NEWSLETTER
Week 1 of the NFL season is in the books, and it was a thriller. It featured the most-watched Monday Night Football Game in ESPN history, one of the most devastating injuries in recent memory, a thrilling shootout between the Dolphins and Chargers, rookie debuts, and a handful of eye-opening blowouts.
So, how did it impact these power rankings? Let’s discuss.
Here’s how that will look:
Here’s how the BN NFL Power Rankings work:
So, with all that said, let’s dive into Bleacher Nation NFL Power Rankings for Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season:
Bona Fide Super Bowl Contenders
1. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Last Week: 1 ↔️
Week 1 Result: L 21-20 vs. DET
An opening night loss the the Lions certainly puts the Chiefs on notcie and calls to light their deficienies in the pass-catching department. However, Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes get the benefit of the doubt. For now, anyway.
Next Game: at Jacksonville, Sunday
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2. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
Last Week: 7 📈
Week 1 Result: W 30-7 at PIT
The 49ers looked like a well-oiled machine on Sunday as they throttled the Pittsburgh Steelers in their house. Brock Purdy looked good and Brandon Aiyuk’s performance netted him NFL Offensive Player of the Week Honors. The 49ers are looking mighty dangerous after one week.
Next Game: @ at Los Angeles Rams, Sunday
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3. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
Last Week: 9 📈
Week 1 Result: W 36-34 at LAC
Tua is back and the Dolphins offense looks as explosive as any unit in football. Going on the road, going score-for-score with Justin Herbert and the Chargers was an impressive first showing for the Fins. The defense has to be better, and I think it will with Vic Fangio coaching them up this season.
Next Game: at New England, Sunday
4. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
Last Week: 11 📈
Week 1 Result: W 40-0 at NYG
Dallas blew the doors off of the Giants on Sunday night. They thoroughly dominated all three phases and look like a bona fide contender in the NFC right now. They’ll get an Aaron Rodgers-less Jets at home this week, so I don’t see much change here next week.
Next Game: vs. New York Jets, Sunday
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5. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Last Week: 2 📉
Week 1 Result: W 25-20 at NE
That game was closer than it needed to be. The Eagles are still firmly in the bona fide contenders bracket, but they’ll need to clean some things up this week if they want to stay there.
Next Game: vs. Minnesota, Thursday
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6. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
Last Week: 4 📉
Week 1 Result: W 31-21 at IND
The same goes for the Jaguars here. Going into Indy and getting a divisional win was a good start, but they let the Colts hang around far too long. Jacksonville played down to Indianapolis, and that’s a dangerous habit to get into. The Jaguars have a shot at home field advantage in the AFC, but they need to clobber signifigantly less talented opponents when they have them on the schedule. Slam dunk the easy ones.
Next Game: vs. Kansas City, Sunday
Dark Horse Super Bowl Contenders
7. Detroit Lions (1-0)
Last Week: 14 📈
Week 1 Results: W 21-20 at KC
Sure, the Chiefs were without Travis Kelce and Chris Jones. But, they’re still the Chiefs and the Lions went into Arrowhead and beat them on opening night. Detroit’s defense looked signifigantly improved from last season. The offense looked a bit clunky, but I think they’ll be able to smooth things out there. The Lions are a real contender to win the NFC this season until proven otherwise.
Next Game: vs. Seattle, Sunday
8. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)
Last Week: 8 ↔️
Week 1 Result: L 36-34 vs. MIA
The Chargers are 0-1, but that was a hard-fought loss against a very talented Miami Dolphins team. I have the Chargers exactly where I had them last week after an impressive performance despite the notch in the loss column on Sunday. The Bolts have a good bounce-back game this weekend against the Titans.
Next Game: at Tennessee, Sunday,
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9. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
Last Week: 6 📉
Week 1 Result: L 22-16 at NYJ
The Bills loss to the Jets was a tough look. Not just because it was to an Aaron Rodgers-less Jets, but because Josh Allen looked awful and their offense looked like they still don’t have enough around them. The Bills stay inside the top-10 (for now), but have fallen out of the Bona Fide Super Bowl Contenders tier.
