NFL Power Rankings, Week 2: Packers, Chiefs take top two slots

That didn't take very long.

Shakeup permeates this week's pecking order, top to bottom. Not a single team from last week's top 10 stayed put. A whopping 30 squads shed their old location, making these Power Rankings quite frenetic.

Of all the movers, the Packers and Chiefs are the most noticeable. The Super Bowl I combatants occupy the top two slots after the opening week of play. Green Bay took the throne by beating a top-flight team, thanks largely to spectacular defense. Kansas City, meanwhile, ventured into hostile ground and toppled the NFL's premier organization. An argument could be made for Andy Reid's club leaping the Packers -- well, if only team leader Eric Berry had not been lost in the process. As for those who would back the Raiders, they must beat the Chiefs before fans criticize the Patriots for not doing so.

All in all, it was an opening weekend flush with ridiculousness ...

Check out all of the up/down arrows below, brosef.

Karl Mecklenburg blocked John Carney's game-tying field-goal attempt. It was wild.

The Chiefs were quite surprising, Mike ... but not sure people in Finland were shocked.

Honestly, nothing this early in the season should be too surprising, because we don't glean nearly as much information from the preseason as we think we do. Thus, you'll find a ton of movement below. So, let me know your over/underreaction: @HarrisonNFL is the place.

Let the dissension commence!

PROGRAMMING NOTE: For more in-depth analysis on the updated league pecking order, tune in to NFL Network every Tuesday night at 6 p.m. ET for the "NFL Power Rankings" show.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The lineup below reflects changes from our Week 1 Power Rankings.

Top of the charts, for now, for the Packers. Here's why:

1) Aaron Rodgers.

2) Forget the stats. Ty Montgomery has zero to prove in terms of handling the workload as an RB1 after running hard between the tackles against the Seahawks' formidable defensive wall.

3) The improvement in the secondary. So often, Russell Wilson couldn't find anywhere to go with the football on Sunday, which -- as opposed to his much-maligned offensive line -- was the culprit behind the pressure he faced.

4) The Patriots were handled Thursday night.

5) Mike Daniels (1.5 sacks, seven tackles and several QB hits) continued to be one of the unsung premier players in the NFL.

6) Aaron Rodgers.

Huge win for the Chiefs over New England, although it shouldn't have been considered a huge upset in retrospect. The Patriots are the defending champs, but they must absorb injuries like every other roster in the league. You knew Alex Smith was going to be ready to play and keep a rookie quarterback Patrick Mahomes in a baseball cap on the Kansas City sideline. From a matchup standpoint, Smith's front five is better than New England's front seven. And like Bill Belichick, Chiefs coach Andy Reid had all offseason to prepare. The shockers? Rookie Kansas City running back Kareem Hunt losing a fumble for the first time since before college, then rumbling to arguably the best debut in the history of the NFL. Also the clutch play from corner Terrance Mitchell, who, since 2014, has been waived by the Cowboys, Bears, Cowboys again, Texans and Chiefs before being re-signed by K.C. last year. And there he was on "Thursday Night Football," holding his own against the best quarterback in the world. The only downside of the night was the loss of Eric Berry for the season to a ruptured Achilles, which was also a factor in terms of the Chiefs not getting the top spot here.

We all underrated the loss of receiver Julian Edelman (to a torn ACL) and linebacker Rob Ninkovich (to retirement) -- including me, despite the fact I brought it up on "The Power Rankings Show" and "Total Access" last week. Edelman is a known commodity. Danny Amendola is the man people tabbed to replace Edelman's production, hoping he could stay healthy. He couldn't. Tom Brady and Brandin Cooks aren't on the same page yet. And too often, Chiefs QB Alex Smith had plenty of time to throw. Ninkovich might not have been an All-Pro sack guy, but he was an all-motor guy. The real (hidden) concern: tight end Rob Gronkowski not getting much separation after that first-quarter TD catch was ruled incomplete (an early turning point in the game). The man has absorbed a lot of hits. Let's hope he's not slowing down.

