NFL Power Rankings: Predicting Post Week 3 Standings

Week 3 of NFL season will start to really separate the best teams from the rest of the league. Squads at the top should be able to blow out their competition, while the ones at the middle will battle for positioning in the standings.

No matter what happens, the next set of games will provide a clearer picture as to who the legitimate Super Bowl contenders are and who are just pretenders.

While anything can happen in the NFL, here is a prediction of what the power rankings will look like at the end of play in Week 3.

1. Seattle Seahawks (vs. Jacksonville Jaguars)

Those in survivor pools across the country will love to see an almost guaranteed win between one of the best teams in the NFL against one of the worst. According to Vegas Insider, the Seahawks are favored by 19 points against the Jaguars.

Expect Seattle to have a bit of a let-down performance after beating the San Francisco 49ers last week, but they should still win with ease to stand on top of the power rankings.

2. Denver Broncos (vs. Oakland Raiders)

Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reported some awful news for the Broncos on Wednesday:

This is a huge loss for Denver, as the All-Pro offensive tackle provided elite protection for Peyton Manning. Without him, the squad might struggle to complete deeper passes down the field.

Considering the team already has question marks on the defensive side of the ball, there is plenty cause for concern in Denver.

That being said, the squad will be just fine in Week 3 with a home game against the Oakland Raiders. 

3. New England Patriots (vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

Usually, a 2-0 team at home should be able to blow out an 0-2 team on the road.

However, it is important to note that the Buccaneers are just a couple of plays away from being undefeated, while the Patriots' wins were close as well. 

Still, Tom Brady should be able to find the seams in the Tampa Bay defense to escape with another win to move to 3-0 on the season. 

4. San Francisco 49ers (vs. Indianapolis Colts)

After an embarrassing performance against the Seahawks in Week 2, the 49ers will look to send a message to the Colts and the rest of the league that they are still an elite team.

Look for San Francisco to try to establish the run for the first time this season against a team that struggles to defend it.

5. Green Bay Packers (at Cincinnati Bengals)

Last week reminded people that the Packers offense is still one of the best in the league. Not only did Aaron Rodgers throw for 480 yards, but James Starks provided some balance with 132 rushing yards.

While the Bengals will be a tough opponent on the road, there are just too many weapons to defend, and Green Bay should come out with a victory. 

6. Chicago Bears (at Pittsburgh Steelers)

With an improved offensive line, Jay Cutler has been playing much better this season with time to throw the ball. This has helped the entire offense gain more efficiency compared to last year.

Still, the game against the Steelers will be decided in the trenches on the other side of the ball. Pittsburgh cannot block anyone, and the team will have a tough time moving the chains against a tough Chicago front. 

7. New Orleans Saints (vs. Arizona Cardinals)

The win against the Buccaneers was not pretty, but Drew Brees made sure the squad was capable of coming through with a much-needed victory over a division opponent.

This week, the Saints should be more comfortable playing at home. They should be able to get some big plays against the Cardinals secondary and improve to 3-0 on the year.

8. Atlanta Falcons (at Miami Dolphins)

Atlanta's Week 3 matchup will not be easy. Steven Jackson has been ruled out of the game, and the 2-0 Dolphins are legitimate playoff contenders this season.

However, Matt Ryan still will be able to find Julio Jones throughout the game, a receiver who lit it up last week for 11 catches and 182 receiving yards. If Atlanta's young cornerbacks can slow down Mike Wallace, the team should escape with a narrow victory.

9. Baltimore Ravens (vs. Houston Texans)

The Ravens have looked awful in the first two weeks of the season. They could not stop Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Week 1, and then they could not get anything going offensively against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.

Still, the defending Super Bowl champions are not ready to give up on the year, and there is still plenty of talent remaining on the roster.

Houston has not been spectacular this season, despite starting with a 2-0 record. Both games were wins in comeback fashion, ended on the final possession of the game.

