NFL Power Rankings: Hottest and Coldest Teams Heading into Sunday's Action

Heading into Sunday there a number of NFL teams riding hot or cold streaks that have sent them flying up or down the power rankings.

Did Seattle or Denver take the top spot after winning convincingly in Week 2? How far did the Miami Dolphins rise after knocking off the Indianapolis Colts? Is Washington sitting further down in the rankings after being blown out by Green Bay?

We’ll look at the hottest and coldest teams in the league and where they rank within the league’s power structure.

 

*Hot and cold teams are discussed in greater detail and highlighted by italicized team names. Also, change in position is annotated in brackets after each team's record.

 

1. Denver Broncos (2-0) [+1]

Losing left tackle Ryan Clady may hurt the Denver Broncos in the long-term, but if anyone can negate the loss of a Pro Bowler, it’s Peyton Manning. The Broncos are looking unstoppable on offense and will get Von Miller back eventually to bolster their pass rush. Look out.

2. Seattle Seahawks (2-0) [+1]

An utter dismantling of San Francisco in Week 2 has the Seattle Seahawks soaring heading into a very winnable Week 3 matchup against Jacksonville. Chris Clemons and Brandon Browner have yet to play and will make their debuts against the Jags. Once Percy Harvin gets onto the field, you’re looking at a team with very few holes.

3. San Francisco 49ers (1-1) [-2]

San Francisco’s offense took a step back against a dominant Seahawks defense in Week 2. Some of the team’s young receivers have to step up if defenses continue to focus on shutting down Anquan Boldin. The Seahawks made it look easy; it won’t be for other teams.

4. Green Bay Packers (1-1) [+1]

Injuries in their secondary were exposed in Week 1, but the Green Bay Packers are getting healthy and look as good as advertised after dismantling Washington in Week 2. Aaron Rodgers hasn’t missed a beat with Greg Jennings gone. He has an excellent group of receivers and does a good job spreading the ball around.

5. New Orleans Saints (2-0) [+1]

Sean Payton has the New Orleans Saints believing they belong in discussions as an elite team once again. Drew Brees is clicking, but this offense hasn’t yet reached its potential. With the team’s defense playing better than a season ago, that’s a scary thought for the rest of the league.

6. Houston Texans (2-0) [+2]

Could it be? Do the Houston Texans finally have the type of weapons Matt Schaub needs to keep defenses honest? Andre Johnson has been phenomenal for the franchise, but youngsters DeAndre Hopkins and Keshawn Martin are an exciting pair that provide the Texans with balance offensively.

7. New England Patriots (2-0) [-3]

Tom Brady’s frustration was on display last Thursday night in a close, ugly win over the New York Jets. Getting Danny Amendola and Rob Gronkowski back on the field should help, but there’s no doubt that this year’s team is a work in progress. If Brady can continue to put his young receivers in positions to succeed, the New England Patriots will benefit from that experience in the long run.

8. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) [-1]

Atlanta’s injury report looks like a headache for coach Mike Smith. As the injuries mount up, the Falcons are going to be truly tested early in 2013. Can they survive long enough to remain a legitimate contender?

9. Chicago Bears (2-0) [+1]

Defense has taken a backseat to Chicago’s new-look offense. Jay Cutler will be the last to complain. The Bears revamped their offensive line and added tight end Martellus Bennett to the fold—Cutler’s new favorite weapon. Can he keep up his excellent play to get the Bears back on top in the NFC North?

10. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1) [+2]

Andy Dalton has the weapons to succeed and Cincinnati’s defense will give every team problems this year. The only question is whether or not Dalton is ready to take a Joe Flacco-type leap to bring his team to the next level. As of now, the jury’s still out.

11. Miami Dolphins (2-0) [+10]

There might not be a hotter team in the NFL than the surprising Miami Dolphins. Starting the season at 2-0 is always a good thing. Winning both of those opening matchups on the road is even better. The Miami Dolphins have just six more road games and are playing great football heading into a Week 3 duel against the depleted Falcons. Don’t be shocked if they pull off the upset.

The Fins sit in second place with nine quarterback sacks through two weeks. Their pass rush has been potent, bolstered by Cameron Wake who looks as good as he ever has to this point in his career. Brent Grimes has provided some much-needed help at cornerback, and the team’s offseason acquisitions of Philip Wheeler and Dannell Ellerbe look to be paying big early dividends.

Offensively, Ryan Tannehill has looked incredibly sharp early on in his second season. Mike Wallace erupted last weekend, and tight end Charles Clay has emerged in the wake of Dustin Keller’s season-ending injury. If Lamar Miller can continue to get decent blocking up front, the Fins may be looking to do more than just turn some heads in 2013.

 

12. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) [+5] 

Efficiency is the key for the Kansas City Chiefs. Andy Reid has turned around a talented team that has failed to produce results by leading them to a 3-0 start in 2013. The team has the highest turnover differential through three weeks (plus-nine), albeit before the rest of the league has played their third games. They’ve done it by swarming on defense and not turning the ball over once on offense.

 

13. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) [+1]

Ray Rice has been ineffective and will likely miss the Baltimore Ravens’ Week 3 matchup. Bernard Pierce has looked better than Rice in the early stages of the season, but we’ll see for sure what he’s capable of against the Texans. This is a team with a lot of question marks, especially on its new-look defense.

14. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) [-5]

Trading for Trent Richardson will not likely solve the Indianapolis Colts’ issues. Their depleted offensive line and struggling rush defense will continue to pose problems. Winning at the line of scrimmage is key in the NFL, and the Colts haven’t proven competency in that regard.

