NFL Power Rankings: Rams Rebound, Giants Tank After Losing Jaxson Dart in Week 2
Buffalo, Seattle and San Francisco strengthened their places near the top in Week 2, while Baltimore, Chicago and the Chargers stumbled and dropped. Check out the latest NFL Power Rankings entering Week 3 of the 2026 season.
Peter Alexis - September 22, 2026, 4:15 PM EDT
3 Minute ReadNFL Power Rankings After Week 2: Rams Bounce Back, Giants & Chargers Collapse
Week 2 gave the league another round of corrections. The Rams immediately rebounded from their ugly opener, Minnesota's defense carried the Vikings to 2-0, and New Orleans, Carolina, Las Vegas and Cleveland all earned significant respect with statement wins.
The rankings still balance weekly performance against overall roster strength, quarterback play and injuries, so one upset does not completely erase a contender's outlook. Previous rankings are included for the first time this week, making the biggest risers and fallers easier to track.
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NFL Power Rankings Breakdown - Entering Week 3
Super Bowl Contenders
1. Buffalo Bills (Previous: 1)
Buffalo moved to 2-0 with a 41-31 win over Detroit as Josh Allen continued his early MVP-level start. DJ Moore is day-to-day with an AC joint injury, but the Bills remain 7-point home favorites over the Chargers.
2. Seattle Seahawks (Previous: 3)
Seattle's defense overwhelmed Arizona in a 31-7 road win while Drew Lock looked comfortable replacing Sam Darnold. Darnold remains out, but the defending champions are 7-point road favorites against a Washington team likely starting Marcus Mariota.
3. San Francisco 49ers (Previous: 6)
San Francisco followed its demolition of the Rams by handling Miami 35-13, with Brock Purdy continuing a tremendous start to the season. The receiving corps is suddenly thin, but the 49ers are still 8.5-point home favorites over Arizona.
4. Los Angeles Rams (Previous: 4)
The Rams looked much more like the preseason Super Bowl favorite in a 28-6 rout of the Giants, with Matthew Stafford throwing four touchdowns and Davante Adams erupting for 195 yards. Puka Nacua remains uncertain and Myles Garrett is still on IR before Los Angeles visits Denver as a 2.5-point favorite.
5. Cincinnati Bengals (Previous: 7)
Cincinnati's defense has quickly become one of the biggest early-season developments after holding Houston to six points in a 20-6 road win. The undefeated Bengals head to Pittsburgh as 3.5-point favorites with no major injuries currently clouding the matchup.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (Previous: 8)
Patrick Mahomes threw for 382 yards and three touchdowns as Kansas City survived Indianapolis 33-30 in overtime to reach 2-0. The Chiefs have no notable Week 3 injuries and draw the league's weakest team on paper as 11.5-point road favorites at Miami.
7. Baltimore Ravens (Previous: 2)
Baltimore drops sharply after blowing a second-half lead in a 24-17 home loss to New Orleans, but the overall roster still belongs among the NFL's elite. Zay Flowers has a chance to return as the Ravens head to Brazil as 3-point favorites over Dallas.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (Previous: 9)
Philadelphia is 2-0 after surviving Tennessee 24-20 despite two Jalen Hurts interceptions, but neither victory has been especially convincing. Dallas Goedert is expected to miss time and Saquon Barkley is dealing with a shoulder stinger before the Eagles visit Chicago as 3.5-point favorites.
Edge of Contention
9. Denver Broncos (Previous: 12)
Denver needed a second-half rally but avoided an 0-2 start with a 20-13 win over Jacksonville. J.K. Dobbins is managing a hamstring issue and Marvin Mims Jr. remains out as the Broncos host the Rams as 2.5-point underdogs.
10. Minnesota Vikings (Previous: 16)
Minnesota's defense carried the team again in an ugly 9-3 win at Chicago, moving the Vikings to 2-0 despite playing without Kyler Murray. Brian Flores' unit has earned a major early bump, and Minnesota is a 1.5-point road favorite at Tampa Bay.
11. New England Patriots (Previous: 14)
New England's defense dominated Pittsburgh in a 20-3 win, but Drake Maye and the offense still have not found much rhythm without A.J. Brown. Starting guard Mike Onwenu is now out with a fractured ankle, and the Patriots are 3-point underdogs at Jacksonville.
12. Detroit Lions (Previous: 13)
Detroit scored 31 points at Buffalo but could not keep pace in a 41-31 loss, with the depleted secondary remaining the biggest concern. The Lions return home as 6.5-point favorites over the Jets and should have another chance to let the offense carry the workload.
13. Chicago Bears (Previous: 5)
Chicago went from scoring 59 points to just three in a rain-soaked loss to Minnesota, and Caleb Williams' hamstring injury makes the result even more concerning. Williams is considered week-to-week and is unlikely to practice this week, leaving the Bears 3.5-point home underdogs against Philadelphia.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars (Previous: 11)
Jacksonville had chances to start 2-0 but failed to finish a 20-13 loss at Denver as Trevor Lawrence came back to earth. The Jaguars remain healthy and are still 3-point home favorites over New England, giving them an immediate opportunity to rebound.
