Will add more as I see them...
PFT
Spoiler!
1. Patriots (1-0; last week No. 1): If the plan for covering Rob Gronkowski is to not cover Rob Gronkowski, the Pats will be in this spot for a while.
2. Packers (1-0; No. 3): Who’s this Jordy Nelson you’re talking about?
3. Broncos (1-0; No. 4): They’ve gone from the 1999 Rams to the 2000 Ravens in the blink of an eye.
4. Cowboys (1-0; No. 6): They’re winning games the way they used to lose them, which lays the foundation for long-lost glory.
5. Bills (1-0; No. 9): No matter how it ends this year in Buffalo, no one can take away how it started.
6. Ravens (0-1; No. 2): They’d be higher if you-know-who was elite.
7. Chiefs (1-0; No. 10): That “receivers aren’t catching touchdown passes” thing is a lot less meaningful after a road win.
8. Cardinals (1-0; No. 11): Maybe if they keep winning they can afford to re-sod the whole field and not just the middle of it.
9. Seahawks (0-1; No. 5): They should have thrown it.
10. Bengals (1-0; No. 12): Maybe Pacman Jones simply wanted Amari Cooper to experience how other teams treat the Bengals in the playoffs every year.
11. Colts (0-1; No. 7): Everyone in the organization needs to get on the same page quickly or this implode.
12. Dolphins (1-0; No. 16): Cue Dean Martin from deck of the Stu Gots. “Like the league office said, that ain’t a kick in the head.” (Unless it was.)
13. Rams (1-0; No. 21): Those 21,000 empty seats have a memory they can share with their grandchildren.
14. Steelers (0-1; No. 8): Steel Curtain? A shower curtain would have provided more resistance to Gronk.
15. Chargers (1-0; No. 18): Imagine what that offense will be able to do once Antonio Gates is back.
16. Falcons (1-0; No. 22): Fake crowd noise isn’t necessary when the opponent is potentially a fraud.
17. 49ers (1-0; No. 25): Who’s got it better than us? (They can still use that, right?)
18. Panthers (1-0; No. 19): Even Petite Randy Moss has better hands than Ted Ginn.
19. Eagles (0-1; No. 14): People are surprised that the Ringo Starr of the Legion of Boom didn’t perform like Paul McCartney?
20. Vikings (0-1; No. 15): The Vikings aren’t ready for prime time. Or pretty much anything else.
21. Texans (0-1; No. 13): Maybe they should have jumped on Matt Cassel, after all.
22. Lions (0-1; No. 17): Aaron Donald looked great on Sunday. It’s a good thing the Lions didn’t draft a tight end instead of him. Oh.
23. Saints (0-1; No. 20): It’s going to be a lot harder to contend for the division crown on the wrong side of .500 this year.
24. Giants (0-1; No. 23): All the criticism of Eli and Coughlin gives G.M. Jerry Reese perfect cover for handing James Jones to the Packers.
25. Titans (1-0; No. 30): For the second straight year, the Titans managed a big road win to start the year. They’re hoping the rest of the season turns out a little better than 1-14.
26. Jets (1-0; No. 27): No, they won’t be playing the Browns every week.
27. Jaguars (0-1; No. 28): The “we have swimming pools!” distraction may not work much longer.
28. Bears (0-1; No. 29): It’s wasn’t a win, but it also wasn’t a disaster.
29. Browns (0-1; No. 24): At least the uniforms are an improvement.
30. Washington (0-1; No. 32): If only they had a better scout team safety, maybe they could have pulled out the win.
31. Raiders (0-1; No. 26): At this rate, Oakland taxpayers will indeed help fund a new stadium. With one condition: It must be built in any city other than Oakland.
32. Buccaneers (0-1; No. 31): Maybe the Bucs should add a “no blocking” and “no tackling” clause to the “no baseball” provision in Jameis Winston’s contract.
Peter King's "Fine Fifteen"
Spoiler!
1. Denver (1-0). Just as Peyton Manning (40 passes, zero touchdowns, and when on God’s green earth can you ever say that about Manning?) had one of his most ineffective games as an NFL passer, the Broncos completely shut down Joe Flacco (117 passing yards, 0 TDs, two INTs). Can you imagine if, after throwing 125 touchdown passes his first three seasons in Denver, Manning becomes a complementary player and not the dominant one on his team? He just might be, as long as DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller hit the quarterback eight times, as they did against Flacco on Sunday.
2. Green Bay (1-0). James Jones was Ted Thompson’s gift to Aaron Rodgers. Don’t say the Silent Man never gave you anything, Aaron.
3. New England (1-0). No shame in giving the Steelers 464 offensive yards, I suppose. But this is what I’d be concerned about if I were offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels this week, entering game two at Buffalo: three rookies—guard, center, guard—blocking Marcel Dareus and Kyle Williams.
4. Seattle (0-1). Russell Wilson is now 1-3 in St. Louis. He hasn’t had an easy offensive snap there in four seasons.
5. Baltimore (0-1). May be naïve, but I think the Ravens can get enough pressure with Elvis Dumervil and Courtney Upshaw to win the AFC. We’ll see if they can, but the Terrell Suggs Achilles injury doesn’t make me change my mind about the Ravens, the same way the Jordy Nelson injury didn’t make me change my mind about the Packers winning the NFC.
6. San Diego (1-0). Really impressed with the Chargers’ scoring 30 unanswered points against a good Detroit team.
7. Kansas City (1-0). With Travis Kelce (six catches, 106 yards, two touchdowns) playing like that, maybe Alex Smith will never have to throw a touchdown pass to a wide receiver for the rest of his life.
