Just three unbeaten teams remain after three weeks of the 2023 NFL season. This week’s power rankings reflect how there’s a long way to go and that we’re just starting to find out about teams as they find their footing.
1. San Francisco 49ers (3-0) | Last week: 1
The 49ers haven’t lost a game that Brock Purdy has started and finished, and the disrespect he’s gotten from the media is crazy. San Francisco is loaded and well coached, but it’s evident that Purdy is a strong fit with Kyle Shanahan.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) | Last week: 3 (+1)
Second-year defensive lineman Jordan Davis continues to flash as a game-wrecker on the interior, and the Philly offensive line opens massive running lanes for D’Andre Swift and Kenneth Gainwell. The Eagles have the pieces on both lines to impose their will in many matchups; the Bucs already normally can’t run the ball well and didn’t stand much of a chance on Monday night.
3. Miami Dolphins (3-0) | Last week: 8 (+5)
The unforgettable 70-point performance by the Dolphins displayed the sheer upside of Mike McDaniel’s offense, which is perhaps the fastest group in NFL history. Raheem Mostert and rookie De’Von Achane each scored four touchdowns versus Denver. At Buffalo this Sunday will be a bigger challenge, obviously.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) | Last week: 5 (+1)
Lost in the hoopla of Travis Kelce’s new relationship with singer-songwriter Taylor Swift was the Chiefs taking care of business in a major way with a 31-point win versus the Bears. Patrick Mahomes looked more comfortable than he did the first two games, and Chris Jones and Mike Danna each recorded a sack for the underrated KC defense.
5. Buffalo Bills (2-1) | Last week: 6 (+1)
The shocking Week 1 for the offense looks like a distant memory in Buffalo after routing Las Vegas and Washington the past two games. Sean McDermott’s defense became the first team since the Cowboys in 1985 to record nine sacks and four interceptions in a game, and they totally decimate inexperienced quarterbacks:
Opposing QBs in their first five career starts vs. the Bills since 2017:
🏈 0-8
🏈 46.4 passer rating
🏈 184 passing YPG
🏈 3 TD – 20 INTs
🏈 29 Sacks— Buffalo Bills PR (@BuffaloBillsPR) September 24, 2023
6. Detroit Lions (2-1) | Last week: 7 (+1)
Second-round rookie defensive back Brian Branch is someone I want to highlight here after he was all over the field in Detroit’s 20-6 win against Atlanta, racking up 11 tackles (three for loss) and a couple of pass breakups. And running back Jahmyr Gibbs (18 touches, 82 yards) and tight end Sam LaPorta (eight receptions 84 yards, one touchdown) are helping show that it looks like a home-run rookie class for Brad Holmes and the Lions.
7. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) | Last week: 2 (-5)
The most disappointing Week 3 performance came from the Cowboys, who lost to the Cardinals as double-digit favorites. I think we can chalk it up partly to Arizona’s style of play and it just being one of those off days, but the loss of All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs for the year due to a torn ACL suffered in practice last week is a massive blow to Dallas’ Super Bowl hopes.
8. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) | Last week: 4 (-4)
Two of the first three games this season have come in wet Baltimore conditions for the Ravens, and the sloppiness of last Sunday’s contest versus the Colts had a hand in two lost fumbles in the overtime defeat. Dealing with injuries to several starters, the Ravens go on the road to battle the Browns and Steelers within the division the next two games.
9. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) | Last week: 10 (+1)
They might have been surprised a bit by how well the Rams played in Week 1, as the Seahawks have looked like a different team in Weeks 2 and 3, scoring 37 points in wins over the Lions and Panthers. Kenneth Walker III has four touchdowns the past two games and forms a dangerous combo with Geno Smith and the passing attack. Safety Jamal Adams is set to make his season debut this Monday night.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) | Last week: 11 (+1)
Mike Tomlin’s squad has shown a way to win close games—and win, period, when T.J. Watt is in the lineup. A couple of big-play touchdowns to Calvin Austin III and Pat Freiermuth from Kenny Pickett give Pittsburgh something to build on offensively.
11. Green Bay Packers (2-1) | Last week: 17 (+6)
Down a few key starters versus the Saints, Jordan Love’s Packers pulled off the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in team history—with 18 fourth-quarter points after being down 17-0 at home. The connection between Love and second-year receiver Romeo Doubs (five receptions, 73 yards, game-winning touchdown) is developing into a great one.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) | Last week: 14 (+2)
Joe Burrow toughed out his calf injury to help deliver the ball to Ja’Marr Chase (12 catches, 141 yards) and company while avoiding an 0-3 start. Cincinnati’s defense allowed an astonishing one third-down conversion on 11 attempts for the Rams, and we could see a similar style game this Sunday against the Titans.
13. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2) | Last week: 9 (-4)
Things have been way off for the Jaguars through three games, with a 37-17 home loss to the Texans having fans again voicing displeasure with general manager Trent Baalke. Something needs to kickstart the passing game, and a big-play connection between Trevor Lawrence and Calvin Ridley—facing his former Falcons team this week in London—could be it.
14. New England Patriots (1-2) | Last week: 20 (+6)
New England holds a 15-game winning streak over their division rival New York, and Week 3 was one of their biggest wins in that stretch to avoid an 0-3 hole. Ezekiel Elliott (16 carries, 80 yards) looked good in the win, and Zeke will now take on his former team in Week 4.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2) | Last week: 19 (+4)
Big receiver Mike Williams is one of the NFL’s most underrated players and best big-play threats, so his loss to a torn ACL is a huge one for the Chargers coming off their critical road win against the Vikings. As expected, a healthier Justin Herbert looks much better this season, and the LA defense—now potentially without Derwin James (hamstring) for a stretch—must figure things out.
