NFL Power Rankings: Biggest Winners and Losers from Sunday's Games

Aaron F. SteinbergJun 7, 2018

Week 1 of the NFL came with enough surprises to be a college football Saturday. Some of the teams many analysts thought to be bottom-feeders looked like real contenders, and a couple teams coming into the season as clear top-10 choices fell flat on their faces.

Of course, this is Week 1, and a lot can change over the course of 16 more weeks. But it’s safe to say some of the teams were not who we thought they were. Here are the three biggest Week 1 power-rankings winners and the three biggest losers.

Winners

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1. Washington Redskins

Redskins fans have a new game-day mantra: YES! After looking solid in the preseason, analysts expected big things from RGIII in Week 1. But he went above and beyond, becoming the first NFL QB to record 300 yards, two touchdowns and no picks in his debut.

RGIII’s supporting cast didn’t disappoint, either. Pierre Garcon showed up as the brilliant addition the Skins hoped for. And minus one dropped interception Orakpo could have made by using the bread-basket technique, the front seven looked brilliant.

The Skins' question this year is the secondary. However, Cedric Griffin and Josh Wilson looked solid, and Gomes and Doughty came up with two huge picks help the Skins pull away and then ice the game when things looked shaky. Based on Week 1, the Skins look like real contenders.

2. Dallas Cowboys

Neither the Cowboys nor the Giants looked particularly steady in Week 1, but the Cowboys scored a huge win in the Meadowlands against the projected NFC East No. 1 and possible Super Bowl contender New York Giants. The Jets and the Bears did crush their opponents, but neither the Bills nor the Colts are very good, which puts the Cowboys in my No. 2 spot.

Romo and Murray played well, giving the Cowboys solid showings from the always-crucial skill positions. While the Cowboys' top three receivers—Bryant, Austin and Witten—didn’t have stellar performances, Ogletree had a breakout game to show that the Cowboys have the depth to perform every week. And if Ware keeps up the sacks, the Cowboys should be a real threat to go deep into the postseason.

3. New York Jets

The New York Jets absolutely owned the Bills in Week 1. Sanchez threw three touchdowns for 21 of the Jets' 48 points. Tebow looked solid in his runs and…onside-kick recovery. Shonn Greene continued to look like an emerging NFL star, with 94 yards and a touchdown. Cromartie shone with one of the defense’s three interceptions. For the Jets, basically everyone did what they were supposed to do, and they did it well.

Besides the win, some other great news for the Jets is rookie Stephen Hill. In his NFL debut, he had 89 yards and two touchdowns—he is only the fifth player to have two receiving touchdowns in his first game in the last 25 years.

The Bears crushed the Colts. But even with the addition of Luck, Indy is still in rebuild mode. The Bills are just a better team, and the Jets beat them equally as bad. This puts the Jets as my No. 3.

Losers

1. Philadelphia Eagles

In Week 1, the Eagles may have won the game, but it looked really ugly. Most analysts had the Eagles in the No. 2 spot in the NFC East and in the top 10 in the preseason power rankings—in this game, they looked closer to the bottom rung on the ladder.

Vick threw four interceptions. Andy Reid says he was rusty, but a guy with a contract like Vick’s needs to have a better excuse. The Eagles should have blown out the Browns and looked forward to their Week 2 challenge against the Ravens. Instead, Philly needs to seriously regroup if the want to have any chance of a victory next Sunday.

2. New Orleans Saints

The Skins looked like real contenders, but the Saints are still a better team. The game was only as close as it was because of some great special teams play by New Orleans and some egregious calls by the replacement refs, who looked like they wanted to see what it was like to call every possible penalty in their new handbook.

The Saints didn’t look terrible—it was basically an all-around mediocre performance. Their biggest issue was time of possession. The defense couldn’t stop Washington, and the offense couldn’t hold onto the ball. Perhaps when Sean Payton gets back, he’ll notice that Jimmy Graham’s height and hands make him almost impossible to stop. Then they can make some better plays and right the ship.

3. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts aren’t supposed to do much this year, but fans certainly hoped for a star performance out of Andrew Luck—cue the RGIII comparisons—and hints of a bright future. This didn’t really happen.

The Bears are very good, yes, but the Colts are clearly not going to contend for another Super Bowl anytime soon.

The Packers, who were supposed to be the best team in the NFL, lost, which would make them a solid choice for the No. 3 loser. However, they didn’t look terrible, the Niners are very good and it’s Week 1.

The Colts came in at No. 3 because people just loved Luck coming out of college—he was touted as the perfect QB. I have no doubt he’ll have a successful career, but as for the 2012-2013 power rankings, the Colts are still left at the bottom.

Full Power Rankings after Week 1

1. Patriots

2. 49ers

3. Texans

4. Packers

5. Ravens

6. Bears

7. Falcons

8. Cowboys

9. Jets

10. Redskins

11. Broncos