The 2023 NFL Power Rankings see teams shifting all over the board after several comeback wins, including a shocker from the Miami Dolphins
Comeback wins were the theme in Week 2 as several teams fought back from huge deficits to walk away with the win. The Cleveland Browns were shocked by the New York Jets and the Las Vegas Raiders were unable to hold off the Arizona Cardinals.
As exciting as those games were, the huge surprise on Sunday was the six-touchdown performance from Tua Tagovailoa that allowed the Miami Dolphins to climb out of a 28-7 hole and win 42-38.
That win, and many others, shake things up as we enter the Week 3 edition of the 2022 NFL Power Rankings.
2022 NFL Power Rankings Week 3
32. Houston Texans
They were hanging with the Broncos for a while, but that ended in the fourth quarter. The Houston Texans entered the day with a record of 0-0-1 and had a 9-6 lead over Denver in the final quarter. That didn’t last as Russell Wilson hit Eric Saubert for a 22-yard touchdown to go up 13-9 and Brandon McManus made it a seven-point lead for good measure with a 50-yard field goal.
Houston is one of the teams that should be in the mix for the No. 1 overall seed and they have a lot of draft capital after trading Deshaun Watson. That could help improve their future but this season feels like they’re just going through the motions.
31. Atlanta Falcons
In two games, the Atlanta Falcons have put more points up than expected but they’re sitting at 0-2. They were knocked off 27-26 to the Saints in the opener then headed to Los Angeles for a game with the Rams and lost 31-27. They entered the final quarter down by 21 and made it a contest — before Marcus Mariota threw a pick to Jalen Ramsey.
Atlanta has several holes on their team and Arthur Smith could find himself on the hot seat. They could also be in line for the No. 1 overall pick, but then we have to see if they’ll allow Smith to groom their next franchise quarterback or look for another option.
30. Carolina Panthers
After suffering a last-second loss at home in Week 1, the Carolina Panthers hit the road and took on the New York Giants in Week 2 — and they again lost thanks to a late field goal.
Eddy Pineiro hit a field goal from 38-yards to tie it up at 16 but then Graham Gano connected on a 56-yarder to seal the win. What was most frustrating for Carolina fans, however, was Matt Rhule’s decision to punt late in the game, allowing the Giants to run off the clock.
To be fair to him, they were facing a fourth-and-15, so he was banking on the defense getting it done. But still, with just 10 wins in over two years, he probably should have gotten aggressive there.
29. Indianapolis Colts
The Matt Ryan experience isn’t going as planned. After deciding Carson Wentz was the reason for their failure to make the postseason, the Indianapolis Colts went with Ryan who was a long-time starter for the Atlanta Falcons. Over the past few seasons, the entire Atlanta offense struggled and somehow Ryan escaped all blame and was expected to turn Indy around.
So far, it’s appearing as though he was being overvalued. On Sunday, he threw three picks as they were shut out by the Jacksonville Jaguars, falling to 0-1-1 on the season. So far, they played the two teams that finished at the bottom of the AFC South, and they have no wins to show for it.
28. Las Vegas Raiders
Davante Adams was on fire throughout Week 1 but had just two catches in Week 2. He did score a touchdown and the Las Vegas Raiders were well on the way to their first win as they had a 20-0 lead over the Arizona Cardinals heading into the half.
The second half was a completely different story as the Cards outscored them 23-3, sending it to overtime. Hunter Renfrow coughed the ball up in the extra period and Byron Murphy scored on a 59-yard fumble return.
Now at 0-2, the Raiders are falling behind in a stacked AFC West, which is the last thing they need if they want to keep pace with some of the powerhouses. Not the best start for Josh McDaniels but the way things went for him in Denver, Vegas probably shouldn’t be too shocked.
27. Chicago Bears
On Sunday Night Football, the Chicago Bears had a chance to make a statement. They were 1-0 and the Packers were 0-1, and they came out with a 7-3 lead after one quarter. Then, Green Bay scored 21 points in the second quarter and it was a wash after that.
Justin Fields continues to struggle as a passer, mostly due to the absence of any weapons at receiver. It could be another long season for him and they won’t be able to handle teams like Green Bay until they get him some help.
