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Power Rankings #2: Chiefs & Chargers rise; Cowboys free fall; 49ers process

Published Sep 13, 2022, 11:01 PM

The NFL Power Rankings podcast with Colleen Wolfe and Dan Hanzus begins looking at the San Francisco 49ers surprising loss against the Chicago Bears. Dan shares why you shouldn't overreact to the 49ers loss and then he explains why it was an easy choice to put the Chiefs high in his week-2 power rankings. The Los Angeles Rams got rocked against the Buffalo Bills on opening night but Dan thinks it's important to relax on the Rams after week-1. Later on, Dan shares which team is his power move, he owns up to his mistakes, and then he explains why the Steelers are the hardest team to figure out after week-1.

NFL Power Rankings is a production of the NFL in partnership with I Heart Radio. What is happening here? Exactly right? And what's up everybody? It is Power Rankings presented by Energizer. I'm calling Wolf with Dan Hans is what is happening with your rankings? I mean, Dan coming in hot, Connie, it's week two. Accusatory right off the bat, I know, I mean, honestly, I feel like we owe ourselves and congratulations at this point because we did make it through the first week of the season. We got through is good. That first Sunday it was looming large. I feel like it's a sort of time to to celebrate all the summertime narratives that we were also sick of talking about, and then last week we're sick of talking about how the summertime narratives are about to disappear. Now we're talking about reactions to Week one, and as it happens every year, Connie is on Power Rankings, what it looks like during week one looks very different. I think thirty of the thirty two teams moved in the first week, and people say, oh, bad job by you know, this is how it works. A season takes shape and takes form, and I'm along for the ride with everybody else. It must be really difficult, though, because my brain basically melted watching week one. So to not overreact, because we all overreact. We only have this to work off of, so of course it took an entire season of building up to this first week. But we're all guilty by the way. After I was so furious watching Nathaniel Hacking and Russell Wilson botched the end of the Monday Night game. My exact tweet. I am out on the Denver Broncos and it's like, well, you're the powering guy, so yeah, hanging there, dude, you have to. But I have doubts. Well, I feel like the power rankings guy. You can separate it from yourself. I mean, these are different people, different okay, so um, you know, so many different things happened to feel like Mahomes is probably gonna be okay. Aaron Rodgers still kind of tb d the Giants. They're competitive. Gino Smith, he was dealing. That was crazy. Soldier Field was underwater, and your previous Niners ranking from week one also underwater. A lot of heat for this one. Niners fans checking in people all over the place. King Power, says Dan hansis, so does this make the Niners the new thirty two team or maybe the Bears and number three? Not how it works, King Power, not gonna lie. I don't understand why people don't understand that. You like people say, it's not the power standings, it's the power rankings, and very good job by the Bears. I don't want to take anything away from the Bears. And I understand if I was a Bears fan and some JIBRONI that does the Power rankings had them at last and they had the Niners at three, I'd probably be in their mentions too. So I'm not mad at it. I get it. But also, please, this is this is a perfect example not to overreact because the forty Niners. Yes, we knew this is gonna be a bit of a process with Trey Lance, and then you put him in on the road in a monsoon where the like you said, soldier fields underwater. How amouch you really supposed to take out of that game? What I took out of it was the Bears are ready and they made big plays in the second half, and I respect him for that, But if if you think I'm gonna get off the Niners bandwagon and get on the Bears bandwagon, because one game, I'm not there yet. But I did show respect to the Bears that moved him up. Obviously, this was a crazy game to watch, the fact that it was raining so hard the paint came off the field. I've never seen a game where the broadcast had to have the black line. And I did like the rain, you know. Obviously, it was miserable all during leading up to the game, raining during the game, and then it started to look like maybe it was drying out, and then the rain was like, hey, I just want to send one more message like I'm in charge here, I'm Mother Nature, and just destroyed the field in the last five minutes, which, oh, by the way, contributed as well, because by the end of that game, in the last half and fourth quarter, it doesn't matter. It could have been Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. Nobody was scoring points on that field. It was just a wild game from start to finish. The Niners. It was sloppy. I mean, the weather was sloppy, the play was sloppy, but the Niners, their penalties were so twelve or nine nine yards. I think the San Francisco defense they had three different penalties on third down, and that gave the Bears a fresh set of downs each time. And I believe they scored a touchdown on each one of those drives. So it was just kind of a mess. Deebo Samuel, he fumbled on the opening drive. But what did you think? First of all, we heard about Kyle Shannhan saying that they would listen to trade offers from Dallas for Jimmy g after week one. Obviously that changes now with the timetable shifting for Dak Prescott. And we'll get to the Cowboys and their issues in a second, But thoughts just in general on trade lands. Can you take anything away from that based on how the gate, the conditions of the game ending out. Not really, but I will see say, like what we saw from Lance in week one was similar to what we saw in his limited duty uh in two thousand twenty one, which is his legs and his ability to move and scramble and pick up yards that way that that's already