NFL Power Rankings: Week 1 Edition

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - AUGUST 15: Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before an NFL preseason football game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 15, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Kara Durrette/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The 2026 NFL season is HERE! That means it's time for an incredibly meaningful and serious exercise: NFL Power Rankings! What differentiates these rankings from all others is that they're THE only truly accurate ones in the entire universe. Hard to believe, I know. But it's true. Let's take a look at how all 32 teams stack up.

BLG'S WEEK 1 NFL POWER RANKINGS

1 - Seattle Seahawks - I'm big on the concept of benefit of the doubt. The reigning Super Bowl champs deserve the top spot entering the season. Sam Darnold skepticism remains but their defense should still be really good. It wouldn't be surprising if Mike Macdonald has real staying power as one of the NFL's top head coaches. Seattle also kind of gets to play up the underdog angle (to themselves, at least) with the Rams getting a lot of hype.

2 - Los Angeles Rams - The Rams have the shortest odds to win Super Bowl LXI. It remain to be seen what Aaron Donald has left in the tank and when he'll actually play for them. But Myles Garrett is going to be ready to play right away and that makes a big difference. Unless Matthew Stafford just turns out to be way too old and diminished, which isn't impossible, this team should be a juggernaut.

3 - Kansas City Chiefs - Can't believe I'm saying this but people are sleeping on the Chiefs. Periphery be damned, this is all about banking on Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes. I really don't care that the quarterback is coming off injury; this duo will probably find a way to get deep into the playoffs once again. Now is not the time to sell their stock.

4 - Buffalo Bills - Perpetual question: Is this the year Josh Allen breaks through?" I saw Peter Schrager compare the Bills to the New York Knicks (boo), who were able to finally able to get over the hump after making a coaching change. I was never the biggest Sean McDermott guy, so, I do think they might be better. And I'm willing to believe Allen is going to lead another strong offense. But he really needs to beat the playoffs allegations at some point.

5 - Baltimore Ravens - Speaking of needing to beat playoff allegations, it's well past time for Lamar Jackson to deliver after getting so much praise for being an awesome regular season player. And, wouldn't you know it, this is another team moving on from a former Andy Reid disciple at head coach. The Ravens are bound to get some more luck this season after going 2-5 in one-score games last year.

6 - Houston Texans - They had one of the NFL's best defenses last year and that unit is looking strong again entering 2026. If C.J. Stroud can put it together, you can see why this team is getting some sleeper Super Bowl hype.

7 - Detroit Lions - The Lions are the ultimate positive regression team. They had bad one-score game luck last year. They had bad injury luck last year. And now they get the NFL's easiest schedule. While their offensive line is a spot to monitor, it wouldn't be surprising if this team gets back to being one of the top contenders in the NFC.

8 - New England Patriots - The Pats are facing a lot of regression indicators after having such a ridiculously easy schedule in 2025. But while those factors are working against them, New England's big offseason additions could help them offset those concerns. A.J. Brown looks poised for a massive season and Romeo Doubs is a nice complement for Drake Maye, who appears to be for real.

9 - Philadelphia Eagles - It's not difficult to feel good about the Eagles' floor. Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni never miss the playoffs. Vic Fangio is overseeing what might be the best defense in the NFL. But it's hard to know what to expect from this new offense. One would think there's only room to get better after leading the league in three-and-outs last year. But there are still questions about this passing attack. Perhaps a revamped running game will make a huge difference.

10 - Dallas Cowboys - The Cowboys could be primed to prevent the Eagles from threepeating in the NFC East. Although the Tyler Smith injury hurts them, they should have one of the top offenses in the NFL. And their defense is bound to improve to some extent after being historically bad last year. Maybe it's even better in a big way after adding Christian Parker and Caleb Downs? I think the NFC East comes down to a photo finish between Philly and Dallas.

11 - Denver Broncos - Between this spot and the next one, here's a grouping of two teams where it's easier to believe in the head coach than the quarterback. The bottom won't drop out entirely on the Broncos but they do have a bit of one-year wonder feel to them (11-2 in one-score games!) and their AFC West rivals all won't be as bad as they were last season.

12 - Chicago Bears - The Bears seem poised to take a step back this season but Ben Johnson is good and I'm willing to hold space that I might be wrong about Caleb Williams. He's undoubtedly talented but do you really believe in him deep down going up against some of the other quarterbacks? More likely to win a wild card spot than to win the NFC North.

