Weekly NFL Power Rankings Week 3: 49ers, Bengals Rise in the Ranks

There are a lot of changes in the NFL power rankings heading into Week 3.

For starters, far too many quarterback injuries are impacting the rankings, and as we get deeper and deeper into the season, teams are starting to show us who they truly are.

Time to make some more fan bases mad. Here are the Week 3 power rankings.

NFL Power Rankings Week 3

1. Seattle Seahawks (2-0)

No change

Yep. The defending champs are still good.

Drew Lock continues to play well in Sam Darnold’s absence, giving the Seahawks the luxury of not having to rush their starting quarterback. The shiny new contract has seemingly only made Jaxon Smith-Njigba better, while the defense remains arguably the league’s best. Led by one of the top coaches in all of football, the Seahawks stay atop our power rankings for Week 3.

2. Buffalo Bills (2-0)

No change

The Bills were already an elite offense, but Joe Brady’s promotion to head coach has somehow made this unit even more potent. Led by the best player in football, Buffalo can attack you in so many ways, whether it’s the run game, 13 personnel, play-action, deep passing, you name it.

The question will always be can Buffalo’s bend don’t break defense get the stops when they need them, and while they’ve surrendered over 30 points in both games, the pass rush looks better. Greg Rousseau is thriving in new DC Jim Leohnard’s new scheme, while Deone Walker is a rising star at defensive tackle.

3. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)

Change: +3

The only quarterback playing better than Brock Purdy through two weeks is Josh Allen.

I’ve always said he’s the most underrated quarterback in football, but if Purdy keeps playing like this, that won’t be the case for long. The 49ers are dealing with some injuries at wide receiver, but as long as their core veterans are healthy, this is one of the elite teams in the NFL and a serious candidate to make it out of the NFC.

4. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)

Change: +4

The Chiefs should once again terrify the rest of the NFL.

Patrick Mahomes, for the most part, looks like Patrick Mahomes. We even saw his best deep ball in years last week, connecting with Tyquan Thornton. Kenneth Walker has changed the dynamic of this entire offense, while Kansas City’s young defensive backs Nohl Williams and Mansoor Delane have really impressed through the first two weeks.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

5. Los Angeles Rams (1-1)

Change: -1

It turns out the Week 1 Australia game was a blip on the radar.

The Rams bounced back on Monday, looking much more like the perennial preseason favorites, even without Puka Nacua. Hopefully he and Myles Garrett return shortly because when they do, no team in football will be able to match the star power that the Rams possess.

6. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0)

Change: +5

The Bengals with an actual defense is a pretty scary thought. While they haven’t exactly exploded just yet, we know what this offense is capable of with Joe Burrow healthy. But the improvements the Bengals have made on the defensive end truly change the entire trajectory of this team. Cincinnati currently ranks seventh in sack rate (9.5%) and third in turnovers (4).

Dexter Lawrence and Jonathan Allen have transformed what was once a laughable run defense into a vaunted one. The Bengals are allowing just 1.13 yards before contact per rush this year, compared to 1.93 from a season ago.

7. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)

Change: -4

The Ravens had a poor second half, ultimately falling to the Saints at home on Sunday. For some reason, in a game where they had the lead and were without Zay Flowers, Baltimore got away from Derrick Henry, giving him just five second-half carries. Overall, I still feel great about this offense when fully healthy, while the pass rush looks light years better with the addition of Trey Hendrickson.

8. Denver Broncos (1-1)

Change: -1

While it wasn’t perfect, the Broncos bounced back with a win over the Jaguars on Sunday. The involvement of Jaylen Waddle was much needed, though it appears this offense might have some inconsistencies week to week. The backfield is banged up, but the Broncos might have something in rookie Jonah Coleman.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1)

Change: -4

Sunday was Jacksonville’s first regular season loss since Week 10 of last year. They really struggled in the second half against Denver, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Still, Parker Washington is emerging into a star at wide receiver. Now they just need to fully commit to their clear best running back, Bhayshul Tuten.

10. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)

No change

Look, it wasn’t pretty, but a win is a win. The Eagles overcame their Nashville demons, finally winning in Tennessee. Outside of a pair of interceptions, Jalen Hurts was fantastic, particularly on the team’s game-winning drive. He continues to play his best when it matters the most.

