We are now through the majority two weeks of the 2024 NFL season, and things are starting to crystalize a little. Even so, in our Week 3 NFL Power Rankings, we are still trying to work out what is real and what is a product of a small sample size.
Let’s examine how all 32 teams have performed over the past two weeks and what we have learned about each of them. Note that all stats are courtesy of TruMedia unless stated otherwise.
The original rankings in this article were from a small collection of rankers. the current NFL Power Rankings are a consensus of the full PFN panel.
NFL Power Rankings | Week 3
1) Kansas City Chiefs (2-0; Last Week: 1)
The Kansas City Chiefs will consider themselves lucky to have escaped their latest tussle with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chiefs are 2-0, but it is by the barest of margins, with a toe on the line and a flag on a fourth-down heave being the ultimate difference makers. However, the Chiefs have also faced what we expect to be two very good teams, so 2-0 is all they will care about.
The Chiefs’ biggest positive is that they have posted positive Expected Points Added (EPA), both offensively and defensively, through two weeks. On offense, they are inside the top 10 for both their touchdown per drive ratio (eighth) and converting first downs into another first down or touchdown (also eighth). They also lead the league in three-and-out rate at 5.3%.
Defensively, there is still plenty to improve on. They rank second from last in defensive success rate and 23rd in yards per play. However, they will likely look at it through the lens that they have faced two good offenses, so things should improve from here on out. The defending champions remain atop the pile.
T2) San Francisco 49ers (1-1; LW: 2)
It is natural to overreact and think the San Francisco 49ers should plummet down the power rankings after they lost to a Minnesota Vikings team with Sam Darnold as the quarterback.
However, there is a unique element here in that the Vikings head coach, Kevin O’Connell, is a product of the Shanahan family system, and Darnold played for the 49ers last year. It would not surprise me in the slightest if we heard that Darnold and O’Connell had the 49ers work out what they were calling on one or both sides of the ball.
Despite the loss, the 49ers are still 10th in the league in net EPA at 6.28, with positive scores across all three units. Their defense is a concern right now, but a lot of the damage in Week 1 was in garbage time, and this week you have the O’Connell-Darnold situation. They should bounce back in the coming weeks.
T2) Buffalo Bills (2-0; LW: 7)
The Buffalo Bills are a tough team to figure out after two weeks.
They made the Arizona Cardinals look really good for a half in Week 1, and then they stormed back before stomping on the Miami Dolphins. Sure, the Dolphins lost Tua Tagovailoa, but that game was already in hand for Buffalo before his injury.
The Bills are second in net EPA through two weeks, with only special teams letting them down. The Cardinals may actually be good, so their struggles at times against them might have been somewhat overblown.
They have risen to third largely because others around them fumbled the ball and dropped winnable games.
4) Philadelphia Eagles (1-1; LW: 4)
The Eagles had a Week 2 win and a 2-0 start nearly secured, but Saquon Barkley dropped a pass that would have ended the game, and Vic Fangio’s defense allowed the Falcons to drive right down the field with no timeouts.
It looked like a sloppy win to begin with, led by Barkley’s second straight game with 100 combined yards. But in the end, it was the lack of execution and failure to put the Falcons away that led to the defeat.
The Eagles join the Lions, Cowboys, and 49ers as NFC contenders to all lose in Week 2, and they fall behind the Lions and Texans in the power rankings as a result.
A lot will be learned in Week 3 when the Eagles face the red-hot Saints.
5) Detroit Lions (1-1; LW: 3)
The Detroit Lions need to correct things quickly, or they will tumble down our rankings. They slipped one spot after their Week 2 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but after needing overtime to beat the Rams in Week 1, they could arguably drop even lower.
Their woes are highlighted by their EPA through two games, which sees them rank 17th overall, 11th offensively, and 24th defensively. The only things they rank in the top 10 offensively are plays per drive (eighth) and drive distance (fifth).
The Lions are not much better defensively, posting a negative EPA through two games and ranking 21st in defensive success rate.
6) Houston Texans (2-0; LW: 6)
Another team that watched chaos reign around them on Sunday was the Houston Texans. Then, on Sunday Night Football, the Texans knocked off the Bears in a game that was probably closer than it should have been.
Houston outgained Chicago by over 100 yards, averaging 5.1 yards per play. But third-down struggles (the Texans converted just four of 14 third-downs) resulted in the Texans settling for four long field goals, scoring only 19 points.
