NFL power rankings Week 1: AFC edition

With NFL Week 1 kicking off soon, it’s time for some power rankings. We take a look at the state of play in the AFC.

16. Miami Dolphins

This ranking should be considered an unqualified success for the Dolphins. They are tanking harder than the Titanic.

15. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati is going through a rebuild with first-year head coach Zac Taylor at the helm. Nothing wrong with that. It’s been long overdue for the Bengals.

14. Oakland Raiders

Antonio Brown, Vontaze Burfict and Richie Incognito. Three veterans picked up this offseason by a Raiders team supposedly going young. You figure out the plan.

13. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo is doing a nice job building up the defense. If Josh Allen takes a leap forward in his second year, the Bills could surprise some people.

12. Baltimore Ravens

Ravens fans won’t like this ranking, but here we are. The defense was decimated by free agency, even with the quality signing of Earl Thomas. If Lamar Jackson is forced to throw often, it could get ugly.

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11. Jacksonville Jaguars

Jacksonville did a nice job landing Nick Foles and continuing to employ a powerhouse defense. The questions mainly center on whether Foles has enough help around him.

10. Denver Broncos

Joe Flacco and Vic Fangio head up a new era in Denver. It’ll be fascinating to see if the Orange Crush can be revived.

9. Tennessee Titans

The Titans have a solid defense and some new weapons on the offensive side. Can Marcus Mariota take advantage of them? The answer determines their season.

8. New York Jets

Tons of new faces. Le’Veon Bell fixes the running game. Sam Darold should be better. The defense has some real stars. New York could be a playoff team.

Read: Brian Flores – Tanking Talk is Disheartening to Hear

7. Indianapolis Colts

Even without Andrew Luck, the Colts have ample talent. Jacoby Brissett could end up being one of the league’s best feel-good stories.

6. Houston Texans

The Texans are a rudderless ship in the front office, but they have the best quarterback in a middling division.

5. Cleveland Browns

This either goes really well, or terribly. Seems like there is no middle ground. The Browns need to get off to a good start.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

Nobody is paying attention to the Steelers. Perhaps that’s a good thing. After years of drama, Pittsburgh can get back to what it does best; winning football games.

3. Los Angeles Chargers

The Chargers have endured a brutal summer, but the roster is still one of the league’s best. If Philip Rivers doesn’t rapidly age in his age-38 season, they’ll be deep in January.

2. New England Patriots

Going for their fourth straight Super Bowl appearance, the Patriots are as formidable as they ever were.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs might unleash offensive numbers never seen before. With an improved defense, Kansas City finally wins it all once more.