It’s tough to imagine anyone projected the 2018 NFL season starting like this.
We’ve already seen a tie in two consecutive weeks of action, while a number of teams are either greatly exceeding expectations or failing to meet them.
It’s still too early to gauge which teams will be Super Bowl contenders this season, but for now, here are our NFL power rankings as we head into Week 3. (To check out our Week 2 power rankings, click here.)
1. Los Angeles Rams (2-0; Last week’s rank: 1):Â The Rams have looked dominant, beating their opponents by a combined 54 points. L.A. will be hard-pressed to keep it going, though, as its next two games are against the Los Angeles Chargers and Minnesota Vikings.
2. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-0; 5):Â The Jags made a statement in their Week 2 bullying of the Patriots. We’re not conceding the AFC to Jacksonville this early, but it will be tough to stop this team when Blake Bortles plays the way he did against New England.
3. Minnesota Vikings (1-0-1; 3):Â The Vikings were one of a handful of teams troubled by kicking woes this past Sunday. An easy way to rebound from an undesirable outcome? Hosting the Buffalo Bills, which Minnesota will do in Week 3.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0; 9):Â Patrick Mahomes cannot stop throwing touchdown passes. KC’s stable of playmakers will make things incredibly tough on defenses week in and week out.
5. Green Bay Packers (1-0-1; 6):Â It sure doesn’t look like Aaron Rodgers will be seriously hobbled by the knee he injured in Week 1. The Packers looked evenly matched against the Vikings, which bodes well for an exciting NFC North race.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1; 2):Â It looks like Nick Foles finally will be returning to the pine. After an underwhelming performance in Week 2 against the Tampa Bay Buccanneers, the Eagles will welcome back Carson Wentz this Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
7. New England Patriots (1-1; 4):Â The Patriots struggled on both sides of the ball against the Jaguars. A big boost could be on the way, though, as New England traded for Josh Gordon on Monday. Not to mention, the Pats only will be without Julian Edelman for two more games.
8. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1; 10):Â The Chargers’ offense looked pretty darn good against the Bills, but a much larger challenge awaits in Week 3 when they visit the Rams.
9. Atlanta Falcons: (1-1; 12):Â Week 1 and Week 2 were night and day for the Falcons. Matt Ryan and Co. proved just how dangerous their offense can be against the Carolina Panthers. And don’t forget: Atlanta didn’t have Devonta Freeman on Sunday.
10. New Orleans Saints (1-1; 7):Â The Saints still have yet to put things together, as seen in Week 2 when they struggled to beat the Cleveland Browns. Still, New Orleans is far too talented to garner that much doubt.
11. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (2-0; 23): How about them Bucs? If the season ended today (which, admittedly, is one of sports’ worst phrases) Ryan Fitzpatrick would be a top MVP candidate. A quarterback controversy could be looming when Jameis Winston returns from suspension in Week 4.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (2-0; 14): We’ll say it again: The Bengals’ offense has a chance to be among the most dynamic in the league this season. A.J. Green nearly is unstoppable, and Joe Mixon looks like a dynamic feature back. Mixon’s injury is an unfortunate setback, but the long-term outlook still looks rosy.
13. Carolina Panthers (1-1; 11):Â The Panthers showed a lot of guts in Week 2 against the Falcons and nearly squeaked out a victory. The defense has some question marks, but there’s no need to worry about Cam Newton and Co.
14. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1-1; 8):Â There’s not much to get excited about in Pittsburgh at the moment. Le’Veon Bell still has yet to join the team, and Antonio Brown offhandedly dared the team to trade him Monday. Things need to change in Steel City, and fast.
15. Denver Broncos (2-0; 16):Â Case Keenum is doing a good job of proving his doubters wrong thus far. Keep your expectations tempered, though, as victories over the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders might not be very noteworthy this season.
16. Miami Dolphins (2-0; 27):Â A favorable schedule has allowed the Dolphins to grab the top spot in the AFC East to start the season. There’s a good chance that will continue in Week 3 when the Fins host the Raiders.
17. Dallas Cowboys (1-1; 22):Â The Cowboys protected home turf in Week 2 to earn a big win over the New York Giants. That said, Dallas’ offense still looks rather anemic, and the unit’s struggles won’t fly as the season progresses.
18. Baltimore Ravens (1-1; 17):Â The Ravens showed a lot of fight after going down 21-0 to the Bengals on “Thursday Night Football.” Judging from the first two weeks, it could be a roller coaster season for Baltimore.
19. Tennessee Titans (1-1; 19):Â Ironically enough, the Titans earned their first win of the season without their franchise quarterback under center. Blaine Gabbert did enough to help Tennessee win in Week 2, but the team can ill-afford to be without Marcus Mariota for extended time.
20. Chicago Bears (1-1; 21):Â It’s going to be a work in progress for Mitchell Trubisky and the Bears’ offense, but one thing is becoming increasingly clear: This Chicago defense can be downright frightening.
21. Washington Redskins (1-1; 15):Â Redskins nation was on cloud nine after an 18-point win on the road in Week 1. Losing by 12 to the Colts at home is a swift way to come back to earth.
22. San Francisco 49ers (1-1; 25):Â Jimmy Garoppolo got back to his winning ways this past Sunday against the Detroit Lions, but the Niners face a tall task Sunday against the red-hot Chiefs in Kansas City.
23. Houston Texans (0-2; 13):Â Hold off on pressing the panic button, but there is some cause for concern in Houston. The Texans need Deshaun Watson to return to his normal self if they have any hope of being a playoff team this season.
24. New York Giants (0-2; 18): The Giants have more than enough playmakers to have a strong offense, but that only will be possible if the offensive line shapes up.
25. Seattle Seahawks (0-2; 20):Â Seattle is far from the team that gave the league nightmares from 2012 to 2016. The defense is a shell of itself, and Russell Wilson’s offensive line can’t keep him upright.
26. New York Jets (1-1; 24):Â The Sam Darnold hype train came to a screeching halt in Week 2. With a quick turnaround, the Jets are in danger of giving the Browns their first win since the 2016 season this Thursday.
27. Cleveland Browns (0-1-1; 29):Â There are no moral victories in the NFL, but there’s reason to be excited in Cleveland. The Browns have gone toe-to-toe with the Steelers and Saints and had multiple opportunities to win each of their first two games.
28. Detroit Lions (0-2; 26):Â Matt Patricia still is in search of his first win as a head coach. He’ll need to coach his butt off in order to make that happen when his former team visits Detroit this Sunday.
29. Indianapolis Colts (1-1; 30):Â The Colts are Week 3 underdogs, but if Wentz’s return under center isn’t a smooth one, Indy could sneak out of Philly with a surprise win.
30. Oakland Raiders (0-2; 28):Â The offseason hiring of Jon Gruden brought a ton of buzz to the Raiders ahead of the season. That buzz has quickly evaporated given how Oakland has looked through two weeks.
31. Arizona Cardinals (0-2; 31):Â Even against a team like the Rams, losing 34-0 is a pretty awful look.
32. Buffalo Bills (0-2; 32):Â It’s going to be a long, long season in Buffalo.
