Power Rankings: Week 1

Since I just wrote about how I feel about each team in my preseason predictions, I figured I would go for something different and not repeat the same things I said in those pieces. No, instead, I’m feeling optimistic. Maybe I just miss football a great deal, but my spirits are high, and I want everyone to feel this way, regardless of what your team is. So, for the Week 1 power rankings, I’m going to make the pitch for each team on how they can make the Super Bowl. I think it should be a fun exercise, as for some teams it’s clear how they can win the Super Bowl this season, whereas for some it will be a long chain of ‘ifs’. Regardless, either one way or another, one of these will be accurate, as someone has to win the Super Bowl. Let’s have some fun as the 2026 Season is upon us!

The Jets play in the AFC East, which could work to their advantage. The Patriots are regression candidates, and the Bills could also regress, considering their lackluster HC hire. The Jets have a defensive-minded HC in Aaron Glenn, and this is arguably the best unit he’s had to work with in a while, so a potential top defense is in the cards. While the Geno signing isn’t exciting, he’s technically only had one subpar season in the past 4 years, and it was on a poor Raiders team with hardly anything to work with. Smith brings a veteran presence to a QB room that has been primarily guys on rookie deals for years. These are also pretty good weapons on offense for Geno, as Garrett Wilson has established himself as a solid WR, AD Mitchell and Omar Cooper, along with two young, talented TE’s, AND Breece Hall. Say what you will about the Jets, but the potential of these weapons is very real. If these weapons are productive and Geno can distribute, and the defense can be a feared unit, combined with regression from the Pats and Bills, the division can be theirs. As for the playoff run, there aren’t a ton of elite defenses to get through outside of Houston in the AFC, and Houston’s not even a lock for a playoff spot. The offense can offer a variety of ways to score with its multitude of weapons, and if the defense can keep them in games, they can shoot out with anyone. 

Essentially, for the Browns to make the Super Bowl, Shedeur Sanders has to be the truth. He doesn’t have to be MVP level, but if he can distribute the ball to the young core of weapons on that Browns offense, then they can score plenty of points to be competitive. Last season, they had a top 10 defense, and while losing Garrett hurts, they also acquired Verse in return, who has gotten better every season he’s been in the league, so the defense can stay good. This team would have to be good in close games, because they would be playing a lot. They also benefit from playing in a division with relatively injury-prone QBs that could derail their seasons. Lamar, Burrow, and a mid 40’s Rodgers could all miss time to injury, carving a path for either enough wins to sneak in a wild card, or to win the division. As far as their postseason run, they would have to lean on the defense and run the ball, which has proven to be a successful recipe for super bowl winning teams. We see young cores take leaps together once there are guys they can lean on, and the Browns have a good young player or two at just about every position on offense. If they can play with some energy, then there is a will. And if there is a will, there’s a way.

I’m going to be honest, this is the team with the hardest path to a Super Bowl. It would quite literally be the biggest underdog story the NFL has ever seen in its league history, and why not Jacoby Brissett? To start, I personally think they got a good head coach. Straight from the Shanahan tree, right from the Rams OC position, where he can use that to their advantage. Knowing what the Rams tend to do and not do can help with head-to-head matchups with the Rams. As for the roster, there is no shortage of weapons there. Love, McBride, MHJ, and Wilson all either have incredibly high ceilings or have proven to be incredibly productive players. It’s also a second year in Arizona for Brissett, which typically results in a better season than the first. The new system can benefit all the weapons, and they can have multiple ways to win games, which is important in the NFC. There are a lot of young pieces on defense, but they could be impact players for the team. All they would need is a league-average defense, assuming the offense is firing on all cylinders. I will be realistic and say I don’t think winning the division is on the table. I think if the offense hits its ceiling, they could sneak into a wild card. They say all you have to do is make the dance, and then it’s a whole new season. If they match up with NFC West teams in the playoffs, they will have experience and know their tendencies, resulting in at least close games. As for the rest of the NFC teams, they could shoot out with them. It’s a long, hard path, but I mean, it’s there. 

Much like the Jets, playing in the AFC East, where there is room for regression from the Pats and Bills, is a benefit here. The hope here would be that their defensive-minded HC can rally a good unit in year one, and Willis plays his ass off. Literally proves that his time in Green Bay wasn’t overblown by a small sample size, and he carries over those numbers and plays at an MVP level. I think he has it in him to score enough points a game to win close games. an MVP level QB with a top 10 defense would prove to be a good recipe to win games.

