NFL WEEK THREE POWER RANKINGS, BUT ACCURATE

Every week, the NFL releases a list of team power rankings, and every week that list is wildly inaccurate. I can remember back in the mid-late 2010’s when the Patriots were going on their Super Bowl runs, and after an early season loss they’d be ranked far out of the top five with doubters jumping on any chance to say that it was the year the dynasty would fall. But, year after year they’d claw their way back into the throne of the AFC East and be an undeniable top three contender. Because of these recurring mistakes by the NFL, I have taken it upon myself to make an accurate list. 

Now, after that opening paragraph you’re probably thinking that I’ll throw the Pats unreasonably high up on my list. If that were true, the title wouldn’t be, and that’s never the case here at A2Z Sports. So, let’s dive into my “expert” list, and if you have any critiques, keep them to yourself.

Nah, I’m just pulling your leg. We love your feedback so drop a comment or Tweet us @A2ZSportsTakes. Now, let’s get into this list for real this time:

1 – SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #1

This team is a juggernaut of all juggernauts. Their offense is unstoppable, their pass rush is shit-your-pants terrifying, and the entire organization is coached incredibly well. There is no 1a/1b thing going on here at the top position. The Niners are head and shoulders above everyone else.

2 – PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (2-0) –  NFL’S RANK: #3

The Eagles are a very complete team like the Niners, but they have shown more weakness. They nearly choked game one against the Patriots, and they let the Vikings come within one score and post 28 points on the board. It’s early in the season, and I know that with time their frighteningly young and talented defense will gain invaluable experience that will improve their game exponentially, so with that in mind I’m keeping them above Kansas City.

3 – KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (1-1) –  NFL’S RANK: #2

I know the Chiefs lost to Detroit in week one, but if you keep up with my Tweets you’d know that I predicted that to happen. Travis Kelce is a cornerstone of their team, and when he’s out, it would be like the Bulls having Jordan but no Pippen (no, I am not calling Mahomes the GOAT, Pippen and Jordan are just much better examples than LeBron and whomever (and no, I am not calling LeBron the GOAT because he didn’t have a Pippen and still accomplished everything he has. Jordan is the GOAT in my mind)). Wow, the rare double parenthesis. You get the point though; Kelce completes the Chiefs, and when the Chiefs are complete they’re nearly unstoppable.

4 – BUFFALO BILLS (1-1) –  NFL’S RANK: #6

Josh Allen and the Bills are off to a shaky start, but if you don’t think they’ll right the ship, you just don’t watch enough football. Their defense is solid all around, they’ve got weapons out the wazoo, and when J.A. plays smart, he is one of the most game breaking players in the league. I don’t like that I am writing this, I’m a Pats fan for Christ’s sake, but the Bills have been a top contender for the past few years, and this year will be no different. 

Side note: when J.A. starts to trust the rookie Dalton Kincaid, the offense will be taken to a whole new level. Just remember I told you this.

5 – DALLAS COWBOYS (2-0) –  NFL’S RANK: #4

I talked about how Josh Allen can be one of the league’s best game breakers in the Bills ranking, but the guy who owns the name “Game Breaker” at the moment is Micah Parsons. Offensive lines can try to stop him, but they will fail many times a game. Even when he doesn’t get a sack, he breathes down the quarterback’s neck on every passing play. He alone makes the Cowboys’ defense one of the hardest to play against, but when you add the supporting cast that includes Stephon Gillmore, Trevon Diggs, Demarcus Lawrence, and everybody else, they become the best defense in the league. I know I haven’t talked about the offense yet, and it has playmakers left and right, but I just don’t trust Dak with the ball in his hands and the season on the line. For this reason, they take a backseat behind the Bills for now (I know, Josh Allen and the Bills haven’t been good in the playoffs, so that logic is a bit flawed, but he has looked a hell of a lot better than Dak and the Cowboys).

