Week 3 power rankings

By Brad Oremland Sports Central Columnist

Five Quick Hits * Is anyone else surprised by the magnitude of Green Bay's and Washington's defensive meltdowns? These were hyped as two of the best units in the league. I've only seen highlights of Green Bay, but Washington's problems start up front. The defensive line has been terrible, and no one except the cornerbacks -- Champ Bailey, Fred Smoot, and Darrell Green -- is stepping up.

* Even the Carolina Panthers got better because of the Ricky Williams trade. When they acquired Williams, the Dolphins let Lamar Smith go, and he's averaging 99 yards a game for the Panthers.

* I don't want to get too excited after three weeks, but Donovan McNabb and Tom Brady may be the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now. Michael Vick's up there, too.

* On a related note, the Eagles need to do a better job of protecting McNabb. He's been sacked in every game so far, and the Titans and Cowboys got to him way too often.

* If Kurt Warner isn't hurt, something else has gone drastically wrong. He's always mixed interceptions in with the fantastic plays, but he's clearly not himself out there.

* Bonus sixth quick hit: The Rams drop to 17th if Marshall Faulk can't go next week.

Now, onto the power rankings. Number in parenthesis indicates previous rank.

1. New England Patriots (1) -- Tom Brady's stats through three games: 93-132 (70.5%) for 973 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions (107.9 rating). Will the people who still doubt him please raise their hands? The real question, of course, is why the defense fell apart against the Chiefs on Sunday. And how will it handle the unbeaten Chargers and Dolphins the next two weeks?

2. Miami Dolphins (4) -- Norv Turner and Ricky Williams have helped turn around a Dolphins offense that struggled for years, and the defense -- as demonstrated against the Jets -- is still solid. Several misses on short field goals by the normally reliable Olindo Mare are perhaps the only cause for concern.

3. Oakland Raiders (2) -- This team has clearly responded to new head coach Bill Callahan. The offense still looks good, and I think Callahan is going to get Charlie Garner more touches this year, which can only help. The injury to Charles Woodson leaves the Raiders exposed at cornerback, though, and I wouldn't be surprised to see the Titans come out throwing next week.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (5) -- Two consecutive blowouts against division opponents should be enough to erase any lingering pain from their Week 1 loss to Tennessee. I'll say again, though, this team needs an elite running back. Dallas and Washington were clearly outclassed against the Eagles, but when they play better teams, Philadelphia won't be able to protect a lead.

5. New Orleans Saints (10) -- It has become evident that I badly misjudged this team in the preseason (22nd in the Rankings). We all knew the individual pieces -- Aaron Brooks, Deuce McAllister, etc. -- were strong, but I didn't think they could work together, and they clearly have. Give Jim Haslett credit for keeping this team together. But keep your eye trained to see how they respond now that they'll be favored in most games.

6. Denver Broncos (3) -- I feel bad dropping them three places after a win, but they're a close sixth.

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8) -- Continue to struggle on offense, albeit against three good defensive teams.

8. Chicago Bears (6) -- Finally lost a close game. Unlucky 13 did them in after twelve consecutive victories in games decided by a touchdown or less.

9. San Francisco 49ers (7) -- Steve Mariucci and Co. have two wins, but could easily be 0-3 right now.

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (9) -- Since they didn't have a game this week, Charlie Batch threw for 400 yards against the defense in practice.

11. Indianapolis Colts (14) -- Nothing like a game against an expansion team to help you find your rhythm.

12. Green Bay Packers (11) -- Lost two more starters in narrow win over the Lions.

13. St. Louis Rams (12) -- Maybe they can talk Rodney Peete out of retirement. Oh, wait.

14. Cleveland Browns (15) -- A stupid penalty away from 3-0.

15. San Diego Chargers (17) -- Even though Michael Vick has played so well, you can't fault them for getting Ladainian Tomlinson and Drew Brees in the 2001 draft.

16. New York Giants (18) -- Seem to play to the level of their opponents.

17. Tennessee Titans (13) -- So many injuries, I'm mixing them up with Jacksonville.

18. Atlanta Falcons (20) -- Philadelphia without the great defense.

19. Kansas City Chiefs (21) -- Priest Holmes is on my fantasy team, and I didn't play him this week. Kill me now.

20. Buffalo Bills (23) -- Drew Bledsoe is playing the best football of his career.

21. New York Jets (16) -- You know something's wrong when they lose to Miami.

22. Washington Redskins (19) -- Danny Wuerffel should never take another snap in the NFL.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (24) -- One of four teams with a Week 3 bye. It's silly to have byes this early.

24. Carolina Panthers (27) -- Their opponents are a combined 0-8.

25. Dallas Cowboys (22) -- The Cowboys just don't have the personnel to be really competitive this year.

26. Arizona Cardinals (26) -- Through three weeks, MarTay Jenkins is their best playmaker.

27. Seattle Seahawks (25) -- Mystifyingly bad. I seem to have given them far too much credit at the beginning of the season.

28. Minnesota Vikings (28) -- There's a storm brewing in Minnesota, and its name is Hurricane Randy.

29. Baltimore Ravens (31) -- Maybe they used the bye week to find a quarterback, wide receiver, or offensive line.

30. Detroit Lions (32) -- It boggles the mind that this isn't even the worst team in the league.

31. Houston Texans (30) -- At least Jonathan Wells had a nice game.

32. Cincinnati Bengals (29) -- Even the Clippers have started to turn things around. What's going on here?

Article courtesy of Sports Central.