NFL News and Updates 2016: New England Patriots Secure Top Spot in Week 3 Power Rankings
The 2016 NFL season might be full of surprises, but its top tier continues to be composed of the same teams. Lest upsets take place in the following week's games, surging teams might keep up their high level of play as the season moves forward.
The ESPN NFL Week 3 Power Rankings features a familiar sight - the New England Patriots. Fighting them for the top spot are the Pittsburgh Steelers, who could actually pull it off should they remain undefeated this week.
1. New England Patriots
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The Patriots are undefeated in the season so far, delivering an upset to the Arizona Cardinals and surviving the Miami Dolphins. They finally solidified their place as the top team heading into Week 3, ousting Week 2's Green Bay Packers.
The big news is they do not have a Tom Brady or Rob Gronkowski. Instead, they relied on the heroics of quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo. They dominated with 31-3 vs. the Dolphins in the second half, but failed to score again as the Dolphins almost took away the win, losing 24-31.
Garoppolo, however, suffered a shoulder injury and may not be cleared to play on Thursday. The Patriots still have a backup plan in rookie Jacoby Brissett, who showed he can take the reins with the starting QB out.
2. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers revived their rivalry vs. the Cincinnati Bengals last week, winning the conflict in stellar fashion. The early Super Bowl favorite got a 24-16 win against Andy Dalton's team, holding Dalton down to less than 50 percent passing.
The victors met the Bengals' struggling offense with a "vintage" defensive game, getting enough stops to keep them at 34 rushing yards on 16 carries. They would have to put up the same tenacity against the surging Carson Wentz-led Philadelphia Eagles.
3. Arizona Cardinals
The Cards may have bowed to a Brady-less Patriots, but they avoided their first 0-2 start since 2005. They were men on a mission against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last time out, delivering a merciless 40-7 blowout.
WB Larry Fitzgerald again led the offense, his 4-yard contested touchdown catch being the highlight of the night. Meanwhile, returning cornerback Marcus Cooper showed a gritty performance against QB Jameis Winston.
The rest of the list features Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and the Houston Texans at the fourth, fifth and sixth spots, respectively. Last week's No. 1, the Green Bay Packers slipped to the ninth spot after underwhelming performances from QB Aaron Rodgers.
