. After the opening three-and-out, the Christian McCaffrey-less 49ers scored on the next eight possessions. Eight! The Jets had a great defense much of last season, but that included a few clunker performances. Gang Green has to hope that’s what Monday was, against one of the league’s better offenses (even without CMC).

The Rams suffered some major setbacks on offense against the Lions, losing WR Puka Nacua and OLs Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila during the game — and this was when they were already playing without their top two tackles. What a gutsy performance, especially during the final few drives, from Matthew Stafford. He nearly pulled it off in Detroit, coming up just short (again). That, along with some growth on defense, made it a mostly encouraging performance, but the aftermath — the injuries — could be troubling for the long term.

It says something about the health of a team that it can come back from down 17 to win a game without an offensive touchdown. Caleb Williams struggled with his touch when he attacked vertically and also got himself in trouble with his pocket feel. But he didn’t turn the ball over, and the Bears won, making Williams only the fourth rookie No. 1 pick QB to win in Week 1 — and one of them was John Elway, who was 1-for-8 passing for 14 yards and a pick in his win. Williams wasn’t that bad. There were little flashes here and there, but it must be a lot cleaner of an offensive operation when Chicago locks horns with Houston this coming Sunday night. The Bears’ defense was spectacular against the Titans when it had to be, but dealing with C.J. Stroud and Co. is a much different challenge.

New offensive coordinator Liam Coen had the Midas touch in his first game, as Baker Mayfield and his receivers were simpatico all afternoon against Washington. Mike Evans hauled in two touchdown catches, with a revitalized Chris Godwin and rookie Jalen McMillan each snagging one of their own. That the performance came against the Commanders and their rebuilding defense must be noted, and it wasn’t pristine all around. RBs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving combined for seven negative runs — but then, when their work in the pass game is factored in, they averaged nearly 6 yards per touch combined. Four offensive penalties also cost Tampa some field position, and I thought the tight ends would be more involved. Still, it’s hard to gripe too much overall. Lost in the celebration of the win was the fact that the secondary took a beating, with Zyon McCollum, Josh Hayes and Bryce Hall all leaving the game. Will that be an issue this Sunday at Detroit? Something to monitor as the Lions try to vanquish yet another recent postseason foe at Ford Field.

Justin Fields started in place of the injured Russell Wilson and led six scoring drives, letting the defense finish off what it started in Atlanta. Fields was hardly dynamic, but he made some plays with his legs and generally put the ball where it needed to be in order to earn a road victory. The Steelers also were a little limited in the playmaking department outside of Fields. Even with George Pickens accounting for more than half of Pittsburgh’s receiving yards, the third-year wideout also hurt his team with an OPI penalty (a net loss of 46 yards) and a 10-yard loss on a failed end around that he made worse. But leave it to kicker Chris Boswell (six field goals, three from 50-plus) and T.J. Watt and the gang, and good things often happen. The defense harassed Kirk Cousins in his Atlanta debut, sacking him twice and intercepting him twice. Watt is arguably the best non-QB in the league, and that’s a good player to have for a team lacking an explosive offense.

It wasn’t a stretch of the imagination to picture the Browns having a hard time blocking for Deshaun Watson against the Cowboys, but it went worse than I figured it would for Cleveland. Allowing six sacks and a whopping 25 pressures, per Next Gen Stats, is not going to cut it. The Browns also committed 11 penalties, allowed Dak Prescott to throw for 156 first-half pass yards and gave up a punt-return touchdown when the game was still within theoretical reach. It was just an all-around bad performance from the Browns and two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. Some reinforcements might be on the way back from injury, but the Week 1 display was rough enough to question the true ceiling of this team.

Doug Pederson opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 from his own 32-yard line, up 17-14 early in the fourth quarter against the Dolphins, and Travis Etienne was stopped for a loss in the backfield. This came on the possession right after Etienne was stripped as he was about to go in for a score and put the Jaguars up 24-7. Jacksonville’s offense was ice cold in the second half outside of the one long drive, and a lot of the problems happened up front. The offensive line wasn’t terrible early but caved in late, both in the run game and in pass protection. There are some really enticing pieces here on offense — Brian Thomas Jr. and Gabe Davis had nice moments in their Jaguars debut — but it won’t matter if the blocking isn’t better.

The last time Sam Darnold took the field in Week 1 for a new franchise, he led a stirring defeat of his former Jets squad for the Panthers in 2021. Sunday marked a similar triumph on familiar turf, as Darnold turned in a remarkably clean performance against the Giants on his old home field. Even taking into account his interception, which came on a throw delivered while he was getting hit, Darnold was very poised and in control throughout. And how good does that Aaron Jones pickup look? He scored the first touchdown to get the Vikings going and then helped close out the Giants by averaging 8.4 yards per run after halftime. The defense welcomed the new pressure sources (Andrew Van Ginkel, Jonathan Greenard, Dallas Turner and Jihad Ward), and the team appeared to strike oil with holdover Pat Jones II, who had his first career two-sack game after logging just five sacks in his first 42 NFL contests. It was a terrific start for the intriguing Vikings, but the schedule gets pretty serious (vs. 49ers, vs. Texans, at Packers) over the next three Sundays.