Atlanta finally gets on offensive minded HC to pair with arguably the best group of weapons on offense the league has to offer. Penix or Tua’s job is simply to distribute the ball to those weapons in a simple manner, and points will follow. The defense was top 10 last season, and it came off the backs of a lot of young guys, who are only getting better. They also play in the worst division in the sport, so they get a pretty free ticket to the playoffs. When it comes to the playoffs, it’s easy for these superstars to take over games. Just look at Kenneth Walker in the Super Bowl. The Falcons have 3 players on offense capable of doing so, so they can win playoff games off their backs, along with timely defensive play.

The Raiders have a rookie HC and a rookie QB. Meaning, we have no tape on either and have no clue how they are going to handle their respective new roles. So, they could both be great. Mendoza had an okay pre-season, but could certainly be a productive NFL QB as a rookie, or even a great one. Kubiak has been a great coach at every stop he’s made, so I would assume that would continue for Kubiak. They made a ton of additions on defense through free agency, and could be a scary unit with all the names they added. The potential of a well-run Kubiak offense with at least a serviceable defense, which is more than likely, they could easily sneak into a wild card or even win the division. I don’t see enough question marks on the roster to doubt that this team can’t win a lot of games and find some magic in the playoffs, as the ceiling is very high with the head coach and QB.

The Titans fit the build so perfectly of a young team making a leap. Second-year QB, fresh HC who can instantly bolster the defense. Look at the Bears' last season: 2nd year QB, new HC, young core pieces to pair with the 2nd year QB. Unlike the Bears tho, this team could be far more balanced on both sides of the ball, and play in a weaker division than the Bears. A playoff berth is possible, and with a high level of play from Ward, winning playoff games is certainly on the table

There’s obviously a lot of hype around this team because there are proven reasons to. Harbaugh has won at a high level before, Dart looked solid for what he was given, and all the veterans they’ve added have proven to be valuable players. They’ve also invested in the front 7, which is a recipe that the most dominant teams that win the Super Bowl use (Eagles, Seahawks). Nabers can be a top 5 WR when healthy, they can run the ball well, and if their pass rush can get after the QB, then this team checks a lot of boxes of not only teams that win playoff games, but teams that win Super Bowls.

The NFL Media has a pretty short-term memory. I say that because this team's 2024 season is often disrespected as a fluke, and not as what a healthy Jayden Daniels can accomplish. In terms of success from any QB from that draft class, I think it’s arguable that Daniels 2024 season is more impressive than Maye’s 2025. Why can’t we view the 2025 season as the fluke? Daniels and the team as a whole were riddled with injuries, and needed to get younger, and that’s what they did this offseason. People throw around the word ‘injury-prone’, yet that’s not necessarily a 100% science backed conclusion. I like what they’ve done on offense, and I like what they’ve done with the front seven on defense. This team isn’t that far removed from their 2024 playoff run, and the roster is just as good as that roster was, so they could absolutely lean into what made that team so lethal. That team made it to an NFC Championship game, so if this team can be as good as that team, if not better, then why not label them with the same expectations?

This could be a very poetic season for Rodgers and the Packers. Already having announced this will be his final season, a run at the Super Bowl with his former HC from Green Bay would be a poetic send-off to a career. Perhaps, it’s not all a fairy tale, though. The Steelers' offense drastically improved this offseason, on the depth chart and in the coaching staff. The Steelers have Metcalf, Pittman, and an incredibly underrated RB and TE room. Sure, Rodgers is old, but he can get the ball out quickly to a plethora of playmakers, and the defense has enough star talent to make enough turnovers or even be a top 10 unit in the league if they play with a lot of leads. As for playoffs, there’s not a lot of QBs you’d trust more when they’re hot in the postseason than Rodgers, as a healthy, balanced offense with a defense that can get timely turnovers is enough to flip a game on its head.

Ever since Brady arrived in Tampa, there’s really only been one team that has been able to dominate the NFC South, and it’s the Bucs. A weak division, yes, but Tampa has shown flashes of going head-to-head with juggernauts in the NFL, including the two teams that just played in the Super Bowl. For what it’s worth, it’s a much-improved roster than last year on offense and defense. I don’t see much reason why this team won’t be able to be one of these juggernauts in the league again, as they were for years before last season, in which they suffered costly injuries. I think a fresh Bucs team with a more polished offense, plus Reuben Bain on defense, can be a part of the mix, and considering that a not full-strength Bucs team beat Seattle in Seattle last season, I see no reason that a full strength Bucs team can be a Super Bowl contender.

