NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Week 3?

Injuries, suspensions and deactivations dominated Week 2 in the NFL. If you're looking for good news, there wasn't much of it before the games started. But once kickoff came around, Cleveland and Buffalo brightened things up with surprise wins. But the bad news continued in Washington (both Robert Griffin III and DeSean Jackson left with injuries) and for the New York Giants. 

What changed in Week 2 that will affect the weekly power rankings? A lot. Injuries, surprises on the field and deactivations due to off-field issues all factor in to this week's movement.

At this point in the season, power rankings aren't yet set as much by record, although that does factor in, but we're still looking at the mixture of preseason expectations, each team's potential and its play thus far.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-2)

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Last Week: 30

This Week: 32

Change: -2

The scoreboard might say 30-14, but the game was not that close. The Oakland Raiders were dominated by the Houston Texans from the opening snap in a game that showed just how far the team has to go before it's competitive in the AFC.

The Raiders will have bumps and bruises with a rookie quarterback in the game, but Derek Carr continues to show reason for optimism. Once the defense jells, the linebacking corps is good enough to do damage with its athleticism. Until then, it may be a tough season.

The Raiders were already down low on this list, and they'll stay there for now as the league's lowest-ranked team.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

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Last Week: 21

This Week: 31

Change: -10

So much for my prediction that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would be the most improved team in the NFL. Unless that prediction is on hold for the first two weeks of the year, the Buccaneers look like the team that finished last season with 12 losses.

Head coach Lovie Smith has to be frustrated by how his defense has looked, and with defensive end Michael Johnson (the team's big free-agent signing) and All-Pro tackle Gerald McCoy out, the pass rush struggled. That wasn't helped by Mason Foster's injury, opening a hole at middle linebacker. The losses definitely factored in, but the Buccaneers haven't found consistency on either side of the ball.

It's another week moving down the board for Tampa, and this one is big. Losing two games in this way will do that.

30. St. Louis Rams (1-1)

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Last Week: 31

This Week: 30

Change: +1

With Austin Davis at quarterback, the St. Louis Rams took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and pulled off an exciting win as the minutes ticked off in the fourth quarter. Davis' first start in the NFL led to a win, but how good are the Rams?

With Chris Long out and Tavon Austin injured during the game, Davis was 22-of-29 for 235 yards and led the team on a game-winning drive. Davis gives the team an exciting element at the position, and he's utilizing the talent around him well while standing behind a much-improved offensive line.

The Rams play in the NFL's toughest division, so we'll see if they're the real deal or not very soon. But a Week 2 win has to feel good for a team with so many injuries.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

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Last Week: 26

This Week: 29

Change: -3

One week after playing the Philadelphia Eagles very close, the Jacksonville Jaguars came back down to Earth in a beatdown at the hands of Jay Gruden's Washington team. A 41-10 score doesn't even do this one justice. The Jaguars were beat in every aspect of the game.

The question mark coming out of this one is when do we see rookie quarterback Blake Bortles? It's time. An afternoon spent watching Chad Henne checkdown throws and miss opportunities is gut-wrenching for fans who saw Bortles' electric play in the preseason.

Week 3 brings a matchup against the division-rival Indianapolis Colts, and on paper, that doesn't look to be a winnable game.

28. Washington (1-1)

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Last Week: 32

This Week: 28

Change: +4

With no Robert Griffin III (injured ankle) and no DeSean Jackson (injured shoulder), Jay Gruden was able to get his first win as a head coach in the NFL thanks to Kirk Cousins, Andre Roberts and a very good day running the football from Alfred Morris.

A 41-10 win over Jacksonville is a big confidence builder for this team—and especially for Cousins as the team's quarterback for the foreseeable future.

It may be blasphemy to say it, but the team looked much more crisp with Cousins against Jacksonville than it did against the Houston Texans with RGIII the week before. It's tough to make that comparison across the board, but without its best receiver (Jackson), Gruden's offense clicked much better while Cousins was under center.

A big win this week means a move up the board for Washington.

27. New York Giants (0-2)

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Last Week: 23

This Week: 27

Change: -4

Good news, Giants fans—the 2015 draft class looks very good at offensive tackle and defensive line. 

Fans of the Giants are in for a long season if the team we've seen in the first two weeks is the expectation for 2014. Eli Manning still looks uncomfortable in Ben McAdoo's offense. Victor Cruz dropped key passes throughout the team's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. And despite strong cornerback play, the secondary is still giving up too many big plays. 

The Cardinals, without Carson Palmer at quarterback, beat the Giants by 11 points. If you're wondering why this team is moving so far down this week, there is your answer.

