Which team saw their stock rise or fall the most after Week 1?
Written by: Greg Lehr
Power Rankings by: The Blitz Team
It’s officially time to (over) react to everything that happened in a crazy first weekend of NFL action. Between last Thursday’s opening night dud by the Packers and Bears to an electric finish featuring DeShaun Watson and Drew Brees in New Orleans on Monday Night Football, there was quite the spectrum of football on display throughout opening weekend in the NFL. The Browns hype train from this offseason was enough to land them inside the top 10 of our preseason power rankings, but how far did they fall after being embarrassed at home against Tennessee? Which teams had statement wins that shot them up the ranks? Check out how your team’s performance impacted their spot in our Week 2 NFL Power Rankings.
Risers
Minnesota Vikings
Week 2 Ranking: 6
Last Week: 10
If Mike Zimmer could script how he would want a Vikings game to go, this one would have been pretty close. Minnesota’s dominant defensive effort against a potent Atlanta offense is nothing short of impressive, as the Falcons didn’t put points on the board until the 4th quarter. In addition to a rock solid defensive performance, Dalvin Cook looked fantastic, rushing for 111 yards on 21 carries for 2 TDs. A healthy Cook is great for the entire offense, as Kirk Cousins only threw TEN passes all game. We’ll see if the Vikings can build on their hot start next week when they travel to Green Bay, where Cousins may be asked to do quite a bit more.
Dallas Cowboys
Week 2 Ranking: 8
Last Week: 12
Entering the start of the season, all eyes were on Dak Prescott and the potential new deal he (eventually) signs. Dak has chosen to bet on himself by not inking an extension before the regular season began, and so far, his bet is paying off. Sure it’s only one game against a lower-tier defense, but the one x-factor that was most noticeable in the season opener? New Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore. Dak looked much more comfortable and in rhythm en route to a perfect passer rating day (25/32, 405 yards, 4 TD). Prescott utilized 7 different receivers, including new slot receiver Randall Cobb and returning veteran Jason Witten, each of whom found the end zone. Dallas looks to continue early momentum in another division matchup next week at Washington.
Baltimore Ravens
Week 2 Ranking: 11
Last Week: 17
Lamar Jackson’s efficiency against Miami looks like someone playing Madden on rookie; 17/20, 324 yards, 5 TD, 0 INT. As Jackson said himself, “Not bad for a running back.” If there were power rankings for individual players in the league, Jackson would be skyrocketing up the rankings more than any other player after his near-perfect week one display. While some will argue it’s just Miami/the worst team in the NFL, it was still a night and day difference to what we saw in this offense after Jackson took over at QB last season. In just one week, it feels like the Ravens have gone from a preseason sleeper team to a real contender to Pittsburgh and Cleveland in the AFC North.
Fallers
Chicago Bears
Week 2 Ranking: 12
Last Week: 5
In the spirit of overreaction, the Bears dropped a seven spots, and out of the top ten, after such a poor offensive performance vs the Packers at home. Mitch Trubisky looked painfully limited to start the year, as indicated by his line of 26/45 (58%), 228 yards, 0 TD, and a late interception in the end zone when the Bears had a chance to even the score at the end of the game. Looking for good news? The defense is still awesome. The question then becomes, what is their margin of error? If Chicago wants to return to the postseason, Matt Nagy and Trubisky need to dial up a better showing on that side of the ball.
Cleveland Browns
Week 2 Ranking: 16
Last Week: 8
Oh Cleveland. So much hype, promise, excitement, confidence, and perhaps most importantly...arrogance. The hype train for the ‘winners of the offseason’ came to a screeching halt on Sunday when the Titans stomped the Browns on their own field. Unlike past years, however, there’s no reason for Browns fans to give up hope so early in the season. They are still loaded with talent across the board. The issues Freddie Kitchens must address are the 18 penalties the team racked up and 5 sacks given up on Baker Mayfield. Both issues could linger longer than Browns fans think.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 2 Ranking: 18
Last Week: 14
It’s always a tough task for a team to open their season in a primetime night game in Foxboro, as the Steelers know first-hand after losing in convincing fashion, 33-3. While the story lines surrounded Antonio Brown’s new deal with the Patriots, AB’s on-field replacement, JuJu Smith-Schuster struggled to make any significant impact as Big Ben’s top target. It didn’t help that they only got 21 yards out of James Connor (on 10 carries), although the flow of the game surely played into those numbers. Just like the Browns and Bears, Pittsburgh looked poor in week one but have enough talent and experience to put things together. They just can’t afford another repeat performance.
Full Power Rankings: Week 2
Rankings by: The Blitz Team
New England Patriots
Kansas City Chiefs
Los Angeles Rams
New Orleans Saints
Philadelphia Eagles
Minnesota Vikings
Los Angeles Chargers
Dallas Cowboys
Green Bay Packers
Seattle Seahawks
Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Bears
Tennessee Titans
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Cleveland Browns
Carolina Panthers
Pittsburgh Steelers
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
San Francisco 49ers
Oakland Raiders
New York Jets
Cincinnati Bengals
Washington Redskins
Detroit Lions
Jacksonville Jaguars
Denver Broncos
Arizona Cardinals
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
New York Giants
Miami Dolphins