NFL: Cowboys Rise & Patriots Fall
The first full weekend of the NFL season just wrapped up, and a pair of our writers, Charles Post and Caleb Henderson, have come together to rank the top-10 teams in the league prior to Week 2. While the defending champions, New England Patriots, lost on Thursday Night Football to the Kansas City Chiefs, the Dallas Cowboys looked impressive at home against the New York Giants.
1. Dallas Cowboys (1-0): Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, and Co. picked up right where they left off at the end of the 2016-17 regular season. In Week 1, they defeated the Giants (0-1) 19-3, and now look forward to a road matchup with the Denver Broncos (1-0), in which the Cowboys are -2.5 point favorites.
Team MVP: Dak Prescott (QB) - 268 Yards & 1 TD.
2. Green Bay Packers (1-0): Aaron Rodgers, for the first time in a while, didn't have to be Superman. It was the Packers' defense that shut down the Seattle Seahawks (0-1), and won a close, low-scoring, affair, 17-9, after trailing 3-0 at the break. In Week 2, we'll really get to see where Green Bay stands, as they travel to defending NFC champions, Atlanta Falcons (1-0), on Sunday.
Team MVP: Aaron Rodgers (QB) - 311 Yards & 1 TD.
3. Atlanta Falcons (1-0): Speaking of Atlanta, Matt Ryan's crew didn't look all that impressive in a 23-17 victory against the lowly Chicago Bears (0-1). I expected a blowout, given Atlanta's high powered offense, against the Bears' porous defense. However, Chicago hung around, and actually had a chance to win the game in the final seconds. But in the end, a win is a win, for the Falcons.
Team MVP: Matt Ryan (QB) - 321 Yards & 1 TD.
4. Oakland Raiders (1-0): Derek Carr looked good in Week 1, going 22-32 for 262 yards and a pair of touchdowns, against the Tennessee Titans (0-1). The Oakland Raiders are certainly bound for a 2-0 start to 2017-18 with a home match against the New York Jets, right? If all goes well during the regular season, Oakland fans believe this is the team that could win the Super Bowl. And honestly, I might just be on board.
Team MVP: Derek Carr (QB) - 262 Yards & 2 TDs.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0): Alex Smith went off for 368 yards and four (!) touchdowns against the New England Patriots (0-1) to open the season, but he wasn't even the main story for the Kansas City Chiefs. Rookie running back, Kareem Hunt of out Toledo, rushed for 148 yards, caught 98 yards, and found the end zone on three different occasions. Week 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) won't be easy, but it should be a win for the Chiefs.
Team MVP: Kareem Hunt (RB) - 148 Yards & 1 TD.
6. Minnesota Vikings (1-0): The Minnesota Vikings (1-0) had most of the country focused on them, given that they were playing on the first Monday Night Football game of the year, and they didn't disappoint. The Vikings looked sharp against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints (0-1). Dalvin Cook had 127 yards on 22 caries in his first game. A road game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) could spell trouble in Week 2, though.
Team MVP: Dalvin Cook (RB) - 127 Yards & 0 TDs.
7. New England Patriots (0-1): Now, we know they lost, but the New England Patriots are going to get the benefit of the doubt, as they should. We saw a couple of years ago that they can rebound from a lackluster performance against the Chiefs. Tom Brady will be fine. The Patriots should find themselves 1-1 after facing the Saints this week.
Team MVP: Tom Brady (QB) - 267 Yards & 0 TDs.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0): The Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0) didn't look as good as I'd hoped they would, but a 21-18 win is (obviously) better than a loss. The Cleveland Browns (0-1) are slightly improved and a road victory is never easy. Ben Roethlisberger threw for 263 yards and two touchdowns, both to Jesse James. Week 2 against the Vikings will prove where they are.
Team MVP: Ben Roethlisberger (QB) - 263 Yards & 2 TDs.
9. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0): I was actually pretty impressed with Carson Wentz's action against the Washington Redskins (0-1). And I know, it's the Redskins, but the Philadelphia Eagles will take it. Wentz was 26-39 for 307 yards in his first game of his sophomore season. But Week 2 might not be as kind with the Chiefs on deck.
Team MVP: Carson Wentz (QB) - 307 Yards & 2 TDs.
10. Detroit Lions (1-0): The Detroit Lions started slow, before coming back and downing the Arizona Cardinals (0-1). What's new? Matthew Stafford's team made a habit of slow starts and late comebacks last season, and Week 1 was no different. But Week 2 is going to be a much more difficult test, at the Giants on Monday Night Football. In 2016-17, the Lions couldn't down New York, but if they can in a couple of days, it'll be a big step forward.
Team MVP: Matthew Stafford (QB) - 292 Yards & 4 TDs.
Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated & Sporting News.
