Assembling Week 1 power rankings is a bit of a tough balance to strike.

How much weight can be given to the perception of a contender entering the season with how they performed on the field in a small sample size?

Well, let’s find out.

1. Seattle Seahawks (1-0)

The defense remains dominant, and Sam Darnold won’t be out for long.

2. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)

Strong debut for Jesse Minter, who gets the benefit of inheriting Lamar Jackson.

3. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)

Had the most impressive win of Week 1, a beatdown of the presumptive Super Bowl favorites.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

Patrick Mahomes is back and he has company in Kenneth Walker III. That means the Chiefs are back, too, after throttling last year’s No. 1 AFC seed, 31-10.

5. Chicago Bears (1-0)

The Chicago Bears scored 59 points? Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams may be wizards.

6. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)

Trevor Lawrence continues to thrive in Liam Coen’s offense, delivering the week’s most comprehensive win.

7. Buffalo Bills (1-0)

Josh Allen exorcised some Houston demons, helping Joe Brady win his debut.

8. New England Patriots (0-1)

Not taking advantage of a Drew Lock game might leave a mark. Drake Maye’s three-interception game could, too.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)

A solid win. But it was a bit closer than it should have been. The new Philly Special?

10. Los Angeles Rams (0-1)

The Niners loss was a splash of water in the face of their preseason hype. And now Myles Garrett is out.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)

The defense forcing four turnovers instead of relying solely on Joe Burrow is a promising development.

12. Denver Broncos (0-1)

Bo Nix and the defense have to hope Monday’s loss says more about Kansas City than the Broncos’ 2026 fortunes.

13. Houston Texans (0-1)

A worrying first game for a Houston defense which anchored last year’s playoff run

14. Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

Carson Wentz (not Kyler Murray or J.J. McCarthy) anchored quite a late-game surge.

15. Detroit Lions (1-0)

Eking out an overtime win over the Saints was not a step in the right direction.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)

This week’s game at New England will be a litmus test after a satisfactory win.

17. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)

A big surprise of Week 1 with a convincing road win over the Chargers in Mike LaFleur’s debut.

18. New York Giants (1-0)

John Harbaugh immediately brought an air of competence to the Giants.

19. New York Jets (1-0)

First Week 1 win since 2018? Not bad, Geno Smith.

20. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)

They’ll have to beat someone better than the Dolphins to show they’re legitimate.

21. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)

Early returns on the Mike McDaniel experiment are not good.

22. Green Bay Packers (0-1)

Getting outscored 22-0 in the fourth quarter by Carson Wentz is not recipe for longevity.

23. Washington Commanders (0-1)

OL struggles made life hard for Jayden Daniels, who still nearly led a comeback.

24. Dallas Cowboys (0-1)

A new defensive coordinator hasn’t fixed Dallas’ underlying issues.

25. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)

A tough start at redemption from their 2025 collapse against a far superior Ravens team.

26. New Orleans Saints (0-1)

Someone has to win the NFC South. They are a trendy pick.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)

A bad first game from Baker Mayfield after signing a three-year extension.

28. Carolina Panthers (0-1)

The type of defensive performance which immediately puts DC Ejiro Evero on the hot seat.

29. Atlanta Falcons (0-1)

The QB carousel leaves the Falcons praying Michael Penix Jr. can go this week.

30. Tennessee Titans (0-1)

Not the start you were looking for to begin Cam Ward’s second season.

31. Miami Dolphins (0-1)

A strong contender in next April’s Arch Manning sweepstakes.

32. Cleveland Browns (0-1)

Maybe Kevin Stefanski wasn’t really the problem? Brutal debut for Todd Monken.

Somehow, despite not possessing a first-round draft selection, the Jaguars were the talk of the 2026 NFL Draft. Jacksonville selected Texas A&M’s Nate Boerkircher, and what followed was a generational run at the tight end position. Following Boerkircher at pick 56, six more tight ends were taken inside the Top-100.

One week into the 2026 season, that Boerkircher selection seems to have changed the very nature of the Jaguars’ offense. Opponent specific gameplan’s change from week to week, but the Week 1 tendencies provide a general idea of this new offense.

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Let’s take a peek at what’s changed in Liam Coen’s system.

With Boerkircher, the hypothesis was the Jaguars would run more 12 and 13 personnel. And boy did they ever against Cleveland.

According to SumerSports, the Jaguars ran 60.4% of their Week 1 plays out of multi-TE sets, second-most of any team in Week 1. That figure is over double the 24.9% from a season ago. The Jags’ use of 13 personnel in particular jumped from 2.9% in 2025 to 17.9% against the Browns.

With more multi-TE sets, the Jags (and the NFL on the whole) ran far more plays under center in Week 1. Last year, the Jags ran 38.3% of plays from under center. Their under-center rate in Week 1? A whopping 60.4%, fourth-highest in the NFL.