15. Houston Texans (Previous: 10)
Houston has faced Buffalo and Cincinnati to open the season, but six points in Week 2 cannot be dismissed simply because the schedule has been difficult. Nico Collins remains out, yet the 0-2 Texans are still 2.5-point road favorites at Indianapolis.
Middle of the Pack
16. Dallas Cowboys (Previous: 21)
Dallas' offense finally looked like itself in a 37-20 win over Washington, with Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb getting the passing game back on track. Defensive injuries remain a concern before the Cowboys face Baltimore in Brazil as 3-point underdogs.
17. New Orleans Saints (Previous: 23)
New Orleans has earned one of the biggest jumps after pushing Detroit to overtime and then beating Baltimore 24-17 on the road. Tyler Shough continues to impress, although losing tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. hurts before the Saints host Las Vegas as 3-point favorites.
18. Carolina Panthers (Previous: 28)
Carolina rebounded emphatically from its 59-point Week 1 defensive disaster by crushing Atlanta 34-3. Bryce Young has now produced consecutive three-touchdown games, although Jonathon Brooks is week-to-week before the Panthers visit Cleveland as 2.5-point favorites.
19. Green Bay Packers (Previous: 15)
Green Bay escaped the Jets 20-17 in overtime, but 14 penalties and only 199 total yards made the performance difficult to celebrate. Jayden Reed and multiple offensive linemen are dealing with injuries as the Packers host Atlanta as 6-point favorites Thursday night.
20. Las Vegas Raiders (Previous: 25)
The Raiders deserve another sizable jump after beating the Chargers 26-14 and improving to 2-0 under Klint Kubiak. Kirk Cousins has provided stability while the defense continues creating mistakes, and Las Vegas heads to New Orleans as a 3-point underdog.
21. Indianapolis Colts (Previous: 27)
Indianapolis remains 0-2 but looked considerably better in taking Kansas City to overtime before falling 33-30. Jonathan Taylor remains dangerous, although the Colts' injury issues at receiver and defensive problems keep them as 2.5-point home underdogs against Houston.
22. New York Jets (Previous: 24)
The Jets were eight minutes away from moving to 2-0 before blowing a 10-point lead and losing to Green Bay in overtime. The defense remains legitimate, but Minkah Fitzpatrick is still out and New York visits Detroit as a 6.5-point underdog.
23. New York Giants (Previous: 17)
Any momentum from the Week 1 win over Dallas disappeared in a 28-6 loss to the Rams, with Jaxson Dart exiting almost immediately with a knee injury. Dart, Malik Nabers and Brian Burns are all dealing with issues, although the Giants remain 3-point home favorites against Tennessee.
24. Cleveland Browns (Previous: 32)
Cleveland earns the week's biggest rise after going into Tampa Bay and winning 23-19, showing much more competence on both sides of the ball than it did in the opener. The Browns are 2.5-point home underdogs against Carolina with another opportunity to prove the Jacksonville debacle was misleading.
25. Arizona Cardinals (Previous: 18)
Arizona's Week 1 upset earned respect, but the Cardinals gave most of it back by generating only 151 yards in a 31-7 home loss to Seattle. They now face another NFC West powerhouse as 8.5-point underdogs at San Francisco.
Needs Improvement
26. Pittsburgh Steelers (Previous: 20)
Pittsburgh's defense may be good enough to keep games close, but the offense looked broken in a 20-3 loss at New England. Michael Pittman Jr. and Joey Porter Jr. are both out this week as the Steelers host Cincinnati as 3.5-point underdogs.
27. Los Angeles Chargers (Previous: 19)
The Chargers have now lost home games to Arizona and Las Vegas, with Sunday's 26-14 defeat featuring more turnovers, penalties and offensive inconsistency. Derwin James Jr. has a fractured finger and the schedule gets much worse with Los Angeles visiting Buffalo as a 7-point underdog.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Previous: 22)
Tampa Bay falls to 0-2 after losing 23-19 at home to Cleveland, with Baker Mayfield and the new offense still searching for an identity. The Buccaneers are now 1.5-point home underdogs against undefeated Minnesota despite entering the season with much higher expectations.
29. Tennessee Titans (Previous: 30)
Tennessee showed much more fight in a 24-20 loss to Philadelphia after looking lifeless in Week 1. The Titans are still 0-2, but the performance was enough to move them out of the bottom tier before visiting the injury-plagued Giants as 3-point underdogs.
Already Tanking for Next Year
30. Washington Commanders (Previous: 26)
Washington fell to 0-2 with a 37-20 loss at Dallas, but the much bigger story is Jayden Daniels' dislocated elbow. Marcus Mariota is expected to start against the defending champions, leaving Washington as a 7-point home underdog to Seattle.
31. Atlanta Falcons (Previous: 29)
Atlanta's quarterback problems reached a new low in a 34-3 home loss to Carolina, with the offense offering almost nothing. Tua Tagovailoa remains out and Michael Penix Jr. could return Thursday, but the Falcons are 6-point underdogs at Green Bay.
32. Miami Dolphins (Previous: 31)
Miami stays at the bottom after falling 35-13 to San Francisco and opening the season 0-2 with one of the league's lowest-ceiling offenses. The situation gets even worse in Week 3, with the Dolphins hosting Kansas City as 11.5-point underdogs.
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