8. Buffalo (1-0). Here come the Patriots. Rex Ryan’s frothing at the mouth. If “frothing’’ could include a natural exclamation point, it would, when referring to Rex.
9. Cincinnati (1-0). Bengals outgained Oakland by 150 yards and led 33–0 through three quarters. Perhaps I started shoveling the dirt on Cincinnati too soon.
10. San Francisco (1-0). Biggest lesson of Week 1: Trent Baalke built a deep team in Santa Clara, one that looks like it could—not will, necessarily, but could—survive the loss of Jim Harbaugh.
11. Arizona (1-0). Carson Palmer: 307 yards, three touchdown passes, zero turnovers, zero sacks taken. And you wonder why Bruce Arians loves him like a son?
12. Dallas (1-0). A miracle win, and a bad personnel loss in Dez Bryant (out four to six weeks with a broken foot), and a game at division arch rival Philadelphia Sunday. Why Dallas here? In Romo I trust.
13. Atlanta (1-0). Might have gotten a little lucky at the end of the game, with Philly’s Cody Parkey missing a 44-yarder wide right that would have given the Eagles the lead. But the rejuvenated Falcons defense was something to see. Dan Quinn looks like the right man for that job.
14. Philadelphia (0-1). An abysmal secondary could doom the Eagles. Byron Maxwell, the $63 million man, was awful in Monday night’s 26-24 loss in Atlanta.
15. St. Louis (1-0). There’s a reason why the Rams fought to get all those high draft picks. The reason has something to do with Michael Brockers (round one, 2012) and Aaron Donald (round one, 2014) smothering the interior of the Seattle offensive line Sunday.
USA Today
Spoiler!
1 Green Bay
Packers 1-0 1 1 / 2 WR James Jones was probably the ideal guy to allevieate the season-ending loss of No. 1 target Jordy Nelson.
2 New England
Patriots 1-0 1 2 / 6 Concerns about depleted defense look valid so far. But so do Pats' chances to contend for fifth Lombardi.
3 Denver
Broncos 1-0 3 3 / 6 This defense has the makings of a dominant unit. It may have to be given early returns on new-look offense.
4 Seattle
Seahawks 0-1 3 1 / 4 We'd say Kam Chancellor's negotiating position looks stronger after his replacement was burned for pivotal TD.
5 Baltimore
Ravens 0-1 1 4 / 5 This team has defensive depth to overcome loss of Terrell Suggs. But it needs more weaponry at offensive skill spots.
6 Indianapolis
Colts 0-1 1 3 / 6 They've been vowing for years to build a monster. But it's apparent they have a monstrous problem in trenches.
7 Cincinnati
Bengals 1-0 9 7 / 16 Nice opening win. But it was the Raiders. And hot starts in past seasons haven't done Cincy any good in January.
8 Buffalo
Bills 1-0 7 8 / 15 Rex Ryan loves to talk about how opponents don't want to play his team. Who's going to argue with him now?
9 St. Louis
Rams 1-0 4 9 / 13 Once Tre Mason and, eventually, Todd Gurley are in the backfield, this is going to be a tough crew to contend with.
10 Arizona
Cardinals 1-0 1 10 / 12 From 'did you know?' file, Carson Palmer is 14-2 over past 16 starts with Arizona and has won seven straight.
11 Dallas
Cowboys 1-0 3 11 / 18 USA TODAY Sports NFL columnist Jarrett Bell said it best -- it's officially time for Tony Romo to play like MVP.
12 Philadelphia
Eagles 0-1 5 7 / 12 New RBs DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews came out of the gate with 13 combined rushing yards. Ugly
13 Miami
Dolphins 1-0 5 8 / 13 Jarvis Landry doesn't get the acclaim of LSU mate Odell Beckham, but he might be just as key to Miami's hopes.
14 Pittsburgh
Steelers 0-1 5 9 / 15 You might have thought the defense was the unit missing two starters to suspension after that Week 1 showing.
15 San Diego
Chargers 1-0 3 12 / 17 Nothing like a supportive home crowd to give you juice after a flat start, right Angelenos? Sorry, too soon ...
16 Kansas City
Chiefs 1-0 1 16 / 24 Jekyll-and-Hyde offensive effort good enough to get valuable road win, but they'll likely need better vs. Broncos.
17 Carolina
Panthers 1-0 3 7 / 20 With or without Luke Kuechly, this defense can't afford to let up if Carolina is to make another playoff push.
18 San Francisco
49ers 0-0 9 18 / 28 Perhaps stories of their demise were premature. It is now quite clear why they let Frank Gore walk.
19 New York
Jets 1-0 3 19 / 22 All that offensive balance and those defensive takeaways were great. But let's remember they played the Browns.
20 Atlanta
Falcons 1-0 4 20 / 25 The defense, which ranked dead last in 2014, made just enough plays to give rookie coach Dan Quinn a win.
21 Minnesota
Vikings 0-0 11 10 / 21 Adrian Peterson must average 165 rushing yards rest of way to meet his goal of 2,500. D needs to show and help him.
22 New Orleans
Saints 0-1 4 14 / 22 We thought this reconfigured team was supposed to run the ball better and be more formidable on defense. Whoops.
23 Detroit
Lions 0-1 4 19 / 23 Dynamic rookie RB Ameer Abdullah averaged nearly 9 yards per offensive touch Sunday. So why did he only get 11?
24 Houston
Texans 0-1 3 20 / 24 You're probably focused on the on-again QB battle. But did you notice J.J. Watt is on pace for 32 sacks?!?
