Close Week 1 loss doesn’t change Cardinals’ spot in power rankings

The Cardinals ultimately lost in Week 1 but it didn’t earn them any respect.

The Arizona Cardinals opened the season in last place in power rankings before any games were played. After Week 1, nothing has changed.

In new power rankings by Touchdown Wire’s Jarrett Bailey, Arizona still comes in at No. 32 out of 32 teams.

One down, 17 to go. Yes, the game came down to the final minutes, but it was against a first-time starter and new offensive coordinator. Many a blowout still await the Cardinals.

The Cardinals lost in Week 1 20-16 on the road to the Washington Commanders. They had a fantastic defensive performance with six sacks, there takeaways and a defensive score, but the offense was abysmal. They had 210 total yards and turned the ball over twice.

Even the Houston Texans, ranked 30th, come in higher than the Cardinals and they lost 25-9 in their season opener.

Washington was ranked 16th and remains there.

It will apparently take an actual win to budge the Cardinals and not just a close loss.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

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