NFL Football: Grading Every AFC Team’s Week 1 Performance
John Canady
Host · Writer
16) Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans looked more competitive than they did a year ago, but that’s not saying much. There are plenty of areas that need improvement for Brian Callahan’s squad. Still, there are also plenty of things to be optimistic about as the season continues, such as the solid day from the defensive unit.
Grade: C+
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1) Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills may have already put together one of the best comeback wins of the season, and it’s only Week 1. With Josh Allen on the team, Buffalo will never be down for the count, and after Sunday’s win, it’s clear that the Bills should be atop the AFC rankings heading into Week 2. Offensively, Buffalo looked as explosive as ever, especially in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Sean McDermott’s squad has some work to do, but with the talent on the roster, there’s plenty of optimism moving forward.
Grade: A
2) Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins looked arguably as bad as they possibly could on Sunday on the road in Indianapolis. On offense, Mike McDaniel's team couldn’t get anything going, and whether that was to the credit of the Colts' revamped defense or simple first-game jitters, Miami looked disastrous. On the flip side, the Dolphins' defense couldn’t stop Indy from scoring, allowing the Colts to score on each of their seven drives throughout the regular season opener..
Grade: F
3) New England Patriots
The New England Patriots have plenty of work to do following their Week 1 loss to the Raiders. Mike Vrabel and the Pats proved to be aggressive this offseason, adding talent on both sides of the ball, but even then, there’s still an abundance of weaknesses that need to be addressed both offensively and defensively.
Grade: D+
4) New York Jets
The New York Jets surprised in Week 1 with the team’s offense potentially putting together what could be looked back on as the most complete game of the season. Despite the offensive success, defensively, Aaron Glenn will have his hands full getting the team’s defensive unit back to the top of the league like it was once before under Robert Saleh. Following their late collapse to give the game up at home, the Jets will hope to see better days ahead.
Grade: C+
5) Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens looked like the team to beat in the AFC for the first 3.5 quarters against the Bills on Sunday night. Baltimore’s offense looks explosive, and before their late-game defensive meltdown, John Harbaugh’s squad looked like the most well-rounded team in the conference. Despite the loss, it’s clear the Ravens will be contending for the conference championship.
Grade: A
6) Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are almost making it a tradition to start the season off slowly. Fortunately, Cincy found themselves on the winning side of Sunday’s slow start. While the Browns’ defense is certainly a challenge, Zac Taylor’s squad had plenty of questions to answer moving forward, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
Grade: C+
7) Pittsburgh Steelers
Offensively, the Pittsburgh Steelers look like a team that could put up plenty of points on offense this season. However, defensively, there’s plenty to be concerned about moving forward, considering the Steelers’ defense was supposed to be the surest part of their team heading into the season. Regardless, at 1-0, Pittsburgh dodged a bullet by narrowly escaping New York with a win.
Grade: B-
8) Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns looked surprisingly good on Sunday, at least in terms of what the expectations were for the squad with a 40-year-old QB under center. The good news? The team’s defense looks to be one of the best in the league. The bad news? Their offense struggled to take advantage of the Bengals’ weak defensive unit, and if that’s an indication of how this team will play moving forward, Browns fans could be in for a long year.
Grade: C-
9) Los Angeles Chargers
The Los Angeles Chargers looked impressive in their Week 1 win against the defending AFC champs. Jim Harbaugh’s offense looks sharp, and defensively, there’s enough talent and discipline to make a deep run this season if everything remains the same.
Grade: A
10) Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs' defense looked as inconsistent as it has in recent memory. Not only is the defense worrisome following Week 1, but the lack of receiving weapons on offense could be something to monitor moving forward. Regardless, if you know Andy Reid, it’s safe to assume the Chiefs will turn things around.
Grade: B-
11) Denver Broncos
It’s hard to say the Denver Broncos look poised to take a step back this season after one week, but the fact of the matter is Sean Payton’s squad did not look the part in Sunday’s season opener. Not only did the offense look frantic and stagnant, but defensively, they didn’t look as dominant as last year. Despite that, 1-0 is a great feeling to have, no matter how they got the win.
Grade: C-
12) Las Vegas Raiders
The Las Vegas Raiders handled business on Sunday and got their first official win of the Pete Carroll era. Offensively, the Raiders surprised, and defensively, there’s plenty to like about how poised the team’s unit looked on Sunday.
Grade: B-
13) Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts arguably put the most complete game together the team has seen since the Peyton Manning days. Not only did Daniel Jones look like a star quarterback in his first start in Indy, but Lou Anarumo’s arrival in Indianapolis looks well worth the money. Indy could legitimately be a surprise team to watch in the AFC this season, but we’ll know more for sure after their Week 2 matchup against the Broncos.
Grade: A
14) Houston Texans
The Houston Texans not only look underwhelming, but they look like a team that could lose more games than they win this season following their Week 1 outing. Offensively, something has to change for a team that fired its offensive coordinator this offseason for the same lackluster play down the stretch last year. DeMeco Ryans's defense can only do so much, and even then, Houston doesn’t exactly have a top unit in the league, no matter how good their pass rush is.
Grade: C-
15) Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars truly needed to turn things around after last season's disastrous year, which is why the team made a change in leadership, hiring head coach Liam Coen. Through one week, the offense looked explosive and the defense looked solid enough to compete for a division title. However, it’s hard to judge just how good the Jags will be until they play top competition.
Grade: B-
16) Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans looked more competitive than they did a year ago, but that’s not saying much. There are plenty of areas that need improvement for Brian Callahan’s squad. Still, there are also plenty of things to be optimistic about as the season continues, such as the solid day from the defensive unit.
Grade: C+
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1) Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills may have already put together one of the best comeback wins of the season, and it’s only Week 1. With Josh Allen on the team, Buffalo will never be down for the count, and after Sunday’s win, it’s clear that the Bills should be atop the AFC rankings heading into Week 2. Offensively, Buffalo looked as explosive as ever, especially in the fourth quarter. Defensively, Sean McDermott’s squad has some work to do, but with the talent on the roster, there’s plenty of optimism moving forward.
Grade: A
