The AFC definitely had some surprise finishes in Week 1. Let's power rank the conference as we turn the page to Week 2. There was some shock and awe last week, and it just goes to show you how much parity the NFL has and how good the AFC could become in 2025.
All of the young QB talent and innovative coaches could make this one of the most competitive conferences we've seen in quite some time, but it is still early. With 16 regular season games remaining, so much could change.
Now that Week 1 is officially in the books, we have our updated AFC power rankings as we slowly approach Week 2.
Updated AFC power rankings following Week 1 of the 2025 NFL Season
16. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
The Miami Dolphins got flat-out embarrassed in Week 1, and it's not like the Indianapolis Colts are a special team or anything. This could be a brutally tough year for the Dolphins, and jobs might end up being lost. I get the sense that it's only a matter of time before WR Tyreek Hill gets traded. Miami is last in our power rankings.
15. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
A hard-fought effort from the Tennessee Titans still comes out to be a loss, and while Cam Ward looked good at times, he largely still looked like a rookie, so Tennessee still has a long ways to go.
14. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
The Cleveland Browns outplayed the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, but Cincy is known for slow start. The Browns do have the talent to remain in games, but they don't have the talent to close them out, if that makes sense.
13. New York Jets (0-1)
A high-scoring affair is not what I saw coming from the New York Jets' offense. A loss is a loss, but Justin Fields and the run game both looked quite good.
12. New England Patriots (0-1)
The New England Patriots are going to take some time to get going, and that's OK, but I did predict a win for this team over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Patriots are going to be a lot better when the season ends, but again, this is going to take some time, as the franchise saw a lot of change hit it this offseason.
Mike Vrabel is now the head coach, and even Josh McDaniels is back as the offensive coordinator. For now, the Pats are buried in our power rankings.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
A nice win over the Carolina Panthers was good to see, but it's also the Panthers. The Jacksonville Jaguars simply don't have the talent yet to make much headway in the AFC, but the offense was in a good spot, and first-year head coach Liam Coen might end up being the coach that this franchise was missing.
It feels like we're getting close to a 'do or die' type of year for Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars are 11th in our updated AFC power rankings.
10. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
The Las Vegas Raiders are 1-0 on the season and one of three teams to notch a win in the AFC West this week. However, the Raiders are missing considerable talent on either side of the ball, and that is going to catch up with them at some point, so I would not take this win as anything more than the Raiders being a bad team.
9. Houston Texans (0-1)
Should we worried about the Houston Texans? If the offense doesn't figure something out, it will absolutely be time to panic. The Texans saw both the Jaguars and Colts earn Week 1 wins, so they are already behind in the AFC South and are now down to ninth in our power rankings.
8. Indianapolis Colts (1-0)
How about the Indianapolis Colts? It was a great debut for Daniel Jones, and it kind of proved why he won the job over Anthony Richardson. However, we still have to pump the brakes a bit, as the Colts are not a juggernaut, and the Miami Dolphins might truly be the worst team in the NFL. Jones and the Colts host the lethal Broncos' defense in Week 2, and Jones could be in for a rude awakening.
The Colts are likely going to slide down a few slots in our AFC power rankings as the season goes on, but their first Week 1 win in over a decade was about as good as fans could have possibly imagined.
7. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Folks, the Kansas City Chiefs are going to struggle this year, and I do not use that word lightly. This team is missing notable talent on either side of the ball, and if this is the kind of defense their going to field, we might be talking about a team on the playoff bubble.
The offense doesn't have any game-breaking players and have not been able to throw the ball downfield in multiple seasons. I do not believe I am overreacting by ranking this team seventh, as they lost to the Chargers in Week 1 and would get torched by the Bills and Ravens.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
The Cincinnati Bengals got outplayed in Week 1, but they still came away with a victory. The team's defense is still a problem, and it's going to be their undoing in 2025 if things go off the rails again. Cincy did make a huge stride by winning their opening game, though, as that's been a very tough thing for them to do in recent years. The Bengals are sixth in our AFC power rankings.
5. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Aaron Rodgers was on fire for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1, and if this is the Rodgers that Pittsburgh has for most of the season, this is a division-winning team, potentially. The gunslinger clearly wanted a revenge win over the Jets, and it took all over four touchdown passes for him to get it done. The Steelers are riding high and are fifth in our AFC power rankings.
4. Denver Broncos (1-0)
The Denver Broncos might be fielding the best defense the NFL has seen in multiple years. They racked up six sacks and 12 QB hits against Cam Ward and the Tennessee Titans and kept them out of the end zone. Denver's offense definitely struggled, but offense is the side of the ball that typically struggles more in Week 1 than the defense.
Denver's run game came alive a bit in the second half, and Bo Nix did make some plays when needed. The Broncos are going to be just fine and come in with a healthy no. 4 in our power rankings. This was their first Week 1 win since the 2021 NFL Season.
3. Los Angeles Chargers (1-0)
The LA Chargers had a statement win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 and have shot up a few spots in our AFC power rankings. If this is the Chargers team we get for most of the 2025 season, they could absolutely win the AFC West. Justin Herbert was slicing up the Chiefs secondary, and the defense simply made enough plays.
I do wonder how good this team can be given their lack of high-end roster talent, but there might only be a small handful of team more well-coached than LA. The Bolts are third in our power rankings.
2. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
Another second-half collapse for the Baltimore Ravens really isn't all that surprising. It's a trouble thing that has been present with this franchise for years now. However, let's not overthink this - Baltimore is still one of the best teams in the NFL and don't really take a hit in our power rankings.
This team will be just fine as the season goes on, as Lamar Jackson is still Lamar Jackson, and they've got way too much talent to not win double-digit games.
1. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
Many people had the Buffalo Bills as the best team in the AFC coming into the season, and they didn't really give us a reason to change that after Week 1. An improbable comeback in Week 1 has Buffalo earning a very huge win over Baltimore, and this could end up having playoff seeding implications down the line. If both Buffalo and Baltimore won their divisions and finished with the same record, Buffalo would get the higher seed.