Power Rankings - Week 1
Sept 15, 2020 13:54:53 GMT -5
Colts GM (Darryl), Rams GM (Frank), and 4 more like this
Post by Panthers GM (Jesse) on Sept 15, 2020 13:54:53 GMT -5
Color code:
Light Blue - Ice cold. Bottom tier teams
Blue - Lower mid tier. Likely don't have what it takes to win big games
Green- Middle tier. Good teams with flaws.
Orange- Top tier. Very good teams that might not have what it takes to beat the elite.
Gold - The top 4. Elite.
32. Houston Texans (0-1)
As good as Josh Jacobs and Ryan Kerrigan are, they are going to have to combine for about 60 points a week to give the Texans a shot at victory week in and week out. This defense is going to ensure a top 3 pick for Houston in the draft.
31. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Cleveland is embarking on a major rebuild. This is a 53-man roster hoping on mining some value for future seasons. While the roster itself is not an embarrassment, the win total in 2020 likely will be unless the deep defense can carry them to some upset victories.
30. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Indianapolis has some genuine pieces on this roster, especially at the linebacker position. The biggest issue? They have goose eggs at about 5 different positions.
29. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
With even minimal effort, the Bills would be much higher on the list. With even the slightest oversight the offense would be capable of carrying this team. With a few free agent signings, the defense might be average. The fact is that the Bills owner does not care to put that effort in. The seat is on fire in Buffalo and 2020 opponents are salivating.
28. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
The Cardinals have put out the intention to sell off short term assets to build for the future. With an elite quarterback and some good players signed long term, the Cardinals should still be able to snag a few wins here and there.
27. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Sometimes you have to eat your vegetables. That’s going to be they way it is for the Chiefs this season, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and some big names signed long term on this roster. If Trubisky, Fuller, Jeudy and Lamb all develop that’s a strong core to put around Derrick Henry. The Chiefs have a roster they could make competitive by utilizing some of that 20M cap space, or they could lay low and likely secure a high 2021 rookie pick.
26. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
It’s about as low as you can rate an above average defense with Aaron Rodgers at QB. The issue here is on offense where there is very little in the pantry at TE and RB. At full strength, Julio, Ruggs and Deebo Samuel are a dangerous WR core.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
This is what a rebuild is supposed to look like. Extremely active GM Kevin is constantly reshaping his team to be best positioned for future success. Kevin’s hope is that some of those cheaply acquired rough finds turn to diamonds over the course of this unusual season.
24. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Similarly run by an effective GM named Kevin, the Broncos are the Bengals with more pedigree. I believe the week 1 score was likely a low water mark for the Broncos. The team has a lot of talented players who aren’t getting a ton of run on their NFL teams, and featured some good young players (Edwards, Duvernay, Irv Smith, AJ Dillon) who will have much better weeks. The quartet supplied a combined 9.5 points this week.
23. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
If the 49ers traded for a QB and a respectable LB or two, I bet they would be dangerous. Barkley, Swift and Hines should be one of the better backfields in Legacy.
22. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
Just okay. The best thing the Vikings have going for them is a ton of good pieces on long term deals. That’s a foundation to work on, but the Vikings lack firepower. Expect them to beat bad teams and get beat by good teams all year.
21. Detroit Lions (1-0)
Perhaps ranked a bit high here, I may be biased because the Lions have some players I believe will develop well this year. More than most teams in this area of the list though, they also have some glaring Achilles heels. A few key injuries could make the Lions one of the easier teams to take down as the season progresses. An above average defense and a deep cast of upside WRs should keep them competitive, but RB and LB are tough positions to replace.
20. San Diego Chargers (0-1)
The Good: The starting lineup looks scary. If all healthy, Cook/Scott/Tyreek/Sanders/Fant/Graham is a powerful group and they have some ballers on defense. The Bad: There is nothing behind those fellas on offense. Extremely shallow offensive roster and some big weaknesses at DT/DE/S. The Ugly: Quarterback is bad. Probably the worst starter in the league with a bunch of backups and 3rd stringers behind him.
19. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Look, this is a “What have you done for me lately” kinda league. The Packers have a pretty good offense and an average defense. Very little quality RB depth behind Ekeler, a squad of boom or bust WRs and some plodding, startable TEs. It’s blasphemy, but I’m all about hot takes here.
18. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Likely destined to finish 4th place in the NFC South, if I were a prospective owner looking for a team in this league, I believe my 1st choice would be the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans might have one of the most underrated WR rooms in the league, with plenty of guys who have star talent in Mike Williams, Mecole Hardman, KJ Hamler and MVS. They need the linebackers to step up to make noise in 2020, but this is a smartly constructed roster undergoing a very successful rebuild.