26. Seattle Seahawks
Geno Smith said they wrote him off, but he “ain’t” writing back after defeating Russell Wilson and the Broncos in Week 1. That was a surprising win but the Seahawks were knocked down a peg by the 49ers this weekend.
Trey Lance left after breaking his ankle and Jimmy Garoppolo came in and helped them run away with a 27-7 win. Seattle couldn’t get much going with fewer than 200 yards passing and just 36 on the ground. They also couldn’t slow down the run game, giving up 189 yards and two touchdowns to the 49ers’ committee of backs.
They play Atlanta and Detroit next, so they might be able to get back on track but they have to figure out how to win in their division to make any real noise.
25. Detroit Lions
Amon-Ra St. Brown had a lot of fun as the Detroit Lions won their first game of the season against the Washington Commanders. St. Brown had nine receptions for 116 yards and two touchdowns, while also rushing it twice for 68 yards. He was just one reason for the offensive explosion, which included Jared Goff throwing four touchdowns.
Their defense also had plenty of highlights, with rookie Aidan Hutchinson recording three sacks as the defense had five as a whole. Dan Campbell brought a lot of confidence to this team, we’ll see if this leads to a run or if it was just a case of a bad team beating another bad team.
24. New York Jets
Don’t ever count Joe Flacco out. The 37-year-old veteran quarterback threw for 307 yards and four touchdowns as the New York Jets shocked the Cleveland Browns. New York erased a 13-point lead with fewer than two minutes to play.
Even more impressive was the play of Garrett Wilson, who was open all day. He pulled down eight receptions for 102 yards with two touchdowns, including the game-winner. Corey Davis also showed up, bringing in a 66-yarder on the drive before Wilson caught the winning score.
With all that being said, Greg Zuerlein was the real hero. Not only did he knock in a 57-yarder to tie it at 17 earlier in the fourth but he also had a great onside kick that got them the ball back, and allowed the Jets to steal the game.
23. Jacksonville Jaguars
Without Urban Meyer on the sideline, the Jacksonville Jaguars look like a legit NFL team. They lost to the Washington Commanders in Week 1 but it was a close game and had a few plays gone their way, they might have pulled it off. In Week 2, they had their home debut and made sure there was no doubt who would win.
Jacksonville completely shut down the Colts’ offense en route to a 24-0 win. They forced Matt Ryan to throw three picks while sacking him five times. Wide receiver Christian Kirk continues to make good on his massive contract, scoring twice on six receptions. They still need to show they can take on contenders, but 1-1 isn’t a bad start by any means.
22. Washington Commanders
One week after knocking off the Jaguars, the Washington Commanders were unable to defeat the Detroit Lions on the road. Jared Goff threw four touchdowns with no picks for Detroit and Amon-Ra St. Brown had 116 yards receiving with 68 rushing. The Commanders’ defense simply had no answers.
On offense, they made a run with all 27 points coming in the second half but Carson Wentz was under duress too often and was sacked five times— three of which were courtesy of rookie Aidan Hutchinson.
Washington could have used a win here, especially with Philadelphia and Dallas on the schedule over the next two weeks.
21. Tennessee Titans
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 2 has a treat for us with two games on Monday Night Football. The first is the Tennessee Titans heading to Western New York to take on the red hot Buffalo Bills.
Josh Allen and the Bills had a statement win on the road in Week 1 as they knocked off the Super Bowl champion Rams. They now had an insane amount of time to prepare for Tennessee, who struggled with the Giants and lost by one.
The Titans are going to have to get the ball to Derrick Henry early and often in this one to stand a chance. Their defense will struggle to slow the Bills down, so their best defense will be an offense that eats the clock.
20. Cleveland Browns
What a difference 1:55 can make. The Cleveland Browns had a 30-17 lead with that much time on the clock and they somehow managed to lose to the New York Jets.
Joe Flacco found Corey Davis running free for a 66-yard touchdown as the Browns issues with communication in the secondary continued to be a major issue. After recovering the onside kick, New York again carved through their secondary en route to a 31-30 win.