MORE: Stock Up, Stock Down Through Week 2 of NFL Season
Houston’s defense, however, did a fantastic job keeping Chicago’s offense in check all night long, limiting the Bears to just 3.1 yards per play and forcing two turnovers.
In fact, Houston’s defensive performance on Sunday night was the 10th best of the young season in terms of defensive EPA (+16.66).
The Texans travel to Minnesota next week in a battle of unbeaten teams.
7) New Orleans Saints (2-0; LW: 19)
Everyone largely brushed off the New Orleans Saints for their Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers, but then they went and backed it up with a domination of the Cowboys in Arlington.
Most points in first two games of a season since merger
2009 Saints 93 (Won Super Bowl)
2024 @Saints 91 (👀)
1971 Cowboys 91 (Won Super Bowl) pic.twitter.com/9SFKacn5af— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 15, 2024
Through two weeks, the Saints’ net EPA is 61.75. To put that in context, that is 27 points above the second-placed Bills, which is the same gap between the Bills and the 10th-placed 49ers.
The Saints have impressed all over the field, and if this continues, they will put themselves in the Super Bowl picture. The next questions to answer are whether the Cowboys are just not that good and whether the Saints have beaten two teams that are average or worse.
It is fair to ask, and we should get some clarity when they host the Eagles next week.
8) Baltimore Ravens (0-2; LW: 5)
Losing to the Las Vegas Raiders to slip to 0-2 was not what many people had on their Baltimore Ravens bingo card for Week 2, but here we are.
The biggest concern for the Ravens is that every element of their game has posted bad numbers through two weeks, so it is a collective issue rather than just one unit letting them down.
They sit 20th in net EPA, 15th offensively, and 23rd defensively. We gave the defense a pass for struggling against the Chiefs in Arrowhead but not for their collapse in the fourth quarter this week. It has all just been very middling and they will consider themselves lucky no one else in their division has looked incredible out of the gate.
9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0, LW: 14)
OK, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we see you. When you dominate a bad team in Week 1 and then go on the road and upset a final-four team from last year, you demand respect.
In Week 2, we saw the two units even out a little. The offense came back down to earth, while the defense stepped up and answered some of the lingering questions. Now, the biggest question mark might be whether the Lions are actually as good as we think they are.
While the Bucs rank seventh in EPA through two weeks, we still do not know exactly how good they are, and we may not find out next week against the Denver Broncos. They will want to see another strong performance from a defense that ranks 30th in defensive success rate, and they will want their top-10 offense to continue doing what they have through two weeks.
10) Green Bay Packers (1-1; LW: 11)
Credit where credit is due for the Packers. They fought hard in Week 2 and ensured that things did not start spiraling out of control immediately.
Malik Willis was calmly efficient, gaining 122 yards and a touchdown on 12 completions on 14 attempts. They ran the ball hard and well, which is likely to be a big part of their offense until Jordan Love returns.
The defense did not cover itself in glory in Week 1, but they more than made up for it in Week 2 as they shut down Anthony Richardson and the Colts.
The defense will be key if the Packers are to remain in contention until Love returns because the Willis-led offense is unlikely to score more than 20 points in the coming weeks.
11) Dallas Cowboys (1-1; LW: 8)
Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. The Dallas Cowboys got absolutely humiliated by the New Orleans Saints in Week 2.
The manner of the defeat brought back memories of when the Packers did something similar in their Wild Card game last year.
MORE: Biggest Disappointments From Week 2 of 2024 NFL Season
As things stand heading into Sunday Night Football, the Cowboys are among the worst six teams in the league in EPA, with a league-average offense at best and a defense that just got humiliated by Derek Carr and an aging Alvin Kamara.
The offense will be the bigger issue. They rank 27th in the league in EPA through two weeks, with a 25% red-zone efficiency really standing out among their offensive numbers. They are also only converting 63.6% of their first downs into another first down or touchdown, which ranks 25th as things stand.
12) Seattle Seahawks (2-0; LW: 16)
The Seattle Seahawks have moved up this week because others around them have fallen. When you look at net EPA, they are a top-six team, but their defense is carrying them. Offensively, they are 18th in EPA, 23rd in three-and-out percentage (28.0), and 24th in converting first downs to first downs or touchdowns (63.8%).
The defense looks wonderful, both in terms of the eye test and statistically. However, we need to put into context that they have faced the two worst offenses in the league through three weeks.
We likely will not find out anything new in Week 3 as they face the Skylar Thompson-led Dolphins. What could have been a come-back-to-earth game now might be another defensive stat padder.
