2025 NFL Week 1 Power Rankings
NFL POWER RANKINGS
It's the most wonderful time of the year; Week 1 of the NFL season is here. Let's dive into Fan Feed Network's Power Rankings ahead of the opening weekend of action.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles remain the team to beat in the NFL, returning a tenacious defense and a high-octane offense that has proved nightmarish for opposing teams. The talent and skill the Eagles returned from 2024 in all three phases of the game make them not only the front-runner in the NFC, but Super Bowl favorites going into the season.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Rashee Rice's recent six-game suspension does not aid the Chiefs' efforts in establishing home-field advantage in the AFC: a crucial component for their postseason dominance. While Mahomes is still a generational talent, losing Rice to start the year may have greater implications for the Chiefs' quest to reestablish their dynasty.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore will look to capitalize on the absence of Rice in its Sept. 28 matchup at Kansas City, which could be the deciding game for home-field advantage in the AFC. This Baltimore team made an elite defense even more loaded after adding Rookie Safety Malaki Starks and EDGE Mike Green Jr. to the mix, which could be the biggest obstacle for the Chiefs and allow Baltimore to come out of the AFC.
4. Buffalo Bills
After turning in an MVP season in 2024, Josh Allen returns with even more motivation to defeat the Chiefs, who have stood in his way of a Lombardi for seven seasons. The issue is that Allen lacks the pieces around him, which will force him to improvise as Keon Coleman and Khahil Shakir do not have the 'it' factor required to defeat Baltimore or Kansas City in the playoffs.
5. Detroit Lions
The Lions hope a healthy defense will propel them back into NFC title contention, as last year's decimated front largely explains its NFC divisional round loss to the Commanders, where they conceded 45 points. If the defense remains intact for the duration of the season, the Lions and their prolific offense are certainly not a squad the Eagles would like to face in the playoffs.
6. Green Bay Packers
The recent acquisition of Micah Parsons does not substantially move the needle for the Packers. Questions at receiver and in the secondary remain significant, and with some not sold on Jordan Love as a franchise QB, the Packers are simply playing for second in the NFC North, and nothing more.
7. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams gave the Eagles by far the most trouble in claiming a Lombardi trophy, and this savvy, veteran bunch should be right in the mix to compete for an NFC title. Matt Stafford continues to prove he remains a reliable, experienced presence under center that pairs nicely with Sean McVay's style and should get timely support in signing Davante Adams this offseason.
8. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are poised to take the next step this season, and drafting running back Omarion Hampton pairs nicely with Jim Harbaugh's 'ground-and-pound' scheme, which will give Justin Herbert another weapon in his arsenal. The Chargers simply have to see their regular-season success manifest in the playoffs, which remains the most significant question heading into the season in Los Angeles.
9. Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings are going to regret allowing Sam Darnold to walk in the offseason massively, and the three-game suspension of Vikings wide receiver Jordan Addison may have Vikings fans out on J.J. McCarthy by Week 4. The talent is there, and Justin Jefferson remains virtually unstoppable. Still, a lack of quarterback play will limit his targets and ability to impact games, resulting in a relatively disappointing season in the Twin Cities.
10. Washington Commanders
The 2024 Commanders proved to be far ahead of schedule in terms of Dan Quinn's rebuilding process. Even with the offseason acquisition of Deebo Samuel to accompany Terry McLaurin, and wild hype surrounding rookie RB Jacory Croskey-Merritt, expect a sophomore slump from Jayden Daniels and regression in D.C.
11. Houston Texans
The Texans are a challenging team to evaluate because, like the Chargers, they struggle to translate regular-season success into playoff wins, a trend that has persisted under DeMeco Ryans. Expect C.J Stroud to continue to elevate his game, but another disappointing playoff loss feels inevitable in Houston.
12. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow and Ja'Mar Chase remain the most dangerous duo in the league; however, pass protection and defense did not appear to have improved in the preseason. Bengals fans should still believe in this team, but merely as a fringe wild-card contender.
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
While the Bucs seem to be the kryptonite of the defending Super Bowl champs, it’s hard to see the upside for this team outside of winning the porous NFC South. The tail end of Mike Evans' career may result in another wild-card defeat.
14. Denver Broncos
Jayden Daniels may not be the only QB concerned about a sophomore slump, as Bo Nix may be due for some year two regression in a competitive AFC West. It's hard to bet against Sean Payton, so if Courtland Sutton and Bo Nix continue to establish chemistry, this team can see the divisional round.
