The Jets finished strong against the Panthers in Week 1, but their late surge was not enough to overcome an early 16-0 deficit.
New York showed some encouraging signs over the final quarter of play in its 19-14 loss in Carolina, but moral victories don’t move the needle in USA TODAY’s NFL Power Rankings. The Jets dropped one spot from 27th to 28th after their narrow defeat, placing them ahead of just four other teams.
The Jets were not the only AFC East team to drop in the power rankings. In fact, each of New York’s division foes took a tumble in the pecking order — even the Dolphins after their 17-16 win over the Patriots. The Bills experienced the biggest drop after their surprising loss to the Steelers, going from fifth to 10th. Miami moved down from 11th to 12th, while New England went from 13th to 17th.
The Buccaneers, Chiefs, Rams, Browns and Saints rounded out the top five of the rankings. New Orleans moved up 13 spots after its throttling of the Packers to break into the top five, while the Rams went from just outside the top five at sixth to third. The Browns remained in the top five despite their loss to the Chiefs, dropping one spot from third to fourth.
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