Week 3 Power Rankings: Titans and Commanders Rise, Jets Crash Down

Week 2 separated the great teams from the mediocre ones. This edition of the power rankings was difficult to make because there is a clear top-7 in my opinion. After that, there is a cloud of 1-1 or weak 2-0 teams that have looked fine, but in no world do they deserve to be ranked in the top 10.

The Saints and the Falcons have looked good against opponents that aren’t great, but aren’t terrible either. But have they done enough to be up there with the top teams? The Bills and the Jaguars, who came into the season with Super Bowl aspirations, but have both suffered ugly losses. Should they go above or below teams like Atlanta, New Orleans, and the Buccaneers? And what the Bengals and Chargers? Surely they can’t be ranked below 1-1 teams like the Giants, Raiders, and Rams, right? Maybe they are. All of that and more lies ahead in the week 3 power rankings.

This article was released during halftime of the 49ers vs Giants game but only takes into account week 1 and week 2 games.

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32. Houston Texans (0-2, down 2)

Unfortunately, Houston’s drop to last place in the power rankings is hardly a fault of their own. They’ve suffered injuries to much of their offensive line—Laremy Tunsil, Scott Quessenberry, and Tytus Howard were all inactive on Sunday—and perhaps a top-5 safety duo was dismantled by Jimmie Ward’s hand injury and Jalen Pitre’s chest issue. C.J. Stroud actually hasn’t been terrible but aside from Nico Collins, he has had virtually no help around him.

31. Arizona Cardinals (0-2, up 1)

Who would’ve thought that it would only take the Cardinals two weeks to get out of last place? I put week 11 as my predicted date for Arizona to rise from 32 to 31. But in fairness to Jonathan Gannon’s squad, they are one of just 13 teams to have a lead going into the fourth quarter of their first two games. Josh Dobbs has been competent, James Conner has looked good, and the defense has been opportunistic, but not even these positives have been enough to overcome GM Monti Ossenfort’s tanking aspirations.

30. Chicago Bears (0-2, up 1)

Chicago looks like a disaster. Everything that their fans hoped they become after last season is missing. Justin Fields looks like an even worse pocket passer than last season and has not run the ball as effectively. Matt Eberflus gives off the kind of uninspiring, milquetoast vibe that doesn’t captivate a locker room. And where is DJ Moore? The Bears were picked as NFC North champions by many, but ugly losses to the Packers and now the Bucs make it appear as if the number #1 pick will be within reach again.

29. Carolina Panthers (0-2, down 1)

Bryce Young has the highest rate of accuracy to open receivers than any other quarterback through two weeks. That’s just the problem. The Panthers receivers have generated the fewest yards of separation of any unit in the league. The defense gave Carolina a chance, limiting the Saints to field goals for much of the game, but thus far in the season, the Panthers offense has shown an inability to come along with the defense. With Adam Thielen and DJ Chark on the outside, Carolina will find it difficult to win games this year.

28. Denver Broncos (0-2, down 1)

Losing to two teams who were projected to be subpar out of the gate is not what Denver had in mind under Sean Payton. But we are all beginning to see that even if Russell Wilson plays competent, turnover-free football, the Broncos still aren’t good enough to win games. Last season, the defense was the only part of this team that warranted any respect and they gave up 35 points at home to Sam Howell in his third career start last week. Combining preseason and regular reason, somehow, the Broncos have a +36 point differential with a 1-4 record. It’s because they can’t put a full 60 minutes of good, complementary football together. The Broncos are a mess.

27. Indianapolis Colts (1-1, up 2)

Whether it was Anthony Richardson or Gardner Minshew II at the helm on Sunday, the Colts offense prospered. The two combined for 25/33, 227 yards, a score through the air, and two on the ground. The Colts only moved up two spots because the Texans’ pass defense is terrible, but it was very promising for Jim Irsay, Stane Steichen, and Indy fans to see their two young quarterbacks prosper. Brighter skies are ahead for the Colts.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1, down 3)

Josh Jacobs is a shell of what he was last year. He is even less. The All-Pro runningback rushed for -2 yards on 9 attempts, giving him a miserable 1.64 yards per carry on 28 attempts this year. Without Jacobs performing at his normal level, Jimmy Garoppolo has to throw the ball 40 times per game which is a recipe for failure. The Raiders giving up 16 points in week 1 also seems to be a fluke since they allowed Josh Allen and company to do whatever they wanted on offense—Allen had a passer rating of 124.5. The Raiders will fade away into the night soon, and week 2 was the first step.

