Forget what happened in the 2017 NFL regular season and playoffs. With the 2018 preseason action in the books, it’s time to focus forward on what teams will be the most (and least) powerful when the games count.
Sporting News’ rankings reflect how we see supremacy shaking up in our predictions all the way through Super Bowl 53. Although seeing where your team ranks now is fun (or not), remember, where that team finishes is more important.
WEEK 1 NFL PICKS:
Against spread | Straight up
Week 1 NFL power rankings
1. New Orleans Saints
Spoiler alert: The Saints are SN’s pick to succeed the Eagles as NFL champions. Quarterback Drew Brees and coach Sean Payton have done this before when provided enough support from the running game and defense. New Orleans hasn’t been this fine in nine seasons.
2. Minnesota Vikings
There’s plenty to love about last year’s NFC runner-up after Minnesota upgraded at QB with Kirk Cousins and added Sheldon Richardson to the front of an all-around nasty defense. The Vikings are a close second, for now, until we feel better about Cousins being able to lead his team to victory in a playoff game.
3. Los Angeles Rams
Coach Sean McVay broke out as the fresh face in Hollywood last season, and the Rams added plenty more star power for what could be a special sequel. The offense will keep rolling, but the question is whether the defense will translate well from paper to the field.
4. New England Patriots
New England’s running backs, wide receivers and offensive line have gone through some major shake-ups. Coach Bill Belichick is reshuffling the defense, looking for better answers against the pass. We’ve seen this before, and it ends with the Patriots ready for big business as usual.
5. Philadelphia Eagles
The Eagles were able to soar above the injury bug last season with some supersubs, led by Nick Foles. Doing it again against an even more stacked NFC will be difficult, especially with little clarity on Carson Wentz’s clearance.
6. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers have been cursed again with offseason injuries (Hunter Henry, Jason Verrett) but are catching a break with Joey Bosa. His work leading the defense will complement a big year for Philip Rivers, Melvin Gordon and Keenan Allen.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars won’t sneak up on anybody this year. They will just dominate out of the gate with their “Sacksonville” defense. The offense upgraded its strength (power running game) and did plenty to alleviate a weakness, setting themselves up for a more efficient passing game.
8. Green Bay Packers
Aaron Rodgers is back healthy, and that alone gives the Packers one of the highest win-total floors in the NFL. The running game and defense are promising wild cards after smart coordinator changes.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers will score a ton however they see fit with Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell and JuJu Smith-Schuster. There’s also a chance they will give up a ton defensively without Ryan Shazier. Overall, though, they’re still good enough to remain Black and Golden in the AFC North.
10. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons got through their hangover and hung tough all the way into last season’s divisional playoffs. They got a little better and deeper, but not quite enough to keep up with the other NFC heavyweights. A big bounce-back from quarterback Matt Ryan can be an equalizer.
2018 NFL PREVIEW:
Predictions, player rankings, more
11. San Francisco 49ers
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo has the majority of the winning hype, especially with a more dynamic group of skill players around him, and the rest has come from Richard Sherman, Reuben Foster and the defense. Coach Kyle Shanahan is the key to the breakthrough.
12. Carolina Panthers
Cam Newton will try to be more consistent as a passer in new coordinator Norv Turner’s offense, but the line issues form a growing concern. The defensive front seven remains the team’s backbone, but everything behind Luke Kuechly is uncertain. That works out to the Panthers being strongly above average.
13. Tennessee Titans
For a wild-card team, the Titans underwent big change under new coach Mike Vrabel, with Matt LaFleur taking over the offense and Dean Pees being charged with the defense. They also tapped into more of the Patriot Way with the additions of Dion Lewis and Malcolm Butler. With some time to the jell in new systems with upgraded talent, there won’t as much of a drop-off as many anticipate.
14. Houston Texans
Deshaun Watson is healthy. J.J. Watt is healthy. The Texans still have offensive line and defensive backfield issues, but those two guys can make up for the deficiencies and get Houston back into the wild-card hunt.
15. Dallas Cowboys
The sudden offensive line woes are disconcerting, but quarterback Dak Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott will return to their rookie form together in an effort to protect a defense that will be steady but not spectacular. The Cowboys have “middle of the pack” written all over them.