ready to go. He's fully formed, but he's a work in progress as a passer, and I'm just not prepared to like, make any judgment where he's at until we can get him on a dry turf. It's just absurd and and they should They're wise not to move. Jimmy g I don't care what's going on with Dallas because it does. Like we said last week, give San Francisco and out in case Trey Lance cannot play the guitar. Yes, that is true. So the Niners, they are no longer in the top five. But let's talk about who made the top five new top five? We do everybody, and we got two new teams and maybe I don't know, we'll see. It's a work in progress. So the Bills they remain unchanged at number one. They nailed that. We all agree that I nailed having bills after what we saw on Thursday night. Really great job. You're not going to hear any flak from anyone on that. Then you have the Chiefs they enter the top five, chat from seven to two, so up five spots from last week. The Bucks they move up a spot from four to three. The Rams they fall back to after that loss to the Bills. And then here come the Chargers number five, up four from number nine last week. We're going to talk about them. But the Chiefs at number two, after everybody kind of was doubting this team talking about how difficult the division is, and Patrick Mahomes without Tyreek Kill and ken Andy Reid evolved this offense. We'll find out. Well. I mean, look, they did a great job against the Cardinals, that was dominant. The Cardinals got run out of their own building there, And yeah, I thought it was really interesting how Mahomes almost to send a message to everyone you doubted me because Tyreek Hills in Miami. Through the five touchdown passes, four of those touchdown passes went to different receivers. Travis Kelsey was still the here of this attack with eight and a touch on nine targets. But I thought it was interesting, Connie and something to watch going forward. Clyde Edwards Hilaire, who was a first round pick the year or the spring after they won the Super Bowl a couple of years back, and then kind of disappointed, certainly disappointed fantasy owners in his first two seasons. First overall in their fantasy drafty I've been there. I took him in the back of the first round. I believe his rookie year because you heard the way he was explained coming out of college was this dude's can't miss. You put him in this offense, it's gonna be unfair, And I just it just makes you think that now that Andy Reid did go back to the lab and he's cooked up this new offense, maybe this gives Edwards Hilaire a whole new look. And I know his numbers don't like jump off the page in week one, but if you watch that game, you saw something different going on with Edwards Hilaire. So I thought the whole offense looked excellent. Jud Smith Schuster fit right in and they were an easy number two this week. It's really interesting that Maha Homes targeted nine different players in this game, and you think, I don't know, maybe this potentially unlock something even more from Mahomes not having Tyree Kill there and having to spread the ball around all the different options that they have, because four different players had a touchdown pass and two two receiving touchdowns were from running back Clyde Edwards Hilaire, So like, you're right when you say that we saw something different from him. It was a super interesting, I think decision for the Cardinals to blitz Mahomes. So much like like, why what are what are we doing? I don't know what the Cardinals are doing? And well, you know, I don't know if we're not really digging on the Cardinals right now. But they were not ready to play in that game. They were not ready for what the Chiefs were bringing. And uh, that should be a warning sign because Arizona, that's how they looked at the end of last year too against a superpower. Yeah so, uh, not great for the Cardinals. The Chiefs, though they are in the number two spots, bags is defense. It's showing up early this year. It usually takes a little bit of time to get ready. Um, so we'll have to see what happens there. But you know, case you didn't catch it, the Chiefs, they aren't the only a f C US team in the top five. The Chargers joined them at five. But some separation here with the rest of the division, because you had all four a f C West teams ranked in your top eleven last week, and we're going to get to the Raiders and the Broncos soon, but the Chargers, they didn't. Charger and Khalil Mack, where have you been, hello, my friend? Yeah? Great? I mean that was as good as debut as they could have hoped for. They had six sacks and Derek Carr who always seems a little shook when he's against uh, the Chargers, and I think he's Joey Bosa last year who made some comments in the media they could tell like, you know, he's a guy that gets frazzled in the pocket, and what happened. Six sacks, Mac has three of them in general is a great It was a great star for the Chargers. And by the way, I don't know if I'm getting ahead of any promotional materials you have planned, Connie, but Thursday night football is Chargers Chief Arrowhead, so this is gonna be a great test for the Bolts. But I thought, yeah, it was notable a that they got big debuts from several new players, obviously Mac, but also tighten Gerald Everett, who looked like a player in this offense. It helps in Justin Herbert's throwing the ball. DeAndre Carter stepped up when Keenan Allen went out with the hamstring. Uh. So you you take a step back and you're like, Okay, that was a game where they could have easily given it away, and they've done that. A hundred times in the PASTUS charges gunna charger. In this case, it didn't happen. Well j C. Jackson play on Thursday. I would love to see a full power Chargers go into Arrowhead and make a huge statement. That's such a good game. It's such a great match up this early. And Herbert, like Mahomes, he targeted nine different players. He looked dialed in. He had those three touchdowns. He really I mean, obviously he's my m VP pick and like I didn't see anything that game. Well, Mahomes is like you