Week two of the NFL season this year will always be known as injury week. So many players suffered injuries and that just seems to be the trend of 2020, bad things will happen when we least expect them.
There have been numerous positive aspects to be thankful for during this season and certain aspects that will upset any fan just by mentioning them. With that being said, outside of injuries (injuries are the worst) this was a great week two filled with many surprises, and this will not be the last week to feature surprises this season.
Before getting into the rankings, it is important to look at not just this recent week of performance but the two weeks overall. We all look at teams differently so it would only make sense that my rankings are different than yours, with that being said, feel free to disagree with my rankings.
Without rambling anymore, let’s look at my Week Two Power Rankings.
Rank Baltimore Ravens (2-0)
1 Prev. (1 ⏤)
The Ravens did not give the Texans the absolute beatdown that they did to the Browns last week, but the game never really seemed in doubt for the birds. The running game was slowed down in the first half, then the second half came, and the run game completely decimated the Texans D. Baltimore totaled for 230 rushing yards and Lamar Jackson completed 75% of his passes. This is a great sign for the offense that doesn’t seem to have skipped a beat from last regular season. If there is one concern it is in that secondary, CB Tavon Young tore his ACL and is a big loss at slot corner and going against the Chiefs great receivers without Young will make that game a whole lot tougher. It would be great if the defense shows out, but it is going to be a shootout offensively and the Ravens will need to run against this weak run defense in order to remain undefeated.
Rank Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
2 Prev. (2 ⏤)
This offense is just too good to ever be fully counted out of the game. For most of the game the Chargers were able to hold this offense, but at the end of the game the offense came together to force overtime where Harrison Butker nailed a 58 yarder to win the game. This should not be taken as a normal from the Chiefs offense but seeing that it was a division rival, things were made tougher than they probably should have been. The defense fought hard all game in order to keep the team in the game and instead of the offense it was the defense and special teams that won this team the game. The Chiefs have one week before their toughest game of the season and if that is how they are going to be playing against the Ravens next week in Baltimore then it is not going to be easy. The Chargers offense is not as good as the Ravens so the defense will not hold them down as much, the offense needs to step up if they want to win next week.
Rank Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
3 Prev. (3 ⏤)
Russell Wilson played great once again and he led them to a high scoring victory over the New England Patriots. The Seahawks defense may not have been the best that game, but they stepped up when they needed too, stopping Cam Newton on a goal-line stop in the closing seconds of the game. The defense was not up to par with the typical Seahawks defense, but the talent of Wilson may be unmatched in the league and he willed them to this victory. This could finally be the year that Wilson wins MVP, but with the injuries plaguing the 49ers they will gladly take the division victory over an MVP award. The fact that DK Metcalf had a great game against that secondary proves that he is going to be a force in this league and overall the Seahawks will have one of the best offenses in the game which should lead them to wins all year long.
Rank Green Bay Packers (2-0)
4 Prev. (6 ↑2)
It seems like the mantra for the Packers this season is to get off to a slow start to allow the other team to thing they are in it and then destroy any hope of that and blow the team out. They have done a good job with this so far and this week it was not just because of Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones had 168 yards and two touchdowns on the day and if this is the way this offense is going to run all season long then they should easily repeat as NFC North champions. Everything from the offense to the defense has been clicking and there is no reason that it should not continue as the season progresses. This team has all the makings of a potential Super Bowl run and with back-to-back 40-point games, they are making an early statement this season that they are in it for the long haul.
Rank San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
5 Prev. (7 ↑2)
The 49ers may have been one of the teams affected the most by injuries this week. DEs Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas tore there ACLs and will now be out for the remainder of the season while RB Raheem Mostert and QB Jimmy Garoppolo both sat out the second half of their games. Even with all of these key players getting injured they were still able to convincingly win against the Jets. It may have been the Jets, but it was a dominant win, nonetheless. While the 49ers may not be as high on the rankings later in the season, they are there right now due to the fashion they won their game. It will not be easy with one of their best defensive players, but if they can then coach Kyle Shanahan could find his way to Coach of the Year right now.
