Detailed view of the NFL shield logo on an official Wilson football during the Arizona Cardinals game against the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
The NFL is fickle. Last week, the Pittsburgh Steelers looked completely inept against the New England Patriots…this week, they put up 30 points. Last week, the Atlanta Falcons looked like the worst team in the game…this week, they looked unbeatable against the Green Bay Packers.
The Patriots went to the Super Bowl last year…this year, they look lost. And Drake Maye was runner-up in the MVP vote…this year, he looks like the worst QB in the league.
And three starting QBs were on the sidelines: Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, and Jaxson Dart were all out with injuries…and all three teams won with their backups.
With that said, here is where they all rank this week:
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Rank 32-21
Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) signals to the team during the third quarter against the New York Jets at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026.
32. Tennessee Titans: The Titans are one of five teams that are 0-3 on the season. This team could be the one that ends the season 0-17.
31. Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are also 0-3 and are already a whopping -50 points in point differential.
30. Atlanta Falcons: Last week I said that Bijan Robinson needed 50% of his team’s touches to have a shot. He had 31 out of the team’s 66 offensive plays last Thursday, and the Falcons dominated the Packers. That has to be their game plan the rest of the season.
29. Houston Texans: This team was my sleeper pick to make a run to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, and they are now 0-3. They started last season 0-3 too, and made it to the playoffs…it remains to be seen if they can duplicate that this year. Their vaunted defense has given up 75pts through three games.
28. Los Angeles Chargers: The Chargers are 0-3, and Jim Harbaugh could be the first coach on the chopping block this year…mainly because their upcoming schedule is no picnic. They have a legitimate chance at starting the season 0-7.
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers are also 0-3, but only have a point differential of -17 points this year. But QB Baker Mayfield is out for the next few games with a dislocated thumb.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers: The Steelers are the Steelers. They looked awful on the road against the Patriots, but looked great at home against the Bengals. They and the rest of the AFC North are all tied at 2-1. Even with their winning record, they’ve given up seven more pts than they’ve scored…this is not a very good football team.
25. Washington Commanders: The Commanders toughed out a huge win at home this week against the Seahawks. It isn’t hyperbole to say the win may have saved their season.
24. New England Patriots: This team is 1-2 and seems to have cratered in Jacksonville. There is a great chance they will head to Buffalo this week, where they are a TD+ underdog, and drop to 1-3.
23. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are a plucky bunch, and playing far better under Jacoby Brissett than expected. They’ve won games and stayed with the 49ers in a competitive and entertaining game. Their only stinker so far was against the Seahawks in Week 2. They have an interesting matchup this week, against the Giants at the Meadowlands.
22. Cleveland Browns: Don’t look now, but apparently Mike Tomlin lit a fire under the Browns. After his disparaging remarks a couple of weeks ago, the Browns have won two in a row. This past week they beat a much-improved Panthers team, with a nice comeback win. They are back at home this week, against the Steelers…the winner of this game will be 3-1.
21. New York Jets: Similar to the Cardinals, the Jets have been playing better than expected, even though they are 1-2. They’ve actually scored more pts than they’ve given up and could have won each game. They head to Chicago this week to play a depleted Bears team. This will be a great measuring-stick game for them.
Rank 20-10
Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) passes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, November 23, 2025, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
20. Green Bay Packers: The only reason the Packers are ahead of the Jets is due to their head-to-head matchup in wk.2. The Packers have given up a whopping 35 more pts than they’ve scored, and looked lost. There is still time to save their season, but they have to get their running game straightened out.
19. Dallas Cowboys: What a demoralizing game the Cowboys had this week in Rio. They clawed back in a very entertaining game against the Ravens, tying the game with 7 seconds left on the clock. The Ravens had one timeout left, and Lamar Jackson completed a 30-yard pass in the middle of the field and called an immediate TO with one second left. They kicked the game-winning FG, taking the Cowboys to 1-2 on the year.
18. Indianapolis Colts: The Colts may have saved their season with the 2-pt home win against the Texans. They did what they had to do in the short term, winning a divisional game for their first victory of the season.
17. New York Giants: The sky couldn’t have fallen more for the Giants, after losing Jaxson Dart for the season. Granted, they only beat the Titans in a home game…but they did what they had to do. If they continue to win the games they should this year, they’ll vie for a playoff spot, even without Dart.
16. Carolina Panthers: Winning on the road in the NFL is tough, but this was a game that should have been won by the Panthers. They traveled to Cleveland to face a very mediocre Browns team. And they held a lead late in the fourth quarter. At 1-2, they still find themselves tied for first place in the NFC South. They have a really interesting home game this week against the Lions and their potent offense.