13 - Cincinnati Bengals - I can't quit Joe Burrow. If this defense can finally stop letting the Bengals' offense down, they have something in Cincy. But that's a big if.

14 - San Francisco 49ers - The Niners are talented but they simply do not have good vibes. Kyle Shanahan's accident, interminable offseason injuries, tough division ... their time in the NFC spotlight has passed.

15 - Los Angeles Chargers - Justin Herbert working with Mike McDaniel is exciting! On paper. Which is fitting because Herbert has largely been an on paper player. Offensive line concerns persist here, even if it's not quite as dire as last year's situation.

16 - Green Bay Packers - For years, we've talked about the Packers as up-and-comers since they were a young team. Going to need to see them actually establish themselves as a top tier team in the conference first. Their defense should be a major concern after hiring Jonathan Gannon. Not to mention Micah Parsons will be missing time.

17 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - I dropped the Bucs behind the Packers after seeing that Tampa signed Baker Mayfield to a contract extension. I was actually excited to see Baker go middle fingers to the world, eff you for not paying me" mode. I think the new deal makes him lose that edge. Still could be the best team in a bad division.

18 - Jacksonville Jaguars - The Jags? More like the Jats. Just ateam. Then pluralize that. Yep, definitely makes sense. But, for real, I was tempted to put them 16th because that's typically what I do with a squad when I don't really know what to make of them. Then I had to drop them a little lower because I felt slightly better about some other teams. Their lack of narrative juice probably isn't doing them any favors in terms of perception. Maybe that'll change if Travis Hunter really goes off.

19 - New Orleans Saints - The Saints are the trendy pick to go from bad-to-good. Kellen Moore's squad showed improvement down the stretch last year and Tyler Shough seems like he could at least be competent, if not better than that. But there are plenty examples of teams winning late in one season and that momentum not directly carrying over to the next year. So, no need to crown them just yet.

20 - Minnesota Vikings - Never been a big Kyler Murray believer. This team might be able to have some regular season success but no one is losing sleep about them as a postseason threat.

21 - Indianapolis Colts - Pretty weird season last year. The second half version of them is easier to believe than the first half version.

22 - Pittsburgh Steelers - Is this the year the Steelers are finally going to have a losing record? I've long been wary of betting on their downfall in that regard but now that Mike McMarthy is there ... yes, I'm willing to say they'll lose at least nine games.

23 - Carolina Panthers - They probably overachieved last year, their offensive line has issues, Bryce Young isn't a difference-maker ... not seeing it.

24 - New York Giants - John Harbaugh's track record would suggest that he deserves the benefit of the doubt. But the Giants as a organization deserve no such thing after being losers for so long now. Jaxson Dart will probably make some plays before he inevitably gets hurt and this team does have a soft stretch in their schedule after their first two games. If they're able to split against the Cowboys and Rams, my interest is piqued more than not at all.

25 - Washington Commanders - Jayden Daniels provides reason for optimism. Is there a world where he's the best quarterback in the NFC East this season? I think that possibility can't be entirely discounted. But it does seem very unlikely since he'll be playing behind a bad offensive line. And the rest of Washington's roster just isn't very inspiring.

26 - Las Vegas Raiders - The Raiders are going to graduate from bad and hopeless to bad and fun. They'll have some moments this season that provide hope for the future.

27 - Atlanta Falcons - Reports out of training camp suggest that the Falcons look terrible. Tua Tagovailoa is arguably the least inspiring starting quarterback in the league.

28 - Tennessee Titans - Excited to see if Cam Ward can make a leap in Year 2. Still feels like this team lacks a lot of talent; I'm not so sure trying to recreate the Brian Daboll Giants in Tennessee is a great plan. Maybe Robert Saleh's defense raises the floor here. Of these bottom dwellers, I'm holding space for their upward mobility.

29 - Miami Dolphins - Maybe Malik Willis could be interesting but I think the Dolphins might be trying to tank for that No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

30 - New York Jets - Refuse to take this team seriously when the plan at quarterback was to bring Geno Smith back. What are we doing?

31 - Arizona Cardinals - Jacoby Brissett is their starting quarterback and their over/under win total is a mere 3.5 games.

32 - Cleveland Browns - Their quarterback situation is hopeless. Kevin Stefanski, Jim Schwartz, and Myles Garrett are gone. What's there to feel good about here?