Rank Buffalo Bills (2-0)
6 Prev. (5 ↓1)
Is Josh Allen the early MVP? Maybe not, but Allen has been fantastic through the first two weeks of the season even if it has only been the Jets and the Dolphins. Allen is looking like the franchise QB that the Bills desperately need, and he is doing all of this while making smart decisions with the ball. While the offense led by Allen has been looking great what has not been great is the defense. The defense allowed the Dolphins to stay in this game far too long and if it were not for the offensive ability then the Bills could be 1-1 right now. This upcoming week will be a true test for the Bills as they go against the 2-0 Rams, if the Bills hope to do any better than they will need the defense of last season to show up to help match their offense.
Rank Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
7 Prev. (9 ↑2)
The Rams made the Eagles look like a college team playing against an NFL team. Obviously, that’s not true, but Jared Goff made himself look like an MVP candidate on Sunday. They are in no way looking like the 9-7 team they were last season; they are looking like the team that made the Super Bowl two seasons ago. The craziest part about the game for the Rams game is that they spread the ball out through the run when seven different rams had rushing attempts. The Rams are firing on all cylinders on the offensive end and the defensive line has been anchoring this team and making them a potential playoff team. With the way the 49ers are right now with their injuries, the Rams could easily be fighting with the Seahawks for the division.
Rank New Orleans Saints (1-1)
8 Prev. (4 ↓1)
Playing a team in their new stadium for the first game in that stadium is not an easy task, without fans it should have made it a little easier for the Saints, but the Raiders fought hard to beat the Saints. The game started off well for the Saints as they took an early 10-0 lead, but then the defense slipped up and Derek Carr took over. Carr threw for three touchdowns and completely abused the Saints over the middle of the field with Darren Waller. The Saints are beaten up a little with injuries, but this defense let them down when it mattered. The offense wasn’t the best against the Raiders, that shows how much they are missing Michael Thomas, but the Saints should bounce right back as they are one of the best teams in the NFC.
Rank Tennessee Titans (2-0)
9 Prev. (9 ↓1)
For a team that made it to the AFC championship game last season, they are not making their wins easy this season. While they are 2-0, both of their wins are by a combined five points, that will not cut it when they start playing better teams. Luckily, they have been able to get away with poor play early in the season. In their latest game they allowed 480 total yards of total offense to the Jags and their offense did not match the yardage put up by the Jags. While the yardage may not have matched, they did get four touchdowns from Tannehill and the defense stepped up when they needed to. The move to sign Tannehill long term was criticized the move has worked out well for them as Tannehill has only won since taking over as starter. While the offense has done well, there is still clear work the defense needs to do to make this team a contender. This is not a bad defense, but this crew needs to step up in the upcoming weeks.
Rank Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0)
10 Prev. (12 ↑2)
The good news is that the Steelers are 2-0, the bad news is that the Steelers have played down to their competition in their two victories. The defense has been good, not great in their wins and the offense hasn’t looked the best. That could change soon though as this game may have been a glimmer into their future. Ben Roethlisberger finished with 311 yards and two touchdowns and was making throws that he was making pre surgery. This could be a great sign for the Steelers as they go into the tougher part of their schedule. Not only was Ben looking good, but a healthy James Conner ran for 106 yards and the offense looked very good even though they still have work to do. With no preseason games these first two games were important for Ben to find his groove, now it looks like he has, and the Steelers offense combined with their D should make them one of the best.
Rank Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
11 Prev. (16 ↑5)
The first home game in Las Vegas ended exactly how they wanted it to end, there were some struggles getting there but that was expected when going up against the Saints. However, after the first quarter the Raiders defense completely shut down the Saints offense without Michael Thomas. Drew Brees can only do so much at this point in his career and he tried to keep the Saints in the game, but this was a game where the Raiders could not lose. Not only were they opening a new stadium, they were also honoring Al Davis in their first game and the Raiders would have made them proud. Derek Carr may not be looking like he did when he could have potentially won the MVP, but he found a new favorite target in TE Darren Waller and Waller has slowly emerged into one of the best tight ends in the league. The Chiefs don’t seem like they will be overtaken as the number one, but if the Raiders are going to continue to play like this then a playoff spot could be in their future.
