NFL Week 2 rankings shaken by chaotic opening round

Fox Sports journalist Ralph Vacchiano has described the opening round of the 2026 NFL season as unusually chaotic, with several strong teams struggling and the Los Angeles Rams losing their opener.

The result has disrupted Vacchiano’s weekly power rankings ahead of Week 2. The New York Jets, Las Vegas Raiders and Arizona Cardinals all began the season with wins, adding to the uncertainty around the early league hierarchy.

The rankings highlight several concerns across the competition. Tennessee’s debut under Robert Saleh was characterised as a failure, while the Giants’ offence produced 195 yards against the Jets, including 65 on a late garbage-time drive.

Las Vegas defeated Miami, though Vacchiano questioned the significance of the result. He also raised concerns about quarterback Kirk Cousins’ turnovers and the impact of injuries in another team’s quarterback room, which forced Cooper Rush to start despite back spasms.

Arizona delivered one of the round’s notable results by defeating the Los Angeles Chargers and limiting quarterback Justin Herbert. Carolina, meanwhile, conceded 59 points and 552 yards, while Tampa Bay’s offence was criticised after an underwhelming performance from quarterback Baker Mayfield.

The supplied Fox Sports material does not include the complete rankings or every team’s position. Vacchiano’s assessment also references Super Bowl odds from DraftKings, but those figures are presented as part of the rankings rather than as independent forecasts.