(Image credit: Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)
We are officially 2 weeks into the 2021 NFL season. Teams will continue to move up and down this list as we get deeper into the season. For this week, teams such as the Raiders and Ravens showed out and moved up in these rankings while teams such as the Steelers and Dolphins took a dip in these rankings after subpar performances. So without further ado, here are our consensus NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 3.
Biggest Risers: Las Vegas Raiders (+10), Baltimore Ravens (+7), Carolina Panthers (+6)
The Las Vegas Raiders have gotten off to a surprisingly hot start by winning a thriller against the Ravens in Week 1 followed by an upset win on the road at Pittsburgh. It may or may not continue, but Derek Carr is resembling his 2016 form.
After a crushing loss on the road in Las Vegas, the Baltimore Ravens bounced back with a big win against the defending AFC Champion, Kansas City Chiefs. Lamar Jackson seemingly carried the team to a victory in Week 2. Plenty of concerns along the offensive line and throughout the defense as well though.
Another big surprising storyline is the Carolina Panthers. After picking up a win against the lowly Jets, the Panthers upset the Saints by a wide margin. Sam Darnold has seemingly found a new home and taking advantage of his shiny new toys.
Biggest Fallers: Pittsburgh Steelers (-8), Miami Dolphins (-7), New Orleans Saints (-6)
After picking up a nice win against the Bills on the road in Week 1, the aforementioned Pittsburgh Steelers couldn't put the pieces together against the Raiders at home. Big Ben is not the same player and the team is dealing with a host of injuries on both sides of the ball.
It was not a memorable sight for the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday. The Dolphins got clobbered by the Bills. Tua Tagovailoa took a big hit and left the game. The offense with Jacoby Brissett at the helm couldn't get anything going. With the o-line in shambles and the defense seemingly not able to stop anyone, it is a major cause for concern.
After a promising start to the 2021 campaign with a big victory over the Packers, the New Orleans Saints looked like a completely different team against the Panthers. Jameis Winston went back to his old habits and threw 2 picks. The offense couldn't sustain any drives and the defense got gashed by Sam Darnold.