no, I'm gonna win MVP. That's how it came out of Week one. But her Herbert is just going to continue to the people that think he's somewhat of a media creation, because there's a segment of football Twitter that pushes back at certain people in football Twitter saying you need to pay attention. How specialist guy is just keep watching this year. Yeah, and Khalil Max his sacks came at crucial times as far as the defense goes, This was just like a really solid game for them and the other team that also plays at so far, the team that won the Super Bowl. There but thoughts to the Bills to open the season this year, they are now at number four in the rankings. They couldn't run the ball. Matthew Stafford was just NonStop harassed in this game. He was sacked seven times with an elbow injury. That's already a concern at this point. So now you have offensive line shuffling going on with guys getting hurt. I mean, this is this is something I'm concerned about, but you not so much. I didn't really drop them too much. Yeah, I dropped them to spots and earlier on Monday when I'm going through the process, they were a little further down. And then I gave it some fine thought at the end of the night and I was just like, just relax. I mean, the Rams are the Rams. They're gonna be fine. Week one Thursday night opener is funky. It was like, listen, we live in Los Angeles. Here in that building, it was horrific. It was it felt like it was twenty degrees at Sofi Stadium, and you could say, well, it didn't bother the Bills, and you're right. The Bills showed up ready to play and ready to make a statement themselves, and they absolutely did that. And Sean McVey after the game had said that he was humbled and we weren't ready to go, and all that's right, And all that really makes me think is that the Rams are too good not to learn from that, say, Okay, this is how a title defense starts. Oh oh, this is everybody's coming for us now. And I would not be surprised if you get a really good bounce back performance from Los Angeles this week where they look great, look as good as they did look bad last Thursday. And okay, on the Rams are yeah, I mean Cooper Cop, he still was Cooper Cop. He's still had a great kid. Yeah, that was like the literally the only thing Cooper Cup, Fantasy Owners, that's the only thing connected to the Rams that people are cool. And also Ozzy Osbourne sung at halftime, and they're like, Ozzie, all right, he's been through some stuff. Uh and listen, they lowered the lowered him into the stage and wheeled him off. So I don't know where he's at physically, but he sounded great. He did the rock was there. I do find rock physically is a specimen. That's another good thing that happened connected to the Rams, truly, But when you say that, you initially had the Rams lower, and then you kind of like, really, that's what I was just, don't that. Don't be that power rankings guy, b V. Power rankings guy, And that's that's what you are, the authority on the rankings. So the Rams hard. But hey, the Rams former offensive coordinator, the new head coach of the Vikings, Kevin O'Connell, he looked like he was making some power moves presented by energizer. Do you know that New York used to mercifully come after Alec Baldwin, who's a New York gossip staple for decades, and they would refer to him Capital T, Capital B, the blow viator. Yeah, you can call me that too. That's a really cool fun fact. I love that one. That was a nug for you. Okay, so here we go. We have the power moves of the week, and I got more nugs. I know you do, I know you do. The Vikings they were the biggest riser this week. They were up thirteen spots to seven. The Giants and Bears they both jumped seven spots to twenty one and twenty five, respectively, and then the Dolphins, Seahawks and Commanders moved up six spots to eighteen and twenty four. Let's stick in on the vikings. I love the vikings. Can I just say something Connie about that? If you if you see jumps like that, like plus thirteen or minus twelve, the Cowboys had a major drop this week. We'll get to Um, that's okay early on in the power rankings, but if you see me having to do that once we get into the flow of the season, it means I'm doing something wrong. So this step happens only in the beginning of the year where you're really just trying to figure out the lay of the land. So big jumps, big drops don't typically happen unless the team suffers a catastrophic injury or something otherwise outrageous happens. You won't see this typically at what point in the season should that be concerned? Exactly week five am, perfect Eastern time. That will not happen anymore. All Right, the aforementioned vikings, let's talk about them. Head coach Kevin O'Connell, the biggest power mover. I thought that. Listen, he's uh, what's it? What are these? Um? When you go to the gym? Uh? Like the power Yeah, like the clean aren't they clean? There's like a cleaning one. I don't know, Yeah, something clean, clean and jerk. Is that a thing? I don't know anyway, what O'Connell was doing it he called a really balanced game. K Yeah, that's what That's what producer Drew just mentioned in my ear so I think that's right. Um, So tell me about the Vikings. What you thought about them? Awesome, awesome performance. I saw in insane stat um this morning, which is that this is only the second game in Kirk cousins career and he's been playing a while. I think he was a fourth round pick in two thousand twelve. The second game in his career where the team he was playing on allowed seven points or less. Mac Jones has played one game and his to his second year in the league, and that's already happened four times to him and his rookie year, So it does get your mind racing. I know Cousins is a punching bag um in general, but like maybe he's never actually been with a truly all around team. And I'm not ready to say that's who the Vikings are, because I think they did a great job on defense. But Green Bay's working something out things out. But if the Vikings do perform at a high level on defense, this offense is really good. And its