NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Updated 2014 Analysis Before Thursday Night Football

While it is always important for NFL teams to come away with wins each week, every win is not created equal. This makes it necessary to go beyond the records when examining which teams are best.

You cannot ignore a surprise 2-0 squad, but overreacting after just two weeks of the season is a much bigger mistake.

Plenty of talented teams are ready to turn things around after slow starts, while others are likely to come back to earth after beginning the year well. With that in mind, here is a look at the latest power rankings heading into Week 3.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-2)

Derek Carr is going to have some bright spots while also showing some growing pains in his first few weeks in the NFL. This is nothing to be concerned about for the long term, but it will cost the squad wins in the near future.

With a defense that is also struggling, it could be another long season in Oakland. 

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)

The Jaguars had one good half of football, going up 17-0 over the Philadelphia Eagles. Unfortunately, it has all been downhill since then as the squad has been outscored 75-10 in the last six quarters.

Chad Henne's struggles have caused fans to call for Blake Bortles to get some playing time, although the 10 sacks in the last game might be reason enough to keep the rookie on the bench for a little longer. 

30. New York Giants (0-2)

This is much lower than the Giants should be based on the experience of many key players, but it is hard to trust this team to win many games as currently assembled.

The offensive line is not giving Eli Manning any time to make plays, and his poor decisions are only exacerbating the problems. The Super Bowl title now seems like a long time ago.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

Bill Wippert/Associated Press

There was a lot of hope coming into the year with a new coach in Lovie Smith and plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Unfortunately, ESPN's Bomani Jones discusses how bad things have been early on:

A loss to Derek Anderson of the Carolina Panthers was followed by a loss to Austin Davis of the St. Louis Rams, both at home. The offense has been unable to consistently move the ball, while the defense is giving up just enough to lose games.

Although this squad still has the ability to turn this season around, the schedule only gets tougher with three road games in a row. After starting the year 0-8 in 2013, it appears to be more of the same in Tampa.

28. Minnesota Vikings (1-1)

With Adrian Peterson deactivated for the immediate future, it is hard to have any faith in the Vikings. The All-Pro running back might be the most important non-quarterback in the NFL, and without him the offense is simply not very good.

Even with the impressive Week 1 win, Minnesota could be in for a long season.

27. Washington Redskins (1-1)

The fans wanting to see what Kirk Cousins can do are finally going to have their chance after Robert Griffin III injured his ankle on Sunday. Of course, it is important to remember the backup's 58.4 quarterback rating in five games last season.

Even after a good performance against the Jaguars, it is important to temper expectations for the former fourth-round pick. 

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26. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)

Last season, the Chiefs were one of the surprise teams in the NFL as they went from 2-14 to the playoffs. However, a harder schedule and some bad luck are set to force regression to the mean in 2014.

The biggest issues so far have been injuries to key players like Derrick Johnson, Jamaal Charles and Eric Berry. With these Pro Bowlers off the field, it is hard to trust Kansas City in any regard going forward. 

25. Tennessee Titans (1-1)

Jake Locker struggled to move the ball against a mediocre Dallas Cowboys defense, which is a reason to be concerned about his ability to make plays going forward.

The defense has the ability to cause a lot of problems for opponents in the passing game, but this team will need more consistency to play its way into the playoffs. 

24. St. Louis Rams (1-1)

Austin Davis earned a come-from-behind win for the Rams with a very efficient performance. He completed 22 of his 29 passes while spreading it around to eight different receivers in the victory.

However, he will not be able to carry this team when needed against tougher opponents. There are simply too many question marks throughout the roster to trust for more wins going forward.

23. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Mark Zaleski/Associated Press

After years of relying on the pass to win games, the Cowboys are finally leaning on the rushing attack. DeMarco Murray has responded with record-breaking performances to this point, according to Gil Brandt of NFL.com:

Of course, this statistic helps:

Not only has this created more balance for the offense, but it is keeping the defense off the field. The Cowboys held possession for over two-thirds of the game against the Titans, which is a big reason for the 26-10 score.

While the defense is still one of the worst in the league and will lose a lot of games for the Cowboys, the squad will remain above water as long as Murray is posting big numbers on the ground. 

22. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

The Browns appear better than we thought coming into the season, playing well against the Pittsburgh Steelers before beating the New Orleans Saints. Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell have already made a big impact on the offense in relief of the injured Ben Tate.

With Brian Hoyer playing well enough to keep his job ahead of Johnny Manziel, there is reason for excitement in Cleveland beyond just LeBron James.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

In the last six quarters, the Steelers have scored just nine points. Ben Roethlisberger has posted decent statistics, but he is missing throws to open receivers and failing to sustain drives.

As the defense continues to struggle against the run (29th in the NFL), things are not as good as they seem in Pittsburgh. 

20. New York Jets (1-1)

As they showed against the Green Bay Packers, the Jets have the ability to compete with almost anyone in the league. The problem is the team cannot stop shooting itself in the foot.

Whether it is turnovers, poor timeout calls or having a key player get ejected for throwing punches, something always seems to hold this team back. Rex Ryan needs to get control of the organization if he wants to get back into the playoffs.

19. Miami Dolphins (1-1)

All the positive feelings from the opening win over the New England Patriots were dashed during a disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills. With Knowshon Moreno out for the near future, the team has to figure out a way to run the ball to create some balance with the offense. Otherwise, there will be a lot more losses over the next month. 

18. Atlanta Falcons (1-1)

Matt Ryan had a three-touchdown game in Week 1 and a three-interception game in Week 2. He cannot blame a lack of receivers like he did last year; he simply needs to be more consistent.

Add this to a lack of pressure from the defensive line—Andy Dalton was not sacked or hit once in the Bengals win—and the Falcons still have problems that need solving.

17. Houston Texans (2-0)

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There is nothing quite like starting a season against two of the worst teams in the league to give a squad some confidence. A matchup against the Giants in Week 3 could also be helpful.

However, Bleacher Report's Matt Miller points out a reason to be concerned:

Ryan Fitzpatrick has avoided turnovers so far, but his interceptions have been a major problem throughout his career. He has 93 in 87 games, including a league-high 23 in 2011. Against better defenses, this could once again become an issue.

While the Texans appear to be better than they were last season, it is important not to jump on the bandwagon just yet.

16. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

The Ravens put the Ray Rice situation in the rearview mirror with a dominant showing against the Steelers. The team was physical on both sides of the ball, showcasing a lot of the positives from past Baltimore squads.

With an upcoming game against Cleveland, we will know exactly where the Ravens stand in the AFC North after just three weeks of the season. 

15. Buffalo Bills (2-0)

The Bills might be a surprise through two weeks, but they are not a fluke. With a strong defense, versatile run game and a quarterback who is avoiding mistakes, the squad has the formula for a winning team.

A tough matchup against the San Diego Chargers could be telling in Week 3, although Buffalo is not going away regardless of the outcome on Sunday.

14. Detroit Lions (1-1)

We were excited for the possibilities of the new-look Lions offense, with Matthew Stafford getting so many weapons to spread the ball around. This was until the unit was held to just seven points against the Carolina Panthers.

Detroit is still a threat to light up the scoreboard each week, but getting shut down this easily could be a bad sign going forward. 

13. New Orleans Saints (0-2)

The Saints have lost two games to teams they should have beaten. There is no way around the fact they have been incredibly disappointing. However, there is also plenty of reason to wait before counting them out.

Primarily, New Orleans has always been better at home, where the squad will play for the first time in Week 3. Those one-possession losses from the first two weeks are going to turn into blowout wins before you know it.

12. Chicago Bears (1-1)

This team was dangerously close to falling to 0-2 before the defense surprisingly stepped up when needed with big turnovers against the San Francisco 49ers. These types of impactful plays can make up for a lot of yards allowed during the course of the game.

Meanwhile, a healthy Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery will be a difficult duo to stop as the year continues, keeping this offense one of the best in the league. 

11. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)

The defense was expected to be the problem in San Francisco without NaVorro Bowman and Aldon Smith for half of the season. However, it is the offense that is holding this team back to this point.

