Official r/NFL Week 0 Power Rankings

There are nine first round players left from 2010, the inaugural year of these official /r/nfl power rankings. A lot has changed in the world in the past 12 years, both on and off the field, but this format lives on. 32 team representatives, 32 rankings, 1 list. A quick thank you to the readers, commenters, and rankers for making this happen for all 17 18 weeks of the season. 28/32 reporting live, discuss!

#		Team	Record	Comment
1.		Buccaneers	0-0	The Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers return with all 22 starters intact, young defensive players approaching prime status, and a ton of depth on both sides of the ball. This moron power ranker predicted rockiness from 1st round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, but he already appears poised for a blastoff start to his NFL career. Expect a close shootout with the Cowboys to start the season, with the Buccaneers taking the edge to kickoff their conquest for a repeat.
2.		Chiefs	0-0	The Chiefs are coming off a year that ultimately ended in disappointment with a loss in the Super Bowl to the hands of Tom Brady. Seeing Patrick Mahomes run for his life on a messed-up toe in the big game led Brett Veach to completely revamp the offensive line to protect the franchise. With 3 rookies slated to start, the offensive line is a huge unknown but has an incredibly high ceiling. The Chiefs will need rookies and second year players to contribute in a big way this year, as they are relying on the younger players like L'Jarius Sneed to take on large roles on the team. If the young players do step up, however, this Chiefs team could be the best yet with Patrick Mahomes at signal caller.
3.		Bills	0-0	While 2020 didn’t end the way BillsMafia wanted, there’s no denying it was a special season. Josh Allen answered every question surrounding him with an exclamation point, and the Buffalo Bills made their first conference championship game in 25 years. Now, the newly inked MVP runner-up is looking to take his team a step further. The Bills used the draft to address their biggest flaw: the defensive line. Rookies Gregory Rousseau and Carlos “Boogie” Basham had a promising preseason, and the return of Star Lotulelei from his COVID opt-out should help shore up the run defense. If the pass rush and run defense can have some consistency, the Bills have a real chance to make it past the Chiefs. Either way, the grass lots are packed, the genny creams are cold, and the folding tables are enjoying their last few days in one piece; BillsMafia waits in anticipation.
4.		Packers	0-0	Well, after a very tumultuous new cycle for the Packers, Aaron Rodgers is still the starting the quarterback with an eye for a second Super Bowl ring. Most of the starting roster from last year, with a notable exception of the departed Corey Linsley, has been retained and is looking ready to challenge for the NFC crown.
5.		Browns	0-0	Coming off the a winning season (previous one being 2007) AND a playoff win (previous one being 1994) the Browns look to be a threat in the AFC for the first time in almost twenty years.
6.		Rams	0-0	It’s easy to inject negativity into the Rams’ upcoming season. Offensively, it seems like Sean McVay has been figured out and there’s no guarantee Matt Stafford is the end-all solution. On defense, regression is unavoidable while the loss of key personnel stings. Additionally, the Rams’ schedule doesn’t do them any favors and they are in the toughest division in the league. Nonetheless, they are a consensus top team and certainly have the talent to play in February—it’s just a matter of weekly consistency on both sides of the ball.
7.		Ravens	0-0	The Ravens have fortified their receiving corps over the off-season, extended Mark Andrews, and finally got Lamar vaccinated. Except that Bateman is on IR, which is a huge blow to the group, and hoping Watkins/Hollywood can carry the load has always been somewhat of a pipe dream. All eyes will be on the passing game coordinator Keith Williams and WRs coach Tee Martin to bring this passing game to the next level that is sorely needed. Thankfully, we have fast-as-hell Odafe Oweh along with Justin Houston to fortify the edges, another very weak point of the team last year. The sky's the limit! But the injuries are disappointing.
8.		Titans	0-0	The Titans enter the 2021 season looking to take the next step after 2 consecutive playoff exits. The offense will try to continue its production behind Derrick Henry with the addition of Julio Jones to cover for the loss of Corey Davis and Jonnu Smith. The defense will be infused with many new pieces through free agency and the draft to try and improve on their bottom 1/3 of the NFL performance in 2020. If the team stays healthy in the premier positions and the defense can take a step up from last year, combined with a troubled AFC South, they should have their shot to improve on their recent playoff runs.
