What in the world is going on?
That question likely has crossed the minds of football fans on several occasions through the first three weeks of the 2018 NFL season.
Wild upsets, unexpected performances, you name it. The early stage of the campaign has been flat-out bananas. But now that the dust has settled after the league’s third week, here’s how we feel teams rank from No. 1 to No. 32. (For our Week 3 power rankings, click here.)
1. Los Angeles Rams (3-0; Last week’s rank: 1):Â The Rams are starting to look like a runaway train, but Thursday night’s battle against the Minnesota Vikings will be a good test to see just how good L.A. is.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0; 4):Â The Chiefs are lighting up the scoreboard at an absurd rate, and second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes sure looks like the real deal.
3. Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1; 3):Â You’d be hard-pressed to find anyone in the world who predicted the Vikings would be trounced by the Buffalo Bills in Week 3. Still, it’s better to get punched in the mouth now than in the playoffs.
4. New Orleans Saints (2-1; 10):Â The Saints’ offense looked explosive as ever Sunday and are just one week away from being rejoined by veteran running back Mark Ingram Jr.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1; 2):Â If it weren’t for the inconsistency from quarterback Blake Bortles and the Jaguars’ passing attack, Jacksonville likely would be a mainstay in the top 3 throughout the season.
6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1; 6):Â Carson Wentz didn’t exactly make waves in his return from injury, but the Eagles QB appeared to play without any reservations. That’s great news for Philly, which could begin to turn it on once Wentz gets back into rhythm.
7. Miami Dolphins (3-0; 16):Â Who would’ve thought the Dolphins would be one of three undefeated teams in the NFL after three weeks? Miami really could make a statement with a Week 4 win on the road against the New England Patriots.
8. Green Bay Packers (1-1-1; 5):Â Aaron Rodgers clearly isn’t 100 percent healthy, but as long as the Packers signal-caller is out there, you have to be fearful of Green Bay.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1-1; 14):Â The Bucs were one of the hottest teams heading into Week 3, so kudos to the Steelers for going into Tampa Bay and coming out with a hard-fought win.
10. Atlanta Falcons: (1-2; 9):Â The Falcons were on the losing end of a shootout with the Saints in Week 3, but it’s hard not to be impressed with what Matt Ryan and his slew of weapons are doing in Atlanta. Just wait until Devonta Freeman returns.
11. Carolina Panthers (2-1; 13):Â Cam Newton is a magician with the football in his hands. If the Panthers defense can continue holding its own, Carolina will be a tough out.
12. Tampa Bay Buccanneers (2-1; 11):Â The Bucs showed a ton of guts nearly erasing a 20-point deficit against the Steelers. Now, Tampa Bay must make a tough decision about who starts at quarterback in Week 4.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2; 8): A tough schedule has plagued the Chargers early on, including matchups against the Chiefs and Rams. It’s far too early to give up on the Bolts.
14. New England Patriots (1-2; 7):Â There’s not much to be excited about with the Patriots at the moment. If they turn in another dud against the Dolphins this Sunday, it might be time to start worrying in New England.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1; 12):Â The Panthers-Bengals clash was one of the most entertaining games of the weekend. Cincy came up short, but there’s a lot to like about this team’s offense.
16. Denver Broncos (2-1; 15):Â The Broncos suffered their first loss of the season Week 3 against the Baltimore Ravens, and a second straight defeat could be awaiting Denver this Monday against the red-hot Chiefs.
17. Tennessee Titans (2-1; 19):Â A win’s a win. Sunday’s matchup between the Jags and Titans was real, real ugly, but Tennessee came out with a victory that could end up having major playoff implications.
18. Chicago Bears (2-1; 20):Â The Bears defense continues to impress, but Chicago’s offense currently is preventing it from being one of the NFC’s best teams.
19. Baltimore Ravens (2-1; 18):Â The AFC North appears very much up for grabs this season, so Week 4’s Ravens-Steelers tilt on “Sunday Night Football” could be a telling contest.
20. Washington Redskins (2-1; 21):Â It’s been really tough to get a read on the Redskins through the first three weeks. The offense possesses a handful of capable weapons, though, so we’ll have to wait and see if Alex Smith can get everyone in sync.
21. New York Giants (1-2; 24): It only was a matter of time before the Giants locked up their first win of the season. It could be tough for New York to keep it going in Week 4, though, as it will host the high-powered Saints.
22. Seattle Seahawks (1-2; 25):Â Seattle actually looked impressive against the Cowboys, but it’s difficult to be optimistic about the Seahawks given the holes in their roster.
23. Dallas Cowboys (1-2; 17):Â As if Dallas’ anemic offense wasn’t enough of an issue, veteran linebacker and heart of the defense Sean Lee could be sidelined for a few weeks with a hamstring injury, per ESPN.
24. Cleveland Browns (1-1-1; 27):Â At long last, the Browns are back in the win column. And the funny fact of the matter is, just a handful of plays prevented Cleveland from being 3-0 heading into the quarter mark of the season.
25. Houston Texans (0-3; 23):Â The Texans have been right there, but they haven’t been able to get over the hump. After three straight losses by seven points or less, Houston is poised to get back in the win column Sunday against the Colts.
26. Detroit Lions (1-2; 28):Â If the Lions continue to play the way they did in Week 3 against the Patriots, Detroit will vault up the power rankings on a weekly basis.
27. San Francisco 49ers (1-2; 22):Â A season filled with promise for the 49ers is no more after Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a torn ACL. Now, San Francisco likely is ticketed for another disappointing campaign.
28. Indianapolis Colts (1-2; 29):Â The Colts showed some fight against the defending Super Bowl champs Sunday, but it’s going to take some time for Andrew Luck to fully get back to his old self.
29. New York Jets (1-2; 26):Â Remember when the football world was sky high about the Jets after Week 1? Yeah, that feels like a long time ago.
30. Oakland Raiders (0-3; 30):Â The hype around head coach Jon Gruden has all but evaporated. The Raiders, at the moment, are just a bad football team.
31. Buffalo Bills (1-2; 32):Â A road win over the Vikings is impressive whatever way you slice it, but it’s tough to imagine Buffalo will continue to roll.
32. Arizona Cardinals (0-3; 31):Â After three straight weeks of lousy football, Arizona will turn to rookie QB Josh Rosen this Sunday against the Seahawks.
