NFL power rankings, Week 0: What to make of Cowboys, Dolphins, Bills teams that aren't quite trustworthy?

Our long, national nightmare is nearly over. On September 5, the Baltimore Ravens will travel west to take on the Kansas City Chiefs in a rematch of last year's AFC Conference Championship.

The Thursday night game will kick off the first week of the 2024 NFL regular season. Months of roster building and practice sessions have led to this; a 32-team race that will, eventually, whittle this year's field of contenders down to 14, then eight, four, two and finally one world champion.

That six month offseason has provided plenty of time to reflect on each franchise and their shot to be the last team standing. After processing these deals, trades and draft picks then watching entirely too many preseason and training camp snaps, we're ready to make some informed judgments, many of which will be shockingly wrong. That last part isn't intentional, by the way. It's just the nature of a hard salary cap and a league that values parity almost as much as it does jamming games into your holiday schedule.

Let's take one last look at the pre-2024 NFL and how each team is slated to perform before the season kicks off Thursday.

32. Carolina Panthers

Previous rank: 32

Am I… buying into the Bryce Young preseason hype? At least a little! Dave Canales has a track record of inflating his quarterbacks, and Young arguably has the most raw talent of any he's worked with. Then again, Frank Reich helped make Nick by-god Foles a Super Bowl MVP and his 11 games in Charlotte were a disaster. So…

31. New England Patriots

Previous rank: 27

All the Patriots have to do this fall is a) build a proof of concept for Jerod Mayo's Bill Belichick-less defense b) develop some offensive linemen capable of playing above replacement level and c) insert Drake Maye late enough in the season to inspire hope but not breed the bad habits of a team that may not have much in way of a) or b).

30. Denver Broncos

Previous rank: 31

Bo Nix has a few nice pieces with which to work, and Courtland Sutton can be his safety blanket. Still, there's not much to be excited about here aside from Patrick Surtain II's continued dominance, Quinn Meinerz's house of pancakes and whatever Sean Payton schadenfreude you may have signed up for.

29. Washington Commanders

Previous rank: 29

Jayden Daniels may very well be the real thing. However, he's got little in the way of playmakers, his defense lacks reliable veterans and the Commanders' offseason moves suggest 2024 will be all about washing away Ron Rivera's influence on the roster and creating a clean slate.

28. New York Giants

Previous rank: 26

Brian Daboll helped Daniel Jones save his job before. But he did that by riding Saquon Barkley to a nine-win season. Now New York's running backs are Devin Singletary and Tyrone Tracy. New York's gonna have to throw its way into the playoff race. At least rookie Malik Nabers seems up to the task.

27. New Orleans Saints

Previous rank: 20

New Orleans brings an aging roster to the turf with few established young stars on which it can rely. Maybe 2024 isn't the year the wheels fall off, but that doesn't mean the Saints will be entertaining. On the other hand, a healthy Derek Carr will be playing motivated after having his 2023 marred by constant injuries. He's still capable of thriving in the right environment, and Chris Olave paired with a last-ride Alvin Kamara has the capacity to surprise.

26. Tennessee Titans

Previous rank: 30

There's no denying the Titans have added talent to their roster. This offseason brought Calvin Ridley, Ernest Jones, Quandre Diggs, Tony Pollard, Tyler Boyd, Jamal Adams, Kenneth Murray and L'Jarius Sneed to Nashville. But Derrick Henry is gone and the offense will rely on Will Levis, who plays football like an unmanned fire hose and is occasionally incredible and occasionally regrettable. If nothing else, Tennessee will be fun.

25. Minnesota Vikings

Previous rank: 28

Sam Darnold maintains the capacity to surprise. He's a veteran who played himself into a meme with the Jets and lost a quarterback battle to 2022's worst starting QB (Baker Mayfield) before bouncing back with the best football of his career. Putting him in an offense with Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and an eventually healthy TJ Hockenson will give him a chance to replicate that rise. Still; he's Sam Darnold.

24. Arizona Cardinals

Previous rank: 24

Arizona has the capacity to surprise behind some young skill players and a healthy Kyler Murray. But the defense isn't quite at the same level, hampering the Cardinals worst-to-first hopes in a brutal NFC West. Outside of Budda Baker, there's a dearth of recognizable names on that side of the ball -- though second round cornerback Max Melton could wind up making an impact in his debut season.