Rookie kicker Cade York is surely upset with himself right now since he missed the final extra point following Nick Chubb’s third touchdown. Had he hit that one, the Jets would have tied the game, instead of winning it outright. As it stands, they fell to 1-1 but the good news is that no one else in the AFC North is undefeated right now, so it’s an even battle still.
19. Arizona Cardinals
Week 2 had a couple of comebacks including the Arizona Cardinals shocking the Las Vegas Raiders. Up 20-0 at the half, the Raiders gave up 16 points in the final quarter, which included the Cards connecting on two-point conversions following touchdowns.
They were able to force overtime but had a turnover on downs, giving Las Vegas the chance to take the win back. But the Arizona defense had other plans. Isaiah Simmons knocked the ball loose from Hunter Renfrow and Byron Murphy scooped it up before running it in for a 59 yard touchdown.
Arizona needed this one after suffering a 44-21 blowout to the Chiefs in Week 1. Had they again struggled offensively and suffered a blowout, things could have gone bad in a hurry.
18. Cincinnati Bengals
Joe Burrow can’t catch a break. Following an opening weekend where he was sacked seven times, he was again harassed all day in Week 2 by the Dallas Cowboys defense. Despite adding new faces in the offseason — including La’el Collins from Dallas — the Cincinnati Bengals’ offensive line was supposed to be better. That hasn’t been the case as he was sacked six times Sunday.
He kept fighting and found a way to tie the game up with a late touchdown and two-point conversion. They even got it back with right around two minutes to play, only to go three-and-out. They then had to watch as the defense couldn’t stop Cooper Rush and Brett Maher nailed a 50-yard game-winner.
Now at 0-2, the Bengals are alone in last place in the AFC North with everyone else sitting at 1-1.
17. New Orleans Saints
It was a 3-3 game throughout and the New Orleans Saints thought they might be able to find a way to upset the Tampa Bay Bucs once again. That ended up not being the case as the Bucs put up 17 points in the final eight minutes to win 20-10.
New Orleans is trying to find success in their first season after Sean Payton retired and they’re 1-1 and have had some issues. They beat the Falcons by just one point in Week 1 then suffered through six sacks and three picks for Jameis Winston as the offense was slowed down all day.
They do have a shot to turn things around next week as they head to Carolina, to face an 0-2 Panthers squad, but they’ll be struggling to secure a Wild Card spot this season.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers
A surprising win over Cincinnati didn’t carry the Pittsburgh Steelers to a victory this week as they found themselves on the wrong side of a 17-14 contest against New England.
The Steelers’ offense was stagnant all day, and a lot of that was on Mitchell Trubisky who was underwhelming with just 168 yards and a touchdown and interception. Najee Harris didn’t do much on the ground either, getting 49 yards on 15 carried with a long of just eight yards.
What was clear though, was how much they missed T.J. Watt. Without the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, Mac Jones had all the time he needed and wasn’t sacked once. New England’s offense wasn’t much better but the lack of pressure allowed them to do just enough to upset the home crowd.
15. New York Giants
Not sure who saw this coming, but the New York Giants are in first place in the NFC East as of Sunday night. They’re sitting at 2-0 and while the Philadelphia Eagles can tie them if they beat the Vikings on Monday Night Football, New York will at least be tied for the lead in their division.
Following a couple of years in a row where they looked lost under Joe Judge, the Giants were expected to continue to struggle. Brian Daboll is a well-respected coach but the roster he inherited had some real flaws in it.
Even so, he has them undefeated with close wins against the Titans in Week 1 and now the Panthers. The schedule will get tougher, but this is a great start.
14. New England Patriots
The New England Patriots lost to the Miami Dolphins in Week 1 but bounced back this weekend. Head coach Bill Belichick continues to avoid back-to-back losing games as their defense held the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 14 points.
Mitchell Trubsiky managed just 168 yards and was sacked three times. They also held the ground game to just 91 yards on 22 carries with Najee Harris being held to just 49 yards.
Their offense was better with 252 yards through the air and 124 on the ground but still managed just three more points. Of course, it doesn’t matter if you win ugly, as long as you win. And the Pats did exactly that.
13. San Francisco 49ers
For those who were excited to see what Trey Lance could do as the starter for the San Francisco 49ers, we’re going to have to wait. Again.
