2019 NFL power rankings, Week 3: 49ers roll, Texans survive

Recap: In their season opener at home against the Redskins, Doug Pederson’s squad fell behind 17-0 but rallied for a 32-27 triumph. On Sunday night at Atlanta, Philadelphia overcame an 11-point third-quarter deficit to take a 20-17 lead, only to fall behind by four points with 2:10 remaining. Carson Wentz threw for one score and ran for another but also served up two interceptions.

But on 4th-and-14 with 1:39 to play, the fourth-year quarterback found Nelson Agholor for 44 yards. Later, a fourth-down completion to tight end Zach Ertz came up just short of a first down. The Eagles ran for only 49 yards on 21 attempts as the Philadelphia offense managed only 286 yards.

Next Week: For the third time in five seasons and the first time since 2016, the Eagles battle the Lions. It’s the clubs’ first meeting in Philadelphia since ’13, when the Birds outlasted their guests, 34-20, in quite the snowstorm. But the Eagles have dropped two straight in this series, both at Detroit, the latest a 24-23 setback in ’16.

Playoff hopes: The Birds have proven they know their way to the playoffs and a year ago overcame a 4-6 start to win five of their final six games and grab a Wild Card berth. Pederson’s squad has also won four postseason games the previous two years with a backup quarterback. The depth on this team in 2019 will take this club a long way.

Recap: In terms of efficiency, second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson picked up where he left off a week ago in South Florida as John Harbaugh’s club hosted the Cardinals. And this time, the 2016 Heisman Trophy winner did in the opposition with both his arm and his legs. He totaled 120 yards rushing on 16 carries, plus threw for 272 yards and a pair of scores.

The focus of the Ravens’ passing attack continues to be second-year tight end Mark Andrews and rookie wide receiver Marquise Brown. Baltimore’s defense sacked Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray three times and limited Arizona to 20 yards rushing by game’s end. And make it zero turnovers for the Ravens again.

Next Week: A year ago at Arrowhead Stadium (Week 14), Harbaugh’s squad lost a heartbreaker in overtime, 27-24, to the AFC West champions. The Ravens return to Kansas City for the second straight year having dropped two straight games in this series — this after Baltimore won four straight meetings, including a playoff victory in 2010.

Playoff hopes: Two weeks into the season, the Ravens are undefeated and the Steelers, Browns (pending Monday night) and the Bengals have yet to win a game. After a 4-5 start a year ago, Baltimore is now 8-1 in its last nine regular-season outings. The offense has already rolled up an incredible 1,083 yards in two outings.

Next: Nos. 4 and 3