NFL Power Rankings: Where Does Every Team Stand Heading into Preseason Week 3?

There's a trick to watching preseason football. Mostly, just don't look at the scoreboard.

Oh sure, it's better when the NFL team in your city wins a game, however meaningless the win column may be right now. But the preseason is rooted in one goal: progress.

There was progress from individuals in Week 2 of the preseason, such as San Francisco 49ers running back Jarryd Hayne and New England Patriots quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. He's pictured above enjoying a well-earned icy refreshment, and the defending champs may need to ride his arm for the first month of their 2015 season.

There was plenty of regression too, most notably from Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who spent much of Thursday evening staring deeply into the night sky.

That's how the preseason shuffle takes place and how these power rankings are arranged. Are there signs, however small, of progress? Or could a sputtering August spill over into September?

32. San Francisco 49ers

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Last Week: 32

This Week: 32

Change: None

We begin yet again with the idling San Francisco 49ers. Remember one slide ago when I delivered that courtesy public service announcement about the scoreboard not mattering during preseason games? Or mostly not mattering, even though moral victories are fun?

That especially applies here, because it's difficult to judge the reconstructed 49ers defense when it played against a Dallas Cowboys offense that was missing wide receiver Dez Bryant (hamstring injury). Also, quarterback Tony Romo played a grand total of three snaps.

But there were several small, non-scoreboard victories to warm hearts in San Francisco. Most impressively, middle linebacker NaVorro Bowman made his return to the field and looked like his typical self while swarming from sideline-to-sideline and recording three tackles.

And then there was Jarryd Hayne, who will likely doom us all to a lot of awful attempts at Australian accents from play-by-play announcers in 2015. After another solid showing, Hayne now has 117 rushing yards on 13 preseason carries, two of which have gone for 30-plus yards. He's averaging nine yards per carry, 21.6 per punt return and 33.0 per kickoff return.

Your weekly reminder: At 27 years old Hayne is playing his first snaps of competitive football. 

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

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Last Week: 31

This Week: 31

Change: None

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles has the physical tools for success. Purely from a size and mobility standpoint, the predraft comparisons to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger were accurate. Bortles played like a 6'5", 232-pound skyscraper at Central Florida while accumulating 561 rushing yards.

But his problem is a common one: He needs to properly go through reads in a pro-style offense and then stand against pressure to deliver accurately.

Sometimes, he did that against the New York Giants Saturday. More often he didn't while completing only half of his pass attempts on the way to a rating of 69.3.

If Bortles' development is either slow or plateaus in his second season, then potential breakout years for Jaguars wide receivers Allen Hurns and Allen Robinson could fade away too.

30. Washington Redskins

Associated Press

Last Week: 25

This Week: 30

Change: -5

Who deserves the most blame for the wreckage left on the field Thursday night? There are two choices.

You could go with Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III, who still has poor field vision and doesn't get rid of the ball in a timely manner. That contributed to the repeated whacks he took from the Detroit Lions. His eight dropbacks resulted in this pain: three sacks, hit once as he threw and a batted pass. He completed two passes for eight yards.

Or you could blame Redskins head coach Jon Gruden for leaving his starting quarterback in long enough to suffer a concussion. Griffin was playing behind an offensive line that was about as effective as a row of Lego blocks. That line didn't include left tackle and three-time Pro Bowler Trent Williams, who was nursing a sore toe.

You could pick either option and not be wrong. Griffin's inability to protect both himself and the football won't change anytime soon. And Gruden doesn't seem to care about walking the delicate line between giving his quarterback needed snaps and making sure he remains in one working piece.

Thursday's pummeling highlighted a Redskins reality that isn't going anywhere, even when Williams returns. A quarterback who is still slow to process everything in front of him is playing behind an offensive line that won't offer much time for thinking.

