After two weeks, nine NFL teams are 2-0 heading into Week 3. With several of them sure to go on and win division championships, some will be relegated to Wild Card status, while others will be on the outside looking in, doomed to a fate of missing the playoffs.
Because the Buffalo Bills are one of those 2-0 teams and because fans care so much about making the playoffs, let’s power rank the teams still remaining based on the likelihood they make the postseason.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
They caught breaks when the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Chargers lost games, and their offense has picked up where they left off in 2018. A good defense supplements the explosive offense. They seem destined for the AFC Playoff Race.
2. New England Patriots
They have straight up demolished both of their first two opponents; a healthy Pittsburgh Steelers team and a bad Miami Dolphins squad. They have the Chiefs, Bills twice, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Philadelphia Eagles on their schedule, but until someone can slow them down or score on them, they are the team to beat in the AFC.
3. Baltimore Ravens
They beat up on the woeful Miami Dolphins and beat the Arizona Cardinals, but their offense has been solid through two weeks led by 2018 NFL Draft pick Lamar Jackson. They still have games against the New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals twice, and the Ben Roethlisberger-less Pittsburgh Steelers twice. With the Cleveland Browns stumbling out of the gate, they have the early inside track to the division championship and they already have at least one game in hand over everyone else.
4. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys’ offense has been great even with Ezekiel Elliot missing time this summer with his holdout. Yeah, it was against the New York Giants and Washington, but they play the Miami Dolphins and New Orleans Saints without Drew Brees over the next two weeks and the Jets, Giants, and Washington coming down the stretch. They are playing a first-place schedule, so they will draw the Los Angeles Rams, and they have some tough games on their schedule including two against the Philadelphia Eagles.
5. Green Bay Packers
No other team in the NFC North is 2-0, which gives them a leg up on several other 2-0 teams in this conversation; they have a game in hand and both games were in the division. A stout defense and a brand new offense have led them here but each win was a one-score game and low-scoring from Aaron Rodgers.
6. Buffalo Bills
While they still need to prove they can beat a good team, let alone the New England Patriots, the Bills have been solid through two games. With games against the Miami Dolphins twice, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington, Pittsburgh Steelers, and New York Jets, the Bills have a fairly easy schedule based on early returns. Discount them at your own risk, especially their stout defense. I’m not saying Buffalo is better than the teams further down the list, but that NFC West is going to tear through each other.
7. Los Angeles Rams
They play a difficult schedule, with two games remaining against the 2-0 San Francisco 49ers and the 2-0 Seahawks. They also see the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Chicago Bears, and play in Atlanta against the Falcons. It’s not going to be easy.
8. Seattle Seahawks
Two wins by three points over the Bengals and Steelers with Big Ben on the sideline for most of the game. Not a great showing so far. They have two games each against the 49ers and Rams plus they need to go to Atlanta, Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Carolina and play the Ravens at home.
9. San Francisco 49ers
Are they battle-tested enough? They will be by the end of the year. Their offense has really woken up with Jimmy Garopolo’s return to the lineup but they beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Bengals. They have a Week 4 bye and could be banged up down the stretch when they face the Rams, travel to Washington, and host Carolina in three straight weeks. They have Seattle twice, Green Bay, a road date in Baltimore, Atlanta, and their two games against the Rams on the schedule. It’s going to be a lot harder really soon.