NFL Week 3 Power Rankings: Contender or Pretender?
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 20: Joe Burrow #9 of the Cincinnati Bengals huddles with teammates against the Houston Texans during the second half of the game at NRG Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images) | Getty ImagesSomehow, someway, the 2026 NFL regular season has turned the page on Week 2, and we're onto Week 3. After an unpredictable opening weekend of football, things started to level out a bit in Week 2. Even so, there's still plenty to learn over the next few weeks about which teams are for real and who are just off to unsustainable starts. With that in mind, let's dive into our WCG Week 3 Power Rankings!
1. Buffalo Bills (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
The offense is legit, and even if there are questions about the defense (they've given up 31 points in consecutive weeks), it should be enough to keep them as strong Super Bowl contenders all season. Josh Allen looks primed for another MVP run, so assuming the defense can get their sea legs under them at some point soon, they might be the most complete team in the AFC.
2. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
No Sam Darnold, no problem. Following a close first half, the Seahawks pulled away in the second half, and Jaxson Smith-Njigba showed why he's one of the best receivers in the game. With Darnold expected back within the next week or two, Seattle appears to be in great shape to defend their title in the coming months.
3. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
We knew the 49ers offense would be a problem (in a good way) this season, but their defense rounding into form is a great sign. After all, that's basically what they were missing for most of last season. San Francisco is on a roll right now and doesn't appear to be slowing down any time soon. It appears the NFC West is once again going to be the best division in football.
4. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
The defense is legit, and that's something Bengals fans have been hoping for since their trip to the Super Bowl a few years ago. Keeping quarterback Joe Burrow healthy will be the key to their season, but assuming all goes well on that front, there's no reason to believe that they can't contend in the AFC and push for a deep playoff run.
5. Los Angeles Rams (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
Week 1 overreactions are always abundant, but last week felt like a time when way too many people gave up" on the Rams far too soon. Granted, the injury to Jaxson Dart drastically altered Monday night's game, but I'm not sure the Giants would have been able to stop that offense, regardless of who they had at quarterback. The wait for Myles Garrett's return will be painful, but it was good to see Aaron Donald back on the field. The Rams are just fine.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
The Eagles are a vastly talented team, and even if neither win has been convincing (+6 points), they are well-rounded on both sides of the ball. They'll have a nice test on Monday night against the Bears in Chicago, but with Caleb Williams' hamstring injury, their path to a win should be much easier facing backup quarterback Tyson Bagent. A 3-0 start would be about as best-case scenario as possible, even if none of their wins have looked overly dominant.
7. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
Any time a team starts 2-0 within their division over the first two weeks of the season, it's a great sign for things to come. The offense has some questions, especially at quarterback. Still, assuming Kyler Murray can hit the ground running, they've given themselves more than enough of a head start to push for a playoff spot, especially with an elite defense that has blitzed both opponents at close to an 80% rate.
8. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
Sunday night was a fun one, and it appears that the Chiefs are all the way back. Despite being just nine months removed from a torn ACL, quarterback Patrick Mahomes is moving well, and it's clear that he still has one of the best arms in the league. Kansas City's defense looks considerably better than they did last year, even if they gave up a higher point total than ideal in Week 2. The AFC West is there for the taking, and right now, it feels like the Chiefs are ready to take the crown back.
9. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
Week 1's offensive output was about as impressive a debut as offensive coordinator Declan Doyle could have asked for. Week 2 didn't go as planned, but they kept it close until the final minutes. There's no reason to think that the Ravens won't get back on track in Week 3, and overall, they've looked like a much more complete team so far in 2026 under first-year head coach Jesse Minter.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
On the road or not, Sunday's loss came as somewhat of a surprise to most around the league. The Jaguars had been on such a heater that it started to feel like a win was guaranteed each week. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence wasn't able to follow up on an impressive Week 1, but Denver has one of the best defenses in the league. The good news is that they are in a very winnable division. The bad news is that they have a tough schedule over the next two months. I'm buying what Liam Coen is selling, no matter what the schedule looks like on paper.
11. Denver Broncos (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
Things didn't look good against the Chiefs in Week 1, and the offense hasn't looked the same with offensive coordinator Davis Webb calling plays. That said, this is still a very good defense, and their past success gives them enough track record to believe that they can grab a Wild Card spot at minimum. They'll face a tough schedule in the immediate future, but their win against the Jaguars proves that they can beat anyone.
12. New England Patriots (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender
I won't discount the Patriots' remaining strength of schedule, including games against the Jaguars, Bills, and Raiders over their next three. That said, this is a well-rounded team with plenty of offensive firepower and a defense that should keep improving. I won't believe they are dead" until I see it, and we are far from that point.
13. Chicago Bears (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBA (Pending Caleb Williams' health)
Early reports are that Williams avoided a serious injury, and although he might miss a few weeks, the team hasn't ruled him out for Week 3's Monday night matchup against the Eagles. Assuming backup quarterback Tyson Bagent can keep them above water, this should be a Wild Card contender at worst. Staying alive" over the next two games will be key, and it starts with the Eagles on Monday night at Soldier Field.
14. Detroit Lions (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
The talent is there, but over two weeks, it's been a mixed bag. Sure, they've put up 31 points in back-to-back games, but the majority of that has been put up through two halves in two games. The offense has plenty of talent, but even when healthy, the offensive line has questions. More importantly, the defense is an issue. They've given up back-to-back 30-plus-point games (71 overall), over 900 total yards, and have allowed two big quarterback performances-plenty to be learned in the coming weeks, even with an easy schedule.
15. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
The Packers' six-game losing streak is over, but it took overtime and two serious injuries to offensive starters to get it done. All-World edge rusher Micah Parsons *can* return in two games, although he might be pacing for shortly after that. That said, their next two games are very winnable, which would land them at 3-1 heading into a big Week 5 matchup against the Bears. We'll see how they fare on Thursday against a disastrous Falcons team who will be getting their starting quarterback back.
16. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
The Week 1 and Week 2 products for the Cowboys couldn't have been much different. Although I'm not sold on their defense, it's clear the offense is going to be top-tier yet again. Despite the Eagles being 2-0, the NFC East feels wide open. If the defense can continue to round into form, this is a high-ceiling team with more than enough talent to make some noise en route to a playoff appearance.
17. Carolina Panthers (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
There are two NFC South teams coming off the board back-to-back here, and both are in similar spots. The division is bad, which could mean only one team makes the playoffs again. That said, there are two teams that look ready to push for a division title, and one of them is the Panthers. The offense is legit, as is quarterback Bryce Young. If the defense can keep improving (against better competition), their ceiling is much higher than last year.
19. New Orleans Saints (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
The NFC South is extremely winnable, and quarterback Tyler Shough looks like the real deal. A win on the road against the Ravens feels big, and with any luck, this will allow them to get on a roll. This team is still in the midst of a rebuild, but things are improving fast, and they are in the right division to surprise the league.
19. New York Giants (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
I'm not ready to rule out the Giants as a playoff contender following their Monday night loss, but Jaxson Dart's injury will be worth monitoring. Without competent quarterback play, this team isn't good enough to win games consistently. That said, it's clear that John Harbaugh has made an impact here, and the arrow is pointing up much more than it would have been a year ago, hence the TBD.
20. Houston Texans (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
On the surface, quarterback C.J. Stroud has looked much closer to his rookie self than what we saw in the playoffs in January. That said, it's easy to argue that there were a lot of empty yards on Sunday against a Bengals defense that allowed just three points. The bigger issue is that their run game remains unproductive. This team has the talent and isn't a stranger to slow starts. That said, they'll need to pick it up soon if they plan on finding their way back to the postseason yet again.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Replacing Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy was already a questionable and very uncharacteristic move, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks even worse than last year and still isn't targeting the middle of the field. This roster has talent, but it's on the older side, and there's very little elite about it. Step one is fixing this offense, which has been worse than the numbers show through two weeks.
22. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Coming into the season, it was already going to be a hard sell for most people to believe that extending Daniel Jones and giving up multiple first-round picks for Sauce Gardner at last year's deadline was the smart move. With this regime playing on borrowed time, a 0-2 start wasn't what they wanted. Clearly, they are a better team than that, but how much better is the question.
23. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: TBD
You couldn't have scripted a better start to the season for the Raiders. Although I'm not convinced that this is sustainable, we see new surprise" teams every year. Maybe Las Vegas finally has it figured out with this regime. No matter what you label them through two games, this is a great start for them, and we haven't even seen Fernando Mendoza yet.
24. Los Angeles Chargers (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
I'm not sure anyone knows what is going on with the Chargers, but it's bad. Some believe this is just a slow start, but anyone who has watched them knows there are seriously concerning signs after two games. Offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel and quarterback Justin Herbert have been complete disasters together. Without a complete 180 soon, Los Angeles will face calls for changes heading into the offseason.
25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Worst division in football or not, the Buccaneers look like a team that is stuck in the mud without much hope in the immediate future. Even after extending quarterback Baker Mayfield and defensive tackle Vita Vea, starting 0-2 against two not-great teams is nothing short of concerning. Despite the bad start, they are still just a game out of first place, with both losses out of conference. That said, this couldn't look much worse than it has through two games.
26. Washington Commanders (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Quarterback Jayden Daniels started to look better against the Cowboys' defense, but another gruesome left elbow injury has derailed his season for a second straight year. Even if he's healthy, this doesn't look like a very good team, and without Daniels under center, it could feel like a repeat of 2025. We'll see how quickly he can return, but things don't look good no matter his long-term prognosis.
27. New York Jets (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
The first two weeks of this season feel a heck of a lot better than they did this time last year. That said, this group still has a ways to go, and that's A-OK. They are still seeking their long-term answer at quarterback, but the talent around the rest of the roster feels a lot more promising so far than it did all of last year.
28. Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Beating the Chargers in Week 1 felt like the season opener's biggest upset. Reality came crashing back down against the Seahawks on Sunday, though. The Chargers are now 0-2, and this group looks more like a mid-rebuild outlook than a surprise team. That's OK, but also a great example of why you must resist the urge to overreact to Week 1.
29. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
The good news is the division is wide open, with the leader at 1-1. Atlanta's bigger issue is its quarterback situation. Cooper Rush proved to be unplayable, and even with Michael Penix coming back Thursday night, what's the ceiling there? The Falcons feel like they're trending in the wrong direction, but better quarterback play could change that outlook.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Truth be told, the Titans were my surprise" pick to make the playoffs this year, and barring a Bears-like turnaround, there's going to be far more questions than answers, especially at quarterback. Cam Ward has not shown much growth, and because of that, they'll struggle to win many games. It's gutcheck time for the former No. 1 overall pick.
31. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Pretender
Although their win on Sunday (considering the delay and where their defense was on the field) was impressive, there's still far too much wrong with this group to sustain a winning record (or anything close to it) this season. They are trending in the right direction, but this is still another year or two away from looking promising.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-2)
Contender, pretender, or TBD: Contender (for the No. 1 overall pick)
There's not a whole lot to like about what the Dolphins have put on tape through two games this season. Figuring out if Malik Willis is a long-term answer at quarterback is the primary objective for the season, but man, there's a lot wrong, and understandably so with a team at the start of a rebuild.