26. Tennessee Titans (1-1)

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Last Week: 25

This Week: 26

Change: -1

The Tennessee Titans saw a nice jump up the board last week after beating the Kansas City Chiefs, but Week 2 brings a reality check after a thumping by the Dallas Cowboys.

Quarterback Jake Locker was wholly unimpressive (26 yards passing at halftime) as the offense struggled to do anything against a Dallas defense many felt was the NFL's worst heading into the season. And with Locker regressing so much in Week 2, the defense was asked to do more in protecting bad field positioning after too many three-and-out series.

Ken Whisenhunt's team has talent, but bad quarterback play will kill you every week. And for that, this team moves down.

25. Houston Texans (2-0)

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Last Week: 28

This Week: 25

Change: +3

For the second straight season, the Houston Texans start out with a 2-0 record. Their hope this season is that a 14-game losing streak is not forthcoming.

Bill O'Brien's team looked good in winning on the road in Oakland. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick did enough to win, running back Arian Foster was brilliant and defensive tackle/tight end J.J. Watt was his normally awesome self. 

The Texans do not have major offensive firepower due to limitations at quarterback, but they've shown in two games that if the defense and run game get going, they can win games. And a 2-0 start is better than many expected for this team.

24. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

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Last Week: 29

This Week: 24

Change: +5

With their offensive line already a MASH unit, the Kansas City Chiefs faced the Denver Broncos with Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry both leaving the game with injuries. And they almost won it.

The Chiefs may not believe in moral victories, but they have to feel optimistic after this game. Knile Davis stepped in for Jamaal Charles and dominated. Travis Kelce became the go-to-guy in the passing game, and a returned Dwayne Bowe made big catches with the game on the line. It was a loss within the division, but the Chiefs showed fight.

There's no reason to move the Chiefs down, even with an 0-2 start, as the rankings are based on who the best team is and not necessarily who has the best/worst record. Instead, the showing on the field is worth a move up.

23. Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

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Last Week: 19

This Week: 23

Change: -4

Many, myself included, were excited after watching the Minnesota Vikings win in Week 1. The team dominated the St. Louis Rams and looked poised to put up a strong front against the visiting New England Patriots.

And then two things happened—Adrian Peterson was deactivated after being indicted for negligent injury to a child in Texas, and Matt Cassel threw four interceptions against his old team. Though the team announced Peterson has been activated, we don't know if/when first-round-pick Teddy Bridgewater will replace Cassel at quarterback. Both will have a major impact on the team's placement on this list.

For now, a Week 2 loss to a dominant team has the Vikings moving down.

22. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

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Last Week: 27

This Week: 22

Change: +5

The Cleveland Browns pulled off an upset that few outside of Ohio could see coming when they beat the New Orleans Saints at home. Credit the Browns defense and the running game for this one, but it was a total team effort that required quarterback Brian Hoyer to make big plays on third down late in the game. 

Hoyer did enough to keep the starting job for at least another week—even if we did see Johnny Manziel on the field in special packages throughout the game.

The Browns got good news this week that Josh Gordon's year-long suspension has been reduced to 10 games, and they got another pick-me-up in beating a team many expected to be a Super Bowl contender. Those are both worth a move up the rankings.

21. Miami Dolphins (1-1)

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Last Week: 18

This Week: 21

Change: -3

The Miami Dolphins were riding high after beating the hated New England Patriots in Week 1, but the Buffalo Bills provided a wake-up call in Week 2 with a big division victory.

The Dolphins looked completely off against Buffalo's speed at outside linebacker, receiver and running back. Left tackle Branden Albert struggled to control pass-rusher Jerry Hughes. The Miami linebackers couldn't stop C.J. Spiller. Even the Dolphins cornerbacks struggled to contain rookie receiver Sammy Watkins.

The Dolphins were without Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller, but they alone don't make up a 19-point difference. That means the Dolphins are moving down this week.

20. Detroit Lions (1-1)

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Last Week: 17

This Week: 20

Change: -3

The Detroit Lions were poised to become a top-10 team if they could knock off the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, but the Cam Newton-led offense was too much for the Lions defense to handle.

Offensively, the Lions started the game very well, but the Carolina front seven eventually clamped down on them. Even without defensive end Greg Hardy (deactivated), the Panthers were able to keep the Lions offense from breaking them. A team with this much offensive talent scoring just seven points tells the story of this game.