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Of the 32 plays under center, 23 were of the rushing variety. The run-game struggled mightily towards the end of the 2025 season, and the Jags are hopeful the combination of multiple tight end sets and plays from under center will help the run-game.

A strong run-game from under-center breeds play action. The Jags ran more play-action (48%) in Week 1 than any other team. For comparison, that number is up from 25% a year ago.

Again, this is just a one-game sample size, but it offers an idea of what the Jaguars want to do on offense. It was assumed the Jags would run far more multi-TE packages, but a jump from 25.9% to 60.4% is quite the escalation. The Jags are also getting an immediate return on their investment as Nate Boerkircher led all rookie tight ends in snaps in Week 1.

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The revelation still shocked United. There has been internal confusion about why Gabriel has now requested to leave, especially given that the plan was to include him in the squad tomorrow night ahead of a potential debut, which would have made him the club’s youngest debutant.

United still feel the situation is rectifiable given the timeframe on his contract. Gabriel cannot be de-registered, but next summer will be an opportunity for him to leave, and the club do not want to lose him.

Following the bombshell of Gabriel’s request, an industry insider suggested the situation may still be smoothed over with one thing: money. But whether that would be enough to keep Gabriel, and how much more United are even prepared to offer, remains to be seen.

United have done everything they can to show Gabriel there is a pathway to the first-team, as he has been on an accelerated development plan, receiving unprecedented backing for a player of his age.

It all started on the day Gabriel was brought to the club when he was unveiled alongside Cristiano Ronaldo’s son in the Old Trafford press conference room, the first of many concessions to make him feel valued.

United held a call between Gabriel and Marcus Rashford when he was still just a boy. They introduced him to Ruben Amorim in a meeting at Carrington, organised a brief chat with Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford and have invited his family into the directors’ box on a few occasions.

A photo of Gabriel and Amorim circulated on social media after their meeting. The former United boss was unhappy that his father had shared the image publicly. It was deleted, but it had already spread far and wide.

The club have always known that whatever they might do, it might not be enough to keep Gabriel because his father, who forged a professional career before retiring early due to injury, has dreamt of his son starring for Barcelona.

The Manchester Evening News revealed in April 2025 that Gabriel was set to make his Under-18 debut. He was 14. A few months later, he came close to leaving the club and would have if not for an eleventh-hour meeting.

Shortly after that meeting, the MEN revealed that Jason Wilcox (director of football) and Omar Berrada (CEO) had been present, which showed the high regard in which Gabriel is held by top brass.

What happened in the meeting was extraordinary considering Gabriel’s age. United reiterated that he could become the face of the club and promised other concessions, so it was eventually agreed that he would remain in Manchester, but key to Gabriel staying was his desire to remain at the club.

Sources said that he had tears in his eyes on that day and was emotional at the prospect of leaving. Gabriel loves representing United and is naturally really close to some of his academy peers.

Staff members have been struck by his politeness and humility, but ultimately, a young player always relies on family and advisers at the start of their journey.

Gabriel’s camp has decided to attempt to leave United. They will be free to do so next summer, but he is under contract until the end of the season, which is why the request for him to become a free agent now is bizarre.

There is a trail of breadcrumbs that helps paint a picture of why the request has been made, though. The MEN reported in March that Gabriel would be involved during pre-season, and the youngster was first included in a first-team tour squad when United played Rosenborg in Trondheim.

Gabriel did not get onto the pitch as United trounced Rosenborg 5-0. The player himself was still thrilled to be involved. He politely said ‘thank you’ when congratulated on being in the squad as he left the stadium, and he enjoyed a special moment with his mother as they took a photo with his shirt.

Michael Carrick handed Gabriel his pre-season debut against Atletico Madrid in Stockholm. Again, the youngster looked delighted, but what those around him made of that being his only pre-season minutes is another matter.

The perks from United have been important in showing Gabriel that he is valued, but first-team minutes count for more, and the suspicion has been that his father has wanted his son to become one of the youngsters ever appearance-makers in the record books.

Ethan Nwaneri (15 years, 181 days), Max Dowman (15 years, 235 days), and Jemery Monga (15 years, 271 days) are the youngest debutants in the Premier League.

Gabriel was not old enough to play in the topflight last season, but he was 15 years and 320 days when United played Hull City on the opening day of the season.

Hull was not a realistic chance to give him a cameo, given they were leading 2-0 at half-time, but Ipswich would have been seen as an opportunity to give him minutes, and he was 15 years and 328 days when that game was played.

Gabriel would have become the fourth youngest Premier League appearance maker if he’d come on from the bench that day, and those around him view him as a better talent than Nwaneri, Dowman and Monga.

United feel they have done all they can to prove to Gabriel that he is the club’s future. He will no longer be given the chance to become the club’s youngster ever player against Brighton tomorrow night, but that will also mean less compensation will be owed to United if he leaves.

Carrick was prepped to face a question about Gabriel during his press conference ahead of Brighton because the fixture was an opportunity to include him in a matchday squad for the first time, and the club are aware of the huge media interest in him.

