NFL Power Rankings 2014: Predicting Post-Week 3 Standings

Two tumultuous weeks in the NFL have left the landscape looking extremely different from where we started the season.

Outside of Buffalo Bills fans, no one expected to see them undefeated heading into Week 3. On the other end of the spectrum, the New Orleans Saints are still winless after losing to two teams who combined to go 8-24 last season.

Needless to say, parity is very real in the NFL and is likely to continue this weekend. Another comeback victory for the Philadelphia Eagles helps in the rankings, as does a matchup this weekend with the Washington Redskins.

Ahead of Week 3 in the NFL, here's a look at the predicted power rankings after the intriguing slate.

32. Oakland Raiders

Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images

Consecutive losses to the New York Jets and Houston Texans don't breed any optimism for this franchise. Heading into another road contest against the New England Patriots, an 0-3 start would solidify the bottom spot for the Raiders.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

Getting dismantled by Kirk Cousins on Sunday by a final of 41-10 showed the Jacksonville Jaguars are still one of the worst teams in the NFL. With a stretch of games against the Indianapolis Colts, San Diego Chargers and Pittsburgh Steelers, the Jags might be 0-5 on Oct. 5.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Cliff McBride/Getty Images

This season was supposed to be one of optimism for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it is quickly turning into a nightmare for Lovie Smith.

How rough has the start been for the Bucs? Matt Miller of Bleacher Report details the disappointment thus far:

Losing to the St. Louis Rams was tough enough, but now Tampa Bay has a quick turnaround against the division-rival Atlanta Falcons on Thursday. Going against an offense that looks complete with Julio Jones back, an 0-3 start appears likely for Tampa Bay.

29. St. Louis Rams

Yet another team that had hopes of contending in their division, the Rams somehow mustered up a 1-1 start with a win over the Bucs. The Dallas Cowboys are coming into town, and Tony Romo will be looking to prove he can still sling it around the field in a huge win over St. Louis.

28. Washington Redskins

A discouraging start for the Redskins appeared to be taking a dark turn when Robert Griffin III went down with an ankle injury, per The Associated Press (via Fox Sports). Then Cousins threw a touchdown on his first drive. Then he tossed another.

By the end of the day, Cousins had 250 passing yards and a quarterback rating of 93.7 against the Jaguars. Granted, it was Jacksonville, and the 41-10 victory was about much more than Cousins. Those numbers likely won't be as easy against the Eagles, who should move to 3-0 against the Redskins.

27. Kansas City Chiefs

A Kansas City Chiefs team that lost Jamaal Charles in the first quarter nearly forced overtime against the Denver Broncos. If the ankle sprain for Charles isn't a severe one, as Andy Reid told Lindsay H. Jones of USA Today, this team might have more fight in them with Charles and Knile Davis leading the way.

26. New York Giants

2014 is off to a very similar start to 2013 for the New York Giants—and that's not a good thing. The Giants are 0-2 with double-digit losses to the Detroit Lions and Arizona Cardinals, who started Drew Stanton during the Week 2 matchup.

Their Week 3 opponent is the Houston Texans, who look like a resurgent franchise thus far. A loss on Sunday would send the team to Washington on Thursday with an 0-3 record and a path eerily similar to last season.

25. Minnesota Vikings

The bubble for the Minnesota Vikings after a 34-6 win over St. Louis has clearly popped. Being dismantled by the New England Patriots will look better in comparison to what an angry New Orleans Saints team will do at home.

24. Tennessee Titans

Through the start of the 2014 season, the Tennessee Titans have been involved in two 26-10 games. One went in their favor, the other not so much. Much of this team's success relies on Jake Locker, who will need a much better performance against the Cincinnati Bengals to make the Titans respectable again.

23. Cleveland Browns

A huge victory over the New Orleans Saints has Cleveland Browns fans believing in the franchise yet again just two weeks into the season.

But fans aren't the only ones buying in, as Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports notes his thoughts on Cleveland:

"

This team is playing with all kinds of spirit and its defense is not a unit I'd want to be facing right now. If they manage to hang around for another few months, the opportunity to get Gordon back for the stretch run just might make things interesting. They could very easily be 2-0 right now. If they happen to be 2-1 after next week, look out.

