NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Predictions for Post-Monday Night Football Standings

After (almost) two weeks of the 2015 NFL season, we've already learned plenty about every team's chances for success throughout the year.

A poor start doesn't exactly doom an organization, while a strong one doesn't guarantee postseason inclusion. For that reason, it's important not to jump to conclusions after just two games. 

But that being said, while some of the performances should be taken with a grain of salt, others have been indicative of what we should see the entire season. Let's figure out where every team stands in the latest power rankings, taking Monday Night Football predictions into mind.

Predicting Post-Week 3 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	New England Patriots	2-0
2	Green Bay Packers	2-0
3	Denver Broncos	2-0
4	Cincinnati Bengals	2-0
5	Arizona Cardinals	2-0
6	Seattle Seahawks	0-2
7	Pittsburgh Steelers	1-1
8	Dallas Cowboys	2-0
9	Indianapolis Colts	1-1*
10	Buffalo Bills	1-1
11	Carolina Panthers	2-0
12	Kansas City Chiefs	1-1
13	Atlanta Falcons	2-0
14	Minnesota Vikings	1-1
15	St. Louis Rams	1-1
16	Philadelphia Eagles	0-2
17	San Diego Chargers	1-1
18	Miami Dolphins	1-1
19	Baltimore Ravens	0-2
20	New York Jets	1-1*
21	Washington Redskins	1-1
22	Detroit Lions	0-2
23	Cleveland Browns	1-1
24	New York Giants	0-2
25	Tennessee Titans	1-1
26	Oakland Raiders	1-1
27	New Orleans Saints	0-2
28	San Francisco 49ers	1-1
29	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-1
30	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-1
31	Houston Texans	0-2
32	Chicago Bears	0-2

Green Bay Packers (No. 2)

Jeffrey Phelps/Associated Press

One early regular-season game is never enough to wipe away the catastrophic memories of a NFC Championship Game—especially one that was right in their grasps. But the Green Bay Packers look on a mission to make up for last year.

They proved that much on Sunday Night Football, taking it to the Seattle Seahawks in another vintage Aaron Rodgers performance. After starting out hot, the Seahawks defense quelled him until he made the proper adjustments for a game-winning drive early in the fourth quarter.

Rodgers' proficiency at home is quite ridiculous, as ESPN Stats & Info noted:

The defense has improved significantly since last season, as shown by the Packers' hounding of Russell Wilson and eliminating Marshawn Lynch on the ground. If the secondary can continue to hold up with a boisterous front seven, the Packers will be in great shape.

Eddie Lacy's ankle injury doesn't include broken bones, per ESPN's Adam Schefter, and Rodgers is more than making do with the receivers he currently has. If that continues, there's no reason to think Green Bay won't be the cream of the crop in the NFC.

Dallas Cowboys (No. 8)

The Dallas Cowboys won the first two games of the 2015 season but lost two things that are probably more important than that pair of results.

Their offense took a massive hit in Week 1 with Dez Bryant breaking his foot and needing surgery, but Week 2 delivered the knockout blow. It came when quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone, leaving him out for an extended part of the season.

The latter injury is likely to derail their season, as Adam Schefter of ESPN noted:

Of course, backup Brandon Weeden looked pretty good in relief of Romo late in the Cowboys' win over the Eagles. And the defense is playing at a ridiculous level, when it's compared to what the unit did in 2014.

Plus, you can't argue with a 2-0 record.

But the reality is, the Cowboys are going to have to go up against the likes of Atlanta, New England, Seattle, Philadelphia (again) and others without their best two players. 

Buffalo Bills (No. 10)

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

The Bills didn't mount the upset at home over the New England Patriots like many expected or aspired to, but that didn't keep them from proving their worth in the AFC playoff race.

After hanging around early against New England, Buffalo allowed Tom Brady to get going, and he all but put the Bills away. Buffalo did put together an improbable comeback, rallying back from three scores down to force the Patriots to get some first downs to win the game.

Still, the gravity of the moment seemed to impact this team early on, as ESPN's Mike Reiss noted:

With that being said, the Bills took an incredible gut punch from the Pats and answered it pretty convincingly. When there isn't such a high-powered offense on the other side to match the points, Tyrod Taylor and this Buffalo offense should be able to outscore a lot of the teams on their schedule.

Whether it's enough to truly battle the Pats in the AFC East is another story, but it's good enough to make the Bills unquestionable wild-card contenders.