NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Last-Minute Look at Where Full League Stands

NFL power rankings have changed quite a bit since the beginning of the season, but the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks lead their respective conferences in the middle of Week 3.

The top of the rankings have become clearer, but the second tier of teams have become clustered. Underwhelming performances by the New England Patriots and the Houston Texans have made it tough to see who the legitimate contenders are, but those teams still rank near the top of the league.

Week 3 will go a long way in separating contenders from the pretenders, so be sure to keep an eye on this weekend's action.

Here is how every team stacks up before Week 3 heats up on Sunday.

1. Denver Broncos (2-0)

Denver's offense has been the most impressive unit in the league through two weeks. Peyton Manning has thrown nine touchdowns and zero interceptions. That puts him on pace for 72 touchdowns this year, which he likely won't be able to do. It will be fun to see if he can break Tom Brady's record for most touchdown passes in a season.

2. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

In the most anticipated matchup of the first few weeks of the season, the Seahawks put a beating on San Francisco. Running back Marshawn Lynch exploded for three touchdowns in the second half as his team won by 26 points against the reigning NFC champs.

This week proved something to everyone: Never doubt the Seahawks at home. Many were high on the 49ers before the game, and the offense was expected to move the football with relative ease. However, Seattle's defense is just too good.

The Seahawks have won nine straight home games by an average of 19.3 points per game. They have beaten the league's best teams at CenturyLink Field, and they have established themselves as the favorite to come out of the NFC.

3. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

Last week was rough for the 49ers. For the second straight time, they got blown out in Seattle. They were definitely exposed by the Seahawks, but the 49ers aren't out of it yet.

It was going to take a great performance to win in Seattle. The Seahawks defended their home turf like they were supposed to, and San Francisco will have a chance to do the same later in the season. Now the 49ers will have to move on, and Jim Harbaugh will get to face Andrew Luck this week.

4. New England Patriots (2-0)

The Patriots need a good showing this week. A pair of close calls against division rivals have made the team look vulnerable, so a big win against a tough secondary this week would put some of the worries to rest.

Whether or not Rob Gronkowski plays, Brady will need his receivers to step up. Julian Edelman caught 13 of the quarterback's 19 completions last week, so the rookies will need to play better.

5. New Orleans Saints (2-0)

Sean Payton has made an immediate impact on the team. Last year this team couldn't figure out how to win games the way it was used to, but the coach's return has helped.

A pair of close games against division rivals shows the Saints are legitimate contenders. The defense made a big stop near the end zone against a good offense in the opener, and the offense came through with a clutch drive to win the game last week.

6. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)

Like the 49ers, the Falcons have already lost in a tough environment this season. They had to go to the Superdome, where the Saints don't lose, and play a team that was getting its head coach back. It was a tough game to prepare for, but the Falcons almost got the job done.

Last week they returned home to Atlanta and blew out the St. Louis Rams. The seven-point margin of victory doesn't tell the whole story as that game was never in doubt.

Injuries are the only thing that would keep this team from contending for a Super Bowl title. Unfortunately for them, the Falcons have been dealing with several key injuries early on. Receiver Roddy White has been dealing with an ankle injury, Steven Jackson will miss a few weeks with a thigh issue, and now Julio Jones has a knee problem.

Matt Ryan is good enough to lead his team to victories when it isn't 100 percent, but the Falcons need to get healthy in order to go all the way this year.

7. Houston Texans (2-0)

Houston has needed a pair of fourth-quarter rallies to beat its opponents. Not many people expected San Diego and Tennessee to hang with the Texans, but they did. 

Ed Reed makes his first trip to Baltimore as a visitor, so emotions will be high if he is in the lineup.

8. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

The Packers rebounded from a tough loss in their opener to blow out the Washington Redskins. Aaron Rodgers came out ready to go, and James Starks filled in at running back nicely for the injured Eddie Lacy. Check out the history that the Packers made last week, via Paul Imig of FOX Sports Wisconsin:

Starks became the first Green Bay running back to rush for more than 100 yards in a game in 44 regular-season games. Washington's defense has gotten off to a terrible start, so keep it in perspective. Green Bay has a prolific offense, but it will be tested against the Bengals.

9. Chicago Bears (2-0)

A pair of fourth-quarter comebacks have many believing the Bears. Jay Cutler has led his team to two victories in dramatic fashion, so Chicago looks like it could be heading to the postseason a year after missing out at 10-6.

Chicago has been lucky to come away with two victories, but Cutler and Brandon Marshall have the potential to lead this team to a great season.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)

Cincinnati blew an 11-point lead at Soldier Field in its opener, but it came back to beat up on a division rival on Monday night. It was a big win for the Bengals even if its opponent is struggling. They may have lost a game like that in previous years, but this defense is for real.

