Another week, but no change in the weak. Finally a team manages to hold court at the top spot and it doesn't seem likely to change again any time soon.
Gus Bradley is doing a good job of the carrying on the Seahawks "legacy" that Seattle left behind when they started winning some games. Here's a look at the list where "the worst is first" after three games for all 32 teams:
1. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)
Last week: 1
This week: Lost to Colts, 44-17
Last season the Jags had arguably the worst 8-game start in NFL history. This 0-3 start is worse, so far. They've been outscored 119-27 over the last 10 quarters. Since 1976, only three teams have been outscored by more than Jacksonville's -75 through three games. I'm sad to say that Gus Bradley's stint as an NFL head coach looks quite doomed.
Next week: at San Diego
2. St. Louis Rams (1-2)
Last week: 2
This week: Lost to Cowboys, 34-31
I won't be fooled by the "close loss fallacy." The Rams blew a 21-0 lead against Dallas because they're a bad team. A terrible, awful, no good team.
Next week: bye
3. Oakland Raiders (0-3)
Last week: 3
This week: Lost to Patriots, 16-9
"More like Broke-land?" Not only have the Raiders scored the fewest points in the league, they just lost their leading tackler (Tyvon Branch) and second-best receiver (Rod Streater) to broken feet.
Next week: vs Miami
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)
Last week: 5
This week: Lost to Falcons, 56-14
Only a small shift here between Tampa and Minnesota. There are at least five terrible teams in the NFL and the Bucs are one of them. Maybe they're even the worst, but the loss of Josh McCown isn't necessarily a bad thing; Vincent Jackson has only caught 10 of 25 targets.
Next week: at Pittsburgh
5. Minnesota Vikings (1-2)
Last week: 4
This week: Lost to Saints, 20-9
"Yay! Teddy Bridgewater!"
(Shhh ... He was fairly bad.)
Next week: vs Atlanta
6. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
Last week: 9
This week: Lost to Chiefs, 34-15
Lost by 19 points to a team that was previously winless? That's a paddlin'.
Next week: at Oakland
7. New York Jets (1-2)
Last week: 11
This week: Lost to Bears, 24-16
It's painfully obvious that the Jets will never succeed under Rex Ryan. I could see them being coached by either Darrell Bevell or Dan Quinn in 2015, but not Rex Ryan.
Next week: vs Detroit
8. Tennessee Titans (1-2)
Last week: 14
This week: Lost to Bengals, 33-7
"Okay, who had 'Week 3' as the game when Jake Locker would get hurt?"
"I did!"
"Oh wow, nice job Jim. Week 3. Latest date in the whole office pool."
Next week: at Indy (and possibly Charlie Whitehurst starting.)
9. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Last Week: 7
This week: Lost to Ravens, 23-21
If you think "close is cutting it" for the Browns, then that just goes to show how low our expectations have become for the Cleveland Browns. They're simply not getting the job done.
Next week: bye
10. Washington Redskins (1-2)
Last week: 6
This week: Lost to Eagles, 37-34
Since Kirk Cousins took over, the Redskins have scored in 13 of their last 24 drives, including nine touchdowns. Whatever value RGIII had been bringing the table, it certainly looks like it's not more than what Cousins brings. Trading him to the Rams would be as romantic as a Mark Sanchez hot tub date.
Next week: vs NYG, Thursday
11. New York Giants (1-2)
Last week: 8
This week: Beat Texans, 30-17
They beat the Texans, sure, but they were so awful in their first two games (and we really don't know how good Houston is) that it's not worth it to give too much of a bump at this point. They also get the short game this week, and on the road.
Next week: at Washington, Thursday
12. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
Last week: 12
This week: Beat Rams, 34-31
They were down 21 points to the Rams.
Next week: vs New Orleans
13. Buffalo Bills (2-1)
Last week: 10
This week: Lost to Chargers, 22-10
They lost but fall down the rankings. I guess it's just their lucky week. (unPower Rankings typically carry prominence over real world wins and losses.)
Next week: at Houston
14. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Last week: 13
This week: Beat Browns, 23-21
They beat Cleveland, but still seem a class below the Bengals and any AFC wild card contenders for the moment.
Next week: vs Carolina
15. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
Last week: 15
This week: Beat Jags, 44-17
The perfect "non-move" in the rankings this week; Andrew Luck finally had a huge statistical game. I don't care if it was against the worst team in football because he hadn't even been eating up terrible defenses. Luck finally looked dominant over someone for a full four quarters. He now leads the league in completions and touchdown passes ... gotta love that Jags Bump!
Next week: vs Tennessee
16. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
Last week: 16
This week: Beat Dolphins, 34-15
They might be a playoff team but beating Miami won't prove much. Beating Boston next Monday will do a lot more for their case, as well as Buffalo's.
