NFL power rankings: The Miami Dolphins are in the Top 3 after their win over the Patriots
The Miami Dolphins, fresh off their 24-17 victory over the New England Patriots on "Sunday Night Football," find themselves at No. 3 in the latest USA Today NFL power rankings.
Power rankings aren't to be confused with where a team is in the NFL standings. Power rankings are meant to gauge how good a team looks in their performances, taking into account the opponents they’ve faced.
The Dolphins defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 36-34 in California in their season opener last week and won at New England on Sunday night, making them 2-0. So, although both the Chargers and Patriots are each 0-2, the Dolphins beating competitive teams on the road likely helped Miami in the rankings.
And, although they beat their AFC East rival Patriots by seven points Sunday night, for anyone who was watching, the game was not as close as the final score indicated.
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Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said about his team after the game: "When they look at the tape they're gonna feel it didn't need to be a nail-biter."
The Dolphins, currently in first place in the AFC East, return to South Florida to play their season opener this Sunday, Sept. 24 against the Denver Broncos.
The Week 3 rankings could change after Monday night's two games, but not likely.
The only teams ahead of the Dolphins now are the San Francisco 49ers and Dallas Cowboys. Neither plays tonight.
There are a lot of games left for the Dolphins (15 to be exact) and anything can happen, but, just as a reminder, the Super Bowl is in Las Vegas in February.
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Here are the Power rankings as of Monday morning, Sept. 18.
The Power Rankings
1. Dallas Cowboys (2-0) | Last Week: 2
2. San Francisco 49ers (2-0) | Last Week: 1
3. Miami Dolphins (2-0) | Last Week: 4
4. Kansas City Chiefs (1-1) | Last Week: 3
5. Baltimore Ravens (2-0) | Last Week: 6
6. Philadelphia Eagles (2-0) | Last Week: 5
7. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-1) | Last Week: 7
8. Cleveland Browns (1-0) Will Be Updated after Monday night's game | Last Week: 9
9. Buffalo Bills (1-1) | Last Week: 11
10. Detroit Lions (1-1) | Last Week: 8
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-0) | Last Week: 19
12. Green Bay Packers (1-1) | Last Week: 12
13. Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) | Last Week: 13
14. Seattle Seahawks (1-1) | Last Week: 16
15. New York Jets (1-1) | Last Week: 10
16. New Orleans Saints (1-0) Will Be Updated after Monday night's game | Last Week: 18
17. Los Angeles Rams (1-1) | Last Week: 15
18. Washington Commanders (2-0) | Last Week: 25
19. Atlanta Falcons (2-0) | Last Week: 24
20. New England Patriots (0-2) | Last Week: 17
21. Los Angeles Chargers (0-2) | Last Week: 14
22. New York Giants (1-1) | Last Week: 23
23. Denver Broncos (0-2) | Last Week: 21
24. Las Vegas Raiders (1-1) | Last Week: 20
25. Tennessee Titans (1-1) | Last Week: 27
26. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-1) Will Be Updated after Monday night's game | Last Week: 26
27. Minnesota Vikings (0-2) | Last Week: 22
28. Indianapolis Colts (1-1) | Last Week: 28
29. Chicago Bears (0-2) | Last Week: 29
30. Carolina Panthers (0-1) Will Be Updated after Monday night's game | Last Week: 30
31. Houston Texans (0-2) | Last Week: 32
32. Arizona Cardinals (0-2) | Last Week: 31
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: NFL power rankings: Miami Dolphins are in the Top 3
