1. Buffalo Bills
The Bills were absolutely dominant once again, as they slapped the shit out of the Tennessee Titans on Monday Night Football. Josh Allen continues to make a push for league MVP honors, finishing the day with 317 yards, 4 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. Stefon Diggs had another huge week, with 12 catches for 148 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Injury Updates:
Wide receiver Gabe Davis missed the game on Monday due to an ankle sprain he suffered at practice on Saturday, though he was seen walking around the locker room after the win.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
The Chiefs took on the Chargers last Thursday Night in a very entertaining battle between two of the top teams in the league, and the Chiefs came out on top 27-24. Patrick Mahomes continues to impress despite losing Tyreek Hill.
Injury Updates:
Wide receiver Mecole Hardman left the game with an ankle injury. Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed week 2 and is still not a guarantee to be back for the next game.
3. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers were very close to being able to beat the Chiefs, which would have moved them into the #2 spot on this list. Despite losing, there is no reason to lower the Chargers in the rankings. They played well and nearly beat a top contender and division rival.
Injury Updates:
Justin Herbert’s status remains in question as tests confirmed he has fractured rib cartlidge as a result of a big hit he took in the game against Kansas City. If unable to go, Chase Daniel will start at QB for the Chargers.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tom Brady managed to beat the New Orleans Saints for the first time since joining the Bucs, though it was definitely not his best day at the office. Brady struggled, completing 18 of 34 passes for 190 and 1 touchdown. The Tampa defense stepped up with a clutch 4th quarter interception return for a touchdown to secure the win.
Injury Updates:
Wide receiver Julio Jones was a game time decision that ultimately did not play in the week 2 game against the Saints. Mike Evans was ejected after he laid out Saints defensive back Marshon Lattimore after the whistle in defense of his QB. Evans is suspended for the Bucs week 3 game.
5. Los Angeles Rams↑
The Rams are on the rise in this week’s rankings, though this has more to do with the teams ahead of them struggling more so than anything the Rams did during week 2. The Rams were able to hold on and win 31-27 against the Atlanta Falcons, but it was less than impressive.
Injury Updates:
Offensive guard Tremayne Anchrum Jr. got his first start against the Falcons, but left just two snaps into the game after fracturing his leg.
6. Green Bay Packers↑
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers bounced back in prime time as they beat the shit out of the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football. Rodgers further solidified the fact that he owns the Bears. The Packers looked impressive, but that must be taken with a grain of salt considering that the Bears stink.
Injury Updates:
Starting left tackle David Bakhtiari’s status remains a mystery. The talented lineman has only appeared in one game since injuring his ACL before the start of the 2020 NFL Playoffs.
7. Miami Dolphins↑
Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami Dolphins are the NFL darlings after their historic comeback victory over Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens. The Dolphins trailed 35-14 in the 4th quarter before outscoring the opposition 28-3 in the final quarter to get the win. Tua finished with 469 yards and 6 touchdowns. As amazing as all of this was, they were down 35-14 in the 4th quarter. Comebacks like this are few and far between, and this is why the Dolphins are not higher on the list. Incredible comeback, but also incredibly inconsistent play. Still need to see more.
Injury Updates:
Tyreek Hill was able to return to the game after exiting due to cramping issues. Fellow wide receiver Cedrick Wilson left the game with a rib injury, though x-rays did not show any breaks.
8. Baltimore Ravens↓
The Ravens are falling a few spots in this week’s rankings as a result of their 4th quarter collapse against Miami. Lamar Jackson was having an amazing day, putting up one of the most impressive first half performances we have seen in his career. He was destroying the Dolphins both in the air and on the ground, though the Ravens offense was unable to create points when it mattered most.
Injury Updates:
Wide receiver Devin Duvernay is off to a hot start, though he was forced to leave the game due to a concussion. Edge rusher Steven Means is done for the year after tearing his Achilles. Running back JK Dobbins remains week-to-week as he continues to recover from an ACL injury he suffered last season.
9. Philadelphia Eagles↑
Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles have been one of the more unexpected success stories early in the 2022 NFL Season. Hurts has looked comfortable and in total control of the Eagles offense, whether passing or running. With plenty of weapons to distribute the ball to, the Eagles offense will be tough to slow down.
Injury Updates:
No news is good news on the injury front. Eagles suffered no new notable injuries during their game against the Vikings.