29. Cleveland Browns

David Richard/Associated Press

Last Week: 29

This Week: 29

Change: None

There's an automatic caveat whenever we start to rave about Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. He's a first-round pick who's now relegated to second-team duties in his sophomore NFL season and is competing against scrub defenses during preseason games.

But it's still easy to set that aside as we wonder when Browns head coach Mike Pettine will finally acknowledge his starting quarterback Josh McCown is little more than a short-term placeholder. McCown may not even meet the standards for that low bar.

Seeing Manziel look comfortable against any NFL defenders was an accomplishment during his rookie season. Yet there he was Thursday looking like, well, himself against the Buffalo Bills. The highlight came when Manziel faked a handoff and ran to his left on a bootleg. While still sprinting, he gunned a throw deep downfield. It was placed perfectly into the waiting hands of wide receiver Darius Jennings for a 37-yard completion.

Meanwhile, McCown needed only 10 attempts to throw two interceptions. If Pettine enjoys having a job, he'll back off the relentless McCown support early this season and let the Manziel experiment continue.

28. Houston Texans

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Last Week: 27

This Week: 28

Change: -1

Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien made a decision Monday that was equal parts predictable and soul crushing. He named Brian Hoyer his starting quarterback, for now at least.

Both Hoyer and Ryan Mallett lost the job, but Hoyer lost it a little bit less. He always had the edge simply because of his starting experience, as Mallett has attempted only 79 regular-season passes.

Now an offense that will be playing without running back Arian Foster for a good chunk of 2015 has to cope with Hoyer's misaligned crosshairs. Pro Football Focus' accuracy percentage—which factors in dropped passes, throwaways, spikes and attempts when the quarterback was hit while throwing—ranked Hoyer dead last in 2014 out of the 27 quarterbacks who took at least half of their team's dropbacks.

27. Tennessee Titans

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Last Week: 30

This Week: 27

Change: +3

During his rookie season in 2014, Tennessee Titans running back Bishop Sankey was a plodding mess. He would get only what was blocked on a play (maybe) and averaged 3.7 yards per carry. He had only two runs for 15-plus yards.

Something strange happened in Week 2 of the preseason: He matched that 15-plus-yard run total on six carries.

The second-rounder finally showed up. Sankey ran with power and a low pad level against the St. Louis Rams, which enabled him to surge through contact and into the second level. He reeled off runs of 18 and 19 yards and finished with 45 yards on the ground in total.

Rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota needs backfield support as he develops. If the Sankey we saw Sunday night begins to develop alongside him, then suddenly the Titans offense could be much more balanced.

26. Oakland Raiders

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Last Week: 26

This Week: 26

Change: None

A wide receiver-quarterback duo that will hopefully power the Oakland Raiders offense for, oh I don't know, maybe the next decade, hooked up deep for the first time during a loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

A 40-yard completion from Derek Carr to first-round rookie Amari Cooper unfolded pretty much how you expected it would. With his vertical speed, Cooper gained a full step on Vikings cornerback Terence Newman. Then Carr dropped the ball perfectly between his receiver and the sideline.

That was fun, sure, but this isn't quite as enjoyable: Over two preseason games and five drives, the first-team Raiders offense led by Carr has scored only one touchdown.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 28

This Week: 25

Change: +3

Suddenly, it seems like 2012 again. People are dancing to "Gangnam Style" at weddings, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin is darting, weaving and running far away.

Martin reached his 59 yards on six carries Monday night against the Cincinnati Bengals in remarkably vintage fashion, looking very much like the version of himself from three years ago. He reeled off two 15-plus yard carries during Tampa's first drive.

How many carries of that length did he finish with in 2014? Only four, which made Martin's resurgence much like Sankey's in Tennessee.

24. Chicago Bears

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Last Week: 24

This Week: 24

Change: None

Don't worry if you're still trying to compute what you saw Saturday night. It's likely some strange cosmic powers aligned during a game when Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler didn't have either of his top wide receivers available (Kevin White and Alshon Jeffery).

