W2Mnet NFL Power Rankings: Week Three

The National Football League provided some interesting storylines. The New England Patriots apparently can have anyone playing quarterback. The Denver Broncos Trevor Siemian and the Philadelphia Eagles Carson Wentz are for real. The Minnesota Vikings defense is incredible. So, is the Kansas City Chiefs by the way. There’s so much more I could spell out, but why not find out by reading the W2Mnet NFL Power Rankings: Week Three instead.

#1 New England Patriots

Record: 3-0                                                                                             (Last Week: 2)

It doesn’t even matter if New England is using a third string rookie quarterback.  New England looks like the most complete team in the league as they dominated the Houston Texans on Thursday night.  The defense continues to look improved from previous seasons, and the rushing attack of LaGarrette Blount and a great offensive line continues to keep the offense rolling without Tom Brady – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: vs Buffalo)

#2 Denver Broncos

Record: 3-0                                                                                             (Last Week: 1)

Denver fans heard something this past week they needed to hear to feel good about this team:  Trevor Siemian beat a good team through the air.  Siemian threw four touchdowns against a good Bengals defense.  The defense kept up their end as well playing well despite injuries holding a powerful Bengals offense to only 17 points.  I do not think anyone wants to face this Denver team right now, and they are still a strong Super Bowl contender. – Daniel Anderson

(Next Week: @ Tampa Bay)

 

 

#3 Minnesota Vikings

Record: 3-0                                                                                             (Last Week: 6)

The Vikings continue to show that they shouldn’t be taken lightly. They moved to 3-0 after defeating the defending NFC Champion Panthers 22-10. Bradford wasn’t spectacular, throwing for 170 and a touchdown, but he did enough to win. However, the real story here is the tremendous Minnesota defense. They sacked Cam Newton 8 times, with Everson Griffen tallying 3 alone. They also picked off the MVP 3 times. The Vikings seem to be headed to big things, led by their stifling defense. – Noah Mooney

(Next Week: vs NY Giants)

#4 Philadelphia Eagles

Record: 3-0                                                                                          (Last Week: 16)

The Philadelphia Eagles dominated their co-state rival in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Carson Wentz was on a mission to prove the hype is real, as he earned a QB rating of 125.9 and scored a pair of touchdowns. You also have to give credit to the Philadelphia defense for shutting down one of the league’s best offenses. Overall, the Eagles played a near perfect game against a playoff contender. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: Bye Week)

#5 Green Bay Packers

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 9)

Aaron Rodgers and Jordy Nelson look to be back in sync as Green Bay was able to jump all over the Lions early and then hold them off for the win.  Rodgers looked great in his home debut, throwing 4 first half touchdown passes. – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: Bye Week)

#6 Baltimore Ravens

Record: 3-0                                                                                          (Last Week: 11)

The Ravens good fortune continued on Sunday, as they pulled out another close game, this time at the expense of the still winless Jaguars. With team health being a big part of the rejuvenated Ravens, along with the clutch kicking of Justin Tucker and his 54 yard field goal with just over a minute to play, the Ravens now sit alone atop the AFC North with a 3-0 record. While much has been said about the quality of opponents so far, it hasn’t stopped the Ravens from beating who was in front of them. – Mike Mitchell

(Next Week: vs Oakland)

#7 Kansas City Chiefs

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 13)

The Chiefs play at Arrowhead and the defense goes on an interception fest. Marcus Peters leads the way with two of six interceptions, another was a pick six by Derrick Johnson. That’s not all though, The Jets had two more turnovers for a total of eight for the game. The Jets may have finished with more total yards, but the two defensive scores and a passing touchdown by Alex Smith was all they needed to get the win. – Sean Garmer

(Next Week: @ Pittsburgh)

#8 Seattle Seahawks

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 15)

