NFL Power Rankings Week 2
That was UGLY.
NFL Week 1 is in the books. It was like most season-opening adventures: some things went exactly the way we thought they would, and others provided some big surprises. But the overarching theme of the week was sloppy, nearly unwatchable football.
There were 45 combined turnovers in the 16 Week 1 NFL games. There were blocked kicks returned for touchdowns. Players had the ball ripped out of their hands and returned for touchdowns. Special teams meltdown. Ridiculous coaching decisions. Fourteen NFL quarterbacks threw for fewer than 200 yards. And the Giants provided us with a historic Week 1 blowout.
Add it all up, and I would say that the majority of the league was not ready to play.
Week 2 of the NFL season is a unique test of the hype filter. Every NFL fan, bettor, hanger-on, and media bobblehead has been waiting months for the official start of the new season in Week 1. That’s a lot of buildup for these games, so the reactions to the openers are often overblown.
There is no bigger overreaction in the sports betting market than the one between Week 1 and Week 2. The test for gamblers this week is to be able to determine what occurrences last week were true harbingers of future results and which were fluke byproducts of a limited sample size.
And the test for the players is to see if they can produce something that more closely resembles actual football in their second offering of the season.
Doc’s Sports offers NFL picks for every game on our NFL predictions page.
Here is Doc’s Sports NFL Power Rankings:
1. San Francisco 49ers (1-0) – Brandon Aiyuk’s touchdown catch with Patrick Peterson draped all over him shows what a beast Aiyuk is. The 49ers have pounded the Rams over the last several years. San Francisco is 8-1 SU and ATS in their last nine games against Los Angeles, with their average win by 11 points per game.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) – The Eagles manhandled the Vikings 24-7 nearly a year ago (Sept. 19) in a Week 2 home game against Minnesota. It’s hard not to expect history to repeat itself. Philadelphia was just a 2.5-point favorite in that game last season and have been installed at -7.0 for this Thursday night game.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1) – The Chiefs have serious problems…on offense? Yes, it is true. Their two new offensive tackles were awful in Week 1. Donovan Smith is a terrible football player and should not be starting. Jawaan Taylor was cheating the entire first game – lining up in the backfield, moving before the ball is snapped, holding – and was still getting abused. Those two tackles are going to be a much bigger issue than Kadarius Toney’s drops.
4. Dallas Cowboys (1-0) – On Nov. 14, 2021 the Cowboys hammered the Falcons 43-3. The next week they lost 19-9 at Kansas City. And since that November game, the Cowboys have gone 0-7 against the spread in the game following a game when they scored 40 or more points.
5. Buffalo Bills (0-1) – Josh Allen picked up right where he left off last season, turning the ball over four times. I was one of the first people to make the direct connection between Brian Daboll’s exit and Allen’s reversion to this turnover-prone mess that we see in front of us. Now the rest of the football-loving world is catching up with me. Allen has 39 turnovers in his last 19 games.
6. Miami Dolphins (1-0) – Tyreek Hill was seemingly wide open by 10 yards on just about every one of his catches. He was completely unstoppable. Miami has a tough task this week. They traveled to the West Coast for that hard-fought game against the Chargers last week. Now they have to head up to Foxboro on the East Coast to face a desperate division rival. Miami is 5-0 ATS in its last five games against the Patriots and 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.
7. Baltimore Ravens (1-0) – Injuries really marred Baltimore’s Week 1 win. Running back J.K. Dobbins, safety Marcus Williams, left tackle Ronnie Stanley, and center Tyler Linderbaum all left with various injuries. They may be without as many as six injured starters this week in Cincinnati. The Ravens were also extremely sloppy with penalties, racking up 13 for 106 yards in Week 1.
8. Cleveland Browns (1-0) – I have been a lot higher on Cleveland than almost every other NFL analyst. They showed why on Sunday. Jim Schwartz’s defense is going to give opponents a lot of problems early in the season – defensive coordinators that blitz a lot always get off to hot starts – and the Browns’ running game looked outstanding. Deshaun Watson was still missing throws left and right. But his ability to extend plays is going to pay dividends all season.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1) – Joe Burrow and the offense were historically bad in Week 1 against the Browns. I would be just as worried about the Bengals rushing defense, though. They allowed 206 rushing yards on 40 carries and were consistently gashed by the Browns backs. This team might be on the verge of having major problems on both sides of the ball.
