NFL Power Rankings – Week 1, John Crowe

NFL Power Rankings – Week 1, John Crowe

Welcome to the 2020 NFL season. It's a season some thought would not happen with the COVID-19 pandemic still engulfing the World. But the NFL has vowed to power through it, for better or for worse. It will be different right from the get-go. Some teams, like the Chiefs, Dolphins, Bucs, and more will have fans in the stands while teams like the Patriots, Rams, Chargers, Giants, Jets, and Packers will not. 62 players have already chosen to sit-out the 2020 season due to the coronavirus. The Patriots lead the way with 8 players taking a pass. Of course, there will be positive tests throughout the season. How many, how frequent and how the league reacts to them will determine how far the league plays into the already scheduled season.

As for on the field, among the biggest changes of course is that Tom Brady now calls Tampa Bay home instead of New England. For the first time in 20 years, the NFL's top players will have a new home. Brady and his Bucs sit atop many of the media's picks for Super Bowl LV in Tampa. It could be history in the making should TB12 take his new team to the grandest stage to host a Super Bowl, something that's never been done. I'm sure Brady would love to do that and shove it right in former head coach Bill Belichick's nose. There's no bigger storyline that this one in 2020 as everyone from fans to media to players and front office personnel will be watching every move.

One thing that hasn't changed is Belichick and how he deals with his team and the media. When news of Cam Newton being named the starting QB for week one against the Dolphins, Belichick quickly shot it down in Friday morning's press conference.

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"Yeah, we are not naming any starters at any positions, so any conversations that I have with the team will stay between me and the team, but we are not naming any roster, starters, positions or who's on the team or anything else like that, so sorry, I'm going to have to bypass that one,” said Belichick according to the team's website.

So, let's get to it. How we do we see our top 10 heading into week 1 and the opener of the Chiefs and the Texans? It could be a startling surprise to our fans and friends here in New England. So, read, share, discuss and let us know what your rankings are in our comment section below. Here’s to a wild 2020 NFL season ahead

Best of the rest:

I'm sure are wondering where your beloved New England Patriots are to start the season, right? Well, at least to start, they are on the outside looking in at the top 10. As you'll see, they're not even the best of the vaunted AFC East to start the season. Losing the only starting QB they've had for the past 20 years, Tom Brady, you know the guy with a record Super Bowl rings, will send your ranking spiraling for sure. But, it's not just that. They've lost a whole lot defensively between COVID-19 opt-outs, free agency and trades. Gone defensively are Dont'a Hightower, Patrick Chung, Kyle Van Noy, Jamie Collins, Duron Harmon and more. Offensively, Phillip Dorsett, Mohamed Sanu, James Devlin, Marcus Cannon are among those no long calling Foxboro home. And oh yeah, Rob Gronkowski is back playing football and it's not with the Patriots as he rejoins his BFF Tommy in Tampa.

Add to that a killer schedule that includes trips to Seattle and LA Rams plus games against the Chiefs, Ravens, and Texans and it's a tough road ahead for Bill Belichick's crew. Of course, they do have former NFL MVP Cam Newton now at QB, so they should contend for a playoff spot, especially if what should be a run-dominant offense led by Sony Michel, Rex Burkhead and Damian Harris gets going. It will be interesting in New England as youth will be served again, led by TE’s Devin Asiasi and Dalton Keene, and the retooling of the Dynasty sans TB12 begins.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers - Big Ben is back and that's a huge factor in Pittsburgh. Having Roethlisberger back to lead an offense that ended 2019 at #6 overall will take some pressure off a defense, led by Micah Fitzpatrick in the secondary and Cameron Hayward & TJ Watt up front, a defense that was ranked in the top 3 all year long and kept them in playoff contention up until the final Sunday of the 2019 season. WR JuJu Smith-Schuster will have to step up to lead fellow WR's James Washington, Diontae Johnson and crew. A resurgence from James Conner would help too.  

9. Buffalo Bills - QB Josh Allen has some help in WR Stefon Diggs, acquired in a trade from the Vikings. CB Josh Norman and OG Brian Winters will bring in some veteran leadership and stability to both sides of the ball for Sean McDermott's team. It's a squad that is on the cusp on overtaking the Patriots for the top spot in the AFC East for the first time in over a decade. The Bills were a top 5 defense all season long  but were hindered by the lack of consistency on offense. The Bills dodged a bullet when rumors of CB Tre'Davious White possibly opting out the season due to COVID-19 didn't come to fruition. This is the time for Allen to make that step up if the Bills want to not only make the playoffs, but win a postseason game for the first time in 25 years. Having Devin Singletary back at RB, along with rookie Zack Moss out of Utah will surely help.

8. Green Bay Packers - So, will Matt LaFleur's gamble to draft QB Jordan Love in the first-round light a fire under starter Aaron Rodgers or send him into an "I want out" spiral?" It could be a Tom Brady-Jimmy Garoppolo scenario that could work in the Packers' favor. But I'm sure Rodgers would've rather had a first-round WR to give him some help in an offense that looked off at times in 2019. LaFleur’s hope is that consistency and not Rodgers gambling to extend plays will come to the forefront. The Packers got blitzed twice by SF in 2019, nothing to be ashamed of as they were the NFC Champions and if not for a wonderful comeback by the Chiefs, would've been Super Bowl Champions.