9.		Seahawks	0-0	The Seahawks enter the 2021 season with high hopes. Replacing Brian Schottenheimer with some new blood at OC in Shane Waldron (hired away from the Rams) has sparked a sense of excitement about what's in store for the year. With Russell Wilson continuing his command along with target monsters DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on the outside, new signing Gerald Everett (who also came over from the Rams), and Chris Carson in the backfield, there is no limit to the potential of this offense. If what everybody saw in the beginning of 2020 is any indication, there is a lot to like about this offense entering the season. The defense... well, that's a different story. Free agent signing and PFF All-Star Akhello Witherspoon showed out so well in camp and preseason that he was traded to the steelers for a 2023 5th rounder. DJ Reed showed he could be a solid starter on one side, it will now be up to Tre Flowers and Sydney Jones to see if they can manage the other. Yikes. All this being said, Carlos Dunlap returning to the DLine is very welcome, Jamal Adams will continue to be a monsterous force whenever he is on the field (pls stay healthy), and Bobby wagner will assume his normal duties commanding the defense. If things go how they should, the Seahawks should once again be a force in the NFC this year.
10.		49ers	0-0	The Quarterback “controversy” was dominating the headlines, but the real questions about the 49ers season will be answered by the defense. After losing Robert Salah, how will the defense look under DeMeco Ryans? How will Nick Bosa look a year after tearing his ACL? Will the paper-thin secondary be exposed during the long season? Time will tell.
11.		Steelers	0-0	It's really hard to pin down the Steelers offseason. There were some losses for sure, but some of them like OC Randy Fichtner could be to some addition by subtraction...except that Matt Canada is a bit of an unknown quantity. Bud Dupree is another guy who fans were tired of until he performed in a contract year. Again, he's gone. The offseason wasn't necessarily kind to the Steelers, but it might work out for the best. The AFC North is tough again and the Browns and Ravens are no joke, but neither are the Steelers who are managing to hang around even as QB Ben Roethlisberger approaches retirement age.
12.		Saints	0-0	The Saints move into uncharted waters where their fans will either live or die at the expense of Sean Payton's hubris. Will the Jameis/Taysom experiment pay dividends or will it prove to be a stopgap? Having a good defense gives confidence to balance out the questions at QB and in the receiver room.
13.		Chargers	0-0	A fresh face leading the charge is the first big change for the Chargers entering the 2021 season. Brandon Staley's youth, energy and depth of knowledge on both defense and offense are being tapped to help the Chargers achieve consistent success, something that has proven elusive in recent years. Time will tell how it pans out on the scoreboard, but there's no doubt who will lead the way on the field. Justin Herbert enters his second season as a pro and will be the Week 1 starter for the first time against Washington. The Football Team will be an immediate test for a revamped Chargers OL that replaced four of its starters from last season.
14.		Dolphins	0-0	After an off-season that seemed more dramatic than the roster moves really show, the Dolphins look to contend for a playoff spot and possibly even the division. With only a few major external improvements to the roster, the Dolphins are betting it all on their young players improving over last year, with the obvious focus being on QB Tua Tagovailoa and his very young offensive line. That said, new WRs Jaylen Waddle and Will Fuller are expected to give new co-offensive coordinators George Godsey and Eric Studesville the opportunity to open up the offense in a way that Chan Gailey never seemed willing to do, with early results from the off-season suggesting an entirely new look from this offense. Meanwhile, the already good defense seems like they should be able to continue the same progress that they've already showed last year, with only a couple of significant personnel changes. Week one brings up an interesting matchup as Coach Flores tries to defeat his former mentor once again, and Tua Tagovailoa matches up against his former protege in Mac Jones.
15.		Colts	0-0	When talking about the Colts this season, the word used most often is "If". Everything is a gamble. The Wentz trade was built off hopes that Frank Reich could whip him back into MVP contention, a tall task considering he was statistically the worst QB last season. In addition, the team will be relying primarily on rookie DE Kwity Paye to make an immediate impact and connect with DeForest Buckner to launch the D-line into elite territory. A potentially lethal defense, combined with an RB group comprised of Jonathon Taylor, Marlon Mack, and Nyheim Hines behind one of the league's best offensive lines could put the Colts in the running for a division title if not more. But still, it all comes down to Wentz to determine if this team can explode to bigger heights than last year or collapse into depths not seen for a decade.