Or maybe there's real reason to believe in Cutler's near-perfect game and the short passing utilized for long, deliberate marches down the field. Cutler led two eight-plus play drives that ended in field goals, and four of his completions on those series went for six yards or less.

So was Saturday truly the work of a blue moon or some other similar space sorcery? Or did we actually see a bit of the new, more controlled Cutler after his time so far with Bears offensive coordinator Adam Gase?

23. Atlanta Falcons

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Last Week: 21

This Week: 23

Change: -2

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Leonard Hankerson spent the offseason going about the business of saving his career. He was underwhelming and often injured for the Washington Redskins before Atlanta threw him a life raft, signing the 26-year-old to a minimal one-year deal with only $225,000 in guaranteed money.

Now he has an opportunity to be more than merely a depth receiver.

Fellow Falcons receiver Roddy White is fading at age 33 and just underwent elbow surgery. The recovery isn't serious and he'll be back for Week 1, but it's another reminder that White's body is becoming increasingly delicate heading into his 11th NFL season. He's missed four games over the past two years and hasn't had a 1,000-plus yard receiving season since 2012.

Enter Hankerson, who's proving to be a capable replacement across from Julio Jones.

His leaping ability makes the 6'2" wideout a prime red-zone target. That's why he was targeted twice in the end zone during a loss Friday night to the New York Jets, catching one of those balls for his first touchdown as a Falcon.

He has the length and speed (4.43 time in the 40-yard dash) to complement Jones if White goes down again. For now he adds a dose of athleticism and is an upgrade over Harry Douglas in three-receiver sets.

22. New York Giants

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Last Week: 20

This Week: 22

Change: -2

We all understand that misfiring is part of preseason football and the entire month of August means nothing. Still, when one of the most athletically gifted wide receivers in football is targeted six times, and none of those throws results in a catch, it's hard to resist the instinct to raise an eyebrow.

That's the story of New York Giants wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. and his preseason so far, with most of those missed connections the responsibility of his quarterback. Eli Manning attempted 14 passes during a win over the Jacksonville Jaguars Saturday, and only four landed safely in the desired hands.

That's woeful regardless of what the calendar says, and Manning's 3.1 yards per attempt over two preseason games has a particularly strong odor.

21. New York Jets

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Last Week: 23

This Week: 21

Change: +2

The New York Jets could quickly soar up both these rankings and the real rankings (also known as the standings) if the Ryan Fitzpatrick we saw for much of 2014 keeps showing up.

Through two preseason games he hasn't thrown an interception on a modest 22 attempts. More importantly, Fitzpatrick is developing a connection with wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who finished a Week 2 preseason win over the Atlanta Falcons with four receptions for 62 yards.

The Jets offense achieving peak competence is an ideal situation, because then there's nothing to erase the efforts of a defensive line that can make gaining any yards at all feel like a Herculean feat of strength. Rookie defensive end Leonard Williams was the Week 2 standout and showed why life without his suspended teammate Sheldon Richardson for four games should be just fine.

Williams recorded five tackles, and three were for a loss. He also finished with 1.5 sacks and a safety. He's pretty good.

20. New Orleans Saints

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Last Week: 22

This Week: 20

Change: +2

There were many questions surrounding the New Orleans Saints offense when the team traded away tight end Jimmy Graham earlier this offseason. How were the Saints going to score points now? And who would get most of Graham's 121 targets in 2014?

The correct response to both questions could simply be Brandin Cooks.

Cooks now has 145 yards on only five receptions over the Saints' two preseason games. That's a grass-sizzling average of 29 yards per catch for the wide receiver, and it includes his 45-yard touchdown reception during a loss to the New England Patriots.

Cooks will be a target vacuum while creating mismatches with his speed when used both in the slot and outside. During an abbreviated rookie season, he spent 29.5 percent of his snaps in the slot, per PFF, and is often best utilized in space on crossing routes.

