Guregian: NFL Power Rankings for Week 1

With the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs opening their title defense Thursday night against the Texans, it’s time to line up all 32 teams and put them in order as they carefully head out of the gate for the pandemic-ridden 2020 season.

There have been significant moves made throughout the NFL, with the Buccaneers leading the charge — landing six-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady, his former New England accomplice Rob Gronkowski, and now, former Jags star RB Leonard Fournette.

Power Rankings are a good way to put all the storylines into context.

So with that as a backdrop, here’s a ranking of the teams with Week 1 about to get underway.

1. Chiefs: Highly doubtful KC will be a one-hit wonder with Patrick Mahomes in the saddle. But in a pandemic year, will they have the hunger and desire to grab another Lombardi Trophy right away?

2. Ravens: What will Lamar Jackson do for an encore? A date in Tampa in February for the Super Bowl might provide the answer.

3. 49ers: They may wind up as one of those rare Super Bowl bridesmaids to win it all the following season. Still wouldn’t put any money on that scenario.

4. Saints: Will Jadeveon Clowney rue the day he picked the Titans over the Saints? Guess Clowney didn’t know this roster is once again primed to go all the way.

5. Buccaneers: Can a 43-year-old quarterback have an MVP season? With the cast now assembled around him, it would be an upset if Brady wasn’t in the conversation.

6. Seahawks: Jamal Adams will love playing for a contender, as opposed to the dysfunctional mess known as the New York Jets.

7. Vikings: Beyond the usual drama with the not-so-big in big games QB Kirk Cousins, the defense has to try and make up for the loss of five starters, including their top three cornerbacks.

8. Packers: Aaron Rodgers gives the Pack a chance to win it all every year, but the cast around him is never good enough. That scenario hasn’t changed heading into 2020.

9. Cowboys: As usual, the ‘Boys are stacked. But will Mike McCarthy take them where Jason Garrett couldn’t?

10. Bills: Whether or not Josh Allen is a boom or bust, it’s hard to ignore the talent on both sides of the ball. We’ll see how they handled being the hunted, as opposed to the hunter.

11. Titans: Can Ryan Tannehill possibly duplicate his performance from a year ago? The Titans will give you $118 million reasons why their quarterback will make that happen.

12. Eagles: If Carson Wentz can’t stay healthy, they have no shot of hanging with the Cowboys, even with Josh McCown stashed away in triple double-secret security reserve.

13. Colts: If Philip Rivers continues to be a turnover machine, kiss their chances goodbye. Not much Frank Reich can do to fix that.

14. Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger is back with a repaired elbow, and JuJu Smith-Schuster is entering a contract year. That’s a highlight reel waiting to happen.

15. PATRIOTS: If Bill Belichick can win with this team, he might not only be the greatest coach of all time in football, but of any sport. Expectations are low, just the way the Hoodie loves it.

16. Texans: DeAndre Hopkins or not, they should still be in the hunt for a playoff spot. Deshaun Watson, the new $160 million man, makes that happen.

17. Falcons: They aren’t quite as good as the Saints or Bucs, but they’re a ton better than the Panthers. Unfortunately for them, stuck in the middle won’t cut it in the NFC South.

18. Browns: Will the real Baker Mayfield please stand up? Is he the promising rookie of 2018? Or, the mistake-prone disaster of 2019?

19. Broncos: They went 4-1 in their last five games with Drew Lock under center. Time to find out if that’s reality, or a mirage. And it might be the latter with Von Miller now out for the season.

20. Rams: Can 2019 be chalked up to a Super Bowl hangover, or do they really stink?

21. Cardinals:  They’re everyone’s favorite sleeper team to make the playoffs. At the very least, they’re going to be fun to watch once again.

22. Raiders: Is there an over/under on how soon Jon Gruden will swap out Derek Carr for Marcus Mariota? Hint: take the under.

23. Bears: Welcome to Year 3 of Mitch Trubisky madness. Nick Foles will be relegated to the bail-out role.

24. Chargers: Better to have Tyrod Taylor running for his life, instead of rookie Justin Herbert. Pass-rushers are going to feast on that offensive line.

25. Dolphins: The most important decision of Brian Flores’ tenure? Deciding when to let rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa loose.

26. Lions: Coach Matt Patricia is on the clock. Another dumpster fire won’t cut it in the Motor City.

27. Jets: Don’t bet the farm on QB Sam Darnold making a breakthrough, especially with that receiving corps. Talk about a low bar — even the Patriots look better in the receiver department by comparison.

28. Giants: Daniel Jones is good for some wins. But that might also mean not many. The second-year quarterback has some talent around him with the offense, but the defense remains suspect.

29. Bengals: Going out on a limb here in saying they’ll be better than last year’s two-win team. Having Joe Burrow does that. But how much better is up for debate.

30. Panthers: The Saints, Bucs and Falcons will take turns using the Panthers as a personal punching bag in the NFC South.

31. Washington: The team with no name also has no hope of being anywhere near contention.

32. Jaguars: They are the leader in the clubhouse for the “Tank for Trevor Lawrence” sweepstakes. And it might not be close.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2RbqLm3