Week 1 of the NFL season got us all started, but it was merely the tip of the iceberg. Week 2 brought even more fireworks and excitement with intense matchups, nailbiters, crazy finishes, and some early-season division drama.
The NFL season is already heating up, and we’re not even done with Week 2 at this point.
Our latest NFL Power Rankings are going to take a closer look at the last couple of weeks and how teams are stacking up against each other. The Chicago Bears are free-falling after giving up 52 points against the Detroit Lions, while teams like the Indianapolis Colts and quarterback Daniel Jones are cracking the top 10 here in the early stages of the year.
NFL Power Rankings, Week 3: Packers on the rise, X falling fast
32. Cleveland Browns
Last week: 24th
I think everyone knew this was going to be an evaluation season for the Cleveland Browns, and that’s exactly what it’s turning out to be. The Browns at least got to see Quinshon Judkins out there in Week 2, leading the team with 61 rushing yards. They also got to see Dillon Gabriel, who was 3-for-3 in his first NFL action with a touchdown pass as well.
At this point, you just can’t help but wonder when the Browns are going to turn to one of the young quarterbacks and really see what they’ve got. It’s not like they spent the highest draft capital on either Gabriel or Shedeur Sanders, but you might as well see what you’ve got before next offseason.
31. Carolina Panthers
Last week: 30th
Another week, another brutal overall performance by the Carolina Panthers. They just laid flat from the start of their Week 2 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, and it ended up costing them dearly.
The way things are trending right now for the Panthers, it’s looking more and more like we could see some sort of in-season change at defensive coordinator. The Panthers have been bullish on Ejiro Evero in that role, and you can’t say they have elite personnel, but it’s just been bad. They were down 27-3 at one point in this game and made it a close one in the end, but it was too little, too late.
The offense is not absolved of blame here, either. The Panthers gave the Cardinals a quick 7-0 lead on a defensive touchdown. There are always a lot of dirty hands in a loss, but this one was rough. Especially when you get an onside kick and do what Bryce Young did with it. The Panthers need to get in the win column ASAP.