NFL Week 3 Power Rankings: Movement Atop the NFC

 

The landscape of the league shifted in one weekend.

With injuries to two of the league’s top passers and multiple top matchups in Week 2, a lot has changed in just a handful of days.

Every week, HOF Experiences is releasing a Power Ranking of the top five teams in the league as we get closer to the 2020 Super Bowl.

Here are your official power rankings for Week 3 of the 2019 NFL season.

Week 3 Power Rankings
 

1. New England Patriots (2-0)

Last Week’s Ranking: 1

Week 3 Opponent: vs. New York Jets (0-2)

Through two weeks of the NFL season, the New England Patriots are who we thought they were — and some more. Following a 43-0 shellacking of the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, New England has now outscored its opponents 76-3 through two games. The scary part? A team so heavily lauded for its generational quarterback and arsenal of wide receivers may be stouter on the defensive side of the ball. In his first two games as the Patriots defensive signal caller, Jerod Mayo has looked like a seasoned vet and crafted a defensive scheme that could punish opposing offenses at any moment.

In his first game with the Patriots, Antonio Brown took advantage of his limited snaps, catching four passes for 56 yards and one touchdown.

All this is to say, the Patriots may be in this top spot for a while.

2. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0)

Last Week’s Ranking: 2

Week 3 Opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens (2-0)

The absence of Tyreek Hill due to injury was supposed to stifle the Chiefs offense, but instead it has opened opportunity for the rest of Kansas City’s receiving corps. After Sammy Watkins broke out in Week 1, Demarcus Robinson followed suit in the Chiefs 28-10 win over Oakland and put on the best performance of his career. The fourth-year receiver went for two touchdowns and 172 yards on six receptions, averaging an impressive 28.7 yards per catch.

Kansas City’s defense also stiffened up this week, looking more comfortable in coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s new system.

And then there’s Patrick Mahomes, who is still putting up astronomical numbers like clockwork. The reigning MVP threw for 443 yards and four touchdowns in his final performance ever in Oakland.

3. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)

Last Week’s Ranking: NR

Week 3 Opponent: at Cleveland Browns (1-1)

After starting the season in the Top 5 of our Power Rankings, the Rams lost their place after a less-than-stellar opening weekend performance against the Carolina Panthers.

Well — the Rams proved their worth in Week 2 with a 27-9 win over the New Orleans Saints in a rematch of last year’s NFC title game.

The scoreline doesn’t tell the proper story, though. The Saints lost quarterback Drew Brees early in the game to a thumb injury that will likely keep him out of action for the next two months. There was also an officiating error that took a likely fumble return touchdown for Cameron Jordan away.

But the Rams still did what they needed to do to knock off a top NFC opponent. The return of Cooper Kupp from an ACL injury has breathed new life into the offense, and the slot receiver showed that he still has it on a 66-yard catch-and-run that was maybe the play of the weekend.

With the Saints ailing from Brees’ absence, the Rams may have cemented their spot as the early season team to beat in the NFC.

4. Dallas Cowboys (2-0)

Last Week’s Ranking: 5

Week 3 Opponent: vs. Miami Dolphins (0-2)

Dallas’ dynamic duo of Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott is officially back. After an average Week 1 performance, Elliot went for 111 yards and one touchdown in the Cowboys’ 31-21 win over the Redskins.

Prescott looked sharp for a second straight week, throwing 26-30 for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Most impressively, Dallas’ offensive line kept Prescott safe most of the game (allowing only one sack) against a formidable Washington front seven.

The Cowboys are setting themselves up nicely with two division wins and a game against a struggling Miami on the horizon this week.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)

Last Week’s Ranking: NR

Week 3 Opponent: vs. Detroit Lions (1-0-1)

There are several undefeated teams left in the league, but the Eagles still find a spot in our Top 5. A slow start and plethora of injuries led to a disappointing loss to the Falcons on Sunday night, but it also masked maybe the most inspiring Carson Wentz performance in over a year.

Wentz led the Eagles back and eventually gave them a 20-17 lead with a touchdown and two-point conversion with 3:13 remaining.

The Eagles are hurt, but not broken, and a slugfest in Atlanta maybe inspired more confidence than it should have. But their talent is still overflowing, and their star quarterback is starting to play like his old self again.

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