Rank Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
12 Prev. (13 ↑1)
Tom Brady recorded his first victory as a Buccaneer as they defeated the Panthers 31-17, however, Brady was not the reason why. Leonard Fournette had two touchdowns and 103 yards on the day while Brady had one touchdown, one interception, and 217 yards. It may not have been the best game that Brady has ever had, but the Bucs executed the game plan as perfectly as they could have. The Panthers do not have a good run defense and the Bucs used that to their full advantage, scoring 21 points before the first half ended. The defense still has some issues to work out, Teddy Bridgewater exploded for 367 yards, but two key interceptions stopped any momentum the Panthers had, and the Bucs took advantage. They now go into Denver next week and play a team riddled with injuries, let’s see if they can ride the momentum into a blowout win next week.
Rank Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
13 Prev. (15 ↑2)
Kyler Murray is looking like the quarterback that they expected when he was drafted number one overall last season. While the Football Team was able to get some pressure on Murray, Murray proved to be too much for Washington to handle. While the game was only a two-possession game, it really didn’t seem that close. Arizona was in control of that game the whole time and if not for garbage time points then the Cardinals would have won by even more. The defense proved good, but against Washington that is not something to be impressed by, what is though is that Murray put up 300+ combined yards while Kenyan Drake added 86 yards on the ground. Things are looking great early on for the Cardinals, but things are only going to get tougher now, if they keep playing like this though they should be just fine.
Rank New England Patriots (1-1)
14 Prev. (10 ↓4)
For anyone wondering whether or not Brady or Belichick was the reason they were so good, well, two weeks in it is looking like Belichick was the bigger reason. While that may or not be true, what is true is that many people had written off Cam Newton before the season started and so far, Newton has been able to prove everyone wrong. Newton was just short of 400 yards through the air with 397 and added 47 more on the ground with a total of three touchdowns, Newton was not enough though to match Wilson on the day. Wilson had 288 yards and five touchdowns on the day and there was nothing that the Pats D was able to do to stop him. This loss is not on Cam and if anyone is to blame then it is the D, but is there really blame to go around? The Patriots were underdogs here and fought hard all game, but by fourth quarter’s end the Seahawks reigned supreme. This is not an easy loss to take, but if there is one thing to take away from this game it is that the Pats are not to be taken lightly and could once again be a threat in the AFC East.
Rank Indianapolis Colts (1-1)
15 Prev. (22 ↑7)
Phillip Rivers led the Colts to a dominant victory over the Vikings after taking a devastating loss week one to the Jaguars. Even without Marlon Mack, the run game led by Jonathan Taylor combined for over 100 yards (Taylor had 101) and the Vikings defense had no answer. While the Colts did run right over the Vikings, Rivers did not have the type of game that he did during week one, but it is a good thing that he didn’t need to. However, the most impressive part about the game has to be the performance the defense put up after a discouraging showing last week. The Vikings totaled less than 200 yards offensively and the Colts forced three turnovers in a game in which they made Kirk Cousins look uncomfortable and rattled all game long. The Colts bounced back in a big way and now have a foundation to build on for the remainder of the season.
Rank Los Angeles Chargers (1-1)
16 Prev. (20 ↑4)
Something looked off with the Chiefs in their game against the Chargers, whether that’s because the Chiefs aren’t the team we think they are or the Chargers are better than we think it’s not quite clear. What is clear is that the Chargers almost pulled off a huge upset and that was with a rookie quarterback in Justin Herbert who threw for 311 yards and a touchdown while adding another one on the ground. Herbert did everything he could to win in his first start, but the Chiefs are too good to keep them down for long. Patrick Mahomes threw for 302 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, but the big story for the Chargers was their defense. Containing Mahomes is not easy and that is what the Chargers were able to do. While it may not have worked out by game’s end, there is a lot to be excited about in this Chargers team, especially in the rookie quarterback.