10. New York Jets (1-0) – Four months of hype went up in smoke after just four plays. That is gutting. Mekhi Becton and Duane Brown both completely whiffed on cut blocks on two of Rodgers’ three dropbacks, and the result is Rodgers injured and New York’s season headed for disappointment. I would expect a serious letdown from the Jets this week as they head to Dallas.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) – Maybe Patrick Peterson should just keep his mouth shut. He was talking trash about Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense last week and then got embarrassed. The Steelers have absolutely owned the Browns for the last 30 years. Yet Pittsburgh has been installed as a home underdog against their rivals from Cleveland for the first time in I-don’t-know-how-long. Bizarre.
12. Detroit Lions (1-0) – Aiden Hutchinson reminds of a young Howie Long. That guy is absolutely the truth. I’m very interested to see how Detroit is going to handle making that shift from being the hunter to the hunted. They have lost to the Seahawks each of the past two years, including last year’s loss as a three-point home favorite, and should be out for some revenge.
13. Seattle Seahawks (0-1) – Last year the Seahawks rolled into Detroit in October and racked up 235 rushing yards and 555 total yards while scoring 48 points in a 48-45 win. They also scored 51 points against the Lions in a Week 17 win to wrap up the 2021 season. The Seahawks are 4-0 SU and ATS in this series since 2017, winning those four games by an average score of 38-23.
14. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1) – I said in my 2023 Los Angeles Chargers season preview that I am not high on this Chargers team because they are soft and they can’t stop anyone. They proved me right by allowing 536 yards and 36 points while losing a Week 1 game where they had a plus-2 turnover differential. The Chargers can’t hang their heads. They have to travel east for the dreaded 10 a.m. PST kickoff with a scrappy Titans team this week.
15. New Orleans Saints (1-0) – The Saints scored just 21 points in two losses to the Panthers last year. New Orleans has lost three of its last four to Carolina and are just 3-7 ATS in the last 10 in this series dating back to 2018.
16. Atlanta Falcons (1-0) – I spent the entire offseason defending Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder. “Smith must know what he’s doing,” I suggested. I may have been wrong. Atlanta’s passing game was jaw-droppingly bad on Sunday. Ridder’s last three passes covered 62 yards. So until the final 10 minutes of the fourth quarter, Ridder was 12-for-15 for 62 yards in the air. Absolutely pathetic. And that is why the Falcons are home underdogs this week.
17. Minnesota Vikings (0-1) – Kirk Cousins was a mess on Sunday and cost the Vikings that game. Minnesota completely outplayed Tampa Bay in the first half. But two lost fumbles and an interception from Cousins crippled the Vikings. Cousins and Co. won’t have any time to regroup as they head to Philadelphia on Thursday. Cousins is 11-16 SU and 12-15 ATS in his career in primetime games.
18. New England Patriots (0-1) – The Patriots really outplayed the Eagles on Sunday. They outgained Philadelphia by over 120 yards and were the more physical team. That fluky 70-yard interception return for a touchdown was really the difference in that game.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0) – Tank Bigsby is lucky that the Colts are incompetent and that he was able to get an opportunity to score the go-ahead touchdown in that game. Bigsby’s boner – not playing to the whistle and giving up a defensive touchdown – nearly cost the Jaguars the game. Jacksonville’s 3-for-3 red zone effort saved them from what would’ve been an embarrassing Week 1 loss.
20. Denver Broncos (0-1) – I loved Sean Payton’s decision to go with an onside’s kick on the opening kickoff of the season. His team is undermanned right now because of injuries. So be bold. Just because his players screwed up the execution doesn’t mean that it was the wrong call.
21. Washington Commanders (1-0) – Maybe the reason that Eric Bienemy hasn’t gotten a head coaching job is because he’s an idiot? Washington looked completely unprepared offensively on Sunday and managed just 248 yards against a woeful Cardinals defense. Also, Bienemy’s decision to run the ball up the middle three times and take a field goal inside the Cardinals 20 with under four minutes to play was an act of cowardice. Washington could’ve ended the game (and beat the spread) with a touchdown, and Bienemy didn’t even attempt it.
