NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Biggest risers and fallers after Week 1

4. Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys got superstar wide receiver CeeDee Lamb locked into a big-money contract before the start of the season, and literally on Sunday morning, it was reported that Dak Prescott had agreed to a deal to be the first $60 million quarterback in NFL history.

As in, Prescott’s new contract – a four-year deal worth $240 million in total money, will reset the quarterback market at $60 million per season.

I took a lot of heat for putting the Cowboys super high in my post-pre-season NFL power rankings, but it looks like I may have been right after all. At least, as right as you can be after just one week.

Prescott picked up from where he left off at the end of last season and the Cowboys got off to a great start against one of the best defenses in the league – on the road – in the Cleveland Browns. 

3. Baltimore Ravens

The Baltimore Ravens have to at least be a little frustrated with the way things went in their season opener against the Kansas City Chiefs, outside of just the fact that they were on the losing end.

It seemed like the NFL was making an example of Ronnie Stanley with a new rule about where the tackles are allowed to line up. There were three infractions called on just the first drive of the game for the Ravens, which still ended in a touchdown for the Ravens anyway.

But we saw that this Baltimore Ravens team is capable of being a force in the AFC and losing on the road against Kansas City is not a deplorable act, by any stretch of the imagination. Especially with how close the Ravens were.

Isaiah Likely emerged in this game as potentially the new go-to threat in the Ravens’ passing game, and you can see the weight loss from Lamar Jackson with how agile he was and just the overall bursts of speed. Jackson looks like he’s poised for another big year as the Ravens look to reset after a tough Week 1 loss.