NFL Power Rankings: Where Each Team Stands After Week 1 of Preseason
NFL football made its triumphant return with Week 1 of the preseason last week. We got to see the debuts of Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota as well as countless other rookie players and coaches, and most importantly, we got to talk football again.
While it’s impossible to determine anything based on one week, especially a preseason week when a lot of starters don’t even play, we’re going to dish out some power rankings heading into Week 2 of the preseason schedule.
Since the first preseason game especially is meaningless in determining how a team will look during the regular season, most of the criteria for these rankings are based on the offseason and future expectations.
A dash of preseason spice is thrown in for flavor. Football is back. Let’s get to ranking.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Jameis Winston did not look sharp in his first NFL game action. Completing just nine of 19 passes for 131 yards and an interception was probably not the start Bucs fans were hoping for in the 26-16 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
He also fumbled the ball once, reminding us of the turnover trouble that plagued Winston at FSU in his second season. He was able to scamper in for an eight-yard touchdown run just before the half, but other than that Winston will need to show a lot of improvement going forward to lead this team out of the cellar.
31. Tennessee Titans
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Marcus Mariota, the second overall pick in the NFL draft, didn’t fare much better than first-round counterpart Winston. Although he completed seven of eight passes, his first attempt was intercepted by the Atlanta Falcons on a screen pass to Bishop Sankey.
On his second drive, Mariota was hit as he threw and coughed up a fumble that the Atlanta Falcons returned for a touchdown. Tennessee allowed 17 first-quarter points, mostly due to Mariota’s turnovers deep in its own territory, and fell 31-24.
30. Oakland Raiders
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Perpetual disappointments, the Oakland Raiders actually won their preseason opener 18-3 over the St. Louis Rams. Among the positives for Oakland was Derek Carr completing three passes to rookie wide receiver Amari Cooper, a combination Raiders fans hope proves fruitful for years to come.
It’s difficult to judge how a team will fare based on one preseason game, but the Raiders look as though they have definite potential for growth. Latavius Murray broke off a 17-yard run, finishing the day with 35 yards on six carries, and the defense held the Rams to under 200 yards passing.
However, the Raiders themselves finished with just 215 yards passing, most of which came from backup Matt McGloin (10-of-11, 104 yards, one touchdown). Oakland is still the worst team in a division full of good to really good teams.
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29. Cleveland Browns
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This team has everything needed to succeed except for one huge, glaring hole: the passing game. Unfortunately, in today’s NFL that’s not going to fly.
Josh McCown made his Cleveland debut, completing all five of his pass attempts. In fact, Browns QBs completed almost two-thirds of their passes during the 20-17 loss to Washington.
However, those 19 completions (30 attempts) netted them just 125 yards passing with one touchdown and one interception. Johnny Manziel completed seven of 11 passes for 42 yards and even ran in a 12-yard touchdown, but this passing attack is going to be brutal.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars
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The Jacksonville Jaguars were able to beat the old AFC Central foe Pittsburgh Steelers 23-21 in what was actually an entertaining preseason game. For the Jags, there were some key positives and negatives.
Among the negatives was the injury to prize free-agent signing Julius Thomas after just one reception. Thomas took a hard hit and landed awkwardly. He’ll reportedly miss the rest of the preseason with a broken bone in his hand.
The defense also continued to give up big plays, getting torched by Ben Roethlisberger and Martavis Bryant on the Steelers’ opening drive for a 44-yard bomb.
Positives for the Jaguars included quarterback Blake Bortles and improved offensive line play. The line allowed just two sacks in the opener after allowing a league-high 71 (4.4 per game) last season.
The extra time allowed Bortles to complete 11 of 15 passes for 118 yards as well as score a four-yard touchdown run. The rest of the running game looked bleak, however, rushing for just 80 yards on 26 attempts.
There are signs of improvement for Jacksonville, but it’s going to take a lot to get there.
27. New York Jets
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Oh, the Jets.
New York managed only a field goal in its 23-3 preseason-opening loss to the Detroit Lions. Fill-in starting quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick played in just one series, completing two of three passes for 16 yards.
As previously mentioned, it’s difficult to determine how a team will perform based on one preseason game, especially when the starters play just one series. But New York performed so poorly last season and only made one notable offseason move, bringing back Darrelle Revis.