6 – BALTIMORE RAVENS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #7

The Ravens are extremely talented and very well coached, but their lack of playoff experience coupled with minor flaws here and there have me putting them at 6. That being said, they just beat the Bengals in week two, and I know the Bengals are off to a cold start, but that is a phenomenal inner-division win. JK Dobbins’ injury will surely hurt the squad in the long run, but I believe that Lamar’s capabilities, with the help of Gus Edwards and co., can pick up the slack when it comes to establishing the run. Also, I love Marc Andrews. He is the most slept on tight end in the league (many know how good he is, but I think he is much closer to Kelce than people like to say), and he shows his skills week in and week out. If this team can stay healthy, they will be a scary one to play in January. 

7 – MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #5

People are drooling over the Dolphins right now, and they are really good, but I think that they’re a bit overhyped. Don’t get me wrong, Tua, Hill, and Waddle can blow up the scoreboard in a flash, but their defense and some of their offensive schemes are suspect to me. I mean, the Patriots nearly had them beat. If it weren’t for a fumble at the start of the game, and a slight ref-show at the end, Miami might be 1-1 right now. I think that they lose to every team listed above in a best of seven series, but I don’t believe that to be the case for each team listed below. For that reason, I have the Dolphins at seven.

8 – JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #9

The Jags are my pick for breakout team of the year, and Trevor Lawrence is my sneaky pick for MVP. T-Law is an elite quarterback who has finally been given an elite receiver in Calvin Ridley. Their connection is new, but my goodness is it fantastic. Oh, and need I mention Travis Etienne? Once this offense gets into mid-season form, it will be one of the league’s most difficult ones to stop. They took a tough loss to the Chiefs last game, but the team didn’t play up to their potential. T-Law even said in a post game interview, “we shot our shot here at home and we laid an egg offensively. It’s pretty frustrating…it’s definitely really, really frustrating when you leave that much out there.” I predict big things from this team, so buy in while the stock is low.

9 – CINCINNATI BENGALS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #12

The Bengals are the most confusing team to me through these first two weeks. How they can struggle so much baffles me, yet I still have a wild amount of faith that the team can make it back to the Super Bowl. My gut wanted me to rank them higher (relating back to what I said in the opening paragraph about the Patriots), but I have to trust what my eyes have seen so far. Something just isn’t right with the team. Going into the season, they had the fifth shortest Super Bowl odds, and now they are far from that. Remember though, this team started off 0-2 last season as well, and they made it to the AFC Championship game, so don’t you definitely shouldn’t count them out just yet.

10 – DETROIT LIONS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #8

I love this Lions team and everything about them. MCDC is a dawg when it comes to bold playcalling, and Goff is defying all expectations in the pocket. People forget about Jameson Williams, but when he returns, the offense will unlock a section of their playbook they haven’t been able to use yet this season. His speed is mind boggling, so trying to cover him and Amon-Ra will be one of the tallest tasks NFL DB’s will have to manage. One thing that I think they can do better is utilize Jahmyr Gibbs more. He has potential to be the top back in the league, yet they keep him tucked away for no reason at all. Aidan Hutchinson also helms a solid defense who are sure to get better as the season goes on. With an average age of 25.7 years old, this team has a lot more learning to do, but I believe that they are on the up and up.

11 – LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #16

Like the Bengals, the Chargers have puzzled me over the past couple weeks. I just can’t wrap my head around how this talent-stacked team is 0-2, including a loss to the Titans. Is it Brandon Staley’s interesting approach to playcalling? Could it be the underperforming defense or the Ekeler deprived offense? I think that it’s a combination of everything, but once they start playing like themselves teams will be terrified to face them.

12 – NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #10

This is where teams start to fall off. I believe that those 11 teams that I just listed off are the only ones with potential to be all around solid teams. I am not saying that the Saints are trash or anything, I just think that to get to the Super Bowl, they have a lot more work to be done which isn’t possible in just this season. Don’t get me wrong, Olave is a stud, Shaheed can be a breakout star, Carr is looking a bit like his early Raiders self, and when Kamara returns, the offense will have some serious firepower. They just have some holes to fill on both sides of the ball, and for that reason, I put them out of the running for the Super Bowl. The same holds true for all teams below this point.