Look for Baltimore to put together a strong overall performance at home to defeat the Texans and move back into the top 10 in the power rankings. 

10. Houston Texans (at Baltimore Ravens)

Obviously, winning games is the most important thing. However, the Texans have struggled at the start of both games this year and are fortunate to come away with two victories.

Falling behind the Ravens early could lead to trouble this time around, as the experienced opponent will be able to hold on to the lead, knocking the Texans to 2-1 on the year.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (vs. Green Bay Packers)

The Bengals have had a tough schedule to start the year, so there would be no shame in starting 1-2. However, the season starts to get easier, and the young squad will start to show that it is really one of the best teams in the AFC.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (at Philadelphia Eagles)

It will be difficult for the Chiefs to prepare for the lightning-fast Eagles on a short week. On the other hand, the Philadelphia defense will struggle regardless of how much time there is to prepare.

Kansas City will be fighting hard to win one for Andy Reid, and the much-improved squad will continue to prove that it is nothing like the team that went 2-14 last season.

13. Miami Dolphins (vs. Atlanta Falcons)

Miami is still lacking believers, but Ryan Tannehill has been one of the most improved players in the NFL this season. The second-year quarterback now has a weapon to throw to in Mike Wallace, and the offense will be able to play with the best in the league.

Although the defense will struggle against the Falcons in Week 3, this is still a solid unit that will take the Dolphins far this year.

14. Dallas Cowboys (vs. St. Louis Rams)

It is understandable to abandon the run in a high-scoring game or one in which the team is trailing early.

However, Cowboys starting running back DeMarco Murray only had 12 rushing attempts in the 17-16 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. They have to get him more involved in the offense going forward.

Still, the loss was not as bad as many think, and Dallas remains arguably the most talented squad in the NFC East.

A home win over the Rams would get the squad back on track as it looks to return to the playoffs this season.

15. St. Louis Rams (at Dallas Cowboys)

With Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Chris Givens and others, the team finally has big-play threats to move the ball through the air.

Unfortunately, the secondary continues to give up big plays on the other end, something that Dez Bryant will be able to take advantage of this week.

16. Detroit Lions (at Washington Redskins)

This interesting statistic makes the upcoming game against the Washington Redskins interesting:

Fortunately, Washington has not proven the ability to stop a passing attack, and Detroit should be able to run up the score early and get the second win of the year.

17. San Diego Chargers (at Tennessee Titans)

In a battle of teams that barely lost to the Texans this season, the Chargers are the one with a more trustworthy offense led by a red-hot Philip Rivers.

While San Diego's defense has not been perfect this season, it should be able to slow down Jake Locker and the Titans on that side of the ball.

18. Indianapolis Colts (at San Francisco 49ers)

A road game against the 49ers is not the best way to get back on track after a disappointing home loss. In fact, the Colts face San Francisco, Seattle and Denver before their bye in Week 8.

Still, Andrew Luck still has the ability to turn things around if he continues to avoid turnovers.

19. Arizona Cardinals (at New Orleans Saints)

The entire roster seems to be filled with high-risk, high-reward players. There are playmakers who can do amazing things on the field, but mistakes will cost the squad plenty of wins.

Expect a lot of inconsistent play, starting from quarterback Carson Palmer, to leave the Cardinals with a middling record this season.

20. Tennessee Titans (vs. San Diego Chargers)

Tennessee clearly wants to establish the run this season, giving Chris Johnson 50 carries in two games. This seems like a good strategy as Jake Locker fails to prove he is the quarterback of the future.

With a defense that struggles against the pass, the Titans should lose at home to the Chargers to fall to 1-2 on the year.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (vs. Kansas City Chiefs)

The Eagles remain one of the biggest enigmas of the NFL season. Chip Kelly's offense is certainly fun to watch, as the team can move the ball up and down the field in a hurry.

Unfortunately, the defense will be a problem all year long. The losses will start to pile up, including this week against Andy Reid and the Chiefs.

