NFL Power Rankings Week 3
Updated September 18, 2012
32. Cleveland Browns (0-2)
We saw a much-improved Cleveland team this week, but is Weeden going to play like that week in and week out? That remains to be seen. You also cannot be too thrilled with how they played in the back end of the defense. They are missing their best player on defense in Joe Haden for the next three weeks longer so get used to it. Also, is Jim Brown happy with Trent Richardson yet? Come on Jim, this guy is a stud.
31. Oakland Raiders (0-2)
You have to give the Raiders a huge drop down after their effort against the Dolphins. Their defense was just gashed by the pedestrian Dolphins’ offense. The problems on defense aren’t going away, but I am more worried about Darren McFadden. He does not look comfortable in the zone-blocking scheme once again. It is just poor coaching to force a stud player into a scheme.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-2)
I was not high on the Titans to begin with and I am even less so now. They have just been whooped in their first two games and it is indefensible. I am going to harp on Chris Johnson some more. How does a back who rushed for 2,000 yards just completely fall off like this? He just dances around the line of scrimmage and does not run with any authority. I know his line stinks, but if he were elite player he would work around that and not be averaging less than two yards a carry.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
I saw some nice signs from Jacksonville in week 1, but nothing of the sort in this game. However, I am glad it turned out that Chad Henne was not replacing Blaine Gabbert on Sunday. Gabbert may not have shown much yet, but we know Henne is not the answer. Jacksonville had no chance on Sunday; so lets see what Gabbert does this week.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
There are no excuses now. Romeo Crennel is trying to be the head coach and defensive coordinator. Remind me what side of the ball is struggling is struggling again. Oh yes the defense. I just do not understand why coaches think they can do this kind of thing. You are not Bill Belichick so just stop it. Look at Rex Ryan in New York. Mike Pettine is the “defensive coordinator”, but Rex surely runs the show. Hire a coordinator Romeo! Rant over. Can you tell I am upset with my preseason sleeper pick?
27. Miami Dolphins (1-1)
I loved what the Dolphins showed us on Sunday. Reggie Bush was amazing and if he can play like that every week Miami will be better than a bottom-3 team. It amazes me how he has turned his career around in Miami. He now runs between the tackles and with such authority. You also have to be impressed with the defense. They are not even comfortable in the scheme yet, but they still took it to the Raiders.
26. Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
Not too much to say bout the Vikings. They lost a close game to a team that is about the same level as them. There has been a ton of feedback to Percy Harvin’s big game. I have heard a few fans saying that Harvin was a top-10 player in this league. Not quite sir. I think that Harvin is working his way into the elite at his position. Top-10 in the league? No way.
25. Indianapolis Colts (1-1)
This was the type of performance we needed to see with Andrew Luck. He showed the type of high ranking intelligence that all the draft analysts talked about all offseason. I am excited to watch this team grow with Luck. They started well this offseason by adding some nice young pieces, but imagine when they get a running game going like he had at Stanford? That is when we will see the real stud.
24. Buffalo Bills (1-1)
This was a much better effort by Buffalo. C.J. Spiller is just amazing right now. He is getting great blocking by his lineman but he is just exploding out of holes and he is shredding defenders. He is averaging over 10 yards per carry for crying out loud! If he continues to run like this and the pass rush shows up every week like that, maybe the Bills could be the team we thought.
23. St. Louis Rams (1-1)
This was a big time win by the new Rams. I have to really hand it to Sam Bradford. I threw some criticism on him before the season and he really did not live up to that. The best stat from that game was Bradford completed all of his third down pass attempts. That is the sign of a maturing player. He was able to move the Chains pretty easily against Washington.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
I left the Bengals right where they were after a win over the Browns. I alluded to this in the week in review, but I have massive concerns with the defense. Rey Maualuga decided to talk down on Trent Richardson before this game. How do you feel now Rey? Impressed? He and the rest of this Bengals stop unit seem overrated right now. They need to step up because I have said I do not believe Andy Dalton can lead this team alone.
21. New York Jets (1-1)
The Jets also stay right where they are as well. I probably had them underrated after their week 1 win so I think staying them right here is probably about right. This defense is still good, but man is it just at another level with Revis. Sanchez looked like his usual self on Sunday, and that is not good. I do not want to hear Tebow chants just yet, but it may be coming soon enough. I just can’t wait...
