The Kansas City Chiefs will once again be the team to beat in the NFL in 2024. They knocked back the Ravens in Week 1 and will now target the reeling Bengals in Week 2. They can hold on to the top spot for a while, at least until the Super Bowl rematch against the 49ers in Week 6 after the break.

The race behind will continue to be interesting, with many teams trying to change their fortunes and gain momentum to challenge the Chiefs for the mid-season top spot in the near future.

From Thursday night’s results to Sunday night’s results, here’s the latest look at the league’s hierarchy after an opening weekend with some surprises.

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NFL Power Rankings Week 2

1. Kansas City Chiefs (previous ranking: 1)

The Chiefs ended up finding more weapons for Patrick Mahomes and making the crucial defensive plays to remind the Ravens and the rest of the league how clear they are as favorites to win their third consecutive Super Bowl.

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2. San Francisco 49ers (2)

The 49ers have taken care of Brock Purdy’s key supporting cast and can now focus on Christian McCaffrey’s health, which is their biggest concern on offense. The defense will look to make its own statement on Monday night against the Jets.

MORE: Will Christian McCaffrey play Monday night?

3. Detroit Lions (3)

For the Lions, it was almost a copy of the difficult task at home against the Rams, as it was in the playoffs, but they once again gave it their all and showed under Dan Campbell that they can be strong offensively and defensively – and can also work overtime if necessary.

MORE: How Detroit fought its way to an OT win over the Rams

4. Philadelphia Eagles (4)

The Eagles started with a somewhat sloppy offense, but overall they seemed more explosive and determined with Kellen Moore and Saquon Barkley. Their defense is also being strengthened in key positions by Vic Fangio.

MORE: Saquon Barkley dominates in first game with the Eagles

5. Houston Texans (6)

The Texans’ offense was bolstered by Joe Mixon and Stefon Diggs in the offseason. They wasted no time in helping CJ Stroud become more effective against the powerful Colts and gave their promising defense time to further form.

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6. Baltimore Ravens (5)

The Ravens had the same problems in key moments against the Chiefs, with Lamar Jackson and the defense going down at the wrong time. The only concern will remain whether the offensive line will hold up enough to support Jackson and Derrick Henry.

MORE: Why the Ravens’ offensive line was repeatedly penalized for illegal lineup against the Chiefs

7. Buffalo Bills (8)

The Bills defense fought through some key gaps on the second level and in coverage, but it was enough for Josh Allen to gain the upper hand against a much weaker Cardinals defense.

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8. Dallas Cowboys (14)

The Cowboys were fixing some offensive issues, but Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb were earning their money with enough crucial plays. Brandon Aubrey continued to be a key kicker in Cleveland. The defense had a promising debut when it switched from Dan Quinn to Mike Zimmer.

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9. Pittsburgh Steelers (11)

The Steelers didn’t score a touchdown and started Justin Fields in place of the injured Russell Wilson (calf), but the defense with TJ Watt and special teams with Chris Boswell were strong enough to do the rest in Atlanta. Fields vs. Wilson is now a bigger storyline going forward.

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10. Los Angeles Chargers (12)

The Chargers got off to a slow start before overtaking the Raiders and earning Jim Harbaugh’s debut win. Not surprisingly, they looked stronger physically and mentally, using their defense and running game to pull away from the Raiders.

MORE: Jim Harbaugh leaves his mark all over LA as he stays perfect in NFL openers

11. Miami Dolphins (13)

The Dolphins didn’t look great on offense with Tua Tagovailoa for much of the game, but Tyreek Hill stuck to his guns when he needed it most and stepped up his defense in the second half to counter the competitive Jaguars.

MORE: Tyreek Hill was ‘damn excited’ after pregame arrest

12. Green Bay Packers (9)

The Packers made some great plays to keep up with the Eagles, but also made some small mistakes and big lapses that cost them the win. Jordan Love’s short-term absence will be difficult to take with the Colts, Titans and Vikings facing them in the next three games.

MORE: The Packers’ best options to replace Jordan Love

13. New York Jets (10)

The Jets hope Aaron Rodgers stays healthy for Monday night’s Week 1 game and leads the offense to the necessary level of balanced, complementary football to get them back into contention for the AFC wild card sooner rather than later.

14. Cincinnati Bengals (7)

What was that? The Bengals once again looked bad to start their opener against the huge underdog Patriots, struggling on offense on both ends. Joe Burrow can’t afford to put his team in too big a hole, and things will get a lot tougher in Week 2 with the Chiefs in Kansas City.

