NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Initial Outlook After Packers vs. Bears

The 2019 NFL season got underway Thursday much like the 2018 postseason ended—with a physical, low-scoring defensive struggle.

The Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers kicked off the league's 100th season by renewing their storied rivalry. The game, which finished 10-3 to the latter, featured plenty of big plays and on-field fireworks, almost all of them coming on defense.

For at least a few days, the Packers are kings of the NFC North, while the Bears will have to get back to the drawing board offensively. How does the season-opener help shape the NFL landscape? Let's take a look.

NFL Power Rankings, Week 1

1. New England Patriots

2. Kansas City Chiefs

3. Los Angeles Rams

4. New Orleans Saints

5. Philadelphia Eagles

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

7. Los Angeles Chargers

8. Seattle Seahawks

9. Dallas Cowboys

10. Baltimore Ravens

11. Green Bay Packers

12. Chicago Bears

13. Houston Texans

14. Atlanta Falcons

15 Cleveland Browns

16. Minnesota Vikings

17. Carolina Panthers

18. Jacksonville Jaguars

19. San Francisco 49ers

20. Tennessee Titans

21. Buffalo Bills

22. Detroit Lions

23. Indianapolis Colts

24. New York Jets

25. Oakland Raiders

26. Cincinnati Bengals

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

28. Denver Broncos

29. New York Giants

30. Washington Redskins

31. Arizona Cardinals

32. Miami Dolphins

11. Green Bay Packers

Thursday night's game was not an offensive exhibition for Green Bay. While quarterback Aaron Rodgers had his moments, the offense as a whole struggled for most of the night. It produced a mere 10 points and 213 yards of offense.

Fans will spend the next week wondering whether the sluggish offensive performance was a product of Matt LaFleur's scheme, Aaron Rodgers' preseason absence, a Bears defense that allowed just 17.7 points per game a year ago or some combination of the three. Week 2's matchup with the Minnesota Vikings should help to provide an answer.

But how about that Packers defense? Mike Pettine's unit was virtually unstoppable. It allowed just 46 yards rushing and flustered Chicago quarterback Mitchell Trubisky early and often.

"What we did on defense, I think we showed the league and folks watching that we're not just an offensive football team anymore," Rodgers said, per Mike Spofford of the team's official website.

If Rodgers, LaFleur and the Packers offense can get things on track, Green Bay is going to be a tough out for anyone come December and January.

12. Chicago Bears

David Banks/Associated Press

It's not time for Bears fans to panic. Not yet anyway. Last year's championship-caliber defense remains, and it showed on Thursday night. Green Bay produced just 13 first downs. It punted nine times. Defensive performances like that will win an awful lot of games. Unfortunately, scoring three points will not.

The offense the Bears displayed in the opener simply isn't going to cut it moving forward. Head coach Matt Nagy is supposed to be an offensive guy, but his offense looked sluggish and unimaginative against the Packers.

Much of the blame has to fall on Tribusky, though. Chicago did see some big plays develop, but Trubisky too often missed his receivers or missed seeing his opportunity altogether. He finished the game 26-of-45 for 228 yards and an interception.

Trubisky showed signs of growth last season, but now it's time for him to show he's a legitimate franchise quarterback. This is where Bears fans can worry just a bit. Yes, the Packers defense was phenomenal, but it wasn't solely responsible for Trubisky's poor performance.

Even with a lackluster offense, though, Chicago can still be a playoff team. The 2006 Bears were no offensive dynamo, but they rode their defense all the way to the Super Bowl.

16. Minnesota Vikings

The two stellar defenses we saw Thursday should tell us one thing: The other two teams in the NFC North will have their work cut out for them in 2019.

This doesn't mean that the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings can't reach the playoffs, however. It doesn't mean they can't win the division, either. The Vikings, in particular, appear equipped to challenge both the Bears and the Packers this season.

One reason is that running back Dalvin Cook should be healthy and ready to take on a workhorse role. A shifty and dynamic runner at Florida State, Cook may be able to find running room where the Packers and Bears could not Thursday.

This season will also mark quarterback Kirk Cousins' second with the Vikings. If he can improve on his above-average season of 2018—4,298 yards passing, 30 touchdowns, 10 interceptions—and show a little more consistency, Minnesota should look better than anything we saw Thursday.

It's entirely possible that the NFC North sends three teams to the postseason this year.