2024 NFL Power Rankings: Week 3

Does the NFL hate me? I think the NFL might hate me. Seven of my top ten teams last week lost, including shocking upset losses by the 49ers and Ravens.

Chaos like this makes power rankings difficult, but I took the opportunity to make some major adjustments. A few teams that were clearly ranked too low to start the season have been bumped up accordingly and a few dropped that I probably over-ranked.

One interesting note: passing has been down across the league so far this season, with only nine quarterbacks throwing for over 200 yards in both games: Lamar Jackson, C.J. Stroud, Jared Goff, Anthony Richardson, Matthew Stafford, Brock Purdy, Sam Darnold, Derek Carr and Gardner Minshew.

As always, power rankings shift around a lot more early in the season when we’re still learning who these teams are. Don’t expect this much movement a few weeks from now, but I’m not afraid to make big changes to correct some errors.

1 — Kansas City Chiefs (2-0, —)

It took a late defensive touchdown and a pass interference penalty on the final drive, but the Chiefs got the home win over the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s hard to get a read on how good this team is — narrow home wins over the Ravens and Bengals to open the season sounded good on paper, but those teams are now a combined 0-4 heading into Week 3. The Chiefs haven’t done anything to lose this spot, and I still think both the Ravens and Bengals will end up being good teams, but it is something to monitor. There’s a chance these wins don’t age very well.

2 — Buffalo Bills (2-0, up 9)

Maybe this is an overreaction, but after what the Cardinals did on Sunday, the Bills own arguably the two most impressive wins of this young season. After a beatdown of the Miami Dolphins on Thursday Night Football, Buffalo looks to remain well ahead of their competition in the AFC East. The defense stifled the explosive Dolphins offense, and QB Josh Allen keeps the offense churning despite the changes in personnel. In a week where nothing made any sense, the Bills are looking scary once again.

3 — Houston Texans (2-0, up 3)

The Texans earn this ranking more off the losses ahead of them than anything they did. Still, the team is 2-0, with those wins coming against teams that were expected to be in the wildcard chase. It’s impressive that despite middling performances from QB C.J. Stroud and the team as a whole, they’ve looked fairly sharp and moved the ball at will in both games. There’s another gear this team can hit, and that should scare the rest of the AFC.

4 — San Francisco 49ers (1-1, down 2)

Welcome to a group of teams I have no idea what to do with. The 49ers dominated the Jets in Week 1 before laying an egg against the Vikings in a surprising loss. So many of the top teams in the league lost, we essentially need to call it a mulligan for the week. But the 49ers never looked comfortable on offense, including QB Brock Purdy who has overachieved since entering the league as a seventh-round pick in 2022. This was always the concern when starting him. When the offense falls apart and a play needs to be made, can he make it? He didn’t against Minnesota.

5 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0, up 11)

Welcome to the top five, Tampa Bay. Pure chaos leads to a massive jump for the Buccaneers, who had an impressive win over the Lions to stamp their mark on a young NFL season. Starting QB Baker Mayfield is playing exceptional football, and the experience of this team is showing up in critical moments.

6 — Detroit Lions (1-1, down 2)

A lot of people had a lot of hope in the Lions in the preseason. They were a popular pick to reach the Super Bowl out of the NFC. Through two games, they haven’t looked sharp, and after a home loss to the Buccaneers, there are more questions to answer. Lions QB Jared Goff looks uncomfortable, and the offense as a whole hasn’t produced like it should.

7 — Philadelphia Eagles (1-1, up 1)

Bizarre play calling and a clinic in how not to defend a two-minute offense led to a late home loss on Monday night to the Falcons. This is still a talented team, but the offense clearly missed WR A.J. Brown, who could be out a few more weeks with a hamstring issue. The defense struggled to defend the run once again and the cornerbacks lost their matchups at the most inopportune times.

8 — Baltimore Ravens (0-2, down 5)

After the emotional season-opening loss to the Chiefs, many questioned how the Ravens would respond. They needed to put that behind them and face the rest of their season, and they couldn’t do that in Week 2. A home loss to the Raiders is inexcusable, especially with a 10-point fourth-quarter lead, and the Ravens are quickly losing their margin for error.

