Mark Craig's Week 3 NFL power rankings

The Ravens stay ahead of Kansas City because of powerful offense and defense.

September 22, 2020 at 6:13PM
Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson warms up before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Sept.20, 2020, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson warmed up before Sunday’s victory in Houston. (The Minnesota Star Tribune)

1. Ravens (2-0)

What do you get when you put football's best defense with 230 yards rushing? The best team on the planet.

2. Chiefs (2-0)

Patrick Mahomes had a bad half. But he doesn't have bad games. Down 11, he rallies KC in OT.

3. Seahawks (2-0)

Russell Wilson has nine touchdowns, one interception and the early lead on what would be his first MVP.

4. Patriots (1-1)

Cam Newton looks like he's been in New England's offense for 10 years, not three months.

5. Packers (2-0)

Posting 236 yards and three touchdowns from scrimmage, Aaron Jones is becoming Aaron 1b in Green Bay.

6. Steelers (2-0)

Yeah, they played the Giants in Week 1. Yeah, they played backup QB Jeff Driskel for three quarters in Week 2. But this defense is nasty.

7. Bills (2-0)

With a league-high 239 yards receiving, Stefon Diggs will not be skipping practice to pout this week.

8. Cardinals (2-0)

Kyler Murray completing 68 percent of his passes while averaging 8.3 yards with two touchdowns rushing is a defensive coordinator's nightmare.

9. Raiders (2-0)

Darren Waller shows a prime-time audience that he's the real deal during surprising win over Saints.

10. Saints (1-1)

The trifecta that sank them Monday night: No Michael Thomas. No historic accuracy from Drew Brees. No discipline (10 penalties for 129 yards).

11. Buccaneers (1-1)

Twenty-one seasons and Tom Brady has never started 0-2. Think. About. That.

12. Titans (2-0)

Including playoffs, Derrick Henry has seven 100-yard games and one 200-yard game in his last 11 outings. Next up: The Vikings' 28th-ranked run defense (154.5).

13. Rams (2-0)

They're partying like it's 2018 as Jared Goff completes his first 13 passes en route to a 142.1 passer rating.

14. 49ers (1-1)

Kyle Shanahan blamed the "sticky" surface at MetLife Stadium for the multiple knee and ankle injuries in Sunday's win over the Jets. Next up: The Giants at MetLife Stadium.

15. Cowboys (1-1)

They lost three of four fumbles in the first quarter. Then they scored seven times in eight possessions to the Falcons.

16. Bears (2-0)

Leading 17-0 at the half, Chicago weathered a 31-yard, two-interception performance by Mitchell Trubisky in Sunday's 17-13 win over the Giants.

17. Jaguars (1-1)

The young Jags have a swagger that comes from their QB, Gardner Minshew, who nearly pulled off the upset of Tennessee.

18. Chargers (1-1)

The Chargers are now the only team to hold Mahomes to fewer than 25 points in a game twice in Mahomes' 38 starts.

19. Colts (1-1)

Losing Marlon Mack, Parris Campbell and Malik Hooker would be a lot tougher had GM Chris Ballard not used the second and third rounds to add Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman and Julian Blackmon.

20. Washington (1-1)

Washington is fortunate to be 1-1 after trailing 17-0 in each of its first two games.

21. Browns (1-1)

Congrats, Kevin Stefanski. Winning games in the NFL is tough. Winning them in Cleveland can be downright impossible some years. Right, Hue (3-36-1) Jackson?

22. Texans (0-2)

They opened at Kansas City. Then they played Baltimore at home. Now they travel to Pittsburgh. My goodness.

23. Broncos (0-2)

Winless and likely starting Jeff Driskel against Tom Brady is not what Vic Fangio had in mind for Week 3.

24. Falcons (0-2)

They led 20-0. They scored 39 points. They didn't turn the ball over. And they lost.

25. Vikings (0-2)

"The game is won and lost at the line of scrimmage" is more than just an NFL cliché. It sums up the Vikings' start.

26. Eagles (0-2)

Upon further review, the Eagles have reversed their decision and now choose Nick Foles.

27. Lions (0-2)

Upon further review, the Lions also have reversed their decision and now choose Jim Caldwell.

28. Dolphins (0-2)

Miami is giving up a league-worst 7.2 yards per play. And that made Diggs quite the happy receiver on Sunday.

29. Panthers (0-2)

Teddy Bridgewater had two turnovers in the six games he played significant time in last year with New Orleans. He had three in Sunday's loss, matching a career high.

30. Giants (0-2)

The Giants just never seem to get any good news anymore. Losing Saquon Barkley to a serious knee injury is yet another blow.

31. Bengals (0-2)

No need to tank for Trevor. But that No. 1 pick sure would fetch a nice bounty, eh?

32. Jets (0-2)

Last week, owner Christopher Johnson called coach Adam Gase "a brilliant offensive mind." This week, the Jets rank last in yards and 31st in points.

about the writer

about the writer

Mark Craig

Sports reporter

Mark Craig has covered the NFL nearly every year since Brett Favre was a rookie back in 1991. A sports writer since 1987, he is covering his 30th NFL season out of 37 years with the Canton (Ohio) Repository (1987-99) and the Star Tribune (1999-present).

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