Lions crack top three, Cowboys on the rise; Bengals and Browns plummet

Lions crack top three, Cowboys on the rise; Bengals and Browns plummet

The Chiefs and 49ers took care of business. The Panthers and Giants lost big. The Lions edged the Rams in a classic at Ford Field.

Things in Week 1 were just as we left them, eh?! Not remove.

There were surprising results, such as the Bengals — my future Super Bowl champs! — getting stunned by the upstart Patriots. Derek Carr and the Saints hung 47 on Carolina. The Broncos got two safeties… and lost.

Also, some big transactional news. Dak Prescott got PAID pregame, then the Cowboys dismantled the Browns. Justin Fields replaced an injured Russell Wilson, helping the Steelers earn a gritty road win. Christian McCaffrey was a late scratch, helping turn Jordan Mason into an overnight sensation.

And a little old and new, too. Jim Harbaugh earned his first NFL victory in nearly a decade, fueled by a throwback showing from JK Dobbins. As far as the rookie-darling quarterbacks… well, they weren’t too darling in their first Sunday.

But the opening-week action was pretty thrilling, with three teams earning wins after executing comebacks of 14-plus points. There’s a decent amount of post-Week 1 movement in this file’s pecking order, with three teams moving up four spots and one more moving up three. And in perfect harmony, three teams tumbled four places and one more fell three spots.

It’s all temporary here, anyway. Power Rankings are like roadside motels: No one stays in one spot very long.