Week 3 Power Rankings
Week two had more upsets than I knew what to do with, making this edition of the ATA power rankings especially chaotic. There are teams that moved at least 10 spots up or down and there was some shakeup at the top.
In addition to each team’s ranking, I’ll identify one player on every team that has the biggest effect on their offense succeeding or failing. Here are the rankings.
32. Carolina Panthers (no change)
Key on offense: QB Andy Dalton
Dalton started one game last year and scored 27 points which was the second-highest points the Panthers scored all season. With him at the helm instead of Bryce Young, the Panthers might be competitive—something we’ve grown accustomed to missing from them.
31. New York Giants (no change)
Key on offense: WR Malik Nabers
Though it only led to 18 points, Nabers was the reason the Giants had a chance in this game. His 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown took this game down to the wire and made Daniel Jones look competent. Unlocking Nabers will give the Giants a chance to win a few games this year.
30. Denver Broncos (down 3)
Key on offense: QB Bo Nix
Specifically, I’m talking about Bo Nix’s turnovers. Through two games, he has no passing touchdowns and four interceptions—one of them coming in goal to go against the Steelers. The Broncos have lost by single digits in each game and Nix cleaning up the turnover issues could help turn the offense around in Denver.
29. Tennessee Titans (up 1)
Key on offense: RB Tony Pollard
The Titans have had leads in each of their first two games but Will Levis has thrown both games away for them (or fumbled for that matter). The key to the Titans outscoring their opponents 27-10 in the first half has been Tony Pollard and their downfall has been going away from him in the second half where they’ve been outscored 38-7.
28. Washington Commanders (no change)
Key on offense: WR Terry McLaurin
McLaurin has been pretty uninvolved so far this year, but if he can get back to being the number-one option we’re accustomed to seeing, the Commanders have one of the most well-rounded offenses in the NFC. Daniels can run and throw, Brian Robinson had 133 yards against the Giants, and hypothetically, McLaurin would be playing at a Pro Bowl level if he could step it up.
27. Indianapolis Colts (down 6)
Key on offense: QB Anthony Richardson
Richardson is about as make-or-miss as it gets. When he’s on, he’s throwing 60-yard bombs for touchdowns and when he’s off, he’s throwing pick after pick and giving his team no chance to win. If the former 4th overall pick can just stay consistent, the Colts have a good enough roster to win a few games even without his monster plays.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (up 4)
Key on offense: LT Kolton Miller and RT Thayer Munford Jr.
Miller is regarded as the best member of the offense line which he has to be to keep them above water. Munford is the most vulnerable piece, but played well against Baltimore, giving Gardner Minshew II time to make big throws that were instrumental in Las Vegas’ comeback win against Baltimore. When Minshew has time, he delivers.
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (down 8)
Key on offense: RB Travis Etienne Jr.
I hope everybody is starting to come around to my side of the argument that Trevor Lawrence is nowhere near elite. He clearly needs help to win games and Travis Etienne has to be that for him. Last year, when Etienne rushed for over 50 yards, the Jags were 9-2. When he didn’t they were 0-6. This year, he’s only averaging 48 yards per game on 3.8 yards per carry.
24. Los Angeles Rams (down 15)
Key on offense: Health
If last Sunday against Arizona is any indication, the Rams’ offense is going nowhere as currently constructed. They are now without three starting offensive linemen, Puka Nacua, and Cooper Kupp. Matthew Stafford is great, but getting all of those guys healthy is the only way the Rams stand a chance to stay afloat in the NFC.
23. New England Patriots (up 3)
Key on offense: TE Hunter Henry
Henry had a breakout game against Seattle with eight catches for 109 yards, but above all, he provided Jacoby Brissett with a much-needed security blanket that the Patriots have lacked in the pass-catching department for years. If Henry can become a reliable third down and redzone target, New England can start to establish an offensive identity.
22. Cleveland Browns (up 1)
Key on offense: RB Jerome Ford
These days, Deshaun Watson doesn’t usually do much. The Browns need some way to score points and with Watson playing like a bottom-3 QB in the league, that’ll have to be Jerome Ford. Ford averaged 9.1 YPC and a touchdown against Jacksonville compared to 3.7 YPC and no scores against Dallas. They need efficient running from him.
21. Atlanta Falcons (up 1)
Key on offense: QB Kirk Cousins
We’ve seen Bijan Robinson, Drake London, Kyle Pitts, and Atlanta’s other offensive pieces harmoniously struggle when pieced together with just about any quarterback. The Falcons are in win-now mode with 36-year-old Kirk Cousins playing QB, and they desperately need him to be the man to finally elevate what has the makings of a talented supporting cast.
