Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (2020)

Week 2 was a nightmare around the NFL. Big-name players such as Saquon Barkley and Nick Bosa were lost for the season, while Christian McCaffrey, Jimmy Garoppolo, and Drew Lock will likely miss extended time. But these players are just a few in a long list of Week 2 injuries. What does that mean for the league? The same thing it always does. Teams must withstand serious injuries and rely on relatively unknown players to make names for themselves as the year progresses.

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32) Carolina Panthers (Prev: 32)

Christian McCaffrey is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, and while that’s not the longest absence, it’s hard to imagine that the Panthers will find much success without him in the backfield. Mike Davis will fill in, and he managed eight catches for 74 yards in the loss to Tampa Bay.

31) New York Jets (Prev: 31)

The Jets were never competitive against the 49ers, and they added Breshad Perriman to their list of injured players. The good news from Week 2 is that the Jets didn’t turn the ball over once all game, therefore winning the turnover battle with the 49ers 1-0. The bad news is that they still lost 31-13 and failed to move the ball against a team that had numerous players out with injuries.

30) Cincinnati Bengals (Prev: 30)

Joe Burrow threw the ball 61 times in his second career start and certainly looked like the guy that was advertised coming out of LSU. In the loss, he threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions. The Bengals desperately need to find a run defense moving forward. Against Cleveland, they gave up 215 yards and three touchdowns.

29) New York Giants (Prev: 29)

The biggest loss of the week goes to the New York Giants, who lost Saquon Barkley for the season due to a torn ACL. Despite not having their star, the Giants’ offense showed some life late, and after falling behind 17-0, they put themselves in a position to win the game on the last play. The Giants have played well in their first two games, despite failing to win, but they’ll face a very tough three-game stretch against the 49ers, Rams, and Cowboys.

28) Detroit Lions (Prev: 24)

The Lions looked great for one quarter on Sunday, but their success was short-lived, as the Packers demolished them over the next three and sent the Lions to 0-2. The Lions’ run defense was a problem for them in 2019, and it doesn’t look like the script is going to change in 2020. They gave up 259 yards and two touchdowns on the ground on Sunday, but that doesn’t mean that their pass defense didn’t also play terribly. Aaron Rodgers threw for 240 yards and two touchdowns in the win. If things don’t change, it’s going to be a long season in Detroit, though maybe not so long for Matt Patricia.

27) Miami Dolphins (Prev: 26)

I’m sure many bettors were cursing the Dolphins after their backdoor cover against the Bills on Sunday, but Miami actually played most of the game within striking distance. Ryan Fitzpatrick was much improved after his three-turnover Week 1, but the secondary let them down time and time again against Josh Allen and the Bills’ offense. Myles Gaskin continues to be the main guy in the backfield, garnering 13 touches, which was equal to what Matt Breida and Jordan Howard combined for.

26) Jacksonville Jaguars (Prev: 28)

If there is one thing that has been consistent over these first two weeks, it’s that the Jaguars are playing incredibly hard. Jacksonville nearly pulled off an epic upset for the second week in a row, but they fell just short on the road in Tennessee. The offense has been impressive so far this season, and in Week 2, the Jaguars gained 480 yards, 339 of which came in the air from Gardner Minshew. James Robinson could also be the real deal. He had 16 carries for 102 yards and one touchdown in the loss.

25) Washington Football Team (Prev: 25)

The Football Team fell back to earth in Week 2 against the Cardinals. Washington gave up 438 yards to the Cardinals’ offense, and despite the final score showing a two-score game, the game was never once that close. In better news, Dwayne Haskins continued to show signs of improvement, as he went 19-33 for 223 yards and one touchdown, while rookie running back Antonio Gibson found the end zone for the first time in his career.

24) Atlanta Falcons (Prev: 19)

How do you recover from what just happened to the Atlanta Falcons? They led by 19 points at the half and by 15 with five minutes left, and yet they still lost in regulation. They gave up an onside kick because none of their players went for the ball and allowed the Cowboys to wait for it to travel 10 yards, which ended one of the worst collapses in recent memory. The Falcons are 0-2 despite Matt Ryan and Calvin Ridley playing incredible football. This team still has talent, but can they rebound after an incredibly demoralizing loss that put them in an early-season hole?

23) Minnesota Vikings (Prev: 14)

It might be time to make it official: Kirk Cousins is not the answer in Minnesota. Through two weeks, the Vikings’ offense has been abysmal with him under center, and with their secondary young and prone to giving up big plays, they cannot also struggle on the offensive side and expect to win games. Cousins’ final numbers against the Colts were 11-26 for 113 yards and three interceptions. And remember, that’s the same defense that allowed just one incompletion to Gardner Minshew in Week 1.

