NFL Top 10 Rankings: Week 3
Heading into Week 3, we’ve got a multitude of questions on our hands. What do we make of the Ravens’ rollercoaster start? Is Jameis Winston back to his old ways? Will the Vikings ever close out a game?
Regarding these uncertainties and many more, only time will tell. For now, let’s take a look at the top-10 teams after two weeks of NFL action.
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0)
At the age of 44, Tom Brady continues to stand the test of time.
Brady’s Bucs have lit up the scoreboard, putting up 79 points in two outings. However, we’ll see if Tampa Bay’s lackluster rushing attack will cause this offense to come crashing back to earth against the Rams this Sunday.
2. Los Angeles Rams (2-0)
Despite a near fourth-quarter collapse, we saw Jalen Ramsey wave goodbye to Colts fans on Sunday after his late interception sent L.A. home with a 2-0 start to the season.
With newly acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford playing behind an elite defense, the Rams have the potential to be the most lethal team in the league.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1)
Patrick Mahomes has finally fallen to Lamar Jackson’s Ravens. Kansas City once held a 35-24 second-half lead but was unable to overcome a pair of late turnovers.
While we shouldn’t overreact to Sunday night’s loss, Mahomes and the Chiefs have reminded us that every team has its vulnerabilities.
4. Baltimore Ravens (1-1)
Fans quickly wrote off Baltimore as playoff contenders following an overtime loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, but the Ravens are back in the mix after stunning the Chiefs on prime-time.
As long as Lamar Jackson is in the building, Baltimore is in it to win it.
5. Arizona Cardinals (2-0)
While Arizona can thank Vikings’ kicker Greg Joseph for missing a 37-yard kick as time expired, Kyler Murray has set the league on fire to the tune of nine touchdowns during the Cardinals’ 2-0 start.
If Murray can continue to play MVP-caliber football, anything is possible.
6. Buffalo Bills (1-1)
Buffalo bounced back from a Week 1 loss in a big way on Sunday after a 35-0 annihilation of the Miami Dolphins, their largest shutout victory in 19 seasons.
However, quarterback Josh Allen is off to an unexpectedly rocky start, completing just 56% of his passes.
Buffalo will be relying on their gunslinger to step his game up if they want to make a title run.
7. Cleveland Browns (1-1)
Despite being on upset alert at halftime, the Browns stomped all over the Texans’ run defense with over 150 yards on the ground for a second consecutive week in a 31-21 win.
It’ll be up to running backs Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt to run Cleveland to a division title in a competitive AFC North.
8. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0)
Before the season began, Las Vegas was seemingly a shoo-in for an 0-2 start, facing Baltimore and Pittsburgh in consecutive weeks. Derek Carr thought otherwise, throwing for over 800 total yards in back-to-back upset victories.
I can’t believe that I’m writing this, but Jon Gruden’s Raiders are here to stay.
9. Tennessee Titans (1-1)
After a poor showing in Week 1, the Titans’ offense flipped the script in a 33-30 comeback win over Seattle.
Derrick Henry and Julio Jones put on a show, combining for 310 total yards. The Titans could be a team to watch out for, especially if this offense plays up to its potential.
10. Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
While it wasn’t pretty, Dallas got the job done in Week 2 and put together a last-second win over the Chargers.
The unsung hero of this game was the Dallas defense, holding L.A. to just 17 points.
Dallas looks like the team to beat in the NFC East, especially if they continue to make plays on the defensive side of the ball.
Grant Sheets is a first-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email gcs5231@psu.edu.