25 New York
Giants 0-1 2 23 / 25 We're not paying you $84 million to be a game manager, Eli ... especially given your failure in that role.
26 Tennessee
Titans 1-0 4 26 / 31 Marcus Mariota could go 2-0 vs. his two Heisman Trophy predecessors by beating Johnny Manziel on Sunday.
27 Chicago
Bears 0-1 5 27 / 32 Rather encouraging debut for a team with low expectations. But let's hope wheels don't fall off Matt Forte.
28 Washington
Redskins 0-1 1 28 / 30 Just what Washington faithful need -- a visit from Rams and their RG3 bounty. Will Jeff Fisher rub it in?
29 Jacksonville
Jaguars 0-1 3 22 / 29 At least they were semi-competitive. The 20-9 defeat was the narrowest Week 1 loss of Gus Bradley's tenure.
30 Oakland Raiders
0-1 5 25 / 30 Silver (and black) lining? Hmm. It sure appears that FB Marcel Reece is ready to make it four straight Pro Bowls.
31 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
0-1 3 27 / 31 Jameis Winston was first QB to throw pick-six on first NFL pass since Brett Favre in 1991. That worked out OK.
32 Cleveland
Browns 0-1 1 29 / 32 If you thought the league's worst run defense was improved, no. Just no. The Jets ran through Cleveland for 154 yards.
lulz Bleacher Report
Spoiler!
1 New England Patriots 9-1
2 Green Bay Packers 11-2
3 Cincinnati Bengals 50-1
4 Dallas Cowboys 14-1
5 Denver Broncos 14-1
6 Seattle Seahawks 13-2
7 Philadelphia Eagles 17-2
8 Arizona Cardinals 40-1
9 Indianapolis Colts 17-2
10 Detroit Lions 40-1
11 Pittsburgh Steelers 20-1
12 Kansas City Chiefs 33-1
13 Chicago Bears 75-1
14 Buffalo Bills 50-1
15 Baltimore Ravens 20-1
16 Miami Dolphins 25-1
17 San Diego Chargers 40-1
18 Minnesota Vikings 28-1
19 Atlanta Falcons 40-1
20 St. Louis Rams 66-1
21 Houston Texans 50-1
22 New Orleans Saints 40-1
23 New York Giants 50-1
24 Tennessee Titans 200-1
25 Carolina Panthers 50-1
26 San Francisco 49ers 66-1
27 New York Jets 100-1
28 Cleveland Browns 100-1
29 Jacksonville Jaguars 200-1
30 Washington 125-1
31 Oakland Raiders 75-1
32 Tampa Bay Buccaneers 100-1
Yahoo
Spoiler!
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1, Last week: 29)
Jameis Winston wasn't good, but it's clear this is a poorly coached team. Losing 42-14 in the season opener at home, against a team that went 2-14 last year, is spectacularly awful.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1, LW: 30)
Trailing 10-9 in the third quarter, Blake Bortles threw a terrible interception that was returned by Josh Norman for an easy touchdown. If Bortles is going to make the leap, he can't keep making mistakes like that.
30. Oakland Raiders (0-1, LW: 28)
Derek Carr's injury didn't help, but the score was 17-0 before Matt McGloin ever threw a pass. And the Raiders lost safeties Charles Woodson and Nate Allen to injuries, making a bad secondary worse.
29. Washington Redskins (0-1, LW: 31)
Alfred Morris ran the ball well, the defense was good, but without DeSean Jackson there wasn't a lot of big-play ability. And Jackson will miss 3-4 weeks.
28. Chicago Bears (0-1, LW: 27)
Matt Forte looked fresh and fast with 166 total yards. As long as he continues to look that good, John Fox will continue to ride him.
27. Tennessee Titans (1-0, LW: 32)
Marcus Mariota was great, but also encouraging was that 2014 second-round pick Bishop Sankey had his best NFL game, with 86 total yards and two touchdowns.
26. Cleveland Browns (0-1, LW: 26)
Johnny Manziel wasn't great, but he likely got few practice reps during the week as the backup, was facing a tough Jets defense on the road, and his best receiver was probably Travis Benjamin. And he wasn't all that bad either.
25. New York Giants (0-1, LW: 22)
It's amazing how coaches spend 80 hours a week figuring out things like what an opponent's tendency is on defense in third-and-long situations, but not 30 seconds studying the proper way to manage a clock and win a game at the end.
24. New York Jets (1-0, LW: 25)
Before Sunday, Chris Ivory had played two seasons with the Jets. He had 20 or more carries in a game three times. He had 100 yards each time. Which leads one to ask, why was Sunday only the fourth time he was given 20 carries by the Jets?
23. Houston Texans (0-1, LW: 20)
Sunday was another reminder of how badly the Texans screwed up the 2014 draft. They still don't have a quarterback. The Brian Hoyer thing didn't even last four quarters before he was yanked. And this season, they'll still probably win enough games that they won't be able to draft one of the top quarterbacks in 2016.
22. Minnesota Vikings (0-1, LW: 16)
The offense looked miserable. Adrian Peterson had just 10 carries for 31 yards. Teddy Bridgewater held the ball too long. I don't want to move a team too much based on one week, but nothing looked too good.
21. San Francisco 49ers (1-0, LW: 24)
It's possible the defense is really good, and Carlos Hyde is a stud. Safety Antoine Bethea played as good of an all-around game as you'll see a safety have. The entire offseason isn't erased because of one game, but it was promising.
20. Carolina Panthers (1-0, LW: 21)
The Panthers will have to do better than 263 yards and one offensive touchdown to keep winning. They won't face the Jaguars' offense every week.
