NFL Power Rankings entering Week 3: The Packers look like the best team in football

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/nfl-power-rankings-entering-week-3-the-packers-look-like-the-best-team-in-football-050153039.html

When the NFL schedule came out, the Green Bay Packers had to be concerned about getting off to a slow start.

In Week 1 they got the Detroit Lions, who went 15-2 last season with the fourth-highest scoring team in NFL history. Next were the Washington Commanders, who went 12-5 last season with the fifth-most points in the NFL, reached the NFC championship game and made improvements to their offense in the offseason. An 0-2 start was unlikely with both games at home, but it wasn’t out of the question. Then the Packers smashed both opponents.

Green Bay was up 27-6 on the Lions, who scored 52 points in Week 2. They were up 27-10 on the Commanders, whose other game was an easy win over the Giants. The Packers’ defense with Micah Parsons looks like the best in the NFL, and maybe Green Bay’s best since 1996. The offense can win in multiple ways, especially with a healthy Jordan Love. There’s more than enough depth to have a top-10 offense. And the Packers’ next six games are all winnable: at Browns, at Cowboys, vs. Bengals without Joe Burrow, at Cardinals, at Steelers, vs. Panthers. It’s unlikely but possible they could be 8-0 when they face the Eagles on Nov. 10.

Two games is not a large sample. But based on the first two opponents and how the Packers dominated each of them, no team is off to a better start. The Packers can absolutely win a Super Bowl. They look like the best team in football. And they’re taking over the No. 1 spot in the Power Rankings.

Here are the NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 3 of the season:

Spencer Rattler wasn’t the problem for the Saints on Sunday. He had 207 yards, three touchdowns and played pretty well. And the Saints still lost, falling to 0-2 at home this season. There won’t be many wins this season for New Orleans, though the Saints have been competitive so far.

The Dolphins forced two punts Sunday. That’s notable because on the opponents’ other 13 drives, not counting kneel-downs, the Dolphins allowed points. The Dolphins had a shot to win, and there might not be many of those opportunities due to their defense.

Joe Flacco is tied with Bryce Young for the most passing attempts in the NFL after two weeks. He has thrown 90 passes. A lot of that is game script related. But 45 passes a game for Flacco is a bad idea for the Browns. The good news is rookie running back Quinshon Judkins had 61 yards in his debut.

Maybe the Panthers figured something out in a fourth-quarter rally, but they have faced deficits of 23-3 and 27-3 in their two games. The Panthers were supposed to be better this season, but so far they’re in contention as the worst team in the NFL.

Elic Ayomanor, the team’s fourth-round draft pick, looks like a find. He had four catches for 56 yards and a touchdown. He’s already the Titans’ No. 2 receiver. He’ll be a good match with Cam Ward as they both develop.

Any good vibes from a solid performance in Week 1 evaporated with a blowout loss in Week 2. Justin Fields’ massive struggles will be talked about, but what has happened to the Jets’ defense? There’s too much talent on that side to be this bad.

OK, so maybe Jaxson Dart will keep sitting for a while. Russell Wilson had a great game Sunday, though a reckless overtime interception was a crushing mistake. We’ll see if the Giants have turned a corner on offense or they just happened to be playing a bad Cowboys defense.

In the Bears’ past five quarters, they’ve given up 73 points. J.J. McCarthy’s struggles in Week 2 make Chicago’s defensive failure in the opener look even worse. It doesn’t matter how Caleb Williams plays if his defense is giving up almost 15 points per quarter.

The Patriots were in danger of being an ugly 0-2 with a home loss to the Raiders and a defeat to the Dolphins. Antonio Gibson’s kickoff return might end up being a turning point in their season. There are things to figure out, but it’s better to do that at 1-1.

Imagine the reaction if the Cowboys lost Sunday. It’s muted a bit because Dallas won, bailed out by a 64-yard field goal by Brandon Aubrey at the end of regulation to tie it, but its defense looked horrible. And yes, there’s a Micah Parsons factor involved with that.

Trevor Lawrence’s awful interception in the end zone was something a rookie in his first game shouldn’t do. Head coach Liam Coen already seems frustrated with Lawrence’s inaccuracy. Sunday was a really bad loss, and not just because the Jaguars couldn’t close out the Joe Burrow-less Bengals.

After Brock Bowers was splitting time in Week 1, Ashton Jeanty was out for some key snaps in the first half on Monday night. Is Raiders offensive coordinator Chip Kelly going to pull an Arthur Smith and frustrate everyone by not maximizing his best players?

