NFL Power Rankings: NFC West Won't Improve in Week 3

If you take a look below, you will see that the highest ranked NFC West team is the Arizona Cardinals at No. 19. Honestly, there would be a legitimate gripe if someone said that I overrated at least one NFC West team.

The 49ers and Cardinals each have one win, while the Seahawks and Rams are both winless.

Looking at the Week 3 schedule, it's hard to see much advancement.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Seattle Seahawks

Obviously, somebody from the NFC West will win this game. But look where the Seahawks are ranked. Would a win from the Cardinals really vault them up the rankings?

No, it wouldn't. Granted, rankings don't mean anything in the NFL (unlike college), but Arizona has little to gain.

If they win big, so what? If Seattle isn't the worst team in the NFL, they are close. If Arizona wins close or loses, then they will plummet.

Conversely, if the Seahawks win, they didn't exactly beat a top flight opponent. Sure, a win would likely take them out of the bottom spot, but not by much.

Baltimore Ravens vs. St. Louis Rams

Unless the Ravens are significantly worse than we think they are, this one could get ugly. They will be in a hurry to show that the loss to Tennessee was nothing more than a fluke.

The Rams were favored by a lot of people to win the NFC West at the beginning of the season. The NFL didn't cut them any breaks in the schedule. In their opening three weeks, they will host two likely playoff teams.

If the Rams win this one, they will climb. That's where the NFC West's best chance for significant growth lies this week.

Still, I don't see that happening. Baltimore is a rough draw as it is, and they will be playing with an edge.

San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

A lot of what was said about the Cardinals over the Seahawks applies here. Even though the Bengals won their opener, people expect them to be one of the worst teams in the league.

The 49ers do have a tough task in that they are playing in the Eastern Time Zone. Still, if they win big against the Bengals, it's not that big of a deal.

If they lose or even win close, their rank will certainly not get any better.

The NFC West has taken on the nickname of the NFC Worst in recent years. It's still too early to say whether or not they will keep that label. But through the early weeks of the regular season, they are doing nothing to shed it.

Michael Dixon's Week 2 Power Rankings

Rank	Team	Record
1	Green Bay Packers	2-0
2	New England Patriots	2-0
3	New York Jets	2-0
4	Houston Texans	2-0
5	Detroit Lions	2-0
6	New Orleans Saints	1-1
7	Buffalo Bills	2-0
8	San Diego Chargers	1-1
9	Philadelphia Eagles	1-1
10	Chicago Bears	1-1
11	Washington Redskins	2-0
12	Baltimore Ravens	1-1
13	Pittsburgh Steelers	1-1
14	Dallas Cowboys	1-1
15	Atlanta Falcons	1-1
16	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-1
17	Oakland Raiders	1-1
18	New York Giants	1-1
19	Arizona Cardinals	1-1
20	Tennessee Titans	1-1
21	San Francisco 49ers	1-1
22	Carolina Panthers	0-2
23	St. Louis Rams	0-2
24	Miami Dolphins	0-2
25	Minnesota Vikings	0-2
26	Denver Broncos	1-1
27	Cincinnati Bengals	1-1
28	Cleveland Browns	1-1
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-1
30	Kansas City Chiefs	0-2
31	Indianapolis Colts	0-2
32	Seattle Seahawks	0-2