Preseason NFL Power Rankings: Bills, Packers on Top

Preseason NFL Power Rankings: Bills, Packers on Top
Before Week 1 kicks off, here's our look at how all 32 teams shake out. Last year’s Super Bowl teams land at third and ninth. Welcome back to another season of NFL power rankings! We’re gonna rank all 32 teams in order of how good we think they are, and you’re gonna love it.
Once again, we’ll conduct our staff-wide poll at a few key checkpoints throughout the year, but most weeks will feature our writers taking the rankings for a spin individually. This week’s MMQB power rankings poll voters:Greg Bishop, senior writer Andrew Brandt, business of football columnist Albert Breer, senior NFL reporter Mitch Goldich, editor/writer Gary Gramling, senior editor Conor Orr, staff writer John Pluym, managing editor Michael Rosenberg, senior writerHere’s what we think on the eve of the 2022 season. Allen and the Bills have many fans believing it’s their turn to get back to the Super Bowl.
Chris Pedota/NorthJersey. com/USA TODAY Network 1. Buffalo BillsPoints in poll: 254 Highest-place vote: 1 (6 votes) Lowest-place vote: 2 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: at RamsThe Bills enter the season as the Super Bowl betting favorites, and they also land at No.
1 in our poll with six of eight first-place votes. Welcome to a season of massive expectations. 2.
Green Bay PackersPoints in poll: 237 Highest-place vote: 2 (3 votes) Lowest-place vote: 5 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: at VikingsAfter three straight 13-win seasons, the Packers are back in full force (mostly; see: Adams, Davante). But the clock is ticking to get Aaron Rodgers back to a second Super Bowl. 3.
Los Angeles RamsPoints in poll: 233 Highest-place vote: 3 (4 votes) Lowest-place vote: 6 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. BillsOur panel evidently doesn’t believe the defending champs get to roll into the following season at No. 1 until somebody knocks them off.
But the Rams are still thought of highly, for good reason. 4. Kansas City ChiefsPoints in poll: 226 Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 7 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at CardinalsPatrick Mahomes is 50–13 in his career as a starter.
The Chiefs may somehow be a bit under the radar, given all the national love for the Bills, but they are always dangerous. 5. Tampa Bay BuccaneersPoints in poll: 217 Highest-place vote: 2 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 9 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: at CowboysTom Brady decided to come back for another year because he knows this is a top-five team.
Although two of our voters had the Bucs all the way down at No. 9. 6.
Los Angeles ChargersPoints in poll: 216 Highest-place vote: 1 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 12 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. RaidersThe media is high on the Chargers on the eve of the season? When has that ever happened before, besides each of the last 15 years? There is the feeling that this year could be different, but we’ve probably said that before, too. 7.
Cincinnati BengalsPoints in poll: 207 Highest-place vote: 5 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 11 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. SteelersThe defending AFC champions are the fourth AFC team here. But don’t take that as a sign of disrespect.
After a Cinderella run through the postseason, this ranking in a deep AFC shows belief in this team’s staying power. 8. San Francisco 49ersPoints in poll: 198 Highest-place vote: 5 (2 votes) Lowest-place vote: 15 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at BearsThe 49ers are all in on the switch from Jimmy Garoppolo to Trey Lance.
Our panel is expecting no drop-off with the second-year man under center. 9. Baltimore RavensPoints in poll: 197 Highest-place vote: 1 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 13 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at JetsThe MMQB’s official team of the preseason (wait until you see our staff predictions on Wednesday) is primed for a bounce-back year.
Wilson has sent expectations (don’t say it, don’t say it) a mile high in Denver (shoot, we said it). Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports 10. Denver BroncosPoints in poll: 174 Highest-place vote: 6 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 13 (4 votes) Week 1 opponent: at SeahawksBrady and Matthew Stafford both won Super Bowls in their first season after leaving their longtime teams.
No pressure, Russell Wilson. 11. Philadelphia EaglesPoints in poll: 170 Highest-place vote: 6 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 17 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at LionsThe Eagles have done a great job building a roster around Jalen Hurts, and he’s been given everything he needs to succeed in Year 3.
12. Indianapolis ColtsPoints in poll: 167 Highest-place vote: 8 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 16 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at TexansThe Colts are once again rebooting things with a new QB. With Carson Wentz out and Matt Ryan in, we have them tops in the AFC South.
13. Las Vegas RaidersPoints in poll: 165 Highest-place vote: 10 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 16 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at ChargersThe Raiders snuck into the playoffs last season, and now a new regime has them thinking big. Unfortunately for them, they play in the most stacked division in football.
All four AFC West teams are in the top 13!14. Dallas CowboysPoints in poll: 159 Highest-place vote: 3 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 20 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. BuccaneersNo team has a wider range in these rankings than the Cowboys, with one voter putting them third and another putting them 20th.
In general, we’ve got Dallas as an average team in the mix for a playoff spot. 15. Tennessee TitansPoints in poll: 150 Highest-place vote: 9 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 21 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs.
