NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Ranking All 32 Teams From Worst To First Ahead Of Week 3

Week 2 of the NFL season has come and gone, and the power rankings are as muddy as ever. Here are all 32 teams ranked worst to first heading into Week 3.

Early in the season, power ranking the 32 NFL teams can get pretty tough. As teams start to beat each other, things start to not make much sense when parsing through just two weeks of data.

But, here’s our attempt at ranking all 32 teams from worst to first heading into a crucial Week 3.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-2)

Last Week: 26-3 (L vs. Chargers)
This Week: vs. Raiders

Plenty of outlets will write power rankings this week, and they will all look different. One thing they will all have in common is having the Carolina Panthers at the bottom.  The Bryce Young experiment appears to be over, as Andy Dalton will start next week for a team that has been outscored 73-13 the first two weeks of the season.

31. Denver Broncos (0-2)

Last Week: 13-6 (L vs. Steelers)
This Week: @ Buccaneers

Bo Nix played an astounding 61 college football games, so it would stand to reason that he would have some level of NFL readiness. That’s not been the case, and the rest of the Broncos haven’t been very good, either. The offensive line has struggled mightily, receivers aren’t getting open, and Sean Payton messed up on clock management against Pittsburgh. The defense is playing hard, but star Patrick Surtain II had a terrible showing against George Pickens. It seems like another lost year for the Broncos.d

30. New York Giants (0-2)

Last Week: 21-18 (L @ Commanders)
This Week: vs. Browns

The Giants looked much-improved against a weaker opponent in Week 2, and probably would’ve won the game had kicker Graham Gano not been hurt. But, despite slightly better play in all facets and a breakout game from rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers, the Giants became the first team in NFL history to score three touchdowns, allow none, and lose in regulation.

29. Tennessee Titans (0-2)

Last Week: 24-17 (L vs. Jets)
This Week: @ Packers

Will Levis had a backbreaking inexplicable turnover for the second-straight week that had first-year head coach Brian Callahan clearly frustrated on the sidelines. The Titans are not particularly talented from top-to-bottom, yet they could easily be 2-0. But, bad teams find ways to lose, and that’s what they do.

28. Washington Commanders (1-1)

Last Week: 21-18 (W vs. Giants)
This Week: vs. Bengals

It’s always good for a young team to get its first win, and that’s what the Commanders did on Sunday against the lowly Giants. The good news is that they moved the ball all day. The bad news is that they couldn’t find the end zone, kicking seven field goals to win. As long as Jayden Daniels continues to show progress, it’s a successful season for the Commanders.

27. New England Patriots (1-1)

Last Week: 23-20 (L vs. Seahawks)
This Week: @ Jets

A cowardly decision to punt on 4th and 1 in overtime by first-year head coach Jerod Mayo overshadowed another competitive outing for a Patriots team no one expected much out of this year. The defense continues to play well even as injuries pile up, and Rhamondre Stevenson is running hard.

26. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

Last Week: 16-10 (L vs. Packers)
This Week: vs. Bears

The Colts are another team that could easily be 2-0 but instead sit at 0-2. The difference in both games has been inconsistent quarterbacking from Anthony Richardson an a regression in playcalling success compared to last year from Head Coach Shane Steichen. Week 3’s game against the Bears is a must-win, as teams that start 0-3 make the playoffs less than 3% of the time.

25. Los Angeles Rams (0-2)

Last Week: 41-10 (L @ Cardinals)
This Week: vs. 49ers

The Rams followed a good, albeit losing, performance in Detroit in Week 1 with an absolute clunker against Arizona, getting blown out from the jump. Most concerning long term are the injuries to Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and a host of others that makes them arguably the most injured team in the league. And, a Week 3 game against a 49ers team coming off a loss is not what the doctor ordered

24. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

Last Week: 18-13 (L vs. Browns)
This Week: @ Bills

Something is not quite right in Jacksonville. After an AFC South title and a playoff win in 2022, a solid roster with a franchise quarterback in Trevor Lawrence was supposed to take the next step. But, the franchise is moving backwards, and couldn’t even beat the Deshaun Watson-led Browns this weekend. It seems like Doug Pedersen could be fired midseason if things don’t turn around. They likely won’t turn around against the Bills next Monday night.

23. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1)

Last Week: 26-23 (W @ Ravens)
This Week: @ Panthers

The Raiders pulled off the upset of the week, traveling. to Baltimore and beating the Ravens. Gardner Minshew continues to play solid football whenever he’s given a chance to start in the NFL, and he helped Davante Adams to a monster game.  Unlike so many Raiders teams before, they actually elevated their play in crunch time against Baltimore. All of a sudden, a golden opportunity at a 2-1 start awaits against the awful Panthers.

22. Arizona Cardinals

Last Week: 41-10 (W vs. Rams)
This Week: @ Lions

Marvin Harrison Jr. finished with just 1 catch for 4 yards in the team’s season-opening loss against Buffalo. He had 4 catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday as Kyler Murray looked fantastic. The defense, while not very talented, continues to play hard. Jonathan Gannon did one of the league’s best coaching jobs last year and this year looks to be more of the same.

21. Miami Dolphins (1-1)

Last Week: 31-10 (L @ Bills)
This Week: vs. Seahawks

It’s bad enough to go on the road and get punked by a division rival that’s had your number on national television. But, to lose your franchise quarterback, possibly to retirement, after yet another concussion made it a truly miserable week for the Dolphins. It does seem more likely than not that Tua Tagovailoa will return to play at some point, but he appears to be a ticking time bomb. It’s hard to see, given that fact, any way the Dolphins season really gets off the ground.

20. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

Last Week: 23-20 (W @ Patriots)
This Week: @ Dolphins

The Seahawks are 2-0, which is all you can be at this point. Geno Smith has thrown the ball as well as anyone in the league, DK Metcalf had a huge touchdown catch, and the Zach Charbonnet was productive in Kenneth Walker’s absence. The fact that they’ve played the Patriots and Broncos keep them down a bit in the rankings. But, a win over the Tua-less Dolphins would have them at a hard-to-ignore 3-0.

19. Chicago Bears (1-1)

Last Week: 19-13 (L @ Texans)
This Week: vs. Colts

The Chicago Bears defense that played well at the end of last season has carried that over into 2024. They gave up just a field goal to the Texans in the 2nd half on Sunday to keep the team in the game. But, the offense is a mess. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron is doing a really poor job of setting Caleb Williams up for success. The interior of the offensive line appears to be a huge liability, as well. They have just one offense touchdown through two games. Until they start scoring, it’s tough to put them much higher than this.

18. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Last Week: 18-13 (W @ Jaguars)
This Week: @ Giants

It’s not as if Deshaun Watson was great on Sunday. But, his 22-34 for 186 yard performance was a stark improvement from Week 1’s debacle. And, that’s all this talented Browns roster needs to win games. As long as the quarterback play is simply mediocre and not awful, they’re going to win a lot of games due to Myles Garrett and that defense along with a good running game.

17. New York Jets (1-1)

Last Week: 24-17 (W @ Titans)
This Week: vs. Patriots

While he technically gets credit for a win as a starter for last year’s opener that saw him only last four snaps, Aaron Rodgers got his first true win in a Jets uniform this Sunday with a late drive for the win on the road. The Jets offense is still a work in progress, and losing star edge Jermaine Johnson for the season is a huge blow. But, there is a really good team in there somewhere. The question is if they will reach their potential.

16. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2)

Last Week: 26-25 (L @ Chiefs)
This Week: @ Commanders

Joe Burrow looked much better, the defense played Patrick Mahomes tough, and the Bengals nearly did enough to upset their nemesis on the road. But, a costly penalty on 4th and 16 to win the game cost them a win. It was the right call, but it has to leave a sour taste in the mouth of Bengals fans. And, they’re now 0-2. They’re trending upward after a bad performance against New England in Week 1. But, AFC playoff spots figure to be competitive and they need to start winning some games. This weekend is a good opportunity to get into the win column.

15. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)

Last Week: 22-21 (W @ Eagles)
This Week: vs. Chiefs

The Atlanta Falcons are some strange coaching by Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni and a dropped pass by Saquon Barkley away from being 0-2. But, after that dropped pass let them back in the game, you have to give credit to Kirk Cousins and company for a phenomenal drive to turn a 21-15 deficit with less than two minutes left into a win. That could be the kickstart a promising offense needs to get going. They needed a win, because a matchup against Kansas City awaits.