This was as good a start as Raider fans could have asked for. The win in Nashville only amplifies the contention that Oakland is in contention (for the Super Bowl, that is). The big questions going into Week 1 were ... What would Jack Del Rio get from unretired veteran back Marshawn Lynch, who missed all of 2016 after a lackluster 2015 in Seattle? And how would the secondary hold up? Lynch was solid if unspectacular, logging 18 carries for 76 yards, and tacking on a 16-yard reception, as well. The back seven did its job, limiting Titans QB Marcus Mariota to just over 6 yards per attempt while pitching a shutout in the end zone (the only Tennessee TD came on the ground, courtesy of Mariota). The DBs will be brought to the brink of their ability next Sunday when the Jets come to town. Or not.

Gnarly start in Chicago, as predicted for Atlanta. The offense was functional if not dynamic, as Matt Ryan found Austin Hooper for a couple of chunk plays and converted a few necessary third downs. The run game was absent against an improved Bears front seven. The defense was unable to force any turnovers or stop the run consistently, leaving an inferior Chicago team within a fourth-and-goal of securing an improbable win. Eight penalties didn't help, either. Can't be this sloppy when Aaron Rodgers comes calling next week.

The Cowboys couldn't have asked for a better outcome Sunday night, even moving past Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. being a late scratch or Ezekiel Elliott's availability. Dallas went one up on its stiffest rival, dominating most of the night. The much-maligned defense -- particularly the pass rush -- looked active all evening. Everyone came out of the game healthy. That includes linebacker Jaylon Smith, who started his first meaningful game in nearly two years -- and made a few plays, to boot.

Some things about football haven't changed much over the last 90 years or so. If your defense is on the field for the preponderance of the game -- or if it is forced to perform on far more plays than the opponent -- the unit is going to get dog tired. As Jimmy Johnson once said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Seattle's unit battled all day long, until the bitter end -- but by then, the 'Hawks simply couldn't produce the stop Pete Carroll needed. Especially on Aaron Rodgers' all-important scramble to convert on third-and-4 with around three minutes to play. Good news: Seattle sees a 49ers offense next week that made the Seahawks' own anemic attack (225 net yards, with 135 passing) look like Air Coryell.

Steelers fans have lamented for a decade -- basically the entire Mike Tomlin era -- that their team has played down to opponents repeatedly, particularly on the road. At least Pittsburgh was consistent in Cleveland. The refs gained more yards running around chucking flags than the Steelers' ground "attack" (35 on 17 carries). The defense kept the team in the game, but make no mistake, the Browns outplayed Tomlin's group. (Which committed 13 penalties. Yeesh.) The great elixir to create wins out of thin air, of course, is No. 84 in black and gold. Antonio Brown is the best player at his position in pro football. There, I said it.

Tweeted last week that I felt the Lions weren't getting any respect. (It's there on my timeline, I promise.) While I did predict the Cardinals eking out a road win, and while I don't see Detroit going 12-4, the Lions are far better than the five-win squad many pundits out there tagged them as. In fact, the defense that so many prognosticators have taken to task took the ball from the Cardinals' four times on Sunday to set up the highest-paid player in the NFL. Matthew Stafford earned that money in the fourth quarter, though. Again.

Coordinator Jim Schwartz's defense showed a glimpse of why I think the Eagles are a sneaky playoff team. The front seven made life miserable for Washington QB Kirk Cousins, even when Philly didn't get him on the ground. Maybe the fumble call at the end should have been overturned -- but don't overlook the fact that Brandon Graham and Fletcher Cox were meeting at the quarterback yet again. Downside from Sunday: recently acquired cornerback Ronald Darby's gruesome looking injury. Oh, and then there was the running game. Even with all the treadmill work, yoga and barre, it doesn't look any sexier than it did in the preseason.

If ever there was an advertisement for, well, the false advertising that is the NFL preseason, it was Saints at Vikings on Monday night. Minnesota's first-team offense failed to put the ball in the paint even once in August, while the defense looked pretty suspect in Seattle. Then came Monday night, when Sam Bradford transformed into Fran Tarkenton, even chucking the football downfield, for crying out loud. Stefon Diggs was snatching footballs out of the air, while the Vikes' defense forced New Orleans to be completely one-dimensional. I mustn't watch preseason football ... I mustn't watch preseason football ... mustn't watch preseason football ...