The Seahawks rebounded nicely after their loss to the Rams last week with a 37-18 win over the 49ers. Christine Michael ran for 106 yards and two touchdowns while Russell Wilson threw for 243 and a touchdown. While many positives come in a huge win like Seattle had, it didn’t come without its negatives. The injury bug has bit the Seahawks as both Thomas Rawls and Russell Wilson are currently injured. While they have started well, trying to win without two of their key cogs on offense may pose to be a problem. – Noah Mooney

(Next Week: @ NY Jets)

#9 Pittsburgh Steelers

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 3)

The Steelers were thoroughly embarrassed by the Eagles, losing for the 9th straight time at Philadelphia in a streak that extends back to 1965. Another NFL record streak came to an end, as the Steelers had gone over 300 straight games without trailing by 30+ points at any point (last time was 1989). However, the return of LeVeon Bell this week should give the offense a boost, as he is expected to start immediately. The Steelers are hoping that linebackers Lawrence Timmons and Ryan Shazier can get back on the field, after suffering injuries in the first half that the Eagles took full advantage of. – Mike Mitchell

(Next Week: vs Kansas City)

#10 Dallas Cowboys

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 14)

The Dallas Cowboys took it to the Chicago Bears on Sunday night. Both teams came into this game with numerous key injuries on both sides of the ball. Yet, the game must go on. The Cowboys jumped out ahead with seventeen unanswered points in the first half. We saw the Bears fight but the Cowboys ended up being able to continue scoring to put the Bears away. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott played at a high level. Overall, the Cowboys offense once again bailed out their struggling defense. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: @ San Francisco)

#11 New York Giants

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 8)

The Giants suffered their first loss of the season in disappointing fashion against their rivals the Washington Redskins.  With all eyes on the matchup between Odell Beckham Jr and Josh Norman, Beckham was able to record 121 yards but was not able to get into the end zone.  The game was back and forth until the bitter end, with the Giants trying one last drive to win the game following a field goal by Dustin Hopkins with 1:51 to go in the game but Eli Manning would throw an interception to Su’a Cravens to seal the game. – Brandon Biskobing

(Next Week: @ Minnesota)

#12 Carolina Panthers

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 4)

Despite possessing the ball for nearly ten more minutes than the Vikings, and holding Minnesota to only 211 yards, 3 turnovers cost the Panthers in a defensive struggle. Kelvin Benjamin was held without a catch after his explosive first two weeks, and Cam Newton was sacked eight times by the relentless Vikings defense. With the Falcons, Bucs and Saints upcoming, the Panthers have a chance to get back on track. – Mike Mitchell

(Next Week: @ Atlanta)

#13 Oakland Raiders

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 17)

Finally the much hyped Oakland Raiders defense showed up and made a statement in the 17-10 win. They forced three turnovers, including two Marcus Mariota interceptions, while Derek Carr put up 249 yards and a score. The game ended mired in controversy due to an offensive pass interference call, which negated a game tying touchdown for the Titans. This win is huge for the Raiders because they keep pace in the division. Although, they still have quite a bit of work to do to sure things up defensively, as they allowed 160 yards on the ground to DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry. This type of victory could be just what the doctor ordered for The Raiders. – Sean Garmer

(Next Week: @ Baltimore)

#14 Houston Texans

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 7)

Simply this was a case of one team being fully prepared and the Houston Texans having no idea how to counter. The Texans were blasted on both sides of the ball and never recovered. The team made lots of mistakes and Brock Osweiler barely mustered 196 yards passing and forced an interception. The defense also could not stop LeGarrette Blount from running all over them. Jacoby Brissett looked fine and that was even without Rob Gronkowski being much of a factor. The Texans still lead the division, but if this performance is any indication, they may not be for long. – Sean Garmer

(Next Week: vs Tennessee)

#15 Arizona Cardinals

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 5)

The Cardinals suffered a shocking loss to the Buffalo Bills after a tumultuous week for Buffalo in which they fired their offensive coordinator.  This may have been a case of overlooking an opponent, as the Cardinals came out flat in the first quarter, giving up 10 points without scoring any themselves.  Carson Palmer was not accurate with the ball at all, throwing four interceptions. – Brandon Biskobing