There is a serious concern regarding the offensive line, which is carrying over from last year. Saquon Barkley, who barely played on Sunday, is averaging just 0.16 yards before contact per rush this season, the third-lowest mark among running backs. This is the worst Philadelphia’s rushing attack has looked in quite some time. Meanwhile, Dallas Goedert’s injury prompted the team to sign familiar face Zach Ertz.

11. Houston Texans (0-2)

Change: -2

It feels weird to have an 0-2 team ranked inside the top-12, but at the end of the day, I still believe the Texans will be one of the better teams in the AFC when it’s all said and done. Drawing Buffalo and Cincinnati to open your season isn’t ideal, especially when you are missing top wideout Nico Collins for one of those games.

C.J. Stroud is quietly playing pretty well, and I firmly believe DeMeco Ryans and this defense are going to get hot very, very soon.

12. Minnesota Vikings (2-0)

Change: +6

Everyone knows Brian Flores is going to blitz. Literally everyone.

And yet, offenses can’t get it going against the Vikings.

Minnesota is currently blitzing on 76% of dropbacks this season, while mostly playing Cover-2 on the back end. The problem is that teams are struggling to identify where the pressure is coming from. Flores and Kevin O’Connell give the Vikings a coaching advantage over most teams in football. With Kyler Murray set to return, if this offense can reach a new level, this team can be very dangerous.

13. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)

Change: +2

It was good to see the Cowboys offense look like themselves on Sunday. Outside of Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes and Joe Burrow, you can absolutely make the argument that Dak Prescott is the next best quarterback in the NFL. They’ll be able to score with anyone.

But can they get any stops?

14. New Orleans Saints (1-1)

Change: +7

The Saints were potentially a questionable Week 1 call away from starting 2-0 with road wins against the Lions and Ravens. New Orleans got down early against Baltimore, but stormed back in the second half. Tyler Shough is building on his strong end to his rookie season, while the defense is making enough plays. This is a fun, resilient team that should be viewed as the favorite in the wide open NFC South.

15. Detroit Lions (1-1)

Change: -2

I’m pretty sure everyone expected the Bills to hang 35-plus points on Detroit last Thursday. This defense just doesn’t stand a chance right now. Reinforcements are on the way once safeties Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph return, while the offense is still as good as most in football. And with a very friendly rest of season schedule, the Lions should be just fine.

16. Chicago Bears (1-1)

Change: -4

After scoring 59 points in Week 1, the Bears returned home to kick a lone field goal against the Vikings. Surprisingly, nothing seems easy in the passing game right now, and it’s unlikely to get much easier if Caleb Williams misses time. And with Tyson Bagent now in concussion protocol, there’s a very real possibility that Case Keenum is Chicago’s starting quarterback against the Eagles on Monday.

17. New England Patriots (1-1)

No change

New England dominated an inept Steelers offense on Sunday, though their own offense still has some work to do. AJ Brown or not, Drake Maye has taken a step back so far in his third season, tossing just one touchdown to four interceptions. There were already some concerns about the offensive line, which will only intensify following RG Mike Onwenu’s ankle injury.

18. Carolina Panthers (1-1)

Change: +9

I’m still not sure how good Carolina is, but one thing is for sure: Bryce Young and this passing attack look much better.

The defense also bounced back after coughing up 59 points in Week 1, though that’s to be expected when you are facing Cooper Rush. Still, the defensive playmakers they brought in this offseason (Devin Lloyd and Jaelan Phillips) have been very impressive through the first two weeks.

19. Green Bay Packers (1-1)

No change

I still have a lot of concerns about this run game and offensive line, which only grew after losing Zach Bako-Bewele for the season. The Packers are coming off a sloppy, ugly overtime win against the Jets and have just not been very impressive through the first two weeks of play. The defense will get a massive boost once Micah Parsons returns, but this team should comfortably be ranked last in the NFC North.

