NFL Power Rankings Week 2: Latest Outlook and 2018-19 Super Bowl Odds

At a glance, the NFL is quite a bit different than offseason projections outlined. 

While predictable that league hierarchy wouldn't look exactly like experts suggested, it wasn't easy to see things such as the Cleveland Browns putting up a major fight or the New Orleans Saints getting punched in the gut by Ryan Fitzpatrick. 

But power rankings are here to clean up the mess. 

Alongside Super Bowl odds from oddsmakers, power rankings provide a useful review tool for those who want a wide-sweeping look at what unfolded. It is also a launching point for a deeper dive into some of the more important happenings around the league. 

2018 NFL Power Rankings and Super Bowl Odds

Rank	Team (SB odds)
1	Philadelphia Eagles (17-2)
2	Green Bay Packers (14-1)
3	New England Patriots (13-2)
4	Kansas City Chiefs (30-1)
5	Minnesota Vikings (11-1)
6	Los Angeles Rams (10-1)
7	Atlanta Falcons (20-1)
8	Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1)
9	Washington Redskins (70-1)
10	Jacksonville Jaguars (22-1)
11	Baltimore Ravens (55-1)
12	Detroit Lions (55-1)
13	Cincinnati Bengals (100-1)
14	New Orleans Saints (16-1)
15	Carolina Panthers (35-1)
16	Dallas Cowboys (33-1)
17	Houston Texans (16-1)
18	Denver Broncos (40-1)
19	Seattle Seahawks (50-1)
20	Chicago Bears (100-1)
21	Los Angeles Chargers (24-1)
22	San Francisco 49ers (22-1)
23	Tennessee Titans (45-1)
24	New York Giants (45-1)
25	Oakland Raiders (35-1)
26	Miami Dolphins (125-1)
27	Tampa Bay Buccaneers (80-1)
28	Indianapolis Colts (65-1)
29	Cleveland Browns (75-1)
30	New York Jets (175-1)
31	Arizona Cardinals (100-1)
32	Buffalo Bills (100-1)

Odds courtesy of OddsShark. 

Time to Invest: Kansas City Chiefs (30-1)

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

There was nothing wrong with taking a wait-and-see approach with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

But there is now. 

The NFL had a limited understanding of Patrick Mahomes' instant viability as a starter entering the new season, which changed in a hurry when he dropped 256 yards and four touchdowns on the Los Angeles Chargers in a 38-28 road win. 

Written another way, Mahomes stepped into the fire against Philip Rivers and dropped a would-be contender led by one of the NFL's best. It's encouraging, to say the least, and begs for a reevaluation of the outlook considering the rest of the roster is already so strong. 

Not only do the Chiefs have elite pieces surrounding Mahomes such as Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill, they have some tried-and-true coaching still innovating by the week: 

In other words, oddsmakers are going to adjust this line in a hurry. The AFC West isn't easy by any means and Mahomes won't always light up the box scores, but there was enough here outside of the quarterback position to like the Chiefs. 

That Mahomes looks like a budding star only reinforces the idea the Chiefs should be headed back to the playoffs, where anything is possible. 

Wait and See: Pittsburgh Steelers (11-1)

Ron Schwane/Associated Press

The Browns taking the Pittsburgh Steelers to overtime wasn't something many thought to even suggest when looking at the Week 1 schedule. 

Yet here we are. Ben Roethlisberger tossed three interceptions and fumbled the ball away twice, so any whispers about the Steelers needing Le'Veon Bell to be competitive are moot—this one falls on the quarterback. 

Speaking of Bell, his replacement, James Conner, ran for 135 yards and two scores on a 4.4 per-carry average, catching another five passes for 57 yards. He's a silver lining and one reason to not throw in the towel on these Steelers just yet—another is the defense: 

The fact is, even a tie with the Browns isn't out of the ordinary for the Steelers. This is a team one year ago that blew away a strong Minnesota team 26-9, only to turn around and lose 23-17 to a five-win Bears team. 

While the spotlight shines on the Bell holdout, it's Big Ben who will ultimately decide whether the Steelers can make another run at the AFC North and postseason. But it's safe to expect the Steelers to improve as the season progresses, and getting Bell back and fresh later in the season might be better than grinding him down early in the schedule. 

For now, keep the Steelers in a holding pattern. 

Abandon Ship: New Orleans Saints (16-1)

Bill Feig/Associated Press

Is it too early to throw in the towel on a quarterback like Drew Brees? 

Now might be the time to find out. Brees, who doesn't get the same credit as guys like Tom Brady for simply refusing to age, threw for 439 yards and three touchdowns at home in Week 1...and still lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 48-40. 

That's the Jameis Winston-less Buccaneers that won five games last year, by the way. Despite playing in a supposed nightmare of a locale for road teams, Ryan Fitzpatrick drummed up 417 yards and four touchdowns and ran for another on a Saints defense claiming the performance was just an anomaly. 

"It isn't going to get me down. Everybody gets beat," Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We needed to get slapped in our face one good time to see we're not on a level we think we're on."

The talk is good, yet these Saints continue to have some standout names but iffy overall performances on the defensive side of the ball. Yes, the offense can and still win games and this was a team that won a playoff game a year ago, but continued issues for the defense will be exploitable by opponents. 

And this is a long-term outlook, so it's worth mentioning the Saints are already off on the wrong foot in a tough NFC South. The schedule is also brutal, featuring tough matchups outside of the division such as the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys and Steelers, to name a few. 

There are better bets around these same odds until the Saints can showcase a serious turnaround on the defensive side of the ball.