9 — Green Bay Packers (1-1, up 6)

Starting Malik Willis at quarterback, Packers HC Matt LaFleur engineered a perfect game plan to squeeze some offense out of the third-year quarterback and lead his team to a bounce-back win. Mistakes doomed this squad in Sao Paulo against the Eagles, but they played a much cleaner game against the Colts. Packers QB Jordan Love should only miss a few more games, and stealing a win with him out makes life a lot easier for this team moving forward.

10 — Cincinnati Bengals (0-2, up 3)

One pass interference non-call and the Bengals would be 1-1 with a head-to-head victory over one of their primary rivals. Instead, they fall to 0-2, yet again needing to go on a run to salvage their season. If there’s a formula Cincinnati can fall back on, it’s their 2022 season, when they started 0-2 and finished the season 12-4.

11 — New Orleans Saints (2-0, up 12)

I’m not convinced the Saints are actually this good, but for now, here they stand. They’ve undeniably been the most impressive team in the NFL so far, dominating in wins against the Panthers and Cowboys. Saints QB Derek Carr looks like a new man, and this offense has been clicking with 91 points in the first two games — fourth-most in NFL history. Time will tell if this is just an early-season mirage or if the Saints are for real.

12 — Indianapolis Colts (0-2, down 5)

The Anthony Richardson experience continues. A week after taking the Texans to the brink, the Colts were buried by a Packers team minus their starting quarterback. Richardson had his moments in Green Bay, but didn’t have a good game and missed a lot of throws. The Colts hope he improves over the course of a full season, but the run defense has been concerning. What was supposed to be a strength of this team has been bad through two weeks, giving up over 200 yards rushing in both games.

13 — Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0, up 5)

The only 2-0 team in the AFC North, the Steelers have once again taken on the identity of their head coach. The team plays relentless defense and has gotten enough out of their offense (one touchdown) to win games. It might not be pretty, but 2-0 is 2-0.

14 — Atlanta Falcons (1-1, up 5)

Going on the road and winning in Philadelphia is never easy, let alone in a primetime Monday night game. Falcons QB Kirk Cousins didn’t look comfortable until the final drive, and S Jessie Bates III sealed it with an interception. Cousins still seems to struggle with driving the ball downfield coming off the Achilles injury, but perhaps he’ll regain more strength with time.

15 — Minnesota Vikings (2-0, up 9)

Early-season Sam Darnold has been good for a few years now, but can he keep it up through a full season? That’s the question the Vikings are waiting to answer. So far, he’s been stellar, and this defense has been surprisingly stingy as well. Minnesota is playing well and has a chance to get healthier later in the year, which would be a big boost.

16 — New York Jets (1-1, down 6)

The Jets bounced back from a tough Week 1 loss with a closer-than-expected win over the Titans. The margin of victory was only seven, but a win is a win, and it’s QB Aaron Rodgers’ first in a full game as the Jets’ starter. Perhaps they can build some momentum from here and find a grove as an offense.

17 — Seattle Seahawks (2-0, —)

Seattle struggled with an overmatched team for the second week in a row, but they came away with the win, also for the second week in a row. A lot of teams can’t say that. Seahawks QB Geno Smith steadies the offense and the WR trio of D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is tough to defend. Now they just need to put it all together for a full game.

18 — Miami Dolphins (1-1, down 6)

The Dolphins got run off the field by their division-rival Bills, but the greater concern is now with QB Tua Tagovailoa, who suffered a scary-looking concussion in the second half. This is the third documented concussion in the last two seasons for Tagovailoa, who could take a few weeks to recover. In the meantime, backup QB Skylar Thompson will be tasked with keeping the team afloat and in the AFC race.

19 — Dallas Cowboys (1-1, down 10)

After a dominating road win against the Browns to open the year, the Cowboys came back down to Earth in a blowout home loss to the Saints. I had Dallas pegged as a regression team coming into the season, and this past Sunday’s loss highlights why. The offense was too one-dimensional and couldn’t adjust when WR CeeDee Lamb was covered, and the defense is thinner than in years past with little margin for error.

20 — Arizona Cardinals (1-1, up 2)

The Cardinals looked straight-up dominant in their win over the Rams, pummeling the injured Los Angeles roster in the first quarter and never looking back. A close road loss to the Bills isn’t looking so bad after Week 2, and QB Kyler Murray is playing as well as any quarterback in the country.

