NFL Power Rankings – Week 3, John Crowe
Sunday, September 27, 2020
Holy injuries!
If you were wondering what the biggest early impact of an NFL season that had no preseason games, we have now seen it. A disastrous weekend full-on injuries saw the season fall on so many superstars. The Giants lost RB Saquon Barkley for the season to a torn ACL while the 49ers saw the same fate handed to DE Nick Bosa. In Carolina, the Panthers will be without All-World running back Christian McCaffrey due to an ankle injury for 4-6 weeks. In Denver, the Broncos will be without starting quarterback Drew Lock for 3-5 weeks after a shoulder injury. The Packers lost WR Davante Adams due to a hamstring strain. Across the league, there were a record 7 torn ACL injuries in one weekend.
The team hit the hardest is the 49ers. In addition to Bosa, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo left a win against the Jets with an injured ankle, joining Dee Ford (back), Raheem Mostert (knee), George Kittle (knee) and Tevin Coleman (knee) on the sidelines. The only good news for SF is that their next three opponents (Giants, Eagles, Dolphins) are a combined 0-6 so far in 2020.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTMeanwhile, here in New England, the Patriots may have lost a game, but may found their identity. Despite giving up five TD passes to Russell Wilson, the Patriots still had a chance to beat the Seahawks in Seattle, coming up one yard short in a 35-30 loss. Any doubts that quarterback Cam Newton could still throw the ball are out the window after a 397-yard passing night and three total scores. (GoLocal Prov). Yes, it’s even something that head coach Bill Belichick saw a little positivity in. Could it be a moral victory?
"I think our team took a big step in terms of just the competition and the way we battled and competed against Seattle. I was just disappointed that we came up short but the competitive level is high," said Belichick in his Sunday night postgame press conference according to the team's website.
But, is a moral victory enough to keep the Pats in the top 10? Let’s take a look in our week 3 power rankings.
Best of the rest:
Las Vegas Raiders (2-0, Last week: not ranked) / New England Patriots (1-1, Last week: ranked 9th) / Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1, Last week: not ranked)
The Raiders are living their best Las Vegas lives right now! Averaging 34 points a game (2nd best in the AFC), the Raiders are 2-0 and bringing their game to Foxboro to take on Cam Newton and the Patriots this Sunday.
All the Pats did this week was come close to pulling off a shocker in Seattle before Newton was stopped at the one-yard line that thwarted a brilliant Patriots comeback in a game that saw Newton account for 444 in total offense.
In Tampa, Tom Brady and Mike Evans got going early and Leonard Fournette's 46-yard TD run sealed what was a close game against Carolina. It wasn't pretty, but TB12 will take it for his first victory for the Bucs. Up next for Tompa Brady, a trip to one of his trouble spots – Denver, the only team he has a losing record against (8-9).
10. Los Angeles Rams (2-0, Last week: not ranked)
The NFC West is stacked with three teams at 2-0, the only division to do that. It seems like QB Jarod Goff has shaken off that sophomore slump. Goff’s completed nearly 70% of his passes to go with his three TD passes.
9. Tennessee Titans (2-0, Last week: ranked 10th)
Count me as one who thinks the Titans will eventually take a step back, but it hasn't happened yet. Two Stephen Gostkowski game-winning field goals over the Broncos and Jaguars have the Titans sitting pretty atop the AFC South. It doesn't matter how you win them, just THAT you win them.
8. Arizona Cardinals (2-0, Last week: not ranked)
This is NOT a misprint! The Cardinals are tied for first place in the NFC West and they have the best playing QB in the league not named Russell Wilson through two weeks. Kyler Murray's accounted for over 700 total yards and five touchdowns for what could be the surprise team of 2020!
7. Buffalo Bills (2-0, Last week: ranked 7th)
Maybe these Bills will be different. After watching the Dolphins rallied to go up on Buffalo 19-17 in the fourth quarter Sunday, there's was that moment you thought the Bills would cough up a game they shouldn't lose. Not these Bills! Josh Allen tossed a 57-yard TD pass to Stefon Diggs and the Bills rolled to another victory. And yes, it’s that Allen who tops the NFL in passing yards – 729 – through two weeks. Things are looking up in upstate New York.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0, Last week: ranked 6th)
It wasn't a classic, and it was against a backup QB for the Broncos, but the Steelers are 2-0 and tied for first place. How are they doing it? How about a defense that’s given up a league 2nd best average of 305 yards of offense per game.
5. New Orleans Saints (1-1, Last week: ranked 3rd)
So, the Saints are human without WR Michael Thomas. Thomas missed Monday night's game in Las Vegas due to a sprained ankle and is questionable to return Sunday night against the Packers. Who would've thought it would be the Raiders and David Carr walking all over the Saints defense one week after Tom Brady couldn’t?
4. Green Bay Packers (2-0, Last week: ranked 5th)
Ho-hum. The Packers, the NFL’s highest-scoring team through two weeks, put up another week of 42 points on an average day for Aaron Rodgers as his Aaron counterpart, Aaron Jones, ran wild for 168 yards and a pair of touchdowns to rout the Lions. Not a bad day for Mr. Jones, who accounted for 236 yards of total offense and three overall scores.
3. Seattle Seahawks (2-0, Last week: ranked 4th)
Hands down, Russell Wilson is the clear frontrunner for MVP after two weeks. Wilson, shook off an early pick-six against the Patriots, to toss 5 touchdown passes to 5 different receivers, giving him 9 for the season. Remarkable! Clearly, Seattle is the favorite in the NFC.
2. Baltimore Ravens (2-0, Last week: ranked 2nd)
The Ravens won't get a better chance to prove they are the best team in pro football. Coming off two convincing victories over Cleveland and Houston by a combined 49 points (most in the NFL), the 2-0 Ravens host the 2-0 defending Super Bowl Champion Chiefs Monday night. The only downside is that they won't have 60,000+ screaming fans there to cheer them on.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0, Last week: ranked 1st)
I think the Chiefs are getting bored. The Chargers firmly had control of Sunday's game with the Chargers until the fourth quarter. But as quick as you could say Harrison Butker, KC had won an overtime thriller with Butker's 58-yard game-winning field goal after Butker’s 30-yarder tied the game in the final seconds or regulation. This week, the Chiefs take on the Ravens in Baltimore Monday night in a battle of the top two teams in the NFL right now. Maybe that will get Patrick Mahomes excited early.
Last week:
10. Titans
9. Patriots
8. 49ers
7. Bills
6. Steelers
5. Packers
4. Seahawks
3. Saints
2. Ravens
1. Chiefs