10. Cleveland Browns↓
The Browns stayed true to themselves as they invented a new way to lose yet again, as they lost to the Jets despite leading by 13 points with less than two minutes left. A truly unbelievable collapse of epic proportions. Collapse aside, the Browns played well finding success with the ground attack featuring Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. As disappointing as the outcome was, the Browns remain in the top ten of these rankings due to their play in the trenches.
Injury Updates:
The Browns will be without edge rushers Jadeveon Clowney and Chase Winovich when they take on the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday Night Football.
11. Las Vegas Raiders↓
The Raiders remain relatively high on the rankings for being 0-2, but that is because despite being winless the Raiders have been competitive. The Raiders led 23-7 entering the 4th quarter against the Cardinals before blowing the lead and losing. In week one the Raiders lost a close game against the Chargers. The schedule gets a bit easier in the coming weeks for the Raiders, giving them a chance to likely go 4-2 during the next 6 games to get to a .500 win percentage.
Injury Updates:
Wide receiver Hunter Renfrow is dealing with a concussion and his status remains uncertain.
12. San Francisco 49ers↑
Jimmy Garoppolo is back in the saddle again after he had to step in to play quarterback after Trey Lance’s season came to an end when he suffered a broken ankle. Garoppolo looked good filling in as he was able to get the 49ers offense moving in the right direction in route to an easy win over the Seahawks. The fact that Lance is out and Jimmy is in means the 49ers are once again legitimate contenders. No disrespect to Lance, he may get there at some point but we know Jimmy has what it takes to navigate the 49ers to the playoffs and beyond.
Injury Updates:
As already mentioned, quarterback Trey Lance is out for the season with a broken ankle.
13. Arizona Cardinals↑
Kyler Murray went video-game mode on the Raiders during the insane 4th quarter comeback win for the Cardinals. Arizona trailed 23-7 before scoring 16 unanswered points to close out regulation and force overtime. A nice finish, but still too inconsistent to be any higher on the list.
Injury Updates:
Running back James Conner left the game early with an ankle injury, his status remains unknown at this time.
14. Cincinnati Bengals↓
The Super Bowl runner ups are off to a horrible start to the season, losing to the Mitchell Trubisky led Steelers and the Cooper Rush Cowboys. An absolutely awful way to start the season for the Bengals. Looking at their schedule things do not get much easier for them, though they do get to take on the Jets.
Injury Updates:
Tight end Drew Sample suffered a knee injury, but the severity of which is unknown at this time.
15. New Orleans Saints↓
The Saints defense played well enough to get the win over Brady and the Bucs, however mistakes by the Saints offense ultimately cost them the game. New Orleans turned the ball over 5 times in total, 2 fumbles and 3 interceptions. The inconsistency of Jameis Winston is well known, and it showed up again in full force as he threw for 1 touchdown versus 3 interceptions. The Saints feel like a team that can compete with anyone, but will lose more often than they win.
Injury Updates:
Jameis Winston is dealing with multiple (4) fractures in his back, but intends. to continue playing through the injury. Backup Andy Dalton is the only other QB on the Saints roster, though Taysom Hill is also an option. Alvin Kamara remains day-to-day after suffering a rib injury in the season opener.
16. New England Patriots↑
The Patriots got a close win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in week 2, but New England was less than impressive in the win. Mac Jones looked good in moments like when he hit Nelson Agholor for a 44 yard touchdown in the first half, but the Patriots offense failed to score any points in the second half. Luckily the defense held on to get the win.
Injury Updates:
Wide receiver Jakobi Meyers continues to deal with knee soreness that has plagued him since training camp.
17. Detroit Lions↑
The Dan Campbell effect seems to be out in full force as the Lions actually look like a real football team. It’s still super early, but is has been surprising to see how competent and competitive Detroit has looked in the first two weeks of the 2022 NFL Season. The reason I moved the Lions up so much is due to their play in the trenches. Detroit has been great at moving the ball on the ground with D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams. Even wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown has been tearing it up in the run game. On the other side of the ball, the Lions have impressed me with their ability to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Injury Updates:
D’Andre Swift saw limited action in week 2 as a result of an ankle injury he suffered in a game the week prior.