The Lions are undoubtedly a talented team, but until they find a way to consistently get players other than Calvin Johnson involved in the offense—and until the secondary grows up—they are a tough team to bet on each week.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

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Last Week: 13

This Week: 19

Change: -6

Scoring just six points against their biggest rival says a lot about the Pittsburgh Steelers. After a Week 1 win against Cleveland that showed offensive improvement, more was expected. Now the Steelers must regroup, try to fix issues at right tackle and cornerback and see if they can scheme their way back into games.

A matchup in Week 3 against Carolina will not be kind to the defense here, especially if Cam Newton is healthy after taking a few tough hits in Week 2 and already nursing bruised ribs that kept him out of Week 1's game. Until the defense can consistently stop the run and defend the deep ball, Pittsburgh will be a tough sell.

Losing to the No. 14-ranked team from last week doesn't mean a big move down, but the Steelers are on the decline this week.

18. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)

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Last Week: 10

This Week: 18

Change: -8

A win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 1 had the Atlanta Falcons shooting way up the rankings last week. But that's how power rankings work—beat a high-ranked team, move way up.

But perhaps neither the Falcons nor the Saints are as good as we thought. And if they are both talented teams, Week 2 showed that the Cincinnati Bengals are an elite team.

The Falcons are playing without their top two offensive tackles (Sam Baker, Jake Matthews) due to injury, but on Sunday, the difference was their lack of ability to rush Andy Dalton and to protect Matt Ryan. That led to three Ryan interceptions and far too many explosive plays from the Bengals.

The Falcons move down this week and will look to a Thursday night game against Tampa Bay in Week 3 as a proving ground for if they're truly ready to challenge in the NFC South or not.

17. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

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Last Week: 22

This Week: 17

Change: +5

Fans of the Dallas Cowboys know that this team wins games when it trusts the offensive line and feeds running back DeMarco Murray the ball. Their 26-10 win over the Tennessee Titans came on the strength of the run game and hopefully laid the blueprint for how this team can win each week.

Murray went off for 167 yards in the win, and he deserves to be the story this week, but don't forget about how well the defense played.

Rod Marinelli's crew kept the Titans under 100 yards rushing and pressured quarterback Jake Locker throughout the game. If they can continue to learn on the go, the Cowboys can be a threat in the NFC East.

16. New York Jets (1-1)

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Last Week: 16

This Week: 16

Change: 0

The New York Jets get an "A" for effort, but they came up too short against an Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers team.

You can't fault Geno Smith and the offense in this one. He got the team off to a hot start in the first half and played well in the second, even after the Packers defense clamped down thanks to adjustments. Were it not for a huge timeout coming in from offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg, Smith would have completed a comeback and the Jets would be 2-0.

The defense suffered after losing Muhammad Wilkerson to a fight (he was ejected) and once Rodgers got time to throw to Jordy Nelson against an overmatched New York secondary.

If you believe in moral victories, this was one, and the Jets have proved they can play with the NFL's best teams.

15. Chicago Bears (1-1)

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Last Week: 20

This Week: 15

Change: +5

A four-touchdown performance from Jay Cutler, another great game from Brandon Marshall and a big night for rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller led to a second-half comeback for the Bears after heading into halftime down 10 points to San Francisco.

Cutler was perfect on the night, and he executed brilliantly in the red zone. With San Francisco struggling to get a pass rush going, No. 6 found his big wide receivers and tight end down the field and in the end zone. With the 49ers killing themselves with penalties, the Bears patiently chipped away at the lead and got big plays from Jared Allen, Willie Young and Fuller.

The Week 1 loss to Buffalo is still a head-scratcher, but Sunday night, the Bears looked like the team many expected before the season.

14. Buffalo Bills (2-0)

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Last Week: 24

This Week: 14

Change: +10

Raise your hand if you had the Buffalo Bills in first place in the AFC East after two weeks? I sure as heck didn't.

The Bills are a young, fast, exciting team, and that's showing on Sundays. In Week 2, the Bills hosted Miami and beat up an offensive line that excelled against New England in Week 1 and knocked two running backs (Knowshon Moreno and Lamar Miller) out of the game.

Are the Bills for real? It still feels like this team's record is better than the whole of its parts, but you can't argue with a 2-0 start. There's definitely an exciting element to the run game, the receivers and the pass rush. If EJ Manuel can be average, the Bills can win ball games.

13. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

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Last Week: 14

This Week: 13

Change: +1

After a rough Week 1 showing in Cincinnati, not much was expected of the Baltimore Ravens in a week in which running back Ray Rice was released by the team and suspended indefinitely by the NFL. Distractions, no run game and an athletic Pittsburgh team looked to be too much for them to overcome. But they did. Definitively.

