NFL Power Rankings Week 1: Carolina Panthers Start on Top

Aug 20, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Carolina Panthers fan Brenda Chipman of Charlotte North Carolina celebrates her team defeating the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Carolina won 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 20, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Carolina Panthers fan Brenda Chipman of Charlotte North Carolina celebrates her team defeating the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Carolina won 26-16. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Carolina Panthers came up just short last season by losing to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50 but they top our NFL Power Rankings for 2016 week one.

In the NFL, a league known for parity, fans of most teams can have hopes for making the playoffs this season. Heck, even the Cleveland Browns are tied for first place at this point. OK, so Browns fans should worry more about their team winning a game or two than making the playoffs, but there will be some level of hope in most other NFL cities.

Closer to home, the Detroit Lions looks to show that they are more like the team that went 6-2 in the second half of 2015 rather than the team that went 1-7 in the first half. The 7-9 season was a disappointing follow up to their 11-5 2014 season that saw them earn a playoff berth. Once again we’re left wondering which is the real Lions team.

As is most often the case, the answer is less clear than an either-or scenario given the competitive nature of the league that sees most games decided by a touchdown or less.

More and more it seems there are few elite teams and few truly terrible teams, leaving a big mass of teams in the middle to get sorted out. That can make ranking teams difficult early in the season, but what the heck, let’s give it a shot.

With the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos hosting the Carolina Panthers tonight in a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the 2016 season, here are the Detroit Jock City NFL Power Rankings for week one.

Week 1 NFL Power Rankings

player. 53. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Cleveland Browns . 32

35. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Tennessee Titans . 31. player

42. . 0-0. Last Week: -. San Francisco 49ers . 30. player

57. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Chicago Bears . 29. player

. 0-0. Last Week: -. Los Angeles Rams . 28. player. 51

0-0. Last Week: -. Dallas Cowboys . 27. player. 123.

13. . 0-0. Last Week: -. San Diego Chargers . 26. player

0-0. Last Week: -. Tampa Bay Buccaneers . 25. player. 48.

26. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Baltimore Ravens . 24. player

59. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Miami Dolphins . 23. player

player. 31. . 0-0. Last Week: -. New York Giants . 22

player. 15. . 0-0. Last Week: -. New Orleans Saints . 21

player. 54. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Philadelphia Eagles . 20

19. player. 60. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Minnesota Vikings

Detroit Lions . 18. player. 50. . 0-0. Last Week: -

28. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Oakland Raiders . 17. player

44. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Atlanta Falcons . 16. player

Last Week: -. Jacksonville Jaguars . 15. player. 52. . 0-0

Last Week: -. Buffalo Bills . 14. player. 16. . 0-0

player. 46. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Indianapolis Colts . 13

0-0. Last Week: -. New York Jets . 12. player. 30.

10. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Houston Texans . 10. player

player. 55. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Pittsburgh Steelers . 9

. 0-0. Last Week: -. Cincinnati Bengals . 8. player. 56

player. 49. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Green Bay Packers . 7

. 0-0. Last Week: -. Seattle Seahawks . 6. player. 36

player. 45. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Denver Broncos . 5

124. . 0-0. Last Week: -. Kansas City Chiefs . 4. player

New England Patriots . 3. player. 47. . 0-0. Last Week: -

0-0. Last Week: -. Arizona Cardinals . 2. player. 32.

. 0-0. Last Week: -. Carolina Panthers . 1. player. 87

Next: 30 Best Draft Picks in Detroit Lions History

Teams you think are ranked too high or too low? Leave a comment below or check in with us on facebook or twitter.