15. San Diego Chargers (1-1) [+11]

A strong defensive front and fully-functioning Philip Rivers have helped the San Diego Chargers start 2013 on the right foot. If Rivers can continue to find time, he’ll make plays, no matter who is catching the passes.

 

16. Detroit Lions (1-1) [-5]

Matthew Stafford was one play away from the Detroit Lions starting 2013 off with a 2-0 record. That said, the Lions look legitimate this year. If only Stafford had another big-play threat to keep defenses honest.

17. Dallas Cowboys (1-1) [-4]

Tony Romo has been alright to this point, but we’re looking for a quarterback that’s worth $108 million and still aren’t seeing it. Not being able to run the ball probably doesn’t help. DeMarco Murray is averaging just 3.5 yards per carry.

18. St. Louis Rams (1-1) [+2]

St. Louis’ pass defense was supposed to be one of its biggest strengths. As of now, the team’s unit is giving up 331 yards per game and a 71.1 completion percentage for opposing quarterbacks. Sam Bradford has been throwing a lot, but it’s working so far.

 

19. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2) [-4]

Andy Reid’s defense didn’t shut down the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3. In fact, Chip Kelly’s offense had a good day overall. But the five turnovers probably didn’t do them any favors. Mike Vick was sacked five times, had passes batted down frequently and was constantly on the run—reminiscent of 2012.

 

20. New York Giants (0-2) [-2]

The New York Giants can’t blame Eli Manning completely for their struggles. Receivers are dropping balls, the running game is non-existent and the team’s defense hasn’t been up to par. That’s forced Manning to throw the ball more. His seven interceptions through two games, though, are the most in the league by far.

 

21. Washington Redskins (0-2) [-5]

Should the Washington Redskins bench Robert Griffin III? Either way, the alternative isn’t good. Kirk Cousins isn’t a bad option, but the Skins’ defense has been horrible. And that’s putting it nicely. If RGIII can spark the team’s offense, as many are hoping, they might be able to win some games, but it’ll be hard without significant improvement on the other side of the ball.

Running the ball seems to be working again for the Skins—currently averaging over five yards per carry—but after trailing early and often, they haven’t been able to stick to it enough. Look for them to keep pounding Alfred Morris in hopes of controlling clock and keeping their defense off the field.

That’s the only chance this team looks like it has if it hopes to turn around its early misfortunes. That, and if its defense can get back to fundamentals and limit big plays.

22. Tennessee Titans (1-1) [+2]

The Tennessee Titans are looking more and more legitimate the more we see out of them. Can they defeat another up-and-comer in the San Diego Chargers this week? If their defense is for real, they’ll get it done against the Bolts and make another leap in the rankings.

 

23. Arizona Cardinals (1-1) [+5]

It’s amazing what a good—no, serviceable—quarterback can do for a franchise. Carson Palmer has his flaws, but he’s better than what the Arizona Cardinals have been putting on the field in recent memory.

 

24. Buffalo Bills (1-1) [+6]

EJ Manuel is proving why the Buffalo Bills moved up to select him in the first round of last year’s draft. With a couple of offensive weapons like Steve Johnson and C.J. Spiller, and a surprisingly improved defense, the Buffalo Bills don’t look as bad as some expected—including myself.

25. Carolina Panthers (0-2) [-3]

How bad have injuries gotten for the Carolina Panthers? The team considered converting linebacker Mike Smith to safety last week and wasn’t able to play nickel packages due to personnel issues. Without a potent offense, the Panthers are in trouble in the short-term.

26. Minnesota Vikings (0-2) [-7]

The Minnesota Vikings need to throw Adrian Peterson a bone and get a better quarterback. Christian Ponder’s 58.6-percent completion rate and negative turnover ratio are killing this team’s offense.

 

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) [N/A]

The wheels are coming off for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Another dismal start to a season has Darrelle Revis already upset with his new coach and Josh Freeman reportedly looking to be traded before October’s deadline, per CBS Sports’ Jason La Canfora.

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-2) [-5]

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ identity crisis has the team falling fast heading into Week 3. Center Maurkice Pouncey’s absence on the line can’t be understated, the team is failing to do much of anything in the middle as a result. On defense, their pass rush is non-existent and teams are finding holes to run the football for the first time in what seems like a decade.

29. Cleveland Browns (0-2) [-4]

The Cleveland Browns traded away their struggling top running back for a chance to improve next year. It seems like this Browns team is always playing for the future. Starting quarterback Brian Hoyer this week at Minnesota may have mixed results.

Getting Josh Gordon back on offense may help the team find some more success in Week 3 against Minnesota, but his impact largely hinges on the ability of Hoyer to move the football—something the Browns have been unable to do, posting a league-worst 17.2 percent conversion rate on third downs.

Still, the team’s defense has proven to be competent and will keep them from being embarrassed this season. With six sacks through two games, Ray Horton’s attacking defense will continue to stifle opposing rushers and keep quarterbacks uneasy in the pocket.

30. New York Jets (1-1) [N/A]

Geno Smith doesn’t have many weapons, but he’s doing a decent job when he’s not throwing interceptions. New York’s defense has been a surprise. That unit has been stout against the run, highlighted by the excellent play of rookie defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.

31. Oakland Raiders (1-1) [N/A]

Terrelle Pryor was the best choice for the Oakland Raiders at quarterback. Now, let’s see if he has what it takes to keep it up and truly develop into a legitimate NFL passer against the top-ranked Broncos this weekend.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) [N/A]

Jacksonville doesn’t have to openly admit they’re tanking for a top quarterback in next year’s draft. They might not even be trying to—but it’s happening. Good luck against the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field on Sunday; you’re going to need it, Jaguars Nation.