Rick McGlothlin, Senior Writer, Drafftek.com

Pretty exciting Sunday of football, especially if your team happened to be on the winning end of some of those close games. And if you’re a Lions fans, here’s an extra congratulations and best of luck – you deserve it for being a diehard fan. I’m sure Monday was one of the more pleasant mornings for those who love their Lions. At least more pleasant than has been the case in recent years during football season. Elsewhere in the NFL, six games were decided by a touchdown or less, there was one shutout, four blowouts, the defending Super Bowl champs were upended for a second consecutive week and the team that started off 10-0 last year (Tennessee) had lost its first three games of the year. Oh, and there was that minor miracle of a comeback you may have heard about up in Minneapolis. Some old geezer threw one on a rope into the back of the endzone, and after a great catch, his team won.

There was a bunch of movement in the third installment of Mac’s Power Rankings. For this week, I moved all undefeated teams into the top positions (yes, including Denver) while two of last week’s top ten teams fell out. The biggest mover was the Bengals who, by virtue of some great defense the past three weeks and their come-from-behind win vs the defending champs, jumped up 14 spots this week. The team that fell the furthest was the Tennessee Titans, who have been having close games but now find themselves in danger at 0-3 (though by no means out of a playoff spot) and must take on division rival Jacksonville in Florida next weekend.

So while the New York football Giants hang onto to the top spot for a second consecutive week, that OTHER New York team is closing in on the Giants. Here is week 3 of Mac’s NFL Power Rankings. Let me hear from those of you who cannot believe your team is ranked too low.

1. New York Giants (3-0) – It’s a rarity to pitch a shutout in the NFL anymore, but this was one of those convincing kinds of shutouts. From start to finish the Gmen had it under control and just sliced and diced Tampa Bay in all facets of the game. The Giants didn’t allow the Bucs a first down until late in the 3rd quarter while Eli Manning and the offense ran and passed all over the Bucs. Bye week #2 comes up next with a relaxing trip to Kansas City, followed with bye week #3 at home against Oakland, before having to get down to business with a trip to New Orleans in week six. For now they stick at #1.

2. Baltimore (3-0) – This is a completely different Ravens team and one that could be tough to handle later in the season. Some will say the Ravens haven’t played that tough a schedule yet, but Baltimore doesn’t create the schedule – they just show up to play it. And while the Ravens still have the tough defense, Joe Flacco and the running game has now given the offense the ability to put points on the board seemingly by the bushel full. Ray Lewis must think he’s died and gone to football heaven. It’s especially nice to know that when a guy touches the ball a total of seven times, he can score twice, which is what Willis McGahee did against Cleveland. Now comes an interesting trip to New England to see if the pundits mutterings about strength of schedule will be put to the test.

3. Minnesota (3-0) – This is why they signed Favre. He’s not Mr. Smooth, not always perfect and sometimes frustrates the hell out of you. But he always gives you a chance to win. For the 42nd time in his storied career, he engineered a game-winning or game-tying drive and he did it by finding Greg Lewis for his first catch of the young season. Now be honest Viking fans, just prior to this TD you were getting ready to blast him as an old, washed-up waste of time. What’s really ironic is this is the first QB under Childress to pass for over 300 yards in a game. My question is how in the world does that defense give up so many points to an offense lacking Frank Gore? Some tweaking will need to take place before the Monday night showdown with Green Bay.

4. Indianapolis (3-0) – The Colts seemed cut through Arizona like a hot knife into butter. Over 500 yards of offense while the defense wreaked havoc on Kurt Warner all evening long, as the Colts move to 3-0 and find themselves with a big lead in the AFC South division. Addai and Brown added some nifty running behind an offensive line that played as well as they have in a long time, while Peyton Manning surgically dissected the Cardinals all evening after initally sputtering on their first three possessions. If the Colts can get everyone healthy following the bye, the offense continues to gel and the defense comes around, this will be the team to beat. Of course, those are quite a few “if’s” to have happen.

