Week 3 NFL Power Rankings: Who Looks Good Early, and Who Needs To Improve Soon
Now that we have made it through Week 2 of the NFL season, we know twice as much as we knew after the first week of football.
We've seen some teams take off with early success. We've seen other teams fall flat on their face masks.
But the majority of the league (16 teams) sit at .500. In these power rankings, I will not only rank the 32 NFL teams, but explain whether I think they are trending upward or downward, and what they need to do to improve.
Number 1: New Orleans Saints
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I’m a firm believer that until somebody beats the Saints, we should give them the respect of the top spot in the power rankings. They beat a tough 49ers team in San Francisco.
Trending: I won’t be popular in saying this, but I’m going with downward. They showed some weaknesses the 49ers game Monday night. Colston and the other wide receivers haven’t been too relevant these last couple weeks.
The passing game needs to get a little bit better to help the Saints running game. I know the Saints picked off Alex Smith a couple times, but they also looked poor against the pass and run at some stretches.
On a related note: Either Alex Smith conjured up the spirits of Joe Montana last night or the Saints have some issues with two-minute drill defense.
If the Saints hope to improve, they’re going to have to step up on offense with play maker Reggie Bush out of the lineup. The defense will receive a large test when Matt Ryan and the Falcons’ passing attack come to town next week.
Number 2: Houston Texans
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Any team can get psyched up to beat their division rivals every now and then, so although the Texans beat the Colts, I wasn’t sold on Houston quite yet.
A win over Donovan McNabb’s much improved Redskins, in Maryland mind you, is definitely got me closer to buying in.
You see, in years past, the Texans could beat some good teams, but couldn’t come up with wins the close games or big divisional matchups. We’ve already seen them do both this year.
Trending: Trending upward. The Texans host the Dallas Cowboys this week, who are perhaps the most desperate team in the NFL right now. A win here and the Texans would show that they’re absolutely a team that doesn’t roll over for the big boys.
To improve, the Texans seem to have a lot of the pieces in place on both sides of the ball, now comes the even harder part. This team needs to start to find their swagger.
They can’t afford to be in shoot-out games every week that come down to the wire and expect to win the AFC South. I’m looking for consistency on offense and a few leaders to step up on defense.
Number 3: Green Bay Packers
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The Packers looked like the best team in the NFL last week, but that was against the Bills. Still, the defense looks faster, and stronger. They’re forcing turnovers and getting pressure on the quarterback.
They also looked good in stopping the Bills’ vaunted trio of running backs. I don’t worry too much about the lack of a great running back, with the weapons they have in the passing game, they will be fine.
Trending: Upwards. I think Green Bay looks great, but I still see some major things for them to work on. I think the pass game is great, for now. When the cold months of November and December role around, Green Bay will need a stronger running game, if they want to get far in to January.
I also want to see the defense play against a legitimate passing attack; I think Chicago will give them the closest thing to it. Finally, the special teams specifically kick and punt coverage need to improve. C.J. Spiller didn’t need his athleticism on some of those returns.
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Number 4: Pittsburgh Steelers
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In a time where most people will tell you that you need a quarterback to win in the NFL, the Steelers seem to laugh at that notion.
Defense and special teams have saved Pittsburgh early on this season, and when Ben Roethlisberger returns, they should be one of the top AFC teams.
They’ve shut down two solid offenses, and turned two pro-bowl quality players (Matt Ryan, Chris Johnson) into unwilling participants of their defensive dominance.
Trending: The Steelers should improve to 3-0 next week as they play a young offense without any proven stars in Tampa Bay.
I’m curious to see Reshad Mendenhall’s play against the young, but talented Tampa Bay front seven. If Tampa Bay limits their mistakes, the Steelers may need a big game out of their young tailback.
Number 5: Miami Dolphins
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So often we see players in the NFL stop playing with a sense of urgency once they get their big paycheck. Carlos Dansby has been quite the opposite.
He looks faster than he did the last couple seasons in Arizona, and looks like the undisputed leader of a surprisingly well-rounded Dolphin defense.