16. Indianapolis Colts (2-1) | Last week: 25 (+9)
Shane Steichen has done a phenomenal job to begin his tenure with the Colts, including refreshing the rushing attack—which was mostly dreadful in 2022—to bring balance offensively and complement a solid defense. Indy, which should get Anthony Richardson back from his concussion this week after Gardner Minshew did a nice job filling in, is a team that has a shot to continue to rise.
17. Cleveland Browns (2-1) | Last week: 27 (+10)
Bouncing back from their loss to the Steelers in Week 2, the Browns jump ten spots in this week’s power rankings in the first game without running back Nick Chubb (thankfully dealing with just an MCL tear and an expected recovery in six-to-eight months). Deshaun Watson played as well as he has since his return to action last year, and Jim Schwartz has the Cleveland defense humming.
18. New Orleans Saints (2-1) | Last week: 12 (-6)
Derek Carr is now week-to-week with a shoulder injury after leaving with a lead in the loss at Green Bay, but at least the Saints get running back Alvin Kamara back from his three-game suspension. With the way the defense has played, Jameis Winston—someone that’s clearly been a good teammate in the backup role—must take care of the ball at quarterback.
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) | Last week: 13 (-6)
The Bucs couldn’t build on their 2-0 start after running into a juggernaut Eagles team, and this Sunday at New Orleans is critical with the heated rivals looking to set the tone at the start of October. The health of cornerbacks Carlton Davis and Jamel Dean is a major factor for Todd Bowles’ defense.
20. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) | Last week: 15 (-5)
The limitations of the Falcons were arguably on display last week, as 38 pass attempts for an offense that wants to pound the rock led to Desmond Ridder getting sacked seven times and a paltry 2.8 yards per play in the loss at Detroit. Expect a heavy dose of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier in London.
21. Tennessee Titans (1-2) | Last week: 16 (-5)
The Titans couldn’t do much of anything at Cleveland, with just 94 yards of total offense and no room to run for star running back Derrick Henry. The offense must be able to control the ball a little better to keep games close and pull them out in the end.
22. Los Angeles Rams (1-2) | Last week: 21 (-1)
They haven’t had enough to win the past two games, but Sean McVay and defensive coordinator Raheem Morris are getting a lot out of their squad to stay competitive. The encouraging start for the offensive line came apart to some extent in Week 3, allowing six sacks, so that’s a unit to keep an eye on.
23. Washington Commanders (2-1) | Last week: 18 (-5)
Following wins over the Cardinals and a Broncos team that looks much worse than even pessimists imagined, the Commanders came back down to earth a bit in their 37-3 home loss to the Bills. I thought this was an odd thing for head coach Ron Rivera, who has probably spoken a little too freely at times, to admit:
Ron Rivera on Washington's pass rush not being as effective vs. Buffalo: "I think Josh Allen got into our guys's head a little bit after the first couple of series."
— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) September 25, 2023
24. New York Jets (1-2) | Last week: 22 (-2)
Zach Wilson is struggling at quarterback, but he’s not getting much help—and there were some positive signs when the Jets got going a bit in the loss to the Pats. Aaron Rodgers told The Pat McAfee Show that he thinks his teammates need to “grow up” and avoid poor sideline behavior and to stay positive amidst the team’s struggles.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (1-2) | Last week: 24 (-1)
Davante Adams went off for 13 receptions, 172 yards, and two touchdowns to nearly bring the Raiders back in the Sunday night loss to the Steelers, but it’s getting frustrating for players like Adams that want to win. Jimmy Garoppolo made a couple of bad decisions in Week 3, but I think he can cut down on those if Vegas can get Josh Jacobs and the run game going—which I feel showed glimpses of progress in the second half.
26. New York Giants (1-2) | Last week: 26
Not having running back Saquon Barkley (ankle) or left tackle Andrew Thomas (hamstring) made it a very challenging task to compete with the 49ers last Thursday night. Hopefully both are healthy for Monday night versus the Seahawks, and I’d like to see the connection between Daniel Jones and tight end Darren Waller—which was a touch off last week—get going.
27. Minnesota Vikings (0-3) | Last week: 23 (-4)
Last year’s NFC North champions find themselves at 0-3, but the good news is they have not played within the division yet while looking to gain ground on Detroit and Green Bay. That said, the Chiefs are on deck, so they are in dire need of a win at Carolina this weekend. The deep ball defense has been very poor through three games.
28. Houston Texans (1-2) | Last week: 31 (+3)
The connection between rookies C.J. Stroud and Tank Dell (12 receptions for 217 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks) has been outstanding, and Stroud is off to a much better start than I anticipated, showcasing his stellar accuracy. I’m anxious to see how Stroud and company fare against the Pittsburgh defense in Week 4.
29. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) | Last week: 30 (+1)
It was a matter of time before the Cardinals pulled off the type of upset and win they did over the Cowboys. Again, Arizona is a team that’s not going to be easy or fun to face—and will at least give you a battle if you’re not on your game.
30. Carolina Panthers (0-3) | Last week: 29 (-1)
The Panthers got big production from Adam Thielen (11 receptions, 145 yards, one touchdown) and DJ Chark Jr. (four receptions, 86 yards, one touchdown) while throwing 58 passes with Andy Dalton in the lineup. However, eight false starts killed Carolina, and there’s a lot of work to do with the team.
31. Denver Broncos (0-3) | Last week: 28 (-3)
Not much can be said about the Broncos, coming off one of the most embarrassing losses in league history—certainly not what Sean Payton expected in his return to coaching, nor what Vance Joseph expected coming back to Denver to coordinate the defense.
32. Chicago Bears (0-3) | Last week: 32
And what does it say about the Bears that they are underdogs to the Broncos this week? Last week was a challenging one all-around for Chicago, and they must somehow rally to become more competitive.