1 hour ago
Take this with a grain of salt from the Washington Post this morning.
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Solid playoff teams
9. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
10. Denver Broncos (1-2)
11. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
12. Washington Commanders (2-1)
13. Indianapolis Colts (3-0)
Nobody expected Daniel Jones to open the season playing like an MVP candidate for Indianapolis, but here we are. Indianapolis is off to a 3-0 start fueled by Jones’s clean passing and timely scrambles, along with running back Jonathan Taylor’s explosive ability.
The Vikings validated our (relatively) high ranking of them by blowing out the Bengals, 48-10.
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Why take it with a grain of salt? Check out his order and some rationale for the top:
Top contenders
1. Baltimore Ravens (1-2)
2. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
3. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
4. Detroit Lions (2-1)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)
Baltimore still at No. 1 despite two losses? Yes. But hear me out.
This is where these power rankings diverge, sometimes considerably, from those that are simply regurgitations of win-loss records. These rankings are more indicative of what a team will do the rest of the season, not what they have done so far in a three-game sample.
The Ravens’ two losses are by one point to the Buffalo Bills (which required some heroics by Bills quarterback Josh Allen and an uncharacteristic but pivotal fumble by Baltimore running back Derrick Henry) and one possession to the Detroit Lions (who played a virtually flawless game and benefited from another uncharacteristic Henry fumble), two of the four strongest teams in the NFL, per our ratings.
If you think that’s totally off the mark, consider that my power ratings set the spread for the upcoming game between the Ravens and Chiefs in Kansas City at Ravens -2, when the Vegas line is Ravens -2.5. In other words, the sportsbooks are even more bullish on Baltimore than I am.
Besides, the Packers’ loss to Cleveland underscored how fragile the top of the NFL can be. Green Bay’s banged-up offensive line left Jordan Love little chance against the Browns’ relentless pass rush. Still, the Packers remain part of an elite cluster alongside the Bills, Lions, Ravens and Eagles, all of whom have shown they can win ugly or pull away for big victories.
Strong challengers
6. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (3-0)
8. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
In the hunt for playoff spots
14. San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0)
16. Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
Average teams
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
19. Houston Texans (0-3)
20. Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
Below-average teams
21. Chicago Bears (1-2)
22. Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
23. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Rebuilding phase
24. New England Patriots (1-2)
25. New York Giants (0-3)
26. Miami Dolphins (0-3)
27. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
28. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
29. New York Jets (0-3)
30. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
31. Tennessee Titans (0-3)
32. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
===
Solid playoff teams
9. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
10. Denver Broncos (1-2)
11. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
12. Washington Commanders (2-1)
13. Indianapolis Colts (3-0)
Nobody expected Daniel Jones to open the season playing like an MVP candidate for Indianapolis, but here we are. Indianapolis is off to a 3-0 start fueled by Jones’s clean passing and timely scrambles, along with running back Jonathan Taylor’s explosive ability.
The Vikings validated our (relatively) high ranking of them by blowing out the Bengals, 48-10.
===
Why take it with a grain of salt? Check out his order and some rationale for the top:
Top contenders
1. Baltimore Ravens (1-2)
2. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
3. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
4. Detroit Lions (2-1)
5. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)
Baltimore still at No. 1 despite two losses? Yes. But hear me out.
This is where these power rankings diverge, sometimes considerably, from those that are simply regurgitations of win-loss records. These rankings are more indicative of what a team will do the rest of the season, not what they have done so far in a three-game sample.
The Ravens’ two losses are by one point to the Buffalo Bills (which required some heroics by Bills quarterback Josh Allen and an uncharacteristic but pivotal fumble by Baltimore running back Derrick Henry) and one possession to the Detroit Lions (who played a virtually flawless game and benefited from another uncharacteristic Henry fumble), two of the four strongest teams in the NFL, per our ratings.
If you think that’s totally off the mark, consider that my power ratings set the spread for the upcoming game between the Ravens and Chiefs in Kansas City at Ravens -2, when the Vegas line is Ravens -2.5. In other words, the sportsbooks are even more bullish on Baltimore than I am.
Besides, the Packers’ loss to Cleveland underscored how fragile the top of the NFL can be. Green Bay’s banged-up offensive line left Jordan Love little chance against the Browns’ relentless pass rush. Still, the Packers remain part of an elite cluster alongside the Bills, Lions, Ravens and Eagles, all of whom have shown they can win ugly or pull away for big victories.
Strong challengers
6. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
7. Los Angeles Chargers (3-0)
8. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
In the hunt for playoff spots
14. San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
15. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0)
16. Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
Average teams
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
18. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
19. Houston Texans (0-3)
20. Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
Below-average teams
21. Chicago Bears (1-2)
22. Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
23. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Rebuilding phase
24. New England Patriots (1-2)
25. New York Giants (0-3)
26. Miami Dolphins (0-3)
27. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
28. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
29. New York Jets (0-3)
30. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
31. Tennessee Titans (0-3)
32. New Orleans Saints (0-3)
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