17. New England Patriots (0-1)
Going against tradition, the Patriots have an insanely enviable stable of RBs and a well balanced defense. Usually that would be a recipe for success, but they have a bottom 10 stable of pass catchers..it’s a really rough group made worse by losing Dallas TE Blake Jarwin.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
They scored a lot of points, but unless Robby Anderson and Marcus Maye can put up 62 points a week this might be a week 1 aberration.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Tough, tough loss to the New York Giants this week but a Steelers team without Kenny Golladay and Courtland Sutton still put up 180 and almost upset the Giants. Nobody will be eager to take on the Steelers this season.
14. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
A good, not great Cowboys offense will need the defense to come around if they want to compete in a tough NFC East this year.
13. Chicago Bears (1-0)
A dangerous defense that should keep Chicago in the hunt for a W every week, but the offense might not have enough juice to get it done. Losing Marlon Mack week 1 is a big blow.
12. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
A tough loss to the Titans puts Seattle in a rough spot to open the season. There are plenty of players capable of winning the week on this roster, but the RB room needs to sort itself out if the Seahawks are going to be competing with the upper echelon.
11. Washington Football Team (1-0)
With literally zero players behind likely RB1 Jonathan Taylor and only Jonnu and his backup Pruitt behind him at TE, Washington realistically needs 5 WRs to go every single week and bring home enough to put the very talented defense over. There’s a lot to love on that defense and a lot of depth backing up the top end guys.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Nobody’s idea of a deep team, but the Eagles have top end talent to make anybody jealous. This is a roster that could be a contender, but injuries could destroy their hopes quickly with only 35 players rostered and under 2M in cap space. If all the starters are healthy, they can knock out top 5 teams. That’s a big “if” in 2020.
9. New York Giants (1-0)
If the Giants can find some cap room to grab a kicker and some contributing CBs (Even some free agents might be enough) they could have a super solid team. Good players everywhere and a fantastic 5 at WR with zero overlapping bye weeks. 16M in dead money is a ball and chain to deal with.
8. New York Jets (1-0)
A lot of depth in the sense that they have players who get snaps and can chip in a few points if need be behind the starters. The issue with the Jets is they might not have the top end talent, especially on defense, to stay a top 10 team. The young RB core is strong.
7. Tennessee Titans (1-0)
A very strong defense capable of winning weeks and beating good teams if the offense cooperates. Zeke and Lamar will do their thing on offense, but the Titans need some guys to step up at WR and a return to form from Gronk. If they get those two things, watch out.
6. Carolina Panthers (1-0)
A deep roster (3rd in bench points) with some very good top end players and some talented young guys without defined roles. For Carolina to be successful, especially in a division as strong as the NFC South, the young players need to produce. Will the stronger positions (LB/WR/S) be able to carry the average/below average positions (TE/DT/DE) to the promised land?
5. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
Back with a vengeance, the Falcons are scary this year. Super talented roster that topped 220 points opening day without much help from the excellent LB group. Big questions to answer at TE and CB, but the Falcons are set for an incredible year if they invest there.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
The true top tier of the league begins with the 0-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs scored 236 points in the opening slate of games losing only to the top scoring Raiders. Not the flashiest RB room in the league, the important thing for Tampa is that Ronald Jones keeps the lions share of TB RB touches, and Harry and Reagor emerge as weapons at WR. An 0-1 start is concerning in a tough division, but the key to an NFC South title is going to be beating Atlanta and Carolina head to head.
3. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
If a riverboat gambler built a 32 team Dynasty team, it would look like the Dolphins roster. Elite RBs and WRs, huge names all over the defense, and here’s the kicker..they have 3 kickers and 10M cash to play with. It’s an elite roster with the flexibility and bait to make the moves they need to make during the season.
2. Oakland Raiders (1-0)
You know a roster is truly deep when you catch yourself thinking “Yeah, losing Gerald Everett would suck, but the lineup wouldn’t suffer too badly.” This is what a roster looks like with no major holes. Depth everywhere. Top shelf talent across the board. The Raiders are dangerous and have the goods to endure the storm that is the 2020 season.
1. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
Stat of the week: Los Angeles lead the league with 108 bench points. That’s not a bunch of missed opportunities, that’s “Better than you” depth across the board and a lethal 250 point starting lineup. The most expensive offensive player on this roster is Deandre Hopkins, signed for 7M and a contract ending in 2023. Most of the impact players on Frank’s offense are signed to 2022 and beyond for 3M or less.
Light Blue - Ice cold. Bottom tier teams
Blue - Lower mid tier. Likely don't have what it takes to win big games
Green- Middle tier. Good teams with flaws.
