Wednesday, September 7, 2022

Buffalo Bills Week 1 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2022 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Below you will find a Week 1 roundup for the Buffalo Bills in our consensus 2022 NFL Power Rankings.

ESPN -- Rank: 1

Who's on the hot seat: Offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey

Quarterback Josh Allen isn't going anywhere, and for the first time in his NFL career, he'll be working with a new offensive coordinator -- Dorsey, his former quarterbacks coach. New York Giants coach Brian Daboll set a high bar as Bills offensive coordinator, both in his relationship with Allen and on-the-field success. If Buffalo's offense has major missteps or playcalling hiccups, the pressure will be on the first-time coordinator, especially with expectations so high for the Bills this year.

NFL.com -- Rank: 1

When will the Bills see their best defensive player on the field? Star cornerback Tre'Davious White (ACL surgery) will miss the beginning of the regular season after being placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list last week. The earliest he can return to the lineup is Week 5 against the Steelers. Buffalo made the right decision not to rush the bona fide CB1 back into the lineup, but White's absence will be felt. The Bills will cross their fingers that a pair of rookies -- Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford -- will hold up on Thursday night against the defending champs. You think Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford are cooking up ways to confuse and exploit the youngsters on the massive prime-time stage?

CBS Sports -- Rank: 1

The only concern right now is corner with Tre'Davious White down for four weeks. But their pass rush should be good enough to compensate. We know the offense will score a ton.

The Athletic -- Rank: 3

The good news: No team in the league seems more convinced it's going to the Super Bowl than the Bills.

The bad news: Tre'Davious White missing at least the first four games of the season leaves Buffalo with an unpredictable cornerback group. Aside from nickelback Taron Johnson, the Bills are counting on third-year player Dane Jackson (eight career starts) and rookies Kaiir Elam and Christian Benford. There's also no guarantee White will be his usual self right away whenever he returns from the ACL tear he suffered last November.

Nugget to remember: According to Vegas, the Bills have the shortest odds of winning the Super Bowl at +600. Among the last 10 preseason Super Bowl favorites, two went on to hoist the Lombardi trophy (the 2016 and 2018 Patriots), two lost in the divisional round, two lost in the conference championship and four lost in the Super Bowl. As if Bills fans weren't already prepared for heartbreak.

Meanwhile, only one of the past 10 Super Bowl winners (the 2017 Eagles) came from outside the top six preseason Super Bowl favorites. Good news for the Bills, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Rams, Packers and Chargers.

The Ringer -- Rank: 1

No team has better odds to win the Super Bowl than Buffalo at +600, and rightfully so. Josh Allen is as talented as any quarterback in the league right now, and while the 26-year-old signal-caller will experience the first offensive coordinator change in his NFL career with Brian Daboll taking the Giants' head-coaching position this offseason, expectations for the offense remain just as high under Ken Dorsey. GM Brandon Beane has built one of the best and deepest rosters in the league; that roster, and especially Sean McDermott's defense, will get a big test Thursday night against the Rams.

Yahoo! -- Rank: 1

If the Bills go to Los Angeles and beat the Rams on Thursday, the hype for them will be massive. They're the Super Bowl favorites for a reason. This could be a special season in Buffalo.

PFT -- Rank: 3

They're carrying the target of a Super Bowl winner without getting to the game in nearly 30 years.

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