Rank Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
17 Prev. (14 ↓3)
If it were not for the Falcons royally screwing up their chance to win the game, then the Cowboys would be 0-2 like two other teams in the NFC East. Even though the Falcons ruined their own chances to win, the Cowboys put a great team effort into the second half of the game and fought with everything they had to come back in this game. Dallas did have some injuries that they were dealing with, but the offense looked completely flat at the beginning of the game after falling into a 20-0 hole. The defense was not good and even though they did end up with the victory it is obvious that there needs to be a change on that side of the ball, this team cannot constantly rely on the offense like they have been to get their victories. Not every win is pretty and this one certainly was not, but if the Cowboys want to win their division then they need to find a to not put everything on their offense in the upcoming weeks.
Rank Chicago Bears (2-0)
18 Prev. (18 ⏤)
The Bears may be the worst 2-0 team in the entire league, they have kept the Mitchell Trubisky train rolling and even though he didn’t have the best game with two interceptions it was still enough to get the victory. Okay, it was just the Giants, but the run game combined with the pass game helped the Bears coast their way to the victory. The thing is though, against this defense they should have been able to put way more points on the board then they did. If this is going to be the offense that continues then they will struggle to get victories against the better teams. While the offense didn’t look great, the defense stepped up and sacked Daniel Jones four times while holding Daniel Jones under 250 yards with one interception. This defense is going to be the reason they will be a good team and so far they have done a good job and stepped up when they needed to.
Rank Cleveland Browns (1-1)
19 Prev. (26 ↑7)
Baker Mayfield looked great early in the game, but Mayfield is not the reason they won this game. He was definitely part of the reason, but the main reason was because of the run gam in Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. Chubb and Hunt combined for 210 yards on the ground with three touchdowns. Mayfield played fine and when the offense doesn’t have to fully rely on the pass game is when this team is going to be at their best. Even after a very good offensive performance there is still a whole lot that this team needs to work on. Although the defense stopped the Bengals run game, Burrow through for over 300 yards and three touchdowns. The secondary is easily the weak point of this defense and will be the downfall of the team, however, if this offense continues to play the way they have been then they can make up for the poor secondary and they will look like a playoff team.
Rank Houston Texans (0-2)
20 Prev. (19 ↓1)
The Texans had the toughest schedule to start the season in facing the Chiefs and the Ravens, so 0-2 is not much of a surprise right now. If there was one bright spot in the game for the Texans it was the pass rush. The rush was able to contain Lamar Jackson by getting four sacks on Jackson, but that was just it, they contained him, but they were not able to stop him. Not only did they contain the pass game, they were pretty good at containing the run in the first half. In the second half the Ravens ran right through this team and took so much time off the clock that is forced Watson to try and make the offense work as fast as possible to stay in the game. Deshaun Watson was good, but he had absolutely no help from the run game who combined for 34 yards outside of Watson’s runs. Luckily, that was by far the toughest part of their schedule so now they can move on to better things, it all starts with a win though and they badly need one.
Rank Washington Football Team (1-1)
21 Prev. (21 ⏤)
After a surprise victory against the Eagles in week one it seems as though the Football Team came back down to earth just a little bit in a 30-15 loss to the Cardinals. Kyler Murray and Kenyan Drake were too much for the Team’s defense to handle and even though they did sack Murray three times while forcing one interception, Murray ended up with three total touchdowns on the day which turned out to be too much to overcome. Dwayne Haskins showed some glimpses of being a franchise QB, but accuracy is still something that needs to be worked on. Kyler Murray is a special talent and even though this defensive line was able to disrupt Murray their offense was not enough. This pass rush should be enough to keep them in games but eventually Haskins will need to take control and win games for them.