centers, of course, on Justin Jefferson, who he gained four yards of separation on average on his receptions uh this week and in general looks like the best wide receiver on the planet. With all due RESECTI Cooper Cup, but I think Jefferson has that Moss d n A where he can just destroy a game at any time. Yeah, the first half alone, he was six for two touchdowns. Like, he absolutely lit it up. And when I was up there at training camp and I talked to Justin Jefferson a little bit, Oh my god, you've heard it's beautiful. I'm not, it's so nice. It's fran. But he absolutely his whole face lit up when I asked him about having for the first time ever in his career and all offensive head coach and offensive head coach, and he just like talked about what a difference it would make. And it's not an exaggeration when I say that that team in general, when I was up there, like they look lighter and looser and like they're having more fun, and my god, you can see it on the field as well. But I think that the Vikings defense. How much of a difference do you think that will make for this team in the long run, considering now that they have Zadarius Smith who just like put it on. Yeah, I again, I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna push pause or hold on. Getting two pumped about the defensive But it did look really good and their offense put them in a in a good situation by getting ahead early in that game. But they also on the very first play of the game, Patrick Peterson got toasted for what would have been a touchdown, but Watson dropped the ball, which is an issue for Green Bay UM. So maybe the game is totally different. So let's I just want to push pause on pause, I want to hit play. I want to bang that play button on this offense, and justin Jefferson, they are going to score a lot of points. Into what you were saying, Kevin O'Connell. One of the criticisms of Minnesota was their offensive game plan. Despite the fact that they would put up big numbers um with their core in place, it wasn't imaginative and they were moving Jefferson all over the feel putting him in motion and the Packers like, man, we don't know how to handle this, and the Packers are one of the better defenses in the league. I think that's gonna be just the start of this. I think Jefferson could I don't get crazy here, but in a game season, I think he could flirt with two thousand yards receiving. I think that's where we're at. Were you like entering the m v P conversation with him. It's never happened done receiver, but maybe if there was, Well, if it wasn't Jerry Rice, it should never be anyone or Randy Moss, but Jefferson should get votes at the very least. So we're gonna give an m v P to Kirk Cousins though, So this this feels like it's the situation in place, like you're gonna give the m v P to Joe Montana over Jerry Rice second time they've come up in the show. But you're not going to give the m v P to Kirk Cousins when you can give it to Jokes alternate universe, though, how would kirk Cousins be able to get it if there is one scenario that he is being awarded the m v P at the end of the season. What did he do fifty touchdowns? Vikings go eighteen and oh in the regular season, even though there's only seventeen perfect touchdown. So they're never going to give Kark Cousins the m v P. Well, at least right now, they can be happy with seven on your power rank. Remember when he did the gender reveal and he missed the target and it was like, that's a quarterback. Leave Kirk alone. He had a great week. One you'll never but I'm excited for that. Offen your teams from six to ten. We have the Ravens at six, the Vikings, like we just talked about at seven, Packers at eight, Bengals at nine, and then Eagles at ten. Um, how you like that little Eagles? Hello a j looks real nice. Um, But yeah, we defense, I don't know, but the offense looked awesome. Yeah, Nick Sirianni, great job with that. Um. Maybe get Davante Smith involved. But that was weird. That was a little strange. However, at least scored thirty eight points, So yeah, Bakers can't be choosers. Fine, but I think one of the things that struck me from week one is the most bizarro game, and the most bizarro performance was in that division, and it was the Cowboys. The Cowboys. We talked about the biggest risers with the Vikings, but there was a lot of power failures out there too, Dan, a lot of people's power just going out. Um. And that's what happened in Dallas. The Cowboys at the top of the list, um down twelve spots to number twenty seven after that disaster in Dallas. UM. So we'll we'll get to that in a second. But the other teams that fell, you have the Niners and Broncos both falling eight spots down to eleven and sixteen, respectively. And then the Cardinals, Panthers, and your poor Jets stumbled six spots each toe and thirty two. So the Cowboys they fell the hardest from seven from fifteen. And I mean, I wasn't buying into the offseason hype because I was worried about Ceedee Lamb being the number one guy. I was worried about that offensive line and a lot of different pieces, a lot of talent leaving the defense. But damn, that was miserable. It was miserable, Connie, and I think you know I wasn't buying on the Cowboys entering the season, but I also was pushing back a little bit on people not giving them a chance. So just to give you an idea, I think I had them fifteen entering Week one. I did, and um, had Dak just got out of that game frustrated instead of with a busted thumb, I probably would have had him around probably twenty two. They plummet now because even with the news of the reports on Tuesday that he might be out for just four weeks, that also feels maybe overly aggressively. So it happened when you rushed back Russell Wilson last year from his finger injury, and he was not the same guy. I feel it's got Cowboys written all. Was just thinking about that because I remember when Russell Wilson got hurt. That Thursday night came I think it was Pete Carroll with someone on the team and they were like, Russell Wilson is one of the great healers in the game, And that