13 – CLEVELAND BROWNS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #13

The Browns just lost the heart and soul of their team in Nick Chubb. Jack already covered that injury in yesterday’s blog, so I’ll save you the gruesome description. The Browns’ defense is legit, and Myles Garrett is an absolute monster that lineman can’t even try to stop. Where I think the Browns lack is on offense. I don’t believe that Deshaun Watson will ever return to the form we saw in Houston, and the receiving corps just aint all that. If Watson can return to his old self, the offense and the team as a whole would be a completely different story, but I just don’t see that happening.

14 – NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #25

I told you I wouldn’t put them absurdly high! I know many of you think they should be lower, but I truly believe that the Pats are better than every team listed below. Maybe not better talent wise, but coaching can go a long way, and nobody does it better than Belichick. I can honestly say that we have one of the best secondaries in the league, and that point was proven last week when we were missing our top cornerbacks while playing against Tua, Hill, and the Dolphins. Marcus Jones also got injured mid game, and we were missing one of the league’s premier cornerbacks and gunslingers, Jack Jones, who’ll be out for the next few games as well. Mac is much better than people give him credit for, and his comfortability is improving in Bill O’Brien’s improved offense week after week. Where the Pats really need to improve is their O-line and receivers. Sure, we’ve got some great young guys, but we truly don’t have a WR1 out on the field, and Mac has never had one in his entire career here. Juju was supposed to be that guy, but I knew that was going to be a failed experiment from the start. I trust Bill’s process though, so I’m excited to see where this season takes us.

15 – PITTSBURGH STEELERS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #17

Much like the Pats, coaching can carry the Steelers a long way. Tomlin knows what he’s doing and the Steelers’ defense, led by TJ Watt, proved in Monday night’s game that they are a force to be reckoned with. Pickens is a wildly talented receiver, and Najee can be a terrific back, but I just don’t trust Kenny “two gloves” Pickett. The defense will support the Steelers into another +.500 season, but I don’t see them making the playoffs and doing any damage. I think that the Ravens, Browns, and Bengals will all make the playoffs over them (that being said, the win on Monday against the Browns will be useful come January).

16 – ATLANTA FALCONS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #14

The Falcons have loads of young talent, and their 2-0 start is good and all, but those wins came against the Panthers and the Packers, who are both not great to say the least. People (not this guy) were riding high on the Packers entering the season, and while it’s a better win than the one against the Panthers, it still doesn’t mean a whole lot in my book. I do love Bijan Robinson though, and I think he’ll be the top back within the next three seasons. For now, the Falcons sit in the middle of the pack, but if they keep adding young talent like him, they’ll be sure to climb the rankings.

17 – SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #15

The Seahawks were the surprise team of last season, but it seems like some of that fire has died out. Geno aint cooking as much as he was during his Comeback Player of the Year campaign last season, and the team just looks a little lackluster all around. That being said, they have the pieces and coaching experience to go on a run like they did last year, but I just don’t believe that they will. They did pull off a solid win against the Lions last week, but I think that it was more a situation of the Lions underperforming than the Seahawks being the better team.

18 – GREEN BAY PACKERS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #18

As I said in the Falcons paragraph, I wasn’t riding as high as others on the Packers before the season started. Many thought that they would claim the NFC North, but I don’t think that they have what it takes to surpass the Lions. Jordan Love has impressed me so far, but I think that his surrounding cast just isn’t enough to put them over the edge. Christian Watson has yet to play a snap, and he and Aaron Jones will likely miss this week’s matchup against the Saints, which should be a tough test already. The Packers will be a threat in a few years; this is just too soon for them to be taken seriously.

