Week 3 of the 2025-26 NFL season was full of surprises
Continuing our NFL power rankings ahead of week 4, quite a few interesting performances have resulted in a shuffling of the order. Week 3 was a big surprise for teams like the Green Bay Packers, who lost to the Cleveland Browns despite being 8.5-point favorites.
But it was not just that; other shocking results included the Panthers dropping 30 on the Falcons while pitching a shutout at the other end, as well as the Bears, who finally came to life against the Cowboys.
Of course, there is much more to this and plenty to discuss, so without further ado, here are our latest NFL power rankings ahead of week 4.
Rank 1 – Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)
Philadelphia continues to reign supreme atop the NFL rankings ahead of week 4. They were in jeopardy of slipping, but that come-from-behind victory over the Rams showed their championship pedigree.
Rank 2 – Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Buffalo’s win over divisional rivals, the Miami Dolphins, was not as easy as the score suggests. It was quite a close game until the end, but credit to Buffalo for keeping their heads and pulling off the win just as the Dolphins crumpled at the end.
Rank 3 – Green Bay Packers (2-1)
The Packers suffered a shock loss to the Cleveland Browns in week 3 as their offense couldn’t accomplish anything of real significance. Additionally, the block field goal towards the end gave the Browns new life, leading to a game-winning field goal of their own. However, this Packers team still looks like the real deal, and last week was probably nothing but a bad day at the office.
Rank 4 – Detroit Lions (2-1)
The Detroit Lions climb several places with their recent performance over the Baltimore Ravens. That’s two games in succession now that the Lions are looking back to their best after a concerning week 1 performance against the Packers.
Rank 5 – Los Angeles Chargers (3-0)
The Los Angeles Chargers enter the top 5 with yet another win over divisional opponents. That makes the Chargers 3 for 3 over their AFC West counterparts with a two-game lead over the rest of the teams.
Rank 6 – Baltimore Ravens (1-2)
The Baltimore Ravens fall to 1-2 after yesterday’s loss to the Detroit Lions in a game that was close till the final quarter. However, that’s the second time this year the Ravens have succumbed to pressure and let slip chances to win games against top-quality opposition.
Rank 7 – Los Angeles Rams (2-1)
The Rams were 2-0 heading into week 3 with wins over the Titans and Texans. But on Sunday, they faced their first real test against the Eagles and led quite comfortably at one point in the third quarter until they let Philly back into the game, costing them a chance at going 3-0 into week 4.
Rank 8 – Washington Commanders (2-1)
Of the three games the Commanders have played so far, their wins have come against the Giants and the Raiders, two teams struggling at the bottom. It was against the Packers, a worthy opposition where they faltered, but last week’s win against Vegas was impressive despite Jayden Daniels missing out due to injury.
Rank 9 – San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
The 49ers are without Brandon Aiyuk, Brock Purdy, George Kittle, and more, and yet they are still undefeated heading into week 4. Last week’s game against the Cardinals was a tricky one, but they managed to come through.
Rank 10 – Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0)
Despite the fact that the Buccaneers are 3-0, all 3 of their games have been one-score wins, which could have easily gone the other way. But, credit to them for remaining clutch at the end. However, Mike Evans’ injury remains a concern, with Chris Godwin yet to return.
Rank 11 – Indianapolis Colts (3-0)
Someone who hasn’t been following the NFL closely so far may be astounded to see the Colts so high, especially considering their past few seasons. But, there you are, Indianapolis is 3-0 with Daniel Jones under center and wins over the Dolphins, Broncos, and Titans.
Rank 12 – Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)
Kansas City finally got a win after starting 0-2 for the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era. However, that win came in New York against the Giants, who themselves are winless this season. While the Chiefs won comfortably in the end, it was anything but smooth sailing.
Rank 13 – Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
The Seahawks are coming off a dominant win over the Saints in week 3. Currently, that puts them at 2-1 with another quality win over the Steelers in week 2. Their next game against the Cardinals will be an interesting one as the battle in the NFC West continues.
Rank 14 – Denver Broncos (1-2)
Denver’s week 1 win over the Titans was not convincing, and at the moment, they seem stuck with close losses against the Colts and the Chargers. This could easily have been a 3-0 team, but for their lack of ability to close out games.
Rank 15 – Arizona Cardinals (2-1)
The Cardinals are 2-1 because they lost by a single point to the 49ers in week 3. Nevertheless, wins over the Saints and Panthers are worth taking with a pinch of salt. Their week 3 matchup against San Francisco was more competitive, but the 49ers were without many top players.
Rank 16 – Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
The Atlanta Falcons shocked the NFL community in week 3 after getting run over by the Panthers 30-0. It was in complete contrast to their week 2 win over the Vikings, which saw them slip three spots from last week.