Orange- Top tier. Very good teams that might not have what it takes to beat the elite.
Gold - The top 4. Elite.
32. Houston Texans (0-1)
As good as Josh Jacobs and Ryan Kerrigan are, they are going to have to combine for about 60 points a week to give the Texans a shot at victory week in and week out. This defense is going to ensure a top 3 pick for Houston in the draft.
31. Cleveland Browns (0-1)
Cleveland is embarking on a major rebuild. This is a 53-man roster hoping on mining some value for future seasons. While the roster itself is not an embarrassment, the win total in 2020 likely will be unless the deep defense can carry them to some upset victories.
30. Indianapolis Colts (0-1)
Indianapolis has some genuine pieces on this roster, especially at the linebacker position. The biggest issue? They have goose eggs at about 5 different positions.
29. Buffalo Bills (0-1)
With even minimal effort, the Bills would be much higher on the list. With even the slightest oversight the offense would be capable of carrying this team. With a few free agent signings, the defense might be average. The fact is that the Bills owner does not care to put that effort in. The seat is on fire in Buffalo and 2020 opponents are salivating.
28. Arizona Cardinals (1-0)
The Cardinals have put out the intention to sell off short term assets to build for the future. With an elite quarterback and some good players signed long term, the Cardinals should still be able to snag a few wins here and there.
27. Kansas City Chiefs (0-1)
Sometimes you have to eat your vegetables. That’s going to be they way it is for the Chiefs this season, but there’s light at the end of the tunnel and some big names signed long term on this roster. If Trubisky, Fuller, Jeudy and Lamb all develop that’s a strong core to put around Derrick Henry. The Chiefs have a roster they could make competitive by utilizing some of that 20M cap space, or they could lay low and likely secure a high 2021 rookie pick.
26. Baltimore Ravens (0-1)
It’s about as low as you can rate an above average defense with Aaron Rodgers at QB. The issue here is on offense where there is very little in the pantry at TE and RB. At full strength, Julio, Ruggs and Deebo Samuel are a dangerous WR core.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (0-1)
This is what a rebuild is supposed to look like. Extremely active GM Kevin is constantly reshaping his team to be best positioned for future success. Kevin’s hope is that some of those cheaply acquired rough finds turn to diamonds over the course of this unusual season.
24. Denver Broncos (0-1)
Similarly run by an effective GM named Kevin, the Broncos are the Bengals with more pedigree. I believe the week 1 score was likely a low water mark for the Broncos. The team has a lot of talented players who aren’t getting a ton of run on their NFL teams, and featured some good young players (Edwards, Duvernay, Irv Smith, AJ Dillon) who will have much better weeks. The quartet supplied a combined 9.5 points this week.
23. San Francisco 49ers (1-0)
If the 49ers traded for a QB and a respectable LB or two, I bet they would be dangerous. Barkley, Swift and Hines should be one of the better backfields in Legacy.
22. Minnesota Vikings (0-1)
Just okay. The best thing the Vikings have going for them is a ton of good pieces on long term deals. That’s a foundation to work on, but the Vikings lack firepower. Expect them to beat bad teams and get beat by good teams all year.
21. Detroit Lions (1-0)
Perhaps ranked a bit high here, I may be biased because the Lions have some players I believe will develop well this year. More than most teams in this area of the list though, they also have some glaring Achilles heels. A few key injuries could make the Lions one of the easier teams to take down as the season progresses. An above average defense and a deep cast of upside WRs should keep them competitive, but RB and LB are tough positions to replace.
20. San Diego Chargers (0-1)
The Good: The starting lineup looks scary. If all healthy, Cook/Scott/Tyreek/Sanders/Fant/Graham is a powerful group and they have some ballers on defense. The Bad: There is nothing behind those fellas on offense. Extremely shallow offensive roster and some big weaknesses at DT/DE/S. The Ugly: Quarterback is bad. Probably the worst starter in the league with a bunch of backups and 3rd stringers behind him.
19. Green Bay Packers (0-1)
Look, this is a “What have you done for me lately” kinda league. The Packers have a pretty good offense and an average defense. Very little quality RB depth behind Ekeler, a squad of boom or bust WRs and some plodding, startable TEs. It’s blasphemy, but I’m all about hot takes here.
18. New Orleans Saints (1-0)
Likely destined to finish 4th place in the NFC South, if I were a prospective owner looking for a team in this league, I believe my 1st choice would be the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans might have one of the most underrated WR rooms in the league, with plenty of guys who have star talent in Mike Williams, Mecole Hardman, KJ Hamler and MVS. They need the linebackers to step up to make noise in 2020, but this is a smartly constructed roster undergoing a very successful rebuild.
17. New England Patriots (0-1)
Going against tradition, the Patriots have an insanely enviable stable of RBs and a well balanced defense. Usually that would be a recipe for success, but they have a bottom 10 stable of pass catchers..it’s a really rough group made worse by losing Dallas TE Blake Jarwin.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-1)
They scored a lot of points, but unless Robby Anderson and Marcus Maye can put up 62 points a week this might be a week 1 aberration.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1)
Tough, tough loss to the New York Giants this week but a Steelers team without Kenny Golladay and Courtland Sutton still put up 180 and almost upset the Giants. Nobody will be eager to take on the Steelers this season.
14. Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
A good, not great Cowboys offense will need the defense to come around if they want to compete in a tough NFC East this year.
13. Chicago Bears (1-0)
A dangerous defense that should keep Chicago in the hunt for a W every week, but the offense might not have enough juice to get it done. Losing Marlon Mack week 1 is a big blow.
12. Seattle Seahawks (0-1)
A tough loss to the Titans puts Seattle in a rough spot to open the season. There are plenty of players capable of winning the week on this roster, but the RB room needs to sort itself out if the Seahawks are going to be competing with the upper echelon.
11. Washington Football Team (1-0)
With literally zero players behind likely RB1 Jonathan Taylor and only Jonnu and his backup Pruitt behind him at TE, Washington realistically needs 5 WRs to go every single week and bring home enough to put the very talented defense over. There’s a lot to love on that defense and a lot of depth backing up the top end guys.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (1-0)
Nobody’s idea of a deep team, but the Eagles have top end talent to make anybody jealous. This is a roster that could be a contender, but injuries could destroy their hopes quickly with only 35 players rostered and under 2M in cap space. If all the starters are healthy, they can knock out top 5 teams. That’s a big “if” in 2020.
9. New York Giants (1-0)
If the Giants can find some cap room to grab a kicker and some contributing CBs (Even some free agents might be enough) they could have a super solid team. Good players everywhere and a fantastic 5 at WR with zero overlapping bye weeks. 16M in dead money is a ball and chain to deal with.
8. New York Jets (1-0)
A lot of depth in the sense that they have players who get snaps and can chip in a few points if need be behind the starters. The issue with the Jets is they might not have the top end talent, especially on defense, to stay a top 10 team. The young RB core is strong.
7. Tennessee Titans (1-0)
A very strong defense capable of winning weeks and beating good teams if the offense cooperates. Zeke and Lamar will do their thing on offense, but the Titans need some guys to step up at WR and a return to form from Gronk. If they get those two things, watch out.
6. Carolina Panthers (1-0)
A deep roster (3rd in bench points) with some very good top end players and some talented young guys without defined roles. For Carolina to be successful, especially in a division as strong as the NFC South, the young players need to produce. Will the stronger positions (LB/WR/S) be able to carry the average/below average positions (TE/DT/DE) to the promised land?
5. Atlanta Falcons (1-0)
Back with a vengeance, the Falcons are scary this year. Super talented roster that topped 220 points opening day without much help from the excellent LB group. Big questions to answer at TE and CB, but the Falcons are set for an incredible year if they invest there.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-1)
The true top tier of the league begins with the 0-1 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs scored 236 points in the opening slate of games losing only to the top scoring Raiders. Not the flashiest RB room in the league, the important thing for Tampa is that Ronald Jones keeps the lions share of TB RB touches, and Harry and Reagor emerge as weapons at WR. An 0-1 start is concerning in a tough division, but the key to an NFC South title is going to be beating Atlanta and Carolina head to head.
3. Miami Dolphins (1-0)
If a riverboat gambler built a 32 team Dynasty team, it would look like the Dolphins roster. Elite RBs and WRs, huge names all over the defense, and here’s the kicker..they have 3 kickers and 10M cash to play with. It’s an elite roster with the flexibility and bait to make the moves they need to make during the season.
2. Oakland Raiders (1-0)
You know a roster is truly deep when you catch yourself thinking “Yeah, losing Gerald Everett would suck, but the lineup wouldn’t suffer too badly.” This is what a roster looks like with no major holes. Depth everywhere. Top shelf talent across the board. The Raiders are dangerous and have the goods to endure the storm that is the 2020 season.
1. Los Angeles Rams (1-0)
Stat of the week: Los Angeles lead the league with 108 bench points. That’s not a bunch of missed opportunities, that’s “Better than you” depth across the board and a lethal 250 point starting lineup. The most expensive offensive player on this roster is Deandre Hopkins, signed for 7M and a contract ending in 2023. Most of the impact players on Frank’s offense are signed to 2022 and beyond for 3M or less.