(Next Week: vs Los Angeles)

#16 Atlanta Falcons

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 19)

The Falcons are leading their division right now.  Atlanta fans have to be happy about that.  The offense is doing good, but the defense still has issues.  One thing that is impressive is that much of the great offensive showing Atlanta had did not include Julio Jones.  Everyone said that if Atlanta’s offense got some weapons to go around Jones it could be deadly, and so far it has been.  The defense is the only thing that is holding the team back, but they are generally playing well enough to win games.  Next week against Carolina will be a critical game for the team and the division. – Daniel Anderson

(Next Week: vs Carolina)

 

 

 

#17 Los Angeles Rams

Record: 2-1                                                                                             (Last Week: 26)

The Rams kept up their winning ways after a low scoring game against the Seahawks last week in a shootout this week. LA defeated the Bucs 37-32 as Case Keenum threw for 2 touchdowns and 190 yards. Todd Gurley still struggled, but was able to cross the plane twice for the Rams offense. The secondary struggled as Jameis threw for over 400 yards, however the defensive line held their best runner, Sims, to only 55 yards. The Rams now have started the season at 2-1, turning a lot of heads in the process. – Noah Mooney

(Next Week: @ Arizona)

#18 Cincinnati Bengals

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 12)

The Bengals welcome back the talented but turbulent Vontaze Burfict from his 3 game suspension, and the team needs him. They’ve surrendered 25 points per game so far, granted against playoff quality competition, but the defense was expected to be one of the best in the NFL but has yet to show it. The offense hasn’t been much better, as they have yet to get consistent running or passing results. The return of Tyler Eifert appears to be very close, which will certainly help. – Mike Mitchell

(Next Week: vs Miami)

#19 New York Jets

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 10)

Ryan Fitzpatrick looked terrible in the 24-3 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.  Fitzpatrick threw six interceptions, two near the goalline, and ruined any chance of a New York comeback in the 4th quarter. – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: vs Seattle)

#20 Washington Redskins

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 23)

The Washington Redskins got a much needed win. The New york Giants gave them a run for their money, but the Redskins never gave up. Josh Norman and the Redskins defense created numerous turnovers to give them an edge. Kirk Cousins played a decent game and kept the Redskins in the game. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: vs Cleveland)

#21 Indianapolis Colts

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 22)

 Indianapolis still doesn’t look like the team that used to dominate the AFC South, but the did pick up their first win.  Andrew Luck found T.Y. Hilton on a 63 yard touchdown pass to slip past the San Diego Chargers in a close 26-22 win. – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: @ Jacksonville)

#22 Detroit Lions

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 18)

The Lions found themselves down big quickly in Lambeau, as Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TD’s in the first half. The Lions made it respectable in the end, losing 34-27. But a banged up defense just had no answers in the first half. On the bright side, Matthew Stafford is in the top 5 for QB’s thus far, and Marvin Jones did an amazing Megatron impersonation with over 200 yards receiving and two TD’s. A match up against the woeful Bears this week might be just what the Lions need to get back to .500 – Mike Mitchell

(Next Week: @ Chicago)

#23 San Diego Chargers

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 21)

We saw the San Diego Chargers head into Indianapolis with some confidence after playing so well the week prior. The Chargers fell behind early but quickly caught up at half against the Colts. In the end, the game was tight, but the Chargers could not pull off a game winning drive with Philip Rivers throwing game ending interception.  We also witnessed San Diego lose a key defender in linebacker Manti Te’o. It was a hard fought loss for a Chargers team that has impressed and shut up some critics. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: vs New Orleans)

#24 Buffalo Bills

Record: 1-2                                                                                          (Last Week: 30)

After their game last week, offensive coordinator was fired. This week, it seems to be the remedy the team needed. As The Bills put up points against a tough Cardinals defense. However, it wasn’t in the way they’ve done it this season. LeSean McCoy runs for 110 yards and two scores. – Sean Garmer

(Next Week: @ New England)