16.		Cardinals	0-0	Give me fuel, give me fire, give me that which I desire. FUEL: The Cardinals offense has been gassed up and has big expectations going into 2021. Alongside DeAndre Hopkins, AJ Green and Rondale Moore look to bolster an already talented offensive. FIRE: It’s fair to say Kingsbury’s seat is warm, not yet on fire. The team will need to see the playoffs to stave off the critics.DESIRE: The fun of the NFCW is the Cards are thought to be in the bottom half of the division, but the top half of the NFC overall. The goal this season is playoffs, and missing them will be a huge indictment on Kingsbury and Keim.
17.		Patriots	0-0	The Patriots are hopeful about new QB Mac Jones and solid improvements over last year on both sides of the ball. 11-6? Playoffs? Division? Hard to say but the Rookie Brady Body is back.
18.		Washington FT	0-0	Washington seemingly has the most complete team and top end talent they've had in maybe twenty years. Not to say question marks don't remain such as the likable journeyman QB and a defense who is still prone to being gashed despite their self-anointed "elite" status. This team could very well be much improved but win fewer games just due to their first-place schedule.
19.		Vikings	0-0	This might be the most-talented Vikings roster Mike Zimmer has ever coached, with blue-chip talents on both sides of the ball like Justin Jefferson, Dalvin Cook, Eric Kendricks and Harrison Smith. The team looks significantly improved in the trenches with some key free agent additions like Patrick Peterson and Dalvin Tomlinson, some young players like Oli Udoh breaking out plus Danielle Hunter and Michael Pierce returning after missing all of 2020. If this team stays healthy, it could really surprise some folks — but they're not off to a good start with Irv Smith Jr. out for the year and with one of the lowest vaccination rates in the NFL.
20.		Cowboys	0-0	The Dallas Cowboys 2020 season was derailed when everyone died. The starting tackles played a combined 154 snaps, and the Cowboys had 10 different starting offensive line combinations. The defense was hamstrung by a new scheme they didn't have time to learn and coach that wouldn't adapt to the issues. Add in injuries all over the unit, and the defense didn't look comfortable until December. On top of all that, Dak. Now, there are some COVID issues and the like, but a healthy QB and a bunch of new faces on defense looks like a lot of potential.
21.		Raiders	0-0	The Raiders enter the 2021 season with a new defensive coaching staff, six new starters on defense, and renewed levels of energy, excitement, and confidence. Replacing Paul Guenther with Gus Bradley will likely be the biggest improvement the team made from last season. Bradley brings a new scheme to the team that will allow returning players to play in more natural positions as well as allow new players to hopefully thrive in positions that suit their playstyles. Rookie additions of Alex Leatherwood, Tre'von Moehrig, and Nate Hobbs look to make immediate impacts as starters, while sophomore players such as Damon Arnette, Amik Robertson, Henry Ruggs, and Bryan Edwards look to prove that they were worth picking last season.
22.		Bears	0-0	2021 in Chicago, as you might guess, is all about Justin Fields. After an impressive preseason, most agree that Fields will take over as starter at some point this year - but when that will happen is an open question. What's certain is that unless the year is a total disaster, Nagy and Pace seem to have bought themselves time to develop Fields and they are certain to stick with their plan unless/until the play of either quarterback forces the issue.
23.		Broncos	0-0	5 years, 5 different opening day QBs. Nothing better captures the struggle of the Broncos than that. Our nation turns its eyes to Teddy Bridgewater — who, if not a savior, can hopefully provide a steady hand.
