Week One of the NFL season is officially complete, and as such, there is no better time to take a preliminary look at what could be some of the best teams in the league this year. Will this hold up by season’s end? Probably not… but a bit of harmless predicting has never hurt anyone! So let’s get into it…
10: Minnesota Vikings
If a game of football only lasted thirty minutes, then the Minnesota Vikings would be lucky to crack the top 20 of this list— so thank goodness for the fourth quarter! Despite a sluggish start to their season, including a pick-six from (kind-of) rookie J.J. McCarthy, the Vikings stormed back to take down in-divisional rivals, the Chicago Bears.
McCarthy looked much more like his Michigan-self in the second half of the game, especially in the fourth quarter, where he accounted for three touchdowns. His performance secured them a comeback win and earned himself Offensive Player of the Week honors. If he keeps this up, Minnesota could climb higher on this list. The real question: can a second-year quarterback carry a team ready to contend?
9: Los Angeles Rams
Despite concerns about Matthew Stafford’s health, the Rams opened strong with a 14-9 win over the Texans that highlighted their defense. Star wideout also Puka Nacua hasn’t missed a beat, tallying up 10 catches for 130 yards, while the defense recorded three sacks and picked off C.J. Stroud. The Rams look solid, especially defensively — but does Stafford still have enough left to lead a serious contender?
8: Denver Broncos
The Broncos defense looks even better than last year’s league-leading unit. Tennessee Titans rookie Cam Ward, the No. 1 overall pick, was overwhelmed on Sunday, getting sacked six times.
Denver’s concern lies on the other side of the ball. Can Bo Nix recapture the form he showed late last year and run a league-average offense? If so, the Broncos should coast into the playoffs — and perhaps much further.
7: Detroit Lions
The Lions didn’t look like themselves in Week One against the Packers. The departures of Aaron Glenn and Ben Johnson clearly matter, but it would be a shock to see Detroit slump long term. With one of the most talented rosters in the league, the Lions remain a team to fear until proven otherwise.
6: Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers shocked the world in Brazil, defeating the reigning AFC champion Chiefs a 27-21. Justin Herbert looked unstoppable, carving up Kansas City’s defense, and Quentin Johnston finally seems to have learned how to catch. The Chargers have the talent for a deep playoff run — but as always, their biggest obstacle may be themselves.
5: Kansas City Chiefs
Is Kansas City vulnerable at last? We’ve asked this question before, and every time Patrick Mahomes proves doubters wrong. This might be the year they slip, but I can’t bring myself to count them out. Still, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited by the possibility of the Chiefs’ reign ending. Then again, knowing them, they’ll probably run the table the rest of the way and lift the Lombardi again in San Francisco.
4: Baltimore Ravens
The city of Baltimore was rocked on Sunday night as they lost the seemingly unlosable. Up by 15 with four minutes left? Surely they can’t lose this… and then Josh Allen happened. One has to wonder what prompted John Harbaugh to take the ball out of his MVP quarterback’s hands, opting to punt and effectively hand Buffalo the game. Was it bad luck — or a troubling shift in mentality?
3: Green Bay Packers
The Packers have been the most surprising team of this season so far, rocketing to a 2-0 start against two of the best teams in the league. The arrival of Micah Parsons’ has transformed the defense into a dominant unit, while Jordan Love is playing the best football of his career. With his supporting cast thriving, the Packers could be well on their way to a fifth Super Bowl.
2: Philadelphia Eagles
Fresh off one of the most dominant Super Bowl wins in history, the Eagles stumbled a bit in their opener. Without a couple of costly CeeDee Lamb drops, they might have fallen to Dallas at home. Still, Philly pulled out the win, and there’s no reason to think they can’t repeat last year’s championship run.
1: Buffalo Bills
The reigning MVP showed why he wears the crown. Josh Allen erased a 15-point deficit against Baltimore, throwing for 251 yards and helping the Bills score 22 points - a superhuman effort. The defense has question marks, but with Allen at the helm, the Bills might finally be unstoppable in their pursuit of a Super Bowl title.
