San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23)
San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 49ers continue the season undefeated with a 36-30 triumph over divisional rivals in the Cardinals, but how does the rest of the NFL stack up after three weeks?
Three weeks into the NFL season, and the San Francisco 49ers took care of business, going 2-0 in divisional matchups and 3-0 overall with a 36-30 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The game was closer than people would care it to be in the final minutes, but the Niners got the job done.
Some teams around the NFL, however, did not.
You can read the Week 2 rankings below, and let's see how the NFL looks after Week 3.
Read More:NFL power rankings entering Week 3 contain plenty of movement after QBs go down
1. Buffalo Bills (3-0) - Last Week: 1
Buffalo didn't look its best between the multiple turnovers and penalties, but on the other hand, it says a lot about a team that can win games where nobody seems to be doing well on offense.
2. San Francisco 49ers (3-0) - Last Week: 2
Injuries continue to be a concern, but Brock Purdy continues to play like a MVP, while the offense looks like a juggernaut despite several injuries. The offensive line is the big understatement, with no sacks allowed in the first three games.
3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) - Last Week: 6
Lamar Jackson pulled off a seven-second game-winning drive. Part of that was horrible clock management and having a kicker with a long leg, but Baltimore reminded people how dangerous it can be.
4. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) - Last Week: 7
The Chiefs feel one receiver away to be a true contender, in my honest opinion, and the game versus the Dolphins was closer than people thought it'd be, but there's no doubt Kenneth Walker has rejuvenated K.C.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1) - Last Week: 3
The Bengals had their chances to win, but the defense is officially on fraud watch after a promising first fortnight. Giving up the plays they did to a geriatric Aaron Rodgers is unacceptable.
6. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) - Last Week: 5
Losing to the Commanders was a welcome bonus for 49ers fans, but don't be fooled into thinking Seattle is an overrated team. I think the loss to Washington was an aberration.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) - Last Week: 11
I don't consider beating the Patriots to be as impressive as it was last year, but Jacksonville is a good team. But whether or not the Jags are good enough to be in the same class as the AFC elite is another matter.
8. Chicago Bears (2-1) - Last Week: 9
I did not expect Case Keenum to be slinging the ball like that against a much vaunted Philadelphia defense. Maybe the Eagles are overrated, but Keenum may be able to keep the ship afloat for their divisional hopes until Caleb Williams returns.
9. Minnesota Vikings (3-0) - Last Week: 12
Surprise! The shock team in the top 10.
The Vikings are 3-0, despite all three opponents having more yardage than they have. But the defense is good enough to keep them winning games, even if they are capped by their quarterback room.
10. Denver Broncos (2-1) - Last Week: 14
I was ready to declare Bo Nix to be on fraud watch, but then he engineered a big comeback against the Rams for a big statement win. There was a bit of a bogus interference call involved, admittedly, but I would counter coming back from a 16-point deficit against Los Angeles was a statement in itself.
11. Detroit Lions (2-1) - Last Week: 16
The Lions are 2-1, and their only loss so far was to the team No. 1 in these rankings while on a short week. Some might say they only beat the Jets, but the Jets defense isn't something to sneeze at.
12. Las Vegas Raiders (3-0) - Last Week: 21
I don't want to say it any louder than a whisper, but are the Raiders...good? Kirk Cousins has been a revelation as the locker room leader, the offense is coming together and there's a good coach at the helm.
A weak schedule helps, but I don't think anyone saw this coming.
13. Los Angeles Rams (1-2) - Last Week: 4
As mentioned above, I think a bad call was part of the final score, but that doesn't excuse the Rams absolutely blowing that game. The defense was abominable in the second half, and they should have been demoted more in the rankings for not having Puka Nacua and Myles Garrett.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) - Last Week: 13
Their 2-0 start wasn't that impressive, and then they got roughhoused by the Bears, but I'm not ready to give up on the Eagles just yet. If they can beat the Rams, that would be a statement while also giving them a respectable 3-1 record for the first month.
15. New England Patriots (1-2) - Last Week: 10
What on earth has happened to Drake Maye this year? He's been an abomination, and New England is in danger of being a very brief spark as opposed to the beginning of a new dynasty.
16. Indianapolis Colts (1-2) - Last Week: 28
The big movers this week, I think I was too harsh on the Colts to begin the year. The Colts had a chance to beat the Chiefs, and opening the season against them and the Ravens is a tall order.