15. New Orleans Saints: The Saints are tied with the Panthers in the NFC South at 1-2, and just above them on this list. They imploded in their game this week against the Raiders, or they’d be 2-1. They have a very interesting game at home this week against the suddenly resurgent Falcons. The game plan must be to focus all their attention on Bijan Robinson, and they should come away with a victory.
14. Baltimore Ravens: The Ravens took victory out of the jaws of defeat in Rio this week. With one second on the clock, they kicked a game-winning FG against the Cowboys. They share first place with the rest of the division, at 2-1. They almost blew another fourth-quarter lead…this is becoming a problem. They have an easy matchup this week against the Titans…3-1 is a formality.
13. Las Vegas Raiders: The Raiders are 3-0, but their season begins this week in Las Vegas. They are hosting AFC West rival, Kansas City Chiefs. Each team is undefeated, but the Chiefs have been there before, while the Raiders haven’t been there for quite a while. Nobody will bat an eye if Kansas City leaves Vegas with a victory, and 4-0 record, but if the Raiders leave the field 4-0, it will send shockwaves throughout the league.
12. Los Angeles Rams: Preseason Super Bowl favorites are now the league’s second choice, behind the Bills. They were +500, and now they are at +700. While that isn’t much of a difference, question marks are starting to pop up in Tinseltown. It’s one thing to brush off what happened in Australia; it’s another to blow a 16-pt lead in Denver and give up 30 pts in the second half. This team shouldn’t give up 30-pts in any game this year, never mind in a half.
11. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals were a late FG in Pittsburgh after starting the year 3-0. They normally begin every season losing, always having to play catch-up throughout the year. They find themselves tied at 2-1 with the entire AFC North and have an intriguing home matchup this week against the Jaguars.
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Top 10
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrates a touchdown against Buffalo Bills during the second half at
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) celebrates a touchdown against Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, NY, on Thursday, Sept. 17, 2026. Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
10. Detroit Lions: The good news is the Lions are 2-1 and have scored 93pts, 31pts in each game. The bad news is that they have given up 95pts. This week they are on the road, facing the Panthers, who are coming off a tough loss. The Panthers have scored 89pts, also averaging nearly 30pts per game. A Panthers victory will flip these two teams in the standings.
9: Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles entered Chicago to face the Caleb Williams-less Bears, and they left with a loss. The game may have turned out differently if Jalen Hurts didn’t have to leave for four plays in concussion protocol. They are still a top-10 team at 2-1, but they were manhandled on Monday Night.
8. Chicago Bears: After a stinker last week, that saw the Bears only put up a FG, they bounced back nicely at home against the Eagles. They are now 2-1, one game behind the Vikings. What made the win more impressive is that it was with QB Case Keenum at the helm. Everyone is focused on their offense that is averaging 30pts per game, but their defense is only giving up a smidge over 17pts. They have the Jets coming to town, which should get them to 3-1.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars: The win may have been a formality against the Patriots, but they did it with ease. Trevor Lawrence is becoming a reliable QB, inching towards top-10 consideration. They’ve outscored their opponents by 46 points on the season. This week, they have a tough matchup in Cincinnati against Joe Burrow and the Bengals. This will say a lot about whether the Panthers and Lawrence are for real.
6. Seattle Seahawks: After their brutal loss in our nation’s capital, the Seahawks have plummeted out of the top spot. Some may feel this is too low, but early on in the 2026 season, a bunch of teams are playing better.
Top 5
NFL: Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers
Nov 23, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Minnesota Vikings running back Aaron Jones Sr. (33) during warmups prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)
5. Minnesota Vikings: All I can say is, HC Keven O’Connell is a genius. For this team to start the season 3-0 is nothing short of remarkable.
4. Denver Broncos: The Broncos scored 30pts in the second half against the Vaunted Rams defense. And Bo Nix put together another fourth-quarter comeback. With two teams ahead of them in the division at 3-0, it was an important win. Starting the season 1-2 would have been devastating.
3. Kansas City Chiefs: Don’t look now, but the Chiefs are back. They are 3-0 and averaging over 10 points more than their opponents this season. They head to Las Vegas this week to face the 3-0 Raiders. This is a huge early-season matchup.
2. San Francisco 49ers: Don’t look now, but the 49ers are a full two games ahead of the Rams, with a head-to-head victory.
1. Buffalo Bills: The Seahawks have been displaced. The Bills didn’t look great this past week against the Chargers, but to be great, teams must win these games. The Chargers were playing like the whole season was on the line, and the resilient Bills thwarted their efforts. They will be 4-0 after their matchup this week against the Patriots.