The exhilaration of the NFL is finally back, and the league played games Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday to kick off the 2024 season.
The Kansas City Chiefs picked up a victory in the closing seconds. The San Francisco 49ers’ dominating defense thrashed its opponent. And the Dallas Cowboys jumped out to a good start in September.
As the dust cleared from the first week of the season, which team sits on top of the league?
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Here are the Fox News Digital Sports power rankings after the first week of the season.
Last week: NR
A smaller shoe (or whiter one if you ask Patrick Mahomes), and we might not be talking about the Chiefs winning their home opener this year against the Baltimore Ravens. While all the talk was about Isaiah Likely just barely stepping out of bounds on what would’ve been a touchdown to tie the game — or possibly win it with a two-point conversation on the last play of the game — it’s clear Mahomes might have his best weapons in a few seasons as they chase three straight Super Bowls. Rashee Rice was a go-to, Xavier Worthy scored twice on his first three NFL touches and Isiah Pacheco is running hard as always. Oh, and this guy Travis Kelce plays for them, too. Scary stuff in KC yet again.
Last week: NR
San Francisco continued its string of dominance against Aaron Rodgers, but more importantly proved it can move the ball on offense without Christian McCaffrey. With McCaffrey out, the 49ers proved how deep and prepared they were to go against a strong Jets defense, all while showing off one of their hidden gem acquisitions in undrafted rookie running back Jordan Mason. It all showed how dangerous the team can be when McCaffrey comes back or even if he doesn’t.
Last week: NR
Dallas entered the season with one of the most impressive rosters in the league and came out of Week 1 with arguably the most impressive win of any team. Against a Browns team that made the playoffs and has high expectations this year, the Cowboys dominated on both sides of the ball in a low-stress, seemingly routine, blowout win. Cutting out any potential Dak Prescott contract distraction will be a huge plus moving forward.
Last week: NR
The Lions showed they are one of the most resilient teams in the NFL in Week 1. Yes, they allowed the Rams to get back in the game, but sometimes when you’re up against a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, he’s going to get his team back in the game. Detroit staved off any type of momentum from the Rams and won in overtime. Meanwhile, Jameson Williams had a massive breakout performance.
Last week: NR
Philadelphia took a few drives to find its footing against the Packers in Brazil, but seemed to just become more in control of the game with each series. Defensively, Philadelphia slowly closed any potential running or passing lanes, especially in critical plays at midfield or the red zone. With Saquon Barkley, the Eagles offense has a new dimension that Jalen Hurts hasn’t played with yet as a pro.
Last week: NR
Have yourself a Texans debut, Joe Mixon. The veteran running back rushed for 159 yards and was dancing in the end zone to help his new team collect a division win over the Indianapolis Colts. And, of course, C.J. Stroud was slinging it to Nico Collins and another newcomer, Stefon Diggs, who found the end zone twice.
Last week: NR
Josh Allen hero ball seems unsustainable over the course of an entire NFL season. But it definitely worked for one week in which he accounted for four touchdowns.
Last week: NR
They didn’t play well for nearly three full quarters. But, despite sleepwalking much of the game, not immediately adjusting to Jacksonville’s defensive game plan and facing Tyreek Hill drama before kickoff, they rallied to a notable win.
Last week: NR
The Ravens played hard in a Week 1 loss to the defending Super Bowl champs, but we expect that from Baltimore. Regular-season success has never been a problem for Lamar Jackson and company. It’s the playoffs where this team must show up this year.
Last week: NR
While Deshaun Watson flailed in Cleveland, Baker Mayfield was showing the world what the Browns were missing. He was firing on all cylinders and looked like the right man to be the successor to Tom Brady.
Last week: NR
The Rams entered their game against Detroit with plenty of motivation to avenge last year’s playoff loss in Matthew Stafford’s second return to Ford Field. But even with all that motivation, they couldn’t come up with a play in overtime and started the season with a sour loss. It brings into question how much higher the Rams’ ceiling is from last year, especially now with wide receiver Puka Nuca dealing with an IR stint.
Last week: NR
Jim Harbaugh is back in the NFL, and what we’ve been seeing at Michigan all these years was on full display in South California as they manhandled the Las Vegas Raiders in the run game for the win. Justin Herbert isn’t used to only throwing for 144 yards, but it was efficient. The run game supplied by J.K. Dobbins and Gus Edwards was electric all game long. Also, first-round tackle Joe Alt was holding it down against one of the best pass rushers in the league, Maxx Crosby, throughout the game. It was classic Harbaugh in win No. 1 in L
Last week: NR
New Orleans dropped 30 points on the Panthers in the first half and looked pretty decent on offense. The Saints have had a pretty mediocre team since Drew Brees retired. Derek Carr and the offense looked locked in while the defense appeared to have an easy time against Bryce Young and the Panthers. The NFC South is looking like a two-team race.
Last week: NR
The Steelers benefited from facing a clearly compromised Kirk Cousins coming off a major injury, but the Pittsburgh offense is still a big concern moving forward, regardless of who starts at quarterback.
Last week: NR
There’s no need to panic about Cincinnati. The Bengals hardly played their starters in the preseason, and it showed. Plus, Tee Higgins missed Week 1. Cincinnati is still a threat to win the AFC.