13) Cincinnati Bengals (0-2; LW: 13)
This was a much more promising showing from the Bengals than in Week 1. The offense was much improved, and they very nearly got out of Arrowhead with a win. However, 0-2 is where they sit, and it leaves little room for error. Since the NFL went to a 17-game season, only two teams have recovered from 0-2 to make the playoffs. Cincinnati was one of those teams back in 2022, so they will know it can be done.
The offense still leaves a lot to be desired, ranking 21st in terms of EPA. However, the defensive performance has been promising and is something to build on. All is not lost in Cincinnati, but Week 3 against the Commanders just took on a new level of importance.
14) New York Jets (1-1; LW: 10)
Barring some garbage time stat padding, there has not been a lot positive about the New York Jets this season.
After a fairly poor defensive performance in Week 1, the fact that the Jets gave up 17 points to the Tennessee Titans raises some concerns. Ranking 25th in the league in defensive EPA, 24th in third-down conversion rate, and 19th in defensive success rate is a major concern through two weeks.
Meanwhile, the offense is basically just league-average in most categories. Aaron Rodgers has had them playing well inside the red zone with a 75% red-zone efficiency and a 100% goal-to-go efficiency, but that is about all there is positive to talk about right now.
The Jets’ offense is just about in positive figures in terms of EPA, but a lot of that is courtesy of garbage time in Week 1.
15) Los Angeles Chargers (2-0; LW: 23)
The Los Angeles Chargers get to move up as others around them fall because, at 2-0, they deserve respect.
The Chargers are third in the league in net EPA and have the best defense in the NFL in terms of EPA through two weeks. Their 70.6% defensive success rate is also leading the league, and it is exactly what we expected from a Jim Harbaugh-led team.
The caveat is that the Chargers have beaten the Raiders and Panthers, who are far from the most convincing teams through two weeks. The Raiders’ win in Baltimore helped the Chargers’ resume somewhat, but we are still looking for that prove-it game. A game in Pittsburgh next week is a potential banana skin.
16) Minnesota Vikings (2-0; LW: 21)
The Minnesota Vikings impressed by backing up their Week 1 demolition of the New York Giants with a calm, efficient performance against the 49ers. There is an element of familiarity with the Shanahan system, so that win will be tempered a little by that. Backing it up again with a win over the Texans next week could see this team inside the top 10.
The offense is a concern, especially if Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison miss time. However, it has also been considerably better than it was feared to be when Sam Darnold took over under center for the season.
The defense having the second-best EPA in the league is very impressive after taking on the usually hyper-efficient 49ers offense.
17) Miami Dolphins (1-1; LW: 9)
The bottom could easily fall out of the Miami Dolphins if Tua Tagovailoa misses considerable time. Even accounting for the situation, Skylar Thompson looked out of place when he came into Thursday’s game.
Mike McDaniel will go and draw some Thompson-friendly plays to limit his exposure, but this offense is likely to look radically different.
The one positive is that the defense has looked fine through two weeks. Therefore, if Miami can get Thompson and the offense playing safe football, the defense should keep the Dolphins in games.
However, the Bills exposed some flaws in Week 2, and they are going to need to be significantly better than their 59.4% defensive success rate (16th) if they are going to win games.
18) Cleveland Browns (1-1; LW: 22)
It is hard to know what to make of the Cleveland Browns through two weeks. Their offense has been really bad (30th in EPA), but the defense has been really good (11th in EPA). The context here is that the Cowboys, who they lost to, just got shellacked by the Saints, while the Jaguars have looked unconvincing through two weeks.
MORE: Biggest Surprises From Week 2 of 2024 NFL Season
The Browns need their offense to step up because their defense does not appear to be the elite unit we hoped it would be. It is good but does not rank inside the top five in any of the advanced metrics we are looking at.
If the offense does not improve, the Browns could quickly fall back down the rankings.
19) Arizona Cardinals (1-1, LW: 25)
The Arizona Cardinals have had a fairly impressive start to the season. They were frisky against the Bills in Week 1 and then thoroughly handled the Los Angeles Rams.
In terms of EPA, the offensive numbers are second only to the Saints, and the defense has been essentially league-average through two weeks.
This team is a lot of fun to watch. They are second in the league in points per drive, and when it comes to converting first downs into another first down or touchdowns.
The Cards still need to improve defensively, but if they continue improving there, they will be a legitimate playoff contender this season.