was also said about Dak Prescott. He's a really great healer. Like I don't know, is that something that you're really good at healing? You don't want to play quarterback in the NFL if your thumb is sev your throwing hand. But yeah, this so the factor why they plumb it twelve spots and are now in the bottom six of the league. To me is yeah, Cooper Rush is now the quarterback. And all those problems before Dak hurt himself when the shack Barrett slapped his hand. They looked really bad before then, and they weren't the type of problems like oh what the Rams, for instance, I could say bad week one, wash it out. No, it looked like Ceedee Lamb was struggling to be that number one guy with all the attention. They didn't have someone else that they could trust and throw the ball to. The running game wasn't really moving. The offensive line wasn't doing their job. I just I, even at a four week timetable, I think the Cowboys are in deep, deep trouble and are going to be climbing uphill in your Eagles again, everything coming up Eagles right now. That division is wide open for them right now. Let's not get like, you know, to just let's not pretend. Let's not pretend because I know Eagles fans. You know, Wolf here, Shawn Kelly behind the glass your husband Gonza. Everyone's like, we don't want to we don't want to talk about it. Like they're not talking publicly, but behind the scenes, Eagle fans are like, you, guys, this is amazing. Not only are we the most talented team and we're probably gonna win a bunch of games. Uh, the Cowboys are done, the Giants whatever, cute win bro on Sunday, But you're the Giants and the Commanders have Carson Wentz. We walk into the playoffs as the division champions. Like the Eagles fans aren't telling you about this is Drew Christiansen, our producer. Also yeah, but well okay, so the thing no more and more about you are? We all are, and as are the listeners. Um. But yeah, Cooper rushed for whether it's four weeks, whether it's six week terrible, But it's not gonna be his fault. Yeah, because he's Cooper rushed. And if if Dak Prescott is out for six weeks, that includes three division games and games against the Bengals and the Rams. So it's not like the schedule is helping them out in any way either. I think it would be a minor what's the schedule. What are they gout? Let's go through it real quick, alright, so let me pull it up. I know they have three division games and they're hoping that Dak Prescott is back for I think it is the tenth against the Eagles. But they have the Giants, they have Washington, and they definitely have the Bengals in the Rams. Yeah, I mean there'll be if they can get through this at two and three, will be a miracle and then you could reset and either come get the Eagles and the division or being a wild card chase. But you have to be we have to be honest here. There is a scenario here where they're one and four, oh and five when Dad gets back and then against the again things working out for the Eagles. You get Dad super rusty with probably far less than its just putting a lot on a quarterback who's already got his back against the wall. Bad times in Big D bad timing there. Um, and then man talk about timing and clock management. We got to go to the broncos Um. I mean now at and oh my goodness, Nathaniel Hackett, you know I I was watching his press conference and it just made my heart sort of ache a little bit because I know that he is going to just get crushed and he has been getting This is why I tried to do this. And I grew up. I grew up in New York. I grew up in a cold town. I grew up listening sports talk radio where the idea of humanity behind the athlete wasn't recognized. Typically, you're either a bum or you're a god. So I'm trying to be better about that as I get older. Okay, I'm a father, sure of you and Nathaniel Hackett. I try to think about it, like I'm annoyed watching Nathaniel Hackett and the Broncos blow that game. But I'm also thinking to myself that man, well, he does have film. He waited his whole life. He was waiting all life for Monday night, okay, and he's on the sideline and his entire world is watching and ruining him on. And that's how the game ends, with him essentially setting his team on fire within decision, and Russell Wilson, who, by the way, he has been playing the league for a long time, didn't give him any help either. Um the Manning cast, I don't know if you caught that pet Manning nearly had a stroke he was trying to reach through the screen to call a time out for the Broncos. So, yeah, you fumble twice at the one yard line and lose both fumbles. You fail on another red zone attempt, another red zone trip, and then you end the game with a ghastly clock mis management to get to a sixty four yard field goal, which you missed twice, by the way, because one was waved away by the time out. It couldn't be worse. It's a horrible start to the season for the Broncos, and I feel like I sucker Connie because I I made the mistake owning up number eight was too generous entering the season for Denver, right, I needed to see it first, And then I see a coach who looked in over his head and a quarterback who couldn't make the big play when it counted. So that's why they dropped to where they are down to sixteen, which is a fringe playoff look just week two, but come on the clock management of it all. Like I lived through Andy Reid in Philadelphia and that was a whole situation, so I've seen that. I've felt that pain before. But that moment Week one with Russell Wilson, They're back in Seattle, and I mean, you're you're you're going to have him watch from the sidelines and try to kick a sixty four yard field goal. I mean, I just and then he doubled down on it. Afterwards, Nathaniel Hacket did in the postgame press felt like he had this is all new, like he he then had to face the music right down to like calling time outs, um to stop the clock in a kneel down situation. I think he at that point was in the weeds a little bit and just trying to work his way through it. A lot of people I think went too far and said things like Nathaniel