20. New Orleans Saints (0-2)
The wheels are off in New Orleans. I will never understand why this team decided to give Joe Vitt the interim head coach job when he is suspended for the first six games. If Aaron Kromer is capable to replace him for the first six games is he not good enough for the whole season? It just creates a lack of leadership and accountability. Kromer however seems to not be up for the job. He is the only one who is making excuses right now. He said that the under-performing was due to playing unique QBs in RG3 and Cam Newton. Give me a break dude.
19. Washington Redskins (1-1)
This is a little bit of a crash down to Earth for the Redskins. They still are a much-improved team, or at least they were until yesterday morning. Top defenders, Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker, are now out for the entire season with injury. This is a massive blow to what was looking to be a very good Redskins defense. RG3 will have to shoulder more of the load now, and I am feeling he has to have some down games coming up here soon.
18. Carolina Panthers (1-1)
This was a nice bounce back win for the Panthers. It was good to see Carolina use some of the read option stuff with Newton again. You do not want to expose him to too many hits but I do not know how you stop that formation. Newton is a unique runner with his size and strength and him pitching off to Stewart or Williams in the backfield is almost unstoppable. As long as the Panthers are innovative and do not ignore their running game this offense should be fine.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
Tampa showed me that they are an average team on Sunday. They held a lead for a while, but the Giants showed more composure by coming back to win the game. The problem is the secondary. How can you give up 510 passing yards and feel good about your team? Aqib Talib was torched repeatedly and Eric Wright showed us all why he did not deserve that big contract. Talk all you want about Schiano’s move at the end of the game. I am more concerned that it came to the Giants kneeling after the Bucs led most of the day.
16. Chicago Bears (1-1)
If you missed it Jay Cutler appeared on a Chicago radio station for the first time since Thursday night’s meltdown. The concerning thing is Jay said, in reference to which throw he could have back, “The picks? You can have those. The one I would take back was the one to Brandon off his hands”. What we see here is a player who is just refusing to accept the reality of the fact his over-aggressive gun slinging ways gets his team in trouble. If he thinks he is going to win that way, well as Cutler said “good luck”.
15. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Wow did Dallas let us all down this week. Many media members were annointing the Cowboys and putting them in the playoff race. This loss showed us that they just might be the same old Cowboys. I am not saying the Cowboys will not be a play off team. What I am saying is I wont be surprised if they are incocnsistent like this, particularly on offense. If everything goes right over there they are a top-5 type unit, but if not, they are amongst the worst.
14. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
Seattle showed us they could be a dangerous team by beating the Cowboys on Sunday. They physically beat up the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. This defense is legit and their defensive line is a real handful to deal with. On offense when they get Lynch going they are quite a good scoring attack. The scary part is we have not even seen the Russell Wilson of the preseason yet. If we do however, watch out.
13. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
The Cardinals are easily the biggest riser in my rankings. This defensive unit is legit and they will keep Arizona competitive throughout the year. That side of the ball could help out the offense by not forcing Kevin Kolb, or John Skelton, into many “catch up” situations and therefore limiting their opportunities for mistakes and sacks. Arizona really needs to get Ryan Williams going. He has fumbled the past two weeks and they need him to protect the ball.
12. San Diego Chargers (2-0)
I moved San Diego up higher, but I do not like it. I am not impressed with who they have beaten so far. You’re supposed to beat up on number 31 and 30 ranked teams (Oakland and Tennessee). I want to see them play a good team before I buy into this year’s Chargers. Plus I have learned never to trust these guys. They can look good for stretches of the season and then randomly lose four in a row.
11. Detroit Lions (1-1)
I am a bit worried about Matthew Stafford. Is he the budding elite passer we saw last year or is he regressing a bit? He certainly has made some weird throws so far this season and it is puzzling to me. Stafford has an elite skill set and he has tons of weapons in that offense. However, he does not look just right yet. He did play the Niners’ ferocious defense so that certainly did not help. I am going to keep a close watch on him.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
The Eagles keep winning despite looking shaky throughout the game. This time they actually beat a quality opponent in the Ravens so you have to give them credit. They have to do something about the turnovers for sure though. You just can’t expect to win games consistently if you turn the ball over three plus times in a game. I am hesitant to buy into the fact that the Eagles are an elite team, but for now, they are winning.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
the Steelers put a hurting on the Jets and that was without two of their best defensive players. When this team gets some of its major players back healthy we could see a return to the top-5 for this team. For now I want to see more from these guys. The running game had been subpar at best and the o-line has not taken the presume step forward. It remains to be seen what level of team this is.
