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Two weeks down, 16 more to go before the NFL playoffs kick off in mid-January. Upsets and stumbling contenders galore, I’m looking at you Baltimore and Philly, have shaken up who the “best” NFL teams are. Power Rankings
Here are my Power Rankings through Week Two of the NFL season.
*Rankings are based off of both week two reactions and projections for the rest of the season.*
No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
Believe it or not the back-to-back Super Bowl Champs still look like the best team in the league after two weeks. Kansas City started their campaign against reigning MVP Lamar Jackson, gutting out a win in primetime. KC then took down another AFC playoff contender in the Bengals.
No. 2 Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has done exactly what it needed to do so far this season. The Bills mounted a comeback win over a good Cardinals team in week one. Then they went on to dismantle division rival Miami on TNF to the tune of 31-10.
The Bills came into this season with a lot of questions about the passing game after losing Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis in the offseason. Buffalo responded by curating the best rushing attack in the league behind budding star James Cook and QB Josh Allen. The QB/RB duo have an average PFF rushing grade of 87.2 with 190 yards and four TD’s.
N0. 3 Houston Texans
CJ Stroud and Co. picked up where they left off last season, dismantling teams through the air. Houston’s defense has taken a step in the right direction with the sixth highest tackle grade (66.4) and the eighth best coverage grade (74.2).
The Texans offense will only continue to get better as they find continuity throughout the season.
No. 4 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Baker Mayfield came into this season angry. The Bucs are 2-0 after a gritty revenge win over the Lions where Tampa’s defense embodied the bend don’t break philosophy. Tampa held the Lions to zero TDs on six visits to the red zone. Power Rankings
The only concern with the Bucs is how many injuries they have through two weeks. Tampa was without five starters Sunday after DT Vita Vea left with knee injury.
The saving grace, Bucs GM Jason Licht has done a great job of finding late round talent.
#Bucs have already reached the 53-man player limit and all their 2024 draft picks made it. In fact, 22 of the 23 players they’ve drafted over the past 3 years are on team and 26 of 30 selected over last four years made it. All starters except Baker Mayfield and Ben Brendeson…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 27, 2024
No. 5 New Orleans Saints
In a move that surprised everyone outside New Orleans, the Saints and Derek Carr are the hottest team in the NFL. The week one victory over struggling Carolina was no shock, but a 44-19 victory at AT&T Stadium cemented the Saints as contenders.
New Orleans boasts the highest PFF grade (90.1), the highest offensive grade (91.5) and the 10th highest defensive grade (71.2).
No. 6 Los Angles Chargers
Is Joe Alt already a top-5 offensive tackle in the NFL? That might be a bit of an overreaction but the 6’8″, 322-pound Notre Dame product has certainly lived up to the bill. Alt isn’t the only young Chargers player stepping up. Young receivers Quentin Johnson (2023 first round) and Ladd McConkey (2024 second round) have both cared out roles in this offense. The new duo has combined for 15 catches, 154 yards and three scores.
Would you FADE TJ Watt after seeing Joe Alt shut down Maxx Crosby and Jadeveon Clowney? 😳 pic.twitter.com/YM3VntdUdu
— betr (@betr) September 17, 2024
No. 7 Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have exploded on offense, racking up 69 points through two games. WR Marvin Harrison looks as advertised after a four-yard performance in week one. RB Jame Conner looks like a top-10 RB right now.
While I like how the Cards have looked, losing a tough game to the Bills and taking care of the Rams, I don’t know If they can compete with the better defenses in the league just yet.
No. 8 San Fransisco 49ers
San Fran cannot catch a break, first All-Pro RB Christian McCaffery is placed on IR (calf) and now star wideout Deebo Samuel is trending towards missing time for a similar aliment. While the injuries coupled with a loss to a Sam Darnold led Vikings push the ‘9ers down the rankings, I still have a lot of faith in the Bay Area team.
Kyle Shanahan has dealt with injuries to star players before. The most notable instance being when seventh round pick Brock Purdy was asked to fill in midseason and went on to lead this team to an NFC Championship. Expect the 49ers to right the ship in the next few weeks and make a case for a fourth straight NFC Championship birth.
No. 9 Minnesota Vikings
While I do not think Sunday’s matchup defines the 49ers, I do believe it showed us who Minnesota is. Sam Darnold regained his college form, throwing for 268 yards, two scores and a pick. That stat line become more impressive in the context of San Fran being the best defense in the league last season. Power Rankings
This weekend will serve as another great indicator when Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs return to The Twins Cities.
No. 10 Detroit Lions
A fan favorite, Dan Campbell’s Lions have become a shining example of how the right coach and culture can change a franchise’s fortune. Detroit finds themselves this low after a baffling loss to Tampa in which they out gained the Bucs 478 to 231 offensively.
Detroit’s lack of red-zone efficiency cost them the game. The Lions had six such drives which resulted in zero touchdowns a trend that won’t continue. Detroit finished as the fifth best red zone offense in 2023 per PFF with an expected points added (EPA) value of 0.191.