The Panthers have simply gotten better, and better each of the past 3 seasons. This is a balanced team on offense and defense, and they went toe-to-toe with the Rams TWICE, beating them one of the times. But that was last year, and the roster only improved this offseason. Additions on the front seven at a really good price, along with a solid draft class. I also believe in Bryce Young. Despite many haters not believing in him, he has only gotten better as time has gone on, and has proven he can be a clutch QB as well. The South is an incredibly winnable division, and if this is a squad that can go toe-to-toe with the Rams, and they’ve only improved since then, and if Young and the coaching staff can continue to get better each season, they can absolutely be in the mix for the Super Bowl. That defense at full strength is the most underrated unit in football. A Top 5 corner, DT, LB, and an elite edge rusher in Phillips can lead this to be a dominant defense in the league. If Young can develop into an even smarter QB, and his connection with McMillan blossoms, this team can be a threat in the NFC.

How you finish the previous season tends to carry over to the next. Sometimes it’s for the worse, as if you finish poorly, it can bleed into the next season. However, for the Saints, it’s the opposite. This team finished last year looking like a genuine playoff team. Tyler Shough was throwing to Walmart cashiers and looking like an efficient QB, and the defense played out of their mind. I have no reason to believe that won’t carry over to 2026, where they only added more weapons on offense and kept roughly the same defensive unit. I’ll keep saying it, the NFC South is incredibly winnable, and this team has a way to win football games, on defense and offense. We don’t know the ceiling that Shough has, simply because he hasn’t had a good group of weapons. For all we know, he could be a top 10 QB in the league with actual receivers to throw to.

The Colts' offense through week 9 wasn’t just ‘good’, they were historically good. A nearly unstoppable rushing attack, an elite deep passing attack, almost unstoppable. For the most part, they simply reloaded that same offense and are ready to roll it back out there. We know how good that offense is when it’s rolling, and I think the defense honestly can rush the passer well, and Sauce Gardner is a lockdown corner. The AFC South is pretty weak, and a juggernaut of an offense like that can not only win it but most likely push through some of the stronger defenses the AFC has to offer.

I think making the pitch for the Bengals is pretty easy here. Burrow is one of the league’s best QBs, and in campaigns to the playoffs, he consistently outplays his contemporaries. We obviously know that the offense has plenty of weapons to score enough points to win games, especially in big playoff games. The additions they made to their defense this offseason are pretty huge, though, adding to their front 7, with the key piece being Dexter Lawrence. All the defense needs to be is league average for this team to be in the Super Bowl, as they’ve literally shown us that before, and I think with the additions they’ve made, plus a healthy full season of Burrow, easily makes the Bengals a Super Bowl team.

Most people don’t realize this team finished 9-8 last season. They were an above-average team when many thought they weren’t good at all. They did this despite trotting out Carson Wentz, Max Brosmer, and JJ McCarthy. Say what you will about JJ McCarthy, but he isn’t at a level that any ‘win-now’ team would want to have starting games for them. I think Kyler is a huge difference maker, as he is arguably a generational athlete, and there isn’t a better pairing for him than KOC. If there is anyone in the league who can unlock Murray’s full potential, and I mean a level of play we haven’t seen from Kyler at the NFL level yet, it’s KOC. Not to mention the fact that he’s getting to play with a HOF talent at WR in JJettas, along with a very solid supporting cast and offensive line. This team somehow retained Flores as their DC, who led the team to a top 3 defense, only behind Seattle and Houston. This defense trots most of their guys back out there, and they are going to be coached by Flores regardless. Look at it this way: This was a league-average offense and a top 3 defense last season. If Kyler is twice as good as JJ, then it will be a borderline top 5 offense and a top 3 defense. Teams that do that almost always play in the Super Bowl. They are my personal dark horse in the entire league, so seeing them in a Super Bowl is pretty reasonable to me.

I mean, it’s the Chiefs. Need I really say more? If I told you 9 months from now the Chiefs were in the Super Bowl, you would believe it. That’s what happens when you have a HOF QB and a HOF coach, who have been to essentially half the Super Bowls over the last 8 years. But if I were to provide more of a reason than just ‘Mahomes’, then I’d tell you that I think they drafted well. They added depth to their WR room and added instant impact players to their defense. This team thrives in close games, and history has told us they really only need a league-average defense to get to the Super Bowl. The main objective would be to keep Mahomes healthy throughout the season, which is easier said than done, but the Chiefs strike me as a smart franchise, and wouldn’t do anything to knowingly put him in harm's way. It’s a pretty easy pitch, because they’ve been the most dominant team in the league for a while (outside of last season).

