Week 1 of the 2025 NFL season was proof of why it’s one of the most entertaining sports leagues in the world. There were upsets, predictable wins that came in unexpected ways, and major comebacks alike. They were all equally entertaining.
We won’t know the truth about every team in the league until the season is multiple weeks in — and Week 1 has proven to be a lie in the past — but it is still easy to see which ones have the potential to rise to the top once the season winds down.
Last week, the power rankings took offseason moves into consideration because there was no evidence of play from games that counted. Now, we’ve seen everyone in action. This is how things line up heading into Week 2:
The Contenders
- 1. Philadelphia Eagles
- 2. Buffalo Bills
- 3. Baltimore Ravens
- 4. Green Bay Packers
- 5. Minnesota Vikings
- 6. Los Angeles Rams
- 7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- 8. Los Angeles ChargersÂ
- 9. Kansas City Chiefs
- 10. Cincinnati Bengals
- 11. Denver Broncos
- 12. Washington Commanders
The teams in this tier all have a chance to win the Super Bowl. The only ones that are 0-1 are the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs, who lost to teams also in the tier. Someone had to lose. The Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings each had miraculous fourth quarter comebacks to start their seasons 1-0. There is a lot of work to do on each team for different issues, but they have the base of a contender. The Green Bay Packers sent a message to the rest of the NFC with their big win over the Detroit Lions. The addition of Micah Parsons seems to have made their defensive line even more lethal than it already was.
The Cincinnati Bengals are a bit concerning, but the Cleveland Browns always play them tough, no matter where each team is at the moment. Myles Garrett made Joe Burrow run for his life regularly, but they managed to pull off a win, even if it looked bleak at times. It wasn’t perfect for the Washington Commanders or Denver Broncos either, but they hung on and got the Week 1 win. Expect them each to be much better in the coming weeks.
Teams To Watch
- 13. Detroit Lions
- 14. Houston Texans
- 15. Pittsburgh Steelers
- 16. San Francisco 49ers
- 17. Arizona Cardinals
- 18. Seattle Seahawks
Watch out for the teams in this tier. The Detroit Lions fell in from the contender tier because they looked horrible in Week 1, but they have too much talent to be a bad football team, regardless of what happened to their coaching staff.
The Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, and Arizona Cardinals all have quarterbacks that they believe in, but everything needs to go right for them to eventually become contenders. As for the Seattle Seahawks, they have the benefit of the doubt for one more week. It won’t be all that surprising if their time in the top 20 is short lived.
A Lot To Prove
- 19. Indianapolis Colts
- 20. Las Vegas Raiders
- 21. Jacksonville Jaguars
- 22. Atlanta Falcons
- 23. Chicago Bears
- 24. New England PatriotsÂ
- 25. Dallas Cowboys
- 26. New York Jets
- 27. Tennessee Titans
- 28. Carolina Panthers
- 29. New York Giants
- 30. Miami Dolphins
- 31. Cleveland Browns
- 32. New Orleans SaintsÂ
Maybe the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons, and Las Vegas Raiders are better than we thought. Maybe the New England Patriots and Chicago Bears aren’t going to live up to the hype under their new head coaches.
Are the New York Jets going to stay better than the New York Giants? That would have been surprising to hear a few weeks ago. The rest of the teams in this tier have a long hill to climb if they want to have winning seasons. It wouldn’t be all that surprising if the Browns or New Orleans Saints have the worst record in the NFL when it’s all said and done, but don’t count out the Miami Dolphins.
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