Rank Denver Broncos (0-2)
22 Prev. (23 ↓1)
The injury card was played big time in the Broncos game and now WR Courtland Sutton is out for the remainder of the season and QB Drew Lock is out for a couple of weeks. In the long run this could really hurt the team, but in their latest game they were able to keep it close with one of the best defenses in the NFL. Jeff Driskel came in the game early for Drew Lock and Driskel as a career backup did not have the worst game, throwing for 256 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Driskel’s effort was not enough to beat the Steelers though as the Broncos defense was not able to stop the monster in James Conner. Losing Sutton and Lock will definitely hurt in the long run and if Phillip Lindsay is out for a while then it will hurt even more, and the Broncos could fall to be the worst team in the AFC West.
Rank Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
23 Prev. (27 ↑4)
There is nothing to lose in Jacksonville this season and they are playing like it. In a season that seemed like it was doomed from the start, the Jaguars were only a couple of plays away from starting the season off 2-0. That being said, the defense let them down by allowing 24 points before halftime. In the second half they flipped the script and only allowed nine points, but it wasn’t quite enough. Ryan Tannehill threw for four touchdowns against the D and that was what decided the game. Minshew attempted to make up for that throwing for three touchdowns but two interceptions ended up costing the Jags the game. No matter what happens the rest of the season in the win-loss column, it really doesn’t matter, this is going to be a fun team to watch all season long because they are just going for it and we are all in on that.
Rank Philadelphia Eagles (0-2)
24 Prev. (17 ↓7)
After losing to the Football Team week one, the Eagles really needed a pick me up win against the Rams. Safe to say that did not happen; instead of being up early like they were last week they fell down to an early 21-3 lead before they tried to make a comeback. Before halftime the Eagles cut it to a 21-16 deficit, but that was as close as they were going to cut it. Jared Goff completely carved up the defense and Carson Wentz was not able to match the offensive prowess of Goff. The run game did help a struggling Wentz but if the Eagles are going to overcome an 0-2 start then Wentz will need to be the star he once was instead of a regressing quarterback. The defense has its own issues especially against the pass, going into next week they play the heavy passing Bengals so they will need to get it together sooner or their season will be over before it really began.
Rank Minnesota Vikings (0-2)
25 Prev. (11 ↓14)
Losing to the Packers in the fashion that they did is one thing, getting blown out by the Colts is a completely different thing. This is not saying that the Colts are a bad team, but that the Vikings may not be as good as thought. Kirk Cousins has not been good so far this season, against the Colts he had 113 yards and two interceptions, this will lose more games than it will win. However, this loss was not solely on the back of Cousins. This defense was supposed to be the strong spot of this defense this season and they allowed 28 points to the Colts, that won’t cut it. It doesn’t help that LB Anthony Barr will be out for the remainder of the season, but the defense needs to shape up real quick otherwise this 0-2 start could be what keeps them out of the playoffs come the end of the season.
Rank Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)
26 Prev. (29 ↑3)
The rookie QB looked good in only his second start of his career, throwing for 316 yards and three touchdowns. The only problem with that though is that it took 61 pass attempts. This is not a knock-on Burrow but a knock on the play calling. Throwing the ball more than double the number of runs is usually not a recipe for winning games in the NFL and that is what the Bengals have seen so far in these two weeks. Burrow may still be missing some throws, but they have every reason to love what they are seeing from him, the same cannot be said about this run defense. The defense allowed 215 rushing yards in the game, that is only four yards less than they allowed through the air. Burrow has shown flashes of greatness and the ability to improve so the offense can become a weapon, but if this is the defense he has to work around then expect some near 61 pass attempt games in the future for Burrow.
Rank Atlanta Falcons (0-2)
27 Prev. (25 ↓2)
What is there to say about the Falcons, explosive offense, horrendous defense. That seems to sum up Atlanta fairly well. If the rankings simply ranked the offensive ability then the Falcons would be near the top, however, that is not how they are ranked and thanks to this defense they are 0-2 when they could easily be 1-1. Starting off this game they took a commanding 20-0 lead and the game looked over before the half. Then the second half came, and they completely blew the game. Of course, Dallas has a good offense, but the Falcons defense lost this game instead of the Cowboys’ offense winning this game. The worst mistake though for the Falcons cam on the special teams when Dallas went for an onside kick and recovered it after Atlanta simply did not want to move. This team has all the offensive potential to be great, now the defense needs to at least be adequate or they could be in store for more heartbreaking losses.