22) Philadelphia Eagles (Prev: 17)

The Eagles do not play football in the second half. In Week 1, they were outscored 20-0, while in Week 2 against the Rams, they were outscored 16-3. They now drop to 0-2 and face a must-win against Cincinnati this week. Miles Sanders looked good in his first game of the season, and he carried the ball 20 times for 95 yards and one touchdown. The problem for the offense is that Carson Wentz looks like a shell of his former self. He threw two interceptions again, bringing him to four on the season.

21) Cleveland Browns (Prev: 27)

Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt combined for 234 total yards and four touchdowns in Cleveland’s Thursday night win over Joe Burrow and the Bengals. The defense sacked Burrow three times, but they also allowed the rookie to hang around enough to get a backdoor cover at the end. From a betting perspective, the Browns are going to be a tough team to solve ATS this season, especially if their first two games were any indication of what’s to come.

20) Houston Texans (Prev: 21)

The Texans continued to struggle offensively without DeAndre Hopkins. Will Fuller failed to report a single catch, as the Texans managed just 16 points in a 17-point blowout loss to the Ravens. In a very competitive AFC South, the Texans currently look lackluster on both sides of the ball.

19) Denver Broncos (Prev: 23)

Courtland Sutton: out for the year. Drew Lock: out three to five weeks. The Broncos have started 0-2, looked competitive, but will now have their work cut out for them without two of their best offensive players. Jeff Driskel will take over for Lock and, he’ll have to use Jerry Jeudy and Noah Fant to attack opposing defenses. The Broncos already showed that they could compete without Von Miller, but now, they’ll have to prove it with new injuries on both sides of the ball.

18) Los Angeles Chargers (Prev: 22)

Justin Herbert got the start for the Chargers in Week 2 after Tyrod Taylor was a late addition to the injury list with a chest injury. While many assumed that meant the Chargers stood no chance against the Chiefs, they actually took Kansas City to the wire and very nearly pulled off the improbable upset to move to 2-0. Herbert finished the game with 311 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. It will be interesting to see if LA sticks with him no matter Taylor’s status moving forward.

17) Indianapolis Colts (Prev: 18)

The Colts bounced back from a dismal Week 1 performance and earned a dominant victory over the Minnesota Vikings. The defense that allowed just one incompletion in Week 1 held Kirk Cousins to under 50 percent on passing attempts and intercepted him three times. Jonathan Taylor took over the run game entirely, carrying the ball 26 times for 101 yards and one touchdown.

16) Tampa Bay Buccanneers (Prev: 16)

Tom Brady got his first win for Tampa Bay, as the Bucs easily dispatched the Carolina Panthers 31-17. The defense forced four turnovers and held the Panthers scoreless for the entire first half as the offense built up a 21-0 lead. In other news, Leonard Fournette made his presence known by carrying the ball 12 times for 103 yards and two touchdowns.

15) Chicago Bears (Prev: 15)

The Bears are 2-0, but nothing has looked pretty this season. They led the Giants 17-0 before giving up the lead and allowing the Giants to put together a late drive that very nearly won them the game. But you never apologize for winning, and the Bears are currently tied atop the NFC North with the Green Bay Packers. David Montgomery was great in the game, gaining 127 yards and one touchdown, but did leave early due to a neck injury.

14) New England Patriots (Prev: 13)

The Patriots were three yards away from pulling off a huge upset in Seattle, and though the result wasn’t what they wanted, New England has to be happy with what they’re seeing from their team in the first season without Tom Brady. Cam Newton rushed for 47 yards and two touchdowns in addition to throwing for 397 yards and one touchdown. Julian Edelman is clearly Newton’s favorite target. The former Super Bowl MVP hauled in eight catches for 179 yards in the loss.

13) Dallas Cowboys (Prev: 12)

The Cowboys had absolutely no business winning against the Falcons this past weekend, and yet they did. That’s normally a good sign for a team trying to break out of a funk. Down 15 with five minutes left in the game, the Cowboys mounted a comeback of epic proportions and knocked off the Falcons on a last-second field goal. So far, the Cowboys have yet to play up to their potential, but perhaps this is what they needed to spark a run. They’ll need it as they take on Russell Wilson and the Seahawks this week.

12) Las Vegas Raiders (Prev: 20)

Overreaction? Maybe, but did anyone think that the Raiders had a chance on Monday night against Drew Brees and the Saints? Sure, New Orleans was without Michael Thomas, but the Raiders fell behind 10-0 and never got discouraged, and they eventually outscored the Saints 34-14 over the final three quarters. Derek Carr threw for 282 yards and three touchdowns on the victory. The Raiders are 2-0 and will travel to New England next week to take on Cam Newton and the Patriots. 