A horrible season may be exactly what the Jets need in order to land a top quarterback in the draft. They’ll probably be in that conversation near the end of the year.
26. Washington
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Robert Griffin III thinks he’s the best quarterback in the NFL, as he told WJLA's Alex Parker (h/t the Washington Post's Clinton Yates). Owner Daniel Snyder probably thinks the same thing. Coach Jay Gruden? Probably not so much.
This is all going to end very, very badly for at least one of these three men, possibly even all of them.
Washington opened its preseason by beating the Cleveland Browns 20-17. RGIII completed four of his eight attempts for just 36 yards and ran just once for three yards.
If Washington is going to be successful this season with RGIII at QB, he’s going to need to open it up in the running game. Whether Griffin can do that and stay healthy for all, if not just most, of an entire season remains to be seen.
Don’t count on it.
25. Chicago Bears
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Just ask yourself one question: If the Chicago Bears play at their absolute best this entire season, what are they? The answer: probably still a middle-of-the-pack team.
The Bears have a rebuilt defense, which Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill completed six of seven passes for 57 yards on. Plus, of course, there’s Jay Cutler.
Cutler went 4-of-7 for 42 yards in his preseason debut, allowing the run game to do the most damage. Chicago was able to break several long runs, including a 54-yard touchdown run by Senorise Perry.
The Bears will likely be playing from behind a lot, which will likely force Cutler or maybe even Jimmy Clausen to throw a lot. That’s not a recipe for success.
24. Atlanta Falcons
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The Atlanta Falcons always seem to be just one piece away from being great. They’ve got Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White for goodness sake.
But the defense is atrocious. It finished dead last in 2014 in total yards against and passing yards against.
The Falcons drafted Vic Beasley in hopes of turning around the pass rush. No team has had fewer sacks (83) than Atlanta over the last three seasons.
In their first preseason game, the Falcons allowed the Titans to score 24 points. It’s preseason of course, so whatever. But that’s not a good beginning to a season for a team that brought in defensive-minded Dan Quinn as head coach to help turn things around.
23. Houston Texans
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The Texans managed a winning record last season despite not having a capable starting quarterback. This season, their quarterback situation may only be worse than that of the Buffalo Bills.
Do they start Brian Hoyer, the Cleveland reject; Ryan Mallett, the QB they traded for; or Tom Savage, the quarterback they drafted? Chances are it’ll be Hoyer, and that’s not a great thing.
Saving Houston from being further down on this list are a number of positives. Arian Foster (when healthy) is a game-changer at running back and can take a lot of pressure off whoever the quarterback is.
All three quarterbacks performed well in their preseason debut, with starter Brian Hoyer giving way after going 2-of-4 with 67 yards and a long touchdown strike to free-agent wide receiver Cecil Shorts.
Shorts could be a nice addition to the receiving core that lost Andre Johnson if he’s able to stay healthy. That was the biggest knock on him in Jacksonville.
The No. 1 guy, DeAndre Hopkins, broke out with 1,210 yards last season despite the lack of an elite QB and gives Houston a legitimate downfield threat.
And, of course, there’s J.J. Watt. The Houston defense finished a middling 16th last season, but with improved offensive play that ranking should get better.
22. San Francisco 49ers
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What a fall from grace it’s been for the Niners. They had arguably the worst offseason in NFL history, losing Patrick Willis, Aldon Smith and Justin Smith from the defense alone.
This was the NFL’s fifth-best defense last season. How far will it tumble?
Then the 49ers pulled a Jacksonville and drafted a punter (albeit in the fifth round instead of the third) despite all the turnover.
If this wasn’t quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s team before, it certainly is now. The 49ers will go as far as Kaep’s legs and the leftovers on defense will carry them. But with an improving NFC West, chances are it won’t be that far.
San Fran lost its opener to the Texans 23-10, and only Blaine Gabbert played well. That’s not a good sign.
21. St. Louis Rams
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The Rams’ season is hitched to the performance of Nick Foles.
St. Louis finished 2014 with a 6-10 mark despite relying on Austin Davis and Shaun Hill as its quarterbacks. If Foles is going to fare any better, he’ll need more production out of his wide receivers than Davis and Hill got in 2014.
The Rams’ leading receiver last season was Kenny Britt with 748 yards. If Stedman Bailey or Tavon Austin can break out, St. Louis could be a sleeper wild-card pick. If not, it's likely battling the 49ers to stay out of the NFC West cellar.
