NFL Composite Power Rankings: Bills Open Season No. 1

Combining seven power rankings into one, here’s the Top 10 with the 2022 NFL season about to begin.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers open the 2022 NFL season as the fifth-ranked team in our NFL Composite Power Rankings.

Our poll combines our thoughts with the rankings of six national media outlets.

The Buffalo Bills are the top-ranked team on six of seven ballots. The other team to get a first-place vote was the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, who are No. 2 overall. Those teams will kick off the season on Thursday night.

“The Packers will be a different team this time around,” CBSSports.com’s Pete Prisco wrote in predicting a Packers-Bills Super Bowl. “They will still get the big plays from Aaron Rodgers, but the offense might not be as prolific without receiver Davante Adams. But that's fine. The defense could be dominant.

“Barring injuries, they have the best secondary in the league and have a young pass-rush star in Rashan Gary. They could end up as a top-3 defense, maybe even tops, which would give Rodgers time to adapt to his young receiving group. Don't worry about Rodgers.”

The Packers will open the season at the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Minnesota did not crack the Composite Top 10. It ranked as high as 11th (The Ringer) and as low as 23rd (ESPN).

“We don’t worry about the offense,” NFL.com’s Dan Hanzus wrote of the Vikings. “Kirk Cousins will do his Kirk Cousins thing (streaky production that lands with around 35 touchdowns, 4,000 yards and a 100 passer rating), and the power trio of Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook stacks up against any Big Three in the sport. We like the defensive front led by Danielle Hunter and Za'Darius Smith, too, but the cornerback group is worrisome. Two rookies – Andrew Booth Jr. and Akayleb Evans – are in line for significant roles in Minnesota's new scheme, while Chandon Sullivan joined as a free-agent acquisition. A Week 1 assignment against two-time reigning MVP Aaron Rodgers will serve as an immediate gut check.”

Here is our Week 1 Composite Power Rankings.

Packer Central: 1, Bills; 2, Buccaneers; 3, Chiefs; 4, Rams; 5, Bengals; 6, Packers; 7, Chargers; 8, Eagles; 9, 49ers; 10, Raiders.

Sports Illustrated: 1, Bills; 2; Packers, 3, Rams; 4, Chiefs; 5, Buccaneers; 6, Chargers; 7, Bengals; 8, 49ers; 9, Ravens; 10, Broncos.

ESPN.com: 1, Bills; 2, Buccaneers; 3, Rams; 4, Chiefs; 5, Bengals; 6, Packers; 7, 49ers; 8, Chargers; 9, Ravens; 10, Cowboys.

NFL.com: 1, Bills; 2, Rams; 3, 49ers; 4, Buccaneers; 5, Bengals; 6, Packers; 7, Chiefs; 8, Broncos; 9; Chargers; 10, Ravens.

CBSSports.com: 1, Bills; 2, Packers; 3, Chiefs; 4, Rams; 5, Bengals; 6, Saints; 7, Buccaneers; 8, Eagles; 9, Chargers; 10, 49ers.

Pro Football Talk: 1, Rams; 2, Buccaneers; 3, Bills; 4, Chiefs; 5, Packers; 6, Bengals; 7, 49ers; 8, Titans; 9, Eagles; 10, Cowboys.

The Ringer: 1, Bills; 2, Buccaneers; 3, Chiefs; 4, Packers; 5, Rams; 6, Chargers; 7, Bengals; 8, Ravens; 9, 49ers; 10, Broncos.

Composite: 1, Bills (9); 2, Rams (22); 3, Buccaneers (24); 4, Chiefs (28); 5, Packers (31); 6, Bengals (40); 7, 49ers (54); 8, Chargers (60); 9, Ravens (76); 10, Eagles (78).

Predicting Every Game on Packers’ Schedule

The Green Bay Packers have won 13 games an NFL-record three consecutive seasons. Can they do it again? Here are game-by-game predictions by Bill Huber of Packer Central and Conor Orr of Sports Illustrated.

Week 1 at Minnesota

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Lose.