What is wrong with the Steelers’ defense? They were torched by Justin Fields and Sam Darnold, who looked bad in their games that weren’t against Pittsburgh. The Steelers are giving up nearly 400 yards per game and they’ve played two middling offenses. That’s alarming.

That was an impressive win. Sam Darnold played well. Receivers other than Jaxon Smith-Njigba stepped up. Kenneth Walker III had a big game. Seattle’s defense continues to impress. This is a team to keep an eye on if those improvements stick.

Jake Browning is not a bad backup quarterback. He played well two seasons ago when Joe Burrow was out. But everyone knows this isn’t the same team without Burrow, who will miss three months. And no, there’s not a magical solution available via a trade.

The Texans have a lot of issues. Their offensive line isn’t good. The running game was unproductive in Week 2. Houston’s receivers other than Nico Collins aren’t great. C.J. Stroud is regressing, maybe as a result of all the strife around him. Houston lost to two good teams, but there are warning signs.

The J.J. McCarthy ankle injury isn’t good for the Vikings. But it gives him a break after a rough Week 2 (and three quarters of a bad Week 1). The only issue: What happens if Carson Wentz plays well with McCarthy out?

The Falcons have been searching for a pass rush for a long time. They had six sacks on Sunday night and held the Vikings out of the end zone. That might be J.J. McCarthy related, but it’s still progress. Six players recorded at least a half-sack, including both first-round draft picks, Jalon Walker and James Pearce Jr.

The Cardinals have benefited from playing the Saints and Panthers, two of the worst teams in the NFL. They won both games despite an offense that still hasn’t done much. The Cardinals gained 276 and 293 yards against two bad defenses. But 2-0 still gives Arizona a nice head start.

Jayden Daniels dealing with a knee injury and being uncertain for Sunday’s game isn’t ideal, but it could be worse. It’s just a reminder of the concern about Daniels’ durability last offseason, which seems like a worry from a million years ago.

The leverage penalty was a rough one on a missed 60-yard field goal as time expired, but the Broncos have themselves to blame for not putting the game away before that. It’s fine, but it would be good for Denver to get its offense and defense going in the same game.

The Colts are the first team in the Super Bowl era to not punt through the first two games. Remember, the 2024 Saints were getting the same kudos for their offense at 2-0. But it’s undeniable that the Colts are playing very well, and doing it against a good Broncos defense helps validate their start.

Kyle Shanahan is an excellent offensive coach. QB Mac Jones had 279 yards and three touchdowns filling in for Brock Purdy. Jones should be reasonable with Purdy out, and that’s because he has Shanahan calling the offense for him.

The Buccaneers are living on the edge, winning both games in the final minute. Given the injuries they have dealt with early on, it’s fine to pull out two road games to start the season, even if they needed Baker Mayfield miracles in both of them.

The Chiefs are a hard team to rank. They haven’t looked good, but they’ll get better. They aren’t suddenly turning into a below average team, even if regression was bound to happen and has. It just seems dangerous to write them off due to two games.

The Rams really wanted to get Davante Adams going Sunday. He had 13 targets, and turned them into six catches for 106 yards and a touchdown. The Adams and Puka Nacua combination is going to be lethal.

The only issue for the Chargers so far has been the absolute lack of a running game. It might not matter much if Justin Herbert continues to play at an MVP level. Being two games ahead of the Kansas City Chiefs already is a dream start for LA.

Maybe, just maybe, the Lions’ struggles were due more to the Packers than their own issues. Detroit looked great Sunday. They’ll be fine. Week 1’s result just said way more about the Packers, and that is still something the Lions have to contend with.

Lamar Jackson is now inches ahead of Aaron Rodgers for the greatest passer rating in NFL history. The greatest running quarterback ever is now, by one key metric, the most efficient passer too. That’s a remarkable combination. Hopefully we’re all appreciating a truly great and unique player.

The gap between the top three teams is very, very small. The Eagles are just fine. But their offense hasn’t been quite on track yet. Looking back, they should have torched the Cowboys like the Giants did. But the Eagles are an elite team. They just have been less impressive than the top two teams.

The Bills could be the No. 1 team. Josh Allen is awesome. Still, they needed a miracle to win Week 1, and the defense gave up 40 points in that game. The Bills look very good, and there’s time for them to move up a spot. I just prefer the Packers’ start more.

The Jayden Reed injury is a concern. Reed broke his collarbone, and the Packers don’t necessarily have an alpha receiver. But they have plenty of options. And maybe tight end Tucker Kraft is actually their No. 1 receiver.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/nfl-power-rankings-entering-week-3-the-packers-look-like-the-best-team-in-football-050153039.html

NFL Power Rankings entering Week 3: The Packers look like the best team in football

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