Against the Bears, Colin Kaepernick had four turnovers and could only lead touchdown drives of eight and 30 yards. It is hard to trust this unit to do much as the level of competition gets tougher.

10. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

Andrew Luck has been underperforming so far this season, but the Colts still had a chance to knock off two of the best teams in the NFL on consecutive weeks. Unfortunately, mistakes have forced the squad to start 0-2.

Head coach Chuck Pagano discussed the impact of the miscues, via Mike Wells of ESPN.com:

"

Yeah, the friendly fire, it will kill you. Just like I told them in there, it’s so hard to win at this level. It doesn’t matter how good you play, all the games come down to one-score games. It doesn’t matter. You’ve got to eliminate friendly fire and you’ve got to finish games. You’ve got to put people away.

"

The good news is there is still plenty of time to learn from the mistakes. An 0-2 start is bad, but this is still one of the most talented teams in the AFC. As the schedule gets easier, the wins will come.

At this point, the only question is whether Indianapolis can take the next step toward beating the elite opponents to become legitimate contenders.

9. San Diego Chargers (1-1)

The Chargers won games last year by controlling the clock and making big plays when needed. This is the exact strategy they used to defeat the Seattle Seahawks in a 30-21 upset Sunday, holding the ball for 42 minutes, 15 seconds in the win.

With the offseason addition of Donald Brown, losing Ryan Mathews will not cause the squad to miss a beat. This team shocked many en route to a playoff appearance last year, but no one should be surprised this time around.

8. New England Patriots (1-1)

There are as many concerns about this team as any in the league, especially with the inconsistent play of Tom Brady. He has looked out of sync with his receivers and has been unable to throw the ball with any accuracy down the field.

This problem could become more of an issue in the future when opponents do not give the ball away four times.

7. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)

There were doubts about Arizona's ability to overcome losses to key personnel on defense, but the squad has come through to rank third in the NFL against the run after leading the league in that category last season. Winning a game with Drew Stanton simply proves that the Cardinals can keep overcoming key losses to pick up wins.

With Carson Palmer healthy, though, the Cardinals can become one of the better teams in the NFC. They will look to prove it with an important home battle against the 49ers this weekend. 

6. Carolina Panthers (2-0)

Even without Greg Hardy, the Panthers have one of the best defenses in the NFL. The unit has only allowed 21 points in two games, including just seven by the Lions in Week 2.

As Cam Newton becomes more comfortable with his rebuilt receiving corps, this could once again be one of the toughest teams to beat in the NFL. 

5. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)

The Eagles have won ugly twice, but those count the same as the pretty ones. As long as LeSean McCoy and Darren Sproles keep breaking tackles, the wins will likely keep coming.

That being said, it probably should not take much to win the NFC East in another down year for the division. 

4. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

Aaron Rodgers is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league when healthy, and he bounced back nicely from the opening defeat at the hands of the Seahawks. Staying on the field could be a problem, though, as he was sacked four times against the New York Jets.

If the Packers want to contend this season, they will need to do a better job of protecting their quarterback. 

3. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)

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The Bengals have been one of the most talented squads in the NFL over the past few seasons, but they always seemed to be held back by mistakes. According to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network, some of the problems appear to be solved:

Cincinnati has won 10 straight regular-season games at home and is gaining more confidence every week.

The defense has been good for years, and the offense has gained more balance this season with a quality one-two punch at running back with Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill. There are few holes anywhere on the roster.

Still, the regular season does not matter until the Bengals can start winning games in the postseason.

2. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)

The Seahawks lost in Week 2, but few people were expecting this team to go undefeated. They are still among the league's elite with the ability to shut down an opponent while pounding the ball offensively.

Returning home for a rematch of the Super Bowl should help prove to everyone why this team is still a favorite to repeat for a title. 

1. Denver Broncos (2-0)

Although the Broncos are not blowing teams out like they did for much of last season, Peyton Manning is still doing a great job of spreading the ball around to keep the offense nearly impossible to defend. With Wes Welker returning to the field, Denver will be even better.

A Week 3 battle against the Seahawks will be difficult, but this is still the best team in the AFC until proved otherwise.

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