Lance’s tenure lasted just over one game as he suffered a broken ankle and will need surgery — ending his second year in the NFL almost as quickly as it started. As frustrating as that is for Lance, the Niners know they can still go where they need to since they retained Jimmy Garoppolo.
He stepped in for Lance and while he had just 154 yards, that was all they needed from him as the ground game put up 189 yards and two touchdowns. They also brought Geno Smith back down to earth, holding him to 197 yards with no touchdowns.
12. Dallas Cowboys
There might not be a harder team in the NFL to figure out. When the Dallas Cowboys are expected to be good, they struggle to put points on the board. When they’re counted out, they pull off an unexpected win.
This weekend, it was the latter as they shocked the Cincinnati Bengals with a 20-17 win despite being without Dak Prescott. Backup quarterback Cooper Rush led the final drive and Brett Maher drilled a 50-yarder to win it, but the defense was the story.
For the second week in a row, Dallas faced an elite offense and kept them under 20-points. Micah Parsons was a monster, racking up two sacks — giving him four on the season — and Trevon Diggs made a huge tackle to get the ball back for his offense with just over a minute to play.
Their one weak spot is wide receiver but if Noah Brown continues to play as he did in Week 2, that might not be an issue for long.
11. Baltimore Ravens
It really seemed as though the Baltimore Ravens were on their way to a 2-0 start. They had a 35-14 lead over the Miami Dolphins heading into the fourth quarter as Lamar Jackson was playing out of his mind. Then, Tua Tagovailoa and Tyreek Hill decided to turn it up a notch.
They scored 28 points and Tua hit Jaylen Waddle for the go-ahead touchdown with 14 seconds left. It was a shocking loss for Baltimore and cost. them a chance of taking an early lead in the AFC North with both Cleveland and Pittsburgh losing on Sunday. Instead, they’re now in a crowded race and have to figure out how to tighten things up after surrendering six touchdown passes.
10. Denver Broncos
Well, Russ has yet to really cook in Denver.
An opening-weekend loss for the Denver Broncos ruined Russell Wilson’s debut, which happened to be played in Seattle where he spent the first 10 seasons of his career.
He had 340 yards in that loss but they managed just 16 points. He was hoping for more in front of his new home crowd but things weren’t easy. The Houston Texans had a 9-6 lead going into the final quarter before Wilson led them back for the win.
Wilson finished just 14-of-31 and needed to rely on the defense in order to secure the win. Davis Mills was held to just 177 yards and Houston never crossed the goal line. Eventually, things should click for the Broncos, but right now this has been a little disappointing.
9. Los Angeles Chargers
As much as the Falcons take heat for blowing leads, the Los Angeles Chargers could give them a run for their money. In Week 2, they once again had a game seemingly in hand, only to find a way to throw it away in the final minutes.
Los Angeles had a 10-point lead in the third quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs and although they surrendered 10 unanswered points, they moved it right down to the one-yard line and looked prepared to take control again.
Then, rookie Jaylen Watson took a pass from Justin Herbert back 99-yards for a pick-six. From there, Herbert found himself injured and couldn’t get the lead back. They’re right there with the contenders, but until they can close games out, they will remain “close.”
8. Minnesota Vikings
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Philadelphia Eagles
After taking the Green Bay Packers down in Week 1, the Minnesota Vikings now travel to Philadelphia for the second Monday Night Football game this week. This will be another tough test for the Minnesota defense as the Eagles have some firepower.
They put up 38-points in Week 1, but it was against the Lions. And they did also surrender 35, so the defense has something to prove.
With that being said, the Vikings could prove to be a force under rookie coach Kevin O’Connell if they start out 2-0 and knock off a couple of teams that are expected to be in the playoff race.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Minnesota Vikings
He’s unorthodox, but it works. Nick Sirianni took over for the Philadelphia Eagles last season and turned heads when he was playing Rock, Paper, Scissors with draft prospects to see if they were competitive enough for him.
Following a slow start, he was able to get his team into the playoffs and while they lose in the Wild Card Round, it was a positive step. Now, they can take advantage of an injury to Dak Prescott and try to take control of the NFC East.