 

14.Baltimore Ravens (0-2)

Last Week: 26-23 (L vs. Raiders)
This Week: vs. Cowboys

A loss that came down to Isaiah Likely’s toe being out of bounds in Kansas City is understandable. But, losing at home to the Raiders should be a cause for alarm in Baltimore. Quite simply, the personnel losses the Ravens suffered up front on offense and the loss of defensive coordinator Will MacDonald to be the head coach in Seattle seem to be pretty big factors. If they don’t beat Dallas, it will be time to panic near the Bay.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (2-0)

Last Week: 26-3 (W @ Panthers)
This Week: vs. Steelers

We’ve established the Panthers aren’t very good. But, a dominant win is still a dominant win. And, Jim Harbaugh may have made his return to the NFL at the perfect time. With passing games struggling at levels they haven’t in decades, a Chargers team built to win the line of scrimmage as the first priority could be one that sees a lot of success this year. It helps that fifth-overall pick Joe Alt has played like a superstar at right tackle from day one. He forms one of the league’s top tackle pairings with Rashawn Slater. A win over the Steelers and this feels like a team that could really be in business.

12. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

Last Week: 16-10 (W vs. Colts)
This Week: vs. Titans

Many teams would be completely lost without their starting quarterback, as the Packers flirted publicly with Jordan Love playing on Sunday but ultimately decided against it. But, one of the league’s deepest and most talented rosters can win games in a variety of ways. This week, it was playing great defense, handing the ball off to Josh Jacobs 32 times, and using Malik Willis in the play-action and run game. Willis was pretty competent doing the job that Matt LaFleur gave him to do. If he has to start this week, there’s no reason why that can’t be a winning strategy against the Titans, as well.

11. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Last Week: 19-44 (L vs. Saints)
This Week: @ Ravens

A week after they had one of the league’s most impressive Week 1 wins, the Cowboys came crashing down to earth due to the play of the red-hot Saints. While the strength of the Dallas defense is the pass rush and the cornerback group, a Saints offense built around Alvin Kamara exploring linebackers and safeties went up and down the field at Jerryworld. And, a week after one-trick pony Rasheed Shahid got behind the Panthers’ secondary multiple times, Dallas let it happen to them. It was a bury-the-tape game from the defense.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0)

Last Week: 13-6 (W @  Broncos)
This Week: @ Chargers

For the second straight week, the Pittsburgh Steelers have more wins on the season (2) than touchdowns on the season (1). That’s going to have to change at some point to continue the success they’re having, as not all offenses will be as hapless as Denver’s was on Sunday. But, offseason acquisition Patrick Queen has patched a huge hole at middle linebacker for an already stout defense. On a day when TJ Watt was merely great instead of superhuman, the rest of the Steelers’ front consistently pressured Bo Nix. Justin Fields hasn’t had to do anything other than manage the game so far, and as long as that’s all he has to do they could continue to win.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

Last Week: 22-21 (L vs. Falcons)
This Week: vs. Saints

It would be simple to say if Nick Sirianni chooses to run the ball on 3rd and 4 or if Saquon Barkley doesn’t have the worst drop of his career on the team’s penultimate possession that the Eagles would be 2-0. That’s probably true, but there are warning signs that this team may be good instead of great. The once-dominant pass rush in Philadelphia looks pretty pedestrian, the revamped secondary folded when they needed a stop, and Jalen Hurts looks unsure of himself at times running the ball.  This weekend’s game against New Orleans could tell us a lot about what this year could look like in Philly.

8. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)

Last Week: 23-17 (W vs. 49ers)
This Week: vs. Texans

Few teams have beaten the 49ers up front recently like the Minnesota Vikings did on Sunday. Simply put, they outplayed one of the league’s best teams in the trenches on both sides for much of the game. Minnesota consistently pressured Brock Purdy, and while the run defense stats aren’t elite, they prevented the big play. On offense, they ran the ball against a quality opponent better than they have in quite some time. That resurgent running game is really helping Sam Darnold, who helped remind all of us that Justin Jefferson is a truly elite player in the NFL. I’m believer in the Sam Darnold Vikings until they give me a reason not to be.