Hackett had the choice for sixty four yard field or to trust is seven trillion dollar new quarterbacks. Now, No, I don't think it's that. I think he got a little bit, you know, like Derek Carr in the pocket. He got a little shook and he botched it. And I hope he learns from it and the Broncos get better in these in this capacity. But it was it was not good. It was unfortunate. Um. So that is how that Week one game went down. Listen, that's all I do. I drowning in it, the emotions of it all. Um, Let's talk about your team's eleven through seventeen though, because the Niners, as we already talked about at the top of the show, they went from three last week to eleven. We have the Saints at twelve, Dolphins at thirteen, Raiders at fourteen, the Colts at fifteen, Broncos sixteen, and then the Titans at seventeen. So this was a you know, tough week for the a can it was nobody want to gain? Can I do one more mia culpa? Because I think I don't think I had the Brown slotted or excuse me, the Bronco slotted in properly at eight start the season because I went too much of a projection there. Did the same thing with the Niners. In retrospect, I should have had them near the bottom of the top ten, but I had him at three because I was buying stock. I gotta try to avoid buying stock market cur seeing anything. Yet that's what we're doing. So where they are now the Niners is not a reflection of me now doubting them dropping eight spots. It's more like, maybe this is kind of where they should have been until we figure out what the trade Land situation is. Okay, that's fair, and everyone who added you on Twitter is feeling pretty good right now. Cults and Titans, they are the highest ranked in the division at fifteen and seventeen. But why did the Colts get the edge there over the Titans. The Titans lost at home to the New York Giants, so that's you gotta get dinged for that, and that this is about as far as it goes. Derrick Henry didn't look like Derrick Henry and week one it's again early. Ryan Tannehill didn't look like a guy that had a number one wide receiver anymore with a J. Brown in Philadelphia now, So their inability to close out that game, it's not a reason for panic, but it's a reminder that even last year when they were the number one seed, this is at a dominant superpower. They're well coached, good team with solid players on it, but they can get picked off if they get sloppy and don't execute the way they did late in that game against the Giants. As for the Colts, this still feels like and it's been this way for years now, like a toss up division. It's between these two teams. I still kind of think that's where we're at. And uh, you know, they're just very fortunate to get out a Week one with a tie with the Texans, so they need Let's put it this way, the AFC South did not cover itself with glory and week one no, And I understand the Colts. They haven't won a season opener since I tweeted that. It hasn't been since Jonathan Taylor was an eighth grade. They always start slow, but I thought maybe this time would be a little bit different with all of the changes they made in the off season and they were playing the Texans. But at least Matt Ryan and Michael Pittman they found that connection, So that looks good. The offense just needs maybe a little bit more time. They'll be better than they were with Carson Wentz. But people throw out the fact that they won nine of twelve with Carson Wentz in the middle of last season. And is Matt Ryan gonna be a huge upgrade? I think one thing that I got an upgrade though the kicker. Again, we're gonna the human side of this, and we know we love Rodrigo blanket Ship's ability to play legos and and all that. But uh, I don't trust that guy in. I trust his glasses, but maybe not his leg so maybe he needs He's probably not the order you want to go in when you're talking about an NFL place kicker, like amazing glasses. I trust your glasses, but your ability to kick it through too, and his wheelie's too. Yeah, I know he's got to see the uprights though, I get it. Um Okay, Speaking of order, we got teams eighteen through two coming in at eighteen Seahawks, nineteen Steelers, twenty Browns, twenty one Giants, and then twenty two you have the Cardinals. So we're gonna take a quick time out. We'll talk about all of this the second half of your list when we come back. Moving through dances is week two power rankings. Here we got twenty three through the Patriots coming in at twenty three. Their offense is still m I A is four and oh lifetime against Belichick. Do you want to got sign of the time. It's not the way it used to be any more. Things have changed. Twenty four you have the commanders taking command there the Bears at five after the wild monsoon gain. You have at twenty six the Lions, they just didn't have enough grid the first week only two teams didn't move the lines at one of us, just like, what do you want me to do? Get to stop? And then the Cowboys at seven we just outlined all of their issues. Um, so we got the Bears and the Giants both moving on up after those upsets. So who had the more impressive win in your opinion? Gonna know they're gonna get mad at me again because I'm not trying to denigrate what they accomplished. Doesn't care about what they think riot I don't because it was stupid. The weather was stupid in Chicago and that made that game totally bizarre and strange and kind of fun to watch. So again, great job by the offense and Justin Fields for taking care of business in the second half, getting those scoring drives, taking advantage of the mistakes the Niners and Justin Fields has elite playmaker ability. We see it. It's be starting to become like a tradition now where he does that crazy scramble move and throws across the field and he's he's got it. It's just can you build around it, so they jump up to and the Bears fans that think they should be number three now because they beat the number three, You just you don't get it. So just sit down, enjoy your football, have a brat wurst. The Giants had the more impressive win to me because they were in Nashville. They