2021 NFL Power Rankings: First Quarter

Traditional power rankings overreact to one HUGE WIN and one sad (!) loss. Rarely do they take in account the entire season. To give a more accurate representation of what’s going on, and where these teams currently stand, I will not equivocate or give into the yank of heartstrings the NFL season brings week to week.

Instead of living with such a short memory and being so myopic, here’s where I believe the NFL stands before the second quarter of the season opens up and entropy ravages it. This list also includes each team’s record, point differential, and DVOA.

THE WORST

32) Jacksonville Jaguars—Record: 0-5. Point Differential: -59 (31). DVOA: -36.0% (31). Previously 20th.

31.) New York Jets—Record: 1-4. Point Differential: -54 (30). DVOA: -29.3% (29). Previously 30th.

30.) Miami Dolphins—Record: 1-4. Point Differential: -75 (32). DVOA: -30.4% (30). Previously 14th.

29.) Detroit Lions—Record: 0-5. Point Differential: -40 (27). DVOA: -20.4% (27). Previously 29th.

28.) Atlanta Falcons—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -43 (28). DVOA: -39.9% (32). Previously 26th.

27.) Houston Texans—Record: 1-4. Point Differential: -52 (29). DVOA: -28.1% (28). Previously 32nd.

26.) Indianapolis Colts—Record: 1-4. Point Differential: -20 (24). DVOA: -12.4% (24). Previously 18th.

THE MEDIOCRE

25.) Chicago Bears—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: -16 (22). DVOA: -9.3% (22). Previously 27th.

24.) Pittsburgh Steelers—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -18 (23). DVOA: -6.5% (21). Previously 24th.

23.) Las Vegas Raiders—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: -7 (19). DVOA: -13.2% (25). Previously 22nd.

22.) New York Giants—Record: 1-4. Point Differential: -36 (26). DVOA: -11.1% (23). Previously 23rd.

21.) New England Patriots—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: +4 (T-12). DVOA: -6.1% (20). Previously 17th.

20.) Philadelphia Eagles—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -9 (21). DVOA: 1.6% (16). Previously 31st.

19.) Washington Football Team—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -32 (25). DVOA: -1.9% (19). Previously 11th.

18.) Minnesota Vikings—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: +4 (T-12). DVOA: 4.3% (13). Previously 21st.

17.) Denver Broncos—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: +26 (T-8). DVOA: -0.9% (18). Previously 16th.

PLAYOFFS?

16.) Carolina Panthers—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: +28 (T-6). DVOA: 0.0% (17). Previously 25th.

15.) Tennessee Titans—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: +2 (15). DVOA: -18.6% (26). Previously 10th.

14.) Cincinnati Bengals—Record: 3-2 Point Differential: +14 (11). DVOA: 6.6% (12). Previously 28th.

13.) San Francisco 49ers—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -2 (T-16). DVOA: 7.7% (10). Previously 8th.

12.) Green Bay Packers—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: -2 (T-16). DVOA: 2.8% (15). Previously 9th.

11.) Seattle Seahawks—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -6 (18). DVOA: 12.7% (9). Previously 5th.

10.) New Orleans Saints—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: +28 (T-6). DVOA: 17.7% (7). Previously 12th.

9.) Kansas City Chiefs—Record: 2-3. Point Differential: -9 (20). DVOA: 3.2% (14). Previously 2nd.

WE SHOULD BE CONTENDERS

8.) Cleveland Browns—Record: 3-2. Point Differential: -11 (16). DVOA: 22.6% (6). Previously 7th.

7.) Baltimore Ravens—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: +19 (11). DVOA: 12.7% (8). Previously 6th.

6.) Los Angeles Rams—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: +25 (10). DVOA: 23.3% (5). Previously 13th.

5.) Los Angeles Chargers—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: +26 (T-8). DVOA: 7.3% (11). Previously 4th.

4.) Dallas Cowboys—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: +53 (3). DVOA: -33.9% (2). Previously 19th.

3.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: +45 (4). DVOA: 26.3% (4). Previously 1st.

2.) Arizona Cardinals—Record: 5-0. Point Differential: +62 (2). DVOA: 31.3% (3). Previously 15th.

1.) Buffalo Bills—Record: 4-1. Point Differential: +108 (1). DVOA: 49.6% (1). Previously 3rd.