With a blowout victory over the New York Jets, the Buffalo Bills retained the No. 1 spot in the On SI NFL Power Rankings entering Week 3 of the NFL season.
The On SI rankings are determined by our team of beat writers. The Bills, who beat the Jets 30-10 on Sunday, kept their slight lead over the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, who escaped Kansas City with a 20-17 victory over the Chiefs in their Super Bowl rematch.
The top five teams from last week held their spots, with the Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Chargers rounding out the top five. By first-place votes, the Eagles were No. 1, followed by the Bills and Packers.
Starting with the bottom-of-the-barrel Miami Dolphins, here are this week’s rankings.
The Dolphins showed some improvement from their dreadful Week 1 performance, but there were embarrassing issues that popped up during a 33-27 home loss to the Patriots, and fans are ready to give up on the season after an 0-2 start. At this point, the biggest question with this team is whether coach Mike McDaniel will make it to November.
Alain Poupart,Miami Dolphins On SI
The Saints lost another close battle despite a somewhat unexpected three-touchdown performance from Spencer Rattler and a strong showing from Alvin Kamara. In the 26-21 loss to the 49ers, the team showed fight once again, but expectations could not be lower in NOLA as they continue to contend for the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Scott Neville,New Orleans Saints On SI
The Panthers fell behind early and rallied late, but couldn’t close the deal against the Cardinals. Even worse, they may have lost two of their starting offensive linemen (Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett) for the season. Dave Canales has his work cut out for him to avoid landing on the hot seat.
Tim Weaver,Carolina Panthers on SI
Only the Giants could find a way to lose after putting up 37 points in a game that saw some of the best quarterback play generated since the days of Eli Manning in his prime. Of course, 14 penalties for 160 yards didn’t help, nor did some sloppy play toward the end of regulation and into overtime by the defense. Regardless, this is the seventh 0-2 start for the Giants since 2015, and the schedule isn’t getting any easier.
Patricia Traina,New York Giants On SI
Russell Wilson's big game wasn't enough for the Giants at Dallas.
Russell Wilson's big game wasn't enough for the Giants at Dallas. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
While Cam Ward and the Titans’ young offensive core continued to display competence, the team still can’t find a way to get in the win column. Between a miserable offensive line and a bevy of crucial injuries, Tennessee’s anticipated revival appears to be a ways off following a 33-19 home loss to the Rams.
Lane Mills, Tennessee Titans on SI
Joe Flacco looked confused, inaccurate and every bit of 40 years old as the Browns fell to 0-2 on Sunday at the Ravens. Cleveland’s defense continues to keep it in games, but Kevin Stefanski’s offense is so inept that the final score of 41-17 was lopsided. Dating to last season, the Browns have lost eight consecutive games.
Nick Pedone, Cleveland Browns On SI
The season is already slipping away from Ben Johnson and Co. An 0-2 start, with both losses in the NFC North, has this team feeling like the same old Bears. After surrendering 52 points to the Lions in Week 2, it’s easy to understand why confidence in Chicago is at an all-time low. Caleb Williams needs a breakout game to jumpstart what once felt like a promising year, and he needs it soon.
Bryan Perez,Chicago Bears on SI
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
Detroit Lions safety Brian Branch (32) sacks Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Patriots not only earned their first victory under Mike Vrabel, but they also provided a glimpse into what could be an exciting future. Drake Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson gave solid performances, while Milton Williams’ late-game heroics saved an inconsistent defensive effort. While there is still much work to be done, the Pats may justifiably enjoy their Week 2 win.
Mike D’Abate,New England Patriots On SI
The Jets entered Week 2 with optimism despite the loss in the season opener, largely due to Justin Fields' stellar performance. However, after a 30-10 beatdown from the Bills, which saw Fields enter concussion protocol, expectations have plummeted back down to mediocrity.
Scott Neville,New York Jets On SI
Remember last week when I said the Jaguars could get more from their passing game? It reared its ugly head vs. the Bengals. Some drives looked great, while others had backbreaking mistakes. Brian Thomas Jr. had the worst game of his career and has caught just five of his 19 targets this season.
John Shipley,Jacksonville Jaguars On SI
The Raiders, with a record of 1-1, experienced a disappointing loss on Monday at home against the Chargers. They are now heading east for an early Sunday game at Washington. While the defense has been playing exceptionally well, the Silver and Black offense needs to improve to secure a victory against the wounded Commanders.
