THE BILLS ARE DUE
The defending champion Rams and Bills kicked off the season Thursday. They are also the top two teams in our preseason power rankings.
1. BILLS
The Bills have it all on offense and defense, and had they beaten the Chiefs last year, they likely would have beaten the Bengals. Josh Allen can do it all, and he’ll likely take another step and lead them to a Super Bowl appearance.
2. RAMS
Aaron Donald. Jalen Ramsey. Matt Stafford. Cooper Kupp. The Rams have some of the best talent in the league, and now they have the Super Bowl experience.
3. CHIEFS
Tyreek Hill made this Chiefs offense beyond dangerous, and now he’s gone. But Andy Reid is still one of the best coaches in the NFL, and Patrick Mahomes is one of the most talented quarterbacks.
4. BENGALS
Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase are only going to get better. But the Bengals caught lightning in a bottle last season, so they’ll be a threat, but not a lock, for the Super Bowl.
5. BUCCANEERS
Tom Brady is the GOAT for a reason. But his brief hiatus in the preseason is concerning. He’s also 45 now, and Father Time is undefeated.
6. BRONCOS
The Broncos were a solid team without a legitimate quarterback last year. Now they add an MVP-caliber player in Russell Wilson to the mix.
7. PACKERS
The Packers are always going to be a good team as long as they have Aaron Rodgers, but it’s definitely fair to wonder how losing Davante Adams will affect the offense.
8. 49ERS
Trey Lance certainly has a bright future, but this will be his first season as the full-time starter. And he has Jimmy Garoppolo staring down his back. Still, Lance has great pieces around him.
9. RAIDERS
The Raiders have no excuse not to be a better team this season with the addition of receiver Davante Adams from the Packers.
10. CHARGERS
Justin Herbert is on the verge of becoming a superstar in this league. If receiver Kenan Allen can stay healthy, he’ll have another big year.
11. COLTS
The Colts were a quarterback away from making the playoffs in 2021. Add Matt Ryan to go with star running back Jonathan Taylor, and this team will be significantly better.
12. RAVENS
Lamar Jackson is playing for a new contract, so expect him to ball out.
13. DOLPHINS
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are going to be a problem for opposing defenses this season, and QB Tua Tagovailoa should show he’s the answer.
14. EAGLES
The Eagles certainly improved this offseason with the additions of A.J. Brown and edge rusher Haason Reddick. Jalen Hurts has enough weapons with Brown and DeVonta Smith to have a better year.
15. COWBOYS
It’s fair to wonder whether the Cowboys regress on offense with Amari Cooper leaving for Cleveland and left tackle Tyron Smith suffering a significant injury in the preseason.
16. TITANS
The Titans might regress a little this season after trading A.J. Brown. But if Derrick Henry can stay healthy, they’ll always be a threat.
17. PANTHERS
Offensive line and quarterback, as well as keeping Christian McCaffrey healthy, have been problems for the Panthers the past two seasons. They fixed those issues this offseason, including trading for quarterback Baker Mayfield. If they can stay healthy, they’ll improve.
18. PATRIOTS
Cornerback J.C. Jackson’s leaving for the Chargers is going to hurt. He was a beast in 2021.
19. CARDINALS
There haven’t been many positive headlines coming out of Arizona recently. The Cardinals and Kyler Murray are going to miss DeAndre Hopkins, who was suspended the first six games of 2022 for PED use.
20. SAINTS
Sean Payton was the mastermind behind the offense, and now he’s gone. The Saints will still be a good defensive team, but can Michael Thomas return to form, and can Jameis Winston hold up after coming back from a significant knee injury?
21. VIKINGS
The Vikings didn’t do much to significantly improve their team in 2022. But if Dalvin Cook can stay healthy, they should be OK.
22. BROWNS
The Browns have talent, but with Deshaun Watson suspended for the first 11 weeks, they’ll struggle.
23. STEELERS
The Steelers’ quarterback situation isn’t the best. The fact that first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett could enter Week 1 as the third-stringer should be a concern as they try to move past the Ben Roethlisberger era.
24. JETS
The Jets were fortunate QB Zach Wilson didn’t suffer a significant injury in the preseason. They added some weapons on defense. It’s time for them to improve.
25.COMMANDERS
Trading for Carson Wentz seemed like a desperate move for Ron Rivera and his staff, and it won’t help. The Commanders need a makeover and will continue to regress until they get one.
26. TEXANS
On both sides of the ball, the Texans are better than they were in 2021. Adding Derek Stingley and Jalen Pitre on defense and Kenyon Green and Daemon Pierce on offense is going to help. And Davis Mills, entering year two, looks a lot more comfortable than he did as a rookie. But they still lack playmakers to make a significant jump.
27. JAGUARS
The Jaguars upgraded in a major way by going from Urban Meyer to Doug Pederson as coach. Meyer’s time in Jacksonville was a disaster. And Trevor Lawrence, who will be a stud, will benefit from Pederson’s tutelage.
28. LIONS
Aidan Hutchinson will be a difference maker on defense, but it won’t be enough to overcome this offense.
29. BEARS
The Bears’ offensive line was a mess in 2021, and they haven’t upgraded weapons for second-year quarterback Justin Fields this season. It’ll be another tough year and another high draft pick.
30. GIANTS
This might end up being QB Daniel Jones’ final year with the Giants as they enter a new era with coach Brian Daboll.
31. SEAHAWKS
The battle between Geno Smith and Drew Lock likely isn’t over. Russell Wilson was carrying the Seahawks the past few years. And they’ve replaced him with backup quarterbacks.
32. FALCONS
The Falcons are going to take a significant step back after trading Matt Ryan to the Colts. He was the only thing holding this ship up. Their defense is still bad. It’s full-on rebuild mode now.