Their win on the road in Minnesota tells me that this team is taking the next step in competing for an AFC East title.
Trending: Uncertain. The Dolphins have division rival New York coming into town next week. This game will really show if the Dolphins have the offense to be a playoff team.
Expect another tough, physical ball game that tests the Dolphins’ offensive balance. The defense has to make Mark Sanchez uncomfortable to give themselves a better shot at winning.
I think after Week 3, we will know whether the Dolphins are players or pretenders in the AFC.
Number 6: Indianapolis Colts
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Before people start throwing a fit that I have Miami/Houston ahead of Indianapolis, I think losing to the Texans was a big set back for the Colts, and I have to see them continue to play like they did Sunday night before they are bumped ahead of them.
As far as Sunday night's game is concerned, the Colts played with the focus of the team that made last year's Super Bowl and look to be in fine shape moving forward
Trending: Upward. The Colts play in Denver this week, and should be tested against a fundamentally sound team.
I don't think Denver has the playmakers on offense to beat Indianapolis, but I'll be watching to see if the Colt's defense continues to play better against the run like they did when they played the Giants.
Number 7: Chicago Bears
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The offense looks… surprisingly good. Jay Cutler has had better protection and been able to work with a young group of wide receivers.
I’m starting to think Devin Hester is looking more like a starting wide out in the NFL, making a couple great catches in the game against the Cowboys.
If teams have to actually focus extra attention to stopping him, this offense begins to finally have some teeth.
Trending: Overall, upwards. But they might take a step back next week. They face a tough team in Green Bay and I don’t think they have the coverage people on defense to stop Aaron Rodgers.
Also watch out for a defense that gave Jay Cutler fits in his first year in Chicago. If they expect to win, Matt Forte needs to have a big game to take pressure off of the passing game.
Number 8: New York Jets
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All is well when you protect the quarterback and his receivers get open. Mark Sanchez looked so much better than he did during the first six quarters of the season during the second half of the Jets-Patriots game.
The defense has proven itself to be good against the run, now I’ll wait to see if New York generates any run game of their own from Shonn Greene.
Tomlinson looks good, but the one-two punch is what the running game needs to help Mark Sanchez during his second year in the league.
Trending: Slightly downward. With Revis out for a couple of games, the cornerbacks may be in trouble.
We saw Cromartie make team pay a couple of teams early for going after him, but now that he’s the number one guy, teams will pick on rookie cornerback Kyle Wilson.
I expect numerous pass interference calls to be made against the Jets of Sunday.
Number 9: Baltimore Ravens
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Could a home game against Cleveland come at a better time? I think not. The defense, even without Ed Reed, appears to be OK. The Ravens need to vastly improve, starting in the passing game.
Ten points just won’t do the trick in most NFL games, and Joe Flacco needs to rapidly improve his performance, if not for his team than at least for my fantasy football squad.
Trending: Upward, but only because the Browns are in town. The Ravens offense must focus on getting everything going to help out this defense, otherwise they have no shot against the other two teams in their division.
Number 10: New England Patriots
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New England looked great early; they just got away from playing their game late and let the Jets steal one.
I don’t think they need to vastly improve in any one area, just let Bill Belichick work his magic. Or just play Buffalo in New England.
Trending: Upward. Don’t worry. The offense should get back on track. And the defense, which at times looked poor against a young Mark Sanchez, gets a ball game against the Bills to work on technique and regain their confidence.
Number 11: Atlanta Falcons
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When a team loses its top two backs to injury, but suffers very little in the run production, that tells me two things.
The Falcons drafted well and had good depth at running back, and more importantly, have a versatile o-line that protected Matt Ryan and opened large holes in the running game.
Keeping Matt Ryan’s jersey clean will be the biggest key next week in New Orleans. I expect a shoot out.
Trending: Uncertain. The Falcons looked great at home, but played a poor game against a tough Steelers team on the road. Will they wilt against a tough Saints team on the road as well?