20. Indianapolis Colts (0-2)

Change: +5

Give Indianapolis credit for pushing Kansas City to the brink last week, but through two games Lou Anarumo’s defense has been a massive disappointment, coughing up 3.08 points per drive (fourth-worst). Jonathan Taylor still looks like one of the league’s best running backs, but following the loss of Alec Pierce, this team has major question marks at wide receiver.

21. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)

Change: +7

No, that’s not a typo. The Raiders really are 2-0.

The defense is better than you think, the team is getting contributions from players you probably haven’t heard of and Kirk Cousins is quietly playing pretty well. Vegas should be getting All-Pro tight end Brock Bowers back this week, too. This team isn’t going to win the AFC West or anything, but it’s been an encouraging start to the Klint Kubiak era.

22. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)

No change

Pittsburgh’s offense really needs to wake up. They were aggressive in Week 1 against the Falcons but reverted back to the dink-and-dunk passing attack this past weekend against the Patriots. The only reason I’m keeping them at 22nd is the fact that the defense still has plenty of upside.

23. New York Giants (1-1)

Change: -9

Monday was a nightmare for the Giants. They lost Jaxson Dart for the season, while watching Malik Nabers, Andrew Thomas and Brian Burns all suffer injuries. The secondary is also banged up, making this a difficult team to project for any confidence the rest of the way.

24. New York Jets (1-1)

Change: +2

The Jets should probably be 2-0 right now. They lost a game to Green Bay that they probably shouldn’t have, while head coach Aaron Glenn’s late-game clock management was absolutely awful. I do like the fact that the offense is competent with Geno Smith under center, but we’ll see if this team can close out games going forward.

25. Los Angeles Chargers (0-2)

Change: -5

Honestly, the only reason the Chargers aren’t ranked even lower is the fact that there’s still a ton of talent on this roster. Still, it’s a mess right now in Los Angeles. Justin Herbert is playing poorly, Omarion Hampton keeps fumbling and the offensive line isn’t playing well. After dropping consecutive games to the Raiders and Cardinals, the Chargers now face a gauntlet of a schedule against the Bills, Seahawks, Broncos, Chiefs, Rams, Texans and Ravens over their next seven games.

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)

Change: -10

Baker Mayfield was looking for revenge on Sunday, but it was the Browns who got the last laugh. It’s been a rough start for the Bucs and especially Mayfield, who is looking for the home run on every play, rather than taking the singles and doubles the defense is giving him. Tampa Bay better figure it out fast or they'll find themselves on the outside looking in.

27. Cleveland Browns (1-1)

Change: +4

Shoutout to the Browns for bouncing back after an embarrassing Week 1 loss. Everything outside of the run game was improved this past weekend. We’ll see if they can keep this momentum going.

28. Tennessee Titans (0-2)

Change: +2

It wasn’t a win, but give Tennessee credit for nearly upsetting the Eagles on Sunday. The run was surprisingly effective against Philadelphia’s stout front seven and it was nice to see Robert Saleh and company get something going.

29. Washington Commanders (0-2)

Change: -6

It’s just not fair.

Jayden Daniels was showing flashes of his historic rookie campaign against the Cowboys on Sunday before suffering a fluky, unlucky elbow injury, leaving the Commanders in all-too-familiar territory. The defense is already atrocious and now the offense will take a step back with Marcus Mariota under center.

30. Arizona Cardinals (1-1)

Change: -6

As expected, the Cardinals came back down to Earth on Sunday, losing 31-7 to division rival Seattle. Their Week 1 showing might have more to do with the Chargers than the Cardinals.

31. Atlanta Falcons (0-2)

Change: -2

With Atlanta’s quarterback play over the past two weeks, they had no chance of competing. The good news? Michael Penix is set to return on Thursday against the Packers, but even if he plays well, what’s the ceiling for this team?

32. Miami Dolphins (0-2)

No change

No doubt about it, this is the worst team in football.

Players Mentioned in this Article

DrewLock
QBSEA
PPG
17.1
Proj
14.1
SamDarnold
QBSEA
PPG
0.3
JaxonSmith-Njigba
WRSEA
PPG
30.1
Proj
15.6
GregRousseau
OLBBUF
PPG
0.0

Published Sep 23, 2026, 3:18 PM ETUpdated Sep 23, 2026, 3:55 PM ET