22. Washington Redskins (vs. Detroit Lions)

All anyone wants to talk about after two losses is the play of Robert Griffin III. He has three interceptions in two games and has hardly utilized his running ability to start the year.

Of course, the fact that he did not play a down in the preseason can contribute to this. The second-year quarterback is simply rusty, and he should be just fine.

On the other hand, Washington should be much more concerned with the defense, which has allowed more than 1,000 yards in two games. The secondary was an issue last year, and it has not improved this season.

There is still time to turn things around in the nation's capital, but it needs to be more than RG3 who improves.

23. Carolina Panthers (vs. New York Giants)

The upcoming battle between the Panthers and Giants pits two squads who have been simply awful this season and are each winless to start the year.

At this point, the difference between the two is that Carolina's defense has looked good to this point. The talented young unit will cause problems for Eli Manning and company, and that should be enough to earn a win at home.

24. New York Giants (at Carolina Panthers)

Not only have the Giants been completely unable to run the ball, they also cannot hold onto it. The squad has an incredible 10 turnovers in two games, and it does not seem like this is stopping any time soon.

No matter what the rest of the team does, giveaways will lead to losses almost every time. 

25. Buffalo Bills (at New York Jets)

While the matchup between the Bills and the Jets will likely have few playoff implications, both teams will want to show that they are better prepared for the future with their rookie quarterback.

Not only has E.J. Manuel looked better than Geno Smith to start the year, but he has C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson for defenses to focus on as well. This will help the Bills come away with a road victory to move to 2-1. 

26. Pittsburgh Steelers (vs. Chicago Bears)

Ben Roethlisberger will only be as effective as his offensive line allows, which is not a good thing. The big men up front cannot clear running lanes for the offense or protect the quarterback, which will lead to a long season in Pittsburgh. 

27. Minnesota Vikings (vs. Cleveland Browns)

After coming close to winning their first game last week, the Vikings will finally get on the board with a home win over the Browns in Week 3.

Unfortunately, this will be one of few wins this year for Minnesota after making the playoffs last year. The defense has a lot of issues, and Christian Ponder simply cannot keep defenses from putting eight or nine men in the box to stop the run. 

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (at New England Patriots)

By the end of the year, Tampa Bay might end up higher than this in the power rankings. Unfortunately, the squad is likely to fall to 0-3 this week with a loss to the Patriots.

Until the Buccaneers are able to throw the ball more consistently, they will not be able to compete for a division title in the loaded NFC South. 

29. New York Jets (vs. Buffalo Bills)

The Jets should be proud of what they have shown on the field this season. A win over the Buccaneers and a narrow loss to the Patriots are good confidence builders going forward.

Unfortunately, New York will take a lot of lumps this year, and a home loss to the Bills would put the squad back in their place near the bottom of the rankings. 

30. Oakland Raiders (at Denver Broncos)

Terrelle Pryor might be entertaining while running all over the field. Still, this does not mean he will lead the squad to many victories this season.

After a poor performance in a win over the Jaguars, it is clear that the Raiders will have as much trouble this season as most predicted.

31. Cleveland Browns (at Minnesota Vikings)

With Brandon Weeden out with an injured thumb, the Browns made a surprising move for Week 3, via ESPN's Adam Schefter:

This makes it difficult to imagine Cleveland ending their losing streak, and the squad will likely fall to 0-3 on the year. In all likelihood, there will be a lot more losses this season due to lack of quality quarterback play.

The good news is that the team is not far from turning things around. With a solid offensive line to go with skill players like Trent Richardson, Jordan Cameron and Josh Gordon, the offense has a lot of potential. 

A poor record this year could only lead to better things ahead for the Browns.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (at Seattle Seahawks)

If the 49ers could not get a close game in Seattle, it is hard to imagine the Jaguars faring better. Whether Maurice Jones-Drew plays or not, this will likely be a blowout, leaving Jacksonville at the bottom of the rankings where they belong. 

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