Hondo S. Carpenter, Sr.Las Vegas Raiders On SI
A last-second touchdown from Rashaad White broke the hearts of Texans fans hoping to get on the right track with a win vs. Tampa Bay on Monday night. Offensive line issues and an inconsistent ground game hurt the chances of any momentum being built offensively throughout the night, now leaving Houston stuck in a 0-2 hole.
Jared Koch,Houston Texans On SI
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud talk after their game on Monday.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) and Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud talk after their game on Monday. / Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
Mike Macdonald’s defense put in its second consecutive elite performance on Sunday, shutting down four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. They also got their run game going with Kenneth Walker’s explosive performance. If Sam Darnold can consistently avoid committing turnovers, Seattle is going to be a tough team to beat.
Tim Weaver,Seattle Seahawks on SI
The win wasn’t pretty, but Dallas did something it hadn’t shown in years: fight. Beating the Giants 40-37 could be a building block for one of the youngest teams in the league, and will help it avoid falling into a lull in the middle of a losing streak like a year ago. The defense needs to fix a lot of issues, which the Jadeveon Clowney signing may help with, and it’s an added benefit when for an offense that only needs to get to midfield to secure points.
Josh Sanchez,Dallas Cowboys on SI
Time to panic after J.J McCarthy played seven terrible quarters and one good quarter to start the season? Not yet. The Vikings played all or most of the game against Atlanta without seven key players: left tackle Christian Darrisaw (ACL rehab), center Ryan Kelly (concussion), wide receiver Jordan Addison (suspension), linebacker Blake Cashman (hamstring), edge rusher Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion), cornerback Jeff Okudah (concussion) and safety Harrison Smith (illness).
Joe Nelson,Minnesota Vikings On SI
The Steelers look like they’re back to their worrisome ways. The team’s fall to the Seahawks opens a can of worms about how bad the defense is, whether or not Week 1 was a fluke, and if Mike Tomlin is the man for the job. The same questions that have revolved around the team for years are back.
Noah Strackbein,Pittsburgh Steelers On SI
The Bengals are 2-0 for the first time in the Zac Taylor era. However, they could be without Joe Burrow for the rest of the season. They had a big win on Sunday against the Jaguars, but it’s hard to be bullish on the Bengals’ chances of making the playoffs with Burrow on the sideline.
James Rapien,Cincinnati Bengals On SI
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is assisted to the locker room after his toe injury against the Jaguars.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) is assisted to the locker room after his toe injury against the Jaguars. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Broncos received an improved performance from quarterback Bo Nix, but it wasn’t perfect, as his fourth-quarter interception sparked a Colts comeback. Sean Payton will be working furiously to figure out what has happened to his purportedly “elite” defense. If the Broncos don’t get a bead on that issue, it could be a long season.
Chad Jensen,Denver Broncos On SI
The Falcons fixed two of their most significant problems from Week 1, their running game and special teams, during a 22-6 victory at the Vikings. The kicking game speaks for itself, but the coverage units saved the team more than 100 yards compared to the loss to the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, Bijan Robinson led the way as Atlanta ran for 218 yards.
Scott Kennedy,Atlanta Falcons On SI
The Cardiac Cardinals once again lived up to their name after nearly blowing a 27-3 lead in the second half against Carolina. Arizona is 2-0, as expected, though there’s clearly deeper issues that could haunt this team. With a banged-up secondary, Arizona looks ahead to NFC West games against San Francisco and Seattle in five days. We’ll see how Jonathan Gannon and his troops respond.
Donnie Druin,Arizona Cardinals On SI
The Colts dominated the Broncos’ vaunted defense, with Daniel Jones looking like he could be this year’s Sam Darnold. The Colts are 2-0 and became the first team in the Super Bowl era not to punt in either of their first two games. Armed with a dominant ground attack and savvy defense, the Colts could be a force to be reckoned with.
Chad Jensen,Indianapolis Colts On SI
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones has led the Colts to a 2-0 record.