Rank Miami Dolphins (0-2)
28 Prev. (30 ↑2)
After not playing their best week one against the Patriots, the Dolphins attacked the Bills with everything they had but by the end of the game it just wasn’t enough. At one point they were up 20-17 in the fourth quarter, then the defense collapsed and allowed 14 straight points to the Bills. The Dolphins never quit though and scored again but could only muster up one score for a 31-28 loss. This is a young team that clearly has talent on both sides of the ball, but the defense needs to help out the offense, especially when Ryan Fitzpatrick plays like this. Fitzpatrick proved that this was still his team with a 328-yard, two touchdown game, and that should have been enough except for the fact that Josh Allen had 417 yards and four touchdowns. The secondary is still young, and they will grow but these are the games they need to win.
Rank Carolina Panthers (0-2)
29 Prev. (28 ↓1)
Keeping with the awful trend of the week, there was yet another injury to a star player in this game and that was RB Christian McCaffrey. If there is any saving grace it is that it is not a season ending injury, but McCaffrey will be sidelined for a couple of games so that means that offseason signing Teddy Bridgewater will need to do what he was signed to do, lead this team to wins. Bridgewater was trying to do just that against the revamped Buccaneers even though he had two interceptions, but the Bucs offense was just too much for the Panthers defense. Tom Brady only threw for 217 yards including one interception, so the pass defense was doing well, but the run defense was a different story. Leonard Fournette ran right through this D, posting 103 yards and two touchdowns on 12 attempts. The run defense is a huge issue with this team but that was always going to be the problem, the offense was what was going to win them games and now without McCaffrey for a couple weeks it may prove even harder.
Rank Detroit Lions (0-2)
30 Prev. (24 ↓6)
After losing a nail biter week one to the Bears, the Lions were looking to bounce back against the Packers, let’s just say things did not work out as planned. Much like the game last week, the Lions got off to a hot start in the first quarter, taking an early 14-3 lead. After that first quarter Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones took complete control over the game and helped the Packers outscore the Lions 39-7. The offense wasn’t terrible in the game, but when the Packers offense got going there was no way that the Lions were going to be able to keep up with them. This offense is never going to match a team like the Packers blow for blow, so the defense needs to step up in either the defensive line or the secondary, either way they need to figure it out or Head Coach Matt Patricia may find himself out of a job before the season ends.
Rank New York Giants (0-2)
31 Prev. (31 ⏤)
Another game another loss for the Giants. The loss is tough but now you add losing RB Saquon Barkley for the season with a torn ACL and things get even worse. If there is one positive that can be taken away from this game, it is that they held the Bears passing game to under 200 yards while forcing two interceptions. While they were able to hold the Bears passing game they struggled defending the run and the offense struggled to turn Bears mistakes into points. Now, without Barkley to help carry the load the weight of the offense will be reliant on second year QB Daniel Jones. This defense is not good enough to carry this roster to wins without their biggest offensive weapon, and now everything will fall on the shoulders of Jones, this 0-2 start could be only the beginning of a rough season.
Rank New York Jets (0-2)
32 Prev. (32 ⏤)
There is nothing positive to talk about when discussing the New York Jets. Now they were not expected to win this game, but they got completely dismantled by the 49ers even as the 9ers got more and more injured. The game was over basically as soon as it started, the first play from scrimmage for the 49ers was an 80-yard touchdown run from Raheem Mostert, Jimmy Garoppolo also added two touchdowns through the air before both players sat out the second half. While this was an ugly loss for the Jets it may have hurt the 49ers more, Mostert and Garoppolo will be questions in the upcoming weeks, but Nick Bosa is now out for the season with a torn ACL. While it may not have been as bad for them (it was) there is no joy in Mudville (New York) and they will be hard-pressed to find joy all season long.