2024 NFL Power Rankings Week 3: Who are the real contenders amid the chaos?

National Football League

Updated Sep. 17, 2024 11:13 a.m. ET

Bring on the bedlam.

Week 2 was one for upsets, as eight different underdogs won straight up, capped off by Atlanta’s come-from-behind win in Philadelphia on Monday night. Eight upsets in the same weekend is something that’s happened on average just twice a season over the past five years, so it feels fun to get the season started out in chaotic fashion.

As might be expected, it’s tough to sort out the league hierarchy when eight favorites go down at the same time, but I’ll try my best.

Here are the latest power rankings for 2024 (with Super Bowl odds from FanDuel Sportsbook).

NFL Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs (2-0; no change)

Super Bowl odds: +490

Call it Chiefs magic. Not a particularly good day from Patrick Mahomes, but he moved his team into position for the walk-off win. The defense gave up some big plays, but it also scored a touchdown and got the late stops when it needed to. That’s what championship DNA looks like.

2. Houston Texans (2-0; +2)

Super Bowl odds: +1000

I’m not completely confident the Texans need to be all the way up in the No. 2 spot this quickly, but they were one of few contenders outside of Kansas City that managed to win in Week 2. C.J. Stroud and the Houston offense weren’t wonderful against Chicago, but that just gave the defense and special teams plenty of opportunity to flex their muscles.

3. Detroit Lions (1-1; no change)

Super Bowl odds: +1200

I bet the Lions lost a lot of sleep Sunday night. You had Dan Campbell’s mistake on the mishandled field goal at halftime. Jared Goff threw two questionable interceptions. Most glaring of all: Detroit went a shocking 1-of-7 in the red zone. Probably should have been a 10-point Lions win, but that’s why you play the games. In the big picture, I’m not sweating it.

4. San Francisco 49ers (1-1; -2)

Super Bowl odds: +650

The loss to Minnesota doesn’t bother me too much. A lot of weird stuff happened in that game, including a blocked punt, a goal line stand and a Brock Purdy pick in his own red zone. That doesn’t feel likely to happen often. What does worry me, though, is that the 49ers are no longer enjoying the benefit of good health. Christian McCaffrey is on injured reserve, and now Deebo Samuel is going to miss some time. Can they weather these sorts of losses?

5. Buffalo Bills (2-0; +2)

Super Bowl odds: +950

The Buffalo Bills simply do not care. They do not care what the spread is, or how much talent the other team has. They don’t care who’s on the injury report, or which starters go out during the game. They’re simply going to go out and get it done.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0; +4)

Super Bowl odds: +3500

Todd Bowles is truly a wizard. By the end of Sunday’s win in Detroit, the Buccaneers were down an All-Pro safety, both starting defensive tackles and their nickel back was sick. None of it ultimately mattered. The Lions drove within striking distance on all of their final four possessions, and they came away with zero points. In a four-point win with a short-handed defense, impressive coaching was the difference.

7. Philadelphia Eagles (1-1; -2)

Super Bowl odds: +1200

Monday night was starting to look like a 2022 type of win, between Jalen Hurts‘ running ability and the Eagles’ plays in the clutch. The collapse that came after was anything but clutch, as the Eagles now begin a tough road swing after a brutal loss.

8. Baltimore Ravens (0-2; -2)

Super Bowl odds: +1400

The Ravens are an impressive 54-7 when holding a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter during Lamar Jackson’s time as their starting quarterback. Curiously, though, five of those seven losses have come since 2022. These guys simply must improve at crunch-time football, as late-game miscues once again showed up in a perplexing loss to the Raiders.

9. New Orleans Saints (2-0; +12)

Super Bowl odds: +3300

It’s amazing what the right coaching can do. This Saints offense is, by and large, the same group of players that often struggled to score more than 20 points a game in 2023. With Klint Kubiak calling the plays, they look like fire-breathing monsters. After demolishing Dallas, we have to allow for the possibility that New Orleans is legit.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2; +1)

Super Bowl odds: +2000

Oddly enough, I feel better about the Bengals after a heartbreaking loss in Kansas City. It’s got to be encouraging to see Joe Burrow look like his usual self, and the Cincinnati defense made life tough on Patrick Mahomes. If we see that team on a regular basis, it’ll dig out of this 0-2 hole.

