The Los Angeles Rams are finished. The Carolina Panthers’ defense is terrible. The Chicago Bears look like they’ll shatter the single-season scoring record. The Houston Texans’ once-hyped defense already appears porous. Same goes for the Denver Broncos. The Dallas Cowboys are in trouble. The Green Bay Packers can’t seem to protect a lead. The Week 1 overreaction bucket is overflowing — don’t buy into any of it.
Take a cue from NFL coaches today: it’s only one game. Move on.
Week 1 has a history of misleading takeaways. Remember when the Las Vegas Raiders upset New England in Week 1 last year — the Patriots still reached the Super Bowl while the Raiders cratered the rest of the season. So resist the knee-jerk judgments.
I kept that perspective when compiling my Week 2 power rankings. The Seattle Seahawks remain No. 1 after beating New England, and the San Francisco 49ers climbed after dominating the Rams. The Rams dropped but not drastically.
Again: it’s one week. Stop overreacting.
That said, there are some deserved shifts. The Los Angeles Chargers had to move down after a surprising home loss to the Arizona Cardinals. The Dallas Cowboys’ defense looked rough in Sunday night’s loss to the New York Giants, so they slipped a few spots.
I’m being careful not to let one outing distort the whole picture. Miami remains at the bottom for now after their loss to the Raiders, but the Cleveland Browns and Tennessee Titans already look like contenders for that cellar spot too.
And again — one week.
Don’t forget it.
Power rankings notes — biggest movers and quick takes:
1. Seahawks (1-0) — Stayed at No. 1. They got encouraging news on Sam Darnold’s hip: it should be a short-term issue, and their defense plus Drew Lock can cover the next two weeks. (No change)
2. Jaguars (1-0) — Up one spot. They dominated the Browns and now face a tougher test in Denver; Trevor Lawrence and the passing attack look like major strengths. (+1)
3. Bills (1-0) — Up one. A road win in Houston matters; Joe Brady appears intent on getting the ball back into Josh Allen’s hands. (+1)
4. 49ers (1-0) — Jumped six spots. If their stars stay healthy they can carry a team, and Kyle Shanahan’s coaching showed up in the blowout of the Rams. (+6)
5. Rams (0-1) — Fell three places. Their Super Bowl march looks less certain after flaws on both sides of the ball were exposed by San Francisco. (-3)
6. Ravens (1-0) — Up three. Lamar Jackson and the revamped offense looked like a terrific fit in a dominant outing against the Colts, though the defense still needs work. (+3)
7. Eagles (1-0) — Up six. Not flawless against Washington, but there were encouraging signs — a strong rushing average and Jalen Hurts connecting for three TD passes. (+6)
8. Bengals (1-0) — No change. The defense looked better, forcing three turnovers including a defensive score, which is progress. (No change)
9. Bears (1-0) — Up six. If Ben Johnson’s optimism is right, this offense could be historic after piling up 59 points on Carolina. (+6)
10. Chiefs (1-0) — Up two. Plenty had written them off, but the dynasty isn’t dead — Patrick Mahomes stayed healthy and didn’t have to carry the whole load in a win at Denver. (+2)
11. Broncos (0-1) — Down five. Missed tackles and big-play breakdowns hurt them in the loss to Kansas City, and the offense didn’t do enough. (-5)
12. Texans (0-1) — Down one. The vaunted defense looked nowhere near the 1985 Bears in their defeat to the Bills. (-1)
13. Vikings (1-0) — Up five. A comeback win driven by the defense; with Kyler Murray sidelined, expect more from their QB rotation featuring Carson Wentz. (+5)
14. Packers (0-1) — Down seven. Blown a 12-point second-half lead in a loss to Minnesota — that was an avoidable collapse. (-7)
15. Lions (1-0) — Up four. They beat New Orleans but it was closer than expected; their secondary will be a weakness until safeties return. (+4)
16. Giants (1-0) — Up six. An impressive opening win over Dallas suggests real improvement under their coaching staff. (+6)
17. Cowboys (0-1) — Down 12. The anticipated defensive improvement was nowhere to be seen in the loss to New York; many assignment breakdowns were evident. (-12)
18. Buccaneers (0-1) — Down four. Turnovers were the story in their defeat to Cincinnati, but the defense showed some encouraging play against a potent offense. (-4)
19. Patriots (0-1) — Down three. Drake Maye struggled against Seattle’s defense, and the upcoming matchup with Pittsburgh feels like a must-win. (-3)
20. Steelers (1-0) — No change. A win over Atlanta but the offense still needs to do more, starting with the Patriots next. (No change)
21. Chargers (0-1) — Down four. Their loss to Arizona was the week’s dud — expectations that Mike McDaniel would spark the offense took a hit. (-4)
22. Colts (0-1) — Down one. The defense looked terrible in Baltimore, and that could be a season-long concern after allowing the Ravens to do as they pleased. (-1)
23. Saints (0-1) — Up one. Tyler Shough’s opener was promising — 400 passing yards and a rally after early picks is a reason for optimism. (+1)
24. Cardinals (1-0) — Up six. Credit to new coach Mike LaFleur for engineering the upset of the Chargers; this team might surprise. (+6)
25. Panthers (0-1) — Down two. The offense did some things against Chicago, but allowing 59 points and getting run on all day is embarrassing. (-2)
26. Commanders (0-1) — No change. They competed on the road against Philadelphia and showed positives, including a healthy-looking Jayden Daniels. (No change)
27. Jets (1-0) — No change. A solid win over Tennessee suggests this team could exceed expectations. (No change)
28. Raiders (1-0) — Up one. The win over Miami had its bright spots, though Miami isn’t a top opponent; Ashton Jeanty looked like a real find. (+1)
29. Falcons (0-1) — Down four. The quarterback situation appears to worsen and it could be a rough season for the first-year coach. (-4)
30. Titans (0-1) — Down two. Cam Ward had a rough debut and the team faces a tough stretch, starting with Philadelphia. (-2)
31. Browns (0-1) — No change. Questions linger about Deshaun Watson’s ability after the loss to Jacksonville; he wasn’t the only problem but he didn’t help. (No change)
32. Dolphins (0-1) — No change. The showing against Las Vegas was rough and suggests fans should brace for a long year. (No change)
Fan Take: Week 1 results are entertaining but rarely definitive — they create headlines and drama, but true team identity reveals itself over months, not one Sunday. For fans, resisting the urge to write off or crown teams after a single game keeps expectations realistic and preserves the joy of watching narratives develop across the season.
Source: www.cbssports.com
