The long-awaited start to the 2026 NFL regular season was absolutely worth the wait.
Week 1 was filled with drama and excitement from the very first kickoff, although we didn't expect anything less. This was the highest-scoring opening weekend since the 1970 merger, with more than 50 points being scored per game by both teams combined.
We have a lot to dive into in our Week 2 NFL Power Rankings, trying to assess what we witnessed in Week 1 while not knocking out any teeth with knee-jerk reactions. Let's take a closer look at all 32 teams after the first week of the season, and which teams are rising and falling. What have we actually learned after just one game, and what's a mirage?
Week 2 NFL Power Rankings: Rams and Chargers plummeting, Giants and Ravens soaring
32. Cleveland Browns
Last week: 32nd
Who could have possibly seen it coming? The Cleveland Browns were an abject disaster in Week 1 of the season, and got absolutely smacked around by the Jacksonville Jaguars.
What are you supposed to hang your hat on in a game like we saw from the Browns on Sunday? At least Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion made some plays.
The Browns were 1-of-8 on 3rd downs offensively. They were 0-for-2 in red zone opportunities. They had 11 penalties. They lost the turnover battle 0-2. They basically had every indicator of a horrendous operation, and it started with an interception on the first drive of the game.
Everything we've been talking about with this Browns team all offseason was as bad as everyone thought it would be, and they look like they're playing for the #1 overall pick in next year's draft.
31. Tennessee Titans
Last week: 27th
The concerns about Cam Ward after the preseason might have been warranted. We're not going to give this caveat for every single team, but for the Titans, you're really hoping it's just a Week 1 issue.
But the way Ward played against the New York Jets was pretty ugly. He averaged just 4.4 yards per attempt (140 yards on 32 attempts) and was sacked three times. But the Titans were disappointing against the Jets in Week 1 for more reasons than just Cam Ward. This team didn't even reach 200 yards total as an offense.
With no run game to speak of on top of Ward's struggles, the Titans averaged an abysmal 4.0 yards per play. Out of 10 drives, the Titans had 6 possessions that lasted just 5 plays or less. Robert Saleh and Brian Daboll have a lot of work yet to do.
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