NFL Power Rankings: Biggest risers and fallers after Preseason Week 1

8. Green Bay Packers

I am fully buying into the Green Bay Packers after what we saw last year. There are a lot of other people out there acting like Jordan Love played poorly for half of last season, but that wasn’t the case at all. Love had a couple of clunkers in the first two months of the season and wound up finishing second in the entire league in passing touchdowns behind Dak Prescott.

If you want something to overreact to in the preseason, how about Love connecting with Dontayvion Wicks for 65 yards and a touchdown in the first game? It’s going to be tough for Packers fans to keep their optimism in check after the progression we saw from Love last year on top of what we’re seeing come together this offseason.

The Packers look like a legitimate threat to the 49ers in the NFC this season.

7. Cincinnati Bengals

The greatest news for the Cincinnati Bengals in their preseason opener? Not only was Joe Burrow back in action, but he wasn’t sacked or hit a single time in the reps he was given.

Oh, and the Bengals had a nice touchdown drive while Burrow was out there as well.

The rest of the AFC isn’t ready for the Bengals to be back in the mix. Keep in mind that at full strength, this team went all the way to the Super Bowl in just Burrow’s second NFL season. There has been plenty of change in Cincinnati since that time, but this team has also grown and gotten better in key areas.

One breakout player to watch this year is wide receiver Andrei Iosivas, a player who is in line to replace the departed Tyler Boyd along with Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase at receiver for the Bengals.