Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 8
Rams Top 32-Team NFL Week 1 Rankings as Seahawks Open at No. 2
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 8

Rams Top 32-Team NFL Week 1 Rankings as Seahawks Open at No. 2

1 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 8

Summary

  • Los Angeles opens Week 1 atop Chad Graff and Josh Kendall’s 32-team NFL power rankings, with Seattle second, Buffalo third, New England fourth and Denver fifth.
  • 11.7 projected wins put the Rams first in Austin Mock’s model after they added Myles Garrett and Trent McDuffie and brought back Aaron Donald, giving them the league’s most loaded roster.
  • 10.9 projected wins still leave the defending champion Seahawks behind the Rams, while questions around Sam Darnold and a new-look offense keep Seattle from No. 1.
  • Week 1 starts with a Patriots-Seahawks Super Bowl rematch on Wednesday, followed by Rams-49ers in Australia on Thursday before the full Sunday slate.

Insights

How will the defending champion Seahawks maintain their elite status with Sam Darnold leading a completely unproven offensive scheme?
Can the Rams' expensive, veteran-heavy superteam survive a grueling season before their precarious salary cap situation forces a historic collapse?
Will Miami’s unprecedented $179 million dead-cap teardown become the ultimate blueprint for modern NFL rebuilds, or a catastrophic failure?