Many people might look at the Lions and say they missed their window, but I would make the case that this could be one of their better shots at the Super Bowl that they’ve had. I think this team likes playing hard-nose football and playing as an underdog, as that’s the whole reason they started becoming a juggernaut in the NFC. The offense lost a few pieces, but luckily for them, it’s still an incredibly deep roster. They may not have a top 3 offensive line, but they will almost certainly still have a top 10 one. Weapons aren’t even an issue, and as for the defense, this is the healthiest it’s been in years heading into the season. This is a much better team than people might give them credit for, but if we were to compare offenses across the NFC, I don’t know if I’d take almost any offense over this one. They can win games against good teams, and I wouldn’t want to find myself in a shootout with this team, especially if Aidan Hutchinson is coming after your QB. Hutchinson was quietly a DPOY candidate, if not a favorite for the award, before he got injured. Their Super Bowl window is plenty open.

People often mock Cowboys fans for always saying it’s their year. The reason for that, and also for why it is never their year, is that it seems that Jerry Jones always gets in the way. That being said, over the past two seasons, dare I say he has cooked. This is one of the scariest-looking offenses in the league, with a QB who’s played at an MVP level, and arguably the best WR duo in the league. As for the defense, Jerry has assembled a lot of talent for a pretty reasonable price and made a lot of smart moves. Sure, moving off Parsons hurts, but they’ve assembled a very talented front 7 since the trade, and added the best secondary prospect from this year's draft class. This team is sort of like the Bengals, in which the offense is so good that they just need the defense to be league average to be able to win a lot of games. As for the playoffs, that applies even more there, as their playoff losses have stemmed from the defense giving up almost 30 points a game. If that’s not happening, I don’t see any reason why they can’t walk into any building and drop 35 on most teams. It’s essentially the most complete offense in the league, and if there is any sort of pass rush on that defense, playing them in the postseason would be a nightmare.

Lamar has been given an unfair representation of how he plays in the playoffs. To me, I don’t really think he is to fault for their playoff losses, and I think the Ravens agree because they fired who the reason. I think Harbaugh was thoroughly out-coached in each playoff loss. Now there’s no guarantee that the new HC will be great, but the last DC from a Harbaugh staff won the Super Bowl, and that team didn’t have a Lamar Jackson. Their defense is littered with all-pro talent, and their new HC overachieved with not that much talent on the Chargers' defense. Also, whenever Lamar plays 16 games, he is an MVP candidate, so I thoroughly trust him with that offense, especially if his WR room is going to be better than it usually is. This team has a track record of being a great regular-season team, but I truly believe that what was keeping them from playoff success is out of the building. The sky is the limit here with the Ravens.

Let’s just look at this as simply as possible. The Packers were a top 5 offense in the league last season, and they are essentially running every player back. When Micah was healthy, they were also a top 10 defense in the league. Micah isn’t expected back until about halfway through the season. It turns out that the first half of their schedule is pretty easy. They can easily coast off that, get Micah back, and be a top 10 offense and defense in the league. As I mentioned earlier in the power rankings, a top 10 offense and a top 10 defense typically result in a Super Bowl team.

Take a defensive-minded HC who has been in a Super Bowl before, one of the most talented offensive minds in the game as an OC, an uber-talented QB who can make any throw, and a top 10 scoring defense, and you have the Los Angeles Chargers. I don’t think that should be a really hard sell at all for most people; it’s all there for this season. What’s held them back in seasons past is not having either starting tackle healthy, yet here we are with both tackles healthy. This is going to be one of the most well-rounded teams in the league, while also having one of the most talented QBs in the entire league. That’s the kind of team that usually wins 14+ games and gets a one seed. If that is in play, then almost certainly a Super Bowl is in play as well.

I thought about going on a spiel about how good the Eagles are and how deep their defense is, but that’s not necessary. They had one of the most dominant teams the league has seen 2 years ago, and you quite literally can chalk up last season to the OC and AJ Brown throwing hissy fits on the sideline. It’s still Vic Fangio as the DC, AJ Brown is gone and they replenished the WR room, & a brand new OC that the offensive line is raving about. Say what you will about Jalen Hurts, but at least he plays his best ball in the biggest games, and this is certainly a roster that can get you to the biggest games.

Caleb’s 2nd year in the system. Could stop there, but I won’t. It’s the best young offensive core in the NFL, arguably already a top 3 most clutch QB in the NFL, and a defense that can force turnovers. Lots of people want to chalk that up to luck last season, but certainly a lot of turnovers aren’t luck, and are a result of a defender making a good play. This team has a chance to be more than a prolific offense, and the defense has a strong foundation for a pass rush, and added pieces to its secondary this offseason. Oh, and they were very close to making the NFC Championship game last season, and they will be even better this season, so the math is pretty easy that they are more than capable of being a Super Bowl team.