19. New Orleans Saints (0-1, LW: 19)
Arizona has a fairly good offense, but its 25 first downs came a little too easy. Nothing the Saints did in Week 1 would lead you to believe the defense improved much from last season.
18. Atlanta Falcons (1-0, LW: 23)
Forget a committee, Tevin Coleman seems light years ahead of Devonta Freeman in that backfield.
17. St. Louis Rams (1-0, LW: 18)
Great win. They've had great wins under Jeff Fisher before. What we need to see now is the Rams winning games that don't come against marquee opponents at home.
16. Detroit Lions (0-1, LW: 14)
Ameer Abdullah looked really good in his debut. But that begs the question: Why, oh why, did Abdullah get only seven carries in a game that the Lions once led 21-3?
15. San Diego Chargers (1-0, LW: 17)
Keenan Allen tied a Chargers record with 15 catches, and he had 166 yards in a comeback win. The rookie season version of Allen appears to be back. Not sure what happened last season, when he struggled.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (0-1, LW: 12)
Of all the coaches you'd think would be bold on fourth-and-1 late in the game, instead of taking a shot on a long field goal, you'd think Kelly would be No. 1 on that list. He kicked it, the field-goal attempt missed, and the Eagles lost.
13. Buffalo Bills (1-0, LW: 15)
Rex Ryan said Monday he's already done with his defensive game plan for the Patriots. I don't doubt it. What an atmosphere that will be in Buffalo on Sunday.
12. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0, LW: 13)
Week 1 was a nice statement. It doesn't mean much if the Chiefs don't follow that up with a home win against the Denver Broncos on Thursday night.
11. Arizona Cardinals (1-0, LW: 10)
The Cardinals appear convinced that Chris Johnson can be the lead back while Andre Ellington is out for perhaps a few weeks with a PCL sprain in his right knee. Maybe Bruce Arians sees something that wasn't apparent in Johnson the past few years.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1, LW: 8)
The secondary is just not good. It's going to be hard to fix it too much from here on out either. Ben Roethlisberger better take care of his arm because he's going to be throwing a lot this season.
9. Miami Dolphins (1-0, LW: 9)
A win is a win, although that one in Washington was sloppy. It makes no sense, however, why Lamar Miller had nine carries before the Dolphins' final drive to run out the clock. That needs to change.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0, LW: 11)
Hope you got Tyler Eifert in the last couple rounds of your fantasy draft.
7. Baltimore Ravens (0-1, LW: 6)
Terrell Suggs' season-ending injury is a problem. So too is Joe Flacco throwing for 117 yards in the opener. The Broncos have a very nice defense but the Ravens don't have many weapons in the passing game.
6. Dallas Cowboys (1-0, LW: 7)
Without Dez Bryant, the running game takes center stage. The problem is that running game gained 80 yards on 23 attempts against a bad Giants defense on Sunday night.
5. Indianapolis Colts (0-1, LW: 4)
Maybe the Colts have become tough to gauge because of their division. They're 12-0 in divisional games, as they play in the worst division in football, since the start of 2013. They're 10-11 playing everyone else.
4. Denver Broncos (1-0, LW: 5)
Six different receivers caught passes for the Broncos on Sunday. Five of them averaged less than 10 yards per catch. The exception was Jordan Norwood, who had 25 on two catches. That's troubling.
3. Green Bay Packers (1-0, LW: 3)
Randall Cobb didn't look like himself, with 38 yards on five catches. Will his shoulder be better by the time the Packers play the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night?
2. New England Patriots (1-0, LW: 2)
The Patriots probably shouldn't feel great about giving up 464 yards in the opener, even if it was to the Steelers' explosive offense. But they did so while winning fairly easily, so no need for concern yet.
1. Seattle Seahawks (0-1, LW: 1)
After seven months of watching offseason moves and studying teams, I believed the Seahawks were the best team in the NFL coming into the 2015 season. In Week 1, they lost by 3 points in overtime, on the road in a venue they never play well at, against a division rival. The Rams got a long touchdown in the final minute when a defender fell down, a flubbed kickoff to start overtime and then stopped a fourth-and-1 run in overtime by Marshawn Lynch. Does a razor-thin loss like that change my opinion about the Seahawks as a whole?
NFL.COM (chiefs #4)
Spoiler!
1
1-0 PACKERS
1
Fans shouldn't be alarmed. On "NFL HQ" and "NFL Fantasy Live" on NFL Network last Friday, I predicted James Jones would score a touchdown fresh off the street in the first quarter. Made it by 43 seconds. Sticking with Green Bay as my Super Bowl 50 pick, whether you like it or not.
RANK
2
1-0 PATRIOTS
2
I think Tom Brady was kind of pissed off the last few weeks, don't you? Goodness gracious, the Pats' opponents have to try to gameplan to stop Brady and a healthy Rob Gronkowski. Those seam routes in particular, right up the hash, are so difficult to defend. Oh, and way to go, Dion Lewis. I like Dion. He didn't wander ... The back settled down in zones enough to catch four balls last Thursday.
RANK
3
0-1 SEAHAWKS
2
Marshawn Lynch got the ball with the game on the line this time. Seattle could have used Kam Chancellor on a few of those plays out there in Sunday's overtime loss (see: Lance Kendricks' game-tying touchdown for the Rams). Playing opponents close is nothing new to the best team of this era. That said, when you consistently play them that close, 10-6 isn't that far removed from 13-3. Heckuva clutch play in the fourth, Earl Thomas. Not so much, Seahawks offensive line. #0-1, Russ
RANK
4
1-0 CHIEFS
3
Alex Smith looked awfully good in that first half on Sunday. The three touchdown passes held up. Maybe my offseason ranking of Smith as the 10th best quarterback for 2015 -- for which your friendly Power Rankings writer took some serious Twitter fire -- wasn't so far off. Oh, by the way, Kansas City's defense looked solid, minus the garbage-time touchdowns.
