Now that some of us have thawed out from that January day in Kansas City (we did say "some"), the Dolphins are about to open the 2024 season with a high degree of hope.

Sunday's debut brings in upstate rival Jacksonville to Hard Rock Stadium for a 1 p.m. kickoff followed by an AFC East showdown against visiting Buffalo on "Thursday Night Football."

So how do Miami, Jacksonville and Buffalo stack up heading into opening weekend? And what about those New York Jets?

Here are the power rankings:

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1. Kansas City: Worthy of being called defending champs until somebody proves otherwise.

2. San Francisco: Has the tools to prove otherwise.

3. Detroit: After last year, we believe.

4. Philadelphia: Talent is there. But then again, it was there last year, too.

5. Baltimore: Went with Zachary Orr over Anthony Weaver as defensive coordinator. Let’s see whether it was the right choice.

6. Cincinnati: Just settle the Ja’Marr Chase chase, will ya?

7. Houston: Lions are fastest risers in NFC. Texans are rising in AFC with a bullet.

8. Miami: Points won’t be a problem with Tua Tagovailoa throwing to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. How Dolphins perform in trenches might be.

9. Buffalo: We’ll find out how creative Josh Allen is in 2024. His top targets include ex-Dolphins WR Mack Hollins, who in seven seasons topped 300 yards once.

10. Green Bay: Cheeseheads see Jordan Love as MVP candidate. Let’s see.

11. Los Angeles Chargers: Was it just Brandon Staley’s fault? Jim Harbaugh could make it seem so.

12. Los Angeles Rams: Won’t surprise everybody like in 2023. May not need to. Best team in SoFi?

13. Dallas: Do the Cowboys feel like the Dolphins of the NFC (forever seeking to reclaim glory)?

14. New York Jets: Is team in turmoil? Is Aaron Rodgers back to being Aaron Rodgers? We’ll reserve judgment until we see it on the field with these guys.

15. Cleveland: Browns getting what they deserve for that misguided Deshaun Watson trade.

16. Chicago: Is Caleb Williams this season’s C.J. Stroud?

17. Pittsburgh: Mike Tomlin always gets the most out of his guys. But what is the most 35-year-old Russell Wilson has to give?

18. Atlanta: Can’t play two QBs at once, but Falcons have talent at skill positions.

19. Jacksonville: Miami’s opening opponent is counting on Trevor Lawrence after a small step back in 2023. He has playmakers around him, plus ace pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen.

20. Seattle: We dream of the day Seahawks and Dolphins make Super Bowl as national media trip over itself calling Mike Macdonald the Dolphins’ coach and Mike McDaniel the Seahawks’ boss.

21. Indianapolis: Anthony Richardson caused a stir before his injury. With dynamic style, Richardson will have plenty of eyes on him in Year 2.

22. Tampa Bay: The Bucs are playing the “everybody’s doubting us” card. Maybe because everybody is right?

23. Minnesota: Good luck, Justin Jefferson, waiting for Sam Darnold to deliver the ball to you.

24. Washington: Rookie QB Jayden Daniels has some talent around him to work with, but Commanders need time.

25. Tennessee: Titans fans expecting results following $200M-plus shopping spree.

26. New York Giants: Brian Daboll’s finale with the G-men?

27. New Orleans: Super Bowl being played in Superdome is the closest they’ll get to sniffing the big game.

28. Denver: Sean Payton says he “loves” to see the Broncos’ over/under at 5.5 wins. He won’t be loving it when he sees the standings in January.

29. Arizona: Kyler Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. one of the few reasons to turn on a Cardinals game.

30. Las Vegas: Maxx Crosby and Christian Wilkins make for an exciting defensive line. Gardner Minshew II at QB? Not so much.

31. Carolina: Panthers won two games last year. An offseason of change isn’t enough to lift them even to the fringe of playoff contender.

32. New England: Jacoby Brissett insisted he was no backup QB while with the Dolphins. Now, he’s not a backup. Which says plenty about how far Jarrod Mayo’s team has to go.

Sunday's game

Jaguars at Dolphins

1 p.m., CBS; streaming by subscription on NFL+, Paramount+ and YouTube

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: NFL power rankings: See how Miami Dolphins, Jacksonville Jaguars stack up