The first weekend of any NFL season is traditionally followed by days of speculation. When it comes to the 16 teams that come away with a win, there’s scattered talk of running the table for a bit. For the 16 losing clubs, distraught fans and overzealous media are already plotting a course for the franchise to wind up with the first overall pick in April’s upcoming draft.
This week’s NFL Power Rankings can be found here. As for this exercise, it’s a look at each of the league’s eight divisions and how they stack up against each other in terms of a combined effort. The ensuing order is more than just based on win-loss records, rather the overall performance by the four clubs. Obviously, there can be poor play for a team that came away with a victory, as well as a solid effort from a team that came up short on the scoreboard.
It’s Week 1, and the list begins with somewhat of a shocker given how this quartet performed in 2023.
8. AFC North
A season ago, this division was a powerhouse. All four teams finished above .500, with the Baltimore Ravens finishing with an NFL-best 13-4 record. John Harbaugh’s division champions were joined in the playoffs by the Cleveland Browns (11-6) and Pittsburgh Steelers (10-7), with the 9-8 Cincinnati Bengals bringing up the rear. There wasn’t a lot of postseason success when it came to this trio. The Browns and Steelers were one-and-done, and Harbaugh’s club was stifled at home by the Chiefs in the AFC title game.
Why recap 2023? Because the combined efforts of this quartet, surprisingly, left a lot to be desired on opening weekend. Yes, Baltimore lost another heartbreaker to Andy Reid’s team. On the other hand, the supposed lifeless New England Patriots went into Cincinnati and humbled Joe Burrow and company, 16-10. Later Sunday, the Browns were also pushed around at home by the Dallas Cowboys, 33-17. The only AFC North team to win was the Steelers, and Mike Tomlin’s team failed to score a touchdown.
7. NFC South
Dennis Allen’s club was regarded as somewhat of a mystery entering the season, despite the fact that the teams was coming off a 9-8 showing. The Saints rolled to a 47-10 home win over the rival Panthers, scoring the game’s first 30 points. Much-maligned quarterback Derek Carr threw for 200 yards and three scores. The reigning NFC South champions also had very problems on Sunday. The Buccaneers rolled the visiting Commanders, 37-20, as rejuvenated Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdowns.
While New Orleans and Tampa Bay had few problems putting points on the board, the aforementioned Panthers and Atlanta Falcons were both limited to 10 points on Sunday. Those clubs had new head coaches Dave Canales and Raheem Morris, respectively. Each was lifeless on offense and both teams committed three turnovers. Carolina (193) and Atlanta (226) combined for 419 total yards, compared to the Saints (379) and Bucs (392). The Panthers’ and Falcons’ performances hurt the ranking of the group.
6. AFC West
The quest for an unprecedented Super Bowl title three-peat began with a thriller at Arrowhead Stadium. In case there were any concerns for Andy Reid’s team, the Chiefs have indeed reloaded at the wide receiver position. Rookie speedster Xavier Worthy ran 21 yards for a touchdown the first time he touched the ball, and early in the fourth quarter snared a 35-yard TD pass from Patrick Mahomes in the team’s 27-20 victory over the Ravens. However, Steve Spagnuolo’s defense was stung for a surprising 452 yards.
The Jim Harbaugh Era in Los Angeles got off to a successful start and the Chargers played the kind of football that is synonymous with the well-traveled coach. The Bolts ran for 176 yards in a 12-point win over the Raiders. Meanwhile, there was a lot of hoopla surrounding the NFL debut of Bo Nix. The talented youngster and Sean Payton’s offense had their issues. The Broncos’ only TD came with 2:09 left in the game. Despite wins by the Chiefs and Chargers, it was a less-than-spectacular showing by the division.
5. NFC East
It bears remembering that no team has repeated as NFC East champions since Andy Reid’s Eagles won four consecutive titles from 2001-04. A year ago, the Birds and Cowboys reached the playoffs and both clubs got off to impressive offensive starts this week. After a sluggish start in Brazil, Nick Sirianni’s team got three touchdowns from newcomer Saquon Barkley and held off the Packers, 34-29. Mike McCarthy’s squad went to Cleveland and humbled the Browns in all three phases of the game via a 33-17 victory.
