2013 NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Seahawks Earn No. 1 Spot After Impressive Win Over 49ers
2013 NFL Power Rankings Week 3
After an exciting first two weeks, there's plenty of things to talk about when it comes to the 2013 NFL Power Rankings for Week 3.
From the Cincinnati Bengals making a statement in the AFC North with an impressive win over the Pittsburgh Steelers to the Seattle Seahawks showing why they're considered one of the top Super Bowl contenders, football fans received plenty of excitement in the second week of the 2013 NFL season and after two weeks--we have a pretty clear idea of which teams are in good shape and which teams may be hitting the panic button soon.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers missing out on a win in the final seconds for the second-straight week. The Miami Dolphins starting off the season 2-0. Even the Kansas City Chiefs have matched last year's win total to kick off the Andy Reid and Alex Smith era.
If the first two weeks of the season are any indication of what's to come, it's going to be an exciting year for football fans to follow and we can't wait to see what Week 3 has in store. Let's not waste any more time and get things started--here's a look at the 2013 NFL Power Rankings for Week 3.
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32. Jacksonville Jaguars (32)
It may only be two weeks, but if there's one team with the best chance of going 0-16 this year--it would be the Jacksonville Jaguars.
This team has scored just 11 points over the first two games and it doesn't look like things are going to get better any time soon. For the sake of the Jaguars, let's hope Maurice Jones-Drew's ankle injury isn't anything to be concerned about.
31. Cleveland Browns (31)
The Cleveland Browns put up a good fight against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half, but at the end of the day--the defending Super Bowl champions were just too much for them to handle.
Once again, there are plenty of questions surrounding Brandon Weeden (21 of 33 for 227 yards) is the answer at quarterback as the former first-round pick just can't seem to get anything consistent going against defenders.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (30)
What is going on with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? For the second-straight week, the Buccaneers were in the position to win--only to find a way to blow it at the end.
Tampa Bay could have easily been 2-0 and in good shape in the NFC South, but instead find themselves in an 0-2 hole heading into Week 3. Similar to the Browns, the hot seat is heating up quickly for Josh Freeman (335 yards and two touchdowns over the first two games) as the quarterback continues to struggle.
29. Washington Redskins (23)
Don't let the numbers by Robert Griffin III (26 of 40 for 320 yards and three touchdowns) fool you as the Washington Redskins should be concerned about their quarterback heading into Week 3.
For the second-straight week, the Redskins failed to show up in the first half and it's safe to say not playing Griffin in the preseason has already backfired. Did anyone really expect RGIII to return to his dominant level this quickly? If anything, Griffin returned to the field too soon.
28. New York Jets (28)
Believe it or not, the New York Jets could have beat the New England Patriots if it wasn't for three costly turnovers by Geno Smith. In what turned out to be one sloppy game, the Jets have to feel good about putting up a fight against the Patriots, but this will be a game that will haunt them down the road.
27. Carolina Panthers (21)
Nothing hurts more than losing a game in the final seconds and unfortunately for the Carolina Panthers--that was exactly the case on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
The Panthers could have been 2-0, but they've managed to lose their first two games by a combined six points. If Carolina is going to turn things around anytime soon, Cam Newton is going to need to take his game to another level.
26. Oakland Raiders (26)
Sure, they managed to pull out the win--but it was against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Let's see how well Terrelle Pryor and company perform next week in a key game against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos--then we can talk about where this team stands.
25. Minnesota Vikings (20)
After a disappointing loss to the Detroit Lions in Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings put themselves in a deep hole early in the year after back-to-back losses to NFC North opponents.
The Vikings know this was a game they could have won if it wasn't for Martellus Bennett's go-ahead touchdown with 10 seconds to seal the win. For a team that was considered a playoff contender at the beginning of the year, Minnesota better figure out a way to turn things around quickly before it's too late.
24. Philadelphia Eagles (22)
Just when football fans thought the Philadelphia Eagles were working their way up to being one of the most dangerous teams in football--the truth came out in Week 2 about how this team doesn't have a defense.
Chip Kelly's offense looked magical once again as DeSean Jackson (nine catches for 193 yards with one touchdown) had a big day, but the Eagles' defense allowed Philip Rivers to throw for 419 yards with three touchdowns--which is just embarrassing to think about.
