NFL Power Rankings after Week Two

Week two was another fascinating week of NFL football, with some teams looking a little more settled and others looking surprisingly good. Let’s take a look at where every team sits.

Joshua Dobbs is starting to genuinely impress, almost playing too well against the Giants. It is not a surprise the Cardinals lost despite having a huge lead as they continue their season of ‘definitely not tanking’. It’ll be worth it for Caleb Williams.

The Texans have a very bad roster and won’t win many games in 2023 but on the plus side, C.J. Stroud is starting to look comfortable despite a complete lack of competence from the offensive line. If he can stay healthy, there’s no reason why he can’t become a top-tier QB.

Justin Fields just doesn’t have it, he’s been given enough opportunities at this point to showcase any ability, unfortunately, he just can’t get much going. There are also some strange things happening with the coaching staff so overall this is a franchise nearing crisis mode two weeks into the season.

Fair enough, the Giants were able to come back from a 28-7 deficit and win, never an easy feat in the NFL. On the plus side, Daniel Jones used his legs and made some good passes, from a negative perspective, they were 28-7 down to the Arizona Cardinals and Saquon Barkley is out for a few weeks.

Anthony Richardson won’t last long in the NFL unless he can learn to avoid taking big hits. Week one saw him leave the field with a knee issue and week two saw him exiting the game with a concussion. He has all the talent in the world but needs to protect himself.

Many expected the Panthers to be competitive in 2023 and so far they have shown some signs of life. Bryce Young has had his moments but too many avoidable turnovers through two weeks is a concerning start. He can certainly work things out but so far has looked the worst of the three rookie starters.

The Broncos are 0-2 with both losses coming at home. They also gave up a 21-3 lead against the Commanders. Concerning signs for a team without much draft capital in the coming years.

Josh Allen can make any team look bad when he’s on form but the manner of the Raiders’ defensive collapse was a worrying sign of what’s to come for the Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo looks solid under-center but the lack of defensive talent means this could be a long season in Sin City.

Mac Jones has benefitted massively from not having Matt Patricia as his offensive coordinator, playing very well within the structure of the offense. The Pats’ defense also looks good, it’s certainly difficult to have a team that’s 0-2 much higher than this is not a bad team at all.

Turnovers upon turnovers through two weeks for the Vikings. A spirited performance against the Eagles on Thursday Night Football wasn’t enough and saw the Vikings slip to 0-2. The NFC North is looking competitive at the top meaning any playoff aspirations could already be over.

The Rams started the season ranked 31 on this list but great performances through two weeks have seen them rise all the way to 22. Matt Stafford is dealing in the pocket and Puka Nacua is playing out of his mind. The lack of talent across most of the roster will see them lose a fair few games but it won’t be for lack of trying.

Mike Vrabel is one hell of a football coach, taking a team that shouldn’t be up to much and making them look competitive. The AFC South could possibly be there for the taking, why can’t the Titans win it?

The Steelers relied on their defense to get a result against the Browns, something they may have to do all year given Kenny PIckett’s second-year struggles. Mike Tomlin has never had a team go below .500, and somehow that incredible stat may continue in 2023.

The Baker Mayfield-led Bucs are 2-0, just as everyone predicted, right? If Mayfield can stick to what has worked so far this season, which is basically 'avoid sacks and throw it to Mike Evans', the Bucs could well surprise some teams given how good their defense is.

The Commanders have no real right to be 2-0 but Sam Howell has confounded expectations and put the team on his back so far this season, leading an impressive comeback against the Broncos when their defense couldn’t get much going. We don’t expect them to be challenging for the NFC East crown but they could certainly play a part in who does win it.

Giving up a two-score lead in the fourth quarter is certainly not a damning indictment of the Packers, but it’s not a great sign either. Jordan Love continues to impress with an inexperienced group of pass-catchers so there are certainly positive signs.

The Seahawks were able to go into Detroit and leave with a victory in one of the most exciting games of the weekend. It’s always a fun game between these two sides and this time round Geno Smith and the Seahawks emerged as winners. Things are looking back on track in Seattle.

The Browns haven’t looked bad at all through two game weeks, despite Deshaun Watson not playing as well as they would’ve hoped. The awful injury to Nick Chubb is terrible news on both a personal and team level given his importance to the franchise. Without him, this offense could look a little toothless over the course of the season.

Having the 0-2 Chargers this high could well be a mistake given their relatively insipid play so far. There is still a sense of optimism in LA, however, and if Justin Herbert and Kellen Moore can get the offense playing to it’s potential then they could well turn things around.

Just a tough team to beat. The Falcons under Arthur Smith are a big, physical team that really tests how much you love football when you go up against them. Also, Bijan Robinson is a joy to watch, he may have been taken early but so far he is living up to the hype, what a player.

The Jets could start freefalling down the rankings in the coming weeks if Zach Wilson remains under center. He’s just not very good which is an unfortunate reality for the Jets. The defense remains exceptional and Garrett Wilson is an elite receiver but teams tend to peak with their QB.

The Bengals couldn’t have had a worse start to the season if they had tried. Going 0-2 against divisional opponents and Joe Burrow potentially missing time with a calf injury is worrisome. Defensively they look a shadow of their former selves. Plenty of time to turn things around but they better start quickly.

The Jaguars need to figure some things out on the offensive side of the ball, Trevor Lawrence is looking good at QB and Calvin Ridley is balling out, yet they still seem to trip over themselves at times. Still, they played the Chiefs close and should comfortably win their division.

The Saints' defense has been almost impregnable through two weeks, going 118 minutes without conceding a touchdown per NFL.com. Derek Carr is no man’s Peyton Manning but he won’t need to be with the offensive weapons around him and a lights-out D.

Losing a tight one against the Seahawks won’t make or break the Lions' season, so no need for panic just yet. They are still a seriously talented team with great coaching on the offensive side of the ball, the loss of C.J. Gardner-Johnson could be a tough one to take defensively, however.

Josh Allen looked back to his absolute best in week two, we just need to see him hit those levels for a few more weeks before we put the Bills back among the elite.

Jalen Hurts hasn’t looked comfortable in the pocket so far this season with teams committing to the blitz against the Eagles’ QB. Still, the Birds are finding a way to win, riding D’Andre Swift’s 175-yard rushing performance to another win. Being 2-0 despite playing well below their best is the sign of a truly talented team.

The Chiefs responded after their week one loss against Detroit with a steady performance in Jacksonville. The offense hasn’t clicked so far, putting up below-average numbers for a Reid/Mahomes offense. Could it be the loss of Eric Beinemy? Or will things iron out over the course of the season?

The Ravens are starting to click. Lamar Jackson is looking like his old self again and has seemingly added an aura of calmness in the pocket as well, a potentially devastating combination for opposing defenses. This is a very, very good team.

The Dolphins seem nearly impossible to stop offensively with Tua Tagovailoa playing with great rhythm. The Pats took away the Dolphins’ great strengths by clogging the middle of the field at the intermediate level where the Dolphins make so many plays, so instead they relied on Raheem Mostert to ground and pound for the win, remarkable.

Most rankings seem to have the Niners at one, and potentially they do deserve that spot. There are about a million guys on their offense that can beat you and the defense is looking as good as ever despite losing Demeco Ryans as coordinator.

The Cowboys were number one after week one and will remain there until they show something different. They have outscored opponents 70-10 through two weeks (70-10!!) just dominating teams on both sides of the ball. Micah Parsons could well be the best player in the NFL at this point, just making a mockery of opposing o-lines.