NFL Power Rankings: Assessing the State of all 32 Teams

It was a wild and woolly Week 3 in the NFL. After the first week of division games, some apple carts were upset, some flukes became trends, and some trends became flukes. The ranks of the unbeaten were thinned to just three teams: the Green Bay Packers (yep), the Detroit Lions (what?), and Buffalo Bills (the WHO?!?).

Five teams are still looking for their first W, and there are some surprises in their ranks, too. Let's take the temperature of all 32 teams as we step through the power rankings . . .

#32: St. Louis Rams

Though the Rams had designs on second-year quarterback Sam Bradford leading them to the Promised Land, he'll have to be able to stand up before he can lead anyone anywhere. A defense would also be nice.

#31: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs almost beat a talented, if struggling, Chargers team. Almost. Matt Cassel has to be more accurate downfield.

#30: Seattle Seahawks

A win is a win is a win, and the Seahawks did beat the Cardinals. I don't see them winning many more, though.

#29: Miami Dolphins

Tony Sparano got a lot of credit for the Dolphins' big turnaround; he deserves a lot of heat for their performance, or lack thereof, this season.

#28: Jacksonville Jaguars

If there was any doubt about whether starting Blaine Gabbert was a desperation move, there shouldn't be now.

#27: Minnesota Vikings

For the first time since 1950, an NFL team has blown three consecutive double-digit halftime leads. The Vikings have to find an answer for their 2nd-half woes.

#26. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts, incredibly, pushed the Steelers right to the edge this week. Curtis Painter had the drive of his life, and the Colts seem motivated to prove their recent decade of success wasn't all Peyton.

#25: Carolina Panthers

Cam Newton's 400-yard-passing-game-train screeched to a halt in a downpour, but he got his first win. As is true so often, in the Battle of the Southern Big Cats the team with the better quarterback is the better team.

#24. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals are paying Kevin Kolb too much to be shut out in the second half by the Seahawks. Ken Whisenhunt must get more out of his new franchise quarterback, and soon.

#23. Chicago Bears

The Bears gave the Packers a game, but they're looking up at both Green Bay and Detroit in the cutthroat NFC North. Somehow the offense is less than the sum of its talented parts.

#22: Denver Broncos

It's tough to tell if getting beaten by Matt Hasselbeck's Tennessee Titans is a black mark on a teams' record, or something that can't be helped.

#21: Atlanta Falcons

Did the Buccaneers finally flip the switch, or are Matt Ryan and the Falcons officially taking a step back this season?

#20: Cleveland Browns

Colt McCoy looks like the real deal. I bet you thought I was going to say 'McCoy,' didn't you? Pat Shurmur's team is still a work in progress, but what's in place looks good.

#19: Cincinnati Bengals

Against the 49ers, Andy Dalton finally looked like a kid who was playing in the Mountain West Conference this time last year. He may seem precocious, but there will be growing pains for the TCU product.

#18: Philadelphia Eagles

Though Mike "The Cockroach" Kafka is tough to kill, without Mike Vick the Eagles' postseason chances are already on life support.

#17: Oakland Raiders

Darren McFadden rushed for an absurd 9 yards per carry against a theoretically stout Jets defense; the Raiders look a surprisingly tough out.

#16: San Diego Chargers

Ranking the Chargers gives me fits. Incredibly talented, incredibly inconsistent. Should have spanked the Chiefs.

#15: Washington Redskins

With a divisional Monday Night Football game still in hand, the Redskins could move way up, or way down, the NFL pecking order. With the Eagles reeling, the Redskins could get a foothold in the NFC East race, too.

#14: Dallas Cowboys

Like the Redskins, a big chunk of the Cowboys power rank fate lies in how they perform on Monday Night Football.

#13: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers picked a good time to find their pass rush: against Matt Ryan and the division-rival Falcons,

#12: Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers dodged a bullet on Sunday Night, but it shouldn't have been that close. Big Ben and coaching staff keeping their rank this high.

#11: San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers defense can wreck people, and Alex Smith can hit a checkdown. That'll be good enough to win as often as not.

#10: New York Giants

With Mike Vick out 3-4 weeks, New York is suddenly sitting pretty in the NFC East. The Giants will need to take advantage of the opportunity to put plenty of space between themselves and the Eagles.

#9: Tennesee Titans

The rejuvenated Matt Hasselbeck is winning Tennessee ballgames. The probable loss of Kenny Britt for the season might bring that to a halt, but for now I'm giving the Titans their due.

#8: New York Jets

The vaunted Jets defense looked vulnerable against Darren McFadden. They'll need to tighten it up if they want to stay amongst the AFC's elite.

#7: Houston Texans

Houston lost a shootout in New Orleans, which happens to a lot of good teams these days. They slide in my rankings but not very much, and possibly not for long.

#6: New England Patriots

The Patriots dropped a shocker to Buffalo, but from this point on Bills wins shouldn't be "shockers."

#5: Baltimore Ravens

After stumbling over the maybe-actually-pretty-good Titans, the Ravens choked out the Rams with a flourish.

#4: New Orleans Saints

When Drew Brees really wants to score, almost nothing will stop him. The Saints again have that dangerous look about them.

#3: Detroit Lions

Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are still too good to be stopped, and the Lions are still high atop the NFL in points differential. Coming back from a 20-point halftime deficit at a division rival's stadium is impressive indeed.

#2: Buffalo Bills

If you want to be the man, then you have to beat the man. It can't be ignored any longer: Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bills have arrived.

#1: Green Bay Packers

Champs or no, the Packers are clearly not settling for a Wild Card berth this season. They're the class of the toughest division in football.

Complete Rankings

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