23. Buffalo Bills (27)
Talk about an exciting end to the game as the Buffalo Bills as Steve Johnson caught the game-winning touchdown with two seconds left against the Carolina Panthers. E.J. Manuel has shown plenty of potential over his first two starts as he looked impressive once again on Sunday and it's scary to think how close the Bills were to being 2-0 on the year.
22. San Diego Chargers (29)
Is it time to start believing in the San Diego Chargers? After coming up short against the Houston Texans in Week 1, the Chargers pulled off an impressive road win against the Eagles in Week 2 thanks to a strong performance by Philip Rivers (419 passing yards and three touchdowns).
On top of Rivers being a fantasy surprise so far, how about Eddie Royal having five touchdown catches over the first two games?
21. Arizona Cardinals (24)
It may not have been the most impressive performance from an offensive perspective, but give the Arizona Cardinals credit for holding the Detroit Lions to 21 points in Week 2. You know it's impressive when Larry Fitzgerald is limited to just two catches and the Cardinals still manage to come up on the winning end.
20. New York Giants
Did we overhype the New York Giants too much this offseason? With the way things have gone over the first two weeks, it may seem that way, but the Giants have also played two very tough teams in the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos.
The running game continues to be a joke for the Giants as they finished with just 23 yards on Sunday and sooner or later--this team is going to have to realize that Eli Manning can't do it all on his own.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers
After two weeks, we know the Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer the dominant team from the last couple of years as they're off to an 0-2 start. Their offense has looked simply awful over the first two weeks and it's early, but it looks like Pittsburgh could be in for a long season for a team dealing with plenty of frustration.
18. Detroit Lions (17)
The Detroit Lions appeared to be on their way to a 2-0 start before the Arizona Cardinals came up big when it mattered the most in the fourth quarter. On the bright side, at least Calvin Johnson (six catches for 116 yards with two touchdowns) appears to be on his way to another monster season and it's difficult not to wonder how this game would have turned out if Reggie Bush (knee) wasn't forced to leave with an injury.
17. Tennessee Titans (16)
The Tennessee Titans have to be frustrated for blowing their chances of a win against the Houston Texans considering that was a game they could have easily won. Every win will be important in this division and over the first two weeks, the Titans look like a sleeper team to keep an eye on in the AFC.
16. St. Louis Rams (15)
The St. Louis Rams have to be pleased with rookie Tavon Austin catching two touchdowns, but Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons was simply a case of too little, too late. If it wasn't for a poor first half, the Rams would have had a better shot at pulling off a huge road win in Week 2, but there's nothing they can do about it now but prepare for next week.
15. Dallas Cowboys (8)
Even though this game was close, if the Dallas Cowboys were as good as we all thought they were in Week 1--this game should have been no problem for them. Tony Romo simply can't do it all on offense as the ground game struggled to get anything consistent going, but at least Dez Bryant (nine catches for 141 yards with one touchdown) bounced back after a disappointing performance in Week 1.
14. Indianapolis Colts (10)
Mistakes by Andrew Luck played a big role in this loss by the Indianapolis Colts, but this game was well controlled by the Miami Dolphins right from the beginning. If anything, the Colts should be looking at the situation as losing to a top team from the AFC and as long as Luck is under center--Indianapolis will be just fine.
13. Baltimore Ravens (13)
The good news for the Baltimore Ravens is Ray Rice's injury doesn't appear to be serious. The bad news for the Ravens is this team struggled enough where they barely managed to win against the Cleveland Browns.
Say what you want about the defending Super Bowl champions--but this certainly isn't the same team from one year ago.
12. Kansas City Chiefs (19)
Nobody knew what to make of the Kansas City Chiefs after their Week 1 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but winning against the Dallas Cowboys was huge in Week 2 to match their win total from last season. This team is a lot better than most people think and it's nice to see the Alex Smith and Andy Reid era get off to a nice start in 2013.
Still, there's no reason to overhype this team just yet as the Chiefs still have plenty to prove.
11. Miami Dolphins (25)
If you didn't believe in the Miami Dolphins after Week 1, you better start believing as this team pulled off a very impressive win against the Indianapolis Colts on the road. Not only are the Dolphins living up to the offseason hype so far about being a possible team to compete with the New England Patriots in the division, but they've managed to start the season off 2-0 while playing their first two games on the road--which is impressive.