20. Arizona Cardinals (up 4)
Key on offense: WR Marvin Harrison Jr.
Harrison opens up an entirely new dimension of Arizona’s offense with his deep-threat ability. He caught four balls for 130 yards and two long touchdowns in the first half against the Rams which effectively ended the game with 40 minutes left to play. Harrison makes the Cardinals offense one of the most explosive in the league—good enough for Arizona to contend for a playoff position.
19. Minnesota Vikings (up 6)
Key on offense: HC Kevin O’Connell
ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said yesterday that O’Connell out-coached Kyle Shanahan on Sunday and I agree with him. Sam Darnold might not be a great option at quarterback, but when he’s given a good scheme, time to throw, and of course, Justin Jefferson, he has high upside. So far this season, Darnold is 5th in passer rating.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (no change)
Key on offense: RB J.K. Dobbins
Jim Harbaugh has an elaborate plan for the Chargers to run the ball a million times per game, but that plan only goes so far without a capable runningback. Dobbins has stepped into the light as the lead back for LA. He was the catalyst for their win over Las Vegas, logging 135 yards on 10 carries, and he grabbed another 131 against the Panthers, making him the leading rusher in 2024.
17. Green Bay Packers (down 3)
Key on offense: RB Josh Jacobs
Jacobs producing for the Packers is going to be imperative as long as Jordan Love is still injured because we all know how I feel about Malik Willis. Sunday’s win over Indianapolis was a bit fluky in my opinion, so against Tennessee this week, Jacobs will need to show up for at least 120-130 yards against a relatively weak run defense. If he doesn’t, I’m not sure what alternatives the Packers have on offense without Love.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (no change)
Key on offense: QB Justin Fields
Since Fields is such an erratic player, he has a lot of tendencies that sway a game heavily. Knowing this, it’s up to him to avoid sacks, hit receivers on time, run smartly, and most importantly, limit turnovers. He may only be averaging 136.5 yards per game through the air, but Fields hasn’t thrown a pick which is a huge reason why the Steelers have been able to limit their opponents to eight points per game in their 2-0 start.
15. Miami Dolphins (down 4)
Key on offense: WR Tyreek Hill
Everybody could use a Tyreek Hill. And besides needing Tua Tagovailoa to avoid getting his head crushed to smithereens, he is the Dolphins’ clear X-factor. Since the start of last season, the Dolphins are 10-0 in games where Hill totals over 90 yards and 2-8 in games where he doesn’t. That type of production will be harder if Skylar Thompson is the Dolphins’ starting QB, but the numbers don’t lie. Mike McDaniel’s game plan will have to force-feed Hill to win games.
14. Philadelphia Eagles
Key on offense: QB Jalen Hurts
Whether Saquon Barkley plays well or not is almost irrelevant as long as Hurts is on the field due to his potent turnovers and the big plays that he can make. Philly fell 22-21 to Atlanta last night because Hurts simply wasn’t good enough down the stretch. He only threw for 183 yards and had the game-losing pick in the final seconds of the game. He almost threw the season opener against the Packers away with two more interceptions. The Eagles don’t stand a chance unless Hurts can get back to his 2022 form.
13. Chicago Bears (down 1)
Key on offense: Offensive line
Before you blame Caleb Williams for the Bears’ poor offensive output on Sunday Night Football against Houston, go watch the film. According to Next Gen Stats, Williams only had an average of 2.59 seconds to throw. For a rookie and a guy who was used to dancing around outside the pocket for 8-10 seconds in college, that is an alarmingly low number. As we have learned from Bryce Young’s benching, a quarterback can be talented but is nothing without a competent offensive line.
12. New York Jets (down 2)
Key on offense: RB Breece Hall and RB Braelon Allen
As we have seen in back-to-back seasons, the Jets are capable of winning games with the running game being the only positive aspect of the offense. Against Tennessee, they got off to a slow start, but it was Hall’s 114 all-purpose yards and Allen’s explosive touchdowns that got the Jets over the hump. Robert Saleh shouldn’t let the glitziness of having Aaron Rodgers fool him—this team still needs to embrace the “ground and pound” identity.