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15. Chicago Bears (17)

The Bears had a rocky debut for Caleb Williams. The running game was shaky and the deep passing game didn’t have the momentum they expected. But they stayed the same on defense and special teams touchdowns, and Williams should be on the mend in a primetime matchup with Stroud in Week 2.

16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (18)

Baker Mayfield had a big game in the new offense, using all of his weapons against a weak Washington defense. Todd Bowles was pleased to see the defense withstand a tough challenge for the hopeful repeat NFC South champions.

17. Seattle Seahawks (24)

The Seahawks’ offense was faster, more balanced and more explosive with Ryan Grubb and got more out of Geno Smith and Kenneth Walker III. Mike MacDonald also tightened the screws on the pass defense, which was evident in the game against the Broncos.

18. Los Angeles Rams (15)

The Rams gave the Lions a tough fight in their playoff rematch, but Puka Nacua’s injury hurt, they couldn’t run the ball and the defense just didn’t have the necessary stability in the running game.

19. Minnesota Vikings (25)

The Vikings were able to get Sam Darnold through in New York, who distributed the ball well to Justin Jefferson and others, but the real story was Andrew Van Ginkel and Brian Flores’ new big-play defense getting aggressive against the Giants.

20. New Orleans Saints (27)

The Saints overran the Panthers’ overwhelmed defense, perhaps because Derek Carr played with a welcome chip on his shoulder to prove that he is still by far their best passing option in 2024.

21. Atlanta Falcons (16)

The Falcons offense did perform better with Kirk Cousins ​​at quarterback, but going up against the Steelers defense right away was a tough outing. They will look to fare much better in Week 2 against the Keystone State Eagles while also keeping up with their own improved defense.

22. New England Patriots (32)

The Patriots began the Jerod Mayo era with a run-heavy, defense-focused upset win over the Bengals in Cincinnati. It turns out their situational offensive coaching is still pretty good – in addition to their great defensive awareness with strengths on offense.

23. Cleveland Browns (19)

The Browns had too much pressure on Myles Garrett and the defense to get through against Dallas. The offense sputtered until it didn’t matter at the end. Deshaun Watson deserves even less trust at quarterback after once again not looking like the Texans at home.

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24. Jacksonville Jaguars (20)

The Jaguars have enjoyed a more explosive offense as Gabe Davis and rookie Brian Thomas Jr. have moved Trevor Lawrence into a better field layout. They need to get their young defense together to complement each other enough to get the job done consistently.

25. Indianapolis Colts (23)

The Colts can be happy that Anthony Richardson is healthy and delivering as a dynamic dual threat, making big runs and long balls look a lot easier than they are. They should really be worried that they have more holes on defense than expected.

26. Arizona Cardinals (29)

The Cardinals started off scoring, running and passing well with a healthy Kyler Murray, but their defense is bound to crumble in any game against a strong offense, as they were unable to contain the superior Bills.

27. Tennessee Titans (22)

The Titans’ new-look defense came through well, and the offense looked good for a while in the first game of Will Levis’ sophomore year. A special teams mistake and a bad pass from Levis allowed them to snatch a loss from victory.

28. Washington Commanders (21)

Jayden Daniels is a dual-threat highlight, already a dynamic runner in Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. Soon he will also be able to play his passes downfield. He will have to throw often to stretch the field and take the pressure off a defense that is still trying to stabilize itself after major changes, especially in the weakened secondary.

MORE: Jayden Daniels stats and highlights against Buccaneers

29. Denver Broncos (26)

For the Broncos, rookie Bo Nix had to hold back and not throw deep into the defense. Against the Seahawks, he struggled to get the ball to the best weapons. Sean Payton has to pull himself together and accept the compression, which is not exactly helpful against a bad defense.

MORE: Bo Nix stats and highlights against Seahawks

30. Las Vegas Raiders (28)

The Raiders showed some early skill with Gardner Minshew before slacking in the running game and collapsing on offense against the relentless, new-look Chargers. The Ravens will not let up on the running game against them in Week 2.

MORE: Video of the Raiders-Chargers battle

31. New York Giants (30)

The Giants should have lost even more faith in Daniel Jones, as getting the ball into the hands of anyone other than rookie Malik Nabers was a challenge given the crumbling offensive line. The defensive woes somehow became even more concerning against the Vikings.

32. Carolina Panthers (31)

The Panthers’ atrocious defense proved early on that it will be a challenge for Dave Canales’ offense to overcome in the way it desires. A one-dimensional attack will continue to fail, as it did in New Orleans.

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