19. St. Louis Rams

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Last Week: 19

This Week: 19

Change: None

The time we're given to view first-team offenses and defenses is inherently brief during any preseason game. There are few definitive conclusions to be drawn, but this statement still feels safe: It's bad when your starting quarterback finishes with a per-attempt average of 2.6 yards.

That's how Nick Foles' evening ended Sunday, as the St. Louis Rams' new quarterback is still trying to work through a different offense. He's also on a deep inner quest to find some balance between the horribly inept 2014 Foles and the guy we saw in 2013 who threw only two interceptions on 317 attempts.

With their defense and an improved running game once Todd Gurley is healthy, the Rams only need average quarterback play. It remains to be seen whether Foles can supply merely adequate production, though.

18. San Diego Chargers

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Last Week: 18

This Week: 18

Change: None

The San Diego Chargers needed a solution for their weak pass rush in 2014 that recorded only 26 sacks (29th). They needed an answer in 2013 as well, when they finished with 35 sacks (23rd). Both years they had one, but he was on injured reserve: outside linebacker Melvin Ingram.

Ingram has missed 19 games over the past two years, but he reminded us of what he's capable of Saturday during a win over the Arizona Cardinals. He collapsed the edge repeatedly to finish with two sacks, and a resurgent Chargers front seven sacked Cardinals quarterbacks six times.

If he can find the health that's eluded him, Ingram has always possessed the explosiveness to be a consistently effective pass-rusher.

17. Carolina Panthers

Chuck Burton/Associated Press

Last Week: 13

This Week: 17

Change: -4

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin struggled with drops during his 2014 rookie season. He turfed 11 balls on 142 targets, which was the third-worst drop rate among all receivers who played at least half of their team's snaps, per PFF.

But that hand slipperiness was easily tolerated from the developing receiver, because ball security wasn't his game. Using his 6'5" and 240-pound frame to be a physical bruiser in the end zone is where Benjamin excelled. Of the 13 regular-season touchdown passes Panthers quarterbacks threw to wide receivers, a whopping nine went to Benjamin.

And now he's gone.

Benjamin tore his ACL during a joint practice with the Miami Dolphins. His second season is over long before it began, and the Panthers are left without a trusted red-zone presence.

As a result, one of the weakest wide receiver depth charts took a swift roundhouse kick. Quarterback Cam Newton is now supported by a mix of inexperienced youth (Corey Brown, Devin Funchess) and fading veterans (Ted Ginn, Jerricho Cotchery).

At some point this season you'll hear chatter about Newton regressing. That's when you should consult his WR depth chart again.

16. Minnesota Vikings

Ann Heisenfelt/Associated Press

Last Week: 17

This Week: 16

Change: +1

It seems Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is still on a weekly mission to make his 2014 predraft evaluation—which ultimately ended with him selected 32nd and barely hanging onto first-round status—one of the most confusing NFL draft tumbles in recent memory.

He continues to show impressive accuracy and pocket awareness, making both attributes seem routine. Against the Oakland Raiders Saturday, a shining example of accuracy came on a pinpoint touchdown pass to wide receiver Charles Johnson. Bridgewater's throw drifted to the back of the end zone and just beyond the reach of Raiders cornerback DJ Hayden.

Bridgewater's vision set up that score two plays earlier. When nothing materialized downfield, he still had the confidence to step up into the pocket. Then he rolled left before looking across the field to find running back Jerick McKinnon, who had plenty of room to run for a 21-yard gain.

Bridgewater's natural talent and offensive support alone could lead to the Vikings finishing with a winning record for only the second time since 2010.

15. Kansas City Chiefs

John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 15

This Week: 15

Change: None

When the Kansas City Chiefs signed Jeremy Maclin to be their solution at wide receiver, the first question was obvious. Can he score at least one touchdown? If he did, that would already be an improvement over the scoring Kansas City received from its wideouts in 2014.

