Prisco's NFL Week 3 Power Rankings: Bengals catching fire behind revamped defense, Bills just behind Seahawks
Pete Prisco shares his latest Power Rankings of the 2026 NFL season, and let the debate begin
• 2 min read
The same refrain has been heard a lot since Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow started lighting up NFL opponents:
If he only had a defense. He does now.
The Bengals are 2-0 after beating the Houston Texans on the road Sunday, but that game wasn't about the flashy passing game, although Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase made some special plays, but rather about a revamped defense.
They limited the Texans offense all day in the 20-6 victory, doing so with a dominant defensive front that had four sacks and spent the day in the Texans backfield. It was just the third time that the Bengals have kept a team without a touchdown since coach Zac Taylor took over.
That front also had a key fourth-down stop when defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence stopped running back David Montgomery on a fourth-and-1 at the Cincinnati 18 in the second quarter. The Bengals traded a first-round pick for Lawrence this year, and so far, that move is paying off in a big way.
They also added defensive tackle Jonathan Allen and pass rusher Boye Mafe to help that front. Young players like Shemar Stewart, Cedric Johnson — two sacks Sunday — and rookie Cashius Howell give them some real edge pop to go with those veterans. If the Bengals can be a top-15 defense, they have a real chance to be a Super Bowl contender. This defense is giving up 16.5 points per game, which ranks tied for eighth right now, and they are tied for first in sacks with eight.
The Bengals are up to fourth in my Power Rankings this week as they prepare for a division game at Pittsburgh against the Steelers. The Bengals are the only team in the AFC North that is still undefeated.
The Seattle Seahawks stay in the top spot after beating Arizona, with backup quarterback Drew Lock playing well. But the Buffalo Bills are right behind them with Josh Allen off to an MVP start.
The biggest shock after two weeks is where some supposed contenders are in these rankings. The Texans, Chargers and Bucs are all 0-2 and looking up at a lot of teams ahead of them. None of those teams can afford to fall to 0-3 this week, or they might be done.
As for the bottom, the Miami Dolphins stay there after getting beaten up on the road by the San Francisco 49ers. The good news is they play their home opener this week. The bad news is they play the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs.
Biggest Movers
12 Raiders
12 Texans
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | The sign of a good team is one that can go on the road and win with a backup quarterback. Drew Lock did a really nice job in beating Arizona. | -- | 2-0-0 |
| 2 |  | Josh Allen is playing at an unreal level right now. He is the leader for the MVP after two games. The defense does need to be better. | 1 | 2-0-0 |
| 3 |  | The stars continue to show up for this team, which is why it will be a serious playoff contender. With those guys on the field, and Kyle Shanahan coaching, they will be tough to beat. | 1 | 2-0-0 |
| 4 |  | The defense has been much improved, which is why they are up this high. Joe Burrow hasn't even gotten it going yet. | 4 | 2-0-0 |
| 5 |  | They are 2-0 and the passing game came alive in the victory over the Colts. Patrick Mahomes looked like Patrick Mahomes again, which is not good for the rest of the league. | 5 | 2-0-0 |
| 6 |  | The dominant defense, led by Brian Flores, is carrying this team. They get Kyler Murray back this week vs. Tampa Bay. | 7 | 2-0-0 |
| 7 |  | It wasn't always pretty against the Titans, but they found a way. The Saquon Barkley injury is one to watch closely. | -- | 2-0-0 |
| 8 |  | They bounce back in a big way against the Giants. The offense came alive, which it had to do. | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| 9 |  | Rallying from 10 down in the fourth quarter was impressive in beating the Jaguars. The defense really showed up in the second half. | 2 | 1-1-0 |
| 10 |  | Their lines got beat up in the loss to the Broncos. They have to be better on both sides of the ball. | 8 | 1-1-0 |
| 11 |  | Losing at home to the Saints is not a good look. The offense didn't look the same without Zay Flowers, but blowing a second-half lead has to be tough to take. | 5 | 1-1-0 |
| 12 |  | The offense really struggled against Minnesota and now it will be without Caleb Williams for some time. They have problems. | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| 13 |  | They were staring 0-2 in the face before rallying against the Jets. But they still don't look right on offense. | 1 | 1-1-0 |
| 14 |  | The defense came up big in the victory over the Steelers to get them to 1-1. The offense still looks disjointed at times. | 5 | 1-1-0 |
| 15 |  | The defense is awful right now. The injuries in the secondary have crippled that unit. Can the offense score enough to compensate on a weekly basis? | -- | 1-1-0 |
| 16 |  | They are 2-0 and one of the surprise teams of the first two weeks. The defense impressed in the victory over the Chargers. | 12 | 2-0-0 |
| 17 |  | The offense impressed in the blowout of the Commanders. But the best news is the defense made strides after a bad opener. | -- | 1-1-0 |
| 18 |  | That was a nice comeback on the road in beating the Ravens. Tyler Shough is off to a really nice start. | 5 | 1-1-0 |
| 19 |  | The injury to Jaxson Dart could wreck their optimistic start. The defense also was gashed in the loss to the Rams Monday night. | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| 20 |  | Bryce Young lit up the Falcons and he's off to a good start. He's going to make them pay him to be their long-term guy at this rate. | 5 | 1-1-0 |
| 21 |  | They are 0-2 and hardly look like a team that will compete for a division title. Baker Mayfield has to be better. | 3 | 0-2-0 |
| 22 |  | The offense isn't doing a lot so far this season, which has to be a concern. The defense played well enough to win at New England. | 2 | 1-1-0 |
| 23 |  | They are in major trouble. They are 0-2 and face a brutal seven-game stretch that could have them out of the playoff race by midseason. Ouch. | 2 | 0-2-0 |
| 24 |  | At 0-2, they are off to a tough start. And both losses are at home. They face an almost must-win at Indianapolis this week. | 12 | 0-2-0 |
| 25 |  | The offense rebounded in the overtime to loss to the Chiefs, but the defense continues to be an issue. They face a big division game with the Texans this week. | 3 | 0-2-0 |
| 26 |  | Reality hit them in the mouth in the loss to the Seahawks after the upset of the Chargers. Their offense has to be better throwing the football. | 2 | 1-1-0 |
| 27 |  | They blew the lead to the Packers, or they would be 2-0. They are a much-improved team from a year ago and will be a tough out each week for their opponents. | -- | 1-1-0 |
| 28 |  | Deshaun Watson actually looked good in beating the Bucs. The defense also took a step forward. | 3 | 1-1-0 |
| 29 |  | Losing Jayden Daniels with the elbow injury is just a damning blow to this team. At 0-2, without Daniels out, Dan Quinn is in trouble. | 3 | 0-2-0 |
| 30 |  | The quarterback situation is bleeding out to the rest of the team. They know they can't win with what they have under center. The good news is Michael Penix Jr. is back this week against Green Bay. | 1 | 0-2-0 |
| 31 |  | At 0-2, they are off to a bad start for coach Robert Saleh. Plus both games were at home. The defense played better in the loss to the Eagles. | 1 | 0-2-0 |
| 32 |  | This season is about playing younger players. But let's be real: It's going to be hard to take every week and now here come the Chiefs. | -- | 0-2-0 |
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