NFL Week 1 Power Rankings: Seahawks Still Lead, Browns Fall to No. 32

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.