NFL power rankings after Week 1: Where did the Cowboys land after first win?

Tyler Reed | Sep 10, 2024

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Week 1 of the NFL season has come and gone, and the week delivered a ton of action and a few surprises. For the Dallas Cowboys, the team proved they are one of the best teams in the league, but how good has yet to be determined. Here are our NFL power rankings after all the Week 1 action.

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32. Carolina Panthers

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It was all systems failure in the Carolina Panthers' blowout Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints. If they keep up their current trajectory, the Panthers have a real shot at making history by going 0-17.

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31. New York Giants

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The New York Giants opened their season with an abysmal 28-6 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Giants could be strong competition for the Panthers as the worst team in the league this season if the offense continues to show no life.

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30. Las Vegas Raiders

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The Raiders left a lot to be desired after their ugly loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. They are a team with talent yet missing that key piece to move the franchise forward.

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29. Cleveland Browns

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It appears that having a lot of guaranteed money for a quarterback doesn't make every team better. The Browns' offense looks lost under quarterback Deshaun Watson in a season when the fanbase felt like it would finally be their time to make a run.

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28. Washington Commanders

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The Commanders are in the infancy of their latest rebuild, and their 37-20 loss on Sunday proved that. However, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels is proving that maybe the franchise finally got it right with their latest QB selection.

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27. Tennessee Titans

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The Titans had a victory in their grasp before quarterback Will Levis made one dreadful decision that resulted in a pick 6. Tennessee has many issues, including the offensive line, and this game could have been one of the few where the Titans could have grabbed the win.

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26. Atlanta Falcons

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Arugably, the most disappointing show of Week 1 belongs to the Atlanta Falcons. A team that made the moves this offseason lost to a team that didn't even score a touchdown. The Falcons will need to go back to the drawing board before taking the field in Week 2.

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25. Denver Broncos

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If you watched the Broncos-Seahawks game, you may have thought that Denver was going to score all of its points by safety. However, the Seahawks figured it out and secured the 26-20 victory. The Broncos could be battling the basement of the NFL all season.

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24. Cincinnati Bengals

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A summer full of hope quickly turned into everyone asking, "How did we get here?" The Bengals looked off from the start in their loss to New England. The franchise is known for slow starts, but this game looked as if the Bengals still thought it was preseason.

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23. New York Jets

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Aaron Rodgers' return to the field was spoiled by the most talented team in the NFC. The Jets have a long road to go before discovering what kind of team they are. However, time is ticking.

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22. Arizona Cardinals

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The Cardinals had the Buffalo Bills on the ropes for most of the first half, but the Bills proved to be the more talented team in the end. But Cardinals fans have to be excited about what they saw from quarterback Kyler Murray.

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21. Chicago Bears

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The Bears were gifted a win in their matchup with the Titans. However, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams didn't have the most impressive regular-season debut. Next week, the Bears will be closely examined to see if the Week 1 victory was just a fluke.

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20. New England Patriots

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No one expected much from the Patriots this season. Their performance on Sunday was the perfect example of blocking out the noise and just playing the game. It seems the Pats are ready to bring the fight every week.

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19. Los Angeles Chargers

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Jim Harbaugh opened his tenure with the Los Angeles Chargers, where he earned a victory over the Raiders. However, putting a lot of stock over a victory against Vegas may not be wise at this point in the season.

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18. Green Bay Packers

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The Packers opened their season in a nightmare scenario with a loss to the Eagles and an injury to quarterback Jordan Love. The rest of the league may have to wait on their judgment of Green Bay until Love returns from injury.

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17. Jacksonville Jaguars

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The Jaguars showed flashes of being a good team in their loss to the Dolphins. However, the opening-season loss doesn't look like it will be season-defining for a team that will compete in a tough AFC South.

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16. New Orleans Saints

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The Saints were given a bye week to open the season, and they devoured the Carolina Panthers. It is hard to judge just how talented this Saints team is; however, we do know they are not in the basement with their NFC South rival.

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15. Seattle Seahawks

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The Seahawks won in an ugly meeting with the Broncos on Sunday. However, either the Broncos are better than we give them credit or the Seahawks have played down their competition. Seattle will be another team to watch in Week 2.

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14. Indianapolis Colts

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The Colts lost what was arguably the most competitive game of the Sunday slate to the Houston Texans. However, in the loss, the Colts showed that they have plenty of talent that will not let Week 1 define them.

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13. Los Angeles Rams

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The Rams took the Detroit Lions to overtime but came up short in the end. It looks like the Rams can go as far as a hobbled Matthew Stafford can take them.

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12. Minnesota Vikings

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Fans may have witnessed Sam Darnold's resurrection after the Vikings' blowout victory over the Giants. The Vikings have weapons on offense and are a team not to look past.

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11. Houston Texans

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There seems to be no sophomore slump with Texans quarterback CJ Stroud. The Texans took care of business against a divisional rival and look to continue on an upward trajectory.

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10. Pittsburgh Steelers

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Beating a team without scoring a touchdown may be one of the most impressive things a team can do, and that's just what the Steelers did. Pittsburgh's defense can and will win them a lot of games this season.

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9. Buffalo Bills

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One may want to make sure their wagons can still circle, as the Bills' death may have been premature. However, Allen's staying healthy will be vital to the team's success.

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8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

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Baker Mayfield has found his home in Tampa Bay. The NFC South quarterback continued to look the part in the Bucs' dominating win over the Commanders. The Bucs could once again be a playoff team this season.

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7. Miami Dolphins

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The police couldn't even hold back the Dolphins on Sunday, as the team took down the Jaguars in the season opener. The Dolphins have the offensive talent; now, it is time for the franchise to take the next step.

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6. Philadelphia Eagles

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The Eagles secured their Week 1 victory on Friday in the NFL's first game in Brazil. However, their biggest victory may have been a divisional rival handing them a generational talent at running back.

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5. Detroit Lions

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The same old Lions moniker died last season when the franchise earned a shot at the NFC Championship. It seems the reigning NFC North champions are still looking for more.

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4. Baltimore Ravens

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Did any team look better losing in Week 1 than the Baltimore Ravens? The Ravens were a few toes from having a chance to beat the reigning Super Bowl champs. Something tells me the Ravens will be a team to watch all season.

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3. Dallas Cowboys

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No defense was more destructive in Week 1 than the Cowboys. Dallas proved they have all the pieces to be one of the best teams in the league. Now, it is time to get over that postseason hump.

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2. San Francisco 49ers

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The 49ers have everything a team needs to be a Super Bowl contender, and they proved it once again on Monday night.

Now, can the franchise avoid becoming this generation's Buffalo Bills, the team that can't seem to win the big one? Only time will tell.

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1. Kansas City Chiefs

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To be the team, you have to beat the team. The Chiefs have won back-to-back Super Bowls and showed no signs of slowing down after their win over Baltimore. The Chiefs will be in the pole position until someone can prove they are better.

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