We’re two weeks into the schedule now, and as and we look ahead to Week 3 of the 2021 NFL season we’ve already learned a few valuable lessons:
1) Week 1 overreaction is a trap we’ll always fall into (and honestly, it’s kind of what makes this all fun, right?);
2) Not all 2-0 records are created equal;
3) Never, ever, count Lamar Jackson out.
With the first two weeks in the books and 15 more to go, here’s a power ranking of all 32 teams, grouped into tiers based on performance and potential so far.
NFC WEST REALLY IS BEST:
1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0; Last week: 1)
2. Los Angeles Rams (2-0; Last week: 3)
3. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1; Last week: 2)
4. San Francisco 49ers (2-0; Last week: 6)
5. Baltimore Ravens (1-1; Last week: 12)
6. Cleveland Browns (1-1; Last week: 5)
7. Arizona Cardinals (2-0; Last week: 8)
8. Seattle Seahawks (1-1; Last week: 4)
The Ravens had perhaps the most impressive victory of the week with Lamar Jackson putting on a show against Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, but it’s Tampa that might just remain atop this mountain all season until proven otherwise.
Tom Brady and the Bucs had their way with an overmatched Falcons team but Week 3 has them visit the No. 2-ranked Rams. L.A. looks like the best overall team in the stacked NFC West division. The early returns on Matthew Stafford’s impact on Sean McVay’s system have been overwhelmingly positive.
Besides injuries, explosive QB play is maybe the one thing that could hold the 49ers back this season and for now it’s the main reason we have them behind the Rams.
The Cardinals are lucky to be 2-0 after the Vikings missed what should’ve been an easy game-winning field goal. The jury is still out on how far this big-play Arizona offence can take them in such a deep division. The Seahawks blew a 24-9 halftime lead against the Titans but we’re not panicking. They have the pieces to hang with most teams most weeks. – Johnston
RALLYING BACK INTO THE GOOD BOOKS:
9. Buffalo Bills (1-1; Last week: 10)
10. Green Bay Packers (1-1; Last week: 13)
11. Tennessee Titans (1-1; Last week: 11)
This is more of what we expected from this trio of division favourites, each of whom lost convincingly in Week 1. The Bills blanked the Dolphins 35-0 and the Titans finally got the ground game rolling in a respectable comeback effort in Seattle.
Aaron Rodgers had literally the worst game of his career in Week 1 as Green Bay scored three measly points against the Saints. Rodgers rebounded with a near-perfect outing in a blowout of the Lions Monday night.
GREAT LEAPS & STEEP DECLINES:
12. Las Vegas Raiders (2-0; Last week: 19)
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1; Last week: 9)
14. Dallas Cowboys (1-1; Last week: 15)
15. Carolina Panthers (2-0; Last week: 25)
16. Denver Broncos (2-0; Last week: 17)
17. New Orleans Saints (1-1; Last week: 7)
18. New England Patriots (1-1; Last week: 18)
19. Los Angeles Chargers (1-1; Last week: 14)
20. Washington Football Team (1-1; Last week: 22)
21. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1; Last week: 20)
Of the seven teams without a loss two weeks into the season, three are in this tier. Las Vegas is the most impressive of the bunch, considering they topped the Ravens in primetime followed by the Steelers at Heinz Field, frustrating Ben Roethlisberger in the process.
The Broncos should probably be the least surprising of the undefeated here, given their underwhelming opponents so far — the Giants and Jaguars — and considering they’ve got the Jets up next, we can probably go ahead and up their record to 3-0 right now. Few saw the Panthers’ drubbing of New Orleans coming, silencing all the Jameis Winston hype and bringing the Saints back down to Earth – and down 10 spots in our rankings, reminding us all of the perils of overreacting. – Sadler
THIS FEELS LIKE KICKING THEM WHILE THEY’RE DOWN, BUT…:
22. Miami Dolphins (1-1; Last week: 16)
23. Indianapolis Colts (0-2: Last week: 21)
24. Chicago Bears (1-1; Last week: 26)
25. Cincinnati Bengals (1-1; Last week: 23)
26. Minnesota Vikings (0-2; Last week: 24)
27. New York Giants (0-2; Last week: 27)
Kicking would be the key word here, much to the chagrin of those tortured souls in Minnesota and New York, who both lost by a game-ending field goal (or, in the Vikings’ case, a missed one).
We all witnessed what a Tua Tagovailoa-less Dolphins squad looks like, and it wasn’t pretty – but their 35-0 loss to the Bills exposed more problems than just on offence, with their line play on both sides of the ball leaving much to be desired. In two series, Tagovailoa was sacked twice, and backup Jacoby Brissett didn’t fare much better – he was left stranded often, suffering four sacks.
Of the teams in this tier, it feels like the Colts have gotten the worst deal of all. Starting the season with games against Seattle, the Rams, and now the Titans in Week 3 has them digging themselves a hole that an injured Carson Wentz might not be able to recover from – especially if he’s running for his life behind an underperforming o-line on two injured ankles. – Sadler
SORRY, JAGUARS, YOU’VE GOT COMPANY:
28. Detroit Lions (0-2; Last week: 29)
29. Atlanta Falcons (0-2; Last week: 30)
30. Houston Texans (0-2; Last week: 28)
31. New York Jets (0-2; Last week: 31)
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2; Last week: 32)
We’re two weeks in, and we already have two coach apologies? This is going to be a longer season than we thought. It feels like things are already getting a bit crowded in this basement, and Jacksonville is picking fights they probably don’t actually want to win.
By Twitter-apology logic, though, maybe the Jags are looking to channel their in-state NHL peers’ post-apology fate…? – Sadler
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