NFL Power Rankings: Another Set For You to Bash: Week Three

(Photo by Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images)

You may have noticed that I have not published power rankings for the first two weeks of the season. So why am I doing it now?

Let’s just say I decided to take a page out of the BCS standings (and what the other college polls need to do): I waited.

I waited for the dust to settle a little bit.

We all have our own set of expectations for our own teams and the other 31 teams in the NFL. I know I made my list before the preseason games started and made mild adjustments throughout August.

Then all of the hype boiled over as soon as that first game kicked off. The games concluded and we started to overreact to Week One. This over the top reaction heading into Week Two stabilized a bit once those games were played. 

So now Week Three arrives and I feel a little better about my opinions of the teams in the league. However, I am still unsettled with some of my expectations, but others were confirmed. Usually, my opinions become more solid when heading into Week Five, because I have a better sampling of games by then.

Please remember this note about the rankings: I combined my preseason expectations with current performance as it prevents me from overreacting to the first two weeks of the season.

Enough of my rambling; you don’t have a lot of time to be listening to me. You have jobs and lives to lead. 

Let’s get it on…

1. 1. New Orleans: It is very hard to score over forty points in back-to-back weeks, no matter the opponent.

1. 2. New York Giants: Giving up 250 yards rushing to Dallas is not a great thing, but the team is forcing timely turnovers and performing when it counts. Two division wins out of the gate is good to have under the belt early on.

1. 3. Baltimore: Looking fantastic out of the gate with a tough offense of all things.

1. 4. Pittsburgh: Struggling to run the ball and Polamalu is injured, but they still have Roethlisberger and a defense that kept Chicago in check until the very end.

1. 5. New England: Could very well be 0-2 to start the year, but you have to think Belichick will get the offense back on track. Defense actually looks good despite the personnel losses.

1. 6. Chicago: Could very well be 2-0 were it not for a defensive lapse against Green Bay in Week One with a minute to go.

1. 7. New York Jets: Following the Ravens blueprint from last year: aggressive defense, steady rookie quarterback, and bruising running game behind a quality offensive line.

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