Winning with a backup quarterback became a theme across the NFL and NFC in Week 3. So did finding out how quickly a promising start can turn ugly. Nine NFC teams lost in Week 3, so most are trending down in the power rankings.
Case Keenum helped Chicago handle Philadelphia on Monday night. Marcus Mariota beat the defending champion Seahawks, while the Giants won without Jaxson Dart before making a trade for J.J. McCarthy.
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At the top, Brock Purdy kept San Francisco unbeaten. At the bottom, Tampa Bay lost again and now must play without Baker Mayfield. Here are our NFC power rankings entering Week 4, from No. 16 to No. 1.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jalon Daniels (10) passes the ball against the Minnesota Vikings | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
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Last week: vs. Minnesota Vikings, L 23-16
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Next week: vs. Green Bay Packers, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
The bad start just got much harder to fix. Mayfield dislocated his right thumb late in Sunday’s loss, and head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that he expects to miss at least three weeks. Tests showed no fracture or ligament damage, but undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels now gets the start against Green Bay.
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Tampa Bay is 0-3 for the first time since 2014. Avoiding surgery is welcome news for Mayfield, but the Buccaneers still face a stretch without the quarterback best equipped to save their season.
They fall three spots because the winless record now comes with a much lower offensive floor.
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Last week: at San Francisco 49ers, L 36-30
Next week: at New York Giants, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
Arizona showed some fight. The Cardinals rallied from a 23-6 deficit against San Francisco and made the game close late. But a roughing-the-passer penalty on Josh Sweat wiped out a third-down stop before Purdy found George Kittle for a touchdown that helped put the game away.
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Arizona has allowed 67 points in consecutive losses to Seattle and San Francisco. A passing game that can keep chasing the score is useful, but that is a rough way to live every week.
The Cardinals drop one spot. A trip to face the injury-hit Giants gives them a more manageable test.
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Last week: vs. Atlanta Falcons, L 35-14
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Next week: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
Green Bay needed overtime to escape the Jets in Week 2. Atlanta then made the Packers look worse at home.
The Falcons gained 498 yards, including 242 on the ground, and ended Green Bay’s streak of 13 straight home-opening wins. The Packers’ own running game remains a problem, leaving too much on quarterback Jordan Love.
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Losing by three touchdowns to a team that entered 0-2 earns a three-spot fall. Green Bay needs to show it can control a game without waiting for a late rescue.
A matchup with Tampa Bay’s rookie replacement quarterback offers a chance to steady things. It also raises the cost of another poor showing.
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Last week: at Green Bay Packers, W 35-14
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Next week: at New Orleans Saints, Monday, October 5, 8:15 p.m. ET
There is the offense Atlanta had been waiting for. Michael Penix Jr. returned and threw for 256 yards. Bijan Robinson ran for 194 yards and two touchdowns, while Drake London added 194 receiving yards.
The Falcons had scored 16 points across their first two games. They had 17 by halftime at Lambeau Field, then kept pulling away. Atlanta jumps three spots because getting Penix back changes how we should view this team. Robinson and London finally had the support to turn big plays into a comfortable win.
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One strong night does not erase the first two losses. Doing it again against New Orleans would make the turnaround much easier to trust.
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Last week: vs. Tennessee Titans, W 12-7
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Next week: vs. Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
The Giants won the game and still had a brutal week. Brian Burns tore his ACL against Tennessee, head coach John Harbaugh confirmed Monday. His loss leaves a major hole in a defense that just held the Titans to seven points.
With Dart expected to miss the rest of the season, New York acquired McCarthy from Minnesota for a 2027 fifth-round pick, pending a physical. Harbaugh said Jameis Winston remains the starter.
The Giants stay put at 2-1. The trade adds a young option at quarterback, but it cannot replace Burns or make an offense that scored 12 points suddenly reliable.
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Washington Commanders quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) | Amber Searls-Imagn Images
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Last week: vs. Seattle Seahawks, W 33-31
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Next week: vs. Indianapolis Colts in London, Sunday, October 4, 9:30 a.m. ET
Washington needed more than a respectable effort from its backup. Mariota delivered a win. He threw three touchdown passes without an interception against Seattle. Kain Medrano added a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown, helping the Commanders hand the defending champions their first loss of the season.
There is also encouraging news on Jayden Daniels. Head coach Dan Quinn said he will practice in London this week as he works back from his elbow injury.
Washington rises four spots because it proved it can beat a strong opponent without Daniels. His return to practice offers hope, but it still doesn’t settle who starts against Indianapolis.
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MORE: Week 4 waiver wire FAAB: Marcus Mariota, Jaylen Wright top fantasy football targets
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Last week: at Cleveland Browns, L 21-18
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Next week: vs. Detroit Lions, Sunday, October 4, 8:20 p.m. ET
The score was close. The injury fallout could be much worse. Jaycee Horn suffered a significant quad injury and faces an extended absence. Fellow starting cornerback Mike Jackson left with a groin injury, and Carolina also finished without wide receiver Jalen Coker.
Head coach Dave Canales expects Bryce Young to play this week despite a lower-body issue. That is welcome news, but Carolina still needs answers for a running game that has struggled through three weeks.
The Panthers hold at No. 10 after a narrow road loss. Their damaged secondary now draws a Detroit offense that has scored at least 30 points in every game.
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Last week: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, L 35-27
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Next week: vs. Atlanta Falcons, Monday, October 5, 8:15 p.m. ET
Four touchdown passes should give a team a great chance to win. Four turnovers can wipe that out.
Tyler Shough threw for 255 yards and four scores, with Juwan Johnson and Noah Fant catching two touchdowns apiece. New Orleans led 27-16 before Las Vegas scored the final 19 points.
The Saints also ran for 148 yards. Moving the ball wasn’t the issue; protecting it and finishing the game were.