15. San Francisco 49ers
The Super Bowl window appears to have closed in Santa Clara, and even with Robert Saleh back as defensive coordinator, injuries and the health of CMC and other key players remain paramount. The 49ers will scrape for eight wins and be on the outside looking in.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
The 2025 Steelers will end up looking a lot like the 2024 Steelers in that no one truly knows what to expect out of an older veteran QB presence in a consistently stagnant offense. The offseason loss of George Pickens will likely contribute to a classic Steelers season, where the defense is lights out. Still, the offense struggles to put together consistent drives, which could prompt Aaron Rodgers to retire.
17. Seattle Seahawks
Sam Darnold will be able to operate in an offense featuring significant depth at both receiver and running back, particularly with Kenneth Walker III in the backfield and Cooper Kupp at wide receiver. The challenge for Seattle was winning close games in 2024, a trend that is likely to continue in 2025, which could prevent the 12th man from making the playoffs.
18. Miami Dolphins
This may be the last year of the Mike McDaniels experiment in Miami. The Dolphins more often than not look like an undisciplined bunch relying on the vertical speed of Tyreek Hill and a solid RB tandem to fuel its offense and provide wins, which there will not be many of this season.
19. Chicago Bears
Caleb Williams and J.J. McCarthy will be competing for the right to be deemed the worst quarterback in the NFC North, regardless of Ben Johnson's arrival in Chicago. The Bears may be slightly improved from last season, but not enough to make significant headway in the division.
20. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons have themselves a disaster in the quarterback room that will create continuity issues in their young, dynamic offense. The defense should continue to keep them within striking distance in games and in the NFC South; however, the questions at QB will keep them safely behind Tampa Bay in the division.
21. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys naturally drop from 18 to 21 in our second power rankings due to the departure of Micah Parsons; however, that is not even the biggest challenge facing Dallas. They simply do not have a legitimate RB, and significant concerns in the secondary will force Dak Prescott to be putting up MVP-caliber numbers to stay in games.
22. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jags are still the biggest sleeper to make noise this season, and it's not necessarily because of drafting Travis Hunter. A culture shift was needed in Duval, and Liam Cohen brings the right identity & offensive scheme to maximize the likes of T-Law, Travis Etienne, and Brian Thomas Jr.
23. New England Patriots
Patriots offseason hype is simply overblown. Drake Maye is a tremendous young talent; however, Mike Vrabel's return to Foxborough does not address the foundational issues within the Patriots organization that have become evident following the departures of Brady and Belichick.
24. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are stuck with an outstanding dual-threat QB in Kyler Murray and a roster that fundamentally fails to optimize his talents. Counting on the Cardinals to win seven games would be borderline irresponsible until the team and organization make drastic changes.
25. Indianapolis Colts
Daniel Jones or Anthony Richardson is fundamentally picking your poison. Death by Daniel Jones is undoubtedly a choice for HC Shane Steichen that may cost him his job and result in another underwhelming effort in Indy.
26. Carolina Panthers
Carolina will undoubtedly improve this season with the timely progression of Bryce Young's professional career, and seeing the likes of Xavier Leggette gain more NFL experience will help this squad become more competitive. They will not make much noise beyond hanging around for a few weeks in the NFC South.
27. New York Giants
The Giants' brutal schedule this year better explains their power ranking than the actual ceiling of this team. The Giants could win as many as 8-9 games this season with their defensive front; however, the schedule will likely result in more losses and ultimately another failed season.
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Pete Carroll was a great hire that will need time to assemble a sound roster through drafting and developing young talent, which is rarely accomplished in the first year of an extensive rebuild. Ashton Jeanty should be fun to watch, but a good hand is not in the 2025 deck for Las Vegas.
29. Cleveland Browns
The Browns have to play 17 games this year, and that is good news for everyone in the league besides the Browns. They will be relying on a 40-year-old QB and limited pass-catching ability to compete in games, which could easily lead to a 0-6 record against NFC North opponents.
30. New Orleans Saints
Spencer Rattler possesses overlooked talent that gets misrepresented by playing on a struggling football team that cannot. Unfortunately for Rattler, it appears that the best years of Alvin Kamara's career have passed, and Rattler will be unable to rely on the same level of versatility from Kamara, resulting in a subpar 2025 campaign.
31. Tennessee Titans
The Titans' roster may make Cam Ward look far worse than reality and will do no favors for a rookie's confidence. There are simply not enough playmakers in that Titans offense to generate offense and create more opportunities for Ward, which will make 2025 a season to forget for Ward & Tennessee.
32. New York Jets Just-End-The-Season
Justin Fields is the definition of in the wrong place at the wrong time in terms of the organizations he has played for and their inability to field rosters that complement his skill sets. Fields embraces another reeling organization with similar roster issues that will make it challenging for him to operate out of a clean pocket and generate the offense needed to keep the Jets in games.