24.		Panthers	0-0	This year's Panthers team, while not seemingly that different from last year's team, is showing a marked difference in the way that things want to be run. The obvious addition is Sam Darnold along the front, but there has been more of a focus on bringing in playmakers for Darnold (Dan Arnold, Terrace Marshall Jr.) while also adding defensive playmakers in the secondary (drafting Jaycee Horn, moving Chinn to Safety full-time), the LB/EDGE crew (adding Hasaan Reddick and Frankie Luvu), and bolstering the front (DaQuon Jones and Morgan Fox). The hope is this team can get off the field on 3rd Down, something they were not capable of doing last season (ranked 31st in 3rd down conversion rates). However, the entire fate of the season is going to depend on the development of Sam Darnold and whether or not the offensive line (consisting of a starting left side of Cam Irving and Pat Elflein) can keep him upright.
25.		Falcons	0-0	Growth is a positive thing, no matter how late it comes. Owner Arthur Blank recently reflected on the lenient, clueless Quinn era of the Atlanta Falcons. Blank took a few minutes this offseason to unpack his mistakes. Hands off ownership was promised, a twiddling thumb of an HC was replaced with hunger the Atlanta sidelines haven't seen since Mike Smith threw a punch at Deangelo Hall, but most importantly "Falcons for life" was announced dead the moment Shannon Sharpe switched to speakerphone. Expectations are lower than ever (despite the 2020 Falcons having the 16th ranked point differential), but hope is in the air. Either that or another Dorktown chapter in the making.
26.		Giants	0-0	It's that time of year again. That time when Giants fans everywhere get inexplicably hyped to see our squad play before reality comes crashing down around us. With a great deal of key pieces dealing with or receiving injuries throughout the preseason, it's nothing short of a massive relief to see so many players open up the season not on IR. Perhaps we're closer to seeing an offense with Saquon, Golladay, Kadarius Toney and Kyle Rudolph all on the field than we ever thought. The sheer fact that Saquads is ramping towards a week 1 return is surely music to any Giants' fan's ears. Now all that's left to do is wait, as the Giants will take on the Bridge QB-led Broncos in what should be a battle of elite defenses and... probably not-so-elite offenses.
27.		Bengals	0-0
28.		Eagles	0-0	The Jalen Hurts and Nick Sirianni era has officially begun in Philadelphia. While the team is full of more question marks than ever, the talent level is high and the ceiling could be double-digit wins after a dismal 4-10-1 pandemic campaign. On the other hand, the floor is equally as low, with inexperience across the roster, a new head coach, and an injury plagued organization season after season.
29.		Jaguars	0-0	The Jaguars capped their traditional offseason actions of building up hype leading into the season by showing off hope of real potential. Certainly there are gaps in depth all over the field, and time will tell how much that will affect results as a whole; All eyes however are on the pick that Jacksonville will be the answer to the questions it's been asking for decades: what does the future look like? Right now: it's burning bright.
30.		Lions	0-0	The Detroit Lions are the winners of the offseason. Week 0 starts with new HC Dan Campbell looking making his mark on Motown, and the league. The Lions will not be good this year, with a semi-rebuild to salvage what Matt Patricia left torched. Progress in the right direction, building a tough team that competes on every drive, is all we can hope for. The team can be surprising though, and has the potential to pull off some close wins with Jared Goff holding keys to the offense. Keep an eye on the rookies and sophomore players to make leaps this year. That’s the real goal
31.		Jets	0-0	Week Zero rankings are meaningless, BUT! These are definitely 100% accurate. Some big surprises: I have a few teams ranked way higher than expected, like the Bengals, Cards, Cowboys, and Titans. A few are down, including Vikings, Steelers, and Dolphins. Covid affects this list in some ways, and both high expectations and falling stocks for some young QBs have affected it too. We'll know more in a few short days and this list will look silly as hell 6 weeks in. All I know is Zach Wilson and Mac Jones look damn good and Madden gave the Jets a perfect season when I set the whole roster to all 99s.
32.		Texans	0-0	What is there to say about the Texans that hasn't already been said about East Germany in 1949? We're rebuilding obviously, but to what end? How reliable is the leadership? Will the plans made now pan out in five years? What kinds of compromises (moral, financial and ideological) are they willing to accept in order to make plans into reality? These questions will remain unanswered until the inexorable march of time provides us with the final judgement. While Texans' fans may find it hard to look to the coming season with any kind of hope, there is at least the expectation (possibly a naive one) that this must be our nadir. From this, surely, the only direction we can go is up. Right?