NFL Rankings Week 3 2017-2018

Ohio, what a mess you have. After three weeks of the NFL the teams from Ohio (Browns and Bengals) are a combined 0-6. This was expected of the Browns, who have been a dumpster fire since being reincarnated. But no one expected the Bengals to be this bad. Andy Dalton is a ghost of what he once was. He was never an elite quarterback, but was still considered one of the better qbs in the league. This year, he just looks broken. To make things even worse the Bengals and Browns play this week. One of the teams should get a win (unless they somehow manage to end the game tied).

Last week there were 8 undefeated teams, this week only 2. Atlanta makes a huge jump because of that from 8 to 2.

To this point in the season I have been basing my rankings on a few factors: overall record, points for and against, and difference between pf and pa. This may be the last week I do that. With the above mentioned 0-3 vs 0-3 game, no matter who wins probably will not deserve to be ranked over another team that is winless. The way I do may rankings will evolve from week to week and may not make a lot of sense. It makes sense to me, and that is all that really matters. On to the rankings.

As an aside, I wanted to include the Rams and Jags in my top 4 this week, based on the pf-pa difference, the Jags have a +38, the Rams have a +32 but both teams have just been too hot and cold this season. The Rams destroyed the Colts in first week, the followed that up with a so-so performance against Washington, and then in a college score ending outlasted a sup-par 49ers team. The Jags were even worse (hot and cold wise) destroying the Texans in Week 1, getting destroyed by the Titans in Week 2, and then destroying the previously unbeaten Ravens in London in Week 3. The Jags look better in London than they do in Jacksonville, just saying.

Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)

The Chiefs travelled to Los Angeles to take on the hapless Chargers and the game went as expected as the Chiefs came out on top 24-10. They do not play pretty football but they get the wins. This week they host D.C. Washington is already 1-0 against the AFC West, can they make it 2-0?

Up next: at home vs Washington

2. Atlanta Falcons (3-0)

As the only other undefeated team, the Falcons saw a huge jump from last of the undefeateds to 2nd in the league (but still last of the undefeateds). They definitely do not want last year to be an anomaly. On Sunday they took down the 2-0 Detroit Lions on a controversial ending. Detroit appeared to score a TD with 8 seconds left to go in the game to take the lead. Upon further review it was determined that the Golden Tate had been touched down before crossing the goal line. Because he was down in bounds the running clock rule was used and 10 seconds were run off the clock, ending the game. For me the controversy was not the running clock rule, but that I did not feel that there was enough evidence that Tate was touched down before the ball crossed the plane to overturn the original call. The Falcons benefited from the call with a 3-0 record and appear to be in control of their destiny in the NFC.

Up next: at home against the Bills

3. Washington (2-1)

I had to dig deep for spots 3 and 4 this week. I already omitted the Rams and Jags because they are too hot and cold right now. The next two would have been (based on pf-pa) would have been Detroit and Denver, but frankly moving both teams up in the rankings after losses made absolutely no sense, so Washington is the first benefactor. The looked pedestrian against the Eagles Week 1 but since have beaten the Rams and Raiders. This week's win against the Raiders looks more impressive because they were able to absolutely shut down a Raiders offense that looked like they were already in playoff mode. This week will mark their 3rd straight game against an opponent from one of the West divisions.

Up next: at the Chiefs

4. Tennessee Titans (2-1)

Tennessee lost their first game of the season to the previously unbeaten Raiders and have won 2 straight games since. In Week 2 they demolished a Jaguars team that is now 2-1 and looked unbeatable in those two wins. This week they outlasted a Seattle Seahawks team that for the first time this season played like the Seahawks team of old.

Up next: at the Houston Texans (which is the Titans original home town when they were known as the Oilers)

5. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)

6. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)

7. Buffalo Bills (2-1)

8. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)

9. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

10. New England Patriots (2-1)

11. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

12. Green Bay Packers (2-1)

13. Detroit Lions (2-1)

14. Denver Broncos (2-1)

15. Oakland Raiders (2-1)

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)

17. Carolina Panthers (2-1)

18. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

19. Tampa Bay Bucs (1-1)

20. Miami Dolphins (1-1)

21. New Orleans Saints (1-2)

22. New York Jets (1-2)

23. Chicago Bears (1-2)

24. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

25. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

26. Houston Texans (1-2)

27. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

28. Los Angeles Chargers (0-3)

29. Cleveland Browns (0-3)

The Browns have not looked awful in their 3 losses but they have not looked good either. You have to wonder if this team will ever have a winning record or the same starting qb for more than one season.

Up next: at home against the Bengals

30. San Francisco 49ers (0-3)

There were some saying that the 49ers loss to the Rams 41-39 was one of the best games of the season. I am selling that stuck. San Francisco looked better in that game than they have in the first two games but I would not call it a great game. In the NFL, a loss is still a loss no matter how many points you score or how close the game was.

Up next: at the Cardinals

31. New York Giants (0-3)

I said it last week and I will say it again this week. The Giants should not be this awful. They have too much talent to be 0-3. But yet here they near the bottom of the pack. Of the teams that have played a full 3 games they have scored the second least points. Something is not right in New Jersey with the New York Giants.

Up next: at the Bucs

32. Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)

The Bengals finally looked competitive this week losing to the Packers 27-24. Even with offensive "explosion" they have still scored the least amount of points in the league this year. They are so awful right now, they could win this week and still be in the bottom 4, mostly because of who their opponent is.

Up next: at the Browns.