NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Dallas Cowboys and 3 Teams That Will Tumble

Week 3 of the 2011 NFL season will wreak havoc on the league's hierarchy as we know it. These three teams, in particular, have tough tasks ahead of them this week if they are to remain among the NFL's elite teams when the smoke clears and dust settles next week. 

Dallas Cowboys

It's one thing for Dallas to need an overtime to pull out a road win against the presumably lowly 49ers. It's another for the team to emerge with a whole new rash of injuries like they did.

The Cowboys will return to Irving for their first home game of the season, with the hated Redskins coming to town on Monday night. Tony Romo, he of the broken rib and punctured lung, remains a gigantic question mark. If Romo is unable to go, he'll have to sit on the sidelines next to Miles Austin (hamstring), Phil Costa (knee), Bill Nagy (neck) and Orlando Scandrick (ankle) while backup quarterback Jon Kitna tries his best to keep Dallas competitive.

On the bright side, head coach Jason Garrett will welcome Dez Bryant (bruised quad) and Terence Newman (groin) back into the fold and have the hobbled trio of Felix Jones (shoulder), Jason Witten (ribs) and Mike Jenkins (shoulder) at his disposal.

Meanwhile, Washington is off to a 2-0 start after a convincing Week 1 win over the Giants and a dangerously close shave against the Cardinals. Rex Grossman figures to feast on Dallas' banged-up defensive backfield, just as he has on those of the New York and Arizona so far. Even if Romo is able to give it a go, his internal injuries will likely limit his effectiveness, especially against the Redskins revamped pass rush.

All of which adds up to a 1-2 start for Them Cowboys. 

New York Jets

The Jets' 2-0 record belies the fact that they really haven't played all that well in the early going. Some lucky breaks against and key mistakes by the Cowboys helped Gang Green to pull out a win at home in the season opener, while the impotent Jaguars could barely muster a decent drive thanks to four picks by Luke McCown this past Sunday.

New York doesn't quite have the offense to take advantage of an Oakland defense that gave up 35 second-half points to Buffalo last week, unless Mark Sanchez mysteriously morphs into Joe Namath by week's end. As for the Raiders, they have some impressive weapons on offense, chiefly wide receiver Denarius Moore and running back Darren McFadden, who can give any defense fits with their speed and athleticism.

If the Silver and Black can find a way to limit their penalties, they'll have a surprisingly strong shot at stuffing Rex Ryan with some humble pie during the postgame meal.

Houston Texans

Everyone loves the Texans these days, and rightfully so. What's not to love about a team with a monster offensive unit (with or without Arian Foster), an improved defense under Wade Phillips and unusually weak competition in the AFC South?

I'll tell you what—a game in New Orleans against the Saints. This will be Houston's first real test of the young season, after cakewalks against Indianapolis and Miami. The fact that the Texans beat the Dolphins in a relatively low-scoring affair, 23-13, is reason enough to reconsider whether their offense is really ready for prime time, whether they belong among the elites.

After all, if the Texans are going to hang with the likes of New England and San Diego in the AFC, shouldn't they be able to score like them too?

If Matt Schaub and company need some examples as to how to put up points against good teams, they need only watch Drew Brees tear their defense apart at the Louisiana Superdome on Sunday.

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