This remains to be seen, if Atlanta wants to win that division, they’ll have to find a way.
Number 12: Cincinnati Bengals
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The Bengals are 8-0 against division opponents in their last 8 games. If they can manage to beat some other teams at home I think they’ll once again be a playoff team.
Trending: Upwards. A game at Carolina means a lot of run stopping for the defense. I think Cincinnati is up to the test.
The defense looked completely different from their first game against the Patriots in week 2, I’m curious to see who shows up this week.
Number 13: Washington Redskins
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I might still be putting too much weight on their week 1 win, but I think the week 2 loss was justifiable because it was early in the season against a good Texans club.
Besides, the Redskins are an overtime field goal battle away from being 2-0. I think McNabb gives them a chance in every game and with the NFC East not looking quite up to par, the Redskins could sneak in to the playoffs as division champs.
Trending: Upwards. Bottom line, the Rams’ secondary gives up a lot of yards to good quarterbacks. Watch McNabb go to work as the Redskins roll.
Number 14: San Diego Chargers
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I have the Chargers ranked this high because they did exactly what good teams do, they bounced back convincingly after a tough loss. I'm still not sure if the running game will be strong enough this year.
Phil Rivers needs help at wide receiver until/if they get Vincent Jackson back. I wonder if the defense has enough, especially in the secondary, to compete against deeper wide receiver corps.
Trending: Upward. Their game in Seattle is another road test in a very loud stadium. I don't buy that the only reason the Chargers lost in Kansas City was the weather. I want to see how they respond in another challenging road environment. I think Rivers will pull them through.
Number 15: Tennessee Titans
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I thought the Titans were beyond the quarterback issues. But once again Jeff Fisher thought is best to take Vince Young out of the game and try to win with Kerry Collins.
All that does is kill any confidence Vince Young and the team had in this passing attack. Chris Johnson was limited to an average day, which for him is “below average”.
He did have a long run called back due to a penalty, however. The Titans turned the ball over seven times, effectively giving themselves very little chance to win last week.
Trending: Downward, slightly. There’s certainly some uncertainty surrounding Vince Young’s job, as ha seems to be on a fairly short leash with Kerry Collins proving he can still play.
Young needs to bounce back against a Giants’ secondary that doesn’t always cover well, but creates turnovers.
Tread carefully. I have no doubt that Chris Johnson will have a better game, I just wonder if this team has enough talent defensively to allow for some inconsistent performances by their quarterbacks.
Number 16: Kansas City Chiefs
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Todd Haley has weapons, finally. After last season it was hard to judge quarterback Matt Cassel’s play, as he had no O-line and very few passing targets.
Now, the Chiefs in Haley’s second year have what I consider to be one of the best backfields in football, and a few targets for the passing game.
With solid protection, this offense is good enough to win in the AFC West, is the defense? The youthful talent looks good now, but I’ll hold my judgment until a few more games are played.
Trending: Uncertain. The Chiefs, one of footballs’ most exciting young teams, has another upstart group coming to town in the San Francisco 49ers.
I want to see how the Chiefs respond to getting hit in the mouth a little bit, the 49ers being one of the most physical teams in the NFL.
Young players such as Dexter McCluster tend to struggle when they meet a fast, hard-hitting defense. Should the Chiefs move to 3-0, we will know that they are for real in the AFC West
Number 17: Philidelphia Eagles
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If Andy Reid didn’t want a QB controversy, maybe he should have held on to his future hall of fame quarterback. Now, he has a talented young man in Kevin Kolb, and an athletic freak of nature in Michael Vick. Kolb is the future of the team; Vick is popular with the team right now. I think Vick gives them a better chance to win, but a better running game and defensive leadership would also do the trick. If they’re not going to play him, the Eagles should trade Vick.
Trending: Around in circles. The team might have ignored the warning signs of the Packer game in week 1, that is, Kevin Kolb might not be ready for the speed of the NFL. Either way, he looks to be the starter again in week 3 at Jacksonville, and needs to play well. If he doesn’t have a good game, some players may begin to call for Vick to start, and the Eagles organization could find themselves in a true QB controversy at the worst possible time.
