Week 3 of the NFL was arguably the most exciting yet. It featured a game which was turned on its head in the final 15 seconds, another dominant win by the Broncos and Seahawks, a Giants game where they did not score a single point and a fumble which ended in a game winning touchdown. But with all this excitement who stood out in the week 3 power rankings?
Quarterback- Rank last week Touchdowns Yards
1. Peyton Manning 1 3 374
2. Matthew Stafford N/A 2 385
3. Ben Roethlisberger N/A 2 406
4. Drew Brees N/A 3 342
5. Terelle Pryor N/A 1 281
For the third week running, it's Peyton Manning who tops the Quarterback power rankings. It's not so much that every quarterback in the league right now is struggling to match his yardage or touchdowns, because many are. But with a passer rating of 135.8 and not dropping below a rating of 100 this season, Peyton has been relentless when it comes to throwing the football. A stylish 61 yard pass to Decker and yet more touchdowns with ex patriot Wes Welker see Manning and the charasmatic offense dance to a 3-0 record as they host the Philadelphia Eagles in week 4. With the Eagles explosive offense and possibly the most intelligent QB at the moment in Peyton manning, the matchup should certainly have some fireworks. But can Peyton keep his record of 100+ passer ratings in all of his games along with the record of 0 interceptions so far. Only time will tell but for week 3, he is our number one quarterback. Oh, that and these numbers.
Manning-
1st in Comp % (73)
1st in Pass YPG (381)
1st in Pass TDs (12)
1st in Total QBR (90)
Running Back- Rank last week Touchdowns Rushing Yards
1. DeMarco Murray N/A 1 175
2. LeSean McCoy 2 1 158
3. Bilal Powell N/A 0 149
4. DeAngelo Williams N/A 0 120
5. Jamaal Charles 3 1 92
A surprise at number one this week as DeMarco Murray had his best game of the season so far for the Dallas Cowboys. Running for almost 175 yards, the 25 year old played a vital role in the victory over St Louis. Considering he only rushed for 25 yards last week,this was a massive improvement and sent him straight to the top of the rushing leaderboard ahead of LeSean McCoy who despite taking a loss against Kansas still managed to rush for over 150 yards and a touchdown. It wasn't just the fact that he ran well which has sent him soaring to the top of the power rankings, but the fact he was able to lift some pressure from Tony Romo who attempted 91 passes in the opening two games and suffered a minor injury at Kansas. When your Quarterback isn't playing at his best you need a strong running game. That is exactly what DeMarco did this weekend. Can he stay on top going in to week 4 as the Cowboys pick up steam? Only time will tell.
Wide Receiver- Rank last week Touchdowns Receiving Yards
1. Antonio Brown N/A 2 196
2. Josh Gordon N/A 1 146
3. Santonio Holmes N/A 1 154
4. Eric Decker N/A 1 133
5. Cecil Shorts N/A 0 143
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| "Steeling"- Brown shocks with impressive one handed catch |
Although he didn't come away with the win, Antonio Brown had over three times the amount of yardage he received for in week two! He had a superb game and is the second Steeler to make the power rankings this week after Ben Roethlisberger threw for over 400 yards, almost half of which were to this guy! Brown also made a ridiculous touchdown catch (as pictured) with just one hand! Bringing the ball in for a vital seven points with just as many style points.
The game ended in a 43-20 loss as the Steelers suffered on both sides of the ball but in the second half they found some rythm and began to look like they did last year. Surprisingly, the inhabitants of Heinz Field are still looking for their maiden win this year, but if Antonio Brown gets another nine receptions and runs like he did on Sunday then it may be sooner than we think as they fly over the pond to face Minnesota in the first of the two games held at Wembley Stadium.
Tight End- Rank last week Touchdowns Receiving Yards
1. Jimmy Graham N/A 2 134
2. Jordan Cameron 1 3 64
3. Julius Thomas 4 1 37
4. Antonio Gates 2 1 55
5. Greg Olsen 5 0 54
The only newcomer to this list ran away with first place by a country mile. Jimmy Graham was unstoppable against Arizona. Two touchdowns and the most yards out of any Tight End in the NFL sends him careering to the top as the Saints improve to a 3-0 record. He was even 6th in the entire NFL for receiving yards, beating Wide Receivers such as Nate Washington, Eric Decker and Julio Jones. Graham played fantastically and as New Orleans face another 3-0 team in the Miami Dolphins, it wouldn't surprise me if he has another big game. If I could offer Miami one piece of advice, it would be to always be aware of what Jimmy can do and where he is on the field. It's easy to maintain focus on Marques Colston or Lance Moore, but whilst the Defense are busy doing that Tight End Jimmy Graham is marching his way down the field for what could potentially be a touchdown.Linebacker- Rank last week Tackles Sacks
1. Justin Houston N/A 7 4.5
2. Manny Lawson N/A 14 0
3. Karlos Dansby N/A 12 0
4. Vontaze Burfict N/A 11 0
5. Erin Henderson N/A 8 2
5. Erin Henderson N/A 8 2
Five new names to the list this week with five sets of big numbers. Manny, Karlos and Vontaze may not have gotten to the quarterback but having over ten tackles each is a sign of an excellent defensive game. But our number one pick for this week Justin Houston, got to Michael Vick 4.5 times. With his additional three tackles he was the league leader for sacks this week and was a force to be reckoned with on the Kansas defense. Kansas took the win over the Eagles and shut down the high tempo offense. Vick was able to put a few big runs together but Kansas seemed to wary of the read option for the plays to pay off big time. That and the amount of turnovers the defense forced meant that Kansas go into week four 3-0. Let's see if Justin can have the same impact as they face the 0-3 New York Giants.
Defensive End- Rank last week Tackles Sacks
1. Greg Hardy N/A 8 3
2. Carlos Dunlap N/A 7 1
3. DeMarcus Ware 4 6 2
4. Ezekiel Ansah N/A 7 2
5. Darnell Dockett N/A 3 3
In the 38-0 shutout against the New York Giants, the Panthers were playing at their very best on both sides of the football. Greg Hardy recorded three of the seven sacks on Eli Manning and had eight tackles to his name. Nearly half of the sacks to the 2x Superbowl MVP came from Hardy and the offensive line just could not stop him. It was relentless and like watching a grizzly bear attack a wounded fox. Greg had the best game of his season so far and will look to expand on that as they face Arizona after the Bye. In his own words in a post match interview, Hardy said
that can just push the pocket,
and the quarterback is just right there once you beat your man.”
After praising rookie Lotulelei, Hardy seemed positive going into the break and who can blame him? The Panthers defense looked the best they have in a long time, and if they keep this up we may just see Greg's name pop up a few more times.
Now we have seen who the weeks top performers are, let's take a look at the top 10 teams in the NFL during week 3.
Seahawks (3-0)
Last Week 3
Last Week 3
This Week 1
Broncos (3-0)
Last Week 1
This Week 2
Last Week 5
This Week 3
Last Week N/A
This Week 4
Dolphins (3-0)
Last Week 2
This Week 5
Last Week 8
This Week 6
Last Week 9
This Week 7
Last Week N/A
This Week 8
Last Week 6
This Week 9
Last Week N/A
This Week 10
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