The Indianapolis Colts didn't get off to the best of starts, but there were some flashes in Week 1. The defense must be better, and Daniel Jones will probably get into a rhythm once he gets his legs back under him.
You never want to start the season with a loss, regardless of whether you're facing a Super Bowl contender. But as cliché as it may sound, this was just one game, and there's plenty of football to be played.
Half of the AFC teams won their initial matchups, but fortunately, only one AFC South divisional rival got the job done. And judging by the conference-wide picture, Shane Steichen's team might not be that bad after all.
Post-Week 1 AFC Power Rankings: The Indianapolis Colts are stuck in the middle
16. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
This was... Just ugly. The Cleveland Browns couldn't get anything going on offense with Deshaun Watson at the helm (shocker!), and their once-top-notch defense took a huge step back without Myles Garrett — who would've thought? This will be a long season in Berea.
15. Tennessee Titans (0-1)
The Robert Saleh era began with a loss, which isn't surprising. What is a bit of a shocker, though, is realizing they lost to the New York Jets. Cam Ward doesn't look the part, and, unfortunately for the Colts, the Titans might be looking at yet another top-five pick in 2027.
14. Miami Dolphins (0-1)
Jeff Hafley's Miami Dolphins showed some glimpses with Malik Willis and their unknown crop of pass catchers, but that was about it. Kirk Cousins threw three touchdowns against them in 2026, and Ashton Jeanty averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
13. New York Jets (1-0)
The record might read 1-0, but this is the same good-old Jets. How many times will Geno Smith finish a game without an interception and with 200+ passing yards? They put up 23 points despite going just 2-of-12 on third down, and again, it was against the Titans.
12. Las Vegas Raiders (1-0)
The Raiders got the job done without Brock Bowers, and it was a nice start to the Klint Kubiak era. That will be pretty much as good as it gets in Sin City this season, and the only question remaining is how long until Fernando Mendoza takes the field.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-0)
Mike McCarthy's Pittsburgh Steelers could barely hold on to beat an Atlanta Falcons team that started Cooper Rush at quarterback. Is that supposed to be impressive? Their aging defense has lost a step, and Aaron Rodgers is a shell of the player he once was. Nothing new.
10. Los Angeles Chargers (0-1)
The Los Angeles Chargers suffered the biggest upset of Week 1, and it was a sloppy, disappointing performance on both sides of the field. However, while this might be too high for a team fresh off a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, they have too much talent to be this bad for long.
9. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Talking about contending teams that didn't look the part, the Denver Broncos were an utter disaster in the opener. They missed 28 tackles, the most by any team in the past eight years, and play-calling was just atrocious. They should be fine, though.
8. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
The Indianapolis Colts got off to a strong start, and it looked like Daniel Jones was about to prove all the training camp hype wasn't empty noise. But the opening drive was pretty much the highest point of the afternoon.
That said, it wasn't all bad, at least on offense. Jonathan Taylor is still a superstar, even with the fumble. Keenan Allen got settled in right away, and even in a limited capacity, Alec Pierce looked as explosive as ever.
This team should be much better than what we saw in Week 1, but it'll take some major adjustments on defense. The linebackers couldn't cover, and the seemingly strong secondary had no answer for Zay Flowers.
7. New England Patriots (0-1)
The New England Patriots didn't do much to silence critics and those who talked about their easy schedule last season. That said, they went up against the defending champions and arguably the toughest defense in football.
6. Houston Texans (0-1)
The Houston Texans' elite defense went missing in action in the season opener. Josh Allen just did whatever he wanted against DeMeco Ryans' hard-hitting unit. Still, C.J. Stroud looked worryingly good, and the Texans won't give up 36 points and 400+ yards too often.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (1-0)
The Cincinnati Bengals' revamped defense might need more time to click, though Dexter Lawrence was disruptive all day long. They'll be a contender for as long as Joe Burrow is out there and healthy; they just have too much firepower.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-0)
Some might take their strong performance with a grain of salt because of the opponent, but the Jacksonville Jaguars were an absolute wrecking ball in the opener. Trevor Lawrence looked like an MVP, and they could've scored 50+ if they hadn't taken their feet off the gas.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)
As it turns out, that guy Patrick Mahomes is still pretty good, and the Kansas City Chiefs have a running game now. The new-look defense looked strong, even with rookie Mansoor Delane leaving the game early.
2. Buffalo Bills (1-0)
The Buffalo Bills just torched one of the best defenses in football. The Texans had no answer for anything Josh Allen did against them, and while giving up 31 points is far from ideal, this team just proved that they can hold their ground against the cream of the crop.
1. Baltimore Ravens (1-0)
Well, at least the Colts lost to the top dog in the AFC, I guess. The Ravens lived up to their preseason hype, with Jesse Minter's defense smothering Daniel Jones and Lamar Jackson running circles around Lou Anarumo's vanilla defense. They look real.
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