Indianapolis quarterback Daniel Jones has led the Colts to a 2-0 record. / Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Chiefs have lost two games by a combined nine points. They just held the reigning Super Bowl champion to 216 yards, the lowest by an Eagles team in four years. Patrick Mahomes can’t continue to lead the team in rushing, but this team has the leadership and culture to overcome its first 0-2 start since 2014. The quality of the opponent means a lot.
Zak Gilbert,Kansas City Chiefs On SI
Washington has a handful of issues they’re going to have to fix to get back into the win column with a schedule that’s not as easy as they had last year. Everything is fixated on how quickly Jayden Daniels can recover and if the defense improves across the board.
Logan Robinson,Washington Commanders On SI
Tampa Bay pulled off a thrilling win on the road against a feisty Texans defense, with Baker Mayfield leading the game-winning touchdown drive. Mayfield and the Bucs needed that win more than ever to break their six-game primetime drought. The Buccaneers suffered some injuries in that game, none larger than the pectoral that has ended standout defensive tackle Calijah Kancey’s season.
Logan Robinson,Tampa Bay Buccaneers On SI
The 49ers are one of the most injured teams in the league, and yet they’re 2-0. Granted, they’ve beaten two teams they were supposed to beat in the Seahawks and the Saints. Still, the 49ers don’t have Brock Purdy, George Kittle or Brandon Aiyuk, and they beat New Orleans with their backup quarterback, Mac Jones. It’s too soon to call the 49ers legitimate Super Bowl contenders, but they’re competitive.
Grant Cohn,San Francisco 49ers On SI
Mac Jones led the 49ers past the Saints.
Mac Jones led the 49ers past the Saints. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Detroit had a much-needed offensive explosion against the Bears. A 52-21 win in their home opener completely wiped away the bad taste left in their mouths after a poor loss to the Packers. Next week, Dan Campbell’s squad is hoping to carry over the momentum against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday night.
John Maakaron,Detroit Lions On SI
The Rams overcame a slow start and pure magic from Cam Ward to start 2-0 for the first time since their Super Bowl-winning season of 2021. Outside linebacker Byron Young was magical in his return to his native Tennessee, sacking Ward twice while inducing the fumble that would guide his team to victory.
Brock Vierra,Los Angeles Rams On SI
Jim Harbaugh’s second year of revamping the Chargers started with a bang in Brazil when Justin Herbert outdueled Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. An upgraded cast of weapons around the franchise passer gets three straight AFC West opponents (Kansas City, Las Vegas, Denver) to start the season, then a trio of opponents with a combined 1-5 record and injury concerns (New York Giants, Washington, Miami). They could hit mid-October with a massive advantage in the division, if not the AFC outright.
Chris Roling,Los Angeles Chargers on SI
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders.
Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert (10) throws a pass during the second quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders. / Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
No Super Bowl parades are being planned, obviously, but the Packers have made a convincing case that they are the best team in the NFL through two weeks. They earned convincing victories over the Lions and Commanders, teams with a combined record of 27-7 last season. Jordan Love has been aggressive and productive and the defense has been aggressive and relentless.
Bill Huber,Green Bay Packers On SI
The Ravens were able to put Week 1’s embarrassment behind them and shut down the Browns 41-17. It wasn’t as pretty as the score might indicate, as Cleveland actually outgained Baltimore by 81 yards and Derrick Henry was oddly quiet, but the defense more than did its job. The fact that the Ravens won by 24 points while not playing their best is a testament to their ability heading into a Monday showdown vs. the Lions.
Jon Alfano,Baltimore Ravens On SI
The Eagles' 20-17 win over the Chiefs illustrated a point that has been obvious for months. It's Super Bowl or bust for the birds as they continue to look like the best team in the NFL with a couple of weeks in the books.
Scott Neville,Philadelphia Eagles On SI
The Bills completely outclassed the Jets, cruising to a Week 2 victory with a Thursday night home game against the Dolphins on deck. While a bloody nose forced quarterback Josh Allen to the bench for two first-quarter plays, backup Mitch Trubisky’s lone completion gained more yards (32) through the air than Jets’ starter Justin Fields (27) did all game.
Ralph Ventre,Buffalo Bills On SI
We take eight sets of national power rankings and turn them into one Consensus NFL Power Ranking. Here's the Top 12 after Week 2. https://t.co/Lu8nc1XuXY
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 16, 2025