NFL power rankings, built on results through September 28. The order is computed from results; the notes explain it.
Three teams are 3-0 — Minnesota, Kansas City, San Francisco — and three are 0-3, so the extremes of this table are unusually tidy. The middle is not: nine teams in the top half have not beaten a single team with a winning record. Three weeks in, the table is a record of what happened, not of who these teams are.
1. Minnesota Vikings — 3-0 (up 1)
Minnesota is 3-0 and first, with a win over Chicago (2-1) that is the best on the resume. The defence allows 13.7 points a game, second in the league, while the offence scores 23.7, 16th. The defence is the reason they are first; the offence is the reason to watch.
2. Kansas City Chiefs — 3-0 (up 1)
Kansas City is 3-0 and has beaten Denver (2-1), with its other two wins coming against Indianapolis and Miami. The offence is scoring 29.3 a game, seventh in the league, while the defence allows just 16.7, third. The one game that was close went their way, but the schedule has been soft, which is the part still untested.
3. San Francisco 49ers — 3-0 (down 2)
San Francisco is scoring 32.7 points a game, second-most in the league, and allowing 16.7, third-fewest. The wins over Miami and Arizona (1-2) were never seriously in doubt, but every one has come against a losing side. The offence is real; the schedule has yet to test it.
4. Buffalo Bills — 3-0 (up 1)
Buffalo is 3-0 behind an offence scoring 33.7 a game, best in the league, with a win over Detroit (2-1) to its name. The defence allows 26.0, which is how the Chargers led after three quarters before Buffalo took the fourth quarter 14-3. The offence is doing the work, and it may have to keep doing it.
5. Las Vegas Raiders — 3-0 (up 3)
Las Vegas is 3-0, and the wins came late: ahead of the Chargers at half-time and after three quarters, and behind New Orleans after three quarters before closing 13-0. They score 29.3 a game, seventh in the league, and allow 18.0, eighth. Every win has come against a losing side, so this start is not yet proof of anything.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars — 2-1 (up 4)
Jacksonville is 2-1, with the league's best scoring defense (12.0 allowed) and an offense scoring 27.3, 10th. They beat Cleveland (2-1) and New England 35-6, but led Denver 13-6 after three quarters and lost 13-20. None of their games were decided by one score, and that volatility is the story: the defense is elite, but the team's week-to-week swings are the question.
7. Chicago Bears — 2-1 (up 2)
They have beaten Philadelphia (2-1), 27-7, and lost to Minnesota (3-0), 3-9 — a quality win and a loss to an unbeaten team on a hard schedule. Chicago is scoring 29.7 a game, fifth-most in the league, while allowing 17.7, seventh. The offence is real; the week-to-week swings are what keep this team from looking settled.
8. Seattle Seahawks — 2-1 (down 2)
Seattle is 2-1 and allowing 16.7 points a game, third in the league. The wins, though, have come against losing sides — Arizona is 1-2 — and the Seahawks have not beaten a team with a winning record. Two of three games were decided by one score and they went 1-1. The defence is holding up its end; the offence has not proven it can beat a good team.
9. Cincinnati Bengals — 2-1 (down 5)
Cincinnati sits at 2-1, but both wins have come against losing sides, and the one time it met a winning record it lost 27-30 to Pittsburgh. The offence is scoring 26.7 a game, 12th in the league, while the defence allows 21.0, 13th. This is a team that can move the ball but has not yet proven it can beat anyone good.
10. Baltimore Ravens — 2-1 (up 3)
Baltimore is scoring 30.7 a game, fourth in the league, and beat Dallas 34-31. But the Cowboys are 1-2, and the Ravens have not beaten a team with a winning record. They led New Orleans 17-9 after three quarters, then gave up 15 in the fourth to lose 17-24. The offense is real; the defense (26.0 allowed, 21st) and the schedule are why they are 10th.
11. Detroit Lions — 2-1 (up 8)
Detroit is 2-1 with the league's third-best scoring offence at 31.0 points a game, but the defence allows 31.7, dead last. The wins have come against losing sides — the best is a 31-24 victory over the 1-2 Jets — and the one loss came to Buffalo, which is 3-0. Until they beat a winning team, the shootouts are the story.
12. Denver Broncos — 2-1 (up 4)
Denver has won twice and trailed at half-time in both, 3-10 against Jacksonville and 0-16 against the Los Angeles Rams, before taking the fourth quarter 14-0 and 14-10. Beating Jacksonville, which is 2-1, is the best thing on the record. The finishes are real; the slow starts are what will cost them.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers — 2-1 (up 10)
Pittsburgh is 2-1, with a 30-27 win over Cincinnati (2-1) as its best result. The defence allows 20.0 a game, 11th, but the offence scores 17.7, 26th, and the 3-20 loss to New England (1-2) showed how stuck it can look. The defence is holding its end; the offence is the reason they are here.
14. Cleveland Browns — 2-1 (up 8)
Cleveland has won two straight, but both wins came against losing teams — Carolina is 1-2 — and the Browns have not beaten a side with a winning record. They were level after three quarters against Tampa Bay and ahead after three against Carolina, so the wins are close. The offense is scoring 18 a game, 24th in the league, and that is the reason they sit 14th.
15. New York Giants — 2-1 (up 9)
New York's 2-1 start rests on one win, 12-7 over a Tennessee side that is 0-3, and the Giants have not yet beaten a team with a winning record. Against the Rams they lost 6-28 and never led after half-time. They give up 18.3 points a game, ninth, and score 15.3, 28th — the defence is holding them up, and the offence decides how long that lasts.