No game for the Bucs, but a move up the rankings nonetheless. The added week off, due to Hurricane Irma, did allow for coach Dirk Koetter to prepare the thus-far mediocre offense for this week's matchup against the Bears. That Chicago defense, especially the front seven, showed it was no pushover versus the Falcons. While we're on the topic of Tampa and Chicago in Week 2, you do realize this is the Mike Glennon revenge game, right? Get excited.

The Giants' defense couldn't get off the field during the first half against Dallas on Sunday night -- and the offense made up for it by not staying on the field. The Cowboys ran 47 offensive plays in the opening half, meaning that Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks and Harry Carson would've looked mortal, too. Make no mistake, Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's unit is a top-five group. Yet, with first-teamers playing so little in the preseason these days ... you get the point. Blame Odell Beckham Jr.'s bum ankle as much as possible, but he isn't playing guard or tackle. Eli Manning and the other 10 guys on that side of the ball stunk.

Ugly performance from the Titans. Yes, the Raiders are one of the better teams in the NFL, but only 16 points scored on that defense? Other concerns: Running back DeMarco Murray was far from explosive, which was not too different from the preseason. Quarterback Marcus Mariota is still taking hits that could result in him missing time for the third straight season. If the third preseason game -- in which Tennessee lost to the Bears, 19-7 -- is the dress rehearsal for the regular season, and this was the first glimpse of the real product, 9-7 might be a bit lofty for this team. Still believing. For now.

Necessary week off for the Dolphins, who were supposed to have hosted the Bucs in Week 1. Miami stays firmly in this spot in the Power Rankings for the second week in a row. In order to move up, and in order for us to gauge what the new-look Dolphins will be with Jay Cutler at the helm, this team will have to get through the-better-than-you-think Chargers in Week 2. The outcome might not come down to who's at quarterback for Miami, anyway. This matchup was going the Chargers' way last season, until Bolts QB Philip Rivers turned it over four times in the fourth quarter. Seems like forever ago, but that sucker was huge in propelling the Fins to the playoffs.

A little too close for comfort on Monday night. But the defense still held Philip Rivers and Co. to 249 total yards. Watching Denver's linebackers swarm to the football was something else, whether it was Von Miller and Shaq Barrett tearing off the edge, Brandon Marshall playing at his usual high level or Todd Davis' thunderous hit on fourth-and-1. Remember: Shane Ray will be back at midseason, too. Offensively, Jamaal Charles clearly showed he still has some gas left in the tank. The largest takeaway? Trevor Siemian is not the problem. Multiple fourth-quarter giveaways sure are, though.

Took grief from both sides last week. Ravens fans thought I had their team too low at No. 22. The other 31 fan bases thought there was no reason they should've moved up six spots from the preseason Power Rankings. Blame Baltimore QB Joe Flacco being out for the month preceding the opener. Either way, there weren't two sides to the outcome in Cincinnati on Sunday. Ravens defensive coordinator Dean Pees' group disrupted passing lanes, tipped balls and got after Cincy QB Andy Dalton, putting him on the ground and intercepting four of his passes. The final was 20-0, but it probably could've been 34-zip if Baltimore's passing offense had any, well, zip. What a drubbing.

Asked a slew of questions in the Panthers' blurb last week. Got a few answers this week. Now there's a new query: Is Carolina that dominant, or are the 49ers that bad? The secondary competed its tails off against Brian Hoyer (because panthers have tails, you see). But was Hoyer and the San Francisco passing attack simply anemic, or did the Panthers' defense make them look silly? Think the answer is a little of both. Admittedly, I had Carolina a little low in the rankings last week. (After all, there is only one No. 17 spot to go around, and about nine teams that could be slotted there.) On Sunday, the football commentators commentated that Cam Newton didn't play wonderfully. OK, but he improved as the game went along. Bet you he shifts into another gear against a tougher defense in Week 2's faceoff with the Bills. Newton needs Kelvin Benjamin to emerge as a WR1 at some point.