Meanwhile, the Giants and Commanders also picked up where they left off a year ago. Brian Daboll’s team was 30th in the NFL in scoring a year ago, and on Sunday vs. Minnesota not only failed to score a touchdown, but quarterback Daniel Jones threw a TD pass to new Vikings’ linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel. Dan Quinn made his debut as head coach of the Commanders, and the team that allowed the third-most points (518) in a season in NFL history in 2023 didn’t look much different in a 37-20 loss to the Bucs.
4. AFC South
In terms of exciting football, the AFC South won Week 1. The defending division champion Houston Texans held off the Colts at Indianapolis, 29-27. On the other hand, both Tennessee and Jacksonville appeared to be headed toward surprising road victories at Chicago and Miami, respectively. The Titans owned a 17-0 second-quarter lead at Soldier Field, and Doug Pederson’s squad opened up a 14-0 edge in the second quarter in South Florida. However, neither club could close the deal on its potential upset.
Week 2 is completely opposite of the opening Sunday when it comes to these four clubs. The Colts are the only team on the road, while the Titans and Jaguars host the Jets and Browns, respectively. There’s an exciting prime-time clash in Houston as DeMeco Ryans’s team takes on the Chicago Bears. Keep in mind that this was the most improved division in the NFL in 2023. There’s no reason to believe that the Texans and Colts won’t continue to build on last season. However, the jury is still out on the Titans and Jaguars.
3. NFC West
The reigning NFC champion 49ers closed out Week 1 with a 32-19 victory over the visiting Jets, but don’t be fooled by the final score in terms of offensive efficiency. Kyle Shanahan’s team easily won the time-of-possession battle and got 147 yards and a touchdown from Jordan Mason, who replaced a hobbled Christian McCaffrey. However, the Niners reached the end zone just twice, while second-year placekicker Jake Moody wound up connecting for six field goals. Those issues should be rectified sooner than later.
The Seahawks and new head coach Mike Macdonald kicked off the year with a six-point home win over Denver. Kenneth Walker ran for 103 yards and a score, but the team also gave up four points on a pair of safeties in the second quarter. As for the losses, the Cardinals squandered a 17-3 lead at Buffalo, and the league’s bottom-ranked run defense from a year ago didn’t look any better. Meanwhile, the Rams never saw the ball in overtime at Detroit in a 26-20 loss. These latter two clubs clash this Sunday in the desert.
2. AFC East
On Monday night at Levi’s Stadium, Robert Saleh’s club could join the Bills, Dolphins, and Patriots in winning their first game of 2024. The Jets’ highly-regarded defense struggled to get off the field. The Niners held the ball for 38:40 and ran 70 offensive plays for 401 yards. Buffalo and Miami rallied from double-digit deficits to win at home, but these were games Sean McDermott’s club and Mike McDaniel’s team were expected to win. These division rivals renew acquaintances this Thursday night at Miami.
The wild card here is the Pats, who stunned the Bengals in Cincinnati, 16-10 in Jerod Mayo’s debut as an NFL head coach. The team was coming off a miserable 4-13 showing and there were questions regarding veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett, who had appeared to have been beaten out rookie Drake Maye for the starting job. The Patriots were somewhat of an afterthought when it came to being a contender for a division title. If Mayo’s team can build on the upset win at Cincinnati, this could be a very potent group.
1. NFC North
There were a lot of expectations surrounding the NFC North thanks to a busy offseason for each of these four clubs. That hype appeared to be pretty justified. Only the Packers fell short on the scoreboard as Matt LaFleur’s club did score 29 points in the five-point loss to the Eagles in Brazil. A new-look Green Bay defense appeared to have the same old issues, allowing 144 yards on the ground and 410 total yards. However, Jordan Love will miss several weeks with a sprained MCL. Malik Willis gets the start on Sunday.
There was also a lot of excitement surrounding the NFL debut of Bears’ quarterback Caleb Williams. Matt Eberflus’s club rallied from 17 down for a 24-17 win over the Titans and failed to score an offensive TD. The Vikings toyed with the Giants in East Rutherford. Finally, there was a playoff rematch in Detroit and the Lions rallied to beat the Rams in overtime, 26-20. In the extra session, Dan Campbell’s team got the ball. An eight-play, 70-yard drive includes seven running plays for 60 yards. Power football at its best.