18. Minnesota Vikings↓
The Vikings looked like a completely different team in week 2 compared to week 1. Perhaps it is as simple as prime time Kirk Cousins sucks again. Maybe Minnesota underestimate the Philadelphia Eagles. Either way, it was ugly for Viking fans on Monday Night. With Darius Slay taking away Justin Jefferson, Cousins struggled to get the offense going. Prime time Kirk threw a total of 3 interceptions to ensure the Vikings had no chance at getting a win.
Injury Updates:
Pro Bowl safety Harrison Smith left the game early with a concussion.
19. Indianapolis Colts↓
This may not even be low enough on the list for a Colts team that was just demolished 24-0 by the Jacksonville Jaguars. Matt Ryan looks washed. That combined with the offensive line looking like swiss cheese has it looking like the Colts could be battling for last in their division rather than first. At no point did the Indianapolis offense get anything going, with Matty Ice going ice cold completing just 53% of his passes and throwing 3 interceptions. Colts playoff hopes appear to be on life support at this point, and things don’t get any easier with Kansas City coming to town next. Indy is staring down what is very likely to be an 0-3 start to what many though could be a promising 2022 season for the Colts.
Injury Updates:
In fairness to Matt Ryan we can mention the Colts were without two of their wide receivers on Sunday. Michael Pittman is dealing with a quad injury, and rookie Alec Pierce warmed up but didn’t play on Sunday against Jacksonville.
20. Seattle Seahawks↓
Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks came back down to earth a bit in week 2, after an impressive week 1 win over the Denver Broncos. In the end, Seattle feels like a team that will hover between 16-24 in these rankings from week to week. They’re not in the top half of teams, but they’re also not in the bottom grouping of terrible teams.
Injury Updates:
Defensive end Shelby Harris is dealing with a hip strain that brings his week 3 status into question.
21. Denver Broncos↓
The Broncos got a win to move to 1-1 on the season, but they barely won 16-9 over the Houston Texans. All the talk prior to the Wilson trade was that this Broncos team was just a quarterback away from beings a legit Super Bowl contender. Can we stop with that nonsense now? The addition of Russell Wilson has yielded little to none in terms of early results. The Broncos are a team known for running the ball and doing it well, so I am curious to see how long this organization “let’s Russ cook” by calling more pass plays than run plays. The play calling was much more balanced in week 2 with a 50/50 split between pass and run compared to the 67/33 split in favor of pass plays in the season opener.
Injury Updates:
Cornerback Pat Surtain left the game early, but results of his MRI indicate he should not miss much time due to the injury.
22. Pittsburgh Steelers↓
The Steelers offense is tough to watch with Mitch Trubisky, with no realistic downfield threat. Everything in the pass game is quick-hitting 5 to 7 yard throws, screen passes or run plays. It’s obvious the team does not trust him to throw the ball downfield with accuracy. This will result in the Steeler wins coming few and far between, especially while superstar defensive player TJ Watt continues to miss time due to injury.
Injury Updates:
On a positive note, it seems that TJ Watt’s injury will not require surgery and he is expected to be able to return in 4-6 weeks.
23. Tennessee Titans↑
The Tennessee Titans STINK! No other way to put it. As if it wasn’t bad enough to lose the season opener to the New York Giants, they followed up by getting their asses kicked in prime time for the world to see, losing 41-7 to Buffalo. The loss of wide receiver AJ Brown is very apparent, as the Titans offense lacks playmakers. Derrick Henry is still a monster, but it is hard to create space in the run game when the defense knows there is no real threat at the wide receiver position. Ryan Tannehill is a solid QB when surrounded by weapons, however he is not the type of QB that will elevate average receivers to be great ones. Expecting a tough season for Titans fans as this team peaked in recent years, and this roster is likely to begin to be blown up following a disappointing 2022 campaign.
Injury Updates:
Star lineman Taylor Lewan was carted off the filed due to a knee injury.
24. Dallas Cowboys↑
The Cooper Rush Cowboys certainly surprised me, and many others I’m sure. I expected the Cowboys to get blown out by the Bengals, but turns out the Bengals might not be very good either. Regardless, Cooper Rush looked ready for his moment. This team has some winnable games coming up on the schedule, assuming Cooper Rush can continue to play as he did against Cincinnati.
Injury Updates:
Dalton Schultz left the game with a knee injury, but is not expected to miss much time. Wide receiver Michael Gallup could return as early as week 3. According to Jerry Jones, Dak Prescott is healing at a rapid rate and could be back as early as week 5 or 6.