Next Game: vs. Las Vegas, Sunday
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10. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
Last Week: 3 📉
Week 1 Result: L 24-3 at CLE
There’s no denying that was about as ugly of an opening day loss as the Bengals could have had. But, they also lost to the Steelers in similar fashion in last season’s opening contest and still made it back to the AFC title game. So, they remain a fringe Super Bowl contender, even with the cruddy opening day performance.
Next Game: vs. Baltimore, Sunday
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Playoff Contenders
11. New York Jets (1-0)
Last Week: 5 📉
Week 1 Result: W 22-16 vs. BUF
The Jets might have been winners on Monday Night Football, but their 2023 season took a dramatic turn for the worst when Aaron Rodgers went down. Zach Wilson is QB1 now, and we’ll see how long the Jets can stay afloat without AR in a tough AFC.
Next Game: at Dallas, Sunday
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12. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Last Week: 12 ↔️
Week 1 Result: W 25-9 vs. HOU
Baltimore took care of business this week, but losing J.K. Dobbins (Achilles) for the season is something that they’re going to have to overcome. Until we see how that looks against an actual opponent, they remain where they started the season in these rankings.
Next Game: at Cincinnati, Sunday
13. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
Last Week: 10 📉
Week 1 Result: L 30-13 vs. LAR
That was an ugly loss, but I’m inclined to give the Seahawks a mulligan for this week. I still think they’re a very good team and a playoff contender. They’ve got a big-time prove it game against the Lions on the road this week.
Next Game:at Detroit, Sunday
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14. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
Last Week: 15 📈
Week 1 Result: W 24-10 vs. CAR
A win is a win, even if it came against the Panthers. Atlanta handled business at home and Bijan Robinson looked the part in his NFL debut. Tyler Allgeier also looked solid and the Falcons look like the team that I pegged them to be this season.
Next Game: vs. Green Bay, Sunday
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15. Cleveland Browns (1-0)
Last Week: 19 📈
Week 1 Result: W 24-3 vs. CIN
Cleveland looked better than I imagined against the very good Bengals team on Sunday. I still don’t see them being much of a threat in the grand scheme of things this season, but they were good enough to move into the tail end of the playoff contender tier in these rankings this week.
Next Game: at Pittsburgh, Monday
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Meh …
16. Green Bay Packers (1-0)
Last Week: 21 📈
Week 1 Result: W 38-20 at CHI
A win over the Bears on Sunday ins’t exactly a resume builder as far as I’m concerned, but it was a divisional win nonetheless and Jordan Love looked competent at worst. So, the Packers might be better than originally anticipated. But the jury is still out on that for now.
Next Game: at Atlanta, Sunday
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17. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Last Week: 20 📈
Week 1 Result: W 16-15 vs. TEN
The Saints managed to beat the Titans but are about as bland as it gets for me. It was nice to see Michael Thomas play 52 snaps and make five catches for 61 yards in his return on Sunday. Chris Olave caught eight passes for 112 yards to lead the team.
Next Game: at Carolina, Monday,
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18. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
Last Week: 18 ↔️
Week 1 Result: L 16-15 at NO
Ryan Tannehill posted a putrid 28.8 passer rating and Derrick Henry was only on the field for 48 percent of the Titans offensive snaps. Simply, they didn’t look good, nor are they entertaining to watch.
Next Game: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday
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19. New England Patriots (0-1)
Last Week: 24 📈
Week 1 Result: L 25-20 vs. PHI
Hanging tight with the the Eagles earned the Patriots some good will these week, but they’re still the fourth-best team in their division in my eyes, even with Zach Wilson replacing Aaron Rodgers in New York.
Next Game: vs. Miami, Sunday
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20. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (1-0)
Last Week: 26 📈
Week 1 Results: W 20-17 at MIN
There’s always a game or two every year in which Baker Mayfield makes people wonder if this is the year he’s finally unlocked it. Tampa Bay(ker) gets a boost for a nice road win in Minnesota this week, but I still have low expectations for the Bucs.