Number 18: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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Yep, beating the Panthers and Browns gets you to number 18 in the power rankings. If the Bucs want higher, they surely have the chance to earn major respect in beating the Steelers. Quarterback Josh Freeman looks great, working with a set of wide outs that I wasn't sure about heading in to the season. The defense is something to get excited about, because the majority of their players are on the rise, career wise.
Trending: Downward, but just for a weekend. Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a winner. I think there will be many positives this season for Tampa Bay, but Pittsburgh will be a "learning" experience. I just don't see them winning that game.
Number 19: Dallas Cowboys
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I don't think we've seen the real Cowboys yet. Our view has been skewed by penalties and other such mistake filled football. Of course, that doesn't erase the fact that they're 0-2, but I think there's too much talent on this team for them to become completely irrelevant in the NFC.
Trending: Uncertain. This game against Houston is a make or break type ball game. I know it's only week 3, but I feel like an 0-3 start wrecks this team's confidence, and more importantly the fans confidence. A good team would find a way to win this clutch ball game, if Dallas loses, you can all but count the out of serious contention
Number 20: Minnesota Vikings
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They need a number 1 receiver, I don't see anyone on the team now that steps up while Rice and Harvin are out, so I think the Vikings should go after Vincent Jackson. Adrian Peterson looks like a less explosive, less mistake-prone player.
Trending:Upward. They have the talent to beat a Matthew Stafford-less Lions team. They absolutely need to get that receiver situation figured out if they want to keep up with the Packers.
Number 21: New York Giants
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You kind of have to feel like the Panther game was eons ago after the way New York played against Indy.
The Giants have to move past that game, realize that Peyton Manning was on a mission Sunday night, and get a game plan together to stop Chris Johnson.
Trending: Upwards. Whether the Giants win or lose Sunday, the way they play against the Titans is the bigger thing to watch.
After a thrashing by the Colts, are the Giants still shell-shocked, or are they eager to do some thrashing of their own? I give them a slight edge at home over the Titans.
Number 22: Denver Broncos
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Losing to Jacksonville seems like not such a bad sign after a quality win at home.
The Broncos appear to be what I thought them to be. A team somewhat low on talent, but high on character and fundamentals, which could carry them a long way in their division.
Trending: Overall Upwards. Their young receivers looked better in week 2, which is a good sign for Kyle Orton.
I think a hot Indy team comes to town and beats them, but if Denver keeps it close, they could upset the defending AFC champs or at least keep the team confidence high in what might be a wide open division race.
Number 23: San Francisco 49ers
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The way they played Monday night is deserving of some applause. They stuck to their style of play and almost won because of it.
The mistakes, (fumbles/ interceptions) hurt them, but Alex Smith may have shown signs that he's matured enough to be the leader this team needs on offense.
The Defense is ready and can play with most teams. Frank Gore, if healthy, is all you need at tailback, just give them a passing game, and the 49ers are a solid team.
Trending: Upwards. At Kansas City, this is a game San Francisco needs to win if they're for real. They've been known to jumo up and win the big games (See Arizona Cardinals last year), but fall back to earth against more average teams(See Seattle, this year)
Number 24: Arizona Cardinals
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One picture can be worth 1,000 words. This is a prime example. Arizona has had these games before, look up their last game in New England, and recovered by the next week.
But that was with Kurt Warner. Which leads me to the next question, Is Derek Anderson really the Cardinals' best bet?
This team has some games where the defense looks great, and some where nobody can tackle. Can the offense bail them out when they play poorly?
Trending: Upwards. Oakland's coming to town. They are suffering through a quarterback struggle of their own and the Oakland defense may be just what the Cardinal offense needs to get back on track.
Number 25: Jacksonville Jaguars
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I think Jacksonville is one of those teams that can play almost anybody at home, but will struggle on the road this year. Unfortunately for them, their home crowd can be less than supportive at times.