"

Johnny Manziel was brought in to be the savior of the franchise, but Brian Hoyer is grasping hold of the reins with confidence. A true test lies ahead in the Baltimore Ravens, but nothing appears too daunting for this team right now.

22. Miami Dolphins

Despite having a chance to take sole possession of the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins floundered against the Bills. Then came the news that Knowshon Moreno will likely miss four weeks due to an elbow injury, which puts more pressure on Ryan Tannehill's shoulders.

Luckily, Miami faces the Chiefs and Raiders in consecutive weeks prior to their bye in Week 5. If they can get to 3-1 ahead of the matchup with the Green Bay Packers, the Dolphins might still have hope this season.

21. Houston Texans 

The Houston Texans are 2-0 after taking down the Redskins and Raiders to start the season. Confidence is clearly at an all-time high for the Texans, with even J.J. Watt scoring a touchdown against the hapless Raiders.

A win against the Giants would eclipse their record from 2013 but still isn't telling of where this team stands. After a three-week stretch against the Bills, Cowboys and Colts? Yeah, the truth might likely be revealed then.

20. Pittsburgh Steelers

Since the third quarter of the Week 1 win against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers have scored nine points. Look for their offensive woes to continue against a Carolina Panthers defense that is second in the NFL with 10.5 points allowed per game this season.

19. Dallas Cowboys

It's nearly impossible to wipe the memory of the Week 1 loss to the San Francisco 49ers away, but the Cowboys will look to do that on Sunday. A win against the Rams would put the 'Boys at 2-1 ahead of a huge matchup with the Saints.

18. Detroit Lions

The Jim Caldwell era started with a bang but hit a speed bump against Carolina. Three turnovers against a stout defense is not the way to win games, and that will need to be fixed quickly against a Packers team that has a plethora of offensive weapons.

17. New York Jets

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

When it comes to tough losses, they don't get much more difficult to take than the Jets' defeat in Green Bay. Offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg called a timeout that nullified a game-tying touchdown late in the fourth quarter as the team lost by—you guessed it—a touchdown.

Mornhinweg took full blame for the incident following the game, per Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com:

"

First of all, I want to make it crystal clear everything that goes on offensively is my responsibility, period. I've got to do a better job of communicating and trusting 'Big Geno.' I've got to trust Geno to get everything fixed before the 40-second [play] clock. That's the scenario. I was surprised the timeout was called.

"

Unfortunately, the road ahead doesn't look promising for the Jets. A stretch against the Chicago Bears, Lions, Chargers, Broncos and Patriots could leave New York in the cellar of the division before facing the Bills.

16. Atlanta Falcons

Either the Bengals are really that good, or the Falcons might not be as far along this season as we initially thought. Let's go with the first option and say Matt Ryan and Atlanta will get back on track against Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

15. Chicago Bears

Battling through adversity in Levi's Stadium, the Bears were able to score 21 points in the fourth quarter to ruin the home opener for the 49ers. Expect Jay Cutler to continue his strong passing performances against the Jets and move to 2-1 before facing division-rival Green Bay.

14. Baltimore Ravens

Week 3 will be a revealing one for both the Browns and Ravens. But after a 20-point beatdown of Pittsburgh, it will be Baltimore coming away 2-1 ahead of a huge matchup for Steve Smith. Have your goggles ready for that one.

13. Buffalo Bills

A shocking win over the Bears sent a shot across the bow in the NFL. But Buffalo is a surprise team no more after stomping the Dolphins by 19 points in Week 2.

The young duo of EJ Manuel and Sammy Watkins connected on their first touchdown as the Bills continued to roll. Watkins' 117-yard performance also earned him praise from Marc Sessler of NFL.com:

"

Buffalo wasn't shy about unleashing Watkins, whose 11 targets were more than the next three Bills pass-catchers combined amassed. Clean route-running helped him consistently beat coverage and give EJ Manuel clear windows to throw into. The quarterback also missed Watkins on a slant route that would have been an easy six points, while the rookie couldn't hold on to a deep bomb from Manuel for another 45-yard score. It's scary to consider what he accomplished while still in obvious pain from his preseason rib injury.

"

In a division where the Patriots have reigned supreme for several seasons, the Bills might be ready to challenge for the throne. First, they'll have to take down a Chargers team that took down the Seattle Seahawks in Week 2—clearly not an easy task.