23. Los Angeles Chargers

Previous rank: 25

Jim Harbaugh's 2024 will be focused on setting the table for 2025, which doesn't necessarily exclude the Chargers from the playoff hunt but will make things difficult. With steady blocking on the offensive side of the ball and a potentially suffocating pass rush, Los Angeles will be a nightmare to fall behind in the second half. Playing from behind, even with Justin Herbert, will be a tougher ask given the team's lack of proven high-level wideouts (but Josh Palmer's gonna be fine).

22. Jacksonville Jaguars

Previous rank: 19

Brian Thomas Jr. may be the key to Jacksonville's 2024, which probably isn't the kind of pressure you want on a mid-first round rookie wideout. Still, Trevor Lawrence remains more potential than production and can reach great heights if the Jaguars can give him a true WR1 to help the rest of the team's receiving corps fall into line. They may need it, too; this secondary has plenty to prove.

21. Seattle Seahawks

Previous rank: 21

Can Mike Macdonald turn a shiny collection of pieces into a functioning defense? Seattle underwhelmed on that side of the ball in the final years of the Pete Carroll era, so adding the coordinator who helped max out the Baltimore Ravens' potential makes sense. If that group can simply be average and Geno Smith can continue playing efficient, turnover-averse football the Seahawks can create problems come January.

20. Las Vegas Raiders

Previous rank: 22

Antonio Pierce thoroughly earned his rapid rise from linebackers coach to interim head coach to full time captain piloting the Raiders' clunky, yet devastating old school diesel submarine. Las Vegas's defense improved dramatically under his watch, rising to top three status over the final nine games of 2023. That should be enough to make them a playoff contender -- the only issue is the most important position on the field, where Gardner Minshew sets a ceiling on the team's dream of unseating the Kansas City Chiefs.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

Previous rank: 18

Look, it's a Mike Tomlin team. We're dealing with at least eight wins, some absolutely brutal quarterback performances and a smothering defense that pulls off multiple upsets via backbreaking turnover. How Pittsburgh plans to revive the careers of Russell Wilson or Justin Fields with a receiving corps starring George Pickens and, uh, Calvin Austin is unclear but the Steelers get the benefit of the doubt at this point.

18. Indianapolis Colts

Previous rank: 16

The spotlight is shining directly on Anthony Richardson after Colts general manager Chris Ballard looked at last year's nine-win campaign with Gardner Minshew behind center and said "sure, let's run it back." Indianapolis mostly re-signed its own players in free agency. While adding a defensive talent like Laiatu Latu in the draft is a boon, it's clear the Colts expect their young quarterback to be the difference between good and great.

17. Cleveland Browns

Previous rank: 14

This defense is good enough to push Cleveland to a winning record even without a quarterback. Which is useful, because Deshaun Watson -- traded for despite more than 20 accusations of sexual misconduct and what the league later described as "predatory behavior," then extended for $230 million fully guaranteed without even playing a down for the Browns -- has been suspended, injured and generally bad at football in his two seasons in the AFC North.

16. New York Jets

Previous rank: 23

The Jets don't need Aaron Rodgers to return to MVP form. They just need him to be a viable quarterback; a guy a few notches above Mike White. With an elite defense and an offense with a thin, but talented cache of playmakers, Rodgers can look like a 41-year-old coming off a major injury and still pilot this team to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.

15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Previous rank: 13

Todd Bowles keeps this team chugging along despite roster turnover. Now he'll have to keep Baker Mayfield viable without former coordinator Dave Canales. Adding Graham Barton to the interior of a disheveled line could help spark what's been the league's worst rushing offense the last two seasons -- and make Mayfield's life easier no matter who is calling plays.

14. Atlanta Falcons

Previous rank: 15

Bringing in Kirk Cousins to sling passes to multiple recent first round draft picks sets a proper, high floor for the Atlanta offense. Adding Matthew Judon and Justin Simmons during the preseason may be the exact rocket booster to make an average defense great. But until we see it on the field rather than on paper, a spot in the NFC's top five feels about right.

13. Chicago Bears

Previous rank: 15

Am I buying into the hype or underrating a rookie quarterback? Caleb Williams looked tremendous in limited preseason snaps, but the learning curve of NFL first-string defenses is waiting to snap him back to reality. Fortunately, he's got a stunning corps of playmakers and a defense that played like a top three unit over the last half of 2023. Chicago has the tools to win a rock fight or a shootout.

12. Buffalo Bills

Previous rank: 12

The wide receiving corps is missing its two most-targeted players from the last four seasons. The defense shed several notable veterans and will be without Matt Milano for an extended period again. But Josh Allen is here, and betting against him remains a fool's errand.

