Gridiron Great Top 11 (After Week 1)
Week One is in the books and the NFL landscape has already changed. Can the Jets contend without Aaron Rodgers? Can the Ravens' new offense shine without one of its premier backs? Here’s a dive into our Gridiron Great 11 heading into Week 2.
Gridiron Great Top 11 (After Week 1)
#11. New Orleans Saints 1-0 (+1100/+1600) - In ranking the Jets at 11 last week, I said “The tools are there if the Jets can avoid the injury bug.” They didn’t and I’m out on them right now. New Orleans has a great defense and Derek Carr has legitimate weapons around him on offense. This is a playoff Saints team. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#10. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-0 (+1400/+3500) - The Jags offense is indeed for real. They will need to be more consistent on both sides of the ball to continue to grow. Last Week’s Rank: 9th
#9. Detroit Lions 1-0 (+1100/+2200) - The Lions came out and dominated the fourth quarter to pull off an opening week upset against the Chiefs. Can they maintain it week in and week out though? Emotion will only take a team so far. Last Week’s Rank: 10th
#8. Miami Dolphins 1-0 (+1300/+2500) - The Dolphins air attack was in full swing in the opener against the Chargers. WR Tyreek Hill does indeed look like a candidate to get 2,000 yards receiving and the MVP. Last Week’s Rank: Unranked
#7. Cincinnati Bengals 0-1 (+550/+1100) - The Bengals looked flat against the Browns in week one but the weather was awful and Joe Burrow looked like a quarterback who hasn’t gotten many reps this preseason. Last Week’s Rank: 4th
#6. Buffalo Bills 0-1 (+450/+900) - The Bills might start to get a little worried about Josh Allen’s four-turnover day considering this is a trend that has been building toward the second half of last season. Last Week’s Rank: 3rd
#5. Kansas City Chiefs 0-1 (+350/+600) - The Chiefs are still very much the class of the NFL heading into 2023. They open the defense of their title against the Lions at home, a week from Thursday. The Chiefs offense will put up points. It will be interesting to see how the Chiefs’ defense performs against a Lions team that can be explosive. Last Week’s Rank: 1st
#4. Baltimore Ravens 1-0 (+1000/+1800) - The Ravens lost RB J.K. Dobbins for the season to an Achilles' tear but their defense looked very good and Jackson didn’t need to dominate for them to win this week. Last Week’s Rank: 6th
#3. Dallas Cowboys 1-0 (+600/+1400) - The Cowboys defense looked downright stifling against the Giants on Sunday night. Dak Prescott and the offense still need time but they will have time with this defense. Last Week’s Rank: 7th
#2. SF 49ers 1-0 (+400/+1000) - The Niners went into Pittsburgh and completely dominated a team that many experts feel is an AFC playoff team this year. Kenny Pickett looked like a rookie quarterback against the Niners dominant pass rush while Brock Purdy looked like 2022 was not a fluke. Last Week’s Rank: 5th
#1. Philadelphia Eagles 1-0 (+250/+650) - The Eagles slide into the #1 spot after the Chiefs opening night loss to the Lions. It wasn’t pretty but the Eagles held on to defeat a very game New England team in week one. The new-look offense will take a bit to get on track. Last Week’s Rank: 2nd
Top Three Potential Upsets this Week:
#1. Green Bay (-1) at Atlanta: Everyone is high on Green Bay after their convincing win at Chicago. Slow your roll just a bit. They benefited from several Chicago mistakes and Atlanta’s defense has some playmakers.
#2. Seattle at Detroit (-5.5): Don’t discount the fact that Lions head coach Dan Campbell thrives on emotion and spent the better part of the summer gearing his team up for the World Champion Chiefs. What does he do to get them to that emotional level here against a Seahawks team itching to bounce back from a disappointing week one?
#3. Chicago at TB (-3) - The Bears completely fell flat in front of the home crowd in week one while the Bucs took it to what may be an overrated Vikings team. Fields will have something to prove here and should thrive against a Bucs’ front seven that is getting a bit long in the tooth.
*All odds courtesy of Draftkings.com
By Mark Ruelle