National Football League

Browns, Bills, Chiefs and Buccaneers battle atop Week 1 of the Herd Hierarchy

Published Sep. 7, 2021 7:31 p.m. ET

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Life is good at the top ⁠— but there can be only one No. 1 team in the land.

On Tuesday's episode of "The Herd," Colin Cowherd laid out which team he believes has that distinction in his Herd Hierarchy segment.

Check out which squads Cowherd believes have the most juice heading into Week 1 of the 2021 NFL season, along with some insights from FOX Bet. (Note: All odds information current as of Tuesday.)

For more up-to-date news on all things "The Herd," click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

Record in 2020: 7-9, missed playoffs

Colin's thoughts: "What coach dominates young quarterbacks? Bill Belichick. The AFC East now has [New York Jets] rookie Zach Wilson, Tua Tagovailoa starting in his first real full year [for the Miami Dolphins] and Josh Allen still a fairly new quarterback [for the Buffalo Bills]. ... I truly think the Patriots are undervalued."

Up next: New England Patriots -3 vs. Miami Dolphins

Season over/under: 9.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +3300

Record in 2020: 11-5, lost in wild-card round

Colin's thoughts: "They were one of five teams to be top-10 in offense and defense. This is a rock-solid organization that simply needs more athleticism at quarterback, and with [Carson] Wentz, they have it."

Up next: Indianapolis Colts +2.5 vs. Seattle Seahawks

Season over/under: 8.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +4000

Record in 2020: 13-3, lost in NFC Championship

Colin's thoughts: "My concern is their offensive line. ... This offense has some real issues. They're a Davante Adams tweak from not being nearly as dynamic."

Up next: Green Bay Packers -4 at New Orleans Saints

Season over/under: 10.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +1300

Record in 2020: 10-6, lost in divisional round

Colin's thoughts: "I don't want to go too crazy on the Matt Stafford stuff, but I will say this: Sean McVay has won 67% of his games in, I believe, the toughest division. ... I think this is a very good team ... I don't know if they're great."

Up next: Los Angeles Rams -7.5 vs. Chicago Bears

Season over/under: 10.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +1400

Record in 2020: 12-4, lost in wild-card round

Colin's thoughts: "This is a Super Bowl-capable team. I have them winning their division, albeit barely, over the Rams."

Up next: Seattle Seahawks -2.5 at Indianapolis Colts

Season over/under: 9.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +2500

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Record in 2020: 11-5, lost in divisional round

Colin's thoughts: "Let's talk defense for a second: 10 of their 11 starters on defense return, and they were the No. 2 scoring defense. I think we often overlook Baltimore's defensive side because of the dynamic nature of Lamar [Jackson]."

Up next: Baltimore Ravens -4.5 at Las Vegas Raiders

Season over/under: 10.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +1500

Record in 2020: 11-5, lost in divisional round

Colin's thoughts: "I think Cleveland-Baltimore is a coin flip. What I worry about Cleveland: seven new defensive starters. Now, I like them. I think they got really good players. You just don't know if they're going to be jelling in September."

Up next: Cleveland Browns +6.5 at Kansas City Chiefs

Season over/under: 10.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +1700

Record in 2020: 13-3, lost in AFC Championship

Colin's thoughts: "This is, right now, a very formidable, well-run organization. ... No chaos. It wouldn't be crazy to say that Cleveland and Buffalo, believe it or not, are two of the best three teams in the AFC for a long time."

Up next: Buffalo Bills -6.5 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers

Season over/under: 10.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +1200

Record in 2020: 14-2, lost in Super Bowl

Colin's thoughts: "They have four new starters on the offensive line. That worries me. So does the fact they were the worst NFL red-zone defense. They allow touchdowns instead of field goals. Stuff like that matters as we see young quarterbacks getting better."

Up next: Kansas City Chiefs -6.5 vs. Cleveland Browns

Season over/under: 12.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +500

Record in 2020: 11-5, won Super Bowl

Colin's thoughts: "Let's remember what seized the moment in the Super Bowl. It wasn't [Tom] Brady. It was the defense. I think one that's overlooked ... is their consistent pass rush. They were the only team in the NFL last year that had four different players with over six sacks."

Up next: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -8 vs. Dallas Cowboys

Season over/under: 11.5 wins

NFL championship odds: +650

Check out Cowherd's full breakdown of his Herd Hierarchy below:

Herd Hierarchy: Colin ranks the top 10 teams in the NFL heading into Week 1 I THE HERD

In this edition of Herd Hierarchy, Colin Cowherd ranks the top 10 teams in the NFL as we head into the season opener.

For more up-to-date news on all things NFL, click here to register for alerts on the FOX Sports app!

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