were against the Titans team that, like I said, I don't think they are true superpower, but that's a good team. It's a well coached team. The Giants fell behind and it was like, Okay, this is gonna be a typical Giants opener, and all my buddies on my text thread from home, we're gonna just speak complaining while I'm trying to work on Sunday. But no, like they came back. Sae Kwon Barkley looks like the se kuanam which is a really exciting fund development for football fans, but a Actuley Giants fans. And then yeah, Brian Dable, listen, you have to understand, like I'm speaking about w f a n earlier in the culture of a sports fan in the Tri State area back east, the Joe Judge experience. The Giants fans are not about that. They were furious that this is how this Tiffany franchise was being run. So to have Brian Dable enter the building and then in the first game of his career, pull an anti Hackett and say, hey, guys, trust me, let's do this two point conversions, win this thing. And then of course the football gods are gonna push uh the big bone Randy Field go wide left because you get rewarded for having onions in a spot like that. Good job for the Giants, Brindable and their fans, which have gone through a lot of band football in the last Congrats to the Giants. You have a winning record for the first time since It's just you know, the fan. It's not good enough to have a cake walk to the NFC East title. It's not good enough to have a loaded roster. It's not good enough to have a dramatic Super Bowl win over Tom Brady like three years ago. You gotta stomp on the Giants. Yeah, you have a prison underneath your football field. That was the vet, all right, whatever, and that was kind of amazing. Please, actually, let's go to best of the rest through thirty two. Prison not a jail, no no, no, it was people worked there. It was basically a court that they had down there. Oh, how do you know, I don't know, tell us about your teenage years. At twenty eight we got the Texans and then the Baker Mayfield did not get his vengeance on the Browns. At thirty we got the Falcons that yeah, I mean poor Falcons. Then the Jaguars and Doug Peterson making his debut in Jacksonville at thirty one, and your Jets coming in for landing at Ding. I mean, it's great job. Can I say that I'm if for football? Dan, I'm warmed up now, I'm ready to go. Should we start the show? Yeah? And the brand it's all good. I like that the our bottom quadrant thirty two of Power Rankings. All the teams either one outright or played a really competitive game. And that's good. We don't want a bunch of bottom feeders that are just getting blown up. The only team that really disappointed, uh their fan base where the Jets, My team, the team I grew up with that I got sentenced to life by a different type of court to be a fan of. And uh, I'm just frustrated because the offense. I know, Joe Flacco is the quarterback in their limitations. But that's not how we were being sold as fans heading into Week one. We're being sold that this is an improved team on both sides of the ball, and the Jets were gonna be competitive and frisky this year, and then you got again. People go into MetLife Stadium. My dad was one of those. Have you talked? They got they got nothing, They got a blowout loss and rained on for three and a half hours. And then I have to listen to Robert Sala, who I like the human side though the human side recedes great, Robert, receipts great? How about results? Because this isn't enough. I mean, it's enough, you know what. We need to move on. We have thirty two teams we to talk about. But receipts are fine, but results are better. It's true. That's it. That's that's my that's my response to my team's head coach. Well, I think a fan base that was equally as frustrated as Jets fans probably think, well, the Bengals were like that for a very long time. Yeah, I guess what they got results they did not talking about receipts. We're not talking about practice, talking about results. Dan let's put a minute on the clock. Do the best of the rest. We're gonna start with the Bengals. They fall from five to nine, and um dan I was told that the offensive line would be better. Yes, it's a reminder to all of us that when a team does spend a lot of money in free agency or makes draft picks, and then you go through the summer with your narratives in place, and oh, the offensive line is fixed. No, none of the especially offensive line. You need to see it in motion. And that also doesn't mean that they're they're cooked on their offensive line and they're not better, but it is a work in progress and it was not a great start. Burrow didn't have a good game, but the line did not look any better. That's concerning. Yeah, and next gen stats. They pointed out that the Steelers got after Joe Burrow and didn't even need extra rushers to do it. They pressured Burrow twenty times without blitzing for pressure rate of thirty seven point. I mean, it was not good at all. A lot. Joe Burrow has a reconstructed knee from his rookie season. When the offensive line couldn't protect him, he limped off the field at the Super Bowl because he didn't get protected their floor with disaster. If this is gonna keep going on, I don't like it. I don't like it at all. Um. I also don't like no love for the Falcons. How they played a great three quarters. It was it was good for three full you know what I see where you're coming from this. Yes, I could have been a nice guy and giving them like a pat on the head and moved them up a few spots. But ultimately, Connie, that was a hideous collapse. They gotta win that game. They have to. They had lead with less than thirteen minutes to play, and then they surrender three straight scoring drives to Jamis Winston, who had done nothing before that point. Marcus Mariotte had two key fumbles in the second half, one deep in the Saints territory and another at an opportunity very late in the game where they could assaulted the game away and kneel done. It was just like, I'm not bringing up you know the game, you don't do it, don't do it. But I'm just