I know everyone wants to talk about the injuries with this team and the substation, but given the fact that they deal with these major blows year in year out, and still have better seasons than 80% of the league, it shows just how good this team really is. Sure, they’ve been bitten a little bit by the injury bug already, but I would argue that it’s not as bad as it’s been in years past. This is still a loaded and deep roster, with one of the best head coaches in the league in Kyle Shanahan. They added a HOF receiver in Mike Evans to complement their HOF RB in CMC, and their HOF TE George Kittle. It’s very easy to be able to imagine looking back at this team and seeing 3+ hall of famers with an elite coach, and ask ourselves, “How did no one see them coming?” They have just about as much talent on defense as well. An incredibly slept-on team, simply because they are in the NFC West, except they beat Seattle and Los Angeles last season, and they only got better this year. I don’t know who else would be in the way for a team like this.

On paper, last season, you could absolutely make the case that this was the best team in the AFC, or at least the most well-rounded one. Top 10 in EPA/play on both offense and defense. They return Liam Coen, so it’s a second year in the system for T-Law, with a plethora of pass catchers for him to target. The defense, although lost some pieces, will have Travis Hunter this season and keep the core of pass rushers. There’s really no reason for this team to regress in a conference in which almost every team had turnover at QB or head coach, or has other massive question marks. The Jags? Don’t really have any questions, other than people assuming they will regress because they had no significant change this offseason. But if you were already the most well-rounded team in the AFC, and not much changed, then why wouldn’t they stay solid AFC favorites?

Off the back of a historic season for their defense, that said defense only got better this offseason. Like literally, returned all starters and still added good depth to the defense. This could absolutely be a team like the 2000 Ravens, where the defense is just so good that it doesn’t matter about anything else. That being said, though, there is plenty of reason to be optimistic about the offense with the loaded WR room and the addition of David Montgomery. Making the pitch for them to be a Super Bowl threat isn’t hard because they already are one. (As will be every team moving forward)

Every season, the Bills are in the top 5 of betting odds to make the Super Bowl, and for good reason, and that reason's name is Josh Allen. Sure, they haven’t made it there yet, but you could say the same about Peyton Manning and the start of his career. It took him a while to make it to the big game, but they still gave him his flowers and didn’t count him out. It would be silly to count out this Bills team, as they are consistently a top 3 offense, and will almost certainly be again this season. They made good additions on defense to keep it league average at worst, and this team will find itself in the mix yet again. Will they come through this time? Simply a matter of timely play, which we’ve seen from Allen and the Bills in the postseason before, just because they’ve been on the other end of unfortunate losses, doesn’t mean that they will continue to persist.

Last season, the Patriots were mostly playing with house money. No one expected them to be in the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl, yet they were ahead of schedule. They only got better this offseason, so genuinely, why would they not return to the Super Bowl? Sure, the schedule was easy, but I don’t see how holding that against this 2026 team is valid whatsoever, considering the growth and improvement of the roster and team. Of course, the team that was in the Super Bowl last season can make the Super Bowl again.

The Broncos were essentially a Bo Nix injury away from playing in the Super Bowl, and they are running back the same team in 2026. For an AFC full of turmoil and turnover, the Broncos are as safe a bet to return to the AFC Championship game. They added the best weapon the Broncos have had in the Payton-era in Jaylen Waddle, so I think this team making the Super Bowl is a simple formula. Good defense, timely play from Nix, and designed plays to stars on offense can work.

I mean, do I really need to explain why the Super Bowl favorites can make the Super Bowl? Anyone who has paid attention this offseason in the slightest knows EXACTLY how this team makes the Super Bowl. But, I will just list some names, and that’s all I’ll do: Sean McVay, Matt Stafford, Puka Nacua, Aaron Donald, Myles Garrett, and Trent McDuffie.

Once again, it’s pretty easy to see how the defending champs, who return 21 of 22 starters, can return to the Super Bowl. People seem to think they got worse this offseason, when they only replenished an already deep roster. They are going to continue to run the ball well and play elite defense, but I expect Darnold to play even better as well. He hasn’t had a second year in a system in a long time, and I’m sure he has all the confidence and weight lifted off his shoulders after he won the big one. I think Seattle can easily return to the big game the same way they made it last season.

Ryan Upp, 09-07-26