Every year in the NFL, we find that during Weeks 2-4 the NFL starts to sort itself out. After an opening week full of surprises, Week 2 gave plenty of teams a reality check one way or another. Although there is still plenty of football to be played, there is no question that, once again, there were way too many overreactions in Week 1. With two weeks of football behind us, here are your NFL Power Rankings for Week 3 of the 2022-23 season.
NFL Power Rankings for Week 3
1) Buffalo Bills (2-0) (Last Week: 1)
After giving up a touchdown on the opening drive to the Tennessee Titans, the Buffalo Bills didn’t let the Titans score again for the rest of the game. Through two weeks, the Bills offense has averaged 36 points per game, and there doesn’t seem to be a way to stop them. The Bills will be heavily tested the next few weeks, however, as they match up against the Miami Dolphins, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in the next four weeks. For now, they hang onto the top spot in the Week 3 NFL Power Rankings.
2) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) (2)
Although the Kansas City Chiefs didn’t look great and needed a late home rally to beat the Los Angeles Chargers, there is something to be said about taking care of business. The defense was able to get to Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert, which caused Herbert to suffer a rib injury, which played a major role in the Chiefs’ comeback. The defense will be crucial for their continued success, as they play the Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the near future.
3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) (4)
Tampa Bay’s offense has not been good, but their defense hasn’t skipped a beat. Although they struggled greatly to score against the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys, their defense automatically makes them a contender in the NFC. With the Green Bay Packers on deck, they’ll need Tom Brady and the offense to find a way to step up, even with Mike Evans suspended.
4) Miami Dolphins (2-0) (10)
There’s a lot of football left to be played, but the Miami Dolphins’ comeback against the Baltimore Ravens will likely be the best comeback in the NFL this season. Tua Tagovailoa bounced back from a shaky start to lead a 21-point fourth quarter comeback on the road. The defense has some work to do, but Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle may be the best receiving combo in the league. Miami has a huge test with the Bills coming to town in Week 3.
5) Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) (12)
Nobody thought the Minnesota Vikings were truly a contender after their Week 1 dismantling of the Packers, but the Philadelphia Eagles went out of their way to embarrass them on Monday night. Cornerback Darius Slay locked up Justin Jefferson all night and the Eagles defense was able to suffocate Dalvin Cook and the Vikings’ running game.
6) Los Angeles Chargers (1-1) (5)
The Los Angeles Chargers may have lost to the Chiefs on Thursday night, but they were arguably the better team. Thanks to some truly unfortunate bounces and breaks going the way of Kansas City, the Chargers didn’t have enough in the tank. The status of Justin Herbert will be one to monitor, as his rib injury clearly hampered his abilities more than the team would like to lead on. In a tough AFC, the Chargers can’t afford to lose him for very long.
7) Baltimore Ravens (1-1) (3)
The Baltimore Ravens were making a statement through three quarters against the Dolphins before all hell broke loose. To blow such a lead is embarrassing, but what’s worse is allowing it to happen at home to a head coach in his second career game. The good news for the Ravens is that Lamar Jackson can easily lead this team to a Super Bowl. The defense, however, has plenty of work to do.
8) Los Angeles Rams (1-1) (6)
After being embarrassed by the Bills on opening night, the Los Angeles Rams were given a chance to capture an emphatic win over a weak Atlanta Falcons team at home. Instead, the Rams needed a late interception to keep the Falcons from completing a 21-point comeback in just over 12 minutes. Matthew Stafford is still having trouble taking care of the football and, with a weaker defense this year, the Rams are no lock to win their division.
9) San Francisco 49ers (1-1) (9)
The big story for the San Francisco 49ers will be the season-ending injury to Trey Lance that has suddenly thrust Jimmy Garoppolo back into the starting position. Garoppolo looked good, albeit against an average Seattle Seahawks defense, and led the 49ers to a 27-7 home win over Seattle. If any team was equipped to lose their quarterback, it would be the 49ers. Don’t discount San Francisco. If their defense can stay healthy, they will once again be a dark horse in the NFC.
10) Arizona Cardinals (1-1) (11)
In the “What did I just watch?” game of the year, the Arizona Cardinals erased a 16-point second-half deficit and returned a fumble 59 yards in overtime to outlast the Las Vegas Raiders, 29-23. This game was more of an indictment on the poor play and decision-making of the Raiders rather than the Cardinals looking good. The Cardinals will have a big test next week when the Rams come to town. They will need a strong performance to hang onto their spot in the top 10 of our NFL Power Rankings.
11) Green Bay Packers (1-1) (14)
12) New York Giants (2-0) (19)
13) Minnesota Vikings (1-1) (13)
14) Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) (7)
15) New England Patriots (1-1) (23)
16) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) (16)
17) Las Vegas Raiders (0-2) (8)
18) Dallas Cowboys (1-1) (20)
19) New Orleans Saints (1-1) (22)
20) Chicago Bears (1-1) (15)
21) Denver Broncos (1-1) (18)
22) Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1) (17)
23) Tennessee Titans (0-2) (21)
24) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) (31)
25) Detroit Lions (1-1) (26)
26) Seattle Seahawks (1-1) (24)
27) Cleveland Browns (1-1) (25)
28) Washington Commanders (1-1) (28)
29) Atlanta Falcons (1-1) (27)
30) New York Jets (1-1) (32)
31) Carolina Panthers (0-2) (29)
32) Houston Texans (0-1-1) (30)
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