NFL power rankings: Post-preseason 32-team breakdown before Week 1
By Peter Panacy
![INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) INDIANAPOLIS, IN - AUGUST 24: Andrew Luck #12 of the Indianapolis Colts watches from the sidelines during the fourth quarter of the preseason game against the Chicago Bears at Lucas Oil Stadium on August 24, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/2d3be5ee7c9bb69b5e8296f4cd72a2c0b460e4cd8e090c246235679517ca0955.jpg)
With the 2019 preseason complete, Niner Noise dishes out updated NFL power rankings for all 32 teams heading into Week 1 of the regular season.
At the halfway point of the preseason, NFL power rankings could have easily reflected a massive drop for the San Francisco 49ers, following quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo‘s disastrous return to the field after tearing his ACL last year.
Garoppolo went 1-of-6 against the Denver Broncos and a stout pass rush, netting a total of zero yards and tossing an interception. Considering how many Niners hopes hinge on Garoppolo this season, overreactions were certainly going to be present.
But Garoppolo’s efforts against the Kansas City Chiefs the following week eased many of those concerns, and likely helped San Francisco’s standings in NFL power rankings.
The same can’t be said, however, of the Indianapolis Colts, who enter an uncertain future following the sudden retirement of quarterback Andrew Luck. Previously, the Colts were seen as legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Now, those aspirations have all but dissolved, and Indianapolis certainly takes a major hit, in terms of its own NFL power rankings.
There have been more than a few shakeups and changes since Niner Noise dished out our last NFL power rankings following April’s draft. Some are injury related, while others reflect what we’ve seen throughout the four weeks of preseason football.
And while preseason narratives aren’t exactly that important, they can shed some light on what might be expected when Week 1 kicks off between the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears on Thursday, Sept. 5.
Niner Noise’s bottom-dwellar, the Miami Dolphins, remains in the No. 32 spot, kicking off this breakdown heading into Week 1.