1 – San Francisco 49ers (1)
The 49ers stay on top of our Power Rankings after a 30-23 win over the surprisingly competitive L.A. Rams. Brock Purdy didn’t have his best stuff on Sunday but Christian McCaffrey and the defence came up big, once again proving that this team can win games in a variety of ways. After two weeks of rushing for over 100 yards, expect CMC to be a big piece of the offensive puzzle when the 49ers kick off Week 3 against the Giants on Thursday Night Football. They’ll have some more competitive teams to take on this season, but so far, so good in San Fran.
2 – Philadelphia Eagles (2)
The Birds haven’t quite looked like the same team that went to the Super Bowl last year, but they’re still 2-0. In both of their games, they’ve gone up big before allowing the Patriots and Vikings back into the game in the second half. Although they will have to clean that up, it is encouraging to know that this team can still get wins against decent competition without their best stuff. D’Andre Swift was also fantastic on Thursday, and with Kenneth Gainwell most likely coming back in Week 3, it’ll be very interesting to see who gets more looks in the run game.
3 – Dallas Cowboys (4)
No team has been more dominant than the Dallas Cowboys this year. With a 40-0 win against the Giants and a 30-10 victory against the Jets, Dallas’ point differential of +60 is 30 higher than the league’s next best differential. (49ers) Micah Parsons looks like he’s on a mission to win his first Defensive Player of the Year Award, and on offence, Dak Prescott, Tony Pollard and Ceedee Lamb headline a very well-oiled machine. Say what you want about Dak, but putting 30 on the Jets is no easy task.
4 – Kansas City Chiefs (3)
It hasn’t been a dominant start like many would have expected from the Super Bowl Champs, but Kansas City still comes in as the highest-ranked AFC team in our Week 3 Rankings. Chris Jones and Travis Kelce are now back for the team, and those two will have their first game at home against the Bears this weekend. There isn’t much to say about this team right now. They may not be 2-0, but they’re still the Kansas City Chiefs. Watch out for a massacre against Chicago on Sunday.
5 – Miami Dolphins (5)
No quarterback has thrown for more yards through two weeks than Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa. On the ground, only six rushers have run for more yards than Raheem Mostert. Clearly, this offence is on their game right now, and when you look at the roster, it’s no wonder they’ve been so good. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle are a fabulous 1-2 punch at receiver, and if Tua is healthy enough to get them the ball, Miami should compete with anyone. They’ve only won their games by a combined nine points, though, so we’ll need to see more dominance before ranking them any higher
6 – Baltimore Ravens (-)
With or without their top running back, the Baltimore Ravens will find a way to run the ball efficiently. With J.K. Dobbins out for the year, the trio of Lamar Jackson, Justice Hill and Gus Edwards combined for over 150 yards in Sunday’s massive win in Cincinnati. If the running game stays strong and the receivers stay healthy, this offence has the opportunity to be Baltimore’s most dynamic in a long time. It’s been a struggle to find top end receivers for Lamar Jackson, but the arsenal of weapons around him this year is finally changing that narrative.
7 – Buffalo Bills (8)
After a disastrous first game in New York, the Bills bounced back well in front of their home crowd this past Sunday. The defence was terrific, Josh Allen looked great, and the Bills even got some solid production in the run game. For a while now, this team has been very dependent on Allen to do it all for them on offence. With James Cook’s 123-yard performance on Sunday, though, there’s a chance that this year’s Bills team could find a little more balance in the game plan.
8 – Detroit Lions (6)
Yes, they lost to the Seahawks this weekend, but the Lions are still a very good team. Dan Campbell’s calls may have gotten them into trouble on Sunday, but when you’re an aggressive play caller, those decisions won’t always go your way. The offence is still one of the better units in the league, and with David Montgomery going through a thigh injury, the door may be opened for Jahymr Gibbs to truly take the stage for Detroit. In Week 3, they’ll try to bounce back with a better defensive performance and keep the points coming against the Falcons in Atlanta.
9 – Jacksonville Jaguars (-)
Another 1-1 team that makes it into the Power Rankings. The Jags managed to keep things close against the Chiefs despite not having their best stuff on offence, which has to be an encouraging development in a losing effort. One area that they’ll certainly need to focus on is their third down efficiency on offence. A team with the likes of Trevor Lawrence, Travis Etienne, Calvin Ridley, Christian Kirk, and Evan Engram should not be 6/24 on third down through two games. If they can fix that, more points (and wins) will come.
10 – Seattle Seahawks (-)
The Seahawks bounced back from a terrible first game with a great one in Detroit last Sunday. Geno Smith and the offence looked great all day and capped the afternoon off with a fantastic touchdown drive on the first possession in overtime. It looked a lot more like the team that many expected to see in Week 1. The defence will need to get better at getting opponents off the field, but Pete Carroll’s teams usually do as the season goes on. In Week 3, they’ll have a good opportunity for another win in a home game against the Panthers.
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