Next Game: vs. Chicago, Sunday
21. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
Last Week: 17 📉
Week 1 Result: L 20-17 vs. TB
Jefferson had nine catches for 150 yards Sunday and became the fastest player to 25 games of 100 or more receiving yards in a game along the way, but the Vikings still lost. Yuck.
Next Game: at Philadelphia, Thursday
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22. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Last Week: 13 📉
Week 1 Result: L 30-7 vs. SF
After looking pretty darn good in the preseason, the Steelers first-teamers looked like a shell of their preseason selves on Sunday against the 49ers. San Francisco mopped the floor with the Steelers in their building, so they fall nine spots and out of the playoff contenders tier this week.
Next Game: vs. Cleveland, Monday
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23. New York Giants (0-1)
Last Week: 16 📉
Week 1 Result: L 40-0 vs. DAL
It’s a steep drop for the Giants as well. New York dropped a brutally bad game to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football and are looking like a bona fide pretender this week.
Next Game: at Arizona, Sunday
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24. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Last Week: 28 📈
Week 1 Result: L 31-21 vs. JAX
Anthony Richardson looked great and the Colts gave the Jaguars a run for their money on Sunday. The impressive performance was good enough to reaffirm why Anthony Richardson was drafted by the Colts. It was also good enough to give them a boost in these rankings.
Next Game: at Houston, Sunday
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Tank Commanders
25. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
Last Week: 30 📈
Josh McDaniels and the Raiders knocked the Broncos off in Denver. Spoling the Sean Payton return party was enough to bump the Raiders up a bit, but nothing to write home about just yet.
Next Game: at Buffalo, Sunday,
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26. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Last Week: 23 📉
The Broncos’ new boss coached quarterback Russell Wilson to a 177-yard day with two touchdowns and no interceptions in a 17-16 loss on Sunday. Remember when Sean Payton blamed Russell Wilson’s demise on Nathaniel Hackett?
Next Game: vs. Washington, Sunday
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27. Chicago Bears (0-1)
Last Week: 22 📈
Uninspiring, unimaginative, and unimpressive. That about sums it up for the Bears this week. They stunk the joint up and look like a team heading for some tough conversations if they can’t figure many things out quickly.
Next Game: at Tampa Bay, Sunday
28.Washington Commanders (1-0)
Last Week: 29 📈
Week 1 Result: W 20-16 vs. AZ
The Commanders stunk a little bit less than the Cardinals on Sunday, and that’s not saying a whole lot about Washington. Or, maybe it is, depending on how you want to look at it.
Next Game: at Tampa Bay, Sunday
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29. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
Last Week: 31 📈
Week 1 Result: W 30-13 at SEA
An impressive win over the Seahawks, for sure. Puka Nacua, a fifth-round pick out of BYU, made NFL history with 10+ catches and 119 yards in his debut. Tutu Atwell also had 119 receiving yards. Still, the Rams aren’t a good team.
Next Game: vs. San Francisco, Sunday
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30. Carolina Panthers (0-1)
Last Week: 25 📉
Week 1 Result: L 24-10 at ATL
Bryce Young’s debut wasn’t great. He didn’t look overwhellmed, but he looked average. The thing is, there’s just nothing around him right now. I said it in the preseason, that wide receiver room is going to make Young’s life tough this season.
Next Game: vs. New Orleans, Monday
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31. Houston Texans (0-1)
Last Week: 27 📉
Week 1 Result: L 25-9 at BAL
DeMeco Ryans had an interesting gameplan against the Ravens, giving Dameon Pierce only 11 carries while allowing rookie QB C.J. Stroud to throw the ball 44 times against the Ravens. You would think that Ryans would like to lean more on the running game with a rookie quarterback under center, but I guess not.
Next Game: vs. Indianapolis, Sunday
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32. Arizona Cardinals (0-1)
Last Week: 32 ↔️
Week 1 Result: L 20-16 at WAS
*sad trombone*
Next Game: vs. New York Giants, Sunday