The second question was obvious too. Will Maclin's talent be wasted by quarterback Alex Smith and his poor deep accuracy? Smith completed only 37.5 percent of his 20-plus yard throws in 2014, per PFF.

Maclin and Smith have hooked up four times over two preseason games, including once for a touchdown. That's the pleasant news, but dig just a little beyond the surface and we see Maclin is averaging (gulp) 8.5 yards per reception.

The early return on Kansas City's investment isn't great, and it might not get much better in an offense that overloads on dinking and dunking.

14. Buffalo Bills

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Last Week: 14

This Week: 14

Change: None

The Buffalo Bills move nowhere this week because it seems head coach Rex Ryan thoroughly enjoys having chaos at the quarterback position wherever his career takes him.

During Week 2 of the preseason he made a wise decision to start Tyrod Taylor and let him play the entire first half. Taylor looked surprisingly at ease against the Cleveland Browns, completing seven of his 10 attempts for 65 yards and a passer rating of 87.5. He also introduced a running element not offered by Matt Cassel and EJ Manuel, scrambling for 41 yards.

Over two preseason games Taylor has now collected 88 rushing yards on 10 carries.

That should be enough to earn him more playing time with the first-team offense, especially as the Week 3 preseason dress rehearsal looms. Taylor has attempted only 35 regular-season passes over four seasons, so development time and preseason snaps are valuable to him right now.

But it seems no amount of separation among the Bills' mess of mediocre quarterbacks can change Ryan's plan. He hinted strongly to Joe Buscaglia of WKBW that all three quarterbacks will split first-team work against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3.

Eventually, patience can turn into stubbornness, and Ryan is getting awfully close to that line.

13. Miami Dolphins

Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 16

This Week: 13

Change: +3

Miami Dolphins running back Lamar Miller is making a loud, screaming statement to his offensive coordinator Bill Lazor: Run everything through me.

In 2014 Miller averaged 5.1 yards per touch and showed he's an ideal weapon for quarterback Ryan Tannehill, who's inconsistent while throwing deep. Though Tannehill has developed and taken steps forward, he's best suited for an offense that focuses on short-to-intermediate routes and puts his pass-catchers in space.

Which is where Miller thrives as a receiver out of the backfield.

In Week 2 of the preseason against the Carolina Panthers, Miller was Tannehill's checkdown option during a play that ended 36 yards downfield. He received the pass and used a quick lateral move to force a missed tackle, and then he sprinted away. The total travel distance of Tannehill's throw? Three yards.

Miller has already logged two plays of at least 25 yards this preseason. He's a dynamic option in an offense overflowing with speed.

12. Baltimore Ravens

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Last Week: 11

This Week: 12

Change: -1

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is just one year removed from throwing 22 interceptions. That high interception volume placed him behind only the Giants' Eli Manning in 2013.

But throughout his other six years as an NFL quarterback, Flacco's highest single-season interception total is 12, which he's reached four times. So 2013 must have been an outlier, right?

Let's go with "probably." During the 2014 preseason, Flacco didn't throw a single interception over 45 attempts. Now in 2015 he's needed only 13 throws to chuck two picks.

11. Philadelphia Eagles

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Last Week: 12

This Week: 1

Change: +1

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver and 2015 first-round pick Nelson Agholor is quickly going to erase any memory of Jeremy Maclin's existence.

Agholor has caught seven passes over two preseason games. Of those seven, two have gone for 20-plus yards, and his three forced missed tackles in the open field leads all receivers this preseason, per PFF. That's where his value lies, as Agholor's quick-twitch agility allows him to capitalize on the space he's given and create his own.

In the 2015 draft, he was perhaps the best fit for Eagles head coach Chip Kelly's offense. And now we're seeing why Kelly favored him, even when speedster Breshad Perriman was still on the board.

10. Detroit Lions

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Last Week: 10

This Week: 10

Change: None

Detroit Lions football hasn't really changed much, even with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh now overpowering offensive linemen elsewhere. The Lions relentlessly collapse the pocket and make opposing quarterbacks remove grass from their teeth (maybe other places too?).

