PackFan’s NFL Power Rankings 2018: Week 3

PackFan2005 Week 2 was just as wild as week 1, with wins, losses, and yet another tie. 2018 is shaping up to be very interesting for the NFL. By the way, let my clarify something below.

⬆️ = Team Moved Up
⬇️ = Team Moved Down
And if a team doesn’t have a symbol, it means they stayed where they were from last week. And if there’s a number next to an arrow, then it represents how many places they went up or down. I’m stating the obvious here. Okay, let’s hop to it.

#1. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-0) +4 ⬆️
Since they beat out my number one team last week, they definitely rightfully deserve this spot. Have you ever heard of Blake Bortles outplaying Tom Brady? Also, the defense looks just as dominant as ever.

#2. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
Shutting out the Cardinals is an easy task, especially if you have a premier offense and defense. Aaron Donald wrecked havoc, and Todd Gurley is already making a case for offensive player of the year. This Rams squad looks great.

#3. Minnesota Vikings (1-0-1)
Despite the tie, they remain at #3. Why? It’s because of how great they played. Kirk Cousins is looking like the quarterback they haven’t had in years, and the defense is just as potent. Also, the addition of Dan Bailey boosts a kicker position that has been weak for them over the years.

#4. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) +4 ⬆️
Patrick Mahomes is making the release of Alex Smith a heck of a lot easier. Six touchdowns? Stunning performance. But, the defense is still pretty bad. Don’t let the offense fool you. Still, I like what I’m seeing from them.

#5. Green Bay Packers (1-0-1) +1 ⬆️
I had to debate with myself whether or not they should move up a spot, but I concluded that despite the tie, they were somewhat worthy of #5. As long as Rodgers plays, they’re good off. The defense isn’t great, but looks a lot better than last seasons disaster fest. They have plenty of easy games the next few weeks.

#6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1) -2 ⬇️
Oh boy, considering they lost to Tampa Bay, I think they’re in trouble. They need Carson a Wentz back now. However, I had to give them credit for almost making a comeback. But they just fell short.

#7. New England Patriots (1-1) -7 ⬇️
Is this the start of a new era in New England? Becoming losers once again? Sure, they played a tough team, but they didn’t really impress against the Texans in Week 1 either. The outlook for Belichick, Brady, and co does not look good.

#8. Atlanta Falcons (1-1) +2 ⬆️
Very impressive game against the Panthers, especially from Matt Ryan and Tevin Coleman. Their red zone offense looks to be coming back to life. However, the defense needs to improve after the loss of two key players.

#9. New Orleans Saints (1-1) -2 ⬇️
Yeah, yeah, they won against the Browns, but what if their kicker didn’t miss that extra point and field goal. Would New Orleans be 0-2? Suddenly, I’m not sure about them.

#10. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) -1 ⬇️
Nice win over the Bills, but you can’t forget their defensive struggles so far this season.

#11. Carolina Panthers (1-1) +1 ⬆️
What I like was that they nearly came away with the game in Atlanta, so that sure is something. The offense is functioning fine, but the defense is still a massive issue, letting Atlanta score on nearly all of their red zone trips. It needs to improve.

#12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1) +5 ⬆️
Honestly, they deserve #12. Who would’ve thought that their backup quarterback would be their blessing? Things aren’t looking good for Jameis Winston meanwhile.

#13. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1-1) -2 ⬇️
Could things been any worse for them? First Bell, and now Antonio Brown isn’t showing up for practice. Things are quickly deteriorating in Pittsburgh. And things will get worse from there. Although, James Conner looks great.

#14. Chicago Bears (1-1) +4 ⬆️
The defense once again stole the show, with Khalil Mack terrorizing Seattle’s offensive line, and that Prince Amukamara pick six as well. Ladies and gentlemen, the NFC North looks to be a three team race.

#15. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0) +6 ⬆️
I’d assume nobody expected them to start out 2-0. A.J. Green looks as dominant as ever, and Andy Dalton is looking surprisingly sharp. And the defense looks even better. Keep an eye out for this team. Perhaps the AFC North will be theirs.

#16. San Francisco 49ers (1-1)
No movement from them this week. Better than last week, but still needs improvement, considering they nearly lost to the Lions of all teams.

#17. Denver Broncos (2-0) +5 ⬆️
Despite playing two below average teams, Denver looks really good. Maybe not Case Keenum, but their running backs look sharp, and the defense could turn out to be similar to 2015’s unit.

#18. Baltimore Ravens (1-1) -4 ⬇️
Tough loss for Baltimore, but I think they can regroup. Joe Flacco is actually not doing half bad so far, and John Brown is really proving himself. Don’t forget about that defense. Come to think of it, the AFC North race could be between Cincinnati and Baltimore. Wow.

#19. Tennessee Titans (1-1) +8 ⬆️
Maybe too big of a jump, but hey, they actually managed to win under a backup quarterback. That sure is something, but they most likely won’t be able to keep pace with Jacksonville in the AFC South.

#20. Houston Texans (0-2) -7 ⬇️
What happened? DeShaun Watson doesn’t look like the quarterback he was in 2017, and the defense is kind of underperforming. Now they’re last in their division, struggling to keep afloat so far.

#21. Miami Dolphins (2-0) +4 ⬆️
I’m still not all with Miami just yet. They’ve played bad teams so far this year, so I just want to see more. If they can win against a decent team, then they’ll rise further. But somehow now, they’re ahead of New England in the AFC East.

#22. Dallas Cowboys (1-1) +1 ⬆️
Interesting win from Dallas, but it was against the Giants. Despite that, they looked good. But it’s only the beginning of the season.

#23. Washington Redskins (1-1) -4 ⬇️
Despite losing to the Colts, I have them ahead of them because Washington is still the better team. More talented, and has an open window to actually win the NFC East this year.

#24. New York Jets (1-1) -4 ⬇️
Not a proud game against Miami, but since they play Cleveland soon, maybe they’ll win there. Sam Darnold is still looking like the best rookie quarterback so far.

#25. New York Giants (0-2) -10 ⬇️
Just an awful game in Dallas. Eli Manning really showed his age in this match. And to think I had them at #15 last week.

#26. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) +2 ⬆️
Quite a win for this team hungry to reach the postseason again. It’s a start, but can they consistently win?

#27. Seattle Seahawks (0-2) -1 ⬇️
Week 2 proved my ranking of them last week was appropriate. Pretty bad game on Seattle’s part, and you got to feel bad for Russell Wilson.

#28. Oakland Raiders (0-2) -4 ⬇️
And the Gruden era is off to a rough start. Dang it, they should’ve kept Khalil Mack. Have they seen what he’s done to the Bears?

#29. Detroit Lions (0-2)
They remain in the cellar of a rough NFC North division. However, Week 2 was way better than week 1 for the whole team in general.

#30. Cleveland Browns (0-1-1)
Once again, Cleveland chokes, but they don’t look half bad. Getting to Tyrod Taylor was a good choice. Choosing a new kicker would also make things better for them.

#31. Buffalo Bills (0-2) +1 ⬆️
You know things are bad there when your cornerback retires halfway through the game. Yes, Vontae Davis left during halftime. Brutal. Josh Allen looked rusty, as he has no talent around him.

#32. Arizona Cardinals (0-2) -1 ⬇️
At least the Bills put effort into their game. But nothing? Good god, start Josh Rosen already!

Comments

I agree with most of these but to me I’d rank Pittsburgh lower than Chicago and maybe even Cincy. their decline is slowly happening now. I’d also put the Bucs slightly lower because I’m still not sold 100% on them yet. But other than that I agree - visitor