25. New York Giants (1-1, up 1)

I’m not moving the Giants out of the bottom quarter for a good second half against one of the league’s worst teams. Daniel Jones raised his level significantly and saved Giants fans from jumping off the Empire State Building with his clutch play, but that does not change the fact that New York was outscored 60-0 in their first three halves of play. Plus, with Saquon Barkley out for a few weeks, the Giants won’t be 100% of their potential and could find themselves at 1-4 in October.

24. New England Patriots (0-2, down 8)

I’ll admit, I’ve been a mess when it comes to the Patriots. I put them two low (23) in my preseason rankings, so when they lost a close one to the Eagles, I felt the need to overcompensate for my previous mishap and put them all the way up at 16. In week 2, they showed that they deserved to be in the bottom 10 after a tough home loss to Miami led them to an 0-2 record. Sure, the Patriots have had two tough opponents and have played two tight games, but that doesn’t take away the fact that Mac Jones and the offense have been stagnant for much of the season thus far. Until Bill Belichick figures out the offense, the Patriots will have to scratch and claw for wins.

23. New York Jets (1-1, down 12)

It’d be unfair to overreact to the Jets’ week 2 disaster against the Cowboys, but with Zach Wilson paying quarterback, they showed no signs of being able to beat a team like Dallas. Wilson had the worst rating of any quarterback in week 2—something Jets fans should get accustomed to. And the defense, which declared themselves as the second coming of the ‘85 Bears prior to the start of the season, folded against the Cowboys’ offense, giving up 30 points. It’ll take a lot for the Jets to reel it in, bring things together, and make a serious playoff push if things continue to carry on the way they are.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1, down 5)

Pittsburgh has had one of the most uninspiring offenses in the league. The offense has only scored 20 points through two weeks—one of the worst totals in the league. Part of the reason for the Steelers being placed below the Bengals, Chargers, and Vikings is because of their unpredictable, poor quarterback play, and that they were extremely fortunate to win on Monday night. If it weren’t for some lucky bounces and Nick Chubb’s injury, the Steelers could very well be 0-2 and 27th in the power rankings.

21. Minnesota Vikings (0-2, up 1)

The Vikings have hurt themselves. They are to blame for being 0-2. Their seven turnovers through two games are the most by any team so far. Kirk Cousins has quietly put up MVP-level numbers and Justin Jefferson looks like he has G.O.A.T. WR potential, but Minnesota just can’t get out of their own way. I believe there is hope ahead for the Vikings, who shouldn’t be scoffed at for saying they should be 2-0, but they’ve got to start stacking some wins and playing mistake-free football. Sunday vs the Chargers is a great opportunity.

20. Los Angeles Rams (1-1, up 4)

It takes some teams more work than others to scale the rankings. Since there is so little trust in the Rams due to their unknown roster, they are one of those teams. However, the offense put together their second consecutive solid performance last Sunday, scoring 23 points against San Francisco’s stifling defense. Puka Nacua has been a revelation, catching 15 passes for 147 yards; he and Justin Jefferson have been the two best receivers in the league thus far. Now it’s going to be up to the defense to raise their level. If they can, the 2021 Super Bowl champs could take advantage of some easy opponents and start climbing the ranks.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0, up 6)

You always have to be cautious with Baker Mayfield, but he’s put together two sound performances against two poor defenses. Mike Evans continues to look great and is proving himself as a top-10 receiver in the league after a down 2022. Todd Bowles has been more daring with his play-calling, and the talent on defense is being maximized. In simpler terms, the Bucs are playing to their full potential right now. Do I think that Tampa will continue their winning ways into the postseason? No. But a 2-0 start has been enough to propel their preseason ranking of 27 up to 18.