GiantsLast year’s No. 1 seed in the AFC comes in just barely ahead of the midpoint. But it feels like the Titans have overachieved their preseason projections each year under Mike Vrabel.
16. New England PatriotsPoints in poll: 133 Highest-place vote: 11 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 19 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at DolphinsThe Patriots returned to the playoffs in Mac Jones’s rookie season, but after a turbulent preseason our crew isn’t rushing to ticket them for a return trip. 17.
New Orleans SaintsPoints in poll: 126 Highest-place vote: 14 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 20 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at FalconsThe Saints return plenty of talent, but obviously there are questions as they head into Year 1 without Sean Payton and Year 2 without Drew Brees. 18. Arizona CardinalsPoints in poll: 122 Highest-place vote: 14 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 21 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs.
ChiefsKyler Murray is now signed long-term, and aside from any lingering jokes about his since-discarded homework clause, the team can hopefully put that distraction to bed and build on last season’s playoff appearance. 19. Miami DolphinsPoints in poll: 121 Highest-place vote: 14 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 23 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: vs.
PatriotsThe Dolphins would probably be ranked higher if they’d landed the greatest quarterback of all time this offseason! Unfortunately, they got busted for tampering instead. But Miami is a popular sleeper team to sneak into the AFC playoff picture under first-year coach Mike McDaniel. 20.
Minnesota VikingsPoints in poll: 108 Highest-place vote: 16 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 22 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. PackersThe Vikings hovered between average and a-little-better-than-average through the entirety of Mike Zimmer’s tenure, and they’ll probably be in the same spot in Year 1 under Kevin O’Connell. 21.
Pittsburgh SteelersPoints in poll: 97 Highest-place vote: 18 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 27 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at BengalsThe Steelers are one of many teams entering a transition year, but don’t expect this proud franchise to enter a total rebuild. Mike Tomlin has a chance to keep his streak of . 500 or better season alive.
22. Cleveland BrownsPoints in poll: 81 Highest-place vote: 21 (2 votes) Lowest-place vote: 25 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: at PanthersIt’s hard to rank the Browns, knowing they’ll have Jacoby Brissett at QB for at least the first 11 games. We’ll see whether he keeps them afloat before Deshaun Watson’s expected return.
23. Detroit LionsPoints in poll: 78 Highest-place vote: 18 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 26 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. EaglesDan Campbell’s try-hard Lions, the darlings of Hard Knocks, have a chance to be one of the league’s feel-good stories this season.
Mayfield has certainly made things more exciting in Carolina this year. David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports 24. Carolina PanthersPoints in poll: 72 Highest-place vote: 22 (3 votes) Lowest-place vote: 31 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs.
BrownsEnter Baker Mayfield, and suddenly this Panthers season looks a lot spicier and more interesting. We’ll see if that translates to more wins. 25.
Washington CommandersPoints in poll: 65 Highest-place vote: 22 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 29 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs. JaguarsCarson Wentz returns to the NFC East, hoping to provide stability at the QB position for a team that hasn’t had much of it the last few years. 26.
New York JetsPoints in poll: 50 Highest-place vote: 23 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 29 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: vs. RavensZach Wilson’s preseason injury is a real shame for a team that’s still in the point in its rebuilding cycle when it should be more concerned with positive development than wins and losses. 27.
Jacksonville JaguarsPoints in poll: 45 Highest-place vote: 25 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 31 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: at CommandersWith the Urban Meyer circus long gone, Trevor Lawrence and his talented young teammates should be in a better environment to develop and show progress in 2022. 28. Seattle SeahawksPoints in poll: 42 Highest-place vote: 22 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 32 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: vs.
BroncosPete Carroll outlasted Russell Wilson in Seattle, and now we’ll see what he can do in a season with Geno Smith. 29. New York GiantsPoints in poll: 40 Highest-place vote: 20 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 31 (1 vote) Week 1 opponent: at TitansDaniel Jones looks to be getting his last chance to prove he can be a long-term answer for the Giants, now auditioning for Brian Daboll, his third coach in four years.
30. Chicago BearsPoints in poll: 39 Highest-place vote: 26 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 30 (2 votes) Week 1 opponent: vs. 49ersIt’ll be hard for Justin Fields to take that second-year leap given the supporting cast around him.
Few are expecting much from the Bears this year. 31. Atlanta FalconsPoints in poll: 20 Highest-place vote: 28 (2 votes) Lowest-place vote: 32 (4 votes) Week 1 opponent: vs.
SaintsThe Falcons moved on from Matt Ryan, and this season should give us some insight into how long of a rebuilding process they’re looking at. 32. Houston TexansPoints in poll: 15 Highest-place vote: 29 (1 vote) Lowest-place vote: 32 (3 votes) Week 1 opponent: vs.
ColtsThe Texans are in better shape as a franchise than they were this time last year, but they still find themselves in the basement as we roll into Week 1. More NFL Coverage:Predicting Every Game of the 2022 NFL SeasonRussell Wilson’s Deal Is Great . .
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