2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings

Seattle Seahawks: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#1)

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Last week: 1

The Seahawks 29-3 win over the 49ers is very impressive, but if they were to play in San Francisco this week, I would pick the 49ers. These two teams are more evenly matched than it appears this week because of Seattle’s ridiculous home field advantage. However, the Seahawks are still my pick of the two to win the division, get a first round bye, and go on to the Super Bowl as a result. No one is winning in Seattle this season. The 49ers, meanwhile, have 40+ years of history working against them coming off a Super Bowl loss.

Week 2 Studs

LE Cliff Avril

LE Michael Bennett

RE Red Bryant

DT Brandon Mebane

CB Walter Thurmond

Week 2 Duds

FB Derrick Coleman

LT Breno Giacomini

RT Paul McQuistan

LG James Carpenter

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San Francisco 49ers: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#2)

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Last week: 2

No shame in losing to the Seahawks in Seattle. No one won there last season and I don’t think anyone is winning there this season, including playoffs. Frank Gore’s slow start has to be concerning, however. He’s rushed for just 60 yards on 30 carries thus far this season. Ordinarily, it’s important not to overreact to 2 games, but Gore is a 30-year-old running back with 2259 career touches so you have to worry that he could just be done. Neither Kendall Hunter nor LaMichael James is capable of handling much of a bigger load, while Marcus Lattimore, the likely lead back of the future, is not expected to play this season as he recovers from injury.

Week 2 Studs

ROLB Aldon Smith

Week 2 Duds

QB Colin Kaepernick

FB Bruce Miller

WR Anquan Boldin

LT Joe Staley

LG Mike Iupati

RT Anthony Davis

CB Nnamdi Asomugha

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Denver Broncos: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#3)

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Last week: 4

Ryan Clady being out for the season hurts, but remember who they have under center. No quarterback protects their own blindside better than Peyton Manning. He thrived with a group of nobodies at left tackle in Indianapolis and he’ll be fine without Clady in Denver. They should still cruise through a very weak (at least at the top) AFC. His absence will be a bigger deal in the post-season, but they should still be considered AFC front runners.

Week 2 Studs

QB Peyton Manning

RB Knowshon Moreno

Week 2 Duds

RB Montee Ball

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New Orleans Saints: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#4)

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Last week: 8

The way young players have stepped up on what was previously a horrible defense has to be very exciting for Saints fans. Cameron Jordan, back at his collegiate position for 5-technique end, is playing like one of the best in the game, while Junior Galette, Akiem Hicks, and rookie John Jenkins are also playing well. The offense is going to score points. There’s no concern there. But if they can stop teams at even an average rate, they’re going to be tough to beat. Almost every year a team goes from out of the playoffs to a first round bye. The Saints are the obvious front runner to do so right now.

Week 2 Studs

RT Zach Strief

LT Charles Brown

LG Ben Grubbs

LE Cameron Jordan

Week 2 Duds

None

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Green Bay Packers: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#5)

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Last week: 6

The Packers could have won in San Francisco and they bounced back to demolish the Redskins at home. Aaron Rodgers is playing incredible football right now, completing 55 of 79 (69.6%) for 813 yards (10.3 YPA), 7 touchdowns, and 1 interception (which wasn’t his fault), while leading the Packers to 51 first downs to 9 punts. While the Redskins defense isn’t very good, the 49ers’ defense certainly is and he still shredded them. Once they get healthy defensively, this will be a very scary team.

Week 2 Studs

QB Aaron Rodgers

WR Randall Cobb

WR James Jones

LT David Bakhtiari

RG TJ Lang

RG Josh Sitton

Week 2 Duds

ROLB Clay Matthews

CB Micah Hyde

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New England Patriots: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#6)

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Last week: 3

Tom Brady completed under 50% of his passes in a game last week for the first time since 2009 and it took a perfect storm for that to happen. It was a combination of the worst receiving corps he’s ever worked with, a Thursday Night game, and terrible weather. The good news is the Patriots don’t play any more Thursday Night Games and that terrible weather won’t be a regular thing. Meanwhile, his receiving corps can’t get worse as his young receivers will eventually get it together and Rob Gronkowski, Danny Amendola, and Shane Vereen are all due back this season at some point, probably in that order. The Patriots have had just 1 three game stretch without a 7+ point win since 2006 and I expect them to bounce back with a big win on long rest against an 0-2 Tampa Bay team, especially if Gronk plays. As for the long term, this season really reminds me of 2006.With a new receiving corps, Brady started the season completing 50% of his passes, even less than this year, in near upset losses to the Bills and Jets, but the Patriots eventually got their act together and went 12-4, before eventually losing in the AFC Championship to Peyton Manning. That narrative could repeat itself.

Week 2 Studs

RT Sebastian Vollmer

LE Rob Ninkovich

FS Devin McCourty

Week 2 Duds

DT Vince Wilfork

LT Marcus Cannon

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Dallas Cowboys: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#7)

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Last week: 7

Kansas City is a good team that’s going to the playoffs so there’s no shame in losing by 1 in Kansas City. Dallas is only going to get better as Anthony Spencer and Jay Ratliff return from injury, along with Brian Waters, signed out of retirement, taking over as the starter at right guard. He didn’t play last year and he’s definitely over the hill in football years, but he was one of the best guards in the NFL in 2011.

Week 2 Studs

RT Doug Free

DT Jason Hatcher

Week 2 Duds

C Travis Frederick

LOLB Bruce Carter

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Detroit Lions: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#8)

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Last week: 9

No shame in losing a close game in Arizona. The Cardinals are a sneaky team this year. The Lions still have the talent to make the playoffs. Reggie Bush might miss this week with injury, but I’m not so sure that Joique Bell isn’t just as good. Bell was 2nd in the NFL in yards per route run among running backs last season, behind only Darren Sproles, and also averaged 5.0 yards per carry on 82 carries. This year, he had 10 catches for 105 yards on 13 targets and 37 routes run, along with 56 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns on 14 carries.

Week 2 Studs

LT Riley Reiff

C Dominic Raiola

RE Ezekiel Ansah

DT Ndamukong Suh

Week 2 Duds

CB Dwight Bentley

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Chicago Bears: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#9)

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Last week: 10

Beating the Vikings by 1 isn’t that impressive, but they did it despite losing the turnover battle, something that only happens 20.9% of the time. The NFC is tough, but the Bears have a chance to be right in the playoff hunt. They aren’t dominating the turnover battle like they were last year, as could be expected, but they have an improved offense thanks to a very impressive rookie right side of the offensive line with Kyle Long and Jordan Mills. Along with fellow newcomers Jermon Bushrod and Matt Slauson, they’ve fortified an offensive line that has allowed just 1 sack all season, despite facing Minnesota and Cincinnati, two of the better sack teams in the NFL a year ago.

Week 2 Studs

C Roberto Garza

TE Martellus Bennett

LOLB Lance Briggs

Week 2 Duds

None

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Baltimore Ravens: 2013 Week 3 NFL Power Rankings (#10)

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Last week: 11

The AFC North remains clear as mud after 2 weeks. Cincinnati and Baltimore are the only two teams that have won games and between them I’d still pick my pre-season pick of Baltimore because of Cincinnati’s recent inability to beat playoff caliber opponents. They don’t seem to be much of a Super Bowl contender, however, in a conference mostly devoid of them.

Week 2 Studs

QB Joe Flacco

LOLB Elvis Dumervil

ROLB Terrell Suggs

DT Haloti Ngata

Week 2 Duds

RB Ray Rice

LT Bryant McKinnie

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