NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Chiefs, Ravens & Seahawks Thrive in 2020

Getty The NFL looks a lot different in 2020 than we last saw it at Super Bowl LIV.

The NFL is back but football looks different than when we were last together watching the Chiefs hoist the Lombardi Trophy in Miami. For starters, it is going to take some time to get used to Tom Brady and Philip Rivers wearing different jerseys. Coaches like Andy Reid closely resemble welders thanks to the full face shields they are wearing on the sidelines as one of the many COVID-19 precautions.

Finally, few NFL teams started the season with fans and the franchises that did were extremely limited in their capacity. Yet, for all of the changes watching the Chiefs offense roll in the second half against the Texans felt very familiar. The idea that the NFL’s best offense added a legit top running back in Clyde Edward-Helaire spells trouble for the AFC West and potentially the entire league.

When Brady rushed into the endzone for the Buccaneers’ first touchdown, it looked as though there would not be a noticeable transition as he played on his first new team in two decades. As the game went on, Brady more closely resembled a quarterback playing in a brand new system with different receivers. Even one of the greatest quarterbacks of all-time needs reps with his new team for the offense to start rolling as many expect.

Patriots fans could not have had a better Sunday as Cam Newton shined in a revamped New England offense just before Brady’s struggles would take center stage. The Patriots will face much more of a test in Week 2 given the step up in competition from the Dolphins to the Seahawks. For one week, Patriots fans can gloat over the struggles of their ex-quarterback, but the NFL has a way of humbling every team at some point during the season.

Top 5: Chiefs & Ravens Continue to be the Class of the NFL

For all the differences, some things remained the same as Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson marched their respective offenses down the field in Week 1. The challenge in the AFC is the Chiefs and Ravens both have young weapons who now have experience playing in big-time situations from last season.

Brady’s NFC South debut did not go as planned as the Bucs offense was not firing on all cylinders. The Saints’ defense forced Brady into throwing two interceptions. With Alvin Kamara’s contract situation resolved, the Saints are one of the NFC’s top threats, and the Buccaneers have some work to do to compete in the same division.

The debate throughout the Seahawks offseason was whether Seattle would finally “Let Russ Cook.” If Week 1 was any indication, Pete Carroll has taken the training wheels off as Russell Wilson threw the ball all over the yard in Atlanta. Wilson came as close to perfection as possible throwing for 322 yards and four touchdowns while completing more than 88 percent of his passes.

Aside from the Seahawks’ defense allowing 434 passing yards to the Falcons, Seattle looks like a much more talented team compared to 2019. Jamal Adams did not miss a beat with his new team as the Seahawks used him as a chess piece all over the field.

Bottom 5: The Browns Offense Is Still Struggling

We spent all offseason hearing about a retooled Browns offense, but Cleveland only managed to score six points in their opener. The only saving grace for Browns fans is it came against the Ravens who are expected to be a Super Bowl contender. This may be one of the rare scenarios where a team is looking forward to playing on Thursday and will have an opportunity to bounce back against the Bengals.

After an offseason of attrition, it is difficult to have much hope for the Jets. Le’Veon Bell spent training camp assuring the doubters that he was in good health, but his hamstring flared up again as the Jets could now be without their star running back. The jury is still out on Sam Darnold, but the quarterback has had little talent to work with during his young NFL career.

The Dolphins are taking a methodical approach to Tua Tagovailoa’s NFL career but the cries for the team to unleash the rookie are only going to get lounder as the season goes on. It will be interesting to see when the Dolphins choose to hand over the offense to their young quarterback.

Here is a look at our initial NFL power rankings, and we will continue to update as games are completed.

NFL Power Rankings: Heading into Week 2