Rookie Giovani Bernard showed the league how explosive he can be in the team's victory. The speedster had a rushing and a receiving touchdown, so look to see if he is more involved in the team's offense.

11. Miami Dolphins (2-0)

Ryan Tannehill got Mike Wallace involved in the offense last week, and good things happened for the Dolphins. The key for the team this season will be to spread the ball around to Wallace, Brian Hartline and other receivers.

The running game has yet to show up this season, so Tannehill and the defense have pressure on them to be perfect. This will be a week to see how the team stacks up against a good opponent. Atlanta comes to town, so the Dolphins will need to be on top of their game.

12. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)

As the first team to 3-0 this season, the Chiefs are telling the rest of the league that last year was a fluke. Alex Smith is a better quarterback than anyone they had last season, and Jamaal Charles continues to be a dominant force on the ground. The defense has held Dallas and Philadelphia in check, which isn't easy. 

13. Indianapolis Colts (1-1)

The next few weeks will be huge for the Colts. They just traded for a playmaker in Trent Richardson at running back. It was a necessary addition for the team after looking mediocre through two weeks.

Oakland came into Indianapolis in the opener and nearly pulled off a big upset. Miami came to town last week and beat the Colts, which could be a big loss if both teams are in contention late in the season.

Quarterback Andrew Luck is a rising star in the NFL, but he couldn't do it all himself. Adding Richardson gives Indianapolis a running back who can pound the ball and catch passes out of the backfield. It may not be a great debut for the running back this week, but give him a game or two to adjust.

Indianapolis was in danger of falling out of contention early in the season. However, its recent acquisition will provide good balance and keep the team in the race all year.

14. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

It will be a big day for Baltimore. The Ravens celebrated their Super Bowl victory last week and managed to squeak by a bad Cleveland team. Now Houston will make a trip to Baltimore in a matchup of two underwhelming teams.

The Ravens need this game in order to boost their confidence after getting walloped in Denver to start the season. A loss to Houston this week would make everyone question whether or not the Ravens can compete against good teams.

15. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

The Cowboys have been an interesting story the first two weeks. They forced the New York Giants into six turnovers in Week 1 and won by five points. They lost the turnover battle 2-0 last week and lost in Kansas City. It's an intriguing contrast, so that'll be something to watch as the year goes on.

16. St. Louis Rams (1-1)

Week 3 will define the Rams' season. A win at Dallas would build the team's confidence and prove it can be a competitive team this year. A loss would show that the Rams are still at least a year away from finishing .500.

St. Louis managed to rally to beat Arizona late in Week 1, which was a good start to the season. Both teams were looking to show that they weren't going to finish in fourth place in the NFC West.

However, the Rams were easily disposed of in Atlanta last week. They still have some adjustments to make, especially on offense. It will continue to be a growing process, but this week could be big in the rebuilding process.

17. Tennessee Titans (1-1)

A team to watch this week is Tennessee. The Titans went into Pittsburgh in Week 1 and came out with a victory. They held an eight-point lead late in Houston last week, but they ended up losing in overtime.

Tennessee has been more competitive than most expected them to be. This week will feature the San Diego Chargers at Tennessee in a showdown between teams that blew late leads to Houston. Both teams are looking to show that they aren't going to let those disappointing losses linger. 

18. Arizona Cardinals (1-1)

Carson Palmer has been a great addition. The veteran quarterback has 575 passing yards and three touchdowns through two games, and he has been able to spread the ball around. Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts each have over 100 receiving yards this season.

Fitzgerald is dealing with a hamstring injury, but he and Palmer will combine to lead this team to a solid season.

19. Detroit Lions (1-1)

Reggie Bush is banged up, but Matthew Stafford will be able to pick apart Washington's defense. Calvin Johnson rebounded from a disappointing opener to have 116 receiving yards and two scores last week. A win this week would be big as the team tries to show that it is capable of returning to the playoffs.

20. San Diego Chargers (1-1)

Philip Rivers and Eddie Royal have shocked the league this year. The veteran quarterback has 614 passing yards and seven touchdowns to only one interception. He is tied with Aaron Rodgers for second in the NFL in touchdown passes. Royal leads all receivers with five touchdowns, and no other wideout has more than three this season.

Who knows how long those players can play at such a high level. If they can keep it going, they may be able to sneak the Chargers into the postseason.

21. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)

Chip Kelly's offense has been solid, but the defense needs to make stops. However, the latest loss was on the offense. The team turned the ball over five times, including an interception returned for a touchdown. 