Losing running back David Johnson -- who is a candidate for injured reserve after suffering a dislocated wrist Sunday -- could be devastating, especially if QB Carson Palmer fares like he did at Ford Field. The renewed faith in Palmer nationally seems to have lasted a month. Locally? Well, the only opinion that matters emanates from the head beneath the Kangol hat. The road loss in Detroit felt similar to the debacle in Minnesota last year, although Palmer dealt with pressure in his face all day in that loss to the Vikings. Not so against the Lions. I heard my colleague Heath Evans suggest that Cardinals coach Bruce Arians call up Patriots coach Bill Belichick to ask what it would take to acquire backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo. #Week1overreaction? Maybe. Johnson's absence potentially ruining the season? #notaWeek1overreaction.

 ***UPDATE:** David Johnson will have wrist surgery this week and is expected to miss 2-3 months.* 
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Much like Tom Savage, Andy Dalton, Brian Hoyer or Scott Tolzien, Kirk Cousins saw plenty of enemy jerseys in his face Sunday. Sacked four times, he was also forced to use legs on several other big plays throughout the day. And then came the deciding moment: the apparent-forward-pass-ruled-fumble that handed Philadelphia six and the win. Perhaps all the pressure caused some uncharacteristic Cousins misfires, too. Second biggest play of the game: the overthrow of Jamison Crowder on a crosser in the red zone, right into the brotherly loving arms of Eagles corner Jalen Mills.

Funny thing about finding a franchise quarterback: Franchises really need one ... until they don't. Not when defenses like the Jags' rewrite the script. Jacksonville came screaming off the edge, bull-rushing and blowing right past the Texans' offensive line for an incredible 10 sacks on Sunday. The persistent hand-wringing over what to do with Blake Bortles at quarterback goes out the window when the pass rush generates almost as many sacks as Bortles had completions (11). Calais Campbell enjoyed a nice afternoon at Initech, too.

Objects in preseason are larger than they appear. Make that obstacles. The Chargers' offensive line, initially thought to be a massive area of concern (especially after Forrest Lamp went down), purportedly morphed into merely a minor issue as Los Angeles' offense moved the football in games that didn't count. Then the Broncos happened. Bolts fans (and Twitter) will point to the play calling in Monday night's loss. No argument there. But actually trying to block on the field goal might have been wise, too. Resilient showing by the defense, though, especially on the late Melvin Ingram sack to knock Denver out of easy field goal range. Ingram/Bosa sandwiches will be commonplace this season.

Well, that was a heckuva debut for new coach Sean McVay. The Rams put up 46 points, a feat that might have taken last season's team five games to accomplish. L.A. became the first squad in NFL history to score on two pick-sixes and record a safety in the same game. Jared Goff became the first Jared Goff to throw for 300 yards in an NFL game. (Don't worry though, Rams fans, all is not amiss: Todd Gurley still had six-inch holes to run through.) In his postgame press conference, McVay forgot to provide the injury report, attributing the minor gaffe "to being new at this." He used the exact same excuse when he asked the league office if they could play the Colts again next week.

After a preseason filled with so much promise for the defense, that group fell flat in football that counted. Blown coverages, poorly timed personal fouls, leaky run defense -- all of it is there on the game tape (which won't be too dissimilar from 2016, 2015 and 2014 film). All of the hubbub surrounding Adrian Peterson's return to Minnesota didn't mean much once game situations removed him from the action. Back to the drawing board for the Saints, who'll try to pull out of their annual 7-9 spin cycle by returning home this week. Only one problem: The opponent is an angry Pats team.

Don't look now, but the Buffalo Bills are in first place in the AFC East. By themselves. It sounds weird. Buffalo controlled the Jets on Sunday, behind a steady defense and an offense that made enough plays. The Bills probably should have been blowing their division rivals out by the third quarter, but that didn't stop Sean McDermott from gushing about the win. Hey, getting your first career NFL win as a head coach is something none of us reading (or writing) this blurb will ever experience. But in the interest of staying on the level, the win over the Jets wasn't exactly a performance on par with the 1990 AFC Championship Game, either.