18. Green Bay Packers (1-1, down 4)

If not for a late-game collapse by the Green Bay defense, Matt Lafleur’s squad might find itself in the top 10 of the power rankings. Jordan Love continues his exceptional play; he now has six touchdowns and no interceptions and still maintains the top passer rating in the league going into week 3. As for their flaws, the run defense needs to improve. I understand that all Arthur Smith wants to do is run the ball. The Falcons logged 211 rushing yards, and Bijan Robinson averaged 6.5 yards per carry. And although more receivers are emerging as trustworthy targets for Love, they need a true number one guy. Dontayvion Wicks was drafted late in the 5th round this year and led the team in receiving yards in week 2. Despite these flaws, I still believe that Green Bay has shown more than Tampa Bay and Los Angeles.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2, down 12)

No team has disappointed more than Cincinnati. I gave them a pass in week 1—the reason their ranking only went from 3rd to 5th last week. But an ugly loss to the Ravens in which they never led, and Joe Burrow re-aggravating his calf is enough for me to take the Bengals’ issues seriously and demote them to 17. In my last article, I pointed out why the concerns with Cincy’s 0-2 start are valid compared to last season. They continue to be outgained through the air and on the ground and outplayed at virtually every position. Heck, Baltimore’s wide receivers—a group that has been league-worst for years—outshined Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd. The Bengals have more holes than they did last year, and with a primetime game against the Rams approaching, they need to fill those holes. It’s now or never for Cincinnati.

16. Los Angeles Chargers (0-2, down 3)

No one can figure out the Chargers. Every year, they are somebody’s dark horse to win the Super Bowl, and every year, they seem to disappoint. However, I have them placed above the Bengals, because, like the Bengals in 2022, I think LA has played well enough that they’ve just gotten unlucky. Herbert and the offense have averaged 29 points per game—good enough to give the Chargers a chance—and Keenan Allen was a monster last week with 8 receptions, 111 yards, and 2 touchdowns. But the puzzling piece of it all is the lack of identity on defense. Brandon Staley was hired for his defensive scheming, and yet, every year of his head coaching tenure with LA, that unit seems to regress. The Chargers have a lot to figure out, but they shouldn’t be in panic mode just yet.

15. Tennessee Titans (1-1, up 6)

How can you not love what the Titans were able to do on Sunday? Ryan Tannehill reminded everyone that he is tenacious, tough, and talented with a big-time performance both through the air and on the ground. The Titans runningback room looks deeper than ever, with an advantageous Tyjae Spears stacking 49 yards on eight carries to go along with Derrick Henry’s usual productivity. The defense was a major question going into this season but has allowed a very respectable 20 PPG to two solid offenses in the Saints and Chargers. Maybe I’m too high on the Titans, but all of this paired with the quality of Mike Vrabel’s leadership make them my favorites to come of out the AFC South.

14. Washington Commanders (2-0, up 6)

On December 31st 2017, Patrick Mahomes made his first career start against the Denver Broncos, and he amazed. Mahomes looked so good in Kansas City’s 27-24 regular season-closing victory that the Chiefs moved on from competent starter Alex Smith, and chose to make Mahomes their QB1. Mahomes would go on to average 40 PPG per game in his first two games as a starter, making him the one of just four current starting QB’s to have won their first three starts (Lamar Jackson, Tua Tagovailoa, and Brock Purdy also did it). Well, actually, there’s one other. Sam Howell has not lost a game as the starter for the Commanders yet. Last season, when Howell and the Commanders routed the Cowboys 26-6 in week 18, Washington had seen enough, and immediately made Howell their week 1 starter for 2023, making the situation seem very Mahomes-esque. There’s something special about his kid that gives fans hope, and it’s very clear that Howell has not even reached his full potential yet. His teammates rave about his talent, but once he becomes more consistent, cleans up some of his bad sacks, and is a bit less reckless with the ball, Howell will be a star.

13. Seattle Seahawks (1-1, up 5)

Sunday afternoon just felt like a Tyler Lockett type of game. Big catches in big moments, and with DK Metcalf sidelined midway through the game, Lockett and Geno Smith had to drag a vulnerable Seahawks defense to a signature overtime victory on the road. Both players needed bounce-back weeks after Smith’s 41.3 QBR vs the Rams, and Lockett’s pedestrian performance in which he caught just two passes for ten yards. This win shows that while Seattle may not be in the upper echelon of contenders, they are still a dark horse in the NFC.

12. Atlanta Falcons (2-0, up 7)

Beware of the stache, ladies and gentlemen, because Arthur Smith has the Falcons playing smash-mouth football with his run-centric offense, and is hurting opponents’ feelings in the process. Atlanta ranks 4th in both rushing attempts and rushing yards this season, and it has been enough to propel them to a 2-0 record with a gutsy week 2 victory over the Packers. Desmond Ridder threw the first interception of his career last week. If he can get back to his old turnover-free ways, there aren’t many ways the Falcons can lose games, especially with an improved defensive unit. To me, Atlanta is the favorite in the NFC at this moment.

11. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1, up 1)

You probably think that the Jaguars deserve to be higher than they are. Call me crazy, but outside of Trevor Lawrence, who, by the way, just went 22-41 with no touchdowns in a 17-9 loss against the Chiefs and Calvin Ridley, I don’t see a ton of strengths on this team. Travis Etienne has been relatively unimpressive, averaging 4.0 yards per carry against two mediocre run defenses. And once again, the defense does not look any better than last season. The Chiefs, despite only scoring 17 points, moved the ball well on offense, out-gaining Jacksonville 399-271. Notwithstanding their weaknesses, the Jaguars are still one of the more talented teams in the AFC, and have a great opportunity to get 3-1 against the Colts and Falcons. To me, 12th place seems like a good spot for them.

10. Cleveland Browns (up 1)

Before the Monday night games, I prepared power rankings of the 28 teams that had already played two games and felt that if the Browns could win on the road against the Steelers, they would be 8th at the lowest, and 5th at the highest. Cleveland actually outplayed Pittsburgh in this game, but 1-1 will not cut it for the Browns to be in the top 10, and there were plenty of negative takeaways. It’s hard to see Deshaun Watson ever being comfortable in this offense with his lackluster performances so far this season, and Nick Chubb’s injury could be detrimental to the Browns’ playoff chances. In spite of a fantastic defense, 2023 could be an uphill climb for Cleveland.

9. Detroit Lions (1-1, no change)

If Detroit completes the comeback against Seattle, and Jared Goff’s streak of unintercepted passes continues, they are 6th in the power rankings. But in the same old Lions fashion, they choked the game away in overtime to Geno Smith and Tyler Lockett. Though they now sit at 1-1, Detroit has still shown signs on both sides of the ball, meaning that if they can piece together complete games, the Lions will get back to their winning ways. Jared Goff has been a top-10 QB this year, the Lions are 4th in passing yards, and 3rd in total yards. Give Detroit some time to settle into their new role as NFC North favorites, and they will be okay.

8. New Orleans Saints (2-0, up 7)

Of all the teams that could have occupied the 8th place spot, I chose New Orleans because they have the best roster of any team not in the top 7, they are undefeated, and before a garbage time touchdown drive by the Panthers, the Saints had allowed one touchdown through seven and a half quarters—something that only the Cowboys have done. Michael Thomas’ productivity is very promising for New Orleans; he looks like a top-5 WR2 in the entire NFL. The Saints’ weakest link right now, oddly, is Derek Carr. If Carr can get his completion percentage and his touchdown to interception ratio up, there is no reason the Saints can’t win 13 games with the schedule they have.

7. Buffalo Bills (1-1, up 1)

Now, we get into the real contenders. I couldn’t put Buffalo anywhere above seven because I can’t completely dismiss Josh Allen’s wild disaster against the Jets in week 1, but I’m confident that his 38-point, three-touchdown performance against the Raiders in week 2 is a more accurate depiction of what we will see from Allen throughout the season. The run defense with Greg Rousseau, Matt Milano, and Leonard Floyd stifling last year’s rushing king Josh Jacobs for -2 yards. And when you factor in the fact that Xavier Gipson’s game-winning touchdown was off a punt return, Buffalo’s defense has only allowed 13 PPG—good for fourth in the league. The Bills are still one of the most complete teams in the NFL, and if they continue stacking wins, they will climb back up to the top of the rankings.

6. Baltimore Ravens (2-0, up 1)

Maybe this is reverse bias towards my favorite team in hopes of not being scrutinized by friends; I believe the Ravens look like a top-5 team. But when push came to shove, the two other teams that are in the conversation for 4th place barely edged out Baltimore. This should not take away from the fact that it only took one week for Lamar Jackson to fully adjust to Todd Monken’s new offense. While Jackson’s 74.5% completion rate is bound to dip, it looks sustainable when you watch the film. Receivers are finally open for the former unanimous MVP, and everything is down the middle. The run game unsurprisingly didn’t skip a beat without J.K. Dobbins as Gus Edwards is a capable RB1, and the Ravens, who have dealt with more injuries than almost any team in the last two years, did not have trouble protecting Jackson and the run game despite the absence of Tyler Linderbaum and Ronnie Stanley. The defense held Joe Burrow to under 50 yards in the first half and has only allowed 13 PPG (right there with the Bills) this season. Don’t look now, but Baltimore is right there with San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Dallas as one of the most complete teams in the NFL.

