Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

Another exciting week of action. The highlight: the Jets knocking off the Patriots. The Jets talked a lot leading up to the game, but cashed checks their mouths wrote. The Saints and the Cardinals ran up the score against the Eagles and Jaguars, respectively. The Manning brothers were in a contest of "anything you can do, I can do better" as Peyton one upped his younger brother, Eli, with a big Monday night comeback. With the Steelers' loss, a new team reigns this week's rankings. QBs Joe Flacco and Matt Ryan have their teams already in contention in year 2.

2009 Power Rankings (going into Week 3):

1.(4) Giants (2-0): Eli Manning was poised in the 4th quarter leading that comeback drive to spoil the opening of the Cowboys' new stadium. 2-0 in the tough NFC East after two weeks is a great way to start their year and Eli might have some good receivers after all.
2.(11) Ravens (2-0): Ray Lewis is still one of the best linebackers in the NFL. The Ravens went to San Diego and closed the door on the Chargers when they needed to. They look dangerous on both sides of the ball.
3.(5) Colts (2-0): Having the ball for less than 15 minutes and still winning. That is what makes the Colts and Peyton Manning great. They couldn't stop the wildcat, but Peyton one upped his younger brother with a quick strike comeback win.
4.(8) Falcons (2-0): Two weeks, two wins versus playoff teams from a year ago including a big division win. Matt Ryan and Tony Gonzalez are becoming quite the tandem and this team could be a serious threat this year. Next week against the Patriots will be a great test for them.
5.(9) Vikings (2-0): They have faced the Browns and Lions yet they look good. Brett Favre has managed the games and let Adrian Peterson take care of the rest.
6.(1) Steelers (1-1): They escaped an overtime battle in Week 1 and the weather didn't help K Jeff Reed, who missed two crucial FGs and left the door open for the Bears. The running game is still in need of better results.
7.(12) Saints (2-0): Almost 100 points in two weeks. Drew Brees and the Saints' offense looks a lot like the Patriots' offense of a couple years ago. FS Darren Sharper has improved the defense. They will be tested in the coming weeks, but they look like a serious threat for the NFC championship this year so far.
8.(14) Jets (2-0): Rex Ryan is looking like he can back up his talk so far. He was willing to challenge the big dogs in the AFC East and made them and Tom Brady look ordinary in a big win for the Jets. This team has a new swagger and time will tell how good this team is.
9.(3) Eagles (1-1): They got blowout by the Saints, but were without QB Donovan McNabb. If he doesn't return quickly, this team could be in trouble and slip down from one of the top teams in the NFC. Next week could be interesting if McNabb can't go as Kevin Kolb, Jeff Garcia, and Mike Vick could all see playing time.
10.(2) Patriots (1-1): The Jets sent the Patriots a message this week and if a fumble didn't happen a week earlier; the Patriots might easily be 0-2. This team, like I thought, is not the superpower they once were. Next week's game against the Falcons is as important for the Patriots as it is for the Falcons.
11.(6) Chargers (1-1): They suffered a big loss to the Ravens and the two could easily see each other again down the road. They were able to come back against the Raiders, but Ray Lewis and the Ravens were having none of that. They might be the best in the AFC West, but still have to show they can hang with the big boys of the AFC.
12.(7) Packers (1-1): The Packers looked really good against the Bears, but showed some weaknesses against the Bengals. QB Aaron Rodgers needs to get his receivers more involved.
13.(13) Cowboys (1-1): They were close to giving Jerry Jones a big win to open the new stadium. Tony Romo looked solid against the Bucs, but had multiple turnovers, which all led to Giants' points. He needs to step up his game or the Cowboys will be stuck in the rut of these past few years.
14.(18) 49ers (2-0): Mike Singletary can coach these guys. He can play with these guys. Two wins against the past two division champions of the NFC West. Are the 49ers for real? We will have to wait but if HB Frank Gore keeps getting loose, they are dangerous.
15.(17) Bears (1-1): QB Jay Cutler looked like the quarterback that the Bears were hoping to get this season this past week. He led a game winning drive and didn't turn the ball over. They can make the NFC North a three way race.
16.(10) Titans (0-2): They were 2-0 at this point last year, but they lost a defensive battle to start the year and an offensive battle this past week. HB Chris Johnson had nearly 300 total yards and if the rest of the team can contribute they can get back to where they were last year.
17.(16) Cardinals (1-1): From no aerial offense to near perfection, the Cardinals look a lot like the team of a year ago. Kurt Warner was 24 for 26 and set a new QB rating record. If they can play somewhere close to the way they did against the Jaguars, watch out for this year's team.
18.(15) Seahawks (1-1): They beat the Rams, but then turned around a lost to the 49ers. QB Matt Hasselbeck looks like he might be injury prone again and that is what led to the Seahawks' downfall a year ago.
19.(24) Texans (1-1): They showed signs of why they might be a sleeper team this year. If QB Matt Schaub stays healthy, he has WR Andre Johnson to throw to all day and can create a lethal offense. Their defense has improved through the draft over the last few years.
20.(19) Dolphins (0-2): How do you blow a game when you control the ball for 45 mins? Ask the Dolphins. They utilized the wildcat perfectly, but facing QBs Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning has not been an easy task.
21.(25) Broncos (2-0): They have gotten a break by starting with the bottom two teams of the AFC North. They are 2-0, but lets see how good they are when they start facing good teams. This might be the most overrated 2-0 team.
22.(21) Bills (1-1): If it were not for a late fumble, this team would be 2-0 and tied for the division lead. They might surprise a few teams this year and Terrell Owens is doing most of his talking on the field.
23.(27) Raiders (1-1): They showed a lot of heart against San Diego last week and this week they were able to go to Kansas City and get a nice win. QB JaMarcus Russell still needs to improve, but Richard Seymour might have a Warren Sapp, of a few years ago, like effect on the defense.
24.(23) Redskins (1-1): They barely survived the Rams and will have another soft game next week to hopefully improve their offensive woes.
25.(26) Bengals (1-1): They were a tipped pass away from being 2-0. They showed signs of what they are capable of against a very good Packers team. If QB Carson Palmer can stay healthy and WR Chad Ochocinco can focus on football, the Bengals still have a good offense.
26.(20) Panthers (0-2): They may have faced the Eagles and Falcons, but this team doesn't look anywhere near the team of 2008. QB Jake Delhomme looked better, but not great. They will have to address their holes or else the Falcons and the Saints could easily put some distance between themselves and the Panthers in the division.
27.(22) Jaguars (0-2): This team was 12-4 not that long ago, but they look like a mess right now. The receiving corps is still a big weakness and they were blown out by the Cardinals this past week.
28.(28) Buccaneers (0-2): They did not good again on defense this week. They made the Bills look better than they probably are throughout the game.
29.(29) Chiefs (0-2): They showed some signs of offense in Week 1, but lost a low scoring affair to the Raiders. QB Matt Cassell might not be 100% and this team is still one of the worst teams.
30.(30) Browns (0-2): QB Brady Quinn is still a work in progress as is the Browns' offense. They haven't looked very good in the first two weeks.
31.(31) Lions (0-2): 19 straight losses. They led at the half for the third straight time against the Vikings, but the games are 60 minutes and not 30. They do look better overall than last year, but that doesn't necessarily get you wins.
32.(32) Rams (0-2): Another bad offensive showing, yet they almost won. A lot of work still needs to be done and the wide receivers need to pick it up.

After 2 weeks, we have seen some big offensive games by some teams and a new order at the top after this week. We might slowly be seeing some new faces in big races this year.