The press conference took place after the Manchester derby, so no question was asked about Gabriel, with the 15-year-old at the back of minds following a controversial defeat to Manchester City, but it’s a certainty the United boss will be asked about the situation after tomorrow’s game.

It’s madness that a 15-year-old’s future has caused such an uproar, but Gabriel is no ordinary teenager.

The Rules of Golf are tricky! Thankfully, we’’e got the guru. Our Rules Guy knows the book front to back. Got a question? He’s got all the answers.

To scare waterfowl away from the lake shores, our course uses fake birds on slender poles attached by string and wire that can “fly” with the breeze—soaring, dipping, turning, and so on. A few of these fake birds can be in the line of play from a tee box or near a green. What happens if a shot hits one of these “birds”? It is possible to take the pole out of the ground, play the shot, and replace the pole before hitting, though this can slow the pace of play quite a bit. Movable obstruction? Immovable? Help! —Bill Spahn, via email

You’re trying to sneak in a multipart question, Bill! We’re almost rooting for the waterfowl at this point.

As to the first question, if you play near one of those “birds” and hit one, you’ll have to play the ball as it lies — no different than bouncing off a moving cart or a stationary pole, per Rule 11.1.

As far as being able to remove them, that depends on how they’ve been installed and, potentially, if the course has decided to treat them as immovable (versus, say, temporary immovable obstructions).

With no specific Rules in effect, if the “birds” can be moved with reasonable effort and without causing damage to the course or “bird,” then you can move them. If not, they’re immovable obstructions and must not be moved if doing so improves your situation (in particular here, line of play).

Check out Rule 8.1, 15.2 and Definition of Movable Obstruction. If the course has decided to treat the “birds” as temporary immovable obstructions, line of sight relief would be allowed, though this doesn’t apply if the “birds” are permanently installed — see Model Local Rule F-23.

Rules Guy is now going to fly off for a well-deserved nap.

For more obstruction-related guidance from our guru, read on …

My ball lies in a red penalty area. It’s playable, but there’s a fence between the ball and the green. The fence is out of bounds, my ball is not. Do I get relief from an immovable obstruction? If so, must I drop within the penalty area, or just within two club-lengths of the closest point of relief? —Gary Ahlstrom, Charlotte, NC

First things first, Gary: No, you do not get free relief from an immovable obstruction if your ball is in a penalty area, per Rule 17.3.

Further, since the fence is out of bounds, even if the ball wasn’t in a penalty area, you still wouldn’t get free relief from it. Alas, this renders your follow-up question moot, although it never hurts to ask!

Need a handicap? Get started here.

Got a question about the Rules? Ask the Rules Guy! Send your queries, confusions and comments to rulesguy@golf.com. We promise he won’t throw the book at you.

One of AEW’s top talents and champions, Andrade, sent a message to a WWE superstar shortly after the latter’s World Heavyweight Title match against Roman Reigns. El Idolo appeared to applaud the performance of Penta this week on Monday Night RAW, even though the former Death Triangle member failed to unseat The OTC.

This past August, WWE held a tournament to crown the #1 contender for Roman Reigns’ World Heavyweight Championship. After defeating Laredo Kid in the opening round and La Parka in the semifinals of the tourney, the fan-favorite defeated his tag team partner and brother Rey Fenix in the finals to earn his shot at the Head of The Table. This past Monday on RAW in Mexico City, the erstwhile Pentagon Jr. challenged Reigns for his strap in the Mexico City Arena, and pushed the leader of The Bloodline to his limits.

Unfortunately, Penta was unable to dethrone The Tribal Chief, who managed to retain his World Heavyweight Championship in a hard-fought victory. With fans still buzzing over the former Intercontinental Champion’s performance against Reigns, the masked luchador received a message from AEW National Champion Andrade El Idolo, who took to X/Twitter to seemingly recognize Penta’s effort against Roman with a fist-bump emoji.

“@PENTAELZEROM 👊🏼,” posted the AEW star.

The Real Latino Man has shared the ring with the former Penta El Zero Miedo on multiple occasions, both in AEW and in WWE.

Andrade El Idolo has been busy and successful in AEW lately

Last month at All In: London, Andrade El Idolo participated in and won a Men’s Casino Gauntlet Match to earn a contract for a future shot at the AEW World Championship. Days later on AEW Dynamite, the beloved star teamed with his United Empire stable-mates Callum Newman, HENARE, Francesco Akira and newly crowned AEW Men’s World Champion Will Ospreay to defeat The Demand and The Dogs in a ten-person tag team bout.

On the September 5 episode of AEW Collision, El Idolo retained his National Championship against Gabe Kidd. Last week on Dynamite: Rebel Heart, he once again successfully defended his strap against The Beast Mortos.

It remains to be seen when Andrade might execute his World Title contract for a match against The Aerial Assassin.