NFL Power Rankings - Week 3: Giants in freefall, Chiefs fail to land No. 1 spot
The NFL Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's NFL Editors, including Jack Browne, Michael McClymont, Mitch Sanderson, and Arun Srinivasan.
1. Atlanta Falcons| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 2nd | 2nd | 2nd |
Previous Rank: 5th
Losing Vic Beasley for a month is rough, but the offense remains elite, and the pass-rusher should be back for the Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots in Week 6. - Browne
2. Kansas City Chiefs| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3rd | 1st | 5th |
Previous Rank: 4th
Abandoning the hyper-conservative offensive approach is paying dividends. The Chiefs look like an entirely different and improved team with Alex Smith taking shots downfield. - Srinivasan
3. New England Patriots| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3rd | 4th | 3rd | 3rd |
Previous Rank: 2nd
Everything is fine. Week 1 was a bit of a fluke. The Patriots are still very good at football. Carry on. - Sanderson
4. Pittsburgh Steelers| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8th | 1st | 4th | 1st |
Previous Rank: 3rd
The Steelers have yet to put forward their best performance and they'll have one more tune-up against the Bears before a divisional showdown with the Ravens. - McClymont
5. Oakland Raiders| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | 5th | 7th | 4th |
Previous Rank: 6th
Marshawn Lynch has every reason to be super hyped on the sidelines, with the Raiders rolling over their first two opponents. - Srinivasan
6. Green Bay Packers| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5th | 6th | 5th | 8th |
Previous Rank: 1st
The Pack's time at the top was short-lived. Injuries decimated the squad before they even lined up against the Falcons. Aaron Rodgers needs a full complement of talent around him to thrive. - McClymont
7. Denver Broncos| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6th | 8th | 6th | 6th |
Previous Rank: 9th
Trevor Siemian submitted one of the best quarterback performances of the week, while the defense continued to fire on all cylinders. Look out, the Broncos are back as a viable Super Bowl contender. - Srinivasan
8. Dallas Cowboys| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th | 10th | 8th | 9th |
Previous Rank: 7th
For the first time since 2013, Dallas fans got a gut-punch reminder of what it's like to be handed 40 points - though not many defenses come close to the dominance of Denver. Don't hang your heads too low. - Sanderson
9. Seattle Seahawks| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 7th | 11th | 7th |
Previous Rank: 8th
Please, please, please get Russell Wilson some better offensive linemen before he suffers a major injury. - Srinivasan
10. Detroit Lions| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13th | 9th | 9th | 10th |
Previous Rank: 12th
Are the Lions for real? That's the question that will be asked all week and answered in Week 3 vs. the Falcons. - McClymont
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9th | 12th | 12th | 12th |
Previous Rank: 11th
An extra week of waiting did nothing to cool Tampa Bay's explosive offense, which, scarily, seems to be just scratching the surface of its potential. - Browne
12. Tennessee Titans| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12th | 13th | 10th | 16th |
Previous Rank: 13th
Derrick Henry may have only been given all the late-game reps due to a hamstring issue for DeMarco Murray, but if the Titans really want to challenge in the AFC, they need to feed Henry. - Browne
13. Baltimore Ravens| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15th | 14th | 13th | 13th |
Previous Rank: 15th
The Ravens are taking full advantage of a soft early schedule, but better not fall into a lull against the Jaguars while looking ahead to their first meeting with the Steelers. - McClymont
14. Carolina Panthers| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14th | 15th | 16th | 11th |
Previous Rank: 14th
Cam Newton doesn't look sharp following offseason shoulder surgery. With Greg Olsen out for at least six games, the Panthers can't wait much longer for him to regain his 2015 MVP form. - Browne
15. New York Giants| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16th | 19th | 14th | 14th |
Previous Rank: 10th
The Giants are a good team in every place except their offensive line, which seems to be the only unit that matters at the moment. You can't score points with your quarterback playing from his back. - Sanderson
16. Miami Dolphins| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20th | 11th | 19th | 17th |
Previous Rank: 19th
The Dolphins are certainly a more fun team to watch with Cutler at the helm, but after needing a missed field goal to beat the Chargers, they may not be all that much better than before. - Sanderson