Beating the Texans showed their performance against the Chiefs may have been legitimate, however. Consider this me purchasing stock in the Colts while it's still cheap.
17. Houston Texans (0-3) - Last Week: 8
Last week I said, "Hear me out, a 0-2 start is scary but purchase your Houston stock now. The defense will be better, and the two losses were to teams I have Nos. 1 and 3 in my power rankings this week."
Well that's well and dandy, but then the Texans couldn't even beat the Colts!? The defense was fine, but the offense needs Nico Collins to function.
18. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) - Last Week: 25
I still don't think much of their season up until Week 3, but credit must be given for beating a team that should be considered a favorite for the Super Bowl.
19. Carolina Panthers (1-2) - Last Week: 17
I still believe in the Panthers and Bryce Young to be a playoff team in the weak NFC South, but it still vexes me to declare Young a franchise quarterback, only to them see him struggle and then lose to the lowly Browns.
20. Dallas Cowboys (1-2) - Last Week: 19
I won't be too harsh on Dallas. It should have beaten the Ravens, or at least taken them to overtime if not for atrocious clock management. There's talent on the team, and I think they overall showed something against Baltimore.
21. New Orleans Saints (1-2) - Last Week: 20
Maybe the Raiders are just that much better than we all expected, so I won't be overly harsh on the Saints losing to them. Despite the loss, Tyler Shough did play pretty well and looks like he can lead NOLA to the playoffs in a weak division.
22. Green Bay Packers (1-2) - Last Week: 18
The one win the Packers have had so far was in overtime against the Jets, who I think are better than most people think but still aren't exactly a good squad. Maybe the Falcons are just that much better with Michael Penix Jr. at quarterback, but to lose like they did was exceptionally abysmal.
23. New York Jets (1-2) - Last Week: 22
It's amazing to think the Jets are only a few plays away from potentially being 3-0. They truly should have won in Week 2, while they had a chance to defeat the Lions but couldn't quite convert when needed.
All in all, this is a team that looks like a decent prospect for the first time in a very long time.
24. New York Giants (2-1) - Last Week: 15
Yes the Giants won, but I did say last week the Giants were in a state of flux as we didn't know how bad Jaxson Dart's injury was at time of writing.
Now we know he's out for the season, Jameis Winston has been so poor that the G-Men felt they needed to trade for a quarterback, and that quarterback ended up being J.J. McCarthy.
25. Cleveland Browns (2-1) - Last Week: 27
The Browns haven't been super impressive in either of their wins, but given the preseason predictions on this group, it would be unfair not to give them a little credit.
Beating the Steelers would put the NFL on some notice.
26. Atlanta Falcons (1-2) - Last Week: 31
It's amazing how much better the Falcons look with even a mediocre quarterback. I want to see if they can back it up in a divisional matchup against the Saints first before I consider moving them higher.
27. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) - Last Week: 24
The Cardinals benefited from a turnover on a punt return, but they deserve credit for playing the 49ers tough in Santa Clara. They're an annoying team to face, and they should fancy themselves against the Giants next week.
28. Washington Commanders (1-2) - Last Week: 29
I don't want to rain on Washington's parade, but the Commanders were heavily outgained by the Seahawks, and it's debatable how good they are. Still, the 49ers salute you for your public service this week.
29. Los Angeles Chargers (0-3) - Last Week: 26
The Chargers are just so bad. They lost to two teams they should have dominated, and then by eight points to the Bills, which sounds respectable until you realise that Buffalo had five turnovers and 10 penalties.
It's amazing how badly Los Angeles has fallen.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) - Last Week: 23
Baker Mayfield looks a shell of his formerly scrappy self, while Todd Bowles looks out of his depth. To make it worse, Mayfield got hurt, so the Bucs may need to turn to Jalon Daniels, who is frankly not a good backup quarterback at all.
31. Tennessee Titans (0-3) - Last Week: 31
The 2027 NFL Draft looks like it has plenty of talented quarterbacks who could be available, and Cam Ward has shown nothing to look like he resembles a franchise quarterback. Will Tennessee be able to see a sunk cost?
32. Miami Dolphins (0-3) - Last Week: 32
Imagine everything bad about the Dolphins in the first three weeks. Now remember that De'von Achane is now out for the season.
The Dolphins are finishing 0-17, aren't they?
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