11. Dallas Cowboys (down 5)
Key on offense: QB Dak Prescott
Like Hurts, Prescott is capable of playing great games against good teams, but when he continuously turns the ball over, it kills the Cowboys’ chances. Since 2022, the Cowboys are 12-2 when he doesn’t throw an interception, 10-10 when he does, and 3-6 when he throws at least two as he did against the Saints. Especially in the playoffs, the Cowboys need turnover-free Dak for four straight games for chance for any chance of winning a Super Bowl.
10. Cincinnati Bengals (up 5)
Key on offense: Offensive Line
Unlike many of their opponents, the Bengals have tried for years to upgrade their line in front of Joe Burrow, and haven’t been successful. He still doesn’t have much time to throw and against the Patriots he could hardly see the light of the day. Against the Chiefs was a different story. Burrow was given time and space to throw and almost delivered a win against the reigning Super Bowl champions.
9. Seattle Seahawks (up 6)
Key on offense: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
We already know what we’re getting from DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on a weekly basis, but adding Jaxon Smith-Njigba as an all-around third weapon makes the Seattle offense very dangerous. The second-year receiver had a massive game against the Patriots—catching 12 passes for 117 yards—and was the reason they prevailed in overtime on the road.
8. Baltimore Ravens (down 4)
Key on offense: Offensive Line
As we’ve seen over the years, the best Lamar performances don’t often produce wins for the Ravens. Their best offense is letting Lamar cook on a limited basis and pounding the ground behind a great offensive line with dynamic runningbacks who produce high yards per carry. With a young, underperforming offensive line, Derrick Henry isn’t doing much and Lamar is forced to play hero-ball which has resulted in an 0-2 start for the reigning AFC North champs.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (up 13)
Key on offense: QB Baker Mayfield
It appears that whether or not the Bucs have a good running game from week to week does not matter. Baker either puts the team on his back or he doesn’t and so far this season, he has. Mayfield is 7th in completion percentage, tied for 1st in touchdowns, and 2nd in passer rating (somehow he’s second in his own division). At his best, he elevates Mike Evans and Chris Godwin and especially against the Lions, he showed incredible scrambling ability to keep drives alive.
6. New Orleans Saints (up 13)
Key on offense: WR Rashid Shaheed
Shaheed might not be the WR1 for the Saints, but he has unlocked the deep dimension for a team that has been a snooze-fest on offense since Drew Brees retired. Shaheed has 169 yards through two games and has 24.9 yards per reception which is the highest of any of the 66 receivers with at least seven catches this season. He has two touchdowns of 59 yards and 70 yards. He is a game-changer.
5. San Francisco 49ers (down 3)
Key to offense: WR Deebo Samuel
It’s been a known fact that Brock Purdy needs Samuel on the field to win games. Last year, the Niners were 0-3 when Samuel was out and 12-2 in all other contests. The Niners have to stop history from repeating itself this season as Samuel’s calf will hold him out for a few weeks, especially with the Seahawks already in the division lead (as I predicted).
4. Detroit Lions
Key to offense: TE Sam LaPorta
LaPorta is only averaging three catches and 29 yards per game. He doesn’t have a single target in the first quarter and most importantly, hasn’t been targeted once in the redzone. LaPorta led all tight ends with 10 touchdowns last year and if he isn’t involved in a Lions offense that is only averaging 18 PPG in regulation, Detroit could be in trouble.
3. Buffalo Bills
Key to offense: OC Joe Brady
Last year, Brady quickly recognized that the Bills’ best formula for winning football games was to rely heavily on runningbacks and tight ends. The front office embraced that mentality as well by trading Stefon Diggs and Gabe Davis. Since the start of last season, Josh Allen has had five games in which he threw the ball 25 times or fewer. The Bills are 5-0 in such games with an average of 33.6 PPG. In all other contests, the Bills are 9-7 with 25.3 PPG. Brady needs to stick to this winning formula.
2. Houston Texans
Key to offense: RB Joe Mixon
C.J. Stroud was forced to carry too heavy of a load last season with a lack of consistency out of the backfield. Though Houston’s receiver corps has loads of talent, Mixon is the player that takes the most pressure off of C.J. Stroud and makes the Texans’ offense unpredictable.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Key to offense: WR Xavier Worthy
Worthy unlocked an important part of the Chiefs’ offense in game one—speed and stretching out the field for the running game and Patrick Mahomes to go to work. Worthy didn’t stand out in week two and a deep touchdown pass to Rashee Rice was the only big play the Chiefs had all afternoon. In fact, Mahomes had the second shortest average air yards per pass last week, only trailing Bryce Young. Worthy need to be a focal point of the offense for the Chiefs to avoid the same receiving concerns that they had last season.
Hi Webb