The Baltimore defense shut down the Steelers, holding them to just six points, while their own offense found life against the aging Pittsburgh secondary. The Ravens may not be a perfect offense yet, but Gary Kubiak's influence as offensive coordinator is being felt more and more.

A division win against a hated rival? That's reason to move up this week.

12. New Orleans Saints (0-2)

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Last Week: 5

This Week: 12

Change: -7

After winning 11 games and a playoff game in 2013, the New Orleans Saints entered the year as a possible Super Bowl contender. The addition of Jairus Byrd and Brandin Cooks only solidified that belief amongst fans and analysts. 

That was then, though, and this is now. The Saints are 0-2 after losing games to the Atlanta Falcons and the Cleveland Browns. In both showings, the defense has been bad, allowing 37 points in Week 1 and 26 in Week 2. Rob Ryan's defense is in trouble, but quarterback Drew Brees doesn't look the same either when he's out of the dome in New Orleans.

The Saints are among the NFL's most talented teams on paper, but on the field they're struggling. And that's why the big move down this week.

11. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

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Last Week: 9

This Week: 11

Change: -2

The Indianapolis Colts are now 0-2—the first time Andrew Luck has lost back-to-back games—but they still look and feel like one of the better teams in the NFL.

Everyone knew the schedule was brutal early, but the Colts have hung in for close games against the Denver Broncos (a seven point loss) and the Philadelphia Eagles (a three point loss) early on. Losing Robert Mathis has hurt, and they're still trying to figure out balance in the run game, but with Luck and a top-tier cast of receivers and tight ends, this is a team that can go places.

The AFC South is as weak as expected, and the Colts are still the favorites to win that division.

10. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)

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Last Week: 11

This Week: 10

Change: +1

With Carson Palmer and John Abraham both out due to injuries, the Arizona Cardinals made the cross-country trek to New York to face the Giants. Few would have expected a blowout win for the Cardinals with injuries affecting their game-planning, but that's exactly what happened.

An 11-point win on the road is big for Arizona, as is moving to 2-0 with the Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers at 1-1. The Cardinals are figuring things out on offense, with Michael Floyd, John Brown and John Carlson becoming bigger parts of the scheme. And on defense, they've been able to replace impacts from Abraham with players like Sam Acho coming up big. They also got back Tyrann Mathieu in Week 2, and that will only help them improve.

The Cardinals were a 10-win team that missed the playoffs last year, but as of today, they definitely look like a playoff-worthy team if Palmer returns soon. Uncertainty over his status is why the team doesn't move this week as much as some had hoped.

Editor's Note: The Cardinals were ranked No. 11 overall after Sunday night's games.

9. San Diego Chargers (1-1)

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Last Week: 15

This Week: 9

Change: +6

The San Diego Chargers are just 1-1, but they have the NFL's most defining win of this early season thanks to their Week 2 win over Seattle.

The Chargers dominated the time of possession (42:15 to Seattle's 17:45) and attacked Richard Sherman with Keenan Allen while using Antonio Gates underneath. Even without a great rushing performance, the Chargers controlled the game with clock management, smart play designs and hard-hitting defense.

The Week 1 loss against Arizona—by just one point—keeps the Chargers from being a much higher-ranked team, but they've earned a big move up this week.

Editor's Note: The Chargers were ranked No. 10 overall after Sunday night's games.

8. Carolina Panthers (2-0)

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Last Week: 12

This Week: 8

Change: +4

The Carolina Panthers have overcome injuries and deactivations to move to 2-0 against two teams with big talent on defense. 

I was guilty of underrating this team in the preseason. So many changes at offensive line and wide receiver, plus a no-name secondary, had the Panthers looking like a team set to decline this year. I forgot to factor in the brilliance of Cam Newton and the dominance of the team's front seven on defense.

Even without DeAngelo Williams (injury) and Greg Hardy (deactivated), this team was impressive throughout the game. The Panthers deserve a move up into the top 10.

7. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

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Last Week: 3

This Week: 7

Change: -4

A comeback win by the Chicago Bears should move the San Francisco 49ers down this week, but a loss by the Seattle Seahawks and the play of Green Bay and New England in Week 1 makes it hard to justify a huge move for San Francisco. 

This much is true, though—if Colin Kaepernick and the offensive line play like they did in Week 2, this team will quickly be out of the top 10. Kaepernick was routinely pressured, which led to three interceptions and a fumble against a Chicago pass rush that found it could win on the edges in a wide set.