RANK
5
1-0 CARDINALS
4
Andre Ellington's knee injury hurts. The guy was banged up all last year. Sure, David Johnson scored the clinching touchdown in Sunday's win, but that came late, with the Saints trying to keep Arizona from getting a first down. The Chris Johnson signing now looms large, as the artist formerly known as CJ2K will have to pick up serious slack for however long Ellington is out. Carson Palmer performed well running that offense; he looked pretty mobile on that rollout touchdown pass. #encouraging
RANK
6
1-0 BILLS
11
The only thing sweeter than the Bills' defense stampeding the Horseshoe ... the only thing sweeter than that Buffalo crowd going bonkers all afternoon ... was that sweet shirt Tyrod Taylor was flyin' in the postgame news conference. #sweet #KeithSweatcirca1992 # Billsmafia
RANK
7
1-0 BENGALS
4
Little to not like about the Bengals' blowout win in Oakland. The offense averaged 6.1 yards per play while the defense held the Raiders to a mere 4.0 yards per play. That's a sizeable differential when averaged over 126 plays in an NFL game. That said, no one gets excited over Cincinnati winning in the regular season anymore, and that's just the way it is. Not unless Andy Dalton plays lights out.
RANK
8
1-0 COWBOYS
2
The Cowboys drop in spite of the win, due to the loss of receiver Dez Bryant (broken bone in foot) and pass rusher Randy Gregory (high ankle sprain) for four to six weeks. Gregory's absence will be palpable for that defense, as the rookie collapsed the pocket several times Sunday night before exiting. In other news ... somebody wake up the Cowboys' other wide receivers and let them know the game started.
RANK
9
1-0 BRONCOS
1
While watching portions of Ravens-Broncos with colleagues Dave Dameshek, Bucky Brooks, Ike Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, the topic of whether Denver backup Brock Osweiler should enter the lineup this season came up. Too soon was the consensus, but the Broncos must be able to push the ball downfield. Taylor pointed out that Peyton Manning "overthrew Emmanuel Sanders on a vertical (route) and that is not easy to do." Manning certainly struggled in front of the home folks Sunday, although we should point out that the Ravens' defense is no pushover. Still, if there was any question before, it's clear now that the strength of this Broncos team absolutely resides on the defensive side of the ball.
RANK
10
0-1 COLTS
7
Looks like the Horseshoe dodged a tack with T.Y. Hilton's knee injury, which should only keep the receiver out for one to two games. Good news. Maybe everyone should pump the brakes on fitting Andrew Luck for that Hall of Fame jacket just yet. I have no doubt Luck will rebound, but the Colts were flat outplayed in Buffalo. Moreover, Luck was outplayed by Tyrod Taylor. Having new parts on offense is fantastic. But the benefits of continuity often trump the benefits of adding new parts. Let's see how Indy handles this.
RANK
11
1-0 CHARGERS
2
Panic? Maybe. Character? Check. Big win? Absolutely. San Diego was resilient enough to come back from a 21-3 deficit against a team that certainly has the makings of a playoff squad. The AFC West is going to be a three-way fight, and the Chargers have as strong a shot as the Broncos and Chiefs.
RANK
12
1-0 RAMS
7
Jeff Fisher is a long way from the 34-6 drubbing his Rams suffered in last year's home opener. While it remains to be seen how much longer fans in St. Louis will be able to watch NFL football in person, the local crowd was treated to a fun one for five quarters Sunday: two punt-return touchdowns, a huge fourth-down stop and, of course, a home W. This just in: Aaron Donald is a beast. And no, we aren't putting the Rams over the Seahawks. Too many six- and seven-win campaigns in the Rams' recent past for that.
RANK
13
0-1 STEELERS
8
So Rob Gronkowski toyed with Steelers defensive backs like Clark Griswold toyed with Rusty in that footrace in the Wally World parking lot ... Chevy Chase even had a giant Gronkesque grin in that scene. The most disappointing aspect of Thursday night's loss to the Patriots was the amount of missed opportunities. DHB's feet notwithstanding, Ben Roethlisberger just missed Markus Wheaton on what could've been a touchdown, or at least a long catch and run to set up a score, in the first half. Still think Wheaton is going to have himself a campaign.
RANK
14
1-0 DOLPHINS
1
Jarvis Landry might not have put up huge receiving numbers, but man oh man was that a clutch punt return in the fourth quarter Sunday. Speaking of Miami pass catchers who dazzled in Week 1 matchups with Washington, anybody remember which Dolphins wideout lit up the Redskins for 178 yards and two scores on opening day in 1984? (I'm talking to you, old-school 'Fins fans. Hit me up @HarrisonNFL.) Oh, and this Dolphins defense could rank in the top five before 2015 is all over.
RANK
15
1-0 PANTHERS
3
All eyes are on Luke Kuechly and his health, with Ron Rivera saying that the linebacker, in the concussion protocol after leaving Sunday's game with a concussion, is "OK." The Panthers already lost key personnel on offense, and this team absolutely cannot afford to be without its defensive leader. Speaking of defense, Carolina imposed its will down in Jacksonville, allowing only 265 yards of offense, three third-down conversions and all of nine points. #1-0
RANK
16
0-1 LIONS
4
Nice start, Ameer Abdullah. The preseason Hall of Famer took his first carry to the house, showing the same explosive form that he flashed throughout August.