To do so, they need to get better on defense. There were several huge additions in the offseason but they still gave up 35-points to the Lions in Week 1. Now they face the Vikings on Monday Night Football, an offense that’s far superior to the Lions. If Philly can perform better against them, it could go a long way toward building confidence for their defense.
6. Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams were embarrassed in Week 1 by the Buffalo Bills and were taking it out on the Falcons for three quarters. They entered the final 15 minutes with a 31-10 lead but then the Dirty Birds started to put up some points.
They scored 17-points, with the final two coming by way of safety by Brandon Powell. While it’s good they got the win, there are still concerns — with Matthew Stafford being the biggest.
Last season, he was one of the reasons they won it all but he’s already thrown five interceptions in two games. He led the league in picks last season and needs to find a way to clean this up going forward. In addition to that, their defense allowed Atlanta to get back into it and needed an interception from Jalen Ramsey at the end to close things out.
5. Green Bay Packers
Last year, the Green Bay Packers lost ugly in Week 1, then went off the rest of the season. This year, they look to be following the same recipe.
A 23-7 loss to the Minnesota Vikings feels like an eternity ago after the way they took it to the Bears on Monday Night Football. Aaron Rodgers was cerebral and Aaron Jones ran wild on the Bears defense.
They continue to be one of the best teams in the league and reading too much into Week 1 is apparently a mistake with them.
4. Miami Dolphins
Tua Tagovailoa has heard the criticism and he might have put a lot of it to rest. Also needing to be silenced might be the criticism thrown at Tyreek Hill for saying Tua was more accurate than Patrick Mahomes.
Yes, it’s just one game but it was one of the most exciting games in recent memory. The Ravens entered the final quarter with a 35-14 lead and Tua hit three touchdowns — two to Hill — to tie things up at 35. Baltimore took the lead back with a 51-yard touchdown but touchdown No. 6 ended it as Miami’s signal-caller hit Jaylen Waddle for the winner.
This duo just could NOT be stopped today, SHEESH. 🔥@Tua x @cheetah | @MiamiDolphins pic.twitter.com/ymSW4irfOK
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) September 18, 2022
They’re now 2-0 and while everyone was looking at Buffalo, Cincinnati, the Chargers, Kansas City, and Denver, Miami is sitting there at 2-0 proving they’re for real.
3. Tampa Bay Bucs
This hasn’t looked like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers team we’re used to seeing. Not only are they running the ball more, but they’re not lighting up the scoreboard. In Week 1, they had just 19 points, and then in Week 2, they scored just 20.
However, they’ve been amazing on defense with just 13 points surrendered over their first two games. This weekend, they made life miserable for their former No. 1 overall pick, Jameis Winston, sacking him six times while recording three picks.
It’s clear this is Todd Bowles’ team now as he’s winning with defense first. What’s scary though is that they still have Tom Brady and a ton of offensive weapons, so if they needed to score in a hurry, they could.
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Just how good is Patrick Mahomes? Both Josh Allen and Justin Herbert have been getting plenty of credit for coming close to beating his Kansas City Chiefs whereas no one blinks when he knocks off the competitors.
Mahomes has just won so much that it’s expected, and sometimes the team as a whole is taken for granted. After trading Tyreek Hill this offseason, there were questions about how the offense could change — but it didn’t. Instead, they use more of a committee and Mahomes spreads the ball all over the place.
In their Thursday Night Football victory over the Chargers, he hit nine different targets, and eight had multiple receptions. This team was already hard to defend and now with so many players involved, it’s arguably tougher to beat them.
1. Buffalo Bills
Plays on Monday Night Football vs. Tennessee Titans
When looking at the 31-10 win over the Rams, it appears the Buffalo Bills were unstoppable all night. However, that wasn’t the case.
They won by three touchdowns despite having four turnovers on the day. That’s quite the feat and had they not turned it over, this could have easily been a larger blowout.
That’s bad news for the Tennessee Titans who come to Orchard Park for the first of two Monday Night Football contests. Buffalo is going to be focused on not turning it over and if they play cleaner than they did against L.A., this one could get ugly in a hurry.