saying, like Falcons fans don't need anything like this, especially against the Saints. They hate each other, so that's just a bummer one. I wanted them to win that game. That would have been a nice step, and they could not get it done. I don't know what it is NFL research dropping this nugget that Atlanta has blown three fifteen plus point lead since and the rest of the league has blown to plus leads combined. That's are you counting? You know the thing? I'm not. We're not talking about that. We included in that stat I gotta ask NFL research pros. It's included in the stat Then you did bring up the thing not my name. Hey, all right, I got one more question for you. Put a minute up there. Hardest team to figure out after Week one? We know it's not the Jets. Yeah, the Steelers. The Steelers. Steelers are the hardest team to figure out, because yes, they got a dramatic win over Cincinnati in Cincinnati, a statement win, if you will, a bit of a miracle because you needed a block Pa t at the end of regulation and then another botch snap for Cincinnati and overtime to make it happen. But you give him credit. Big win, huge win. They're dancing in the locker room. So it's Tomlin. It's fun. T J. Watt tears his pack. We don't know how serious, if he's done for the year or just out for extended period. Terrible setback for that defense. And then the offense less than three hundred yards of total offense and it looked like an offense being run by Mitch ter Biski. So while you have a great start, that's a concern the offense and know what, it could be devastating to them. Yeah, that's that's gonna be tough to overcome. Another bad offensive. Patrick though he did look good. Outstanding defensive performance, probably the best of his career. So that was something to They won't go in the tank on defense, but what makes them special? That's true. Alright, So um, good stuff there, but thank you, good stuff by you as well. That's my that's my feedback to you. But I am not the only one giving feedback that on some t shirts. Oh no we're not. It's time by the power. Um. We love hearing your tweets. Josh says, how could you put insert team here at insert position here? You're such an insert insult to intelligence here, Dan Josh Brank has got it right. That's typically it works, and that's why people don't realize that as the years go on, when I do this, the tweets and the fire that comes at me, I'm more and more impervious to it because I've seen it all. It's all kind of one note to me. Be better. That's another one when I get told to be better? How about you be better? Insulters. I love that because I think it's a challenge for everyone out there, like, maybe try and be more creative. At some point, we are calloused to what you have to say. We put up a protective layer. Um, maybe this one will offend. Filthy Beast says that she you should be number one. They were far more impressive than the Bills. The Bills were incredible, are awesome. In week one. You know you heard it earlier on today's episode, Connie and I were chopping it up. But now the Bills, who entered Power the Power Ranking season at number one, went on the road and embarrassed the defending champions there. That was never a thought to put the Chiefs at number one, But there was also never a thought to put them anywhere else but number two. They're in a really good spot right now, but they can always work their way up to number one. Yeah, the Bills can lose this week and the Chiefs can spank the Chargers and that very likely would happen. So a long season, filthy beasts. Okay, we got another one coming in Lord zero from the Pat McAfee show. This looks a little better for the Bears, ranking up seven points or spots to I stick to my story. Yeah, I thought the thirty two was fair to wear. Chicago was as a team entering the season, and I think, yes, you get a win. I don't care what's going on with mother Nature. That was a nice win and a great way to start the season. And yes, Justin Fields, Yes, yes he could be the dude. Give me the dude, Just give him help. Okay, one more, one more fan checkout like Justin Fields more and more. Um. Okay, so this comes in from sad Texas sports fan at your take is dumb? Well, Cowboys be above or below the Birmingham Stallions at thirty two. Yeah, there is a reality where Dak and we don't want this happen, has a setback and or they just realize he needs more time because they're pushing this four week thing because they're scared in desperate right now? Uh In the Star where they are a number thirty two team this season, like there are. I said this on Good Morning Football Today, there are. You could smell a terrible Cowboys season from I've gerald World's away, absolutely you It's it starts early. It starts with a bad game in prime time. It includes Jerry Jones either in his box or walking down a tunnel looking upset, and just the gaggle of his assistance and minions walking behind him looking stern. That was what happened a week one, and usually it doesn't get better. Maybe they'll shockus, but I don't like where the Cowboys are heading this year. I will say in my power rankings of Twitter handles, your take is dumb is probably in the number one spot. Immediately it's you're getting aggressive and you're saying I don't even care what you're saying. It's wrong, and I'm right. That's kind of what Twitter is, as Noel Gallagher once said, the playground of idiots. That's right. I think that that guy is confident, and I love his confidence. I love your confidence as well. Dan Well is going to have a confidence week to his power rankings. You can check them out online NFL dot com slash bloviator. No, is that it? Maybe King Power Rankings. We'll be back next week. Until then, make sure you send all of your takes to at Dan Hansen's NFL Power Rankings as a production of the NFL in partnership with I heart Radio. For more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

NFL Power Rankings

Each week during the season, NFL Power Rankings, hosted by Eric Edholm and Mike Yam, provides an in- 
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