NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

Week 2 of the NFL season was electric! We saw many great performances from a lot of teams, including the Miami Dolphins, who pulled off a crazy 21-point comeback on the road against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens.

Tua Tagovailoa had the game of his life, throwing for 469 yards and six touchdowns. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle went off, becoming the first pair of teammates in the Super Bowl era to each record 170+ receiving yards and 2+ touchdowns in the same game.

That excellent performance by that trio has earned the Dolphins a spot in the top six of my power rankings. They'll be even higher next week if they can find a way to beat the loaded Buffalo Bills on Sunday.

Let's dive in!

1. Buffalo Bills (last week: 1):

The Bills continued their dominant run, as they absolutely destroyed the Titans on Monday Night Football, winning 41-7. Josh Allen to Stefon Diggs is the best combination in the NFL, and their defence has been utterly unstoppable to start the season. Let's see if they can keep it going on Sunday against a upstart and good Dolphins team. (record: 2-0)

2. Kansas City Chiefs (last week: 2):

The Chiefs went to 2-0 with a Thursday Night win over the Chargers last week. Patrick Mahomes and the offence were good, but it was the defence that really came through, specifically with rookie Jaylen Watson's pick six on Justin Herbert in the fourth quarter. If that side of the ball continues to play well, the rest of the league is in huge trouble. (record: 2-0)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (last week: 8):

The Eagles showcased their talent on Monday Night, as they took care of the Vikings with relative ease. Jalen Hurts was brillant, and the defence was also excellent, especially cornerback Darius Slay, who completely locked down Vikings All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson. Next up is a trip to Washington as they visit their former "franchise" QB Carson Wentz. (record: 2-0)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (last week: 4):

The Bucs finally got the monkey off their back, defeating the Saints in the regular season for the first time since 2018. Their defence has been playing lights out, but Tom Brady and the offence look clumsy, and now Mike Evans is suspended for their big matchup this week against the Packers. They've got to find a way to put more points on the board (36 points in the first two games). (record: 2-0)

5. Los Angeles Chargers (last week: 3):

The Chargers had a chance to pull off a road upset against the Chiefs, but crucial mistakes in big moments ultimately did them in. Hopefully Justin Herbert's rib injury isn't too serious. They host a young, but talented Jaguars team next at SoFi stadium. (record: 1-1)

6. Miami Dolphins (last week: 12):

The Dolphins are 2-0 for the first time since 2018. Rookie head coach Mike McDaniel (so far) has done a excellent job of putting Tua Tagovailoa in positions to succeed as the offence has been electric to start the season. We'll get a great indicator of how good this team really is, as they play host to Josh Allen and the Bills in a AFC East showdown. (record: 2-0)

7. Los Angeles Rams (last week: 6):

The Rams nearly blew a 28-3 to the Falcons (isn't that ironic) before Jalen Ramsey went up high to snag the game-winning interception in the waning moments of the game. The offence looked much better, which was expected going up against a bad Falcons defence. Big NFC West matchup looms against the Cardinals in Arizona. (record: 1-1)

8. Green Bay Packers (last week: 11):

The Packers once again bounced back from a bad Week 1 loss, as they defeated the Bears 27-10 on Sunday night. The offence looked much better, with Aaron Jones being the focal point. We'll see how far along the offence is this week, as they travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers in a potential NFC Championship preview. (record: 1-1).

9. Baltimore Ravens (last week; 5):

The Ravens are coming off a tough loss at home to the Dolphins. Lamar Jackson is playing great and is back to MVP form. But they're not going to go far this season if the defence keeps playing the way they did against Miami. They've got to fix those issues on that side of the ball. (record: 1-1)

10. San Francisco 49ers (last week: 15):

Trey Lance is out for the season, which really sucks. But that's exactly why you keep a guy like Jimmy Garoppolo ready on the bench. The Niners' ceiling was probably higher with Lance, but at least they know what they're gonna get with Jimmy G: A lot of W's. (record: 1-1)

11. Minnesota Vikings (last week: 7):

Coming off an impressive division win over the Packers, the Vikings got thoroughly outplayed against the Eagles. Kirk Cousins looked horrible, and the defence wasn't much better. Up next is what could be a shootout as they host the high-scoring Lions in a NFC North clash. (record: 1-1)

12.  Denver Broncos (last week: 14):

The Broncos didn't look good against the Texans. But a win is a win at the end of the day. Russell Wilson and the offence has really struggled thus far, particularly in the redzone. Let's see if they can change that on Sunday against a tough 49ers defence. (record: 1-1)

13. New Orleans Saints (last week: 10):

The Saints couldn't continue their dominance over the Buccaneers on Sunday as they fell by 17 at home. The defence was good against Tom Brady once again, but Jameis Winston (playing with a back and ankle injury) threw 3 interceptions. They have a great chance to bounce back this week on the road against the 0-2 Panthers in a NFC South battle. (record: 1-1)

14. New England Patriots (last week: 22):

The Pats got their first win of the year with a road victory over the Steelers. The offence wasn't great, but they were much better this week than they were in week one, and that was enough to get the win with the Steelers offence being in disarray. They'll have a chance to go to 2-1 on Sunday as they host Lamar Jackson and the Ravens in what should be a fun AFC showdown. (record: 1-1)

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (last week: 13):

The Steelers offence has been pretty bad to start the season. Mitch Trubisky is making the wrong reads at quarterback, and the offensive line isn't giving Najee Harris any room to run with. It looks like it won't be much longer until Kenny Pickett takes over at quarterback. Big AFC North battle is next as they visit the Browns on Thursday Night Football (update: Browns won 29-17). (record: 1-2)