Next week: vs Boston, Monday
17. Chicago Bears (2-1)
Last week: 18
This week: Beat Jets, 24-16
It sure took a lot to beat a Jets team that almost looked like they were trying to lose.
Next week: vs Green Bay
18. Green Bay Packers (1-2)
Last week: 26
This week: Lost to Lions, 19-7
Admittedly this is a pretty significant position change but the Packers lost by 20 in Week 1 and by 12 in Week 3. Their win over the Jets falls into the "barely" category. Aaron Rodgers has gotten off to slow starts before, but this seems like a special case of "average" for Rodgers and to top it off Clay Matthews was hurt this week. Last season Green Bay squeaked into the playoffs after Rodgers missed a bunch of time. This year, they might miss the postseason even with him under center.
Next week: at Chicago
19. Atlanta Falcons (2-1)
Last week: 17
This week: Beat Bucs, 56-14
This is tough, honestly, and it comes down to Atlanta versus San Francisco. At the end of the day, the 49ers still only have one more loss than the Falcons and Atlanta had a myriad of problems a year ago. Maybe they resolved many of those problems but their Week 2 loss to the Bengals suggests that maybe they didn't. It's too early to freak out too much.
Next week: at Minnesota
20. New Orleans Saints (1-2)
Last week: 20
This week: Beat Vikings, 20-9
I am yet to be impressed by the Saints this year but their talent suggests they could still pick it up as the season goes on.
Next week: at Dallas
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
Last week: 24
This week: Beat Panthers, 37-19
They picked up a huge win over Carolina but it didn't come without a price: The Steelers lost Ryan Shazier, Jarvis Jones, and Ike Taylor to injury. The good news for them is that they play the Bucs and Jags over the next two weeks, but that's a lot of defensive starters to have to replace already.
Next week: vs TB
22. Detroit Lions (2-1)
Last week: 19
This week: Beat Packers, 19-7
Matt Stafford beat the Packers for just the second time in his career, so maybe they can win the division for the first time since Stafford was three-years-old!
Next week: at NYJ
23. Houston Texans (2-1)
Last week: 23
This week: Lost to Giants, 30-17
I hold steady because the AFC South is terrible.
Next week: vs Buffalo
24. San Diego Chargers (2-1)
Last week: 21
This week: Beat Bills, 22-10
The Chargers have now beaten two teams that are otherwise undefeated when they don't play San Diego. An impressive start for a team in a mostly unimpressive conference.
Next week: vs Jacksonville
25. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)
Last week: 28
This week: Lost to Cardinals, 23-14
It may upset some people but I'm not quite "there" yet with the 49ers collapse. They were 1-2 last year and honestly looked much worse than they do now, and still came very close to another Super Bowl appearance. This week's game will determine a lot.
Next week: vs Philly
26. Carolina Panthers (2-1)
Last week: 29
This week: Lost to Steelers, 37-19
No joke: The Panthers might be down to their fifth-string running back.
Next week: at Baltimore
27. New England Patriots (2-1)
Last week: 30
This week: Beat Raiders, 16-9
So the Patriots could only barely beat Oakland, Tom Brady might actually be close to the end of his career after all, and Danny Amendola has been targeted just twice in the last two weeks with zero catches. The "Big Four" of the last two seasons with Seattle, San Francisco, Denver, and New England, looks to be down to the "Big Two" at the moment.
Next week: at KC, Monday
28. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)
Last week: 22
This week: Beat 49ers, 23-14
So then what the fuck is happening here because the Cards are now winning (easily) with Drew Stanton and I'm legitimately scared. Not because they could win the NFC West, but because the universe may be wrapping up loose ends before calling it quits.
Next week: bye
29. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)
Last week: 25
This week: Beat Redskins, 37-34
I'm not quite "super buying into" the Eagles 3-0 start but they were probably the biggest new threat to Seattle's NFC repeat chances headed into the year because the division is soft and they were on a roll under Nick "on a roll" Foles. It's working so far and a win over the 49ers would shake things up in the conference immediately.
Next week: at SF0
30. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0)
Last week: 27
This week: Beat Titans, 33-7
First in Net Yards/Attempt on offense, second in NY/A on defense. That's a formula that absolutely kills in the NFL and this is possibly the best the Bengals have ever been. Marvin Lewis's 11-year plan appears to be working.
Next week: bye
31. Denver Broncos (2-1)
Last week: 31
This week: Lost to Seahawks, 26-20
See how easy it is to not have to change your rankings when you look ahead one week?
Next week: bye
32. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
Last week: 32
This week: Beat Broncos, 26-20
It might have been a close win over Denver, but no other team has yet to make a legitimate argument that they're better than the defending champions. I can see the Arizona Cardinals or Philadelphia Eagles losing at home, I can't see the Seahawks doing that, and maybe that's the difference between a one-seed this year and a two-seed.
Their last two road games are at Philly and at Arizona.
Next week: bye