20) Los Angeles Rams (0-2; LW: 12)
Things unraveled fast for the Rams in Week 2 against the Cardinals. Almost before the game even started, it was, for all intents and purposes, over.
The Rams have now lost both of their main pass-catching weapons, and their defense was dismantled. Through two weeks, they rank as the worst unit in terms of EPA and defensive success.
The Rams are having some terrible injury luck this season:
•Star receiver: Cooper Kupp
•Star receiver: Puka Nacua
• Starting left tackle: Joe Noteboom
• Starting right tackle: Rob Havenstein
• Starting guard: Steve Avila
• Starting cornerback Darious Williams— Pro Football Network (@PFN365) September 15, 2024
If Kupp is out for a considerable amount of time, and with Nacua already on IR, this could be a disaster for the Rams.
There is a real chance that Sean McVay could be on the hot seat this year.
21) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0, LW: 18)
The Pittsburgh Steelers do not get any credit for their messy win in Denver in Week 2.
Sure, 2-0 is great, and you can only beat who the schedule-makers put in front of you, but a convincing win would have been nice.
The defense ranks third in the league in terms of EPA, but in the same way the Seahawks have looked good defensively, it is easy to do that against two teams that have looked stagnant offensively.
The offense will be the greater concern, and while we saw flashes, Fields still only threw for 117 yards on 20 attempts. The run game was fine, but nothing to write home about. Next week we will likely find out whether it is the Steelers or Chargers who are the least convincing 2-0 team.
22) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2; LW: 17)
It might be time for an honest conversation about Trevor Lawrence. We have given the Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback all the excuses in the world, but we are now in Year 4, and he cannot elevate the offense around him in the way a franchise quarterback should.
It does not all fall on him, but when your offense ranks 21st in EPA, you, as a former first-round pick, have to take a lot of the blame.
Jaguars are 1-7 since week 13 of last season. That's tied with the Panthers for the worst record in the NFL over that span.
— Michael DiRocco (@ESPNdirocco) September 15, 2024
The defense has done really well, but in Week 1, they faced a disjointed Dolphins offense, and in Week 2, a Cleveland Browns offense that looked similarly troubled.
We will need to see if they continue to look effective once they face better offenses. If they do not, this Jaguars team could be looking at a top-10 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
23) Atlanta Falcons (1-1; LW: 24)
Staring an 0-2 start right in the face, the Falcons’ passing attack came to life late in the fourth quarter in Philadelphia on Monday night. Kirk Cousins had passed for just 171 yards in the game’s first 58 minutes, but trailing by six with 1:39 left, Cousins went 5-for-6 for 70 yards to lead a game-winning touchdown drive, going 70 yards in 1:05.
A Jessie Bates III interception of Jalen Hurts sealed the improbable win for Atlanta, preventing the Falcons from falling two games behind the unbeaten Saints and Buccaneers in the NFC South. The Kansas City Chiefs are next up on Atlanta’s schedule.
MORE: Best and Worst Quarterback Performances From Week 2
Make no mistake, the Falcons still have some concerns on offense, ranking 17th in EPA/play (-0.03). Atlanta’s third-down woes continued on Monday night as well, converting just two of nine third downs a week after converting two of nine against Pittsburgh.
But escaping Philadelphia with a seemingly improbable win is an impressive feat.
24) Indianapolis Colts (0-2; LW: 15)
After showing promise in Week 1, Week 2 was the complete opposite for the Colts, who could only muster 10 points against the Packers. Richardson threw three picks, and had it not been for Jonathan Taylor, this offense would have looked completely inept.
Meanwhile, the defense allowed Willis to look competent at the quarterback position when playing for a team he has been with for three weeks. That comes a week after they allowed 29 points to the Texans.
The Colts defense ranks 28th in EPA and third-down conversion percentage. If the offense cannot be consistent and the defense continues to be bad, things are really problematic.
Any time the best thing about your team through two weeks is special teams, there is a problem.
The Colts will likely be one of those frustrating teams that win games you do not expect and lose games you think they should win.
25) Chicago Bears (1-1; LW: 20)
The Chicago Bears slid a little this week as others around them jumped up.
Last week’s offensive performance against the Tennessee Titans was simply awful, with a -17.01 EPA. They followed that up on Sunday Night Football in Week 2 with another abysmal performance. The unit averaged only 3.1 yards per play against the Texans and posted a -16.66 EPA.