20. New York Giants
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Chances are this is going to be head coach Tom Coughlin’s last season. The Giants stumbled to a 6-10 record last season and were nowhere near the Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles in terms of competing for the NFC East.
Obviously there’s some good here, with sensational wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and the return of Victor Cruz. But there is much, much more bad.
The Giants finished 2014 with the 29th-ranked defense and have done little to improve that weakness other than bringing back former defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo to the same role he thrived in when the team won the Super Bowl for the 2007 season.
It’s a good thing Eli Manning has OBJ and Victor Cruz coming back because chances are he’s going to be throwing a lot again.
19. Minnesota Vikings
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The Vikings have a chance to surprise some people this season. Most of that possibility will be determined by how much second-year quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is able to grow.
In what was actually Minnesota’s second preseason game, all the quarterbacks, including Bridgewater, performed well. Bridgewater went 7-of-8 with 86 yards. The three Vikings QBs combined for just six incompletions in the 26-16 win over Tampa Bay.
Getting All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson back should relieve a ton of pressure on Bridgewater and could open up the field more than last season. If that’s the case, Minnesota could challenge the Detroit Lions for the second spot in the NFC North.
18. New Orleans Saints
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This team may be closer to being "the Aints" than the team that made the playoffs just two seasons ago. It’s all going to depend on the defense.
New Orleans had the 31st-ranked defense in the NFL and sputtered to a 7-9 record last season. This may be the make-or-break season for the Saints when determining whether the franchise needs a restart.
The Saints drafted six defensive players, including first-round pick Stephone Anthony from Clemson. Almost any production from those players will help, but it might not be enough to make the Saints contenders, even in a weak division.
17. Carolina Panthers
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The Panthers became the first team to win their division with a losing record since the Seattle Seahawks did so at 7-9 in 2010. This year might not be terribly different.
Lucky for Carolina, the rest of the division is pretty awful. Carolina (10th) features the only defense in the division to finish above 25th last season.
The Panthers tried to help Cam Newton and the offense out in the draft, selecting 6'4" wide receiver Devin Funchess, according to NFL.com, in the second round. Funchess himself thinks he and second-year wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin are going to help Cam a lot.
“We're going to be a dynamic duo,” Funchess told Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News. “Two 6'5" guys out there on the outside just making damage and causing havoc on the field.”
If Jonathan Stewart can stay healthy in the backfield, Carolina might just have enough offense to run away with the division.
16. Buffalo Bills
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New head coach Rex Ryan brought excitement to Buffalo. Unfortunately for Bills fans, the fact that he reportedly also wanted to bring Geno Smith with him, per the New York Daily News' Manish Mehta, should tell you just how bad the quarterback situation is for the Bills.
EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel or Tyrod Taylor. Pick your poison.
The Bills made perhaps the biggest offseason splash trading for LeSean McCoy. That addition could prove quite fruitful if the running back can help take the focus off what’s likely going to be an abysmal passing attack.
The Bills defense was great last season, finishing third in rushing and top five overall. Relying heavily on it and LeSean McCoy could make the AFC East a three-team race.
15. San Diego Chargers
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The Chargers seem to have been good, not great forever. This season figures to be more of the same.
The defense was surprisingly good last year, finishing ninth overall. But offensively the team sputtered, finishing 18th overall, mostly due to the NFL’s third-worst rushing attack.
That’s what the Chargers addressed with their first-round pick, selecting running back Melvin Gordon to replace the departed Ryan Mathews.
To say the season hinges on Gordon’s legs would be an overstatement, but his development is certainly key. Consistent play from quarterback Philip Rivers and the wide receivers is also going to be as important.
14. Kansas City Chiefs
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How much does Jamaal Charles have left in the tank? It might not matter.
Alex Smith absolutely has to find a way to throw the ball downfield. The stat everyone at this point has heard, that Kansas City receivers finished 2014 with zero receiving touchdowns, is an absolute joke.
Bringing in Jeremy Maclin will help, but pretending it was the wide receivers’ fault in 2014 will not. This has to be a make-or-break season for Smith.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers
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This ranking may come as a shock to many, but Pittsburgh isn’t as good as its 11-5 2014 record would indicate. Most of that, however, has to do with strength of schedule than actual team performance.
