18. Houston Texans (18)
Even though the Texans took a loss on the road to the Rams to open their season, they’re staying put in these power rankings. Frankly, nothing I saw from Houston changed what I thought about this team coming into the season. The offensive line is an issue, the offense is still trying to find its footing because of it, and the defense under DeMeco Ryans is legit.
Houston attempting to rebuild its offensive line on the fly was always a risky undertaking, but it could pay off as the year goes on. For now, though, the Texans look comfortably out of the mix as a contender, but there’s room to grow.
17. Cincinnati Bengals (16)
The Bengals won and I’m not at all moved. That might sound a bit harsh, but it’s the truth of it. While the Browns might be a better team overall than some people thought coming into the year, the truth of the matter is that Cincinnati was lackluster at best and probably lucky to come out of Week 1 victorious.
Cincinnati’s defense was actually solid in this game, but it was their strength, the offense, that looked subpar in a major way. Maybe it’s just some first-game rust that Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase and Co. are shaking off, but the Bengals aren’t going to come close to their aspirations this season if this is what it looks like for the next 16 games.
16. Seattle Seahawks (15)
It’s only one game, but you have to wonder how many people in the Seahawks’ building are already regretting the decision to move on from Geno Smith in favor of Sam Darnold. Without Kevin O’Connell pulling the strings, Darnold looked quite human.
Seattle’s defense does deserve plenty of credit for slowing down the 49ers and playing an opportunistic brand of football. However, they simply didn’t have enough offensively against San Francisco to make good on that effort, and a lot of that blame has to fall on the feet of the quarterback.
15. Detroit Lions (10)
There was good reason for fans to look at the Lions and Week 1 and make a clear-eyed assessment of how things looked with all of the coaching personnel they lost this offseason, specifically the losses of Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn. Well, suffice it to say that Detroit might be in for a crash back down to earth this season without those former coordinators, because what we say in Green Bay was ugly.
Whether it was too much David Montgomery and not enough Jahmyr Gibbs, a tepid passing offense, or a defense that Jordan Love was able to pick apart, nothing looked like the last few years that we’ve seen from the Lions. Things can get weird in Week 1, but there is undeniable cause for concern after a loss like that.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (14)
You simply have to give credit where it’s due and, in the Steelers’ case, that’s Aaron Rodgers. While he might not be the dynamic athlete at quarterback that he was during his prime with the Packers, he looks healthy again and Pittsburgh’s offense is reaping the benefits.
Frankly, it was a bit jarring to see the offense have to bail out the defense, especially against the Jets. However, if that means the Steelers have that type of performance in the arsenal this season, then being a bit higher on Pittsburgh with room to move up further certainly feels right.
13. San Francisco 49ers (13)
After all the hemming and hawing about Christian McCaffrey’s injury leading into this game, he played and looked back to his form as arguably the best all-around weapon in the game. Unfortunately, when George Kittle left this game against Seattle with an injury, the 49ers offense was still a bit lacking, but the defense absolutely stepped up to pick up the slack and make San Francisco’s timely late score worth it.
It certainly does feel like the Niners might not be the Super Bowl contender they once were, but with one of the league’s easiest schedules, they could surely make a run into the postseason quite comfortably.