NFL Power Rankings: Teams That Desperately Need a Week 3 Win

Winning early takes a lot of pressure off in pro football.

Although the September games may not appear as important as November or December, there are key matchups to overcome within the season's first month.

Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots get just that in Week 3.

On the road against the Baltimore Ravens, the result of this AFC Championship rematch could certainly determine home-field advantage for the playoffs. Along with the Pats, though, a few other teams desperately need a win this weekend.

Whether it's to regain momentum or get off the schneid, a victory on Sunday is imperative for these teams.

New Orleans Saints (vs. Kansas City)

Only once this century have the New Orleans Saints begun a season 0-3 (2007).

Currently sitting at 0-2, NOLA needs a win over the Kansas City Chiefs to find its way back in the NFC.

Both losses were to NFC foes (the Washington Redskins and the Carolina Panthers), and with the Green Bay Packers up in Week 4, a win against K.C. must happen. Plus, the Saints need to build some momentum before their five remaining divisional games after the bye week (Week 6).

If anything, the defense has to turn it around because Drew Brees and the offense can only be so explosive. Unfortunately, that's quite a task, since the Saints have allowed an average of 461 total yards per contest and only one forced turnover.

Now, Brees throwing four picks in two games doesn't help either. On the bright side, Kansas City also is 0-2 and vulnerable defensively. Through two weeks Kansas City has allowed 75 points and has yet to force a turnover.

So, Brees will thrash the Chiefs defense up and down the field for some consistent scoring. Provided that the defense fares minimally well against a non-explosive offense, New Orleans can head into Lambeau Field with some confidence.

Dallas Cowboys (vs. Tampa Bay)

Winning over the New York Giants in Week 1 was a big boost for the Dallas Cowboys.

Then the Seattle Seahawks happened and Big D drops back to 1-1.

That loss brings us to a pivotal turning point for the Cowboys of 2012. Coming into Dallas are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who gave a victory away to the Giants in Week 2. Still, the Bucs are a young and talented opponent capable of upsetting Jason Garrett's squad.

With an opportunistic defense, Tampa will capitalize on any Tony Romo miscue, just like Seattle. The Cowboys have struggled with consistency for a better part of the 21st century and a disappointing loss here puts Dallas on edge.

After the Bucs the Chicago Bears come into Texas, and two tough road games at Baltimore and Carolina wait after the bye week (Week 5). So, fending off Tampa Bay is vital to display the mental toughness of responding well after a rough loss.

The Buccaneers aren't afraid to jump routes, so pounding the ball with DeMarco Murray will set up the pass. And when passing, play-action allows for double-moves to the post and/or corner to get the aggressive secondary to bite. In turn, Tony Romo will have a field day.

Nevertheless, don't underestimate Tampa because Doug Martin and the offense can move the ball and win this game in the trenches.

Denver Broncos (vs. Houston)

Monday night was disastrous for Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos.

It's hard enough to win in the NFL, let alone on the road and against a good team and after turning the ball over four times in the first quarter.

So, losing 27-21 to the Atlanta Falcons despite somewhat coming back when down 20-0 reveals the Broncos' tenacity. Not to mention the Broncos defense played rather sound all game long, even if the offense didn't help much.

Week 3, however, will be an encore of Week 2 if the offense can't fix the turnover problem and if the defense can't force some turnovers. The Houston Texans field arguably the NFL's best defense and possess a much better running game than that of Denver's.

So for the Broncos to avoid 1-2, attacking Houston down the field early will set up the ground game later on. Denver can't play run-to-pass here because the Texans are too suffocating against the run. Defensively, the Broncos have to double Andre Johnson and stack the box to shut down Arian Foster.

Forcing Matt Schaub into a shootout with Manning is Denver's best chance, as the passing game is not Houston's offensive forte. Considering the Broncos' next three games against the Oakland Raiders, the New England Patriots and the San Diego Chargers a win over the Texans is crucial.

Denver must find a rhythm before that stretch, because their schedule doesn't quite ease up after the bye (Week 7).

New England Patriots (at Baltimore)

This is the biggest game for the first half of the 2012 New England Patriots.

A win over the Tennessee Titans was expected in Week 1, so facing the Arizona Cardinals at home was to be a cinch, right?

Wrong.

The Cards' played the Pats better than anticipated and courtesy of Stephen Gostkowski's lone miss, Arizona stole one in Foxborough.

This week, New England goes on the road to face the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night. In this matchup, the Ravens have to get to Tom Brady, which seems likely because the Cardinals racked up four sacks last week.

Baltimore plays with impressive discipline and its front seven alone will stuff the running game. And the more Brady drops back, the more chance the Ravens force multiple turnovers. Flipping to defense, the Pats have to stop Ray Rice which is no easy task.

Fortunately for New England, shutting down the run has been a strength for them in 2012.

In the long run, the winner here significantly increases odds at home-field advantage in January. As for the Pats, the schedule isn't a cakewalk after Baltimore and sitting 1-2 makes the middle of the season tougher than it should be.

NFL Power Rankings Week 3

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

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