The 49ers are among the most talented teams in the game and are expected to be a Super Bowl contender. That's the only reason they're still ranked so high after two straight weeks of bad play in the second half.

Update: As was the plan given Monday Night Football featured two Top 10 teams, the 49ers' ranking has been re-evaluated and they see a significant move down. The Philadelphia Eagles have taken their place at No. 3 overall, and the struggling 49ers drop four spots to No. 7.

6. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

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Last Week: 6

This Week: 6

Change: 0

It wasn't pretty, but the Green Bay Packers avoided an 0-2 start thanks to an impressive second-half comeback by Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson. And really, it was all Rodgers and Nelson in this one.

After an uninspiring first half on both sides of the ball, the Packers came out and adjusted in the third quarter and were a different group. The defense still gave up big plays, but the offense seemed to acknowledge that Rodgers would have no time to throw behind a patchwork offensive line. Rodgers and Nelson seemed to be on a different level, and that led to 209 yards receiving for the former Kansas State wide receiver.

With their only loss coming at the hands of the defending champs—in Seattle, at that—the Packers are still in good standing as a top-tier team.

5. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)

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Last Week: 8

This Week: 5

Change: +3

The Cincinnati Bengals move to 2-0 after a big win over the Atlanta Falcons. Through two weeks, the AFC North looks like theirs to win.

The Bengals didn't just beat the Falcons, they dominated them by forcing Matt Ryan into three interceptions and holding them to just 10 points after watching Atlanta put up 37 points against New Orleans in Week 1. Thanks to big plays from Andy Dalton and Mohamed Sanu, Cincinnati was able to make a statement with the win.

Depending on A.J. Green's health (he left the game early with a foot injury), the Bengals could be making a case for one of the AFC's top teams. But first, they have to get past Tennessee in Week 3.

4. New England Patriots (1-1)

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Last Week: 4

This Week: 4

Change: 0

The New England Patriots got back on track in Week 2 following a loss to the Miami Dolphins in the opener. Thanks to four Matt Cassel interceptions and Tom Brady's ability to carve up the Vikings defense, this game was never close.

It's rare for a Bill Belichick-coached team to lose two games in a row, so few expected that from the Patriots this week. What's perhaps most important is that while other top-tier teams (Seattle, Denver) struggled in Week 2, the Patriots avoided the letdown and won on the road.

Week 3 will be another chance for the Patriots to pad their win total with the Oakland Raiders coming to town. In classic New England fashion, this looks like one of the NFL's better teams.

3. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)

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Last Week: 7

This Week: 3

Change: +4

The Philadelphia Eagles haven't won pretty, but they're 2-0 and sitting atop the NFC East, and perhaps the entire NFC right now.

The play of Nick Foles has not been great, but give credit to Chip Kelly's scheme on offense for being creative, fast and capable of scoring a lot of points. The Eagles have eclipsed 30 points in both games this year, and once Foles gets on the same page as his receivers (the young quarterback has missed some wide open targets), the offense could be even more impressive.

The schedule isn't easy with Washington, San Francisco and St. Louis coming up, but if the Eagles can survive we'll be looking at one of the NFL's truly elite teams after six weeks.

2. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

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Last Week: 1

This Week: 2

Change: -1

It used to be said that the Seattle Seahawks struggled to win on the road. That was definitely the case for the defending Super Bowl champions when they traveled down the coast to take on the San Diego Chargers. 

The vaunted Seattle defense struggled to bottle up Philip Rivers and the San Diego offense. Rivers challenged the entire field—even Richard Sherman—and completed 28 of 37 passes for 284 yards and three touchdowns. The Chargers also managed to keep the ball for an amazing 42:15 (compared to Seattle's 17:45) and controlled what the Seahawks were able to do offensively by limiting touches.

It's rare to see Seattle out-schemed, but that took place in Week 2. This is still an elite team capable of defending its title, but this week, it takes a move down the board.

1. Denver Broncos (2-0)

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Last Week: 2

This Week: 1

Change: +1

It's tough to evaluate the Denver Broncos in Week 2. Yes, they won a division game at home against a 2013 playoff team in Kansas City. The downside, though, is that they let the Chiefs come back and nearly win the game with three of their major stars (Jamaal Charles, Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson) not on the field.

If you're a Broncos fan, you need to be concerned with how well the Chiefs ran the ball considering they're playing with a complete Band-Aid along the offensive line. You also must worry about how Travis Kelce moved freely throughout coverages at tight end.

The bright side is that while others in the NFL struggled to put teams away, the Broncos moved to 2-0 and have the top spot in the AFC West all to themselves.