8. New York Giants (1-1)
I continue to believe in the Giants, and the reason is Eli Manning. I know he came out really bad at the beginning but he absolutely lit up the Bucaneers in the second helf; there are not many QBs who could pull that off. I am concerned about the defensive line though because they have left a bit to be desired so far. The pass rush has been ok, but it has not been relentless like it was billed to be.
If it rounds into form the rest of the defense will rise with it.
7. Denver Broncos (1-1)
The Broncos are still a good team in my opinion. Not many teams could come with in one score of winning the game after turning the ball over four times in the first quarter. The question now must be is Peyton Manning the guy from week 1, or the guy from last night?
6. Atlanta Falcons (2-0)
The Falcons have to like that they got from their defense against Manning. They were starting to get banged up, but they stood up to a good QB nonetheless. The only reason I have them outside the top 10 is that I am not sure about their running game. They could not put the game away last night and a big reason is Michael Turner. He is just so slow now that he cannot get it done, more on him later this week.
5. New England Patriots (1-1)
New England has to be embarassed with that home loss. The looks on Brady, Belichick, and Robert Kraft’s face after the kick went wide really said it all. The Patriots really showed they were sleep walking through that game and expected to win it no problem. Many of their players even said that they did not practice hard for that game. Not good.
4. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
The Ravens showed a very weak resolve in the second half of that game in week 2. They will need to show more fortitude in order to remain and elite team in future weeks. Joe Flacco is another one who must show that his second half was an aberration. This team really needs him to continue to play at a high level or they will not go far.
3. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
As I said, i was not worried about this team. Their defense actually covered for their sputtering offense for a change last week. I want to see that unit play at a high level again because that will be an indicator this team is ready to rise to an elite level again.
2. Houston Texans (2-0)
Two weeks in a row Houston has barely had to try and still blew out two bad teams. Naturally I want to see them against a quality opponent, but I am always encouraged when a team just thrashes a bottom feeder and never leaves the outcome in question. That is a sign that a team is one of the best in the league.
1. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
This is a pretty easy choice for the number one spot in my opinion. This team is just way too physical for opposing offenses. They do the fundamental little elements of the game perfectly and it is a big reason they are this good. Alex Smith also is so efficient and seems he is not ready to relinquish his job anytime soon. I expect big things from them this year.
32. Cleveland Browns (0-2)
We saw a much-improved Cleveland team this week, but is Weeden going to play like that week in and week out? That remains to be seen. You also cannot be too thrilled with how they played in the back end of the defense. They are missing their best player on defense in Joe Haden for the next three weeks longer so get used to it. Also, is Jim Brown happy with Trent Richardson yet? Come on Jim, this guy is a stud.
31. Oakland Raiders (0-2)
You have to give the Raiders a huge drop down after their effort against the Dolphins. Their defense was just gashed by the pedestrian Dolphins’ offense. The problems on defense aren’t going away, but I am more worried about Darren McFadden. He does not look comfortable in the zone-blocking scheme once again. It is just poor coaching to force a stud player into a scheme.
30. Tennessee Titans (0-2)
I was not high on the Titans to begin with and I am even less so now. They have just been whooped in their first two games and it is indefensible. I am going to harp on Chris Johnson some more. How does a back who rushed for 2,000 yards just completely fall off like this? He just dances around the line of scrimmage and does not run with any authority. I know his line stinks, but if he were elite player he would work around that and not be averaging less than two yards a carry.
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2)
I saw some nice signs from Jacksonville in week 1, but nothing of the sort in this game. However, I am glad it turned out that Chad Henne was not replacing Blaine Gabbert on Sunday. Gabbert may not have shown much yet, but we know Henne is not the answer. Jacksonville had no chance on Sunday; so lets see what Gabbert does this week.
28. Kansas City Chiefs (0-2)
There are no excuses now. Romeo Crennel is trying to be the head coach and defensive coordinator. Remind me what side of the ball is struggling is struggling again. Oh yes the defense. I just do not understand why coaches think they can do this kind of thing. You are not Bill Belichick so just stop it. Look at Rex Ryan in New York. Mike Pettine is the “defensive coordinator”, but Rex surely runs the show. Hire a coordinator Romeo! Rant over. Can you tell I am upset with my preseason sleeper pick?
27. Miami Dolphins (1-1)
I loved what the Dolphins showed us on Sunday. Reggie Bush was amazing and if he can play like that every week Miami will be better than a bottom-3 team. It amazes me how he has turned his career around in Miami. He now runs between the tackles and with such authority. You also have to be impressed with the defense. They are not even comfortable in the scheme yet, but they still took it to the Raiders.