RANK
17
0-1 RAVENS
3
Narrow loss in Denver + season-ending injury for Terrell Suggs = terrible Week 1 for Ravens fans. To make matters even more irritating: Without that Joe Flacco pass right into Aqib Talib's gut, Baltimore definitely could've stolen a quality road W. If I know John Harbaugh, though, this team will bounce right back.
RANK
18
1-0 FALCONS
5
Nice home win, Dan Quinn. And a kudos to the defense, which got the stops when it had to (... even if Philadelphia moved the ball at will in the second half). The biggest props must go to clutch LB Paul Worrilow, whose third-down stop of Ryan Mathews forced that Cody Parkey duck late. Wonderful play by a guy who chipped in 12 more tackles on the night.
RANK
19
0-1 EAGLES
9
You know Chip Kelly did not want to send Cody Parkey out there for that field-goal attempt. That might have been the first time we've seen Kelly succumb to the what-every-other-coach-would-do mentality. Given Parkey's preseason, Kelly probably should have gone for it. But of course, hindsight's 20/20. Regardless, until the Eagles' defense proves it can play defense, middle of the pack (11-20) is where this team will be.
RANK
20
1-0 JETS
1
Heckuva job all the way around by the Jets. OK, it was the Browns. But come on. Ryan Fitzpatrick made some nice throws, particularly the lob to Brandon Marshall to stake New York to a double-digit lead. The defense will take care of itself. And that unit dodged a major bullet with Antonio Cromartie's MRI coming back clean. Cro's listed as week-to-week, but it definitely looked like it could have been much worse when he was carted off the field on Sunday with a towel draped over his head.
RANK
21
1-0 49ERS
6
After an offseason of tumult, departures and doom-and-gloom prognostications, what a way to open the season! In case you missed it, Carlos Hyde ran 20 times for 365 yards and eight touchdowns. And that front seven everyone felt sorry for all offseason put its stamp on the game, racking up five sacks and making third down a living hell for the Vikings. (Oh, and here are Hyde's real numbers.)
RANK
22
0-1 GIANTS
Acronym fun: PI on DRC. OK, so that call was the definition of ticky-tack. Unfortunately, given the arm around the waist, it is highly difficult for the ref to tell if Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie was pulling on Terrance Williams at full game speed.
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, allow me to explain why the Giants stay at No. 22 after a loss. This team might not be strong enough to compete for the NFC East crown, but Sunday night in Dallas, Tom Coughlin's group did more than enough to win. The key to this team actually making a playoff run: Rashad Jennings staying healthy all season.
RANK
23
0-1 SAINTS
1
A loss in Arizona does not spell doom for this football team. While the Falcons certainly acquitted themselves well in the opener, the rest of the South did not. The Panthers won, but couldn't generate much offense in Jacksonville. Tampa Bay looked like the '76 Bucs.
Sunday's outcome might have been different had that third-quarter pass not squirted off Marques Colston's hands ... and right into the waiting arms of Rashad Johnson. So much for New Orleans running the football more: Drew Brees threw 48 times and got sacked twice, while the Saints only compiled 20 rushing attempts (for a measly 54 yards). Ugh.
RANK
24
0-1 VIKINGS
8
Unimpressive loss to the 49ers all the way around. Adrian Peterson got about as involved as the long snapper. On that note, we discussed the merits of Peterson getting handoffs out of the shotgun on "NFL HQ" -- that's different than getting the rock out of the I-formation or seven yards behind the line of scrimmage. In those latter situations, the running back gets more momentum and can see the whole defense. Back to the drawing board.
RANK
25
0-1 TEXANS
5
Sorry you had to sit through those first three quarters, Texans fans. Despite all the talk about the quarterback position in Houston, Kansas City's offense did what it wanted to do against the vaunted Texans defense. One play that particularly stood out was Travis Kelce's second touchdown, a long catch-and-run with the closest Houston defender having a beer at Gilley's. (Sadly, yet, it's still closed.) Back to QB spot for a second: The new equation seems to be BH + W1 = RM. (At least that's my feeling.)
RANK
26
1-0 TITANS
6
Marcus Mariota, superstar. All those draftniks who didn't think he was the answer for Tennessee -- those folks who cried bust -- got two really dirty Titans socks in the mouth. Four touchdown strikes, a perfect passer rating and a comfy seat on the bench for the fourth quarter of a blowout win? Not a bad debut. But if you think Tennessee's 42-14 win in Tampa was only about Mariota, think again. The Titans were flat out ballin' in every phase of the game. Yes, those Titans.
RANK
27
0-1 BEARS
2
It was a close contest at Soldier Field on Sunday. You have to love the Bears rolling out the 1940s-era throwbacks. Ultimately, the new-look defense in Chicago faltered in the second half, allowing Green Bay to score touchdowns on three of their four full possessions: Aaron Rodgers marched the Packers on TD drives of 59, 78 and 48 yards -- with the last one coming off a crushing Jay Cutler pick. Another middling performance from the Chicago QB, in case you only watched eight minutes.
RANK
28
0-1 JAGUARS
For all the chatter about Blake Bortles and the young offense, all we saw in Week 1 was nine stinkin' points. The second half was particularly sucky: pick-six, punt, punt, punt, interception, turnover on downs. Gus Bradley's defense held the fort, but the cannons need to occasionally fire.
