NFL Power Rankings, Week 1: Are the Bears ready to compete for the playoffs?

Week 1 of the 2024 NFL season is right around the corner, and with all the preseason games and 53-man roster cuts officially behind us, it’s time to kick off our NFL Power Rankings series.

These power rankings will mainly reflect my expectations for each team in the 2024 season.

Let’s take a look at the NFL landscape entering Week 1.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

The defending champs start at the top, that’s just the rule.

2. San Francisco 49ers

The runners-up get to start at second place, that is also the rule.

3. New York Jets

Now, we’re getting controversial. Many folks are low on the Jets, and for good reason. But that roster is stacked, and I’ve learned never to bet against Aaron Rodgers. If he’s anything like his 2021 form, the Jets will be a legitimate threat to the Chiefs.

4. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens already had one of the best offenses in the league last year, then they added Derrick Henry. Good luck trying to stop that run game.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

This one is tough. Assuming Joe Burrow stays healthy and Ja’Marr Chase’s holdout ends before the season starts, the Bengals are title contenders. If one or both assumptions fail, they’ll plummet to the division basement.

6. Detroit Lions

The Lions’ biggest weakness last season was their secondary, and they addressed that by adding arguably the best young cornerback in this year’s draft. They should be right back in the mix for a Super Bowl berth.

7. Houston Texans

Like the Lions, the Texans had a weakness on defense with their pass rush. To fix that, they signed Danielle Hunter, one of the most underrated pass rushers in the league. As long as quarterback CJ Stroud doesn’t take a sophomore slump, the Texans remain contenders.

8. Atlanta Falcons

Another potentially controversial ranking, but I love what the Falcons have done on offense. Their defense still needs help, but I think they will be a dark horse Super Bowl contender with Kirk Cousins under center.

9. Philadelphia Eagles

I have very little faith in head coach Nick Sirianni. However, I have a ton of faith in Vic Fangio, their new defensive coordinator, to maximize the enormous amount of talent the Eagles have on defense. That unit should be back near the top of the league in 2024.

10. Buffalo Bills

As long as Josh Allen takes snaps for Buffalo, they’ll be in the Top 10. But that defense is looking rough.

11. Miami Dolphins

Tua may not be the best quarterback in the league, but as long as elite weapons surround him, he’ll be good enough to get the Dolphins to the playoffs. Can he actually win a playoff game for Miami? I’m not sure.

12. Dallas Cowboys

I believe there’s a good chance the wheels fall completely off in Dallas this season, but there’s not enough of a chance that I’ll drop them lower than 12.

13. Green Bay Packers

I’m not as high on the Packers as some folks. Yeah, they got to the playoffs and stomped the Cowboys’ guts out, but how real was that run? I need to see them do it again before I believe that that is who they are.

14. LA Rams

Losing arguably the greatest defender of all time hurts the Rams, but they’ve still got the horses to make another Super Bowl run.

15. LA Chargers

Here’s where the teams get tough to rank. I think Justin Herbert is criminally underrated and that Jim Harbaugh is a major upgrade as head coach, but the Chargers don’t have any reliable weapons on offense, and their defense is aging quickly.

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16. Chicago Bears

Give it a few weeks, and putting the Bears at 16 will either be ten spots too high or ten spots too low. It all depends on rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. If he’s “as-advertised,” the Bears will be a dangerous playoff team. It will be another long season for long-suffering Bears fans if he’s more like your typical rookie.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars

Like Herbert, I think Trevor Lawrence takes too much blame for larger issues with his team. Still, he has not yet lived up to his generational billing in 2021. He needs a solid bounce-back year more than anyone.

18. Indianapolis Colts

Like the Bears, we don’t know what the Colts have at quarterback. If Anthony Richardson is the next Cam Newton, the Colts could be a dark horse title contender. If he continues to struggle or takes another big injury, the Colts are in big trouble.

19. Tennessee Titans

I wanted to put the Titans higher, I love their additions to their roster. But the quarterback situation is still murky. I’m not a believer in Will Levis. I can’t put them higher than this unless he proves me wrong.

This offseason alone, the #Titans defense has added CB L’Jarius Sneed, CB Chidobe Awuzie, LB Ernest Jones, S Quandre Diggs, S Jamal Adams, LB Kenneth Murray, DT Sebastian Joseph-Day, and DT T’Vondre Sweat—along with new DC Dennard Wilson.

A complete revamp. https://t.co/ch0YOZH0Pr

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) August 27, 2024

20. Arizona Cardinals

Kyler Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. will be appointment viewing every week, but the overall roster is still in rough shape.

21. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings have a loaded roster but a massive hole at quarterback, especially since JJ McCarthy suffered a season-ending injury. Could Darnold see a career renaissance? Maybe, but I’m not buying it.

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

I think the Bucs are due for a regression. Baker Mayfield was a nice story last year, but I’m not sure he can do it again.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

If it takes you to the end of August to name a starting quarterback, you do not have a good starting quarterback. This will likely be the first time in Mike Tomlin’s tenure that the Steelers finish with a losing record.

#Steelers coach Mike Tomlin has now announced that Russell Wilson will be their starter. pic.twitter.com/X9xpzYW2qa

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 28, 2024

24. Las Vegas Raiders

The Raiders needed a new quarterback in the 2024 draft. They tried to get one but failed. Consider this another gap year while they wait for the right quarterback. Watch for Davante Adams to be shipped out at the trade deadline if the season goes poorly enough.

25. Seattle Seahawks

Like Mayfield, Geno Smith has been a nice story for the last couple of years, but the clock is about to strike midnight on his Cinderella tale.

26. New Orleans Saints

How much longer will the Saints keep kicking the can down the road? It seems that they’re content to remain in NFL purgatory.

27. Denver Broncos

Bo Nix might be a solid quarterback, but probably not as a rookie. Especially not with the lack of playmakers in Denver.

28. Cleveland Browns

The Browns are a disaster waiting to happen. Their defense will keep them in most games and might even win them some games, but their quarterback situation is a bad joke. Until Deshaun Watson is off the team, they will remain a basement-dweller.

29. Carolina Panthers

Carolina made some nice upgrades this offseason, but it won’t be enough to lift them to relevancy, not even in the weak NFC South.

30. Washington Commanders

The Commanders are about to be the 2023 Panthers: a team that drafted the wrong quarterback, put him behind a bad offensive line, and gave him no weapons. I’ll be shocked if they win more than three games.

31. New York Giants

Barring an unprecedented turnaround by quarterback Daniel Jones, the Giants will be a strong contender for the first overall pick in the 2025 draft.

32. New England Patriots

I love Drake Maye, but I hope he doesn’t start a single game this season. The Patriot’s roster is a complete mess at every single position group. Yes, all of them.