Chaos.
That’s the only way to describe Week 1 in the entire NFL, and not just because the Rams superteam went down, down. Some of the best teams in the league struggled to find their early footing. Meanwhile, the Jets, Raiders and Cardinals all won their openers!
It has made an absolute mess of my Power Ranking. Here’s what the carnage looks like in week two.
*Super Bowl odds courtesy of DraftKings
Super Bowl Odds: +50000
The expectations for this team couldn’t be much lower and they have yet to meet them. It’s going to be a long season in South Florida. I hope the weather is good, at least.
Super Bowl Odds: +30000
How long will Todd Monken stick with Deshaun Watson at QB? Maybe longer than you think. The best question: Does it matter?
Super Bowl Odds: +20000
Brian Daboll’s offense managed just 195 yards against the Jets — and 65 of those came on the final play in garbage time. Robert Saleh’s Tennessee debut was a total disaster.
Super Bowl Odds: +15000
RB Ashton Jeanty was healthy, which is good, but QB Kirk Cousins still turns the ball over a lot. The win is nice, but the good thing Las Vegas was only playing Miami.
Super Bowl Odds: +13000
Their decline isn’t just about their ugly loss in Pittsburgh. It’s about their broken QB room that left them with Cooper Rush who had to start despite back spasms. Oh.
Super Bowl Odds: +25000
Efficient in attack, stingy in defense. Can airplanes actually be … good? Maybe not. Titans are so badass.
Super Bowl Odds: +6500
Jayden Daniels didn’t look like his old, dynamic self, but the Commanders still nearly upset the Eagles. I’m not sure if that says more about Washington or Philadelphia.
The Commanders were a two-point conversion to send the Eagles into overtime. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Super Bowl Odds: +30000
Where did this come from? The Cardinals shut down QB Justin Herbert and thoroughly beat a Chargers team some think is a sleeper Super Bowl contender. So much for predictions of an 0-13 start.
Super Bowl Odds: +5500
For $165 million over three years, the Bucs expect much better than that from QB Baker Mayfield. He has too many weapons for the offense to be as bad as it looked.
Super Bowl Odds: +9000
What does $170 million get you these days? That’s what the Panthers spent this offseason rebuilding their defense … which gave up 59 points and 552 yards in Week 1. No refunds, by the way.
Super Bowl Odds: +2500
It’s too bad all that work they did to fix their defense didn’t work. But if their vaunted offense really is as mediocre as it looked Sunday night, this could be a very long season in Dallas.
Super Bowl Odds: +6500
They ran into a sawmill in Baltimore, but there were encouraging signs. QB Daniel Jones looked healthier than I thought he would be, which could be a good sign when they start playing smaller teams.
Super Bowl Odds: +2000
Well, at least one Harbaugh brother had a good day because Jim’s opener was a stinker. His defense struggled against a Cardinals team thought to be one of the worst in football. And where was Mike McDaniel’s excellent, energy-fueled offense? What a fool!
Super Bowl Odds: +9000
QB Tyler Shough was terrible. Then he was brilliant. In the end, the Saints had a two-point conversion in overtime, far from an upset that would define their season and prove to everyone that they could be the surprise of the NFL this year.
Super Bowl Odds: +2000
Jordan Love threw a lot of yards, and it looks like he has some good WRs. But an offense without Josh Jacobs and a defense without Micah Parsons feels like too much for the Pack to overcome.
The Packers blew another double-digit lead over a division foe in the second half. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
Super Bowl Odds: +5000
It’s a well-deserved jump in the rankings, as John Harbaugh’s debut showed he has a strong, complete and healthy team. When WR Malik Nabers is off his field number, this versatile offense will cause problems for everyone.
Super Bowl Odds: +5000
Aaron Rodgers was okay, not great, but he didn’t need to do much thanks to a defense that was suffocating against a struggling Falcons team playing third-string QB.
Super Bowl Odds: +4000
It was and still is easy to underestimate the Vikings because of their QB issues. But Kevin O’Connell is a great coach and that defense was outstanding in the fourth quarter against the Packers when it mattered most.
Super Bowl Odds: +1900
I know they were playing the Bills, but they gave up 36 points and 409 yards? What happened to the best defense in the NFL?
Super Bowl Odds: +1800
Coming in on a failed two-point conversion pass in overtime in a home loss to the Saints is not a good thing. Then again, the Saints are better than most people think.
Super Bowl Odds: +1400
They are baaaaack. Patrick Mahomes didn’t even look like his old self on Monday night and the Chiefs still dominated the Broncos. When Mahomes returns to form, KC could be ready to reclaim its throne.
Super Bowl Odds: +2500
Yes, yes, Liam Coen’s team looked great. Trevor Lawrence looked unstoppable. I’ll be much more impressed if the Jags do it against someone other than the Browns.
Super Bowl Odds: +2100
Three interceptions by Drake Maye, an injury that will cost WR AJ Brown a month, and they couldn’t beat a Drew Lock-led Seahawks team. Unfortunately, their schedule won’t get any easier.
Super Bowl Odds: +1700
Jalen Hurts did what he had to do to win, but I have the same feeling about the Eagles that I had last year: This offense really needs to be better. Why is it always such a struggle for them?
Super Bowl Odds: +2000
They came very close to a Super Bowl last season. They seem so far away now. And scratch Bo Nix off those MVP contender lists after his disastrous performance against the Chiefs.
Super Bowl Odds: +1400
They heard all the talk about the Rams dream team and became LA’s worst nightmare. If the Niners stay healthy, they could actually end up the best team in the NFC West.
Super Bowl Odds: +1900
They got relentless pressure and forced four turnovers to prove they could have a defense this year. If they do, Cincinnati will be hard to stop.
Super Bowl Odds: +650
The big debate is how far should they fall due to their opening failure? It may turn out to be a travel-induced anomaly. But if the Rams lose to the Giants on Sunday, you’ll find them in the high teens next week.
Super Bowl Odds: +950
They scored 36 points and 409 yards on a Houston defense that averaged 17 points and 277 yards per game last year. Apparently, Joe Brady can coach and call plays at the same time.
Super Bowl Odds: +1100
They still have a championship-caliber defense. But with QB Sam Darnold out with a hip injury, that offense didn’t look primed for another Super Bowl run.
Seahawks are the ‘team to beat’, Patriots struggle in losses, Can Seattle dominate the NFL? | FTF
Super Bowl Odds: +2100
Ben Johnson doesn’t just want to beat other teams. He wants to destroy them. And with that offense, his team will break some bodies and records along the way.
Super Bowl Odds: +900
Apologies, after all the criticism I got for ranking them too high. The 1-2 punch of Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry looked as potent as ever, and Jesse Minter’s defense is strong as well. However, injuries to WRs Zay Flowers and Ja’Kobi Lane could be an obvious problem.