RANK
29
0-1 REDSKINS
1
It looked promising there for a while against Miami. Then the quarterback position happened. Make no mistake: The Redskins' defense did its job (and then some) versus an allegedly up-and-coming Dolphins attack. Yet, in 17 second-half attempts, Kirk Cousins could only manage 96 yards passing with a crippling fourth-quarter interception. OK, not horrible, but not enough to support a defense that answered the bell.
RANK
30
0-1 RAIDERS
4
Shoddy start to a season that appeared to carry some promise in Oakland. Not only did the Raiders suffer an embarrassing, lopsided loss in front of the Black Hole -- Oakland was down 33-0 in the third quarter -- but Derek Carr managed just a dozen passes before getting knocked out of the game with a bruised throwing thumb. Oh, and team leader Charles Woodson suffered a shoulder injury in garbage time. Maybe the Raiders weren't supposed to take down Cincy in the season opener, but a lot of people were excited about Oakland entering this season. That was just ugly on Sunday.
RANK
31
0-1 BROWNS
Positive vibes weren't exactly flowing from this team in Sunday's three-touchdown loss to the Jets, but Brownie fans did get to catch a glimpse of what Johnny Manziel is (or is not) capable of. After a disastrous rookie year and an offseason of life changes, John Football was forced into action earlier than anticipated following Josh McCown's helicopter crash. Manziel's day: 13 for 24, 182 yards, one touchdown, one pick. Of course, 54 of those yards came on his second pass of the game. Still, there is no replacement for regular-season action.
RANK
32
0-1 BUCCANEERS
3
So, Jameis' rookie campaign didn't quite kick off as planned. Starting off his NFL career with a pick-six on his very first pass attempt was one thing, lining up for a third-and-42 later on was another. Yeah, and the fumbled exchange with Doug Martin was no bueno, as well. But the real concern is a defense that would not have stopped the University of North Texas on Sunday. At least defense isn't Lovie Smith's side of the ball. Well, wait ...
SB Nation
Spoiler!
1 New England Patriots, 1-0 (Preseason: 3) Pats Pulpit
2 Green Bay Packers, 1-0 (Preseason: 2) Acme Packing Company
3 Denver Broncos, 1-0 (Preseason: 4) Mile High Report
4 Arizona Cardinals, 1-0 (Preseason: 9) Revenge of the Birds
5 Kansas City Chiefs, 1-0 (Preseason: 10) Arrowhead Pride
6 Buffalo Bills, 1-0 (Preseason: 19) Buffalo Rumblings
7 Dallas Cowboys, 1-0 (Preseason: 11) Blogging the Boys
8 Seattle Seahawks, 0-1 (Preseason: 1) Field Gulls
9 Philadelphia Eagles, 0-1 (Preseason: 6) Bleeding Green Nation
10 Indianapolis Colts, 0-1 (Preseason: 5) Stampede Blue
11 Cincinnati Bengals, 1-0 (Preseason: 13) Cincy Jungle
12 Pittsburgh Steelers, 0-1 (Preseason: 8) Behind the Steel Curtain
13 Baltimore Ravens, 0-1 (Preseason: 7) Baltimore Beatdown
14 San Diego Chargers, 1-0 (Preseason: 15) Bolts from the Blue
15 St. Louis Rams, 1-0 (Preseason: 23) Turf Show Times
16 San Francisco 49ers, 1-0 (Preseason: 22) Niners Nation
17 Atlanta Falcons, 1-0 (Preseason: 21) The Falcoholic
18 Miami Dolphins, 1-0 (Preseason: 16) The Phinsider
19 Detroit Lions, 0-1 (Preseason: 12) Pride of Detroit
20 Carolina Panthers, 1-0 (Preseason: 20) Cat Scratch Reader
21 New Orleans Saints, 0-1 (Preseason: 17) Canal Street Chronicles
22 Minnesota Vikings, 0-1 (Preseason: 14) Daily Norseman
23 Houston Texans, 0-1 (Preseason: 18) Battle Red Blog
24 New York Giants, 0-1 (Preseason: 24) Big Blue View
25 New York Jets, 1-0 (Preseason: 26) Gang Green Nation
26 Chicago Bears, 0-1 (Preseason: 25) Windy City Gridiron
27 Tennessee Titans, 1-0 (Preseason: 32) Music City Miracles
28 Washington, 0-1 (Preseason: 30) Hogs Haven
29 Cleveland Browns, 0-1 (Preseason: 27) Dawgs by Nature
30 Oakland Raiders, 0-1 (Preseason: 28) Silver and Black Pride
31 Jacksonville Jaguars, 0-1 (Preseason: 29) Big Cat Country
32 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 0-1 (Preseason: 31) Bucs Nation
ESPN
Spoiler!
1
Patriots
1-0
1
Last Week: 2 Can anyone stop Gronk? After a three-touchdown performance against the Steelers, Rob Gronkowski now has a touchdown reception in seven straight games played.
2
Packers
1-0
1
Last Week: 3 The good? The Packers are 1-0 and heading home, where they've won nine straight (including playoffs). The bad? The Packers are playing the Seahawks, who has beaten Green Bay three straight times.
3
Seahawks
0-1
2
Last Week: 1 Don't put too much stock into the Seahawks' 0-1 start. Russell Wilson is now 1-3 in his career at St. Louis. He's 35-10 everywhere else.
4
Broncos
1-0
1
Last Week: 5 The Broncos are 1-0, but there's cause for concern. Peyton Manning's last four games (including playoffs): 59.3 completion percentage, three TDs, five INTs and a 32.2 Total QBR.
