NFL Power Rankings: Analyzing Teams That Were Shocked in Week 3

Every team in the NFL has its weaknesses, no matter where it is on the weekly power rankings.

Whether it is the lack of a pass defense, an inconsistent passing attack, turnover problems or a scuffling ground game, your weaknesses tend to be discovered quickly in the National Football League.

Several teams slid down the power rankings in Week 3 after huge upsets, including a squad many had as the undeniable powerhouse in football after Week 2.

Here's a look at the weaknesses of each team that was shocked in Week 3, complete with my Week 4 power rankings below.

Note: Here are my Week 3 power rankings if you want to compare.

San Francisco 49ers (2-1)

"Bad Alex Smith" reared his ugly head in San Francisco's shocking 24-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 3.

Smith showed great improvement under head coach Jim Harbaugh last season, but he averaged just 5.8 yards per attempt while throwing one touchdown to one interception against the Vikings last week. 

To be fair, the Vikings' defensive line got great push throughout the game, but Smith truly looked like the quarterback 49ers fans hoped would never emerge again.

Christian Ponder also showed that dual-threat quarterbacks could pose problems for the 49ers. They are so good at respecting their assignments that there were gaping holes for Ponder to scramble through.

San Francisco needs to be more aware of quarterbacks who can scramble.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

Pittsburgh's aging defense continues to show it can be exposed.

After the debacle against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in Week 1, the Steelers allowed the Raiders to rack up 31 points in Oakland.

Not only was Carson Palmer sacked just once, running back Darren McFadden got going, posting 113 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. Pittsburgh is allowing an uncharacteristic 4.3 yards per carry through three games.

Also, the running game has been meek without Rashard Mendenhall, to say the least. The Steelers are averaging 2.6 yards per carry, the second-worst mark in the NFL. They managed just 54 yards on 20 carries against the Raiders.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

No secret here: turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.

Philadelphia got away with coughing the ball up against the Cleveland Browns and the Baltimore Ravens, but eventually you'll start losing ball games if you keep losing the turnover battle.

That showed against the Cardinals, when the Eagles lost three fumbles en route to a 27-6 loss in Glendale. 

The Eagles now have 12 turnovers through three games, the worst mark in the league (Carolina is second with eight). They have to start taking care of the ball. 

The offensive line has also been a problem, giving up nine sacks so far, tied for seventh in the league. That includes giving up five sacks (and a whopping 13 QB hits) to the Cardinals.

Detroit Lions (1-2)

The Lions' secondary is far from adequate at the moment. 

Detroit has allowed 8.2 yards per attempt and five passing touchdowns to no interceptions this season. Jake Locker went off on the Lions in Week 3, going 29-of-42 for 378 yards and two touchdowns in the Titans' 44-41 overtime victory.

Also, quarterback Matthew Stafford has not been the same. He's averaged 7.07 yards per attempt and thrown three touchdowns to four interceptions so far.

Green Bay Packers (1-2)

OK, we all know the Packers shouldn't have lost that game, but, for the sake of the headline, I'll add them in here.

One thing's for sure: These aren't the same championship-contending Packers we've seen in the past. 

A big problem has been the rush defense, which has allowed 4.8 yards per carry so far (29th in the NFL). That has offset the pass defense, which has actually been pretty good.

Then there's the pass protection. Aaron Rodgers has been sacked 16 times in three games, most in the league, and as a result Green Bay is averaging just 6.7 yards per attempt (25th in the NFL). He was sacked a phenomenal eight times against Seattle and was hit 12 times.

NFL Power Rankings

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