Heading into 2014, Pittsburgh had the eighth-easiest schedule, according to John Breech of CBSSports.com. This season, the Steelers face the toughest schedule in the league.
Pittsburgh also must deal with the suspension of Le'Veon Bell and figure out how to turn around its not-so Steel Curtain 18th-best defense from 2014.
Ben Roethlisberger can only scramble so much.
12. Miami Dolphins
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This is it for Miami. This is the Dolphins’ best shot to claim the AFC East for the first time in six seasons.
Miami did its best to fix the NFL’s ninth-worst rushing defense in 2014 by signing prize free agent Ndamukong Suh, and the pass defense actually finished as sixth best.
Offense is where Miami needs to make major gains and fast. The Dolphins used their first-round pick on wide receiver DeVante Parker, who will begin the season on the PUP list, and added Boise State running back Jay Ajayi to help Lamar Miller shoulder the load.
In the first preseason game, Tannehill played his part, going 6-of-7 for 56 yards and a touchdown on Miami’s opening drive. The Dolphins' season likely rests on his right arm.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
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Cincinnati has weapons in Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard and A.J. Green. The defense finished 22nd but allowed just the 12th most points per game (21.5).
There’s really only one question for Cincy, and it’s Andy Dalton. Dalton completed a career-high 64.2 percent of his passes last season but finished with a touchdown-to-interception ratio of just 19-17.
Dalton’s postseason numbers are even worse, as he threw for just one touchdown and six interceptions in four games, all losses.
The 27-year-old should be enough to lead Cincinnati to the postseason again, but what happens then?
10. Baltimore Ravens
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The Ravens released Ray Rice after TMZ released video of an assault and didn’t miss a step in 2014.
The out-of-nowhere emergence of Justin Forsett and gunslinging of Joe Flacco led the Ravens offense to the eighth most points per game in 2014 (25.6). Defensively, Baltimore was even more impressive, allowing the eighth-fewest yards (336.9) and sixth-fewest points per game (18.9).
The Ravens got Flacco a new toy in Breshad Perriman after Torrey Smith bolted for San Francisco. If the lightning-fast rookie receiver (4.24 40-yard dash) out of UCF can step into Smith’s role and help out Steve Smith, Baltimore has a chance to be great.
9. Philadelphia Eagles
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Probably one of the most difficult teams to rank, Philadelphia enters the season with a ton of questions, most of which are directly related to what head coach Chip Kelly has done.
The Eagles replaced fan-favorite All-Pro running back LeSean McCoy with last season’s rushing champ, DeMarco Murray, replaced last year’s season-opening starter, Nick Foles, with Sam Bradford and lost top wide receiver Jeremy Maclin in free agency. That’s a lot of questions to be answered before the season starts.
It’s impossible to tell after one preseason game, especially considering Bradford and Murray didn’t play, but until proven otherwise, Kelly is an offensive genius.
8. Detroit Lions
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Perhaps it’s a bit surprising to see Detroit so high on this list considering it lost the heart of its defense. But even a slight step back from Detroit’s second-ranked 2014 defense is still probably a top-10 unit.
Offensively, Detroit finished the year 12th in passing and 28th in rushing. The reason Detroit was 12th and not higher in passing is because Calvin Johnson missed three games to injury and essentially played one or two more as just a decoy.
The Lions did lose running back Reggie Bush to the 49ers this offseason but replaced him in the draft with Ameer Abdullah, who should complement starter Joique Bell nicely. The run game will be key to Detroit’s season.
If the Green Bay Packers stumble, the Lions could be there at the end.
7. Arizona Cardinals
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Arizona is another potentially great team with quarterback concerns. The Cardinals made the postseason last year after coasting to an 8-1 record before Carson Palmer got hurt.
After Palmer’s injury, the Cardinals went 3-4 and then lost in the Wild Card Round to Carolina.
Arizona technically had the ninth-worst defense yards-wise but allowed the fifth-fewest points per game (18.7). Arizona also had troubles rushing the ball, finishing with the second-fewest yards per game (81.8).
To address that issue, the Cardinals drafted offensive tackle D.J. Humphries out of Florida in the first round and running back David Johnson out of Northern Iowa in the third round.
