Another week is in the books and all of the league’s 32 teams have played 3-games. As I’ve said before, a lot can change early in the season. It always does. Some teams surprise while others disappoint, and fluctuations are a certainty. Remember, we’re still relying on off-season chatter and limited on-field evidence to some extent. Well, after another action-packed Sunday the picture is now clearer than ever before. Strap on that helmet and throw in a mouthpiece because week-3 hit the power rankings hard.
Top 5
1. Los Angeles Rams (3-0)
Previous Rank: #2
For the first time this season we have a changing of the guard in the number one spot, and the Rams directly pulled that spot away from last week’s top-ranked team.
It was only fair to put the Bucs in the top spot during the first two weeks of my power rankings. They’re the defending Super Bowl champions and they started the season 2-0 to continue an impressive win streak dating back to December of last season.
Now, let’s get to the Rams. Over the last handful of years, the Rams have primed themselves for a Super Bowl victory. We all know they came close back in 2019 when they fell to Tom Brady and the Patriots 13-3 in Super Bowl LII, also known as one of the more-boring Super Bowls of my lifetime. Since then, they’ve continued to add big names to their roster and vastly improved at quarterback after they shipped Jared Goff to Detroit in exchange for Matthew Stafford.
So far, it looks like Stafford has been the difference. That, and Cooper Kupp’s development on the perimeter. Through three-games, Stafford has thrown for 942-yards, 9 touchdowns and just one interception. Stafford’s nine passing touchdowns are tied with Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner (1999) for the most through three games in Rams history (Lindsey Thiry – ESPN).
The NFC West might be the deepest division in the league, and the Rams’ next two games are at home against the Cardinals and on-the-road at Seattle before a very manageable three-game stretch against the Giants, Lions and Texans. If the Rams are able to take the next two, watch out.
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
Previous Rank: #1
While my gut told me to move the Bucs back further than the number-2 spot, I just couldn’t do it. Yeah, Tampa Bay fell to the undefeated and now top-ranked Los Angeles Rams on their home turf, but the team is still 10-1 over their last 11-games. Who wouldn’t love to see the Bucs and Rams in a postseason rematch?
One thing we’ve all learned over the years is you don’t bet against a Tom Brady-led team. You just don’t do it. That guy will prove you wrong over and over no matter how old he is. As expected, Brady has been terrific through three-games. He’s averaging 369 passing yards per game and his 10 touchdowns are the most in the league. Despite that, the lack of a run game concerns me because Brady has often excelled off play-action. The defense, which returns nearly everyone from last year, hasn’t looked very tough. The Buccaneers have allowed 300-plus passing yards and at least two passing touchdowns to each quarterback they’ve faced this season (Dan Hanzus – NFL Network). They’re also allowing their opponents to score nearly 30ppg.
At this point, we should all probably relax when it comes to the Bucs. They Brady’s old stomping grounds this week for a Sunday Night Football matchup with the Patriots. Here’s to betting the Bucs get right and beat the Patriots by at least 10-points.
3. Buffalo Bills (2-1)
Previous Rank: NR
Everyone had to pump the breaks on the Bills after their 23-16 week-1 loss at home to the Steelers. Since then, that loss looks even worse. Pittsburgh has dropped back-to-back games, including a 24-10 loss at home to the Bengals on Sunday. Despite that, I’m willing to chalk it up to simply a bad performance in the opening game of the season. Most people are also willing to overlook the Packers 38-3 season-opening loss to the Saints now that Green Bay has won two in a row.
Josh Allen’s play was a little subpar in the Bills’ first two games, but he turned it on in Buffalo’s 43-21 win over Washington on Sunday, throwing for 358-yards and four touchdowns. The defense has been fantastic and deserves more credit having held opponents to just 252.7 yards per game and 14.7 points per game. Both are good enough for fourth in the league.
Week-4 should be easy for the Bills as they host the hapless Texans, but the competition will go up a few notches in weeks five and six when the play back-to-back road games against Kansas City and Tennessee.
4. Las Vegas Raiders (3-0)
Previous Rank: #5
The Raiders made their first appearance in the NFL power rankings last week in the number-five spot, and followed that up with a hard-fought 31-28 overtime win over the Dolphins. There are five undefeated teams in the league and the Raiders are one of them, so I had to hold them a spot and move them up. I will admit I almost slotted the Raiders at number-five instead of here in the four-hole.
The win over Miami was very strange. After falling behind 14-0, Las Vegas turned it on and scored the next 25-points to take a two-possession lead. Unfortunately for the Raiders, the Phins nailed a field goal, plus a touchdown and a successful two-point conversion to push the Raiders into an overtime game for the second time this season. After trading field goals, Daniel Carlson got another opportunity and nailed a game-winning chip-shot field goal from 22-yards out.
Derek Carr continues to thrive after throwing for nearly 400-yards and two touchdowns against Miami. It is important to mention the Raiders have won two-straight without the services of starting running back, Josh Jacobs. Once Jacobs is healthy, the offense should get even better.
5. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)
Previous Rank: NR
Give credit when credit is due. The camp of people that thought Kliff Kingsbury would find success with the Cardinals is small. He drafts a dynamic, but severely undersized quarterback in Kyler Murray with the top overall pick to open the 2019 NFL Draft, then proceeds to go 5-10 in year-one. Last season, he helped improve his team’s win total to 8-8, and now his team has started year-three 3-0.
The Cardinals got everyone’s attention in week-1 when they traveled to Nashville and fed the Titans their own recipe of hot chicken in route to a 38-13 bludgeoning. From there, they pulled out a 34-33 come-from-behind win in the fourth quarter against Minnesota in week-2. If Vikings placekicker Greg Joseph hadn’t missed a 37-yard field goal as time expired, the Cardinals would be 2-1 and possibly not inside the top-five of this week’s rankings. That’s the NFL for ya. We won’t spend any time discussing the Cardinals’ 31-19 road win over the Jaguars last week, because well, it’s the Jags.
Arizona currently ranks second in total offense and the defense has forced seven turnovers.
Like the top-ranked Rams, the Cardinals also reside in the highly-competitive NFC West. These two teams will meet this Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET in Los Angeles for the first of two meetings this season. That’s miss television right there.
Bottom 5
28 – Bears: 26-6 (L) at. Browns
Previous Rank: NR
29 – Giants: 17-14 (L) vs. Falcons
Previous Rank: 30
30 – Texans: 24-9 (L) vs. Panthers
Previous Rank: 29
31 – Jaguars: 31-19 (L) vs. Cardinals
Previous Rank: 32
32 – Jets: 26-0 (L) at. Broncos
Previous Rank: 31
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