16. Cincinnati Bengals (last week: 9):

It seems like the Bengals are experiencing a Super Bowl hangover, as they are now 0-2. The offence has struggled as the offensive line somehow looks worse than it did last year (Joe Burrow isn't helping them by waiting too long in the pocket). They've got to start taking what the defence is giving them, and that starts this week with a pesky Jets team that's got some momentum on their side after a comeback win over the Browns. (record: 0-2)

17. Arizona Cardinals (last week: 26):

The Cardinals got a huge comeback win over the Raiders. after being down 23-7. Kyler Murray made some amazing, human-highlight reel plays. But the real story is the defence, which came up huge late in the 4th quarter and in overtime. Can they keep that up against Matthew Stafford and the Rams on Sunday? (record: 1-1)

18. New York Giants (last week: 25):

The Giants have been one of the most surprising teams so far, as they are 2-0 for the first time since 2016. They haven't played amazing or anything, but clearly, Brian Daboll has instilled a different culture in New York and it's really showed. They'll try to go to 3-0 as they host the Cowboys in a big NFC East showdown on Monday night. (record: 2-0)

19. Dallas Cowboys (last week: 23):

With backup quarterback Cooper Rush in the lineup, the Cowboys pulled off a home upset win over the defending AFC champions. Rush played solid, and the defence did a great job of pressuring Joe Burrow all game long. A road matchup with the undefeated Giants on Monday Night Football is up next. (record: 1-1)

20. Cleveland Browns (last week: 18):

It looked like the Browns were going to go to 2-0 as they held a 30-17 lead over the Jets with less than a minute remaining in the 4th quarter. And then, in typical Browns fashion, they blew it. Now they'll try to avoid falling under .500 as they play the Steelers on Thursday night in a huge AFC North rivalry game (update: Browns won 29-17). (record: 2-1)

21. Las Vegas Raiders (last week: 17):

The Raiders could easily be 2-0 right now. But unfortunately, they just can't seem to get out of their own way. Both sides of the ball fell apart in the second half during their home opener against the Cardinals. Now they have a must-win game on the road against the Titans (another 0-2 AFC team). (record: 0-2)

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (last week: 27):

The Jaguars surprisingly blew out the Colts 24-0 last week. Their defence is very young, but also has a lot of talent and did a great job of shutting down Colts star running back Jonathan Taylor. And somehow, they currently sit all alone in first place in the dreaded AFC South. Next, they'll try to pull off another upset, this time against Justin Herbert and the Chargers. (record: 1-1)

23. Detroit Lions (last week: 24):

Last season, it took until Week 13 for the Lions to get their first win of the year. But this season, it only took them two games to notch a victory. This team is clearly heading in the right direction, shown by the fact that they currently have the highest scoring offence in the NFC, averaging 35.5 points per game. They'll try to get to first place in the NFC North this week as they travel to Minnesota to play a talented Vikings team. (record: 1-1)

24. Tennessee Titans (last week: 20):

The Titans got flat out embarrassed by the Bills on Monday, as Derrick Henry and the offence got shut down, and the defence (just like everybody else) had no answer for the duo of Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs. The AFC's number one seed from last year has undoubtedly gotten off to a bad start. But at least they play in the AFC South. Monster game coming up next against the Raiders. (record: 0-2)

25. Washington Commanders (last week: 19):

The Commanders got off to a horrible start against the Lions before mounting a furious comeback that ultimately fell just short. Carson Wentz has been awesome so far in his first two games with the squad, but the defence has to improve. A big test awaits for this team, as they host the NFC East-leading Eagles in a division showdown. (record: 1-1)

26. Indianapolis Colts (last week: 16):

Who would've thought that the Colts would look like one of the worst teams in football to start off this season? Matt Ryan has been worse than Carson Wentz was last year for this team, and the defence has struggled to get stops. And now on top of all this, they have to play Patrick Mahomes and the red-hot Chiefs next. Godspeed to this Colts team. (record: 0-1-1)

27. New York Jets (last week: 31):

The Jets pulled off a miraculous comeback win over the Browns. Joe Flacco is currently top 3 in passing yards so far (who would've predicted that) and this team is clearly well-coached by Robert Saleh. Can they pull off another upset this week against the defending AFC champion Bengals? (record: 1-1)

28. Houston Texans (last week: 30):

The Texans nearly pulled off a huge upset over the Broncos before falling short late in the 4th quarter. They won't make the playoffs, but this is a very competitive team that will be in games every week. They'll try to get their first win of the season on Sunday on the road against the Bears. (record: 0-1-1)

29. Atlanta Falcons (last week: 32):

The Falcons almost came back from a 28-3 deficit, but ultimately, the Rams held on to get the victory. The Falcons absolutely need to get Kyle Pitts the ball more, he's way too good for them to just use him as a blocking tight end. Perhaps they'll make it a focal point to get him the ball this week as they visit the lowly Seahawks in a battle between NFC doormats. (record: 0-2)

30. Carolina Panthers (last week: 21):

The Panthers are 0-2. Baker Mayfield hasn't looked good, and neither has the revamped offensive line. This is still a team that has some talent though, and they'll try to get their first win of the season this week at home against the Saints. (record: 0-2)

31. Chicago Bears (last week: 28):

The Bears lost to the Packers for the seventh straight time on Sunday night. The offence was miserable, as Justin Fields only threw the ball 14 times, and the defence got gashed in the run game. Next, they'll try to bounce back with a home win over the Texans. (record: 1-1)

32. Seattle Seahawks (last week: 29):

The Seahawks offence sputtered in a blowout loss to the 49ers. And the defence had problems defending Jimmy Garoppolo and the San Francisco offence. Even though they beat the Broncos in week 1, make no mistake about it, this is a bad football team. And that will continue to show as the season progresses. (record: 1-1)