We were given an unnecessary reminder of that viciousness Thursday when Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III had his grill full nearly every time he tried to settle himself and throw downfield.

I really do mean nearly every time, as Griffin took six hits on his eight dropbacks. The Lions pounced on a weak offensive line and made getting any pass attempt off feel like a victory.  

9. Pittsburgh Steelers

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 7

This Week: 9

Change: -2

The Pittsburgh Steelers take a slight tumble this week only because center Maurkice Pouncey did the same, and now he'll likely need a metal plate inserted in his ankle.

Pouncey fractured his fibula after it was rolled on by Steelers running back Le'Veon Bell. He's now a candidate for the short-term injured reserve, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which means optimistically Pouncey could return by midseason.

The four-time Pro Bowler was rated the 10th-best run-blocking center in 2014 by Pro Football Focus and has been a driving force up the middle while clearing lanes for Bell.

8. Cincinnati Bengals

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Last Week: 8

This Week: 8

Change: None

After Monday night it's fair to wonder if Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton had some kind of voodoo spell placed on him that guarantees repeatedly brutal prime-time performances.

Dalton is infamously awful during the playoffs, throwing six interceptions and only one touchdown over four games. But as USA Today's Chris Strauss noted, his passer rating nosedives during any regular-season game played in the prime-time slots.

The latest was a face plant during Week 2 of the preseason, when Dalton finished with only 46 passing yards on 13 attempts (3.5 per attempt), with two interceptions.

7. Arizona Cardinals

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Last Week: 9

This Week: 7

Change: +2

Offensively in 2014, the Arizona Cardinals often lacked anything that even sort of resembled a respectable rushing attack. They won 11 games but somehow did it while averaging a league-worst 3.3 yards per carry.

They need running back Andre Ellington to stay healthy, which is always an issue because of his diminutive stature. So they drafted a larger version of Ellington by selecting David Johnson in the third round. He made his preseason debut Saturday and ripped up the San Diego Chargers for 81 yards on 15 touches.

Johnson packs more bulk at 6'1" and 224 pounds, but like Ellington he's versatile. He finished his final season at Northern Iowa with 536 receiving yards in addition to 1,553 rushing yards. Eventually, he'll develop into the ideal hybrid option for Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians to plug into space and use while manufacturing mismatches.

6. Dallas Cowboys

Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 5

This Week: 6

Change: -1

The Dallas Cowboys' backfield experiment gained a little more intrigue Sunday when presumed starting running back Joseph Randle didn't enter the game against the San Francisco 49ers until after Darren McFadden handled the first two series...which was also after quarterback Tony Romo left following his brief cameo appearance.

Randle has the ideal one-cut running style to take advantage of the spacious holes created by an elite offensive line. He possesses the speed to break free and eliminate angles; nearly half of his rushing production in 2014 came on runs of 15-plus yards, per PFF.

Meanwhile, McFadden is little more than a veteran fallback option and hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2010.

5. Denver Broncos

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Last Week: 3

This Week: 5

Change: -2

You need to have a sense of zen and calmness while watching preseason football—especially with the Denver Broncos as they go through the standard early headaches of learning a new offense under head coach Gary Kubiak.

However, the thunderous thud during the latest stage of that learning process could make Broncos fans watch the next game through their finger.

Quarterback Peyton Manning averaged a pitiful 3.7 yards per pass attempt during his four drives, all of which resulted in a punt. Worse, two of those drives ended after only three plays.

There's still time to work through the many meandering twists along the road to mastering an offense. But some encouraging signs of life from a 39-year-old quarterback who played through a major quad injury in 2014 would have been nice. Maybe next week? Yeah, maybe.