As for the concerns surrounding Mike Wallace--at least there's no more concerns after his performance against the Colts.
10. Green Bay Packers (11)
It's always fun to see Aaron Rodgers come out firing after coming off a frustrating loss and unfortunately for the Washington Redskins--that was exactly the case on Sunday as the quarterback threw for 480 yards to go along with four touchdown passes. Rodgers proved once again why the Green Bay Packers are one of the top teams in the NFC, but this team still has plenty to prove if they're going to have any chance in the NFC North--especially on defense.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (9)
Beating the Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday Night Football was huge, but the Cincinnati Bengals still have plenty of concerns heading into Week 3. There were too many deflected passes thrown by Andy Dalton and the defense should have played much better.
On the bright side, at least the running game looks good behind BenJarvus Green-Ellis and Giovani Bernard.
8. Chicago Bears (12)
Talk about an exciting finish as the Chicago Bears pulled out another close one to improve to 2-0 on the season. Jay Cutler already had a reliable weapon in Brandon Marshall, but let's hope the quarterback continues to take advantage of Martellus Bennett (10 catches for 125 yards with three touchdowns in two games this season) in the passing game.
The Bears seem to have a solid team overall--so let's see if they can continue this solid play next week against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
7. New England Patriots (6)
The New England Patriots are banged up with more injuries than they should have to deal with, but considering they almost lost to the New York Jets should be a reason for concern--no matter what the weather conditions were like. Tom Brady has always found ways to win games, but this season looks like it could be different playing without Wes Welker, Rob Gronkowski, and Aaron Hernandez.
Plus--losing Danny Amendola doesn't make life any easier for Brady at quarterback.
6. Atlanta Falcons (5)
After their disappointing Week 1 loss to the New Orleans Saints, the Atlanta Falcons bounced back and looked strong on offense against the St. Louis Rams as Julio Jones (11 catches for 182 yards with one touchdown) proved once again why he's becoming one of the league's top wideouts. The win was big, but the Falcons should still be concerned about the defense after nearly letting the Rams comeback in the second half despite holding a 24-3 lead at halftime.
5. Houston Texans (5)
The Houston Texans love pulling off crazy victories at the last second after back-to-back scares, but this team should still be considered one of the top teams in the AFC. Losing Andre Johnson to a concussion was the last thing this team needed, but let's hope the star wide receiver is back in no time.
4. San Francisco 49ers (2)
Good news for the rest of the NFC--Colin Kaepernick is human.
After an impressive win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1, the San Francisco 49ers couldn't get anything going on offense against the Seattle Seahawks as they were embarrassed by their division rivals once again just like last season. There's no reason to hit the panic button this early in the season, but let's hope San Francisco comes up with a better game plan for their rematch later in the year.
3. New Orleans Saints (3)
A win is a win no matter what--so the fact that the New Orleans Saints managed to pull off the last-second win on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was huge to remain on top of the NFC South standings.
Jimmy Graham (10 catches for 179 yards with one touchdown) proved once again why he's one of the league's top pass-catching tight ends as he played a key role in helping the Saints pull out the big road win in this one. Despite the win, New Orleans should have been able to score more points with their high-powered offense.
2. Denver Broncos (1)
Not only did Peyton Manning (307 passing yards, two touchdowns) have another solid game, but Knowshon Marino (93 rushing yards and two touchdowns) provided the Denver Broncos with a strong rushing attack against the New York Giants to show once again just how scary this offense will be this season. For the second-straight week, this Broncos team looks even stronger than they did last season and Peyton had to have been all smiles after winning the Manning Bowl once again.
1. Seattle Seahawks (4)
Can you say statement win? Just like they did at home last season, the Seattle Seahawks embarrassed the San Francisco 49ers on their home turf to jump to the top spot of this week's rankings.
After struggling on offense the week before, Marshawn Lynch came up big against one of the league's top-ranked defenses by finding the end zone three times. Everybody knew Seattle was a strong Super Bowl contender heading into the regular season, but after seeing what they were capable of on Sunday night--this team could be dangerous if they can play at that high level throughout the year.
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