5
Cowboys
1-0
1
Last Week: 6 Dez Bryant's injury puts a damper on the Cowboys' big comeback win. Bryant's 56 career receiving touchdowns are second most in the NFL since 2010.
6
Cardinals
1-0
4
Last Week: 10 Carson Palmer threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter in Week 1. Palmer has an 88.0 Total QBR in the fourth quarter the past two seasons, best in the NFL.
7
Chiefs
1-0
7
Last Week: 14 Still no touchdowns by a wide receiver, but who cares? Alex Smith went 13-of-16 for 164 yards and 3 TDs Sunday when targeting his running backs and tight ends.
8
Bengals
1-0
3
Last Week: 11 The emergence of Tyler Eifert adds just another weapon for Andy Dalton. Dalton passed for more than 100 yards when targeting tight ends Sunday for only the fourth time in his career.
9
Bills
1-0
9
Last Week: 18 Since the start of 2013, the Bills' defense leads the NFL in interceptions (44) and sacks (113). It just stopped Andrew Luck in his tracks. Next up? Tom Brady.
10
Chargers
1-0
3
Last Week: 13 Philip Rivers' contract guarantees him the second most money among current NFL contracts. Rivers helped justify that by going 21-of-23 for 249 yards and two touchdowns in the second half Sunday.
11
Colts
0-1
7
Last Week: 4 What's the worst trend developing for the Colts in their past two games (including playoffs) -- Andrew Luck's 46.3 completion percentage or the Colts allowing five rushing TDs in those games?
12
Ravens
0-1
4
Last Week: 8 No offensive touchdowns and 173 yards was not the season debut Joe Flacco and the Ravens were hoping for. No team gained fewer yards than Baltimore in Week 1.
13
Steelers
0-1
6
Last Week: 7 Steel Curtain no more. The Steelers have allowed 34 pass TDs since the start of last season, better than only the Bears and Buccaneers.
14
Rams
1-0
8
Last Week: 22 The Rams' pass rush got off to a hot start Sunday, recording six sacks in the win against the Seahawks. The Rams had six sacks combined in Weeks 1-8 last season.
15
Eagles
0-1
6
Last Week: 9 They each scored a touchdown Monday, but the Eagles are likely looking for more than a combined 13 yards on 11 rushes from DeMarco Murray and Ryan Mathews.
16
Dolphins
1-0
1
Last Week: 15 The Dolphins squeaked out a win, but big-money free agent Ndamukong Suh didn't make a big difference. The Dolphins allowed the third-most rushing yards in Week 1 (161).
17
Falcons
1-0
6
Last Week: 23 How good is Julio Jones? Over his past 16 games played he has 175 targets, 113 receptions, 1,734 yards and eight TDs.
18
Panthers
1-0
1
Last Week: 19 It's not always pretty, but the Panthers have won five straight regular-season games dating to last season, tied for the longest win streak in the NFL (Cowboys).
19
49ers
1-0
5
Last Week: 24 How do you replace Frank Gore? If you're Carlos Hyde, you rush for a league-high 168 yards and two touchdowns in your first NFL start.
20
Lions
0-1
8
Last Week: 12 How did the Lions follow up blowing a 13-point lead in the 2014 wild-card playoffs? By blowing an 18-point lead against the Chargers in Week 1.
21
Jets
1-0
5
Last Week: 26 Rex Ryan is gone but the Jets are still going ground-and-pound under Todd Bowles. The Jets rushed on 59 percent of their Week 1 plays, highest in the NFL.
22
Saints
0-1
6
Last Week: 16 Drew Brees got a lot of help from his friends to acquire his 355 passing yards in Week 1. The Saints gained 271 yards after the catch Sunday, most in the Brees-Sean Payton era.
23
Titans
1-0
7
Last Week: 30 The Titans scored 28 points in the first half Sunday with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. They scored 28 points in an entire game just once last season (Week 5 vs Browns).
24
Giants
0-1
3
Last Week: 21 Just take the sack, Eli. It's no surprise Manning threw it away late against the Cowboys. He had the second-most throwaways last season.
25
Vikings
0-1
8
Last Week: 17 Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikings raised expectations last season, but being the only team unable to score a touchdown in the opener might lower those expectations again.
26
Texans
0-1
6
Last Week: 20 Brian Hoyer or Ryan Mallett? Hoyer's 12.3 Total QBR in Week 1 was second worst in the NFL. Mallett posted an 85.9 QBR in relief.
27
Bears
0-1
2
Last Week: 25 The Bears have now lost six straight games dating to last season. Only the Buccaneers have a longer active losing streak (7 games).
28
Browns
0-1
1
Last Week: 27 It might not matter who plays quarterback for the Browns this season. Cleveland has allowed 2,419 rushing yards since the start of last season, worst in the NFL.
29
Redskins
0-1
3
Last Week: 32 The Week 1 loss drops Kirk Cousins to 2-8 in his career as a starter. Only Blaine Gabbert, Derek Carr and Jimmy Clausen have a worse W-L since 2012 (min. 10 starts).
30
Jaguars
0-1
1
Last Week: 31 The Jags' offense is dominated by youth as 92 percent of the team's scrimmage yards Sunday were gained by players with three or fewer years of experience. Unfortunately, that led to only nine points.
31
Raiders
0-1
3
Last Week: 28 Amari Cooper finished with only 47 receiving yards in his debut, but the Raiders tried to get him the ball. His nine targets were second most among rookies in Week 1.
32
Buccaneers
0-1
3
Last Week: 29 Good news. Jameis Winston's first NFL pass was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. The last quarterback to have that happen? Brett Favre (Elias).