NFL Power Rankings Poll: Patriots Over Eagles As Season Begins

The Patriots may have lost the Super Bowl, but they come in ahead of the defending champs in our Week 1 Power Rankings

Welcome to the first edition of The MMQB’s 2018 Power Rankings Poll! You can bookmark this page and check back every Wednesday to complain about where your team is listed.

We already unveiled our playoff predictions for the whole season, so there shouldn’t be too many surprises at the top. This week four different teams earned No. 1 overall votes. The New England Patriots—who, you may recall, lost the Super Bowl 41-33 to the Eagles—claim the top spot. Those Eagles collected the most first-place votes, but still land at No. 2. The poll can be fickle like that.

We’ll have a rotating cast of voters from The MMQB staff. This week’s voters:

Andrew Brandt
Mitch Goldich
Gary Gramling
Jonathan Jones
Kalyn Kahler
Robert Klemko
Bette Marston
Mark Mravic
Conor Orr
Jenny Vrentas

1. New England Patriots      

Points in Poll: 311
Highest-place vote: First (3)
Lowest-place vote: Third (2)
Last season: 13-3, lost in Super Bowl

2. Philadelphia Eagles

Points in Poll: 302
Highest-place vote: First (5)
Lowest-place vote: Sixth (1)
Last season: 13-3, won Super Bowl

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3. Minnesota Vikings

Points in Poll: 291
Highest-place vote: First (1)
Lowest-place vote: Seventh (1)
Last season: 13-3, lost in divisional round

4. Green Bay Packers

Points in Poll: 287
Highest-place vote: Second (4)
Lowest-place vote: 10th (1)
Last season: 7-9, missed playoffs

5. Los Angeles Rams

Points in Poll: 273
Highest-place vote: Fourth (5)
Lowest-place vote: 12th (1)
Last season: 11-5, lost in wild-card round

6. New Orleans Saints

Points in Poll: 263
Highest-place vote: First (1)
Lowest-place vote: 11th (3)
Last season: 11-5, lost in divisional round

7. Jacksonville Jaguars

Points in Poll: 256
Highest-place vote: Fifth (2)
Lowest-place vote: Ninth (4)
Last season: 10-6, lost in AFC Championship Game

8. Atlanta Falcons

Points in Poll: 255
Highest-place vote: Fourth (2)
Lowest-place vote: 12th (1)
Last season: 10-6, lost in divisional round

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Points in Poll: 253
Highest-place vote: Third (1)
Lowest-place vote: 17th (1)
Last season: 13-3, lost in divisional round

10. Los Angeles Chargers

Points in Poll: 237
Highest-place vote: Seventh (1)
Lowest-place vote: 11th (3)
Last season: 9-7, missed playoffs

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11. Carolina Panthers

Points in Poll: 211
Highest-place vote: Eighth (1)
Lowest-place vote: 16th (1)
Last season: 11-5, lost in wild-card round

12. Kansas City Chiefs

Points in Poll: 207
Highest-place vote: Ninth (3)
Lowest-place vote: 17th (2)
Last season: 10-6, lost in wild-card round

13. San Francisco 49ers

Points in Poll: 197
Highest-place vote: 11th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 15th (3)
Last season: 6-10, missed playoffs

14. Houston Texans

Points in Poll: 190
Highest-place vote: 12th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 19th (1)
Last season: 4-12, missed playoffs

15. Detroit Lions

Points in Poll: 175
Highest-place vote: 10th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 23rd (1)
Last season: 9-7, missed playoffs

16. New York Giants

Points in Poll: 150
Highest-place vote: 10th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 25th (1)
Last season: 3-13, missed playoffs

17. Dallas Cowboys

Points in Poll: 143
Highest-place vote: 14th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 24th (1)
Last season: 9-7, missed playoffs

18. Seattle Seahawks

Points in Poll: 140
Highest-place vote: 14th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 24th (2)
Last season: 9-7, missed playoffs

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T-19. Chicago Bears

Points in Poll: 139
Highest-place vote: 15th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 22nd (2)
Last season: 5-11, missed playoffs

T-19. Tennessee Titans

Points in Poll: 139
Highest-place vote: 15th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 22nd (1)
Last season: 9-7, lost in divisional round

21. Miami Dolphins

Points in Poll: 112
Highest-place vote: 13th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 30th (1)
Last season: 6-10, missed playoffs

22. Baltimore Ravens

Points in Poll: 111
Highest-place vote: 14th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 28th (1)
Last season: 9-7, missed playoffs

23. Indianapolis Colts

Points in Poll: 97
Highest-place vote: 20th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 27th (1)
Last season: 4-12, missed playoffs

24. New York Jets

Points in Poll: 93
Highest-place vote: 19th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 27th (2)
Last season: 5-11, missed playoffs

25. Cincinnati Bengals

Points in Poll: 92
Highest-place vote: 16th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 30th (1)
Last season: 7-9, missed playoffs

26. Washington Redskins

Points in Poll: 85
Highest-place vote: 18th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 29th (2)
Last season: 7-9, missed playoffs

27. Denver Broncos

Points in Poll: 80
Highest-place vote: 21st (1)
Lowest-place vote: 29th (2)
Last season: 5-11, missed playoffs

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28. Arizona Cardinals

Points in Poll: 68
Highest-place vote: 21st (2)
Lowest-place vote: 31st (1)
Last season: 8-8, missed playoffs

29. Oakland Raiders

Points in Poll: 38
Highest-place vote: 26th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 32nd (2)
Last season: 6-10 missed playoffs

T-30. Cleveland Browns

Points in Poll: 34
Highest-place vote: 25th (1)
Lowest-place vote: 32nd (3)
Last season: 0-16, missed playoffs

T-30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Points in Poll: 34
Highest-place vote: 28th (3)
Lowest-place vote: 31st (3)
Last season: 5-11, missed playoffs

32. Buffalo Bills

Points in Poll: 17
Highest-place vote: 30th (2)
Lowest-place vote: 32nd (5)
Last season: 9-7, lost in wild-card round

• Question or comment? Email us at talkback@themmqb.com. But take it easy; they're just Power Rankings.