22. Green Bay Packers (1-0) – The Packers were impressive with their efficiency and execution. Green Bay really didn’t do anything impressive. Jordan Love completed barely over 50 percent of his passes and the Packers rushed for 2.9 yards per carry. But Green Bay didn’t turn the ball over, they went 3-for-3 in the red zone, and they sat back and let the Bears implode. Green Bay might be able to ride that same game plan to another win this week against an Atlanta offense that looked even worse than Chicago’s.
23. Tennessee Titans (0-1) – Your guess is as good as mine these days in regard to what is a fumble and what isn’t when a quarterback’s arm gets hit. The Titans should be furious about the blown call that took a defensive touchdown off the board after they appeared to force a Derek Carr fumble. The officials called the pass incomplete, and that was the difference in the game.
24. Chicago Bears (0-1) – That was an atrocious game plan and execution by Chicago. The Bears had $90 million in cap space and the No. 1 overall pick and they still enter this season with offensive and defensive lines that are in the bottom 10 in the league. Their decision to not blitz or pressure Jordan Love – a guy making his first road start and without healthy receivers – was baffling. As was their refusal to throw the ball down the field.
25. New York Giants (0-1) – The last two times that the Giants have taken the field, they have lost to the Eagles and Cowboys by a combined score of 78-7. New York was only favored in five games last season (3-2 ATS), and they are 3-5 ATS when laying points over the last four seasons.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0) – What a catch by Chris Godwin on the game-sealing play on Sunday. Godwin and Evans are still a problem for opposing defenses. They will need to stay healthy because Tampa Bay’s running game is still nonexistent. The Bucs should be able to move the ball though the air against a Bears secondary that couldn’t handle an injured Romeo Doubs last week.
27. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0) – You don’t see this very often: the Raiders and Broncos both had 22 first downs. That’s not so bizarre. But both teams had five rushing first downs, 11 passing first downs, and six first downs from penalties. Also, both squads went 5-of-11 on third down and each scored two total touchdowns.
28. Los Angeles Rams (1-0) – That is why Sean McVay is one of the best coaches in the NFL. This Rams roster is still pathetic. However, McVay has had his team playing focused, physical football all August, and they were ready to go in Week 1. The Rams pounded the ball on the ground, running it 40 times despite mustering just 92 yards, and that helped L.A. to an overwhelming 39:23 to 20:37 time of possession difference.
29. Carolina Panthers (0-1) – Bryce Young did exactly what I thought he was going to do in his first start: throw terrible interceptions. Carolina should be encouraged by its running game (32 rushes for 154 yards) and its defense (221 yards allowed). The Panthers swept the Saints last season, and Carolina is 7-3 ATS in its last 10 games against New Orleans.
30. Houston Texans (0-1) – One of the reasons that starting a rookie quarterback is a terrible idea is that he can get himself hurt. C.J. Stroud isn’t going to make it through this season without getting injured if he spends every Sunday taking the shots that he took from the Ravens. Stroud took 10 hits and five sacks, and I thought he was going to get snapped in half. The Texans are just 2-7-1 SU and 3-7 ATS in their last 10 games against the Colts.
31. Indianapolis Colts (0-1) – One of the reasons that starting a rookie quarterback is a terrible idea is that he can get himself hurt. Anthony Richardson isn’t going to make it through this season without getting injured if he spends every Sunday taking the shots that he took from the Jaguars. Also, it was frustrating to see Shane Steichen go for it on fourth down – twice – inside the 10-yard line during the last two minutes of a 10-point game. The fact that Steichen didn’t take the field goal to set up an onsides kick shows me that he doesn’t understand game management.
32. Arizona Cardinals (0-1) – It is pretty clear that Jonathan Gannon is making an instant impact with his defensive scheme. The Cardinals were physical and violent on that side of the ball, scoring a touchdown, forcing turnovers and earning six sacks. They also had some personal foul penalties for heavy hits. This group is overmatched, skills-wise, but if they play that hard each week, they will give some teams some trouble.
Robert Ferringo has been one of the best football handicappers in the country and for a full decade from 2010-2019 he banked over +$40,000 in football profit. Robert has produced five of seven winning seasons and 9 of 13 profitable years. Robert expects a MONSTER football season. Robert is looking for another winning football year and wants more profit this fall. SIGN UP HERE TODAY AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR 3-FOR-1 FOOTBALL SPECIALS!
Get NFL picks on every single game, or if you want our very best bet premium picks by the experts, sign up for your free $60 account with a guarantee.