The offense has the ability to be as explosive as any team in the league. Of the team's 14 scoring drives, 10 have taken two minutes or less.

It can be both positive and negative. A fast offense gives the team confidence that it can score at any time, but it puts the defense on the field more. The Eagles rank 31st in time of possession with just over 24 minutes per game.

LeSean McCoy leads the NFL with 131.7 rushing yards per game this season, which is over 25 more yards per game than any other back. Philadelphia is No. 1 in running the football, but it is going to need to take care of the football in order to compete this year.

22. New York Giants (0-2)

The Giants have had one of the league's tougher schedules through two weeks. Playing at Dallas and hosting Peyton Manning is a rough way to start a year. Like the Eagles, turnovers have doomed the Giants. 

Eli Manning has thrown seven interceptions in two weeks, including three in the second half against the Broncos. Those turnovers knocked the Giants out of the game.

23. Minnesota Vikings (0-2)

Two road losses to division rivals have put the Vikings in an early hole. They got beat in Detroit to start the year and couldn't close out the Bears at Soldier Field last week. The division will be tough to win, but the Vikings have a chance to get back in postseason contention with a win over the Cleveland Browns.

Quarterback Christian Ponder needs to step up if he is going to lead his team back to the postseason. He has only 463 passing yards and two touchdowns with four interceptions. With Greg Jennings and Cordarrelle Patterson being brought in during the offseason, the Vikings expected more out of Ponder.

24. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2)

Week 3 has turned into a must-win for the Steelers. They will host the Bears on Sunday night, and a loss would be tough to overcome. The team has no running game, which is partially because of an inexperienced offensive line.

The defense can only do so much, and the offense has to get its issues fixed before it's too late.

25. Washington Redskins (0-2)

Entering this season, nobody wanted to face the Washington Redskins. Now everyone is hoping to face them.

Washington falls behind early, and teams cruise to victories. It has fallen behind 33-7 and 31-0 shortly after halftime in both games. Robert Griffin III has yet to lead the offense to a score in the first half of a game this year, and the defense has taken his team out of the game.

The Redskins have been terrible on defense. They have allowed 511.5 total yards, or 31.5 more than any other team, and teams have scored 35.5 points per game this season, which puts Washington 31st in the NFL.

It is panic time in the nation's capital as the quarterback looks rusty after his injury and the defense has been awful.

26. New York Jets (1-1)

The next two spots will be determined on Sunday. As of now, the Jets get the slight edge. Both New York and Buffalo have played the Patriots tough, so it's all about who they have beaten. New York has beaten Tampa Bay, and Buffalo topped Carolina last week. Both teams won as time expired, so neither has looked dominant in their wins. 

The Jets have a strong defense that should keep games close for a while, but the offense has to improve if the team is going to challenge for a .500 record.

27. Buffalo Bills (1-1)

E.J. Manuel has exceeded expectations early, and now he has a chance to show the world that he deserved to be drafted ahead of Geno Smith. C.J. Spiller, Steve Johnson and Robert Woods are all solid playmakers on offense, so Manuel has some talent around him.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

No team has suffered tougher losses than the Buccaneers. They have lost on late field goals in each of the first two weeks, and now they have to go up to New England. The Patriots have won two games by a total of five points, and the Buccaneers have lost two games by a combined three points. That's the difference between 2-0 and 0-2.

29. Carolina Panthers (0-2)

Another team that has a pair of tough losses is Carolina. The Panthers lost 12-7 after the Seahawks took the lead in the fourth quarter in Week 1, and they couldn't put Buffalo away last week. A home game against the Giants will be another tough test for Cam Newton, who has gotten off to a slow start this season. 

30. Oakland Raiders (1-1)

Well, Oakland isn't going to finish the league's worst record. They knocked off Jacksonville last week to pretty much guarantee that, but there won't be too many more wins. Terrelle Pryor has exceeded expectations as he has led the Raiders to the league's No. 2 rushing attack.

31. Cleveland Browns (0-2)

Sorry, Cleveland fans, but your team has already given up on the season. Going with Brian Hoyer over Jason Campbell made very little sense. There's a reason Hoyer is on his third team since the beginning of last season and was third on the depth chart entering the season.

Now Hoyer has very little chance to succeed after Trent Richardson was traded to the Colts on Wednesday. Josh Gordon will return to the lineup this week, but Hoyer won't be able to move the ball effectively through the air and doesn't have any help on the ground.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

The Jaguars have scored 11 points in two games. Seattle's defense has allowed 10 points through two weeks. The Seahawks dominate opponents at home, so this will be another long game for the Jaguars. If the Jaguars can have a couple of scoring drives by halftime, that'll be a positive.

*All stats are courtesy of NFL.com