Mike Macdonald earned his first W as Seahawks head coach, and it’s no shock that his defense was a big reason why. CBs Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen were strong in coverage. The front — namely the trio of Boye Mafe, Leonard Williams and Derick Hall — really stressed Broncos QB Bo Nix in his debut outing. Hall barely saw the field as a rookie a year ago, so his emergence was a pleasant development. But make no mistake: It was an ugly win. I’m worried about Seattle’s offensive line. Geno Smith was under fire the entire first half. OGs Anthony Bradford and Laken Tomlinson both were beaten for safeties. RT George Fant (knee) left the game after 13 snaps and was ruled out almost immediately. His replacement, Stone Forsythe, was beaten multiple times for pressures and one sack. Abraham Lucas remains out for at least the first four games, so this could be a big worry, with the Seahawks’ next three opponents (Patriots, Dolphins and Lions) all showing in Week 1 they can dominate up front.

Anthony Richardson completed nine passes against the Texans, and the degree of difficulty on some of those throws was incredibly high — none more than the 60-yard bomb to Alec Pierce. I’m not sure I’ve seen many more impressive throws, honestly. Richardson finished the game with three completions of 50-plus yards and runs of 10, 13 and 19 yards, plus a tough TD run late to keep the Colts in it. But he missed 10 of his 19 throws and threw a red-zone pick, and the Colts ran just 43 plays all game. Some of that was because of efficiency; they averaged 7.0 yards per play. But it also meant Houston controlled the clock with a stunning 2:1 ratio. Despite sacking C.J. Stroud four times, the Colts couldn’t get off the field defensively because of their poor tackling and run fills, something that wasn’t regarded as a problem area coming into the season. It was hardly a bad showing overall in Week 1, but I’m still not sure what to make of this team. 

It was a rough debut for Kirk Cousins and the shiny new Falcons offense that looked eerily similar to last year’s dull model. The pistol stuff was new, but the results were straight out of 2023. Cousins attempted 26 passes, with just six of them directed toward Drake London or Kyle Pitts, and he was picked twice. Bijan Robinson was fine, but couldn’t make many game-changing plays. Tyler Allgeier ripped off a pretty 13-yard run two minutes into the game then didn’t see the ball again until the mid-third quarter. And that Falcons offensive line — isn’t it supposed to be a team strength? Atlanta had little chance of slowing down T.J. Watt, and the interior three for the Falcons seemed to get pushed back quite a bit. Both of Cousins’ INTs came against heavy pressure. It’s back to the drawing board for Raheem Morris and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, with a tough game at Philly on tap next Monday night.

My decision to pre-emptively drop the Saints to the 28th spot prior to Week 1 was … regrettable. This was something an experienced Power Rankings man should have spotted ahead of time. They were facing the Panthers in Week 1, and I actually thought it might be a possible trap game. The trap was for Carolina, apparently. Derek Carr hit Rashid Shaheed on a 59-yard bomb five plays in, and that was about it. Seriously, the drama kind of crested right there. The Saints dominated en route to their biggest blowout since the Sean Payton days, but what do we make of this? Klint Kubiak’s offense enjoyed a grand entrance, with nine straight scoring drives to open the contest; the stakes will be raised in the next two matchups against the Cowboys (road) and Eagles (home). Ace those tests, and then we’ll start talking about even bigger moves up the rankings.

The Cardinals still need all the defensive help they can find, including from the eventual return of first-round pick Darius Robinson on the defensive line. They allowed 14 plays of 11 yards or more in Sunday’s loss, and the Bills had some other nice gains (including a touchdown) wiped out by penalty. Arizona’s best defense was its offense sustaining drives and keeping Josh Allen off the field. That’s what worries me most in Year 2 under Jonathan Gannon: The Cardinals face some pretty dynamic quarterbacks and potent teams, yet they don’t yet appear prepared, personnel-wise, to handle those kinds of threats for 60 minutes. Kyler Murray and the offense had three strong possessions to open the game and did little fruitful thereafter. Marvin Harrison Jr. ran a game-high 33 routes but saw only three targets (none in the final 37 minutes) and had one catch for 4 yards. Harrison dropped what should have been at least a 15-yard catch, and he and Murray were not on the same page on a back-shoulder throw. Their chemistry must improve quickly.

Brian Callahan’s debut was proceeding swimmingly, with the Titans going up 17-0. Then they allowed a long kick return that gave the Bears hope before halftime, followed by the blocked punt that kicked the barn door down. Will Levis played a respectable first three quarters, considering the pressure he faced, but the fourth was his worst quarter as a pro. Levis hadn’t logged more than two turnovers in any of his first eight NFL starts, and then he had three in the final 12 minutes on Sunday, including two bad interceptions amid duress. Yes, the Titans have to find a way to improve Levis’ protection; he has to play a lot better, too. Tony Pollard had a strong first outing with Tennessee, and Calvin Ridley had a few moments. Still, this was a tough way to open the season after so much initial promise in this game. 