There was no more shocking outcome than Jaguars-Texans on Sunday. With so much emotion at kickoff in Houston, and with one of the league's premier defenses back, who'd have thought Bill O'Brien's team would get walloped? By Jacksonville! Many fingers will be pointed at the Texans' offensive line. Fine, but QB1 (?) Tom Savage didn't accomplish much. Rookie QB Deshaun Watson played as you would expect, and there will be ups and downs to come. Surprisingly, the run defense got beaten at the point of attack. The large drop here is indicative of more than the blowout loss. J.J. Watt is already dinged, and five other players landed in the concussion protocol. Let's see how O'Brien and Co. rally in Cincinnati on Thursday.

Chicago kept it competitive against the Falcons on Sunday. Kept it real, too, losing in the Bears-iest way possible. (What is it about Bears receivers dropping touchdown passes? Remember the Titans game in 2016?) More significant than the 0-1 start was the obvious improvement in the defense, which made the defending NFC champs earn it. Also of import was the injury sustained by receiver Kevin White, who was placed on IR after fracturing his shoulder blade during the game. This after Alshon Jeffery's departure via free agency and fellow wideout Cameron Meredith's torn ACL. Ugh.

OK, so the Browns lost. Maybe we're getting carried away here by methodically moving Hue Jackson's outfit up the charts. Yet, in light of all the young talent on this roster and the ballgame the Browns gave AFC North bully Pittsburgh on Sunday, Cleveland's ascension is earned. Most relevant to the nucleus on this team -- and the close contest in Week 1 -- is the development of rookie QB DeShone Kizer. The former Notre Dame standout completed a few balls that would make Browns fans forget about Brandon Weeden and Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson rather quickly, while also flashing enough mobility to be a threat (including rushing for a touchdown). Not saying Kizer is the undeniable answer, but he at least makes it worthwhile to ask the question.

A purple whitewash -- purplewash? -- in Cincy on Sunday. The dynamic offense that roamed Riverfront under Ken Anderson in 1981 and Boomer Esiason in '88 was nowhere to be found. Anthony Munoz would have thrown up if he'd seen the way the offensive line played. Rodney Holman never played that bad. Cris Collinsworth, Eddie Brown or Tim McGee, either. All the fingers were pointed at Andy Dalton on the highlight shows, but where was the offensive line? Outside of two nice scampers, the running backs did nada. Growing up in Dallas, I still remember when the Cowboys got shut out 24-zip by a defense that was as frightening as Sunday's Ravens: the old Reggie White-led Eagles. Dallas went 11-5 that year behind an improving offensive line. This Bengals squad ain't going 11-5.

Hard to imagine a head-coaching debut going much worse than Kyle Shanahan's. Well, until you consider Brian Hoyer's initial entry into the pantheon of 49ers legendary quarterbacks. The journeyman was swallowed whole by the Panthers, posting sub-200 yards and turning the ball over twice in a game San Francisco's offense never had a chance in. Like, not even in the first quarter. The Niners failed on nine third downs (2 for 11). But at least they made up for it by getting penalized over and over again (10 times). If you have the game DVR'd for whatever reason, wipe it for another episode of "Antiques Roadshow." Although, you do need to see Jaquiski Tartt's big-league interception. Here it is. You're welcome.

While the consensus all offseason was that the Jets would be the league doormat -- devoid at quarterback, devoid in overall talent and ultimately devoid of wins -- at least New York was in its game, keeping Sunday's affair in Buffalo close until late in the fourth quarter. Can't say the same for the Bengals, 49ers or Colts. Thus, the Jets move up one tick in the rankings. Speaking of, I think my dog might have ticks after watching him attack himself in his doggie bed prior to the Giants letdown Sunday night. Thus, I skipped rewatching Jets- Bills on Game Pass to bathe him with special shampoo. Felt comfortable with that decision.

You don't win too many games converting exactly zero third downs. Or throwing pick-sixes. Or allowing Jared Goff to let it rip like Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt are skipping wide open through the secondary. Holy cow, was that awful from the Colts at a not-crowded L.A. Coliseum. I wasn't sure I believed Maurice Jones-Drew when he said Indy was the worst team in the league on "The Power Rankings Show" last week. I do now.

Follow Elliot Harrison on Twitter @HarrisonNFL.