Last week: NR
It took an inefficient first outing by Denver rookie quarterback Bo Nix, but Seattle came away with a slim victory in Week 1 at home, a victory it needed to set up a serious shot at the playoffs this year. Geno Smith didn’t look like the MVP candidate he was in 2022, but he’s proven he can at least be an efficient passer against a questionable defense on a regular basis.
Last week: NR
The Packers lost a close one to the Eagles, but the biggest concern is with Jordan Love’s health. Love was injured toward the end of the game against Philly. The team can recover from a loss, but will it be able to persevere through it. The first quarter of the season is no time to flail.
Last week: NR
Aaron Rodgers is rusty, and the team needs major work. But it should improve. The question is, can it improve enough to be relevant?
Last week: NR
There were no ghosts for Sam Darnold and the Vikings’ offense. They teed off on the Giants to start the season. Darnold showed a veteran presence in the huddle that hadn’t been seen before. Has he finally found what it takes to be a starting quarterback in the league, or was he just happy to return to MetLife Stadium?
Last week: NR
Brian Thomas Jr. is going to be a problem for defenses in this league. Trevor Lawrence found the South Carolina product for a nifty touchdown grab against the Miami Dolphins. Jacksonville lost on a last-second field goal by Jason Sanders, but the team was disrupting the high-powered Tua Tagovailoa-led Dolphins offense all game long, and things could’ve been different if Travis Etienne Jr. didn’t fumble at the 1 on what was going to be a touchdown run. The Jaguars look like contenders again.
Last week: NR
All questions about whether Anthony Richardson’s shoulder is fine were put to rest as he launched multiple touchdowns deep downfield while running for yardage. Unfortunately for them, it wasn’t enough to defeat the reigning AFC South champion Texans. Richardson did miss rookie Adonai Mitchell on two balls that looked to be touchdowns if he didn’t overthrow him. But there’s a lot to like moving forward with this team.
Last week: NR
Caleb Williams didn’t exactly do enough to convince the NFL he was the promising player he’s expected to be, but the defense and special teams showed up for him. The Bears are ranked in the lower half of the rankings, but there’s room to grow.
Last week: NR
Browns fans are panicking already, and they should be. Cleveland looked dreadful in Week 1, and Deshaun Watson is not a starting quality NFL quarterback right now. It might be time to turn it over to Jameis Winston.
Last week: NR
They probably deserve to sit below some teams that lost last week because the sustainability of winning on defense and not losing on offense against a diminished opponent is not great.
Last week: NR
Kirk Cousins, like Aaron Rodgers, is returning from an Achilles injury and didn’t look comfortable as the leader of the offense. It doesn’t help when T.J. Watt is chasing after you.
Last week: NR
The Cardinals put up a surprisingly strong effort in a 34-28 loss to Buffalo in Week 1 but only had 80 yards in the second half. Their lone touchdown after halftime came on a 96-yard kickoff return. This team could be much further off from contention than the final score might indicate.
Last week: NR
While No. 13 overall pick Brock Bowers looks like the athletically gifted tight end everyone thought he would be in the NFL, a lot needs to change on offense if the Raiders want to be competitive in 2024. Quarterback Gardner Minshew wasn’t consistent, and the Chargers’ pass rush was getting pressure left and right. Ten points is obviously not going to get it done. Antonio Pierce needs to clean things up on that side of the ball.
Last week: NR
Washington is essentially starting from zero this year with a new head coach and a rookie quarterback, and it looked as expected against an ambitious Buccaneers team. Jayden Daniels and his coaches seemed to treat his first start more as a tuneup to regular action than a serious attempt to pull off a victory. But, as a runner, he at least gave fans a glimpse into his big rushes on broken plays.
Last week: NR
If Seattle Seahawks veteran Tyler Lockett doesn’t make a one-handed catch late in the game, perhaps rookie quarterback Bo Nix would’ve had a shot at his first come-from-behind win. The stat sheet wasn’t pleasant for Nix’s first career start under Sean Payton’s Broncos offense. He was 26-for-42 for 138 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. But he did look poised and confident with every throw. Not many rookies see 42 attempts in their first game, but there was some good to build on for Nix heading into Week 2 against the Pittsburgh Steelers at home.
Last week: NR
The score was 17-0, and the Titans’ defense was ruining Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams’ debut at Soldier Field … until they weren’t. Will Levis’ pick six, which came after a blocked punt for a touchdown, turned the tide in the game as the Titans threw away a win. There’s no doubt there are playmakers on this roster on both sides of the ball, but Levis can’t be making mistakes like that.
Last week: NR
No team in the league looked as hapless as the Giants in Week 1. With just six points against a Vikings team coming off a bad year and expected to have another bad year, the Giants failed to reach their own already-low expectations in the season opener. New York was the only team not to score a touchdown in Week 1 despite multiple offensive line signings and the addition of wide receiver Malik Nabers, all while quarterback Daniel Jones is making $40 million for the second year in a row.
Last week: NR
The Panthers have been the worst team in the league for the last three seasons, and it doesn’t appear they’re getting better. At least it’s only Week 1 and there’s still room to get better. But the pressure on Bryce Young is going to get heavier.
The Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.
