1. Chiefs (previously No. 1; 3-0): Ending Baltimore’s 14-game winning streak gets added to the ever-growing list of accomplishments for a franchise that will be adding even more.
2. Seahawks (No. 3; 3-0): Russ is cooking enough to offset a defense that has been getting roasted.
3. Patriots (No. 4; 2-1): Five weeks to go until Part One of a showdown with the Bills.
4. Bills (No. 5; 3-0): They nearly fell victim to the most dangerous lead in football, in a stadium that knows a thing or two about the evaporation of a major second-half lead.
5. Packers (No. 6; 3-0): Aaron Rodgers can do with a flick of the wrist what so many quarterbacks can’t do without perfect mechanics and a full windup.
6. Ravens (No. 2; 2-1): As to the possibility of a rematch, the Ravens may want to take a page from the Apollo Creed playbook and say, “Don’t want one.”
7. Titans (No. 7; 3-0): Three wins by six points against teams with a combined record of 1-8 may not bode well with the undefeated Bills and Steelers on the horizon.
8. Buccaneers (No. 9; 2-1): It’s a lot easier for Tom Brady to win in Denver when the quarterbacks are Jeff Driskel and Brett Rypien.
9. Steelers (No. 10; 3-0): Having Big Ben back means a 14-3 first-half deficit is no big deal.
10. Saints (No. 8; 1-2): The killer instinct that this team has had in recent years is missing, so far, in 2020.
11. 49ers (No. 13; 2-1): It eventually will be easier to list the players who aren’t on injured reserve, but they just keep winning.
12. Bears (No. 16; 3-0): Matt Nagy’s gut feeling has become a calculated decision to ride with a former Super Bowl MVP.
13. Rams (No. 12; 2-1): Now the Rams know how it feels to lose a big game on a questionable pass interference decision.
14. Colts (No. 18; 2-1): If Xavier Rhodes had played like that last year, he’d still be with the Vikings.
15. Cowboys (No. 15; 1-2): The early losses sting, but this team has plenty of things to feel good about.
16. Raiders (No. 14; 2-1): At least the tuck rule wasn’t an issue this time around.
17. Cardinals (No. 11; 2-1): Truly good teams win the games they’re supposed to win.
18. Browns (No. 24; 2-1): If they commit to the run, they’re more likely to win. It also helps to force the opposing quarterback to commit four turnovers.
19. Chargers (No. 17; 1-2): Like Anthony Lynn said last week, Justin Herbert was the backup for a reason.
20. Dolphins (No. 26; 1-2): FitMagic always yields, eventually, to FitzTragic.
21. Texans (No. 20; 0-3): A difficult early-season schedule gives them an excuse for three losses; no excuses if they lose at home to the Vikings.
22. Panthers (No. 32; 1-2): To cross the country and beat the Chargers without Christian McCaffrey shows that the rebuild is moving much faster than expected.
23. Lions (No. 30; 1-2): The win in Arizona won’t solve all their problems, but a loss would have made things a lot worse.
24. Washington (No. 23; 1-2): The inevitable Alex Smith Disney movie could soon have the perfect ending.
25. Jaguars (No. 25; 1-2): They’re better when they were supposed to be, but still not consistently good enough.
26. Eagles (No. 19; 0-2-1): The luster of a Lombardi apparently lasts less than three years.
27. Bengals (No. 27; 0-2-1): At least Joe Burrow didn’t lose for a third week in a row.
28. Falcons (No. 21; 0-3): At what point does Dan Quinn start hoping to be fired?
29. Broncos (No. 22; 0-3): It’s hard to expect much from a team that has lost so many key players to injury; it’s hard to feel bad for a team with a backup plan at the most important position on the field consisting of Jeff Driskel, Brett Rypien, and Blake Bortles.
30. Vikings (No. 28; 0-3): Trevor Lawrence would look great in purple.
31. Giants (No. 31; 0-3): Being the best team in New York City isn’t what it used to be.
32. Jets (No. 29; 0-3): They’re about to be downgraded to the Turboprops.