NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Updated Records, 2016-17 Super Bowl Odds

Sam Bradford just won an encounter with Aaron Rodgers when his Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 17-14, so fans can understand why major shake-ups will go down in power rankings this week.

The opening weeks of a season always seem odd, but it doesn't get much stranger than Bradford throwing for two scores with no picks while Rodgers posted one touchdown and one interception.

Among other oddities, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Seattle Seahawks (9-3), and the Tom Brady-less New England Patriots continued to roll by holding off the Miami Dolphins (31-24). The power rankings scene, as such, remains in flux.

Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

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

2016-17 Super Bowl Odds

Team
Arizona	12-1
Atlanta	50-1
Baltimore	33-1
Buffalo	66-1
Carolina	12-1
Chicago	50-1
Cincinnati	18-1
Cleveland	100-1
Dallas	18-1
Denver	18-1
Detroit	66-1
Green Bay	17-2
Houston	33-1
Indianapolis	25-1
Jacksonville	40-1
Kansas City	28-1
Los Angeles	66-1
Miami	66-1
Minnesota	16-1
New England	6-1
New Orleans	66-1
NY Giants	25-1
NY Jets	50-1
Oakland	25-1
Philadelphia	66-1
Pittsburgh	12-1
San Diego	66-1
San Francisco	100-1
Seattle	10-1
Tampa Bay	100-1
Tennessee	66-1
Washington	50-1

Odds courtesy of Odds Shark.

Time to Believe: Houston Texans (33-1)

It looks like bettors need to consider riding with the Houston Texans.

Houston looked like a good bet in the preseason. The AFC South is something of a running joke these days, and the additions of Brock Osweiler and Lamar Miller pointed to an improvement and deep playoff run.

So far, so good. Houston took care of business in a bit of a warm-up against the Chicago Bears in Week 1 before surviving the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 2, 19-12. It was ugly, with Osweiler throwing for one score and a pair of interceptions and Miller rushing for only 3.3 yards per carry, but the defense held the Chiefs to less than 200 yards passing and just 291 total yards.

Long story short, it was a clinic for what good teams do: When the offense has a down day, the defense picks up the slack. Next week is a date with the Patriots, and thanks to the AFC South, the schedule as a whole doesn't look bad this season.

As the weeks go by, Houston keeps looking better and better from a betting standpoint.

Time to Panic: Green Bay Packers (17-2)

An NFC North loss to the Vikings wouldn't normally be cause for concern. Teddy Bridgewater or not, Minnesota is one of the better teams in the league and stole the division last year. Its hosting and winning isn't the end of the world for Green Bay.

However, when one takes Week 1 into account, the Packers look rough at best.

Through two games, Rodgers has all of 412 passing yards and three touchdowns to one interception. This wouldn't be a problem if the Packers were winning games, but a 27-23 squeaker over the Jacksonville Jaguars (who lost 38-14 to the San Diego Chargers in Week 2) doesn't even feel like a win.

“It's been two weeks. We've been not quite finding our rhythm yet, but we've got some guys working in that haven't worked together a whole lot. So we're going to trust the process and believe we can get this thing turned around,” Rodgers said, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com.

Green Bay should look better with Jordy Nelson in the fold. It should have more balance with Eddie Lacy running well (111 yards on just 26 carries). Look at it this way via a staggering stat from NFL Research:

Already a questionable payout, Green Bay hasn't shown enough for bettors to throw down some hard-earned coin.

Maybe this changes as the season progresses. Right now, though, better options exist.

Favorite to Know: New York Giants (25-1)

Eli Manning and the New York Giants are one of those better options.

The Giants, in a way, have exceeded expectations. Eli Manning has thrown for 575 yards with three scores to one pick over two games. Week 1 was a 20-19 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, and this past weekend ended with a 16-13 win over the New Orleans Saints.

While the offense hasn't posted major totals, it is clear Manning has his best supporting cast in years. Odell Beckham Jr. hasn't found the end zone, but Victor Cruz has returned to form with 125 yards and a score, and impressive rookie Sterling Shepard leads the team in receiving with 160 yards and a score.

NFL.com's Matt Harmon put it best:

Perhaps most impressive is New York's defense. The unit held Dallas to 19 points before the Cowboys went on to score 27 the next week. Then the Giants held New Orleans to 13 a week after the Saints put up 34.

A balanced Giants team is the last thing the rest of the NFC East wants to see. New York now owns a win over Dallas, and it is impossible to know if the Cowboys will have Tony Romo back by Week 14. The Philadelphia Eagles will trot out a rookie quarterback in Carson Wentz all season. New York can also deliver something of a fatal blow to the Washington Redskins next week, putting the team in a 0-3 hole.

So long as the Giants stay healthy, they are contenders. Manning has a strong supporting cast on both sides of the football—perhaps strong enough to see a Manning hoist the Lombardi Trophy for the second consecutive year. 

Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.