5. New Orleans (3-0) – The offense and Drew Brees returned to Earth against the Bills in the first half, then decided to add some french pastry. Enter Pierre. Thomas. Over 100 yards and a TD later (all in the second half) the Saints knock off the Bills on the road and move to 3-0 on the year – minus the potent passing attack. Think about this for a second. New Orleans now has Pierre Thomas, Reggie Bush and Lynell Hamilton in the backfield, and when Mike Bell returns from his injury the Saints will have a 4th solid back that will give them the missing running game they MUST have to go to the next level. Will be a seriously interesting game next week when the Jets come to the Superdome.

6. N.Y. Jets (3-0) – For the first time in 5 seasons the Jets are 3-0 to start the year. It was a great start to the game for Matt “Sanchise” and the Jets, jumping out to a 14-0 lead until mistakes began to give Tennesse some life. Facing some inclement weather and battling the mind games associated with mistakes for a rookie QB, Sanchez came back and helped lead his team to a 7 point win over the Titans. Rex Ryan has this team amped up and the fact that the first year starter at QB is playing so well only makes it that much more impressive. They have little time to celebrate though, as they get ready for a big road game to New Orleans next.

7. Denver (3-0) – Kiss of death for the Broncos probably, as I move them up (as promised) to the upper-rung of undefeated teams. This is by no means an endorsement of them to actually stay here, but hey, if they do – good for them. I like the way Kyle Orton has started to get more and more comfortable with the system and doesn’t try to force the issue in the passing game. The fact that Denver had a running game come alive is a huge shot in the arm and the Broncos are currently 9th in total offense in the NFL. The defense is #1 in total yards allowed, #2 against the pass and #7 against the run after three weeks. f the defense can keep on doing what it’s doing, there’s no reason to believe this team can’t be the sleeper of the playoffs. But it’s still early.

8. Atlanta (2-1) – No Roddy White and no Tony G., which means not much Falcon offense. Especially so if the “Burner” isn’t getting any fuel to the flame. So the Falcons were given a dose of reality in a game that did present opportunities, but none were taken advantage of at all. The loss isn’t too damaging in the overall scheme of things, as their biggest focus will remain the divisional title. That said, it was surprising the offense couldn’t put up more points against one of the weaker Pats defenses they’ve had in quite some time.

9. San Diego (2-1) – Started out slow and rather sloppy, but the Chargers got it going in the second half and picked off a Chad Henne pass for a touchdown. Until then it was a tight ballgame that saw LT miss a second straight game and Phillip Rivers go without a TD pass. Someone find out what Kevin Burnett ate or drink before the game. Whatever it is, get it to your favorite player on your favorite team. That guy was a one-man wrecking crew out there.

10. New England (2-1) – Tom Brady was still suffering from some unknown ailment until he apparently had a halftime epiphany (and eloquent rah-rah speech according to some) and promptly fired up the Patriots to a convincing 26-10 win over the previously unbeaten Falcons. The biggest boost came from veteran running back Fred Taylor who ran for over a hundred yards and scored his first TD as a Patriot, while all the other offense came off the foot of kicker Stephen Gostkowski. Five field goals and the Taylor TD was all the Patriot offense could muster. New England’s defense kept Michael Turner under wraps for the most part and the secondary did a good job not allowing Matt Ryan to really get going in the passing game. Huge game next week when undefeated Baltimore arrives for what should be a helmet-cracking good time.

11. San Francisco (2-1) – Seemingly had the game in hand late and just needed another first down or two to help run out the clock, but couldn’t come up with the final nail. Earlier it looked like the defense had stifled Favre for the final time, only to see him get the ball back and drive against them for the winning TD pass with 2 seconds left. This one will hurt for awhile but the team is definitely a bonafide contender. The injury to Frank Gore doesn’t appear to be too severe, maybe two to three weeks or less, but they need him back soon. Nice game for TE Vernon Davis and another solid job for QB Shaun Hill.

12. Chicago (2-1) – The Bears pull out a close one on the road behind Jay Cutler for the second week in a row, this time hitting Devin Hester who took it 35 yards for what turned out to be the game winner. Cutler had a 3-touchdown game but the Bear defense could not keep Seneca Wallace and the Seattle offense from matching scores and forcing Chicago into the see-saw battle. The Bears were fortunate the last pass from Wallace went off the hands of Julius Jones to end any hopes for the Seahawks to pull it out at the end. Next up for the Bears are the Detroit Lions at Soldier Field.

