NFL Power Rankings

My current NFL Power Rankings.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2020 NFL Mock Draft during the 2019 season. Follow @walterfootball.

I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the 49ers and Cardinals aren’t my top teams.

Updated: Sept. 17

Miami Dolphins (0-2) – Previously: 32.
Last week: “It’s only one game, but I’m confident in making this statement now: The 2019 Dolphins are the worst team in NFL history.”

This week: Yeah, there’s no doubt. The 2019 Dolphins are the worst ever, and I’m not sure it’s even close.

New York Jets (0-2) – Previously: 16.
Wow, this team is a mess right now. Only an idiot would have bet them to win the Super Bowl!

Things will get better once Sam Darnold and C.J. Mosley return. In the meantime, they can be faded, even at inflated spreads.

Washington Redskins (0-2) – Previously: 31.
Case Keenum threw a back-door touchdown against the Eagles in Week 1, and it looked like he was going to do so against the Cowboys, but simply ran out of time. If this continues, we may have to revive the Back-Door Bandit nickname for Keenum. Seneca Wallace was the original Back-Door Bandit, but it would be nice if we could bring back that moniker for the 20-year anniversary of the Web site.

New York Giants (0-2) – Previously: 29.
I’ve been saying that Daniel Jones should start for the Giants because Eli Manning is terrible and decrepit. Here’s the caveat: I’d wait until Week 5 to go with Jones. That’s when Golden Tate will return from suspension, and Sterling Shepard should be over his concussion by then. Starting Jones with the bums the Giants are using at receiver like Cody Latimer, and T.J. Jones, and Hastings Ruckle could be deterimental, so it might be worth it to wait a couple of weeks.

Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) – Previously: 28.
Ugh, how did this team nearly beat Seattle? The Bengals looked horrible against the 49ers. Absolutely horrible. They were down 41-10 to begin the fourth quarter – at home! It’s not like they were playing the Patriots or Chiefs, or anything. How could they be so much worse versus the 49ers at home than the Seahawks on the road?

Arizona Cardinals (0-1-1) – Previously: 27.
I can make the case for the Cardinals being higher in these power rankings, as they nearly defeated the Lions and then played within six points of the Ravens on the road in an early start game. However, I just don’t trust their defense. Missing both starting cornerbacks is really hurting them, so I’ll keep in mind to move them up once Patrick Peterson returns from suspension.

Oakland Raiders (1-1) – Previously: 26.
“I’d like to give my annual warning: Don’t trust what you see in Week 1, especially in the late Monday night game. The team that hosts this game typically gets an unusual surge of emotion and prevails, then ultimately plays poorly the rest of the season.”

I wrote that last week, and man that seemed stupid when the Raiders were able to establish a 10-0 lead in the first quarter.

And then, the rest of the game happened. Oakland was somehow outscored 28-0 the rest of the way. Now, the Raiders will play road games for the next two months, thanks to the schedule makers being on drugs when they constructed the 2019 season.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) – Previously: 23.
Are we really going to have another week where I have to hear that Groundskeeper Minshew was great? That’s all people told me last week, and I had to respond with, “That’s not true, check the tape.” Minshew tossed mostly checkdowns in the opener when he was 22-of-25. He struggled throughout the Houston game, but thanks to Coach Buttchin creating a poor game plan and executing things horribly, Minshew nearly led his team to victory somehow.

By the way, things aren’t going well for Dede Westbrook with Minshew. According to CBS, he had minus-1 catches in Week 2:

How is that even possible!?

Denver Broncos (0-2) – Previously: 14.
Hey, Broncos, would it kill you not run the ball on first down on every single series!? Analytics have proven that it’s beneficial to throw more often on first downs. Don’t be afraid to use analytics. This is not the 1970s. Try something new for once.

By the way, does anyone in the Philly area know what channel ESPN+ is on Comcast? I’d like to watch the revived NFL Primetime and record the episodes on my VCR.

Atlanta Falcons (1-1) – Previously: 24.
I’m not sure what to make of the Falcons’ victory. They beat the Eagles, but Philadelphia lost countless starters to injury in that game – and yet, the Falcons needed a fourth-down conversion to win the game. I can’t say I buy Atlanta suddenly turning things around, I thought about putting the Falcons in the overrated list, but I’m not sure how the public feels about them at the moment.

Tennessee Titans (1-1) – Previously: 18.
Talk about reading your own press clippings: The Titans won by 30 over the Super Bowl champion Browns, which probably means that they thought they won the Super Bowl themselves. Their lackluster effort over a short-handed Indianapolis team couldn’t have been a surprise, given the impending divisional matchup four plays later.

Carolina Panthers (0-2) – Previously: 13.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Panthers are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) – Previously: 30.
I watch Thursday Night Football with my dad. He had a zinger when Matt Gay missed a field goal:

“Matt Gay missed it because he was thinking about other guys.”

At any rate, I don’t buy much into what happened Thursday night. Cam Newton is clearly not 100 percent because of a bum ankle, and yet the Buccaneers were a couple of yards away from losing.

Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) – Previously: 12.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

New Orleans Saints (1-1) – Previously: 5.
As I wrote in the Disaster Grades page, Sean Payton really should consider starting Taysom Hill. The BYU alumnus was terrific in the preseason, and he can’t possibly be worse than Teddy Bridgewater, who looked pedestrian at best against the Rams.

Regardless, the Saints will rise in these rankings once Drew Brees returns. They have to be dropped in the meantime.

Indianapolis Colts (1-1) – Previously: 21.
Seeing Fremont Frank Reich getting the most out of his players makes me sad that he couldn’t do this with Andrew Luck in 2019. I loved the Colts as my predicted Super Bowl winner, but Indianapolis is not getting there this season, despite the victory over Tennessee.

Cleveland Browns (1-1) – Previously: 19.
The Browns may have won by 20, but it was very unconvincing. Baker Mayfield’s accuracy was all over the place. He’ll need to play better versus the Rams, or Cleveland won’t have a chance.

San Angeles Chargers (1-1) – Previously: 10.
The Chargers could be 2-0 right now if their backup kicker could make a field goal. Then again, they could also be 0-2 if Adam Vinatieri was able to make a field goal. Either way, it’s truly remarkable how good Philip Rivers is playing despite having five human turnstiles in front of him. His offensive line is an abomination, yet Rivers is somehow keeping his team competitive.

Seattle Seahawks (2-0) – Previously: 20.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Seahawks are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Detroit Lions (1-0-1) – Previously: 22.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Lions are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Minnesota Vikings (1-1) – Previously: 11.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Vikings are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Baltimore Ravens (2-0) – Previously: 17.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Ravens are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Houston Texans (1-1) – Previously: 6.
How do the Texans go from nearly beating the Saints in the Superdome, to almost losing to Janitor Minshew at home? Oh, wait, I know. Horrible coaching! Bill O’Brien was in fine form against the Jaguars, neglecting to use his timeouts at the end of the opening half to ruin a chance at a touchdown and forgetting to utilize Duke Johnson as a receiver out of the backfield. The Texans are very poorly coached, and they’re very lucky that they’re not 0-2 right now.

Buffalo Bills (2-0) – Previously: 15.
I nearly listed the Bills as an underrated team, but they’re 2-0 and I have no idea how they’ll be regarded by the public. Buffalo could have lost in Week 1 had C.J. Mosley not gotten hurt, but I liked the team heading into the season. The defense is awesome, and there are some competent receivers for once. Josh Allen is the wild card, but his potential is immense. Plus, it’s impressive that they’re 2-0 right now despite not even playing at home yet.

Chicago Bears (1-1) – Previously: 8.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Bears are an underrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

San Francisco 49ers (2-0) – Previously: 25.
Wow, what an impressive win by the 49ers in Cincinnati. I know the Bengals stink, but still, it was 41-10 to start the fourth quarter. San Francisco is now 2-0 despite not even playing at home yet!

Joe Staley missing 6-8 weeks is going to hurt a bit, but the silver lining is that it wasn’t a season-long injury, so if the 49ers can continue to play well, they’ll have Staley available for their playoff run.

Los Angeles Rams (2-0) – Previously: 9.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Rams are an overrated NFL team in our new Overrated-Underrated page.

Dallas Cowboys (2-0) – Previously: 7.
The Cowboys have battled nothing but trash opponents thus far, but they’ve dumpstered both of them. As I wrote last week, it can’t be ignored that Dak Prescott is playing behind an elite offensive line again. Meanwhile, Kellen Moore has modernized Dallas’ offense. It’s a pleasure to watch, unlike some of the other teams that are needlessly stuck in the 1970s.

Green Bay Packers (2-0) – Previously: 4.
I’ve had the Packers listed as an underrated team the past couple of weeks, but I can’t do that anymore. Everyone seems to understand how good they are now after their two victories over the Bears and Vikings.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) – Previously: 3.
I can’t possibly hold the Eagles’ loss to the Falcons against them. Half of their offense got injured, including Carson Wentz, who couldn’t complete basic passes until halftime, which is when I presume he was given an injection for the pain.

Still, the fact remains that the Eagles lost half their offense, so that could hinder them in the near future while everyone is trying to get healthy.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) – Previously: 2.
The Chiefs slipped to No. 2 last week because: A) Tyreek Hill will miss some time, and B) The Patriots added Antonio Brown. Still, Kansas City is a great team, fully capable of winning the Super Bowl. That second quarter against the Raiders was ridiculous, and it was remarkable that they completely prevented Oakland from scoring in the final three quarters.

New England Patriots (2-0) – Previously: 1.
I read somewhere that the Patriots could have defeated the Dolphins while blindfolded. Maybe they should have put that to the test. Bill Belichick likes to run different scenarios for his team and get some players involved in preseason games. Perhaps he should have installed a blindfold package, just in case his team is blindfolded at some point in the future.

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