16. Philadelphia Eagles — 2-1 (down 9)
Philadelphia is 2-1 and 16th of 32, but has not beaten a team with a winning record; its best win was 24-20 over Tennessee (0-3), a game level after three quarters. The loss to Chicago (2-1) came 7-27, and the offence manages 18.3 points a game. The record is softer than it looks.
17. Los Angeles Rams — 1-2 (down 6)
The Rams led Denver 16-0 at half-time, were level at 16-16 after three quarters, and lost 26-30 — a week after beating the Giants (2-1) 28-6. They are scoring 20.3 a game, 20th in the league, while allowing 21.0, 13th. That swing is the whole story: this team's weeks do not resemble each other.
18. Indianapolis Colts — 1-2 (up 8)
Indianapolis has played three games and two of them came down to one score, splitting them. The win came against Houston, who are 0-3, and the loss came to Kansas City, who are 3-0. They are scoring 24 a game while allowing 30.3, 29th of 32, so the defence is the reason this team sits in the middle.
19. New Orleans Saints — 1-2 (down 5)
New Orleans beat Baltimore (2-1) by taking the final quarter 15-0, then lost to Las Vegas (3-0) after the last quarter went 0-13. They are scoring 27.0 a game, 11th in the league, while allowing 27.7, 26th. The offence can put up points; the defence is what keeps this team from closing games out.
20. Dallas Cowboys — 1-2
Dallas is scoring 29.3 points a game, seventh in the league, and beat Washington 37-20 — but Washington is 1-2, and the Cowboys have not beaten a team with a winning record. The defense allows 27.3 a game, 25th, and Dallas lost 31-34 to Baltimore (2-1). The offense is real; against good teams, the rest is not.
21. Arizona Cardinals — 1-2
Arizona has lost to Seattle (2-1) and San Francisco, and its only win came against a losing side. The Cardinals score 21 a game, 18th in the league, and allow 27, 24th. The offence can stay with good teams; the defence is why the record sits at 1-2.
22. Carolina Panthers — 1-2 (down 5)
Carolina is 1-2, scoring 29.7 points a game, fifth in the league, but allowing 27.7, 26th. The lone win came against Atlanta (1-2); they lost 18-21 to Cleveland (2-1) and have not beaten a team with a winning record. The offense is ahead of the defense, and that gap is the story of their start.
23. Atlanta Falcons — 1-2 (up 9)
Neither of Atlanta's games has been decided by one score, and they came out on opposite ends: a 3-34 loss to Carolina, then a 35-14 win over Green Bay. The offence is scoring 17.0 a game, 27th in the league, and the only win came against a 1-2 team. Until that offence produces two straight weeks, the 35-14 win says less than the 3-34 loss.
24. New England Patriots — 1-2 (down 12)
New England is 1-2, with a 20-3 win over Pittsburgh (2-1) and a 6-35 loss to Jacksonville. The defense allows 17 points a game, sixth-best in the league, but the offense scores only 12, 31st of 32, and the team has swung wildly from week to week. The defense is doing its part; the offense is the reason this team is here.
25. New York Jets — 1-2 (down 7)
At 1-2, the Jets have lost two straight, including 17-20 to Green Bay after leading through three quarters. Their lone win came against a losing side, and they have not beaten a team with a winning record. The defense is 12th at 20.3 points allowed; the offense is 17th at 21.3, and the soft schedule is why this looks like a thin start.
26. Washington Commanders — 1-2 (up 5)
Two of Washington's three games came down to one score and they split them, and they beat Seattle (2-1) in one. They score 25 a game, 13th in the league, but give up 30.7, 31st of 32, and the Dallas loss was never close. The offence keeps them in games; the defence is why they sit here.
27. Green Bay Packers — 1-2 (down 12)
Green Bay's only win came against the Jets, who are 1-2, and it trailed after three quarters before winning. Against Atlanta, also 1-2, they were down 7-17 at half and lost 14-35. They are giving up 30.3 points a game, 29th in the league. This is a team that beats only losing sides and cannot stop anyone.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers — 0-3 (down 3)
Tampa Bay has been right there in both of its last two games — level at 16-16 after three quarters against Cleveland — and lost both, 19-23 and 16-23. The offense scores 20.7 a game, 19th of 32, while the defense allows 26.3, 23rd of 32. Staying close is not the same as competing, and 0-3 is what that looks like.
29. Tennessee Titans — 0-3 (down 1)
Tennessee was level with Philadelphia after three quarters and still lost, and did not score against the Giants until the final quarter. The defence allows 19.7 a game, tenth in the league; the offence scores 12.3, 30th of 32. Keeping games close is not the same as winning them.
30. Miami Dolphins — 0-3 (down 3)
Miami was behind after three quarters against Kansas City and still within reach, then lost the final quarter 0-10. That is as close as this team has come to a game in doubt. They are scoring 12 a game, 31st of 32, while allowing 28.7. The offence is why they sit here, and three weeks have offered no sign it can carry them.
31. Los Angeles Chargers — 0-3 (down 1)
Los Angeles has been in both of these games and finished neither: ahead of Buffalo 13-10 after three quarters, then beaten 16-24. They are scoring 14.7 a game, 29th of 32, and are 0-2 against teams that finished with a winning record. Level for three quarters is not the same as close, and the offence is why they sit here.
32. Houston Texans — 0-3 (down 3)
Houston is 0-3 and only one of those games came down to a single score, the 17-19 loss to a Colts team that is 1-2. The offence is scoring 18 a game, 24th in the league, while the defence allows 25. Playing to the same level every week is not the same thing as competing.
