8. Denver Broncos
This had ‘trap game’ written all over it, and the Denver Broncos were able to escape with a win. It was a sloppy performance from Bo Nix and the offense, but both RJ Harvey and JK Dobbins did each play a crucial role in the win. The defense was, as expected, all over the place. They had rookie QB Cam Ward running for his life and racked up six sacks, including a sack on the Titans’ final offensive play of the game. The Broncos could be ranked lower, but a win is a win.
7. Los Angeles Rams
Matthew Stafford went 21/29 for 245 yards and one touchdown in the LA Rams’ win over the Houston Texans, so the Rams surely scored well over 20 points with that kind of statline, right?
Well, not exactly. It was a pretty dramatic game, and the battle-tested and well-coached Rams were able to pull through in the end. The Rams are now 1-0 on the season and are surely hoping to not start 1-4, which is what they did in 2024, primarily due to a ton of injuries.
The Rams are seventh in our power rankings as Week 1 closes out.
6. Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders took care of business in Week 1, beating the New York Giants. I won’t lie, I did think this game could have been a trap game for Washington, but they really didn’t allow it to delve into that.
Washington has bigger fish to fry this year, as they came within one game of the Super Bowl and surely added enough talent to get over the hump. Jayden Daniels, their star QB, is also going to earn a ton of MVP votes this year.
This franchise has turned itself around over the last calendar year and are comfortably a top-10 team in our power rankings.
5. Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers beat the Kansas City Chiefs in Brazil in Week 1, and the better team won this game, period. The Chargers aren’t oozing with high-end talent, but they are simply the better football team, and they proved it. Justin Herbert was playing out of his mind in this one, and this did strike me as an early statement win for the Bolts.
In 2024, the Chargers went 11-6 and were a Wild Card team, but now having an early advantage over the Kansas City Chiefs could go a long way in the team competing for the AFC West title in the 2025 NFL Season. LA is fifth in our power rankings.