I think the offense has the pieces, they just have to fit them together, and looked lost on defense last week in San Diego. Which is bad considering the Chargers were without Vincent Jackson
Trending: Upwards. Philadelphia is coming to town, and I don't think Kevin Kolb has the NFL experience to shred the Jaguar secondary. Look for David Garrard to bounce back, driving his fantasy league owners into mental institutions.
Number 26: Seattle Seahawks
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They looked lifeless on the road, and looked to lose focus after falling behind a bit. That's not a good sign for Pete Carroll. I think the Seahawks need a few more play makers before they can be a serious threat in the West again.
Trending: Downwards. San Diego comes to Seattle, and I have a vision of Philip Rivers working the play-action for the better part of three quarters to the tune of Seattle's second loss of the year.
Number 27: Oakland Raiders
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Darren McFadden looks to be the only sure thing on this offense. That could be an issue. They should have beat the Rams and felt good after a tough loss in week 1.
Instead, they beat the Rams and have no idea which quarterback is better for the offense, and who is going to step up as a lead tackler on defense.
Trending: Downwards. The Raiders don't travel well, not that Arizona is very far away. But the Cardinals will be pumped for their home opener.
I look for it to be a sloppy game, won by Arizona. I suspect both teams to lose all confidence in their quarterbacks, however.
Number 28: Carolina Panthers
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How many times will Carolina run the ball this season? With a rookie QB, I assume quite often. They have a couple of running backs that could be starters around the league, and Steve Smith looks like the Steve Smith of 3-4 years ago, but that still won't be enough to generate wins or a new contract for John Fox
Trending: Downwards. The Bengals are fresh off of a division win, and I look for them to stack 7 or 8 defenders in the box, take away Steve Smith, and chalk up a "W". Panther fans, this may be a recurring theme for your opponents.
Number 29: Detroit Lions
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With Matt Stafford healthy all season, I think the Lions could have finished around 8-8, winning a lot of high scoring games.
Now, I think they'll keep games close, for a while, but have a lot of trouble finishing games. We've already seen it happen twice.
Trending: Upward. Even when the Lions lose, these youngsters are gaining a plethora of experience. With another good draft in the Spring, look for the Lions to be a wild-card playoff contender in 2011.
Number 30: Cleveland Browns
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The Browns opened 2010 with two winnable games. Things clearly haven't gone as they hoped they would early on, and it only gets tougher from here, but the youth movement is gaining valuable playing time, and looks to be improving on defense.
Unfortunately, the Browns appear outmatched by almost everyone left on their schedule and lack the talent and depth to beat most teams even if they're close in the fourth quarter.
Trending: Upwards in the future, Downwards for now. Look for things to get ugly in Baltimore as Joe Flacco needs a good game to improve team morale after another loss to the Bengals.
Number 31: St. Louis Rams
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This team is still a year or two out from being fun to watch. They played two ugly games against the Cardinals and Raiders, and made both teams look better tha nthey actually are.
For Rams fans, have patience, these games will make Sam Bradford into a smart veteran quarterback by the time he has the team built around him to win.
Trending: Downward. Washington has a shot to win now, and Donovan McNabb isn't going to miss an oppurtunity to pick apart this defense.
Number 32: Buffalo Bills
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Let me put it to you like this, the only hope the Bills have, is to hope C.J. Spiller can return every kick back for a touchdown after they hopefully hold teams to field goals.
Or they could give up safeties on offense, which is better than whoever playing quarterback throwing a pick-six.
Seriously, the Bills game plan is:
Non-Urgent: Run, Run, Run, Punt
Urgent: Run, Run Draw, Deep pass to Lee Evans, 4th down fumbled snap.
Trending: Downward. Wake me when they have a quarterback, offensive line, and pass catcher not named Lee Evans.
It's a shame because Buffalo has some of the best fans in the league and they're rewarded through poor drafting and quite possibly losing the team all together to Toronto.
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