NFL Power Ratings After Week 1: Chiefs Still No. 1 Despite Loss To Lions; 49ers, Eagles Round Out Top 3
Every Tuesday during this NFL season, I'll power-rank the team most to least likely to win Super Bowl LVIII according to my eyes and research. I wait until Tuesday because of Monday Night Football and the analytics dump that day.
This is my 1st season doing weekly NFL power ratings. The professional sports bettors I follow have their own power ratings for all sports and I'm getting FOMO. I do this football handicapping thing too. So, why not have my own NFL power ratings?
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San Francisco 49ers QB Brock Purdy reacts after running for a 1st down vs. the Steelers at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
In this case, my numbers are based on how much better or worse a team is on a neutral field compared to an average NFL team. For instance, I power rate the Green Bay Packers 0.0, which ranks 16th in the league.
Truthfully, this isn't a perfect science nor the product of a complex algorithm. Basically, I'm mixing current Super Bowl odds, my preseason priors and Week 1 takeaways and coach and QB rankings into a stew.
NFL Power Ratings Post-Week 1
Maybe you're asking: "Why are the Chiefs 1st if the Lions upset them 21-20"? Especially, considering it's rare for the reigning Super Bowl champion to lose at home in the NFL Kickoff Game.
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KC has a top-heavy roster and it was missing two of the most important players behind Patrick Mahomes. Neither All-Pro TE Travis Kelce nor Pro Bowl pass rusher Chris Jones.
Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes runs the ball against the Detroit Lions in the 2023 NFL Kickoff Game at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. (Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports)
Well, Kelce's injury isn't serious and Jones and the Chiefs agreed to a new contract. Furthermore, the Lions aren't chumps and if the Chiefs wideouts didn't several passes, they would've beaten Detroit.
The Panthers are the biggest downgrade for any team after Week 1. Entering 2023, Carolina was my pick to win the weak NFC South. But, after the Panthers got drilled 21-10 by a bad Atlanta Falcons team, I'm selling my Carolina stock.
Keep in mind, we just finished the 1st week of the season. A lot will change before Halloween and I'm willing to zag on my own power ratings in the right situation. However, for the time being, this will be the foundation of my weekly NFL handicapping.