19 – NEW YORK JETS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #11

This was the most fraudulent ranking of all by the NFL. With Aaron Rodgers, the Jets are a surefire top 10, possibly even top five team, but without him they belong in the bottom half of the league. Yes, their defense is stellar, and  yes, they have rising stars like Garrett Wilson and Breece Hall on offense, but Zach Wilson is a bum in short order, and no matter how good everybody is around him, he ruins the team’s chances of ever being a real threat to the league. Every move they made in the offseason was to compliment Rodgers and his passing abilities, but with Wilson behind center, those moves are completely negated. You may think that this is harsh, but just watch what the Patriots defense will do to the Jets this upcoming Sunday.

20 – TENNESSEE TITANS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #20

I wanted to say that the Titans fall into the same category as the Steelers and Pats when it comes to coaching capabilities, but after last season’s seven game loss streak to end the season and knock them out of the playoffs, that just isn’t the case. Derrick Henry can be a one man wrecking ball, but he is not enough to carry the offense. DeAndre Hopkins was brought in to bolster the passing game (I still don’t know why they didn’t just keep AJ Brown), but Ryan Tannehill does not have what it takes to truly make the passing game intimidating to opposing teams. I am not confident in the Titans’ chances to steal the AFC south from the Jaguars, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Vrabel can turn this team around and give Jacksonville at least a little bit of a challenge.

21 – WASHINGTON COMMANDERS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #19

Left hand up, it pains me to put PFT Commenter’s Commander’s this low, but if it helps, they are not the lowest seeded 2-0 team on my list. Their two wins came against the Cardinals and the Broncos. The Cardinals are the worst team in the league, and the Broncos are still trying to find their identity this season, so I think that those wins hold little weight. The first real test is against the Bills this weekend; if they win that matchup I’ll have to swallow my words and rethink my whole list. I think that the Commanders have a bright future under their new ownership, but this year just isn’t theirs. They are in a division with two of the best teams in the league (the Cowboys and Eagles), and it will be a while before the ‘Ders will be able to put up a real fight against them for the division title.

22 – LOS ANGELES RAMS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #24

The Rams are an interesting team this year who I probably could have ranked higher. Matthew Stafford has looked great to start the season off, and that’s even more impressive when you realize his go-to guy, Cooper Krupp, has been sidelined for both games. Young receivers Puka Nacua and Tutu Atwell have stepped up though, and Nacua looks like he’ll remain a key part of the offense when Kupp returns. Aaron Donald is still one of the best players in the league, but he’ll have to carry a massive load in order for the defense to perform at the level needed to compete with the Niners in the NFC West. Keep the Rams on your radar for this season. They’ll likely beat expectations.

23 – TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-0) – NFL’S RANK: #21

The Buccaneers are the surprise team of this season. Nobody expected Baker Mayfield to lead this team to an undefeated start, but here we are. Mike Evans is on track to have his 10th 1,000+ yard season, and his connection with Baker took a step up in game two. Rachaad White is a solid back as well, and the defense still has some of their key pieces from their Super Bowl season in 2020, meaning there’s talent on both sides of the ball. That being said, where there isn’t talent, there are holes that need to be filled. I’m also very hesitant to put trust in Baker after his past history, so for these reasons, I’m putting the Bucs at 23.

24 – MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #22

My Minnesotan roommates will hate me for this one, but the Viks are not impressive this year. They do have the best receiver in the league along with one of the better tight ends, but outside of that they are extremely mid all around. They are certainly missing Dalvin Cook’s rushing efforts, their O-line is severely banged up, and they have one of the worst defenses in the league. Losing to the Bucs week one was a poor way to start the season off, and while they looked a bit better in their loss against the Eagles, I just can’t trust this team. Sorry boys.

25 – DENVER BRONCOS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #23

Mr. Unlimited has looked a bit better under Sean Payton’s tutelage, but they have obviously struggled out the gates. What confuses me is that this team has some of the league’s most talented players on both sides of the ball. Surtain, Wilson, Williams, Jeudy, Simmons; yet they still can’t manage to pull out wins. They nearly sent last week’s game against the Commanders to overtime, but choked on the two point conversion to tie it. It seems like and obvious thing to say, but they need to start winning to change their momentum and attitude this season. Payton said going into this week that he will dumb down the playbook a bit, and maybe that’ll help Russ get back to his old self, but for now I have to go off of their performance last season and their look so far. For these reasons, I’ve got the Broncos at 25.