11) Arizona Cardinals (Prev: 11)

The Cardinals backed up their Week 1 upset with a great performance against the Washington Football Team in Week 2. The offense accumulated 438 yards, and Kyler Murray accounted for three touchdowns in the win. The defense sacked Dwayne Haskins four times and held him to a QBR of 13.3. DeAndre Hopkins continued to be Murray’s favorite target, grabbing eight catches for 68 yards and one touchdown.

10) New Orleans Saints (Prev: 3)

The Saints got off to a hot start in Week 2, but they quickly cooled off, as they allowed the Raiders to mount a comeback win. Tre’Quan Smith hauled in five catches for 86 yards as he took on a much bigger role with the absence of Michael Thomas, but it wasn’t enough for the Saints to keep pace with Las Vegas. Next week, they head home to take on Aaron Rodgers and the Packers. If the defense looks like it did on Monday night, Rodgers could cause serious problems.

9) Los Angeles Rams (Prev: 10)

The Rams have now knocked off consecutive NFC East contenders and have kept pace with the Seahawks and the Cardinals in the crowded NFC West. Jared Goff went for 267 yards and three touchdowns in the win, and Darrell Henderson Jr. added 81 yards and one touchdown on the ground. Los Angeles travels to Buffalo to take on the Bills next week, and they’ll have their hot offense tested for the first time this season against a solid Bills’ defense.

8) Tennessee Titans (Prev: 9)

The Titans narrowly escaped for the second straight week after holding on for a 33-30 win over the Jaguars. Ryan Tannehill was 18-24 and threw for four touchdowns, two of which were to Jonnu Smith. The defense turned over Garnder Minshew twice but also gave up 20 points in the second half. The kicking game was better than in Week 1, but Stephen Gostkowski still missed an extra point, which was part of the reason the game was tied in the final minutes.

7) Pittsburgh Steelers (Prev: 8)

The Steelers escaped against the Broncos but didn’t look great despite Denver missing some of their key offensive pieces. Big Ben continued to build off his Week 1 performance, and he completed 29-41 passes for 311 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. After being injured in Week 1, James Conner bounced back for 106 rushing yards and one touchdown.

6) San Francisco 49ers (Prev: 6)

The 49ers are in trouble. Their division is absolutely loaded. They’re currently alone in last place with a 1-1 record, and none of the three teams ahead of them are there because of a fluke. On top of that, their injury report is a mile long. Jimmy Garoppolo has a high ankle sprain, Nick Bosa and Solomon Thomas are done for the season, and Raheem Mostert has an MCL sprain. And that was all just this week. It’s looking likely that George Kittle will be good to go in Week 3, but Dee Ford’s status is still unknown. It’s still early, but San Francisco can not afford more injuries in the crowded NFC West.

5) Green Bay Packers (Prev: 7)

The Packers put up 40+ points for the second straight week and are now 2-0 in the NFC North heading into a Week 3 matchup with the Saints. Last season, many felt the Packers were not as good as their record. Those critics have been a lot quieter at the start of this season, as Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 604 yards, six touchdowns, and zero interceptions, while Aaron Jones has added 234 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.

4) Buffalo Bills (Prev: 5)

Josh Allen just threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns in Buffalo’s win over the Dolphins. The Bills are all alone at the top of the AFC East, and they have beaten two of their divisional foes. They will get a much bigger test this week when the 2-0 Rams travel to Buffalo. Josh Allen currently leads the league in passing yards. If he still does after Week 3, people are going to start taking him and the Bills a lot more seriously.

3) Seattle Seahawks (Prev: 4)

Is it too early to call Russell Wilson the MVP? He threw for five touchdowns in the Seahawks’ Sunday night victory over the Patriots, and Seattle needed every single one of them. The defense has not gotten off to a great start, and despite a pick-six, they didn’t look comfortable against Cam Newton and the Patriots. They will face another test this week when the Cowboys come to Seattle fresh off a 40 point game against the Falcons.

2) Baltimore Ravens (Prev: 2)

The Ravens didn’t do anything exciting against the Texans — they just dominated the game from start to finish. After LJ Fort returned a fumble for a touchdown, the Ravens led the rest of the game by double-digits as they easily took care of Deshaun Watson and the shaky Texans’ defense. Many believe that the Ravens are the best team in the league. They will have a chance to prove that on Monday night against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.

1) Kansas City Chiefs (Prev:1)

The Chiefs looked far from great on Sunday, but I’m not going to drop the defending champs down until they lose a game. That could very likely happen this week when they take on Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens, who have once again gotten off to a red hot start. With only one team getting a bye in the playoffs this year, this game could have huge postseason implications. If the Chiefs play the same way they did against the Chargers, the Ravens could be claiming this spot next week.

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