Sportsnaut
The National Football League is the most popular sport in the country, and there are few things football fans love more than overreacting to what happened in Week 2. That’s why Week 2 can be so important, offering better answers to whether what we saw from all 32 teams in the regular-season opener was a fluke or a sign of things to come this season.
As Sunday’s main slate draws to a close, let’s dive into our NFL Week 3 power rankings with a look at how the 28 teams performed in Week 2. We’ve also previewed the teams playing on Sunday Night Football and Monday Night Football, with postgame analysis coming after those matchups conclude.
It’s time for the Miami Dolphins to hit the reset button as an organization. What makes that more complicated is that general manager Chris Grier waited a little too long on a Tyreek Hill trade, as the NFL’s active investigation into domestic violence allegations will impact what teams pursue him. Moves made to fix the offensive line didn’t pan out, and without an effective run game, Mike McDaniel’s offense is fairly easy to stop. The bottom line is simple: it’s time for a new general manager and head coach in Miami.
Related: Miami Dolphins Could Fire Mike McDaniel, Chris Grier Midseason
For a half, the Cleveland Browns looked like the team that came missed kicks away from beating the Bengals. Then the team everyone expected before the season showed up in the second half, being outscored 31-7 until a garbage-time touchdown. We’re not going to put much stock in Dillon Gabriel throwing his first touchdown pass in his NFL debut since it came against the Ravens’ backups. Let Joe Flacco take the hits in the next three weeks against the Packers, Lions, and Vikings; then Gabriel can take over as the Browns’ starting quarterback.
Read More: 2026 NFL Draft Order, NFL Draft picks by Team 2026
Kudos to Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers for rallying in Week 2, making the Cardinals sweat out what was originally a 27-3 game late in the third quarter. It still ended in a loss, but this is the version of the Panthers that showed up and fought in nearly every game in the second half last season. The talent still isn’t there to win much, but at least Dave Canales’ team fights.
Related: NFL Coaching Hot Seat Rankings after Week 1
The New Orleans Saints will be one of the worst NFL teams in 2025, but at least they are staying competitive in games thus far. Spencer Rattler is performing adequately, and Alvin Kamara is averaging over 4.53 yards per carry this season, so this young offensive line deserves credit. Considering how low expectations for New Orleans were this season, we’re just trying to highlight the positives that bode well for the future.