11. Green Bay Packers (1-1; +3)

Super Bowl odds: +2700

Life without Jordan Love wasn’t pretty, but it was a lot less scary than I anticipated. It helped that the Packers were able to rush for almost 300 yards on the day against the Colts. If we assume Malik Willis only has to play that well one or two more times before Love’s return, Green Bay might be just fine.

12. New York Jets (1-1; +1)

Super Bowl odds: +2200

The Jets are one of just four teams that haven’t played a home game through two weeks, and they got out of it at a respectable 1-1. Perhaps Sunday’s win in Nashville was the game that showed us they have two legitimate options in the backfield, as rookie Braelon Allen looked just as exciting as Breece Hall.

13. Dallas Cowboys (1-1; -5)

Super Bowl odds: +2000

If Week 1 was a carbon copy of all the Cowboys’ good wins from 2023, then Week 2 was a carbon copy of all their bad losses. The defense could not stop the run — could not get a stop of any kind, to be frank. And while that defensive meltdown was the main problem, it’s fair to wonder if the offense has any worthwhile weapons aside from CeeDee Lamb.

14. Seattle Seahawks (2-0; +3)

Super Bowl odds: +4000

Seattle’s résumé isn’t amazing to this point, but it’s impressive nonetheless to jump out to 2-0 in a rookie head coach’s first season in charge. Geno Smith is quietly playing some strong ball in the early going.

15. Cleveland Browns (1-1; +1)

Super Bowl odds: +5000

Amazing how much better the Browns’ defense looked when their offense was able to keep them out of a first-half deficit. Even if Deshaun Watson wasn’t amazing, this looked closer to the version of this team that could push for a playoff spot.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-0; +2)

Super Bowl odds: +4000

Here’s a stat: Through two weeks, Justin Fields has committed zero turnover-worthy plays, according to Pro Football Focus, which ties him with Aaron Rodgers and Geno Smith for best in the NFL. That essentially means that he hasn’t put the ball in danger across two full starts. The way this Pittsburgh defense is playing, that’s good enough to win a lot of games.

17. Minnesota Vikings (2-0; +5)

Super Bowl odds: +4500

Don’t take my word for it, just ask Brock Purdy. The 49ers’ star quarterback told Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores that his scheme is “crazy” after San Francisco managed to score just 17 points on Sunday. Yes, the Sam Darnold Reclamation Project is a fun story, but the Vikings defense looks dominant in the early going.

18. Atlanta Falcons (1-1; +1)

Super Bowl odds: +3100

The first 55 minutes of the Falcons’ win in Philadelphia weren’t convincing, as Kirk Cousins once again looked like a guy struggling to bounce back from an Achilles injury. That game-winning drive, though? Whoa. If Cousins can string that together on a consistent basis, to go with a mostly solid performance from the defense, then Atlanta should be just fine.

19. Arizona Cardinals (1-1; +5)

Super Bowl odds: +7000

Kyler Murray is back, baby. Yes, the Rams’ offense is a mess, and it’s hard to evaluate the Cardinals’ defense from that 41-10 beatdown — but not Kyler. Murray looked as good as any quarterback in the league in Week 2, and his playmaking combined with Arizona’s run game should make this team a fun watch on any given Sunday.

20. Chicago Bears (1-1; -5)

Super Bowl odds: +5500

It’s a tale as old as time. We were so caught up in the skill players Caleb Williams would have to work with, a lot of us forgot to ask if the offensive line could hold up well enough to make it all work. Too early to panic, but I’ll admit it’s been much uglier than I expected. At least the defense is nasty, though.

21. Los Angeles Rams (0-2; -12)

Super Bowl odds: +10000

This ranking is less about the Rams’ abilities and more about who they have available. Cooper Kupp is the latest injury, after they’ve already lost Puka Nacua and most of their offensive line. I’m just not sure how viable these guys are until they get some guys back in the lineup. It’s not about to get easier, with San Francisco on deck.