13. Philadelphia (2-1) – Kudo’s to Kevin Kolb for bouncing back from last week and leading the Eagles to a rather easy win over the Chiefs. Kolb was 24 of 34 for 327 yards and a couple of touchdowns, while relegating Michael Vick to a rather mundane roll for a few plays in the wildcat. Another terrific day for DeSean Jackson and also TE Brent Celek, who both added TD’s for the cause. Next week is the Eagle bye week, followed by…oh yeah, another bye week – against Tampa Bay.

14. Cincinnati (2-1) – Look who’s in second place in the AFC North! The Bengals defense and a rejuvenated offense are a fluke Brandon Stokely deflected reception away from being 3-0. Next up is in-state rival Cleveland.

15. Dallas (2-1) – Well, it wasn’t pretty but they did what needed to be done – in spite of Romo’s continued odd choices at QB. What’s probably the biggest boost to the morale of the team is the fact the ballclub got it done with Marion Barber on the sidelines. The win comes against a Panther team that isn’t anywhere near the team they were last year prior to the playoffs, and it shouldn’t have been this close. However, a win is a win and perhaps this will be the nudge they needed to get untracked. I still think ultimately Pittsburgh will be the better team, but for now, the Cowboys move by them.

16. Pittsburgh (1-2) – For those that thought the Polamalu absence was something the Steelers could handle, think again. 0-2 since Polamalu has been out with his injury and the defense (especially the secondary) doesn’t look anything like it once did. Add that to the surprising Bengal defensive effort and you can see why Pittsburgh ran into trouble. Up 13-0 at the half and looking like it was going to storm right through the Bengals, Big Ben threw a pick that was returned for a TD and that was enough to give the Bengals momentum it had lacked earlier. Hines Ward became only the 32nd wideout in NFL history to surpass 10,000 yards receiving.

17. Green Bay (2-1) – This ballclub is just not clicking yet. In what should’ve been one of their less difficult propositions thus far, Green Bay couldn’t put away the Rams until midway through the 3rd quarter. Aaron Rodgers continues to play well while getting battered ( and that has to be fixed soon ) throwing for nearly 300 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ryan Grant finally got going a little in this game – still didn’t score – but at least he’s getting some better yardage. The Packer defense is still giving up too much through the air and maybe the cure for that is their next game. The Pack heads to Minnesota to take on a certain QB who used to wear the Green and Gold.

18. Buffalo (1-2) – Buffalo was bottled up by the Saints defense (stunning on its own) and didn’t score on ANY of its offensive possessions with the exception of one – a field goal. (Really stunning and probably a feat that makes T.O. feeling all “peachy” around the Bills complex this week. A fake punt and pass for a TD by the Buffalo punter was the only way Buffalo made it into the endzone. The Bills defense did an excellent job taking away the passing attack of New Orleans, but evidently someone forgot to mention Pierre Thomas to the defense in the second half. Will we hear it from Mr. Popcorn this week? We’ll see how it all plays out as the Bills head down to Florida next week to face the Dolphins.

19. Arizona (1-2) – Looking to go up 10-0 on the Colts, Tim Hightower fumbles and the Colts then march back the other way for the first of their four TD drives on the night. The offensive line couldn’t stop the rushing onslaught of Freeney and Mathis, while missed opportunities elsewhere frustrated Arizona throughout the game. Rodgers-Cromartie was targeted time and again by Manning while the Cards allowed an otherwise mediocre Colts running game to run seemingly at will.

20. Jacksonville (1-2) – We had a MJD sighting (and a big one) on Sunday as he ran all over the Texans enroute to an important win for the Jags. 119 yards rushing and 3 TD’s for the former Bruin.

 21. Houston (1-2) – Down near the goalline the Texans make 2 mistakes that cost them the game against divisional opponent Jacksonville.

22. Seattle (1-2) – Great attempt at knocking off the Bears, but just couldn’t pull it off in the end. By the way, did the Oregon Ducks athletic department send Seattle those loud lime green jerseys? Whoever thought that one up needs clinical help. Seriously, dayglo green coupled with tungsten steel green? What’s next, plaid pants with wings? Wait…I’m only kidding Seahawks wardrobe manager!