26 – LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #26

The Raiders are a wildcard team this year. No, I don’t mean that they’ll make the wildcard game, I’m just never sure what to expect from them. They looked decently good in their season opener against Denver, but they got bodied last week by the Bills in horrible fashion. Last season’s rushing leader, Josh Jacobs, put up a whopping -2 yards on the ground in the loss, and star wideout Davante Adams had just 84 yards and was knocked out of the game with a concussion (he did have a touchdown though). This is a suspect team in an AFC West that’s dominated by the Chiefs and Chargers, so for that reason I have the Raiders at 26.

27 – NEW YORK GIANTS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #28

From this point on in the power rankings, the teams are not suspect like the Raiders, they are just flat out bad. The Cowboys blew out the Giants on opening night, making a mockery of Danny Dimes and co. In game two, the Giants made their biggest comeback in franchise history, but I think that speaks more on just how bad the Cardinals are, not how good the Giants can be. the G-Men dodged a bullet when Saquon avoided serious injury this past week, but it honestly might be time for them to tank and pray for a profitable rebuild.

28 – INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-1) – NFL’S RANK: #30

The Colts landed one of the most physically gifted players in Anthony Richardson, but I fear that they are putting too much work on his shoulders too early. Richardson has left both games after getting injured, and his style of play that is fighting for every yard when he runs out of options is a recipe for disaster. Jonathan Taylor and his contract has been the talk of the town going into the season, and while he comes back in a few weeks, I don’t believe that his production will change the trajectory of this squad.

29 – CAROLINA PANTHERS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #27

The Panthers are mid-rebuild, and while I trust that Bryce Young was a good pick, they still have an absurd amount of work to do before being competitive. The Panthers are also the only team in the NFC South that isn’t undefeated, so it’s going to be a tall task for the Panthers to climb back into division contention this season. They have a bright future in Young, but for now, Carolina is living in dark times.

30 – CHICAGO BEARS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #29

Dark times you say? Nobody is living in darker times than the Chicago Bears. Justin Fields is beginning to look more and more like a bust, and if they decide to move on from him, the investments that they’ve made would cripple the organization for years to come. People forget that the Bears traded up in 2021 to get Fields, and in that trade they sacrificed their 2022 first rounder along with other later round picks. That wouldn’t have been too bad if they didn’t pick Fields though, since they had an opportunity to draft Micah Parsons, but instead they banked on the Ohio State quarterback and let Parsons fall to the Cowboys with the next pick. The Bears had the worst record last season and traded away the first overall pick to the Panthers, and in return they received DJ Moore, the ninth overall pick, and most importantly, the Panthers 2024 first rounder. If the Panthers and Bears continue on their defeated trajectory, the Bears will have two high first round picks next year. Is it time to move on from Fields and tank for Caleb Williams?

31 – HOUSTON TEXANS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #31

In my opinion, the Texans had the move of the 2023 draft when they selected CJ Stroud and Will Anderson at picks two and three. Both have the potential to be elite at their positions, and quarterbacks and pass rushers have the highest game breaking potential out of any positions on the field. The Texans built a solid foundation for their squad at this year’s draft, but it will take some time for them to build around them. For now, they are starting at the bottom.

32 – ARIZONA CARDINALS (0-2) – NFL’S RANK: #32

The Cardinals lost their quarterback Kyler Murray to an ACL tear last season, but the silver lining is that it might have been a good thing. Kyler wasn’t performing up to standards, and now they have a chance to land the most hyped quarterback prospect in years if they tank for next years’ draft. Caleb Williams is worth tanking for, and I believe the Cardinals know it too. I expect nothing less than a masterclass in losing games this season.

Holy smokes that took a while. I don’t know if I’ll be doing this again, but it was a good experience nonetheless. Let me know your thoughts in the comments, and follow us on twitter @A2ZSportsTakes to see my picks for Thursday night’s Niners vs Giants matchup!