22. Miami Dolphins (1-1; -10)

Super Bowl odds: +4000

Wishing all the best to Tua Tagovailoa. His recovery from another concussion is more important than football. But the Dolphins do still have to line up and play this weekend, and it’s tough to feel good about any team that loses its starting quarterback.

23. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2; -3)

Super Bowl odds: +6500

The league’s most frustrating team, and it doesn’t feel close. Every time the Jaguars make a splash play or string together some success, you can count on two or three miscues to unravel it all. With Houston looking like a contender in the AFC South, Jacksonville doesn’t have as long as it once did to figure things out.

24. Los Angeles Chargers (2-0; +1)

Super Bowl odds: +4000

Fun fact: Justin Herbert had thrown for fewer than 200 yards in a game just seven times heading into 2024, and he was 2-5 in those starts. Under Jim Harbaugh, it’s happened twice in two outings, and he is 2-0. Harbaugh’s recipe of ball control and solid defense is working so far.

25. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1; +5)

Super Bowl odds: +15000

The fun thing about the Gardner Minshew experience is that he’s capable of pulling a rabbit out of his hat every so often, as he did Sunday in Baltimore. And if Minshew is playing well, the Raiders’ roster is more than good enough to compete. How often can both of those things sync up as the season goes along?

26. Indianapolis Colts (0-2; -3)

Super Bowl odds: +8000

Anthony Richardson struggling with decision-making and consistency is to be expected. What’s slightly more disturbing is the Colts defense surrendering 261 rushing yards — and not just to any team, but a team starting a backup quarterback. That’s a recipe for disaster.

27. New England Patriots (1-1; no change)

Super Bowl odds: +30000

It’s deeply fun when a bad team doesn’t get the memo that it’s supposed to lose. We saw it with the Arizona Cardinals in 2023, and now the Patriots have picked up their mantle in 2024. This defense is going to make life hell for every team it plays, and the offense has had a chance to win both games this season because of it.

28. Washington Commanders (1-1; no change)

Super Bowl odds: +15000

The Commanders didn’t score a touchdown in their 21-18 win against the Giants, so it’s not as if this was a pretty performance. But I thought Jayden Daniels looked pretty good for a guy making his second NFL start, capped off by his first game-winning drive.

29. Tennessee Titans (0-2; -3)

Super Bowl odds: +20000

Plenty to like about the Titans. The defense looks feisty, and Calvin Ridley made his first big plays as a Titan on Sunday. It won’t matter if Will Levis can’t stop doing insane things with the football. It’d also be great if the punt team could get its act together.

30. Denver Broncos (0-2; -1)

Super Bowl odds: +50000

You might have seen this stat floating around, but it’s a good one: Bo Nix has completed just 11 of 36 attempts that have traveled further than five yards downfield, and four of his misses have been intercepted. There were always going to be growing pains, but it’s been ugly for the rookie.

31. New York Giants (0-2; no change)

Super Bowl odds: +35000

Despite all the struggles the Giants have already endured this season, they probably beat the Commanders if they have a healthy kicker. New York’s brass knew Graham Gano was dealing with an injury and did nothing to protect themselves from losing him, anyway. It’s been that type of season for the Giants already, and we’re just two weeks in.

32. Carolina Panthers (0-2; no change)

Super Bowl odds: +70000

It’s going to be hard for the Panthers to gain a lot of ground this season. They’ve been outscored, 73-13, so far this year, and now they’ve benched Bryce Young just 18 starts after he became the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. The hope must be that Andy Dalton can immediately produce some better results, but this already feels like a lost season.

David Helman covers the NFL for FOX Sports and hosts the NFL on FOX podcast. He previously spent nine seasons covering the Cowboys for the team’s official website. In 2018, he won a regional Emmy for his role in producing “Dak Prescott: A Family Reunion” about the quarterback’s time at Mississippi State. Follow him on Twitter at @davidhelman_.

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