25. New York Giants↑
Despite starting the season 2-0, the Giants are ranked in the bottom 25% of these power rankings because they stink. Sure it’s true that they edged out a win against the Titans in week 1, and beat the Baker Mayfield led Panthers by a field goal in week 2. Neither win will go down as a “quality win” by the end of the season as neither opponent is very good. Daniel Jones remains the starter despite putting up appalling stat lines 176 pass yards on 33 attempts. The inability to threaten a defense downfield is crippling to any offense.
Injury Updates:
Defensive lineman Leonard Williams sprained his MCL during the game against the Panthers and will likely miss some time.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars↓
The Jaguars embarrassed the Indianapolis Colts, beating them 24-0 on Sunday. Trevor Lawrences and the Jags offense looked solid as they were able to move the ball with relative ease against the Colta defense. On the flip side, the Jaguar Defense absolutely stonewalled the Indy offensive attack and held the Colts to just 9 first downs on their 11 offensive drives. Despite the win, Jaguars are still a bottom 25% team in the league, though their division is bad enough that the playoffs are not out of question.
Injury Updates:
No new injuries to report for the Jaguars from week 2.
27. Houston Texans
The Texans are staying put at 27 on this list following a close loss to the Denver Broncos. This Texans team is better than I anticipated, though I expect them to struggle to score enough against the leagues top teams. That said, Houston will compete and likely beat a few of the more mediocre teams on their schedule. This team remains in rebuild mode and has plenty of assets to make things interesting in the years to come.
Injury Updates:
Linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis was carted off the field in the first half after suffering a groin injury.
28. New York Jets↑
The Jets came from behind to beat the Browns in dramatic fashion after trailing by 13 points with less than two minutes remaining in the game. New York got the quick touchdown they needed when Joe Flacco connected with Corey Davis for a 66 yard touchdown. The Jets then successfully recovered an onside kick before subsequently driving down field to set up a game winning touchdown pass from Flacco to Garrett Wilson. A very unexpected outcome, which was very exciting for Jets fans. Props to the Jets on getting the win. That said, this team still stinks in my opinion. Expecting more losses than wins.
Injury Updates:
Zach Wilson is expected to begin ramping up his participation in practice, but is still not expected to return anytime soon.
29. Washington Commanders↓
Carson Wentz is trash. I know he looked better in the second half and got his team back in the game, but it’s hard to overlook a first half in which Wentz looked pathetic. Bad throws, poor decision making and holding the ball way too long. It was obvious the play calling shifted to quick-hitting plays in the second half. Perhaps that is where Wentz thrives, but whatever Washington was trying. todo in the first half looked awful.
Injury Updates:
Starting center Chase Roullier is likely to miss the remainder of the season following a significant knee injury.
30. Chicago Bears↓
The Bears had a Sunday Night Football matchup against rival Green Bay, and the Packers owned the night. The Bears offense looked as bad if not worse than the Commanders. Bears starting QB Justin Fields finished the game going 7 for 11 for 70 yards and an interception. Enough said. Yet another tough year for Bears fans.
Injury Updates:
No new injury news to report from Week 2.
31. Carolina Panthers↓
The Panthers are bad, like REAL bad. Baker Mayfield has not proven to be the answer to the Panthers problems as they continue to struggle to win games. His accuracy was one of the reasons Mayfield was drafted first overall by Cleveland, but against the Giants Baker only completed 48% of his passes for 145 yards. Luckily it was a clean game in terms of turnovers, but even that was not enough for the Panthers to beat the Giants. Total rebuild coming soon.
Injury Updates:
Cornerback Donte Jackson left Sunday’s game early with a groin injury but is considered to be day-to-dat at this point.
32. Atlanta Falcons↓
The Falcons could probably be higher on this list for a variety of reasons, but after watching every game from the first two weeks of football they are the worst team in my opinion. They look great in flashes, and Mariota looks like he did in his Oregon days as he slices and dices defenses with his legs and quick passing. However, when I watch the Falcons play at no point am I ever confident they have what it takes to be successful. Rollercoaster of highs and lows, with inconsistencies on both sides of the ball. That is why they are my worst team at this point.
Injury Updates:
The Falcons are down a running back with Damien Harris being moved to IR.
