Well, the Super Bowl combatants from last season definitely got a boost up the list.
Meanwhile, my joke of putting Jacksonville in the top 10 is now over. I promise not to feature them again this season.
That said, we didn’t have a change at the top because the Raiders were still dominant in Week 3.
The biggest drop this week?
The Vikings. If Sam Bradford can’t get healthy then Minny fans will be in for another disappointing year.
NFL Week 3 Power Rankings 2017
1- (same) Oakland Raiders – Another week and another easy win for Oakland. However, they’ve yet to play a top tier team. They play Washington in Week 3, so yeah, still not a top tier opponent.
2- (+5) Atlanta Falcons – We might have been a little too harsh on them in Week 1. The fact is they are now 2-0 and looking damn good on both sides of the ball. My NFC pick for this year looks great.
3- (+1) Kansas City Chiefs – KC was strong once again in Week 2. They grounded a potent Eagles passing attack for the most part, and their running game is shredding defenses right now.
4- (+1) New England Patriots – They got back on track, but it was accomplished versus a terrible defense in New Orleans. Many injuries on the offensive side could prevent the Pats from their usual regular season cakewalk.
5- (+4) Denver Broncos – That defense looks very 2015 and Trevor Siemien has 7 touchdown passes. Look out, NFL.
6- (-4) Green Bay Packers – It’s tough to drop the Pack this far after only one loss. But they are no longer unbeaten and have to tidy some things up on both sides of the ball. They will clearly get that chance at home versus Cincy in Week 3.
7- (NR) Detroit Lions – Well now, welcome to the Top 10, Lions. Detroit just looks like a team that has a knack for clutch plays when they’re needed the most, and that’s what winning teams do.
8- (NR) Pittsburgh Steelers – They played a bad team in Week 1 and a team missing its QB in Week 2. It’s hard to know just how good this team really is right now. On the positive side? LeVeon Bell hasn’t had to carry them to a win just yet, and he’s bound to at some point.
9- (NR) Baltimore Ravens – Well now, we are seeing some pretty good D from this Ravens squad. They’re creating turnover and capitalizing on them. With yet another weak opponent in Week 3 (at Jaguars), we’re thinking that they’ll be here to stay on these rankings
10- (NR) Carolina Panthers – They are the most flawed 2-0 team in the league. They can’t run the ball and are having trouble versus so-so opponents. Still, they’re undefeated and ready to welcome the Saints in Week 3.
Honorable mentions: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (it’s only one game, but wow, what a game), Miami Dolphins (they showed good character in coming from behind), Minnesota Vikings (Sam Bradford better return fast!), Dallas Cowboys (did the Broncos just create a blueprint to stop their attack? We’ll find out this week vs Cardinals)
Matthew Ross is a sports commentator and a radio host on TSN 690 Radio in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Follow him @MatthewWords.