2023 NFL Power Rankings: Week 2

Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season is officially in the books! The San Francisco 49ers now hold the top spot in our NFL Power Rankings -- which come via numberFire's nERD metric -- while the Houston Texans remain at the bottom.

The Detroit Lions kicked off the season with a gutsy 21-20 victory over a Kansas City Chiefs side that desperately missed Travis Kelce, moving the Lions up one spot to eighth.

With their 30-13 upset win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, the Los Angeles Rams saw the largest jump, moving up 13 positions to 13th overall.

The Minnesota Vikings fell three spots after their disappointing 20-17 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and now sit in 20th.

The team with the largest increase in Super Bowl odds -- per numberFire's model -- after Week 1? The 49ers -- up 5.1 percentage points.

The team with the largest decrease in Super Bowl odds after Week 1? The New York Jets -- down 4.6 percentage points after Aaron Rodgers suffered a devastating Achilles injury.

These Power Rankings will continue to shift weekly as the story of the season is written.

Here's where things stand heading into Week 2.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 2)

Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd

The New York Giants saw the largest drop of any team, falling 13 spots after their 40-0 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. It was a horrendous start for a side that was hoping to take the next step this season after signing Daniel Jones to a large contract extension.

The Giants were the only team that did not score a point in Week 1, and their total offense -- as well as their passing offense -- ranks last based on numberFire’s opponent-adjusted Net Expected Points (NEP) model. One small bright spot is their rushing offense, which ranks 16th.

The good news for New York? A Week 2 game against the Arizona Cardinals offers a perfect bounce-back opportunity.

The other new arrival in the bottom 10 is the Seahawks, who were soundly defeated by the Rams in Week 1. Seattle lost two of their starting offensive linemen and was unable to effectively move the ball in the second half.

While the struggles on offense were concerning, Seattle's defense was a larger problem. The Seahawks floundered in both phases of the game -- their pass defense ranks 31st based on numberFire’s opponent-adjusted NEP model while their run defense ranks 24th.

The result is an 11-spot drop in the Power Rankings and a decrease of 21.6 percentage points in their odds to make the playoffs, the fourth-largest decrease of the week. Unlike the Giants, things don't get easier for Seattle in Week 2 as they travel to Detroit to face the Lions.

Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th

The Washington Commanders began a new era with a 20-16 home win over the Cardinals, resulting in an eight-spot jump up the rankings. They have their defense to thank for the win as the Commanders' pass defense and run defense rank 4th and 10th, respectively, by numberFire’s model.

Their offense, with Sam Howell under center, was unimpactful and finished the week ranked 27th in passing and 25th in rushing. For Washington to remain in the middle tier of the Power Rankings, their O will almost certainly have to improve.

The Los Angeles Chargers lost an exciting 36-34 shootout against the Miami Dolphins, resulting in a six-spot drop, the largest drop of any team that entered Week 1 ranked inside the top 12.

This was almost entirely due to their pass defense, which was decimated by Miami. Los Angeles has the bottom-ranked adjusted pass defense in the NFL, according to numberFire’s metrics.

On a positive note, their run defense ranks third, and their passing and rushing offense rank 13th and first, respectively. In his Chargers' debut, Kellen Moore's offense did well. Moving forward, Brandon Staley needs the defense to improve. In Week 2, they should have an easier task against the Tennessee Titans.

The Rams moved up 13 spots after an impressive win over Seattle, but their odds to make the playoffs improved by just 9.3 percentage points. Next up is a daunting clash with the 49ers. If Los Angeles impresses again in Week 2, they could slide into the top 12.

Teams Ranked 12th to 1st

Week 1 was a mixed bag of results for teams in the top 12. The Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and Cincinnati Bengals all lost, resulting in drops of four, three, and five spots, respectively.

The Bills (-1.8 percentage points) and the Bengals (-1.7 percentage points) had the second- and third-largest decreases in their odds to win the Super Bowl, behind only the Jets. The Bills have an excellent bounce-back opportunity against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 2, but the Chiefs (at Jacksonville) and the Bengals (vs. Baltimore) face tougher tasks.

The Cleveland Browns moved up four spots after their 24-3 win over Cincinnati in the rain. The Browns' pass defense ranks second, per numberFire, while their run defense ranks 12th.

Their D helped support an offense that ranked 22nd in passing and 13th in rushing. Cleveland's defensive success looks set to continue against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, but to be serious contenders, the Browns' offense will need to improve.

The Philadelphia Eagles moved down one spot after an unconvincing 25-20 win over the New England Patriots in Week 1. They currently rank 23rd in total offense, according to numberFire. A clash with Minnesota on Thursday Night Football in Week 2 provides an opportunity for the Eagles to make a statement.

The Dolphins saw the largest increases in odds of making the playoffs (+35.8 percentage points) and odds of winning their division (+30.9 percentage points) of any team in the league. Like the Chargers, their offense excelled in Week 1, (first in total offense), but their defense remains a concern (30th in total defense).

After impressive performances on both sides of the ball in Week 1, the Cowboys and 49ers sit atop our power rankings. Brock Purdy picked up right where he left off, while Dallas' defense put on a show for the ages. Both teams should continue to find success in Week 2, especially the Cowboys' defense -- which has a meeting with a Jets' offense now led by Zach Wilson.

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