17. Philadelphia Eagles| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18th | 18th | 15th | 18th |
Previous Rank: 18th
Andy Reid with extra preparation time is nearly unbeatable. The Eagles should take pride in hanging with their former coach, but improvements to consistency still need to be made. - Sanderson
18. Minnesota Vikings| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16th | 16th | 17th | 20th |
Previous Rank: 17th
What a difference Sam Bradford makes. Mike Zimmer is putting pressure on his pivot to return to action, and we saw exactly why on Sunday. - McClymont
19. Houston Texans| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 17th | 17th | 21st | 19th |
Previous Rank: 20th
Outside of his dazzling touchdown run, Deshaun Watson was serviceable but unremarkable. That's enough for Houston and its standout defense, which came back to life in Week 2. - Browne
20. Washington Redskins| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19th | 22nd | 19th | 21st |
Previous Rank: 24th
It's tough to judge a Washington victory over former offensive coordinator Sean McVay in only his second game as Rams head coach, but the full-team win was much improved from the Week 1 loss. - Sanderson
21. Arizona Cardinals| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21st | 20th | 25th | 15th |
Previous Rank: 16th
It'll count in the win column, but the Cardinals have to be unimpressed with their overtime victory over a Colts team that's in disarray without Andrew Luck. - Srinivasan
22. Los Angeles Chargers| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 24th | 21st | 20th | 23rd |
Previous Rank: 21st
Younghoe Koo was one of the best stories entering the year, but two missed kicks with the game on the line just won't cut it. - Srinivasan
23. Jacksonville Jaguars| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 26th | 23rd | 22nd | 22nd |
Previous Rank: 22nd
The dominant pass-rush from Week 1 disappeared in the blowout loss to the Titans and Blake Bortles looked far more Blake Bortles-y. A trip to London awaits, though the change of scenery rarely helps the Jaguars. - Browne
24. Los Angeles Rams| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22nd | 24th | 23rd | 24th |
Previous Rank: 25th
Todd Gurley looks like he's regained his 2015 form again. Unfortunately, the rest of his teammates seem to be lagging behind. - Srinivasan
25. New Orleans Saints| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 23rd | 26th | 24th | 25th |
Previous Rank: 23rd
New Orleans, at 0-2, isn't dead yet. But a Week 3 loss to Carolina will effectively end the Saints' season, and could signal the end of an era. - Browne
26. Buffalo Bills| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 25th | 26th | 27th |
Previous Rank: 26th
Sean McDermott has quickly assembled a good-enough defense to not get blown out of games, though it may be a while before the offense scores enough points for another win. - Sanderson
27. Cleveland Browns| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27th | 28th | 27th | 26th |
Previous Rank: 27th
Hey, the Browns are road favorites for the first time since 2012! The upcoming stretch against the Colts, Bengals, and Jets represents their best shot at victory. - McClymont
28. San Francisco 49ers| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 29th | 29th | 28th | 28th |
Previous Rank: 31st
For a team that's amid an obvious rebuild, the 49ers' defense put up an impressive showing against the Seahawks, only to fall short. Two steps forward, one step back. - Srinivasan
29. Cincinnati Bengals| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30th | 27th | 29th | 31st |
Previous Rank: 28th
Marvin Lewis' 15-year tenure looks like it's coming to an end. Fans are calling for his head and that of QB Andy Dalton. - McClymont
30. Indianapolis Colts| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28th | 30th | 30th | 30th |
Previous Rank: 30th
The Colts looked marginally improved in Week 2, but it was all for nothing due to Chuck Pagano's late-game ineptitude. Even if Andrew Luck returns, Indy won't move forward until a change is made at head coach. - Browne
31. Chicago Bears| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 31st | 31st | 31st | 29th |
Previous Rank: 29th
Do they keep playing Mike Glennon or let Mitch Trubisky take a knife to a gun fight? Either way, it'll get worse before it gets better in Chicago. - McClymont
32. New York Jets| Browne | McClymont | Sanderson | Srinivasan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 32nd | 32nd | 32nd | 32nd |
Previous Rank: 32nd
Just start looking for the positives, Jets fans. At least the team scored 20 points this week. That might be something. - Sanderson
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