NFL Power Rankings 2016: Team Records and Standings Predictions for Week 3

The NFL season is only two weeks old, but many teams have already given us a good idea of how this year will go.

Most of the top Super Bowl contenders, such as the New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers, have largely impressed. On the other end, teams like the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears look awful again. 

Let’s rank the 32 squads, based on their play so far and what we should expect from them for the rest of the season. We’ll also highlight three teams that have made jumps with strong early-season performances. 

Rank	Team	Record	Week 3 Matchup	Predicted Record
1	Pittsburgh Steelers	2-0	at PHI	3-0
2	Denver Broncos	2-0	at CIN	3-0
3	New England Patriots	2-0	vs. HOU	2-1
4	Carolina Panthers	1-1	vs. MIN	2-1
5	Arizona Cardinals	1-1	at BUF	2-1
6	Minnesota Vikings	2-0	at CAR	2-1
7	Houston Texans	2-0	at NE	3-0
8	New York Giants	2-0	vs. WAS	3-0
9	New York Jets	1-1	at KC	1-2
10	Green Bay Packers	1-1	vs. DET	2-1
11	Cincinnati Bengals	1-1	vs. DEN	1-2
12	Philadelphia Eagles	2-0	vs. PIT	2-1
13	Seattle Seahawks	1-1	vs. SF	2-1
14	Kansas City Chiefs	1-1	vs. NYJ	2-1
15	Dallas Cowboys	1-1	vs. CHI	2-1
16	Baltimore Ravens	2-0	at JAX	2-1
17	Oakland Raiders	1-1	at TEN	2-1
18	Atlanta Falcons	1-1	at NO	1-2
19	San Diego Chargers	1-1	at IND	1-2
20	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-1	vs. LA	2-1
21	Detroit Lions	1-1	at GB	1-2
22	Tennessee Titans	1-1	vs. OAK	1-2
23	San Francisco 49ers	1-1	at SEA	1-2
24	Los Angeles Rams	1-1	at TB	1-2
25	Miami Dolphins	0-2	vs. CLE	1-2
26	Indianapolis Colts	0-2	vs. SD	1-2
27	Washington Redskins	0-2	at NYG	0-3
28	Jacksonville Jaguars	0-2	vs. BAL	1-2
29	Buffalo Bills	0-2	vs. ARI	0-2
30	New Orleans Saints	0-2	vs. ATL	1-2
31	Chicago Bears	0-2	at DAL	0-3
32	Cleveland Browns	0-2	at MIA	0-3

Houston Texans (No. 7)

The Texans defense has been relentless, but we knew there was a good possibility of that. It’s a not-terrible offense that has helped lift the team to clear top-10 status in the league so far.

Quarterback Brock Osweiler has only been OK, but there’s plenty of talent to help him out. Houston seems committed to giving Lamar Miller a strong workload, and he’s responded by delivering reliable four-yard chunks of production. Wide receivers DeAndre Hopkins and Will Fuller, a stud rookie first-round pick, are on pace to combine for 3,024 receiving yards and 24 touchdowns.

Eric Christian Smith/Associated Press

It’s not easy to be a contender in today’s NFL with a quarterback of Osweiler’s quality, but the Texans just might have the personnel to do it. A productive running game and punishing defense will do most of the work for him, and he’ll just have to keep his mistakes to a minimum.

Houston looks like it will win the terrible AFC South, and we’re only two weeks in. A win against the undermanned New England Patriots in Week 3 would all but secure the division title. 

New York Giants (No. 8)

If early signs are anything to go by, the Giants’ offseason spending spree on the defensive side of the ball was totally worth it. New York, after finishing as a bottom-six team in yards allowed in four of the past five seasons, is currently allowing the eighth-fewest yards in the NFL.

Admittedly, it’s a small sample size, but in an NFC East that doesn’t look all that scary this year, Big Blue's 2-0 start could be huge down the stretch heading into the postseason.

The offense has yet to really rack up the points, but it will at some point. The combination of Eli Manning, Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz and Larry Donnell is too talented to remain unproductive.

Michael Ainsworth/Associated Press/Associated Press

New York faces a winless division rival, the Washington Redskins, in Week 3, and there’s sure to be drama. Beckham and new Redskins cornerback Josh Norman have a heated personal rivalry that resulted in a one-game suspension for Beckham at the end of last season.

However, the outcome could hinge on the other side of the ball. If the Giants defense holds up, it'll be all over a struggling Kirk Cousins and should stifle Washington’s ineffective running game. That should be enough to get the win at home.

Philadelphia Eagles (No. 12)

Rookie quarterback Carson Wentz has been fantastic for the Eagles so far. He’s made smart decisions, great throws and has looked like a veteran with his command of the offense.

In fact, according to SportsCenter, Wentz became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first two starts without his team turning the ball over. His performance also prompted some lofty praise from CBS Sports’ Jim Rome:

Of course, it's important to remember that Philly has played two cupcakes in the Browns and Bears (the two lowest-ranked teams in the above power rankings), which also has something to do with why the Eagles are only No. 12 despite being 2-0.

But it’s easy to get excited about the Eagles down the road, even if they do end up tailing off after their hot start to the season. There’s plenty of young talent on both sides of the ball to build on for the future, and Wentz’s leadership on the offensive end could help make them contenders for a long time.