11. Miami Dolphins

Previous rank: 11

Miami finished last season o a 2-4 skid that makes the Dolphins difficult to trust. But playing a Wild Card game in sub-zero temperatures may have instilled motivation to win the AFC East and host a playoff game in Miami Gardens instead. All Tua Tagovailoa has to do to rebuild his legend is keep firing shots in Tyreek Hill's general direction.

10. Dallas Cowboys

Previous rank: 10

Dallas is capable of generating chaos on both sides of the ball. Early returns suggest their rookie linemen can keep this offense humming even if the receiving depth is limited and run game is iffy. The true hope comes on the defensive side of the ball, where Micah Parsons, DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs hope to make up for Mike McCarthy's inevitable postseason brain fart.

9. Los Angeles Rams

Previous rank: 8

Matthew Stafford is 36 years old (and somehow just made only his second Pro Bowl. The Pro Bowl is mostly meaningless for everyone, but especially quarterbacks), which adds a bit of urgency to LA's rolling rebuild. Things went better than expected last season when the Rams were forced to replace veteran talent with young, low-cost prospects. Now they have to do it again, this time replacing the irreplaceable in future first-ballot Hall of Famer Aaron Donald.

8. Philadelphia Eagles

Previous rank: 7

Philadelphia's spiral out of the Super Bowl hunt last season was discouraging. But general manager Howie Roseman patched the holes that sunk his boat about as efficiently as possible, infusing an aging secondary with Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean. And Saquon Barkley once proved capable of lifting a Daniel Jones offense to the playoffs; imagine what he can do alongside Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith?

7. Houston Texans

Previous rank: 6

Houston took advantage of C.J. Stroud's rookie contract and splurged this offseason, adding big money veterans Danielle Hunter and Stefon Diggs to last year's AFC South championship roster. Will that be the tipping point that pushes the franchise to its first-ever AFC title game (or beyond)? Can Hunter's pass rushing prowess force the kind of hurried throws that allow Derek Stingley, Jalen Pitre and the rest of a young secondary to coalesce into a truly scary unit?

6. Green Bay Packers

Previous rank: 9

Jordan Love piloted the league's youngest offense to a spot in the Divisional Round last winter and gets all his primary weapons back -- with the exception of switching out Aaron Jones for Josh Jacobs. Another year of wide-open targets awaits. The Packers' final destiny will lie in the hands of their defense, which underwhelmed last year and will now be led by coordinator Jeff Hafley, who left his role as Boston College head coach just to come to Wisconsin.

5. Baltimore Ravens

Previous rank: 4

Lamar Jackson is still searching for his Super Bowl breakthrough, but he's coming off his most efficient postseason to date. That's an encouraging start, but Baltimore has a lot of defensive losses to overcome, from coordinator Mike Macdonald to starters like Patrick Queen and Geno Stone. The offensive line is in a similar spot, though that feels like less of an issue with a quarterback like Jackson in the pocket.

4. Cincinnati Bengals

Previous rank: 3

Joe Burrow is back and gets to throw to uber-motivated, contract-seeking versions of Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase (and has Andrei Iosivas and Jermaine Burton behind them if Chase's contract holdout persists). Amarius Mims looks like a road grader at right tackle and Mike Gesicki could be a real weapon in the seam if he can return to 2021 form (yeah, a big if, but Cincinnati has been fine without impact tight end play before). The defense once again looks capable and all signs point to a Bengal return to the postseason.

3. San Francisco 49ers

Previous rank: 5

The sheer expense of San Francisco's star-laden roster will eventually force significant changes in the Bay Area. That won't be in 2024, however, as both Brandon Aiyuk and Trent Williams have settled their contract impasses with the team. That leaves 2023's most efficient offense (by a longshot) intact and with a Super Bowl breakthrough firmly in its sights.

2. Detroit Lions

Previous rank: 3

Detroit's secondary crapped out at the worst possible time, as injuries and a lack of depth helped the San Francisco 49ers pull off a come-from-behind win in the NFC Championship Game. That won't be as big a weakness this fall; drafting Terrion Arnold and adding veterans like Carlton Davis and Amik Robertson should give the Lions a cornerback rotation that can live up to the standard set by a pass rush whose 28.2 percent pressure rate led the NFL last season.

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Previous rank: 1

The kings would have stayed the kings even if they hadn't upgraded their receiving corps with Xavier Worthy and a (currently injured) Marquise Brown. Kansas City made it back-to-back Super Bowl wins thanks to a suffocating defense. Will that unit look the same breaking in a young group of new cornerbacks to take L'Jarius Sneed's place?

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL power rankings, Week 0: What to make of Cowboys, Dolphins, Bills teams that aren't quite trustworthy?