I’m not sure Jerod Mayo or the Kraft family could have scripted this one any better. On the surface, the Patriots’ win looked like a hard-nosed and hard-fought victory, but a deeper look reveals that they were strangely dominant for the victors of a 16-10 contest, enforcing their will on the Bengals in their stadium and controlling the game flow throughout. New England ran the ball 39 times and dropped back to pass 25. Rhamondre Stevenson (+22 rushing yards over expectation, per Next Gen Stats) kept grinding away at Cincinnati’s defense, and veteran QB Jacoby Brissett confirmed why he — and not rookie Drake Maye (yet) — is the starter, making one efficient, smart play after another. Is it sustainable? Who knows? For one week, Mayo’s vision came to fruition, and he answered a ton of critics who’d thrown the Patriots in with the league’s bottom-rung teams. Now, they’re a home win away from beginning this new era with a 2-0 start.

Bo Nix earned the starting QB job, beating out two veterans with a combined 37 starts between them. He was named a Broncos captain before ever taking a regular-season snap and earned outside praise, including from none other than Bill Belichick, who last week said Nix “doesn’t turn the ball over and makes good decisions.” Then Nix took the field for his first NFL start against the Seahawks. He certainly struggled, throwing a first-half interception near the end zone, then was picked a second time late, throwing into a crowd. (And he could have had at least two more INTs before halftime.) It wasn’t pretty. Nix did find some rhythm before the last pick, when Denver went shotgun and tempo, which is what he’s used to, but the whole product isn’t there yet. Up next: Pittsburgh, which made Kirk Cousins shrink in his Atlanta debut Week 1. Sean Payton will have his work cut out for him with his game plan for Sunday.

It’s clear that, even with the sweeping changes the Commanders made this offseason, the picture remains incomplete in Washington. The Week 1 results were disappointingly similar to a lot of what the team managed last season. The defense couldn’t get off the field on third downs. The coverage was loose and sloppy. The offense looked new, but not in an impressive way, as Jayden Daniels and Co. struggled to hit chunk plays. The longest connection with a wide receiver was for 15 yards. Terry McLaurin was targeted once in the first half, and his two catches came when the game was pretty well out of reach. Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler each turned a short catch into a long gain, and Daniels made hay with his legs; still, the Commanders generated just seven points through the first 40-plus minutes. My preseason optimism around this team hasn’t totally waned, but reality arrived quickly with a Week 1 ice bucket down in steamy Tampa.

It’s early, but the way Antonio Pierce handled a late fourth-and-1 call in Sunday’s loss discouraged me. The Raiders were down 16-10 halfway through the fourth quarter and at the Chargers’ 43-yard line — and they punted. Yes, two short-yardage runs were stuffed earlier in the game. But Gardner Minshew wasn’t playing badly outside of his fluky fumble, so the lack of faith in the ability of this offense to gain 1 yard in a critical spot … well, that speaks volumes. I don’t think the Raiders can play this passively and win many games. I’m not saying Pierce needs to go full Dan Campbell, but then again, what’s wrong with going full Dan Campbell? Isn’t Campbell sort of the archetype Pierce should be emulating? When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. It can’t hurt to take a bolder approach against a pent-up Ravens team and Lamar Jackson in Baltimore this Sunday.

For the second straight year, the Giants were roasted in their home opener — and Daniel Jones was equally bad in both games. On Sunday, he threw a pair of interceptions against the Vikings and barely hit the 50 percent completion mark. The first pick was run back for a score that drove a stake into the Giants’ hearts when they were still just 15 points behind. Jones’ legs can be his occasional saving grace, but he didn’t do much with those, either. Let’s be fair, though: How many QBs could make this offense hum? Outside of the truly elite, the answer is likely “not many.” The revamped O-line looked like it needed more vamping. The ground game was virtually non-existent, and the defense was carved up by Sam Darnold in a stadium that he’s been booed out of more than once. I wouldn’t have known Brian Daboll was calling plays had he not told us he would be doing so. Outside of a few Malik Nabers grabs, it was about as bad as you could have imagined, with only the Panthers’ misery sparing the Giants from the basement.

All the offseason moves the Panthers made were, in some way or another, geared toward helping QB Bryce Young thrive and making the team more successful. Yet, in Week 1, the product somehow looked even worse than what last season’s 2-15 squad put forth. Carolina allowed 47 points to a Saints team that scored 24 or fewer in all but five games in 2023. The Panthers scored 10 points (after staking the Saints a 30-0 lead), which was below their paltry 13.9-point average last year. And to bring the fiasco full circle, one of Carolina’s best defenders, Derrick Brown, is now out with what could be a season-ending injury. Thinking that wasn’t the kind of first game Dave Canales imagined when he went to bed last Saturday. There’s a lot to fix and not much time to get it done. Before you ask, yes, the Bears still have more to gain from the trade that enabled the Panthers to add Young: They own Carolina’s second-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Pretty rough.