23. Tennessee (0-3) – For the first time this year Kerry Collins was off-track down the stretch and couldn’t keep the Titans from dropping their 3rd consecutive game of the ‘09 season. Collins threw 13 incomplete passes in his final two possessions and the Titans vaunted Smash & Dash running game was slowed down, giving Tennessee a painful loss and an 0-3 record. For the record, I think the Titans are a much better team than

　24. Washington (1-2) – You’d think a 320 yard passing, 2 TD performance from your QB would equal a victory, but it didn’t work out that way for the Redskins. The sad thing is everyone will blast Jim Zorn for the state of the team when he never should’ve been placed in this position to begin with. He was an offensive coordinator – not a head coach, and owner Dan Snyder made a bad decision. Meantime, here’s a sample of the “leaders” Zorn has in the locker room from cornerback Fred Smoot when asked if there are enough vocal leaders like him on the Redskins: “Well yeah, yeah there are. I’ve got a motto, and you might not believe it’s my motto, but it’s, ‘do so much so loud I can’t hear myself talking.’ So don’t worry about whose doing the talking and what’s being said.”

You’re right Fred, I don’t believe it. Nor do I understand what the hell that even means. 

25. Miami (0-3) – It was probably too much to ask that the Dolphins come off their MNF heartbreaker and travel across the U.S. to play in San Diego a mere 5 days later. But they played well and were in the game until Chad Pennington went out of the game with a shoulder injury. Chad Henne came in and helped seal their fate by tossing a pick-6 when the Dolphins already trailed 17-6 in the 3rd quarter. Brown and Williams rushed collectively for over a hundred yards and one score, but the passing game lagged and finished just 4 of 12 in 3rd down efficiency for the game. At 0-3 and without Pennington, the Dolphins need to regroup and turn it around if they can.

26. Detroit (1-2) – THEY DID IT ! Congrats to the Detroit Lions for breaking the losing streak. Although it wasn’t a certainty until the Redskins final pass went off the mark with a few ticks left, it was still sweet to finally taste what has eluded the organization for almost two years. December 23rd, 2007 to be exact. Welcome to the basement Cleveland Browns!

27. Carolina (0-3) – Trailing 13-7 and hanging in with the Cowboys, Jake Delhomme did what he has done so often in recent games and made a critical mistake at an inopportune time. The pick-6 to Terrence Newman pretty much killed any momentum the Panthers had up to that point. Carolina had stymied the Cowboy offense through 3 quarters and trailed only 10-7 at the close of the third period. Of course, the long TD pass to Mushin that was called back hurt almost as bad, but Delhomme is in a funk. Some of the hometown fans have started calling him “Joke” Delhomme. Wow….what have you done for me lately, indeed.

28. Oakland (1-2) – Would SOMEONE please get JaMarcus Russell out of the lineup! Al? Al? Wake up Al.

29. St. Louis ( 0-3) – The Rams are on a 13-game losing streak of their own but continue to play pretty good defense at times, and Kyle Boller actually moved the ball on Green Bay. Still, the Rams are miles away from turning the corner.

30. Tampa Bay (0-3) – Just tore up by the Giants all day long and never really mounted much of a threat. I know the Bucs have a shot next week – they travel to D.C. to take on the Skins. And Skins CB Fred Smoot says that his team needs to “do so much so loud I can’t hear myself talking.” Got that Tampa?

31. Kansas City (0-3) – Hard to get on the winning track by traveling to Philly and taking on the Eagles a week after their humbling loss to New Orleans. Although in the game early on the Chiefs soon faded into their 3rd loss in 3 tries while stuck near the bottom of the league in total offense (30th), pass offense(28th) and rushing (22nd). The defense is a bit better at 22nd, 20th and 18th, so there is a foundation.

32. Cleveland (0-3) – So Mangenius thinks the time to pull his starting QB is after the first half, game three of the season? Interesting. So how many interceptions in one game does Anderson get before it’s Quinn’s turn to get back in?