NFL Power Rankings: Where Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs, Dak Prescott’s Cowboys, Caleb Williams’ Bears sit entering Week 2

So we here at Marquee Sports Network are entering the world of NFL power rankings. It’s a crowded space to be sure, but we’ll try to offer some levity to the weekly ritual of deciding how NFL teams stand when compared to each other.

This order will surely spark some outrage, maybe a few eye rolls and, hopefully, some head nods in agreement with how the league stands entering Week 2.

And, considering we’re based in Chicago, we’ll keep close tabs on the Bears and where they stand. (As a hint, somewhere in the middle right now.)

Also, expect some significant fluctuation over the first couple of games. Week 1 is always wacky and causes some overreactions. The next few contests will provide a clearer picture of how things stand, so we’ll be sure to course correct with the additional information gathered.

Oh, and one more request: don’t take this too seriously. Have fun with the exercise, as we did creating this list.

Okay, preamble over. Let’s get down to it. Here’s how the league shakes out heading into Week 2:

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0): The Chiefs have a track team (v 2.0) at receiver. It makes them deadly. Well, that and the fact they have the best quarterback on the planet.

2. San Francisco 49ers (1-0): Niners soundly beat the Jets without Christian McCaffrey. They’re so deep, so talented. Leaving this Super Bowl window without a ring (or two) would be a disappointment of the highest order.

3. Baltimore Ravens (0-1): Ravens were half-a-toe away from beating the champs. Lamar Jackson and company are poised for another big year.

4. Dallas Cowboys (1-0): The pregame talk was all about Dak Prescott’s extension. CeeDee Lamb also got paid. Dallas should start saving up to keep Micah Parsons, too.

5. Detroit Lions (1-0): Lions are a truly complete team that is the embodiment of Dan Campbell’s grit.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0): Saquon Barkley is already worth every penny.

7. Houston Texans (1-0): Joe Mixon’s a huge addition to an already potent offense.

8. Buffalo Bills (1-0): I just don’t get the Josh Allen questions. Dude had four touchdowns in the opener. Tough as nails.

9. Miami Dolphins (1-0): This offense is so explosive. And Tua is the conductor. Underrated passer in this league.

10. Los Angeles Rams (0-1): Looks like Cooper Kupp might be all the way back. That’s good for football. Aaron Donald isn’t in the league anymore. That’s bad for football.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-0): It took some time, but former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield may have (finally) figured it all out.

12. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1): Losing to New England is a bad look, but the Bengals rarely start fast. Zero cause for concern at this stage.

13. Indianapolis Colts (0-1): Remember, not that long ago, heading into the 2023 NFL draft, when there were major questions about Anthony Richardson’s NFL readiness? Silly analysts. That dude can play.

And, as a P.S., I’m waaaaaaay higher on the Colts than most. I’m cool with that. We’ll see if I have to course correct in coming weeks.

14. New York Jets (0-1): Haason Reddick may have gained some leverage on Monday night.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0): Winning with all field goals doesn’t inspire confidence in the Steelers offense. Will the former Bears QB Justin Fields start for a second straight week?

16. Green Bay Packers (0-1): Winning with Malik Willis is much, much harder than winning with Jordan Love.

17. Chicago Bears (1-0): The Bears secondary is fierce, certainly one of the league’s best. Caleb Williams wasn’t very good in his NFL debut, but doubt the No. 1 overall pick at your own peril.

18. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0): Jim Harbaugh is a winning football coach. That will carry them a decent ways, but the Bolts would be a lot better if Justin Herbert had some weapons in the pattern. Like, any at all.

19. Atlanta Falcons (0-1): The Falcons are better than what they showed vs. Pittsburgh. No way an offense with that much talent can be so inefficient for long.

20. Cleveland Browns (0-1): Browns were the toughest placement in these rankings. Them at No. 20 also speaks to the importance of the quarterback position. The passer they employ is currently dragging an excellent roster down.

21. Seattle Seahawks (1-0): Mike Macdonald is a good, young coach. If he can get the defense going and Kenneth Walker stays healthy, the Seahawks could contend. Maybe.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1): I’m still a Trevor Lawrence believer. For now. But JAX is middle-of-the-road in a significantly improved AFC South.

23. New Orleans Saints (1-0): Derek Carr and the Saints looked great in Week 1. But playing the Panthers is like landing on a free space. Saints could be better than expected, but we need more evidence before buying in.

24. Minnesota Vikings (1-0): Sam Darnold looked great in a win over the Giants. Can he repeat that against tougher opposition?

25. Arizona Cardinals (0-1): Red Birds have some explosive offensive weapons, but can they be efficient enough to account for a suspect defense? Methinks not.

26. Tennessee Titans (0-1): There’s talent in Tennessee, but Will Levis takes a lot of unnecessary (and costly) risks.

27. New England Patriots (1-0): Let’s no overreact to that victory over the Bengals. Jury’s still out on Jerod Mayo’s bunch, and for good reason.

28. Washington Commanders (0-1): Jayden Daniels is going to be fun to watch. The rest of his team really won’t be.

29. Las Vegas Raiders (0-1): Maxx Crosby played every single defensive snap. Wow. That’s insane. Too bad such an excellent player’s prime is being spent with a struggling team.

30. Denver Broncos (0-1): Sean Payton made Bo Nix attempt 42 passes. That’s a tough ask for an NFL debut.

31. New York Giants (0-1): The G-Men paid Daniel Jones how much?

32. Carolina Panthers (0-1): Bryce Young’s first throw of the season was an interception. The Panthers defense got scorched by a so-so Saints team. They have so, so far to go.

Follow Bears Insider Scott Bair on X @ScottBairNFL. Also, Bair Mail is coming! Join the conversation by submitting a mailbag question or comment to [email protected] for a chance to be included in this new content series.