Sept. 22, 2026Up to date Sept. 23, 2026, 11:00 a.m. ET
NFL energy rankings coming into Week 3 of the 2026 season (earlier rank in parentheses):
1. Seattle Seahawks (1): Their 12 wins in a row − for the 12s − mark a brand new franchise document, overtaking the 2005 squad that was the primary to characterize Seattle within the Tremendous Bowl. The present Seahawks are set to get QB Sam Darnold again, possibly this week, towards a wounded Washington outfit. Baker’s dozen?
2. Buffalo Payments (3): They have the league’s finest participant (Josh Allen) and, apparently, have paired him with the proper coach on the proper time. Additionally appears like an upgraded home-field benefit is already in (lake) impact.
3. San Francisco 49ers (2): Solely three NFL gamers in historical past have scored 50 touchdowns with two totally different franchises. Corridor of Famers Marshall Faulk and Randy Moss and − now − Christian McCaffrey. Finish of listing. Spectacular.
4. Los Angeles Rams (5): Throwback uniforms, throwback DPOY. A forthcoming coach. All appears effectively after their Week 1 mulligan.
5. Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (6): It is early but − means early, clearly − however the Tremendous Bowl MVP backfield of QB Patrick Mahomes and RB Kenneth Walker III is on tempo to cross for practically 5,000 yards and rush for practically 2,500, respectively.
6. Cincinnati Bengals (9): Who’re these guys? The six factors allowed Sunday tied for Cincinnati’s fewest in a recreation over the previous decade.
7. New England Patriots (10): When you hadn’t heard, lifelong Seahawks fan Macklemore is not going to be allowed to carry out at Gillette Stadium this week. The Pats have now gained seven in a row … towards groups not based mostly within the Pacific Northwest.
8. Denver Broncos (13): The offense was twice nearly as good in Week 2 beneath rookie OC Davis Webb, if solely nonetheless reasonably spectacular. Double the output in Week 3, and this group can be cooking with Crisco.
9. Minnesota Vikings (16): Let’s not lose sight of the truth that they had been dealing with Chicago earlier than QB Caleb Williams went down. The query now could be ought to they go again to QB Kyler Murray just because they will?
10. Detroit Lions (12): Simply what they wanted, S Avonte Maddox, who’d been pressed into the beginning lineup himself, is out for the season with a foot damage. GM Brad Holmes wants to think about making a transfer or two to enhance what’s, by far, the NFC’s worst cross protection by way of two weeks.
11. Jacksonville Jaguars (8): Hate to proceed belaboring the purpose, however in the event you assume CB/WR Travis Hunter has principally been invisible by way of two weeks … yeah.
12. Dallas Cowboys (15): You knew QB Dak Prescott was now the franchise’s all-time chief in TD passes (249). However do you know he is one win from defeating NFC East rivals 21 occasions in a row at residence, which might break Tom Brady’s post-merger NFL document towards divisional foes? Nonetheless Prescott must wait till the Eagles go to on Thanksgiving to take goal at that TB12 normal.
13. Chicago Bears (4): Looks as if the true ‘Madden’ curse right here is that the Bears might have to attend a minimum of one other yr for his or her first 4,000-yard passer.
14. New Orleans Saints (17): You higher put them away earlier than the fourth quarter, when New Orleans has outscored the opposition 25-3. Nonetheless you additionally do not wish to face the Saints within the Huge Simple, the place they may play all however two of their subsequent seven video games.
15. Baltimore Ravens (7): John Harbaugh could also be gone, however fourth-quarter meltdowns are nonetheless as a lot a Baltimore staple as crabcakes. Nevertheless it’s all “White Noise” outdoors the constructing.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (18): It is hardly been fairly, QB Jalen Hurts beneath relentless hearth from a seemingly inferior opponent Sunday. However give him credit score − Philly is 2-0 however and in its customary perch atop the NFC East.
17. New York Giants (14): A vibes 180 within the wake of … no matter occurred to QB Jaxson Dart in Monday evening’s loss. Nevertheless it does not appear to be the G-Males are in an unrecoverable spin … except Dart is definitely performed.
18. Houston Texans (11): What, we fear? They’ve now dropped their first two video games in three of QB C.J. Stroud’s 4 seasons … and recovered to succeed in postseason within the first two situations.
19. Carolina Panthers (23): They’d by no means opened a season with scoring outbursts of a minimum of 30 factors of their first two video games … till now. Remarkably, QB Bryce Younger can also be tied for the league lead in TD passes (6) and eventually beginning to justify why the Panthers picked him atop the 2023 draft as a substitute of Stroud.
20. Inexperienced Bay Packers (22): They’re again within the win column after struggling their first six-game skid for the reason that pre-Favre years. It is helped that former first-round cross rusher Lukas Van Ness’ 2½ sacks are already greater than he had all of final season.
21. Las Vegas Raiders (29): Kirk Cousins joined Corridor of Famer Ken Stabler (1976) as the one Silver and Black QBs to throw a minimum of three TD passes in every of a season’s first two video games. You may naturally recall that the ’76 Raiders gained the Tremendous Bowl.
22. Cleveland Browns (31): A formidable Week 2 win amid disadvantageous circumstances in Tampa. However all due respect to Coach Monken, betting the “Browns are gonna Browns” once they roll out QB Deshaun Watson to begin the group’s residence opener Sunday.
23. New York Jets (27): Take coronary heart, NYJ followers − your group is not going winless, has been extremely aggressive to date however hasn’t sacrificed all that a lot QB draft place. Sunday was an ideal loss.
24. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (19): The complexion of their season would possibly look fully totally different … if not for a league-worst 4 fumbles misplaced, a minimum of twice as many as some other group.
25. Indianapolis Colts (26): Worst protection within the league to date − by quite a few metrics. Good factor they added CB Sauce Gardner to it. Sunday’s recreation towards equally winless division rival Houston may successfully be a playoff elimination bout.
26. Arizona Cardinals (24): WR Marvin Harrison Jr., the fourth total draft decide in 2024, has one catch − on 4 targets − in two video games … and the Playing cards had been taking part in from means behind Sunday towards Seattle.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers (20): It has been 16 years since HC Mike McCarthy and QB Aaron Rodgers spearheaded an offense that … produced three factors. It is also been 16 years since McCarthy and Rodgers gained a Tremendous Bowl collectively, so … embrace hope, Yinzers.
28. Los Angeles Chargers (25): It took 100 NFL video games for Jim Harbaugh to expertise an 0-2 begin. He might be 0-8 very quickly with the Bolts’ subsequent six video games towards the Chiefs and 5 2025 playoff qualifiers. Six fumbles Sunday.
29. Atlanta Falcons (28):At the very least they will have 2024 first-round QB Michael Penix Jr. again Thursday and, theoretically, an opportunity to lastly leverage all of their offensive firepower after failing to attain a landing prior to now seven quarters.
30. Washington Commanders (21): They will not have 2024 first-round QB Jayden Daniels, not for Week 3 towards Seattle anyway. Tom Brady summed up Washington’s state of affairs fairly effectively Sunday.
31. Tennessee Titans (30): They performed significantly better towards Philadelphia however nonetheless do not have a participant with 100 yards from scrimmage … for the season.
32. Miami Dolphins (32): Unsure why they practiced in Napa all week. Coulda gotten the identical outcomes by taking scorching air balloon rides and hanging out on the wineries.
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