7. Dallas Cowboys - So, that long-term deal didn't quite work out for QB Dak Prescott. Instead, he's now playing on a one-year, $31 million dollar deal. The good news is that the Cowboys drafted him a stud in WR CeeDee Lamb out of Oklahoma. Adding Lamb to an offense that already had Ezekiel Elliott, Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and emerging TE Blake Jarwin, not to mention a veteran offensive line, should be a dream come true for Prescott. But as we all know; Dallas is known more for its preseason hype than its postseason success in the past two decades. Alton Smith's return on defense could spark more QB pressures if he can return to his form in his first two seasons where he got 33 sacks. Smith's been out of the league since 2015 dealing with off-field issues and suspensions.

6. Seattle Seahawks - Welcome to Seattle Jamal Adams. The Legion of Boom could be in for a sequel with the Adams trade from the NY Jets. He's a stud and comes in with a chip, something Seattle embraces, to prove he can be a winner. WR Phillip Dorsett comes over from New England to help give depth to Russell Wilson's WR tandem with Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf and Josh Gordon, should he be reinstated by the NFL after his latest suspension. Wilson remains one of the best QB's in the league and the trio of Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and Carlos Hyde lead a better-than-average running game.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Welcome to Dream Team II. Remember how well it went for the Eagles? Well, on paper, adding Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, LeSean McCoy and Leonard Fournette to an offense that already has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Ronald Jones, OJ Howard and Cameron Brate in it seems unstoppable. Now, let's see what it looks like on the field. Plus, Brady's now in the NFC South where the opposition of the Saints, Falcons and Panthers is a bit tougher than the Bills, Jets and Dolphins when he was with the Patriots. Head coach Bruce Arians' young secondary led by Antoine Winfield, Jr and Jordan Whitehead will need that second-year boost, but having Ndamukong Suh, Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaquil Barrett and Vita Vea upfront helps. The pressure to win right now is surely on the Bucs, who are the media's darlings and trendy pick to become the first team to host a Super Bowl in their home stadium.

4. New Orleans Saints - Drew Brees is back for another crack at it. After a disappointing home loss to the Vikings on Wild Card Weekend last season, the Saints again start a season with a bitter taste in their collective mouths. S Malcolm Jenkins rejoins the Saints after winning a championship in Philly. Joining him is WR Emmanuel Sanders in what should be an amazing 1-2 punch with Michael Thomas. Like the Bucs, the pressure is on New Orleans to win now as it could be Brees' final year in the Superdome.

3. San Francisco 49ers - What could've been for the Niners! Leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter and having the Chiefs pinned on a 3rd-and-15, everything fell apart for San Francisco. The Niners couldn't stop KC again, giving up 21 straight points and Jimmy Garoppolo couldn't move the offense for the rally. So, the Niners have put their faith in Jimmy G instead of trying to get Tom Brady to come home for a career ending personal story. WR Tavon Austin and TE Jordan Reed join the offense while WR Travis Benjamin opts out due to COVID-19. But for the most part, the 49ers have chosen to stand pat with a crew they think can take the one final step towards a championship. Of course, having a base of All-World TE George Kittle, DE Nick Bosa, CB Richard Sherman and RB's Raheem Mostert and Tevin Coleman is not a bad place to start.

2. Baltimore Ravens - The Ravens wowed through the regular season and greatly disappointed after a Divisional Round home loss to Tennessee. So, how do you rebound? You add DE Calais Campbell in a trade with the Jaguars, that's how. The Ravens always have a chip on their shoulder, led by head coach John Harbaugh, but that will be even greater after the way 2019 ended. The question is does Lamar Jackson take the next step forward or trend backwards. Will teams figure out Action Jackson the Mark Ingram-led ground-and-pound-attack? That attack led the NFL in averaging over 200 yards per game – nearly 3300 yards for the season almost a 1,000 yards better than the 49ers. Plus, this time the Ravens get to host the Chiefs in Baltimore in week 3 on Monday night. They'll need the trio of WR Marquise "Hollywood" Brown and TE's Mark Andrews & Nick Boyle to keep that upward trend as well to get past the Super Bowl champs.

1. Kansas City Chiefs - To the victors go the spoils. QB Patrick Mahomes, along with TE Travis Kelce, DT Chris Jones and head coach Andy Reid were all rewarded for their collective success with big, fat contracts. Mahomes leads the way with a $500 million deal that keeps him in KC for 12 years. The Chiefs will miss OG Laurent Duvernay-Tardiff and RB Damien Williams, who both opted-out due to COVID-19. First round draft pick RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire should be able to pick up the Williams void. But, let's be honest, this is Mahomes' show and with Tyreek Hill, Sammy Watkins, Mecole Hardman and Kelce surrounding him, they're going to be difficult to slow down once again in 2020.