32. Miami Dolphins (=)
31. Atlanta Falcons (-4)
30. Tennessee Titans (-4)
29. Washington Commanders (-7)
28. Cleveland Browns (=)
27. Arizona Cardinals (+4)
26. Los Angeles Chargers (-17)
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6)
24. Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
23. Indianapolis Colts (-3)
22. New York Jets (+7)
21. New York Giants (+2)
20. Carolina Panthers (+5)
19. Green Bay Packers (-7)
18. Las Vegas Raiders (+12)
17. Houston Texans (-3)
16. New Orleans Saints (+8)
15. Dallas Cowboys (+1)
14. Detroit Lions (-3)
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (+2)
12. Chicago Bears (-2)
11. New England Patriots (-6)
Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
Who would have thought that the Minnesota Vikings would have two wins to their name after the first two weeks, especially after starting quarterback Kyler Murray was injured in the first quarter of the first game of the season?
But the Vikings stayed true to themselves, played aggressive defense, and even with backup QB Carson Wentz, they were efficient enough to beat two (!) divisional rivals who were in the playoffs last season: A 39-22 home win against the Green Bay Packers was followed last Sunday by a hard-fought 9-3 road win in a rainy Chicago.
Wentz did his job with flying colors but now has to make way again. Kyler Murray has recovered from his concussion and will start again against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It remains to be hoped that he can pick up where his backup left off, otherwise, there might quickly be a quarterback discussion in Minnesota.
Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
The start of the season actually went smoothly for the Ravens – at first. The clear 41-23 road win against the Indianapolis Colts was exactly what Ravens fans had hoped for in Head Coach Jesse Minter's debut. After Week 2, the picture looks a bit different again.
That the Ravens would mess up their home opener – and of all teams, against an opponent like the New Orleans Saints – was unexpected. The final score was 17-24.
Especially in the second half, the offense led by Lamar Jackson lost its way. They have already shown this season that they could do better. The next opportunity to do so comes on Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.
Denver Broncos (1-1)
In Week 1, the Broncos – there’s no other way to say it – got absolutely hammered: They were run over on the road by the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 10-31.
It was a more than bumpy start for a Broncos team that was actually praised for its strong roster before the season began. Especially the usually strong defense disappointed.
However, they did much better in Week 2. Against the not-to-be-underestimated Jaguars, they turned a 3-13 deficit at the start of the third quarter into a 20-13 victory. Not only the Broncos defense but also the Broncos offense showed improvement, especially in the second half. The strong performance of new acquisition Jaylen Waddle was also particularly pleasing.
If the Broncos manage to build on their second-half performance, they will be very difficult to bring to their knees.
Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Philly has started the season flawlessly – however, what the Eagles showed wasn't exactly peak performance yet. A narrow 24-22 home win in Week 1 against the Washington Commanders was followed last Sunday by a 24-20 road win against the Tennessee Titans.
The Eagles' offense, in particular, is still struggling a bit at the start of the season. Against the Titans, quarterback Jalen Hurts, with two interceptions, was almost the deciding factor, but he managed to keep his wits about him when it mattered and delivered the game-winning drive.
The fact that two of his best skill-position players, Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert, were injured in this game certainly didn't help. However, this Eagles roster certainly doesn't lack quality, even if individual players are unavailable. That's why I am confident that the Eagles' performances will soon improve.
Los Angeles Rams (1-1)
We know that Game 1 went south – everyone has heard about it by now. The 7-27 loss in Melbourne against the San Francisco 49ers was not pretty to watch. The travel fatigue certainly played a role, but of course, something like that cannot be accepted as an excuse in the NFL.
"To add Injury to Insult," star acquisition Myles Garrett also got injured and will be unavailable for several games. Puka Nacua, the best skill-position player, also had to sit out the second game of the season against the New York Giants due to injury. It certainly cannot be claimed that the Rams are blessed with luck at the start of the season. However, it's equally untrue that the Rams' roster is suddenly bad because of it.
Against the New York Giants, L.A. easily won 28-6 last Monday. And when one star can't perform, another steps up – like Davante Adams with 195 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
It was a taste of what's still to come when the Rams are truly allowed to fire on all cylinders.
Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)
For years, the defense was the Achilles' heel of the Bengals – but this year, they seem to have actually managed to eliminate this weakness.
Already in the first game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (33-27), the defense, with four takeaways – including a fumble-return touchdown – was a decisive factor in starting the season successfully.
In Week 2, they put on another strong performance. They won 20-6 on the road against the Houston Texans, and the Bengals' defense did not allow a single touchdown.
This, of course, makes life much easier for Joe Burrow. The star quarterback wasn't asked to win games on his own at the start of the season; rather, he managed the game and focused on not making mistakes. That's enough for now – and is also somewhat frightening. Because Burrow and his offense can actually do more.
Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
The Chiefs seem to be back.
Already in Week 1 of the new NFL season, Patrick Mahomes and Co. impressed with a dominant 31-10 home win against the Denver Broncos.
In Week 2, things were much tighter, but in the end, the Indianapolis Colts were also defeated 33-30 after overtime. Patrick Mahomes showed that he's back to his old self and delivered when it mattered.
The biggest plus, however, can clearly be attributed to running back Kenneth Walker, who is already close to the 300-rushing-yards mark after two games and provides the Chiefs' offense with an explosive element it hasn't had in a long time.
If the Chiefs are starting out like this, the rest of the NFL better watch out. Last year was probably just an exception after all.
San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
The 49ers have started the new season in exceptionally impressive fashion. The 27-7 victory against the Los Angeles Rams in Melbourne was a strong statement at the start of the season. Of course, international games sometimes have their own rules, but that should not diminish the significance of the win against their highly-rated divisional rival.
The subsequent 35-13 home win against the Miami Dolphins in Week 2 was nothing more than a mandatory victory, but it was also achieved convincingly.
Both the offense and the defense are presenting themselves in top form early in the season – if the Niners can also manage to keep their injury list from getting too long, then a lot is possible this year.
Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
It was a successful, but also a strange start to the season for the reigning Super Bowl champion – after all, they lost starting quarterback Sam Darnold just minutes after kickoff of the first game.
The positive: Darnold won't be out for long, and backup Drew Lock has also delivered strongly so far.
Although the Super Bowl rematch against the New England Patriots was won (13-10) mainly due to the once again strong-performing defense, the offense also proved early in the season that it has the right killer instinct – just ask Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who again played great. In the 31-7 road win against the Arizona Cardinals, the wide receiver contributed an incredible three touchdowns. Drew Lock naturally also likes that.
Of course, we are far from a quarterback controversy in Seattle; Darnold simply achieved too much last season for that. But the fact that the offense functions well even without him definitely strengthens confidence in the entire team.
Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Are the Buffalo Bills truly the best NFL team right now? That's hard to say. What they clearly have, however, is the best offense.
In Week 1, the Bills started with an impressive 36-31 road win against the Houston Texans. Impressive especially because the Texans might have had the best defense in the NFL last season. 36 points is quite a statement.
The whole thing was further enhanced in Week 2 at the opening of the new Highmark Stadium with a 41-31 victory against the Detroit Lions. Star quarterback Josh Allen excelled at the start of the season with a total of five passing and four rushing touchdowns. Head Coach Joe Brady seems to have perfectly prepared his offense for the new season.
The defense remains a question mark; while it showed some positive flashes in terms of pass rush, it also allowed a lot of points. The situation remains exciting to watch. The next opponent is the struggling L.A. Chargers.
