POWER RANKINGS

1. New England Patriots (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 1

The Patriots made WR Antonio Brown a big part of their offense from the outset of the lopsided win in Miami.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 2

No Tyreek Hill in the lineup? No problem for Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, at least not against the Raiders.

3. Los Angeles Rams (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 4

The Rams wonder: NFL officiating problems? What NFL officiating problems? Everything seems just fine to the Rams, especially when they play the Saints.

4. Dallas Cowboys (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 7

Dak Prescott is playing remarkably well at QB and the Cowboys have been able to ease RB Ezekiel Elliott back into the offensive mix after his holdout.

5. Baltimore Ravens (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 9

Lamar Jackson, MVP candidate. Get used to those words going together. It certainly appears that will be the case in Jackson’s second NFL season.

6. Green Bay Packers (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 10

This Green Bay defense appears to be legitimately good, and the Packers could have a balanced team that will keep QB Aaron Rodgers from having to do it all.

7. Seattle Seahawks (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 11

The Seahawks are capable of challenging the Rams for NFC West supremacy. This division is loaded.

8. Chicago Bears (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 12 The Bears winning a game with a clutch kick? Who would have thought it was possible? 9. Houston Texans (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 15

The Texans didn’t win convincingly at home against the Jaguars in Gardner Minshew’s first NFL start for Jacksonville. But at least they won.

10. Buffalo Bills (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 19

The wins over the Jets and Giants have been encouraging. But it’s still only the Jets and Giants. No one should get carried away just yet.

11. San Francisco 49ers (2-0) | Last week’s rank: 20

It’s too early to know if the Niners are for real in terms of being a playoff contender.

12. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 21

Julio Jones earned his money Sunday night with the game-winning TD dash against the Eagles that showed, again, that the Falcons were justified in making him the league’s highest-paid wide receiver.

13. Cleveland Browns (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 14

The Browns still weren’t great Monday night. But they won and their star power was on vivid display with Odell Beckham Jr., Baker Mayfield and Myles Garrett.

14. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 17

The kicking struggles that led Adam Vinatieri to hint that he was contemplating retirement overshadowed a very good road win at Tennessee.

15. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 5

The injuries piled up Sunday night in Atlanta and QB Carson Wentz mostly struggled with WRs DeSean Jackson and Alshon Jeffery on the sideline.

16. Detroit Lions (1-0-1) | Last week’s rank: 29

The Lions really should be 2-0, given the nature of their Week 1 tie with the Cardinals.

17. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 6

Losing in Detroit is not something that you do if you want to be regarded as one of the NFL’s upper-tier teams.

18. New Orleans Saints (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 3

The Saints must patch things together at QB with Teddy Bridgewater and Taysom Hill until Drew Brees returns from his reported thumb injury.

19. Minnesota Vikings (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 8

The Vikings won in Week 1 by de-emphasizing QB Kirk Cousins. They had to turn to Cousins when they fell behind early Sunday against the Packers, and Cousins responded with his typical mistakes.

20. Tennessee Titans (1-2) | Last week’s rank: 13

The very good win over the Browns to open the season was offset when the Titans couldn’t take care of business at home against the Colts on Sunday.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 31

QB Jameis Winston eliminated the mistakes, and the Bucs were able to win at Carolina.

22. Oakland Raiders (1-1) | Last week’s rank: 22

Yes, the Raiders are far more competent than they were last season and better than anyone expected them to be in the aftermath of the Antonio Brown chaos.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 16

Addition by subtraction? It’s not exactly working, is it?

24. Carolina Panthers (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 18

Cam Newton showed that he could throw the ball down the field. But accuracy was an issue, and he didn’t show that his foot injury from the preseason has healed sufficiently for the Panthers to trust him to carry the ball with the game on the line.

25. Washington Redskins (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 23

The Cowboys looked like a legitimate NFC heavyweight Sunday at FedEx Field while the Redskins looked like, well, the Redskins.

26. New York Giants (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 24

It’s not all Eli Manning’s fault. And he deserves a dignified ending to his Giants career.

27. Denver Broncos (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 25

The roughing-the-passer call that cost the Broncos against the Bears was highly questionable, at best.

28. Arizona Cardinals (0-1-1) | Last week’s rank: 28

Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray are making the Cardinals competitive.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) | Last week’s rank: 26

Gardner Minshew played fine in Houston in his first NFL start, taking over for the injured Nick Foles.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 27

So much for the encouraging performance in the opening loss in Seattle.

31. New York Jets (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 30

It has gone from Sam Darnold to Trevor Siemian to Luke Falk, in rapid succession, at QB. The season could be lost by the time Darnold returns to the lineup.

32. Miami Dolphins (0-2) | Last week’s rank: 32

The fire sale continued with the trade of Minkah Fitzpatrick to the Steelers.