There were a handful of big movers in our NFL power rankings coming out of the second week of the season. Seattle surged several spots after a convincing win over Pittsburgh, with the defense forcing Aaron Rodgers into mistakes and Kenneth Walker powering the ground game. Detroit climbed two places by dropping 52 points on Chicago, a reminder of how explosive the Lions’ offense can be when Jared Goff is in rhythm.
The Bears, meanwhile, plummeted four spots after being on the wrong end of that rout, as Caleb Williams and the offense continued to sputter. Washington was another big dropper this week, after a humbling loss to the Packers in Green Bay on Thursday.
Remember, our NFL power ratings go beyond win-loss records, factoring in performance metrics and strength of schedule to generate a single number for all 32 teams. The results are rankings that show how good each team truly is right now, independent of win-loss records, luck and other factors.
Top contenders
1. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
2. Buffalo Bills (2-0)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Baltimore rebounded from its Week 1 collapse with a complete 41-17 dismantling of Cleveland, winning in all three phases and showing why it’s the top-ranked team in our model. Buffalo rolled past the Jets, with running back James Cook’s big day (132 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns) an example of the team’s balance on offense.
Philadelphia stayed perfect at 2-0 by grinding out a road win over Kansas City. It wasn’t enough to jump to No. 1, but the Eagles remain one of the top Super Bowl contenders.
Strong challengers
4. Green Bay Packers (2-0)
5. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
6. Detroit Lions (1-1)
Green Bay’s defense has set the tone early, with two strong performances against highly regarded offenses, complementing the efficient offense led by quarterback Jordan Love. If you’re wondering why the Packers aren’t rated higher, it’s because they’ve now won two games as favorites by decisive but relatively modest margins, which don’t deliver as much of a jump in our model as upsets or blowouts.
Perhaps the biggest surprise on this list, Kansas City remains well-liked by our model despite its 0-2 start. The Chiefs’ two losses came against strong opponents, each of them by a single score. It doesn’t mean they’ll stay this high if they continue to struggle, but they shouldn’t be written off yet.
Solid playoff teams
7. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
8. Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)
9. Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
10. Denver Broncos (1-1)
The surprise of this group is likely Minnesota, which is (much?) higher here than in other power rankings. The Vikings are coming off a tough loss to Atlanta, and will be without starting quarterback J.J. McCarthy for at least a couple of weeks due to an injury. But their defense is also saving five points per game this season, which ranks sixth in the league (per data from TruMedia).
In the hunt for playoff spots
11. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
12. Washington Commanders (1-1)
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
14. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)
This tier includes teams that are solidly in the postseason mix, but have their share of question marks. Washington’s Week 2 letdown against Green Bay was punctuated by the loss of two players for the season (running back Austin Ekeler and defensive end Deatrich Wise Jr.), while quarterback Jayden Daniels is dealing with a knee injury. Given the Commanders’ older roster, the early attrition is a concern.
San Francisco, meanwhile, is 2-0 but already banged up. And the path to the postseason got tougher for Cincinnati, as Joe Burrow is set to miss three months with a toe injury.
Average teams
15. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
16. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
17. Houston Texans (0-2)
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
The Seahawks moved up after a gritty win over Pittsburgh, highlighted by a strong defensive performance. All four NFC West teams rank in the top half of our rankings after two weeks.
Below-average teams
19. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
20. Indianapolis Colts (2-0)
21. Chicago Bears (0-2)
22. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
23. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)
The Cowboys might have the highest ceiling of this group, with an offense that proved its ability to win a shootout in Sunday’s overtime triumph over the Giants. But the defense remains a question mark.
The Colts, meanwhile, are still being viewed somewhat skeptically by our model despite their unexpected 2-0 start.
Rebuilding phase
24. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)
25. New England Patriots (1-1)
26. New York Giants (0-2)
27. Miami Dolphins (0-2)
28. Tennessee Titans (0-2)
29. Carolina Panthers (0-2)
30. New York Jets (0-2)
31. Cleveland Browns (0-2)
32. New Orleans Saints (0-2)
Most of these teams appear much closer to being in rebuilding mode than playoff contention, with the Raiders and Patriots showing the most potential to rise out of this group in the coming weeks.