7. New Orleans Saints (2-0)

Last Week: 44-19 (W @ Cowboys)
This Week: @ Eagles

Nobody, not even those inside the Saints locker room, would’ve had them as the most explosive offense in the NFL through two years. They’ve been that by a significant margin, tallying 91 points in their first two games. They’re doing it in a variety of ways, too. Alvin Kamara looks to be back in form, Rasheed Shahiid is seemingly one of the league’s great deep threats,  and they’re running the ball at an efficient clip. All of that wouldn’t happen if Derek Carr wasn’t playing the best football of his career through two weeks. If you had to hand out an MVP right now, it would be hard not to think twice about giving it to Derek Carr.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)

Last Week: 20-16 (W @ Lions)
This Week: vs. Broncos

Last year’s Baker Mayfield resurgence and surprise division title was no fluke for Tampa Bay. Mayfield continues to play at a high level, and he and Chris Godwin absolutely torched the Lions early on. They survived a game-wrecking performance by Aidan Hutchinson and played excellent red-zone defense. Truthully, the Lions outplayed them on a play-to-play basis. But it’s not about who makes the most plays, it’s about who makes them at the right times, and that’s what Tampa Bay did.

5. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

Last Week: 17-23 (L @ Vikings)
This Week: @ Rams

In a week full of disappointing performances, the San Francisco 49ers might just top the list. Yes, they’re without Christian McCaffrey. But, they should’ve had more than enough to overpower the Minnesota Vikings. Instead, Brock Purdy had two turnovers and nearly a third when a terrible throw went right through a Viking’s hands, the defense looked lost at times, and they were thoroughly outplayed. If not for a fumble at the goal line by Aaron Jones late in the third quarter, they would’ve been blown out. They had a few clunkers last year, and for now, that’s what we will call this.

4. Detroit Lions (1-1)

Last Week: 16-20 (L vs. Buccaneers)
This Week: vs. Cardinals

The Lions reached the red zone seven times on the day, and yet only had one touchdown and 16 total points in the game to show for it. While they moved the ball all day, the red zone woes can be partly attributed to a poor run-pass balance. They threw 65% of their snaps in the red zone, and Jared Goff threw 55 passes on a day that Jahmyr Gibbs averaged 6.5 yards per carry. That being said, Aidan Hutchinson appears ready to make the leap from star to superstar. The 2022 2nd-overall pick had 4.5 sacks and nearly had more on Sunday. He’s been unblockable through two weeks.

3. Houston Texans (2-0)

Last Week: 19-13 (W vs. Bears)
This Week: @ Vikings

Last year, if CJ Stroud and the offense weren’t clicking, the Texans had a tough time winning games. That was not the case on Sunday. Despite the Texans offense only scoring 3 points in the 2nd half, they found a way to win due to a ferocious pass rush. Will Anderson, Danielle Hunter, and the Texans constantly got to Caleb Williams, hitting him nearly a dozen times on the night. When a team like Houston learns to win games in multiple ways as they have this year, the sky is the limit.

2. Buffalo Bills (2-0)

Last Week: 31-10 (W @ Dolphins)
This Week: vs. Jaguars

Arguably no team in the league lost more big-name players than the Buffalo Bills did this offseason. All they’ve shown so far is that they’re a better team without them. It starts with a true commitment to the run game by offensive coordinator Joe Brady and vastly improved run blocking to go along with good running by James Cook. If Josh Allen has a good run game, he’s going to be impossible to stop through the air. He didn’t need to throw it much on Thursday, but was effective when he needed to throw. Defensively, they avoided disaster, as linebacker Terrel Bernard did not tear his pectoral as originally feared. It’s just a strain, and he will be back soon. Not having him or Matt Milano could’ve hurt a defense that is playing fast and physical right now.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)

Last Week: 26-25 (W vs. Bengals)
This Week: @ Falcons

The Chiefs needed a pass interference call, albeit a good call, to beat the Bengals on Sunday in their second-straight dramatic finish to start the season. Remember how I said to watch out for teams that learn to win games in different ways? The Chiefs learned to do that last year as the offense struggled for most of the year. Now, just like the Brady-era Patriots, this is a team that can beat you in all three facets in a variety of ways, and usually has a big coaching advantage as well. Unitl someone knocks them off, the Chiefs are on top of these rankings. Bet against the best player and coach in football at your own peril.