4. Green Bay Packers

Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

Last Week: 2

This Week: 4

Change: -2

Since 2013 only two wideouts have recorded more receiving yards than Green Bay Packers receiver Jordy Nelson. The names of those receivers? The Broncos' Demaryius Thomas and the Steelers' Antonio Brown, which shows the kind of top-tier company Nelson keeps.

And now he's gone for the season.

That was the initial report from NFL Network's Ian Rapoport after Nelson crumpled without contact during a loss to the Steelers Sunday.

Normally, losing a receiver of Nelson's caliber before he's played even a single meaningful snap would be devastating. But the Packers aren't a normal team with a normal wide receiver depth chart.

Randall Cobb can shoulder an even larger target volume after 145 balls were thrown toward him in 2014 (including playoffs), while Davante Adams will ascend after being called the MVP of OTAs by the Packer Report's Bill Huber. Adams emerged with seven catches for 117 yards and a touchdown during a divisional-round playoff win over the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.

Behind him? Even more promising youth in the form of a towering Jeff Janis (6'3") and shifty third-round pick Ty Montgomery.

The loss of Nelson stings, sure, but Green Bay's offensive juggernaut will keep chugging.

3. Indianapolis Colts

Michael Conroy/Associated Press

Last Week: 4

This Week: 3

Change: +1

The Chicago Bears were without their top two receivers Saturday night against the Indianapolis Colts. Yet somehow quarterback Jay Cutler—the same Cutler who threw 18 interceptions in 2014, because there's only one (actually that's a lie, and the other guy is sort of ripped)—finished with only one incompletion while playing most of the first half.

Allowing Cutler to post a 98.6 passer rating without most of his primary support isn't a good look for the Colts defense. But offensively, the result was more giddiness from a unit with lots to be excited about.

Most importantly, a connection between Luck and his top deep option T.Y. Hilton was re-established. Hilton finished 2014 with 15.9 yards per reception (seventh among all receivers who played at least 50 percent of their team's snaps, per PFF). In Week 2, he hauled in a 45-yard heave on his second preseason target.

Newly acquired Andre Johnson will be a steady set of possession hands, and first-round pick Phillip Dorsett will provide an infusion of even more speed. But Hilton is still the battery that powers Indianapolis' deep passing.

2. New England Patriots

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Last Week: 6

This Week: 2

Change: +4

Pending the outcome of court proceedings, the New England Patriots could still face four games without quarterback Tom Brady. The step down from Brady to, well, nearly anyone is significant. But Jimmy Garoppolo's job is to make sure that step isn't a jagged cliff tumble onto pointy rocks.

Basically, if football writers can confidently spell Garoppolo's name correctly each time they use it, he's done a fine job. He needs to meet the standards required for average quarterback play, which is the most realistic goal. And against the New Orleans Saints he did much more than that.

Garoppolo entered the game to start the second quarter and didn't leave. He seemed in rhythm while completing 84.8 percent of his passes at a pace of 8.2 yards per attempt. Both in the box score and on the field, Garoppolo was much improved from Week 1 when he was sacked seven times. The game seemed to slow down, and he didn't look overwhelmed when pressure closed in.

That was especially true when Garoppolo spun free from the grasp of Saints defensive end Bobby Richardson and then threw a 24-yard touchdown strike to wideout Chris Harper.

If that Garoppolo shows up during the regular season, staying afloat without Brady is more than possible. It's likely.

1. Seattle Seahawks

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Last Week: 1

This Week: 1

Change: None

There's no change at the top, but the Seattle Seahawks are still far from flawless.

Seattle's offensive line was tasked with at least somewhat impeding the Kansas City Chiefs' premier pass-rushers Friday night. A small victory can be found in quarterback Russell Wilson avoiding a sack, though that was mostly a product of his usual dancing and twirling. He was under nearly constant duress and often unable to look deep downfield.

The good news? When he was given even a sliver of space, Wilson fired into the waiting large mitts provided by tight end Jimmy Graham. Of Wilson's nine completions, three went to Graham, including chunk gains down the middle for 12 and 21 yards.