New Orleans falls two spots because a promising offense keeps leaving wins on the field. Shough gives this team a chance, but the Saints cannot keep asking him to overcome mistakes against unbeaten opponents.
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MORE: Report card grades for all 16 NFC teams in NFL Week 3
Last week: vs. Baltimore Ravens in Rio de Janeiro, L 34-31
Next week: at Houston Texans, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
Dallas can score with good teams. Stopping them remains the harder part. Dak Prescott threw for 276 yards, CeeDee Lamb had 112 receiving yards, and the Cowboys ran for 148 yards. That balance helped Dallas rally to tie the game late, only for Baltimore to win at the final second.
The Ravens rushed for 192 yards. That is the part Dallas cannot shrug off after another game slipped away.
The Cowboys move up one spot because their offense still offers more than several teams behind them. At 1-2, though, they need the defense to turn that promise into wins, starting against winless Houston.
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Last week: at Chicago Bears, L 27-7
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Next week: vs. Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
Those narrow wins look a lot less comforting now. Philadelphia won its first two games by a combined six points. Then Chicago beat the Eagles by 20 with a 38-year-old quarterback making his first start since 2023.
Keenum threw two touchdown passes and ran for another. Philadelphia could neither disrupt the backup nor produce enough offense to keep the game close.
The Eagles drop three spots because Monday exposed how little room their early wins left for error. A 2-1 record still gives them time to sort things out, but it no longer supports a place near the top.
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Last week: vs. New York Jets, W 31-24
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Next week: at Carolina Panthers, Sunday, October 4, 8:20 p.m. ET
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Jahmyr Gibbs keeps making life easier for everyone else. He scored three touchdowns and gained 164 yards from scrimmage against the Jets. His late touchdown catch gave Detroit the lead, and a sack-fumble on New York’s final drive sealed the win.
The concern is familiar. Geno Smith threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns, and the Lions again needed a late play to finish the job.
Detroit rises two spots because its offense has cleared 30 points in all three games. That is enough to win plenty of weeks, especially with Gibbs producing like this. A defense that keeps allowing shootouts makes the ceiling harder to judge.
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams (17) | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
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Last week: at Denver Broncos, L 30-26
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Next week: at Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
The Rams had more than one chance to put Denver away. They used none of them. Los Angeles lost a 16-0 halftime lead, then surrendered another lead after Matthew Stafford found Konata Mumpfield for a 48-yard touchdown with 3:38 left. Bo Nix scored the winner with 47 seconds remaining.
Stafford also threw a fourth-quarter pick-six and an interception on the final play. Puka Nacua missed the game, and Sean McVay says Terrance Ferguson and Jaylen Watson are likely to miss Week 4.
The Rams fall two spots to No. 5. They still have enough talent to recover from 1-2, but late mistakes keep undoing the good work.
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Last week: vs. Philadelphia Eagles, W 27-7
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Next week: vs. New York Jets, Sunday, October 4, 1 p.m. ET
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Apparently, Case Keenum, in his age-35 season, still had a night like that left in the tank.
The veteran completed 24 of 34 passes for 247 yards and two touchdowns, then added a rushing score. He kept Ben Johnson’s offense moving with quick decisions and gave Chicago a clear win over a previously unbeaten team.
Caleb Williams‘ hamstring injury remains a concern, but this was strong evidence that the Bears can function without him. The defense did its part by holding Philadelphia to seven points.
Chicago climbs one spot because beating the Eagles this cleanly matters. Keenum does not have to become the season’s central figure. He just showed he can help keep it on track.
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Last week: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, W 23-16
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Next week: vs. Miami Dolphins, Sunday, October 4, 4:05 p.m. ET
Minnesota keeps finding a way, even when the offense loses another key piece.
Justin Jefferson left early with an ankle injury, but Kyler Murray found Jordan Addison for a 41-yard touchdown. Myles Price supplied a punt-return touchdown, and Brian Flores’ defense helped protect another road win.
Jefferson avoided a serious injury and could play against Miami, according to Monday reports. The Vikings also traded McCarthy to New York, with Murray and Carson Wentz ahead of him on the depth chart.
Minnesota jumps three spots at 3-0. The offense still has more to prove, but strong defense and useful special teams give the Vikings several ways to win.
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Last week: at Washington Commanders, L 33-31
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Next week: vs. Los Angeles Chargers, Sunday, October 4, 4:25 p.m. ET
Seattle finally lost. It did not suddenly stop looking like a contender. Sam Darnold threw four touchdown passes, but turnovers gave Washington too much help. The Commanders scored a defensive touchdown and added two more touchdowns on short fields created by giveaways.
Seattle’s defense allowed only 248 yards and held Washington to 3 of 13 on third down. Those numbers tell a better story than the final score.
The Seahawks drop one spot after their 12-game winning streak ended. Minnesota has the better record, but Seattle’s broader body of work keeps it narrowly ahead. Cleaning up the turnovers should matter more than overreacting to a two-point road loss.
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San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) celebrates with offensive line Dominick Puni (77) | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images
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Last week: vs. Arizona Cardinals, W 36-30
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Next week: vs. Denver Broncos, Sunday, October 4, 4:25 p.m. ET
Purdy keeps giving San Francisco enough offense to win, even as the injury list grows.
He threw for 297 yards and four touchdowns against Arizona. The 49ers built a 17-point lead in the third quarter and survived the Cardinals’ late rally to reach 3-0.
Mike Evans left with a rib injury and is day-to-day. Trent Williams and Dre Greenlaw also left hurt, so the unbeaten record does not remove the need to watch this week’s health updates.
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San Francisco moves into the top spot because Purdy has kept the offense productive while Seattle finally stumbled. The 49ers host Denver on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.
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