#25 Tennessee Titans

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 20)

Tennessee’s defense continued its strong play, but the team cannot win with the offense constantly turning the ball over.  This Tennessee team has a strong running game with Henry and Murray in the backfield, but the quarterback play has to improve for the team to succeed.  If they can get better quarterback play, this team could win a weak division. – Daniel Anderson

(Next Week: @ Houston)

#26 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 24)

The Bucs lost to the Rams 37 to 32 in a hard fought game.  Jameis Winston had a good game, throwing for 405 yards and 3 touchdowns, but did throw an interception as well. – Brandon Biskobing

(Next Week: vs Denver)

#27 Miami Dolphins

Record: 1-2                                                                                          (Last Week: 29)

In their first game at the renovated Hard Rock Stadium and with sadness in the air due to the death of Jose Fernandez the night before, there was a lot of pressure on the Miami Dolphins to deliver a win. Not to mention, there were two 0-2 teams playing each other and both teams played like it. Desperation mode was in full effect, as both quarterbacks made mistakes and Ryan Tannehill threw two interceptions. Ryan Tannehill did throw for 319 yards and three touchdowns as well. However, it was Jay Ajayi who put the Dolphins in the win column in overtime. Although at times, the Dolphins could have easily lost this game. They pulled out the win and avoid the peril of 0-3. – Sean Garmer

(Next Week: @ Cincinnati)

#28 San Francisco 49ers

Record: 1-2                                                                                             (Last Week: 25)

After starting off the season with a win the 49ers are playing the way most people expected them to in the beginning of the season.  They lost 37-18 to the Seahawks, who have struggled to open up the season.  Both touchdowns for San Francisco were scored on the ground by Carlos Hyde. – Brandon Biskobing

(Next Week: vs Dallas)

#29 Jacksonville Jaguars

Record: 0-3                                                                                             (Last Week: 27)

Another game, another missed opportunity for the Jacksonville Jaguars.  Blake Bortles continues to make too many mistakes, and the running game is still non existent.  The AFC South is still pretty weak, so there is still time for Jacksonville to turn it around.  However, it is not looking like this will be the Jaguar breakout season many of us predicted. – Randy Isbelle

(Next Week: vs Indianapolis)

#30 New Orleans Saints

Record: 0-3                                                                                             (Last Week: 28)

How is it so hard for New Orleans to build a good defense?  Since Bountygate the Saints have been consistently bad on defense.  I understand it hurt them, but they should have been able to rebuild by now.  The Saints’ offense is one of the best in the league, but the defense cannot stop anyone.  Until they get a better defense, the the Saints will keep losing shootouts.. – Daniel Anderson

(Next Week: @ San Diego)

#31 Chicago Bears

Record: 0-3                                                                                          (Last Week: 31)

For the second straight week, the Bears embarrassed themselves on national television. While the final score, 31-17 doesn’t seem terrible, the score was 28-3 at one point. The Cowboys let up on the gas pedal, which is why Hoyer was able to pass for 317 yards and 2 scores, both to tight end Zach Miller. This season seems to be a wash for Chicago, so the season should be devoted to finding pieces that can be built around, and one could be running back Jordan Howard who took off after Langford was injured. He finished with 45 yards on 9 attempts, and with Langford out 4-6 weeks, Howard will get a chance to shine. Not many positives in this game, but maybe Howard can become one. – Noah Mooney

(Next Week: vs Detroit)

#32 Cleveland Browns

Record: 0-3                                                                                             (Last Week: 32)

The Cleveland Browns were faced with a large task as they were forced to start rookie quarterback Cody Kessler against a tough Miami Dolphins defense. Kessler lasted little time before his start of the game became a total nightmare. Though honestly, the entire Browns team found themselves trapped in this bad dream. It seemed that the Browns were treading water and could never get out of the pool. Week to week the Browns showcase talented players and produce, but it never results in wins. Overall, the Browns proved they could not overcome adversity or find a way to a victory. – Gary Vaughan

(Next Week: @ Washington)

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