If Palmer, who went 4-of-4 for 77 yards in the preseason opener, can stay healthy this season, the Cardinals could be legitimate contenders.
6. Dallas Cowboys
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We’re about to find out how much of 2014’s rushing success was DeMarco Murray and how much was offensive line. Chances are it was a good mix of both.
Dallas was expected to have an absolutely brutal defense last season, especially after linebacker Sean Lee went down with a torn ACL. What happened instead was the Cowboys defense was actually pretty good.
Dallas was still awful against the pass (26th) but fared surprisingly well against the run (eighth). Those two figures combined to give the ‘Boys the 15th-best scoring defense, allowing 22 points per game.
Offensively, Dallas was middle-of-the-road in passing, finishing 16th. It did so because it rode Murray into the ground.
That’s where 2015’s success or failure will likely be determined. If Murray was a legitimate otherworldly talent more than the offensive line was the best in football, chances are Joseph Randle and the Cowboys will lose the East to Philly.
5. Indianapolis Colts
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This is all Andrew Luck. That's fitting for the Colts, considering it used to just be all Peyton Manning.
Frank Gore should help the run game, but defense is Indy’s weakness. The Colts allowed the 14th most points in football last season, which isn’t awful. However, when you play against the truly elite teams, it’s not going to be pretty.
That’s what happened in the Deflategate game. Indy ran into one of the toughest offenses in the NFL and, PSI-aided or not, got steamrolled. Luck can’t be a two-way player, so the Colts need to find some help on the other side of the ball if they’re going to be true Super Bowl contenders.
There’s a reason Peyton only got one with the Colts.
4. Seattle Seahawks
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This might be low for the two-time defending NFC champions, but questions about health are pertinent. Throw in spotty offensive line play in the preseason opener, and the Seahawks might not be the de facto No. 1.
Russell Wilson might finally have a legitimate offensive weapon in tight end Jimmy Graham, but if he can’t get him the ball, it won’t matter. Going to New Orleans in that Graham trade was stud center Max Unger.
In the first preseason game, Seattle allowed seven sacks. That could prove to be something to watch out for.
Defensively, the Legion of Boom isn’t as spry as it used to be, with Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas returning from injuries. Chances are Seattle will be fine, but those two concerns should not be overlooked.
3. New England Patriots
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The Patriots have more concerns than just losing courtroom sketch depiction Tom Brady for four games, but that is certainly a major factor as to why the team isn’t ranked higher.
Jimmy Garoppolo completed 20 of his 30 attempts in the preseason opener against the Packers but looked dreadful throwing the deep ball. He was also sacked seven times, which may be more of a product of his trying to do too much rather than an implication of the offensive line.
The Pats’ other big question is on defense. They lost Darrelle Revis, and even with him they were 17th against the pass.
New England was ninth against the run, but a majority of that is likely that teams had to play from behind against it. It’ll be as interesting to see how the Patriots defense fares in those games without Brady as it will be to see how the offense does.
2. Green Bay Packers
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Green Bay had a mediocre defense, which when combined with stellar offensive play is almost unbeatable in the regular season. The Packers addressed that mid-tier defense in the draft, snatching up defensive players with three of their first four picks, including secondary help in first-rounder Damarious Randall and second-rounder Quinten Rollins.
The offense once again figures to be elite, with MVP Aaron Rodgers leading the charge. If Eddie Lacy can have a great year, this may be the best offense in the NFL.
If the defense can improve, Green Bay may be the team to beat this season.
1. Denver Broncos
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Any team with Peyton Manning on it has the chance to be great. But when it’s a team this good, it has a chance to be legendary.
Denver has studs everywhere. Wide receiver: Demaryius Thomas, Emmanuel Sanders. Running back: C.J. Anderson, Montee Ball, Ronnie Hillman.
Tight end? OK, so the Broncos lost Julius Thomas. Peyton Manning has made a habit of developing tight ends from nothing. Remember Jacob Tamme?
Defensively, Denver is equally impressive. The Broncos finished as the third-best defense last year, allowing 305.2 yards per game. In the draft, they added Shane Ray to the NFL’s fourth-best pass rush a year ago.
Denver may be an all-around elite team. Manning should have the talent to keep up with the Bradys and Lucks of the AFC, and he definitely has a better defense backing him.
All stats and info courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.
Follow Aaron Brand on Twitter @AaronBrand47.
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