21 — Los Angeles Rams (0-2, down 16)

I still believe in the Rams this season, if they can get healthy. But that’s becoming an increasingly daunting task. In addition to all their previous injuries, Los Angeles lost WR Cooper Kupp, OL Jonah Jackson and S John Johnson III to injured reserve stints this week. While neither injury is season-ending, it leaves the Rams incredibly short-handed in the meantime. The Cardinals took advantage of the depleted Rams in a blowout win, and more of the same could be coming if the Rams can’t adjust.

22 — Chicago Bears (1-1, down 2)

No. 1 pick Caleb Williams has had a rough NFL debut. The rookie quarterback threw for less than 100 yards in the win over the Titans and was sacked eight times in the loss to the Texans. The Bears’ defense has been elite, keeping them in the Houston game, and now the offense needs to come along. Injuries have hampered an exciting unit of skill players, and the offensive line needs to play better.

23 — Los Angeles Chargers (2-0, up 2)

New Chargers HC Jim Harbaugh is winning games his way. The schedule toughens up the next two weeks, with games against the Steelers and Chiefs on the docket. But the tackle duo of Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt has been elite, RB J.K. Dobbins has resurrected his career, and Los Angeles is grinding out wins.

24 — Cleveland Browns (1-1, up 2)

Another team that bounced back from a rough opening week, the Browns scored a win over the Jaguars. Browns QB Deshaun Watson had a better game, but a new sexual assault lawsuit filed against him brings his NFL future into question. In the meantime, Cleveland hopes he can build upon that performance and gain some momentum in the early parts of the season.

25 — Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2, down 11)

Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence is regressing, and the losses are starting to stack up early in the year. That’s not a good sign for this coaching staff, but they have time to turn it around. First-round WR Brian Thomas Jr. has been excellent, and the pass rush has dominated at times. Lawrence needs to be more consistent, although this is starting to be a pattern in his career.

26 — Las Vegas Raiders (1-1, up 1)

Raiders QB Gardner Minshew does it again. A year after leading the Colts to a major upset win in Baltimore, the journeyman quarterback scores the upset of the week in Baltimore yet again. Minshew bounced back, and the offense as a whole looked better this week. Between WRs Davante Adams and Jakobi Meyers and TEs Brock Bowers and Michael Mayer, this is a legitimately talented offense. If Minshew continues to play well, they could climb these rankings.

27 — Tennessee Titans (0-2, down 6)

Second-year QB Will Levis is the most insane player in the NFL. A week after trying to avoid a sack by tossing the ball towards the sideline, resulting in a pick-six (and a loss), he found a way to do it again, but worse. This time he tried to avoid a sack by tossing the ball backward, losing the fumble and costing his team a chance at points. There’s a legitimate chance the Titans are 2-0 without those plays. This is a talented team, but Levis needs to rein in his natural craziness to capitalize on that potential.

28 — New England Patriots (1-1, up 1)

It came in a loss, but it was another impressive performance from the Patriots. QB Jacoby Brissett and co. took the Seahawks to overtime, a week after beating the preseason darling Cincinnati Bengals. The offense is still painful to watch at times, but they can run the ball, and the defense continues to come up big.

29 — Denver Broncos (0-2, down 1)

First-round QB Bo Nix, in his first year out of Oregon, is having a rough adjustment to the league. He’s thrown four interceptions in his two starts and has struggled reading defenses. The defense has taken a big step forward since last season, keeping them in games against the Seahawks and Steelers.

30 — Washington Commanders (1-1, —)

Commanders first-round QB Jayden Daniels has taken plenty of hits he should’ve avoided, but he’s been electric in a new Commanders offense. The connections with his wide receivers are still being forged, but he’s flashed his potential as both a runner and a deep passer.

31 — New York Giants (0-2, —)

First-round WR Malik Nabers has been the lone bright spot for New York. He dominated the target share against Washington in Week 2, providing a spark to an anemic offense. However, QB Daniel Jones has long since worn out his welcome, and the Giants are staring down the barrel of another long season.

32 — Carolina Panthers (0-2, —)

With the news breaking Monday that second-year QB Bryce Young is being benched for veteran Andy Dalton, the Panthers will try and climb out of the NFL’s basement with a hopefully rejuvenated offense. Young regressed from last season, and though it’s only been two games, a reset was clearly needed. The Panthers probably still hope Young is their guy long-term but moves like this rarely pan out to have the benched starter return to the lineup and play well.