2013 Week Three NFL Power Rankings

By: Matt Harmon

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4)
  • Another putrid outing from the Jaguars cements their status as the worst team in the league. Scoring three points, at home, against a division rival is inexcusable. 

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)
  • Mike Glennon did not make the Bucs any better, what a shock. The Buccaneers have a great defense, but a terrible offense and a lunatic coaching staff is going to keep them in the cellar all year. 

30. St. Louis Rams (1-3)
  • The Rams take a huge plunge, and they earned it both for their poor play and for betraying my high hopes for them. Their defense is bad, and they seem to have no idea how to use their weapons on offense, but their biggest problem is behind center. Sam Bradford had a decent rookie season and for some reason, because of that, he has gotten a pass for being mediocre since. Well, he looks to have regressed to just plain bad now. The Rams need to be thinking about replacing him in the offseason, not extending him. 

29. New York Giants (0-4)
  • The Giants have scored a measly seven points in the last two weeks. The Giants really need to get David Wilson going, and I am not just saying that because I own him in two fantasy leagues. It is apparent how explosive he can be, and if they gave him more carries, they may have something other than just Victor Cruz to lean on offensively.  

28. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-4)
  • The Steelers showed that it might be time to stick a fork in them by losing to the Vikings in London. Their offense is so talent-depleted, and poorly coached, they need a perfect game from Ben Roethlisberger to win; they are not getting perfect from him. Now, their defense is showing major holes. This may be the end of an era in Pittsburgh. 

27. Oakland Raiders (1-3)
  • Well, we certainly see the difference in the Raiders when Matt Flynn plays. This offense was so boring it almost put me to sleep a few times while watching. Darren McFadden also was hurt in that game, but we should have al seen that coming. 

26. Minnesota Vikings (1-3)
  • The Vikings showed what kind of team they could be if they get some mistake-free play from their quarterback. Of course, it would seem easy to say that they should bench Ponder for Cassel, and that may be the right move, but we have certainly seen that Cassel cannot be counted on to consistently play that way. 

25. Washington Redskins (1-3)
  • The Redskins got their first win, but as I detailed in the Raiders section, it was a rather unimpressive one. The good news for this team is that their worst football should be behind them. That defense certainly is not going to get any better, but as RGIII gets healthier, they should be able to run the ball better and have more success of play action/option plays. They can still win this bad division.

24. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)
  • It was fun to think the Eagles were going to be a good team in the first year of the Chip Kelly era, but they find themselves about right where they began the season in my Power Rankings. Their defense is nowhere close to NFL level right now, and their offense is still just a hit or miss unit. 

23. Buffalo Bills (2-2)
  • The Bills have to feel good after upsetting the Ravens on Sunday. The Bills are another team that I feel is only going to get better throughout the season. E.J. Manuel will continue to get comfortable, and C.J. Spiller should certainly get better, and on defense, they will get good players like Jarius Byrd and Stephon Gilmore back. 

22. New York Jets (2-2)
  • The Jets are going to have to take some bad weeks from Geno Smith every once and awhile. For one, I have no doubts that he gives them the best chance to win, and can develop into a solid starter. Secondly, what would benching him accomplish? You are not a playoff contender this year, and having a full season of tape on Smith is more important than seeing Matt Simms take the field. 

21. Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
  • The Cards won on Sunday, but if they were a good team they would have beaten the Bucs, and their rookie quarterback, much more soundly. Here is an under-the-radar storyline for you: rookie sixth round running back, Andre Ellington, is a better player than Rashard Mendenhall. Mendenhall looks like he has lost the little explosion he had left, and Ellington, a player who fell too far in the draft, is a guy who can break off big runs and contribute as a pass catcher. Let’s hope Bruce Arians does not stay loyal to Mendenhall just because of their Pittsburgh days. 

20. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
  • The Panthers were on a bye this week. I hope they studied the tape of their offense against the Giants and continue to play that way going forward. Coach Rivera has been painfully conservative since his hiring, but in Week Three he went for the throat and kept his foot on the gas, despite a big lead. That is how you win in the league. 

19. Cleveland Browns (2-2)
  • The Brows look like the team I thought they could be preseason; it is just win Brian Hoyer at quarterback instead of Brandon Weeden. Jordan Cameron is one of the stories of the season. Despite doing basically nothing his first few years in the league, he is now knocking on the door of top tight ends in the league. Rob Chudsinski and Norv Turner are truly the “tight end whispers”.

18. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
  • The Cowboys fall back a bit in the power rankings, and are actually back to their original spot. Dallas might be the best team in the terrible NFC Least division, but they have way to many holes to be a true contender. One thing that is not talked about enough is that thus far in his young career, Morris Claiborne has looked like a total bust. He might be a poor fit for this scheme, but that is why you do not overhaul your defense after trading a king’s ransom to draft a player in the top ten. 

17. Atlanta Falcons (1-3)
  • The Falcons look to have taken a big step back from last season’s team. However, if there is light at the end of the tunnel its that Tony Gonzalez still looks like he has it, and Roddy White and Steven Jackson will be back eventually. Let’s just hope it will not be too late. 

16. San Diego Chargers (2-2)
  • The Chargers feel like an 8-8 team to me. I do not think they are good enough yet to consistently win games, especially when they are close. But this team is way better than I thought, and Phillip Rivers is putting them on his back. 

15. Tennessee Titans (3-1)
  • Even if this team is forced to have Ryan Fitzpatrick take over for a significant amount of time, the formula they are playing with is sustainable if he can play competently. The problem is Fitzpatrick is such a streaky player, you do not know what you’ll get from him any given Sunday. 

14. Houston Texans (2-2)
  • The Texans gave up a huge lead to the Seahawks at home, and if you’re going to be one of the best teams in your conference, that cannot happen. It looks like Schaub will remain an issue for the Texans.

13. Detroit Lions (3-1)
  • The Lions look like a good team all around, but they look like a flat out dangerous team when Reggie Bush is on the field. We will probably be gushing about Bush in this offense all season, provided he stays healthy.

12. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
  • The problem with the Ravens is that they are a team that needs to play to a certain script. If a team gets a lead on them they do not have the passing game personnel to play catch up. Another under discussed problem for them has been their offensive line. Despite only losing one starter from last year’s Super Bowl run, this unit has been flat out bad in protection and run blocking all season. 

11. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
  • The Bengals fall out of the top ten after losing to the division rival Browns. Like the Texans, I do not know if this team can be considered a real threat in the AFC with a mediocre, at best, starting quarterback. I feel like a broken record, but what else is there to say about this team?

10. Miami Dolphins (3-1)
  • Like I mentioned in the weekly review, I am not going to kill the Dolphins for that loss. What I will be killing is the performance of Mike Wallace. Once again, the overpaid receiver put up a clunker and for at least the better part of a half of the game he was matched up against Corey White. Wallace should completely torch a player like White; he managed three catches for 24 yards. 

9. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
  • Of course I still have questions about the Chiefs long term viability playing their safe style of offense, but it is very encouraging the two times they have played dreadful teams, the Jaguars and the Giants, they have completely blown them out. 

8. Indianapolis Colts (3-1)
  • The Colts followed up their impressive Week Three win over the 49ers by obliterating the Jaguars. They are showing more each week that they may be ready to join the ranks of the elite teams in the NFL. 

7. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)
  • The 49ers had something of a get-well game against the woeful Rams on Thursday night. Their passing game still leaves something to be desired, and I will be watching their game against Houston this week to see if we see signs of the 2012 Colin Kaepernick. 

6. Green Bay Packers (1-2)
  • Green Bay had a bye this week, and hopefully they got a few of their running backs to full strength during that time. There is still plenty of potential for this team to be one of the NFC’s best. 

5. Chicago Bears (3-1)
  • After I blustered all week about this Bears team being elite, they went and laid an egg against the Lions. I hope this was not a sign of things to come, but that defense looked overmatched, and that offense looked way too much like what we saw from the Bears in season’s past. 

4. New England Patriots (4-0)
  • The Patriots are 4-0 and their best football is probably ahead of them. The Patriots look every bit of the elite team we are used to them being, and if everything breaks right, they could be better than last year’s team. 

3. New Orleans Saints (4-0)
  • It is time to consider the Saints the second best team in the NFC. Everyone says that if Seattle gets the number one seed and has home field advantage in the playoffs, they can book their ticket to the Super Bowl. After watching the Saints on Monday night, I am beginning to think the same thing is true for them. 

2. Seattle Seahawks (4-0)
  • Seattle drops one spot despite an incredibly impressive and resilient comeback win in Houston. My only reasoning is that I think their passing offense has been out of sync all year, despite Russell Wilson’s heroics. Oh, and the team at number one just really deserves it. 

1.    Denver Broncos (4-0)
  • I finally caved and put the Broncos in the top spot, and frankly it is overdue. The Broncos are a legitimate powerhouse and a complete team. I will say it now, they have the potential to go 16-0 and be considered an all-time great team, if they continue playing like this.