NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

By Teddy Covers - Covers Expert

The Niners march into the No. 1 spot, thanks in part to the Patriots' upset loss to Arizona, and the top five teams play musical chairs. Find out where your favorite teams sits in the Week 3 power rankings.

NFL Power Rankings

Week 3 Rank Last Week Change Team W-L-T
(ATS) 		Power Rating Team Comments
1 2 move up in rankings1 2-0-0
(2-0-0) 		-7.5 San Francisco
With all 11 starters back from a defense that carried this team to the NFC Championship Game last year, the Niners have opened up the season by shutting down a pair of 5,000-yard passers.
2 4 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		-7.0 Green Bay
Dom Capers' blitzing defense was at their best last Thursday Night – four interceptions and seven sacks, overcoming a second straight sluggish offensive showing.
3 1 move down in rankings2 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		-7.0 New England
Sorry, when a team loses at home as two-TD favorites against Arizona, they get bounced from the top spot of these ratings.
4 5 move up in rankings1 2-0-0
(2-0-0) 		-6.5 Houston
There's no question that the competition has been weak, but when a team opens up the season with back-to-back 20 point wins, they're clearly doing something right.
5 7 move up in rankings2 2-0-0
(2-0-0) 		-6.0 Atlanta
Michael Turner has rushed for only 74 yards on 28 carries this year, and his inability to gain tough yards between the tackles allowed Denver a comeback chance Monday Night.
6 3 move down in rankings3 1-1-0
(2-0-0) 		-6.0 Baltimore
Ray Rice is averaging 6.4 yards per carry, but Baltimore’s new pass-first philosophy shows 71 Joe Flacco throws compared to 26 Rice rushing attempts through the first two games.
7 6 move down in rankings1 1-1-0
(0-2-0) 		-5.5 N.Y. Giants
The good news? The G-men overcame three Eli interceptions and a 14-point second half deficit to beat Tampa Bay. Bad news? This pass defense looks awful.
8 8 no change in rankings 2-0-0
(0-2-0) 		-5.0 Philadelphia
Becoming the first team in NFL history to win each of their first two games by a single point is not a good thing if you’re favored to win by margin in both games.
9 10 move up in rankings1 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		-3.5 Dallas
After blowing up the Giants at the line of scrimmage, the Cowboys looked soft against the physical Seahawks in an ugly blowout loss.
10 12 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(0-2-0) 		-3.0 Detroit
Matthew Stafford has thrown more interceptions (four) and taken more sacks (three) than he's thrown touchdown passes (two). Last year, he had a 41-16 TD-INT ratio.
11 14 move up in rankings3 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		-3.0 Pittsburgh
After getting gashed by the Broncos and allowing 10 points on the Jets' first two drives last week, the Steelers defense closed out the game forcing punts on each of the Jets' last six drives.
12 11 move down in rankings1 0-2-0
(0-2-0) 		-2.5 New Orleans
Facing RG3 and Cam Newton to open the season was a very tough task for this underachieving defense, ranked dead last in the NFL through two games.
13 9 move down in rankings4 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		-2.0 Chicago
Matt Forte is hurt again and the offensive line got destroyed against Green Bay. But this defense held the mighty Packers out of the end zone into the fourth quarter.
14 13 move down in rankings1 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		-2.0 Denver
Denver was one third down defensive stop away from rallying to overcome a three-TD deficit in the fourth quarter Monday night, despite four early turnovers.
15 15 no change in rankings 2-0-0
(2-0-0) 		-1.5 San Diego
Norv Turner's defense has looked dominant through the first two games, but both Chargers opponents so far have both suffered from sub-par offensive line play.
16 18 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		0.0 Carolina
Cam Newton only completed three check-down passes to his running backs last week – this vertical offense continues to take big-play shots downfield.
17 23 move up in rankings6 2-0-0
(2-0-0) 		1.0 Arizona
Very, very quietly, Arizona is now 9-2 SU in its last 11 games thanks to an underrated defense that has allowed 23 points or less in every one of those contests.
18 19 move up in rankings1 1-1-0
(0-1-1) 		1.0 Cincinnati
The good? Andy Dalton torching the Browns defense for 318 yards and three TDs. The bad? Cincy's defense made Brandon Weeden and Trent Richardson look like pro bowlers.
19 16 move down in rankings3 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		1.0 N.Y. Jets
Mark Sanchez had zero chemistry with his receivers at Pittsburgh, completing only seven passes after the Jets' lone touchdown drive on their first possession.
20 20 no change in rankings 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		1.0 Seattle
With the win over Dallas, the Seahawks have now pulled SU upset victories over the Eagles and Ravens and an ATS cover against San Fran in their last four tries as home dogs.
21 17 move down in rankings4 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		1.0 Washington
Josh Morgan's mental meltdown doomed the Skins' comeback try at St Louis, but this defense has been gashed for 31.5 points per game. Without Orakpo and Carriker, it could get worse.
22 24 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(2-0-0) 		2.0 Tampa Bay
When your pass defense allows more than 500 yards, didn't force a single incompletion on the last three drives and can't hold a two-TD lead in the second half, it's never a good sign.
23 25 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		2.5 Buffalo
Injured RB Fred Jackson challenged his replacement, CJ Spiller, to put the team on his back last week. Spiller responded: 15 carries, 123 yards and two TDs.
24 26 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(2-0-0) 		3.0 St. Louis
Each of the Rams' first two games have been decided by exactly three points - classic Jeff Fisher football. For a team likely to be a big dog repeatedly this year, close games = profits.
25 22 move down in rankings3 0-2-0
(0-2-0) 		4.0 Tennessee
I could be overrating the Titans here, because they've looked nothing short of "the worst team in the league" awful through their first two ballgames.
26 27 move up in rankings1 1-1-0
(0-2-0) 		4.5 Minnesota
Blair Walsh continues to hit 50-plus yard field goals, and QB Christian Ponder led a fourth-quarter comeback for the second straight week.
27 21 move down in rankings6 0-2-0
(0-2-0) 		5.0 Kansas City
Another team that I could be overrating by not ranking them at No. 30 or higher. Kansas City has looked nothing short of awful on both sides of the football.
28 29 move up in rankings1 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		5.0 Miami
Trailing at the half against Oakland, Miami engineered four TDs on its last five drives, delivering a physical pounding at the line of scrimmage.
29 28 move down in rankings1 0-2-0
(0-2-0) 		5.5 Oakland
When Miami can blow you out by three touchdowns, you know that the Raiders' brand new offensive and defensive schemes are still very much a work in progress.
30 32 move up in rankings2 1-1-0
(1-1-0) 		6.0 Indianapolis
An offensive line that graded out as weak as any in the NFL prior to the season has gotten worse with injuries to center Samson Satele and guard Joe Reitz.
31 31 no change in rankings 0-2-0
(1-0-1) 		6.5 Cleveland
Without suspended cornerback Joe Haden, the Browns secondary got torched against Cincy, although the revamped offense made things interesting with three late scoring drives.
32 30 move down in rankings2 0-2-0
(1-1-0) 		7.0 Jacksonville
When your team gets outgained by a nearly 4:1 margin in your home opener, and gains zero yards or less on five different drives, you’ve earned spot No. 32.
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Power Ratings compute offensive and defensive statistics into one number for each team, while accounting for factors like recent performances and strength of schedule. Power Ratings can be used as a baseline for relative spread index to compare current or future match-ups between two teams. The relative spread does not account for non-statistical factors like home-field advantage, recent injuries, game time decisions, rivalries, publicity, and weather.