16. Kansas City Chiefs
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes can throw the ball through a barn, so the big plays will be there. So will the inconsistency and mistakes. The Chiefs also no longer have an impact defense to facilitate winning for the second-year QB.
17. New York Giants
The Giants upgraded their offensive line and will have a legitimate running game with rookie back Saquon Barkley, but don’t forget how much more they can do with a healthy passing game around quarterback Eli Manning. The defense will have growing pains in a new, 3-4 scheme, landing the team somewhere between its strong 2016 season and its disastrous one in 2017.
18. Seattle Seahawks
Seattle’s offensive line and running game still present questions, and quarterback Russell Wilson has to carry the offense again with remixed weapons. The defense will see a drop-off, but it’s not as doomed without the Boom as many might think. The Seahawks will stay around last season’s airspace.
19. Chicago Bears
The Mitchell Trubisky train is not an express. New coach Matt Nagy will bring much-needed creativity and explosiveness to the offense with improved skill players, but the second-year QB is bound to have a limited ceiling in his first year under the coach. The defense is good enough for a bump in the tough NFC North.
20. Detroit Lions
The Lions have their passing game down with quarterback Matthew Stafford, but the arrival of new coach Matt Patricia means they’re trying to be more well-rounded with support from the running game and defense. Breaking from below average in the newness will be difficult.
2018 NFL PREDICTIONS:
Records, playoff projections, picks
21. Baltimore Ravens
Quarterback Joe Flacco seems rejuvenated thanks to the quietly quick trajectory of rookie passer Lamar Jackson behind him. The defensive mojo continues, but the loss of cornerback Jimmy Smith for a near fourth of the season hurts. Coach John Harbaugh has yet another up-and-down team.
22. Denver Broncos
Case Keenum won’t light up the scoreboard, but he will at least clean up Denver’s QB mess and help make the Broncos respectable while playing caretaker for a potentially much-improved running game and still-loaded defense. That doesn't mean they’ll be able to stay above .500, though.
23. Oakland Raiders
In his second time around as coach, Jon Gruden was dealt a tricky hand and has shown more poker face than Chucky face. There’s a lot of mystery in Oakland, from how the defense looks without Khalil Mack to whether quarterback Derek Carr is capable of a rebound season.
24. Indianapolis Colts
The collaboration of quarterback Andrew Luck and new coach Frank Reich should produce some pleasing offensive results with a favorable schedule in that regard. The defense has a few guys who can play, but it has a lot more holes. That will put the Colts anywhere between five and nine wins.
25. Cleveland Browns
Cleveland finished at rock-bottom in 2018, but this a completely different, more confident team featuring a promising defense behind end Myles Garrett and suddenly legitimate offense around quarterback Tyrod Taylor. The Browns will go from zero to at least six wins.
26. New York Jets
Rookie quarterback Sam Darnold has flashed well enough to confirm he will be the real deal soon, but in the short term, he will take his lumps. New York’s budding defense, however, is where coach Todd Bowles will make his hay to hint at a much bigger 2019 season.
27. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals improved their offensive line, and their running game and defense are showing shades of the team’s successful past. The trick for Cincinnati will be finding wins in such a strong division.
28. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals have a new coach, a new defense, (eventually) a new starting quarterback and a new vibe, save for a healthy running back in David Johnson and still-hearty wide receiver in Larry Fitzgerald. Overall, the talent equates to a transition year between aging and rebuilding.
29. Buffalo Bills
The Bills enjoyed a playoff berth last year, but offensive line woes and a new starting quarterback (likely rookie Josh Allen) will lead to a fall back to earth in Year 2 under coach Sean McDermott.
30. Washington Redskins
Quarterback Alex Smith should stabilize the offense in some ways, but there are a lot of worrisome variables, especially without rookie running back Derrius Guice. The defense faces another messy year, too.
MOCK DRAFT 2019:
Dolphins, Bucs restart at QB
31. Miami Dolphins
If this ranking holds throughout the season, it will be bad news for the future of coach Adam Gase. The Dolphins have noticeable talent voids in key areas. Being behind the Jets and Bills in the quarterback game would set them up for big changes in 2019.
32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback Jameis Winston’s four-game suspension to begin a critical year for him and the offense under coach Dirk Koetter does not bode well. The Bucs, with a brutal schedule, are in a tough spot as the rest of the NFC South continues to separate from them.