Caleb Williams may very well end up an excellent quarterback. But it’s apparent right now that the rookie is still learning what he can and can’t get away with in the NFL. Wild scrambles, bad sacks, and interceptions continue to pile up for the 2024 first-overall pick.
Williams currently ranks 31st out of 32 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per dropback (-0.38).
26) Las Vegas Raiders (1-1; LW: 26)
It is hard to know what to make of the Raiders after two weeks. Their offense has a 21.89 EPA, which ranks in the bottom five in the league, but they just scored 26 points on the road against the Ravens. Yet, last week, they could barely score against the Chargers.
Their defense has been crucial through two weeks, with a 65.9% success rate that ranks third in the league.
With their offense unlikely to light up the scoreboard, the Raiders will need to lean heavily on their defense all year. That will cause struggles at times, but it means they should often be in games and be able to cause shocks like they did in Week 2.
27) New England Patriots (1-1; LW: 27)
The New England Patriots nearly stole the title for the most surprising 2-0 team in the NFL, but the Seahawks made sure that did not happen. Nothing the Patriots do will be exciting or flashy but do not expect them to make anything easy on teams.
Their offense is set up to be safe and secure. They have yet to have a turnover on offense, but they are punting on over 50% of their drives. The Patriots will happily take that because it can be a weapon if you have a defense you trust.
Ideally, the Pats would extend drives a little more, as they have a 42.9% three-and-out rate.
28) Tennessee Titans (0-2; LW: 28)
This season is going to be all about progress and evaluation for the Tennessee Titans.
Their offense has been among the worst in the league through two weeks, and that is the baseline with which we will evaluate them for the rest of the season. The numbers across the board are not pretty, and they will want to see Will Levis improve and develop as the season goes on.
The defense has been fine, and it will need to be if the Titans are to win many games this year.
Winning is not the ultimate goal of the season for Tennessee, but the Titans would like to get a win on the board to take that 0-17 pressure off sooner rather than later.
29) Washington Commanders (1-1; LW: 30)
The Washington Commanders have been an intriguing watch through two weeks. Despite scoring all 21 of their points through the leg of their kicker in Week 2, they have the third-ranked offense in terms of EPA.
Jayden Daniels has been everything we thought he would be — inconsistent as a passer and electric as a runner. However, he has not turned the ball over, and that has been key.
MORE: Fantasy Football Buy Low, Sell High Through 2 Weeks
The Commanders have been effective in moving the ball with a 78.2% rate of converting first downs to another first down or a touchdown. That ranks fourth in the league and helps explain why their EPA is so high.
The defense is a major concern, ranking dead last through two weeks. That unit is going to put a lot of pressure on Daniels, which could end with him starting to make mistakes as he tries to force things to remain in games.
30) Denver Broncos (0-2, LW: 29)
The Denver Broncos’ offense looked putrid once again as they try to work Bo Nix into his NFL career.
The Steelers always send out a good defensive unit, so it is no surprise Nix struggled against Mike Tomlin’s pride and joy. The bigger concern is arguably that the run game is completely non-existent, meaning that all the pressure is on Nix to make plays.
That is tough on even the best rookies, and it has manifested in the Broncos ranking 31st in offensive EPA through two games.
Defensively, the Broncos are a top-10 unit, but they have to face what would be considered a convincing NFL offense. The Seahawks just struggled on offense for the second straight week, so we have yet to know what the Broncos’ defense is really like. We should get a better idea next week when they face the Buccaneers on the road.
If the defense has another good outing, then we can start to consider it legit, but if they struggle, things could get ugly on the scoreboard.
31) New York Giants (0-2; LW: 31)
The Daniel Jones experience is quite something. Last week, he was diabolical, and this week, he was competent and showed flashes of what we have seen previously. However, the Giants could still only score 18 points against a defense that is ranking as the worst in the league right now.
The defense has not been much better, and this team really does feel like a train ready to come off the tracks in 2024.
Both units are among the bottom 10 in terms of EPA, and this is a situation where we could see a head coach being relieved of his job before Thanksgiving.
32) Carolina Panthers (0-2, LW: 32)
Speaking of head coaches under pressure, it is time to see Dave Canales’ vaunted genius come to fruition.
Through two weeks, the Panthers have a -55.03 net EPA and a -42.47 offensive EPA. Both of those numbers rank last in the league, and for good measure, they are also in the bottom 10 in defensive EPA and special teams EPA.
This team has been really bad in all aspects through two weeks.