5. Miami Dolphins (2-0, up 1)

Perhaps the Dolphins are only ranked ahead of the Ravens because their offense has shown more pop, and everybody loves offense. But winning on the road in a defensive battle was very encouraging for Miami fans because it showed that unlike in years past, this team isn’t one-dimensional. No quarterback has been hurried and blitzed more than Mac Jones, who the Dolphins got after in week 2, and Miami is top-10 in sacks thus far. The Dolphins, whose offense’s trademark is huge plays to Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle showed that they can pound the ground on Sunday Night. Raheem Mostert rushed for 121 yards on 6.7 YPC against one of the league’s best defenses. Unlike the Ravens, Miami has shown no signs of rust, and can therefore squeak into the top 5. Now, their task is to maintain this success like they couldn’t do last year.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1, down 1)

Let’s get the obvious out of the way: the Chiefs have not played like a top-5 team. Their offense has struggled to move the ball in both games, and the skill players around Patrick Mahomes are the worst he’s ever had. But when you’re the defending Super Bowl champions and Mahomes is your quarterback, you get a pass for the first few weeks. The Chiefs’ defense has been their best unit so far, allowing just 11.5 PPG, and keeping the Jaguars out of the endzone. It’s clear that Chris Jones’ return has played with will continue to pay dividends. If the Chiefs offense sputters next week, and the Ravens, Dolphins, and Bills continue to roll, we could see a shift in the rankings, but for now, I can’t let a slow start stain my perception of the Chiefs.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0, down 1)

Philadelphia continues to look a little bit shaky, but the bottom line is that they are more proven than any other NFC team, and are still 2-0 with a soft week 3 opponent. The Eagles had to replace Shane Steichen and Jonathan Gannon, and so far the offense seems to have recovered quickly. The Eagles’ run game last week absolutely overwhelmed the Vikings with DeAndre Swift going for 175 yards, Boston Scott logging, and Jalen Hurts punching in two touchdowns along with 35 yards. All in all, Philly is second to only the Browns in total rushing yards. Where Philly hasn’t maximized their abilities has been defending the pass and throwing the ball. Sean Desai has stepped in as defensive coordinator, and so far, the pass defense has been close to the bottom of the league with Mac Jones and Kirk Cousins having strong performances against them. As for throwing the pigskin downfield, AJ Brown has yet to get going, and Jalen Hurts has been a shell of himself. At the end of the day, the Eagles are still a top-3 team to me and should have no problem getting back on track with the quality of their roster.

2. Dallas Cowboys (2-0, up 2)

Until Trevon Diggs’ was announced to have torn his ACL a couple of hours ago, it seemed like the Cowboys curse was put on pause for this season. Through two weeks, Dallas has outscored opponents 70-10. They are just the fifth team to do that in NFL history. Micah Parsons looks like the best player in the entire league, and Dan Quinn looks like he has mastered NFL offense. As for the offense, they haven’t had to do much—a tribute to how great the defense has been. Dak Prescott’s stats through two games at 44/62 (70.9%), 398 yards (199 per game), and two touchdowns. Relatively clean football, but until he is tested and proves he came come up big with the spotlight on him, the Cowboys can’t pass up the number one team just yet.

1. San Francisco 49ers (2-0, no change)

For the second straight week, the 49ers have landed the top spot in the power rankings. However, the gap is closer than last week. Puka Nacua caught 15 passes for 147 yards against a Niners secondary that might not be as strong as we thought. But that’s nitpicking. Overall, the 49ers still have the most complete team in the NFL. If Brock Purdy plays for this entire season like he has in his first eight games, he should be in the conversation for being a top 5 quarterback. More than anything, though, the run game is dominant. Elijah Mitchell is an RB1 caliber back, and yet they somehow fleeced the Panthers into getting acquiring Christian McCaffrey who may have been the best skill player through two weeks. Add in Deebo Samuel, who is a threat in the passing and rushing game, and this offense is absolutely dominant. And when you think you can poke holes in the 49ers’ and Purdy’s inexperience, remember that Kyle Shanahan has been around the block and back and, like this Niners team, is itching for his first Super Bowl.