12. Indianapolis Colts

Losses to the Broncos and Eagles have the Colts sitting at 0-2 for the first time in the Andrew Luck era. The time to freak out isn't now, though, as Indy faces Jacksonville and Tennessee before hosting Baltimore, a winnable stretch that should lead to a 3-2 record.

11. New Orleans Saints

Staying on the 0-2 train, the Saints have looked abysmal so far in two consecutive road losses. Now, Drew Brees and Co. return to the Superdome against the Vikings after going 8-0 in 2013 at home. Expect a much-improved offense before heading to AT&T Stadium against the Cowboys in Week 4.

10. San Diego Chargers

Philip Rivers picked apart the Seahawks and led his team to a huge win after a disappointing season opener against the Cardinals. In fact, several Chargers players had harsh words for Richard Sherman after the game, per Michael Gehlken of U-T San Diego:

Whether or not San Diego truly exposed Sherman, it emerges as a serious contender in the AFC with the win.

If they can get past the Bills, the Chargers have a favorable schedule including the Jags, Jets, Raiders and Chiefs before facing the Broncos. There's plenty of reason for confidence in San Diego with playoff hopes very much alive.

9. Arizona Cardinals

Among the surprise teams at 2-0, the Cardinals are only in the conversation because of a win with Stanton under center. Palmer's injury status may still be uncertain, but a staunch defense means the Cardinals still have a chance to take down the 49ers—regardless of who's under center.

8. Green Bay Packers

Two weeks into the season, a lot about the Packers remains unknown. Will Eddie Lacy finally break out? Can the defense hold up for four quarters? But one question not being asked is whether or not Aaron Rodgers remains an elite quarterback.

Thanks to his elite ability, Green Bay remains one of the top 10 teams in the entire league. If the other pieces eventually come into place against Detroit, fans might finally see what this team is capable of moving forward.

7. San Francisco 49ers

For those who decided to call it quits after the Niners held a comfortable 20-7 lead heading into the fourth quarter, it got ugly quick. A division clash with the Cardinals will be telling for both teams but might end with San Francisco at 2-1 if Palmer misses another start.

6. New England Patriots

The Patriots made up for a division loss to the Dolphins in Week 1 by running roughshod over the Vikings. That was enough to keep them near the top five, and a blowout win over the Raiders will have them just outside of that picture.

5. Philadelphia Eagles

Living on the edge is becoming an all-too-common occurrence for the Eagles, but they have the talent to continue winning. Darren Sproles might have been the story on Monday night, but Zach Ertz has proved to be a huge weapon as well, per Around the NFL:

A massive comeback win over the Colts proved the offense is for real, but the defense still has plenty of catching up to do. Nick Foles now has two interceptions through two games, his total through 13 games last season.

Philly might have to depend on the running game, something the Texans did with success in Week 1 against Washington with 131 yards. Needless to say, the Eagles should be 3-0 and still a top-five franchise after Week 3.

4. Seattle Seahawks

Seattle has gone 15-1 during the Russell Wilson era at home. But after the entire defense was exposed—not just Sherman—this team will be standing at 1-2 after losing in the Super Bowl rematch with the Broncos. Even with the loss, they remain a top-five team that will get back on track against Washington, Dallas and St. Louis.

3. Carolina Panthers

Through two weeks, the Panthers have yet to be at full strength on offense. Even with Derek Anderson filling in against the Bucs and DeAngelo Williams out against the Lions, the team is still 2-0 with the Steelers coming to Charlotte.

The defense has more than proved it's one of the best in the NFL and faces a struggling offense in Week 3. If the offense can string together a few successful drives, Carolina will remain undefeated and remain in the top three.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

Is this the year the Bengals are finally for real? Two impressive wins against the Ravens and Falcons say yes, and Cincy can remain on cruise control against Tennessee. The true test awaits them after the Week 4 bye in New England.

1. Denver Broncos

Justin Edmonds/Getty Images

Getting revenge against the Seahawks will be sweet, but it will also keep the Broncos at the top of the power rankings for another week. The myriad offensive weapons in Julius Thomas and Demaryius Thomas will have a much better showing, as will Peyton Manning.

Doubt surrounding Denver remains after last year's Super Bowl flop, but a win against Seattle would silence any critics.

Follow R. Cory Smith on Twitter: