Happy Thursday folks! It was a relatively slow news week in the NFL so here we are ready for Week 2 to get going tonight. While last week we got the best game of the week on Thursday, I’m not too keen on this matchup being “must-see TV.” We’ll get to the matchup a little later on. First we have to try and figure out which teams reside in the top-five in the league.

Week 1 was a mixed bag. In fact aside from a couple of teams, no one really put their best foot forward. Even the team that looked the best is dealing with a devastating injury now. Monday night’s games helped a little bit but ultimately the top spot in this week’s power rankings is wide open. Let’s take a quick look at how things shook out this week.

1) Green Bay Packers (1-0)

With a week like we just went through, go with the healthiest team with the best quarterback coming off a big win. That means, for at least this week, the Green Bay Packers hold the top spot in my power rankings. It was a hard fought win, but the Packers got the job done against a tough opponent.

Aaron Rodgers was able to take advantage of a few miscues by the Seahawks and turn them into touchdowns. In other words, it was just another day at the office for the former-MVP. This wasn’t a dominant performance, but controlling the game against a Super Bowl contender is always something to build on.

There are still some questions regarding this defense though. Yes, they looked pretty solid on Sunday. However, you can make the argument that performance had more to do with the problems of Seattle’s offense. The one thing we know for sure is that defensive coordinator Dom Capers is going to rely on pressure with his defense. Against an offensive line like the Seahawks, that is going to work a lot of the time. We’re going to get a crash course on how this defense really stacks up this week when Green Bay travels to face Atlanta in a rematch of last season’s NFC Championship game.

2) Kansas City Chiefs (1-0)

 

If Kansas City didn’t lose All-Pro safety Eric Berry for the season with a torn Achilles tendon, the Chiefs would have been number one. Aside from that injury, the Chiefs put in the most impressive performance of the week, taking down the defending champs on the road.

This offense ditched its conservative reputation and showed an aggressiveness we haven’t seen from this team. Creativity kept the Patriots guessing, which allowed for the Kansas City playmakers to hit big plays throughout the second half of the opener. Alex Smith looked like he is trying to prevent a repeat of the end of his tenure in San Francisco. Also the Chiefs may have found another star in the form of rookie Kareem Hunt, who set a record for the most all-purpose yards in an NFL debut.

Kansas City looked great in that second half on defense, but we will see how this unit responds to the loss of Berry. He made a lot of the key plays in that game and shut down Rob Gronkowski. That means this front-seven will have to step up and lead this defense. It’s a good thing that Justin Houston looked like he has fully recovered from an injury-riddled 2016 season.

A teacher versus student matchup is on tap for the Chiefs this week as Andy Reid squares off with former offensive coordinator Doug Pederson. Philadelphia and Kansas City should be one of the better matchups of Week 2.

3) New England Patriots (0-1)

After a disappointing opener that exposed more problems than anyone expected from New England, its a good thing they have this guy to figure it out. Photo Credit: Getty Images

Let’s not get too crazy yet, one loss isn’t the end of the world for the defending champs. This is still Brady and Belichick we are talking about here. We all know that they will right the ship before long.

The offense did not look crisp in the opener, but still showed signs of potential. There are a ton of new pieces that are still learning this complex system and injuries are forcing guys to adjust on the fly. Brandin Cooks and Chris Hogan will see their roles expand due to the loss of Julian Edelman and the uncertainty surrounding Danny Amendola. Don’t be shocked if James White or Dion Lewis also see a bigger role in this passing game as well. Gronk won’t have an All-Pro safety on him all game either. This offense will be just fine.

There are some serious concerns with this defense though specifically up front. Once Dont’a Hightower left the opener with a sprained MCL, there was a noticeable drop-off in the effectiveness of this front-seven. It didn’t help that backup Curtis Marsh had only been with the team for five days before getting thrust into action. A dominant pass-rush has never been this team’s calling card, but Hightower’s status going forward is crucial.

Regardless, we all know that the Patriots will figure things out one way or another. They will have a chance to rebound this week against the Saints, in what has the makings of a shootout.

4) Minnesota Vikings (1-0)

Oh boy, the Vikings looked great on Monday night. The defense was dominant and this offense was explosive. This was a great start for a team that has a legitimate shot to be a contender this season.

I would be lying if I said we all weren’t blown away by the performance of Sam Bradford. Sammy Sleeves looked like “captain checkdown” early in the game, but unleashed some big throws later in the night. Stefon Diggs and Adam Theilen looked like an effective receiving duo, allowing Bradford to attack down the field. Minnesota’s passing game will continue to improve as the season progresses.

The new-look offensive line was a real breath of fresh air for the Vikings. They gave Bradford time to hit the intermediate routes, and more importantly, opened up big holes for rookie Dalvin Cook to run wild. Things are looking great for this offense so far.

Defensively, we didn’t learn anything new about the Vikings. They looked like one of the best defenses in the league, but they have a big test this week. Minnesota heads to Pittsburgh in what should be the best game of the Sunday afternoon slate.

5) Oakland Raiders (1-0)

A big road win for the Raiders in Week 1 featured a solid return of Marshawn Lynch, but there is still a lot to learn about the Raiders moving forward. Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated

While it wasn’t quite the “game of the week” we were all expecting, the Oakland Raiders scored a big road win against Tennessee on Sunday. This offense will have better days ahead of them (possibly this week) as they adjust to a more balanced attack. If the Raiders can continue to harness the power running of “Beast Mode” Marshawn Lynch, most defenses are going to have big problems against Oakland.

The real story for Oakland coming out of Week 1 was the surprising performance put in by this defense. No one was really expecting much out of this unit, as they were looking like a bottom-five ranked defense again this season. However, they were able to hold the Titans to 16 points, which is about the best you could possibly hope for if you are Jack Del Rio.

There are no guarantees in the NFL, but the Raiders have a great chance to improve to 2-0 this week at home against the Jets.

Watch List: Dallas (1-0), Atlanta (1-0), Pittsburgh (1-0), Philadelphia (1-0), Seattle (0-1), Tampa Bay (0-0)

Texans vs. Bengals (TNF Preview)

Now we look ahead to the Week 2, which gets started tonight with the Bengals and the Texans on Thursday Night Football. Admittedly, there is not a ton to get excited about as both teams are coming off of embarrassing losses. If you are looking for a high-scoring affair, this might not be the game for you.

Andy Dalton will be looking to put his four interception Week 1 performance behind him, while the Texans are turning to rookie DeShaun Watson to get a road win. Neither team can afford to fall to 0-2.

Houston’s defense gives the Texans the best chance to score a win in this game. They will have to create havoc and force Dalton into poor decisions. With a rookie quarterback making his first NFL start on the road, a defensive game is the best route to victory here.

The Bengals will have the advantage of playing at home four days removed from their regular season opener. That could be a big difference maker as it looks like almost half of the Houston roster ended up on the injury report this week. The Bengals will have to be the team that controls the football, and even try to play from ahead. Allowing the Texans to hang around in a tie ball game could be a quick way to lose this game.

To reiterate my original point about this game, it’s going to be ugly. This has the makings of a 12-9 final score written all over it. Both teams have their problems but the Bengals have health and home field. Cincinnati should win this game, however against the spread I’m going with Houston (+5.5).

That’s it for me. I’ll be back tomorrow with a preview of the rest of Week 2 and another set of picks ATS. Follow me on Twitter @thereal_jmooney and go like the Shooting the Moon page on Facebook.