Rank 17 – Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
The Vikings had a day to remember, and the special performance from cornerback Isaiah Rodgers won’t be forgotten by Vikings fans anytime soon. Playing with backup quarterback Carson Wentz against the Bengals’ backup quarterback Jake Browning, Minnesota outclassed Cincinnati and heads into week 4 with a 2-1 record.
Rank 18 – Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
Pittsburgh got back to winning ways after losing in week 2 to the Seahawks. Pittsburgh’s win over New England was on the back of another classical defensive effort, which had 5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles that they recovered, along with an interception.
Rank 19 – Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)
Jacksonville is currently 2-1, but one of those wins is against the Panthers. That said, the Jags’ defense intercepted C.J. Stroud twice and came up with a strong performance to hold the Texans to just 10 points.
Rank 20 – Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
The Bengals, without Joe Burrow, are a completely different team, and even though they may have escaped against the Jaguars in week 2, they were exposed against the Vikings’ defense in week 3. It’s looking like another season of ‘what could have been’, especially after the offseason that brought back three top players.
Rank 21 – Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
The Dallas Cowboys are certainly feeling the effects of trading their former top pass rusher, Micah Parsons. The Cowboys’ defense has now given up 92 points in three games and lost to a clinical performance by Caleb Williams and the Bears. Next week could get even tougher for America’s Team and its fanbase as they play the Packers in week 4.
Rank 22 – New England Patriots (1-2)
The Patriots are coming off another loss, this time to the Pittsburgh Steelers. An overall top-notch defensive performance from the Steelers limited New England’s ability to put up more than 14 points.
Rank 23 – Houston Texans (0-3)
C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans are struggling mightily. The offense has managed to put up just 38 points in its first three games, which is the worst among all teams this season. Stroud’s sophomore year slump continues in year three with just 2 passing touchdowns and 3 interceptions to begin the season.
Rank 24 – Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
The Raiders are now coming off back-to-back tough losses against the Chargers and the Commanders. Despite a decent performance by Geno Smith, Vegas lost to a Marcus Mariota-led Washington team, and there are questions regarding the usage of rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
Rank 25 – Chicago Bears (1-2)
The Bears climb up a few spots after their splendid win over the Dallas Cowboys. Caleb Williams had one of his best performances in a Bears’ uniform, throwing for nearly 300 yards and 4 touchdowns. Still, those losses to the Vikings and Lions in the first two weeks cannot be forgotten just yet.
Rank 26 – Cleveland Browns (1-2)
At 0-2 and with nothing going their way, the Browns should have been going into week 4 without a win, as they faced the Green Bay Packers in week 3. However, props to the Browns’ defense and special teams unit as they limited Green Bay to just 10 points and blocked a crucial field goal at the end to set up the game-winning one for themselves.
Rank 27 – New York Jets (0-3)
The Jets’ week 1 performance against the Steelers may have raised hopes of fans far too quickly. They remain winless through three weeks, though their last game was a close one against the Buccaneers.
Rank 28 – Miami Dolphins (0-3)
The Dolphins drop one spot after their loss to the Bills on Thursday Night Football. Miami has struggled to get anything right, but against Buffalo, they were in with a chance at an upset until the final quarter.
Rank 29 – New York Giants (0-3)
The Giants had yet another day to forget with a 22-9 loss to the Chiefs. It was a game that featured two teams with a 0-2 record, but Kansas City prevailed after a much better second-half showing.
Rank 30 – Carolina Panthers (1-2)
It was not supposed to happen, but it did. Going up against the Atlanta Falcons, had the Panthers won, people would have accepted it, but they won 30-0, which is still unfathomable. Carolina is still not a good team, but this win deserves a climb, even if it’s just two spots.
Rank 31 – New Orleans Saints (0-3)
For the Saints, it was another terrible outing, with the Seahawks dropping 44 on them. Their winless run continues into week 4, and with the Bills up next, things aren’t looking up at the moment.
Rank 32 – Tennessee Titans (0-3)
Tennessee may have drafted Cam Ward with the number one overall pick in the draft earlier this year. However, the team as a whole is struggling on both sides of the ball. They allowed the Colts to score 41 against them in a defensive letdown.
With week 4 starting this Thursday, there is plenty to look forward to. So far, we have seen some dominant offensive performances, some notable defensive work, and surprising special teams plays as well. It will be interesting to see what the next slate of games brings us.
Mandatory Credit: Imagn Images
nfl
I am a content writer for the NFL team, and joined The Playoffs after working with Sportskeeda and NFL Analysis as an NFL writer. After starting my professional career as a French-to-English translator, working as a content writer is a new adventure for me. I started out in the sports media field for two main reasons: my love for sports in general, especially the NFL, NBA, and Tennis, as well as my passion for writing. The best part of this job is that I get to write a variety of pieces with the freedom to explore content from various angles. It also enables me to stay up to date with the sporting world, which otherwise can be difficult to do in the day-to-day grind. In a world full of chaos, sports unite and entertain like nothing else!
Read more
NFL 