26. Minnesota Vikings (1-1)
Not too much to say bout the Vikings. They lost a close game to a team that is about the same level as them. There has been a ton of feedback to Percy Harvin’s big game. I have heard a few fans saying that Harvin was a top-10 player in this league. Not quite sir. I think that Harvin is working his way into the elite at his position. Top-10 in the league? No way.
25. Indianapolis Colts (1-1)
This was the type of performance we needed to see with Andrew Luck. He showed the type of high ranking intelligence that all the draft analysts talked about all offseason. I am excited to watch this team grow with Luck. They started well this offseason by adding some nice young pieces, but imagine when they get a running game going like he had at Stanford? That is when we will see the real stud.
24. Buffalo Bills (1-1)
This was a much better effort by Buffalo. C.J. Spiller is just amazing right now. He is getting great blocking by his lineman but he is just exploding out of holes and he is shredding defenders. He is averaging over 10 yards per carry for crying out loud! If he continues to run like this and the pass rush shows up every week like that, maybe the Bills could be the team we thought.
23. St. Louis Rams (1-1)
This was a big time win by the new Rams. I have to really hand it to Sam Bradford. I threw some criticism on him before the season and he really did not live up to that. The best stat from that game was Bradford completed all of his third down pass attempts. That is the sign of a maturing player. He was able to move the Chains pretty easily against Washington.
22. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
I left the Bengals right where they were after a win over the Browns. I alluded to this in the week in review, but I have massive concerns with the defense. Rey Maualuga decided to talk down on Trent Richardson before this game. How do you feel now Rey? Impressed? He and the rest of this Bengals stop unit seem overrated right now. They need to step up because I have said I do not believe Andy Dalton can lead this team alone.
21. New York Jets (1-1)
The Jets also stay right where they are as well. I probably had them underrated after their week 1 win so I think staying them right here is probably about right. This defense is still good, but man is it just at another level with Revis. Sanchez looked like his usual self on Sunday, and that is not good. I do not want to hear Tebow chants just yet, but it may be coming soon enough. I just can’t wait...
20. New Orleans Saints (0-2)
The wheels are off in New Orleans. I will never understand why this team decided to give Joe Vitt the interim head coach job when he is suspended for the first six games. If Aaron Kromer is capable to replace him for the first six games is he not good enough for the whole season? It just creates a lack of leadership and accountability. Kromer however seems to not be up for the job. He is the only one who is making excuses right now. He said that the under-performing was due to playing unique QBs in RG3 and Cam Newton. Give me a break dude.
19. Washington Redskins (1-1)
This is a little bit of a crash down to Earth for the Redskins. They still are a much-improved team, or at least they were until yesterday morning. Top defenders, Brian Orakpo and Adam Carriker, are now out for the entire season with injury. This is a massive blow to what was looking to be a very good Redskins defense. RG3 will have to shoulder more of the load now, and I am feeling he has to have some down games coming up here soon.
18. Carolina Panthers (1-1)
This was a nice bounce back win for the Panthers. It was good to see Carolina use some of the read option stuff with Newton again. You do not want to expose him to too many hits but I do not know how you stop that formation. Newton is a unique runner with his size and strength and him pitching off to Stewart or Williams in the backfield is almost unstoppable. As long as the Panthers are innovative and do not ignore their running game this offense should be fine.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)
Tampa showed me that they are an average team on Sunday. They held a lead for a while, but the Giants showed more composure by coming back to win the game. The problem is the secondary. How can you give up 510 passing yards and feel good about your team? Aqib Talib was torched repeatedly and Eric Wright showed us all why he did not deserve that big contract. Talk all you want about Schiano’s move at the end of the game. I am more concerned that it came to the Giants kneeling after the Bucs led most of the day.
16. Chicago Bears (1-1)
If you missed it Jay Cutler appeared on a Chicago radio station for the first time since Thursday night’s meltdown. The concerning thing is Jay said, in reference to which throw he could have back, “The picks? You can have those. The one I would take back was the one to Brandon off his hands”. What we see here is a player who is just refusing to accept the reality of the fact his over-aggressive gun slinging ways gets his team in trouble. If he thinks he is going to win that way, well as Cutler said “good luck”.
15. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Wow did Dallas let us all down this week. Many media members were annointing the Cowboys and putting them in the playoff race. This loss showed us that they just might be the same old Cowboys. I am not saying the Cowboys will not be a play off team. What I am saying is I wont be surprised if they are incocnsistent like this, particularly on offense. If everything goes right over there they are a top-5 type unit, but if not, they are amongst the worst.
14. Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
Seattle showed us they could be a dangerous team by beating the Cowboys on Sunday. They physically beat up the Cowboys on both sides of the ball. This defense is legit and their defensive line is a real handful to deal with. On offense when they get Lynch going they are quite a good scoring attack. The scary part is we have not even seen the Russell Wilson of the preseason yet. If we do however, watch out.
13. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
The Cardinals are easily the biggest riser in my rankings. This defensive unit is legit and they will keep Arizona competitive throughout the year. That side of the ball could help out the offense by not forcing Kevin Kolb, or John Skelton, into many “catch up” situations and therefore limiting their opportunities for mistakes and sacks. Arizona really needs to get Ryan Williams going. He has fumbled the past two weeks and they need him to protect the ball.
12. San Diego Chargers (2-0)
I moved San Diego up higher, but I do not like it. I am not impressed with who they have beaten so far. You’re supposed to beat up on number 31 and 30 ranked teams (Oakland and Tennessee). I want to see them play a good team before I buy into this year’s Chargers. Plus I have learned never to trust these guys. They can look good for stretches of the season and then randomly lose four in a row.
11. Detroit Lions (1-1)
I am a bit worried about Matthew Stafford. Is he the budding elite passer we saw last year or is he regressing a bit? He certainly has made some weird throws so far this season and it is puzzling to me. Stafford has an elite skill set and he has tons of weapons in that offense. However, he does not look just right yet. He did play the Niners’ ferocious defense so that certainly did not help. I am going to keep a close watch on him.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0)
The Eagles keep winning despite looking shaky throughout the game. This time they actually beat a quality opponent in the Ravens so you have to give them credit. They have to do something about the turnovers for sure though. You just can’t expect to win games consistently if you turn the ball over three plus times in a game. I am hesitant to buy into the fact that the Eagles are an elite team, but for now, they are winning.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1)
the Steelers put a hurting on the Jets and that was without two of their best defensive players. When this team gets some of its major players back healthy we could see a return to the top-5 for this team. For now I want to see more from these guys. The running game had been subpar at best and the o-line has not taken the presume step forward. It remains to be seen what level of team this is.
8. New York Giants (1-1)
I continue to believe in the Giants, and the reason is Eli Manning. I know he came out really bad at the beginning but he absolutely lit up the Bucaneers in the second helf; there are not many QBs who could pull that off. I am concerned about the defensive line though because they have left a bit to be desired so far. The pass rush has been ok, but it has not been relentless like it was billed to be.
If it rounds into form the rest of the defense will rise with it.
7. Denver Broncos (1-1)
The Broncos are still a good team in my opinion. Not many teams could come with in one score of winning the game after turning the ball over four times in the first quarter. The question now must be is Peyton Manning the guy from week 1, or the guy from last night?
6. Atlanta Falcons (2-0)
The Falcons have to like that they got from their defense against Manning. They were starting to get banged up, but they stood up to a good QB nonetheless. The only reason I have them outside the top 10 is that I am not sure about their running game. They could not put the game away last night and a big reason is Michael Turner. He is just so slow now that he cannot get it done, more on him later this week.
5. New England Patriots (1-1)
New England has to be embarassed with that home loss. The looks on Brady, Belichick, and Robert Kraft’s face after the kick went wide really said it all. The Patriots really showed they were sleep walking through that game and expected to win it no problem. Many of their players even said that they did not practice hard for that game. Not good.
4. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
The Ravens showed a very weak resolve in the second half of that game in week 2. They will need to show more fortitude in order to remain and elite team in future weeks. Joe Flacco is another one who must show that his second half was an aberration. This team really needs him to continue to play at a high level or they will not go far.
3. Green Bay Packers (1-1)
As I said, i was not worried about this team. Their defense actually covered for their sputtering offense for a change last week. I want to see that unit play at a high level again because that will be an indicator this team is ready to rise to an elite level again.
2. Houston Texans (2-0)
Two weeks in a row Houston has barely had to try and still blew out two bad teams. Naturally I want to see them against a quality opponent, but I am always encouraged when a team just thrashes a bottom feeder and never leaves the outcome in question. That is a sign that a team is one of the best in the league.
1. San Francisco 49ers (2-0)
This is a pretty easy choice for the number one spot in my opinion. This team is just way too physical for opposing offenses. They do the fundamental little elements of the game perfectly and it is a big reason they are this good. Alex Smith also is so efficient and seems he is not ready to relinquish his job anytime soon. I expect big things from them this year.