The Vikings – with a new coach and new schemes – didn’t play their starters in the preseason, either. So, whatever happens on Sunday, you can flush that story line down the toilet. If David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins play, the Packers will win. If they don’t, they’ll lose.

Week 2 vs. Chicago

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

All-time, the Bears have 783 wins and the Packers have 782. By the end of the night, the Packers could have the most wins in NFL history.

Week 3 at Tampa Bay

Bill Huber: Lose. Conor Orr: Lose.

The Buccaneers are loaded – Julio Jones is their fourth receiver – and the Packers might still be finding their way on offense. Could this set the stage for Packers at Bucs in the NFC title game?

Week 4 vs. New England

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

Bill Belichick might be the greatest coach in NFL history but this is not the finest roster he’s helped assemble. He’s a defensive genius, though, so LaFleur vs. Belichick will be quite the subplot.

Week 5 vs. N.Y. Giants (London)

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

Unless quarterback Daniel Jones’ career takes off in Year 4, this will be one of the worst teams in the NFL. A key to Green Bay’s season will be the play of Bakhtiari and Jenkins following their ACLs. A key to the Giants’ season will be the play of running back Saquon Barkley following a so-so return from his ACL.

Week 6 vs. New York Jets

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

Unless quarterback Zach Wilson takes a huge Year 2 jump, this will be one of the worst teams in the NFL. Having four of the top 36 picks of the draft should help their perpetual rebuild.

Week 7 at Washington

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

The Commanders have quality skill-position talent and a superb defensive front, but is Carson Wentz good enough at quarterback to get them to the playoffs?

Week 8 at Buffalo

Bill Huber: Lose. Conor Orr: Win.

The Bills are absolutely loaded, which is why they’re the preseason Super Bowl favorites at SI Sportsbook. Josh Allen, Stefon Diggs and Gabriel Davis vs. Green Bay’s secondary will be must-see TV.

Week 9 at Detroit

Bill Huber: Lose. Conor Orr: Win.

Dan Campbell has the Lions trending the right way. Jared Goff isn’t a great quarterback but Amon-Ra St. Brown, D.J. Chark and (if healthy) Jameson Williams could be a premier receiver trio.

Week 10 vs. Dallas

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Lose.

Mike McCarthy will make his triumphant return to Green Bay. If left tackle Tyron Smith is still out with his hamstring injury, it’s hard to see how the Cowboys will protect against Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

Week 11 vs. Tennessee

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

On Thursday night, perhaps rookie receivers Christian Watson of the Packers and Treylon Burks of the Titans will take center stage. Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw 55 touchdowns vs. 13 interceptions in 2019 and 2020 but 21 touchdowns vs. 14 interceptions in 2021.

Week 12 at Philadelphia

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

If quarterback Jalen Hurts progresses after a promising first year as the starter, the Eagles are going to be really good. I would have picked them here but the Packers will get a few extra days of rest. Philly’s powerful offensive line will test a Green Bay front’s desire to stop the run.

Week 13 at Chicago

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

Aaron Rodgers owns Chicago, in case you’ve forgotten. Green Bay’s cornerbacks against Chicago receivers Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle seems like the ultimate mismatch.

Week 14: Bye

Week 15 vs. L.A. Rams

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Lose.

The Packers will be coming off their bye but the Rams will have a few extra days of rest, too, following a Thursday game. The key here – and going forward – will be whether Green Bay’s rookie receivers are ready to make some plays in a big game.

Week 16 at Miami

Bill Huber: Lose. Conor Orr: Win.

The Packers will leave the deep-freeze of Green Bay to play in hot-and-humid Miami on Christmas. The Dolphins have a loaded pass-catching corps with Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Cedrick Wilson and tight end Mike Gesicki.

Week 17 vs. Minnesota

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

The schedule-makers didn’t do the Packers any favors with a Christmas Day game in Miami. They made up for it by sending the Vikings and Lions to Green Bay in January.

Week 18 vs. Detroit

Bill Huber: Win. Conor Orr: Win.

Regardless of their record before this game, the Packers will play to win this game so they can carry momentum into the playoffs.

Final Records

We came up with matching 13-4 records even while having only one common loss (at Tampa Bay in Week 3).