2019 NFL power rankings, Week 3: 49ers roll, Texans survive
Los Angeles Rams. 4. team. 51. . 2-0. Previous:
Recap: The reigning conference champions managed to escape Carolina with a three-point win and now took on the New Orleans Saints in a rematch of last year’s NFC title clash. And it was all Los Angeles thanks in part to the fact that Sean Payton’s team lost veteran quarterback Drew Brees to a thumb injury in the first quarter.
On the other hand, the Rams’ offense got another solid but unspectacular performance from running back Todd Gurley, who totaled 16 carries for 63 yards and a touchdown as the team ran the ball 30 times for 115 yards. Add in 31 pass plays by Jared Goff (sacked three times) and Sean McVay kept the New Orleans’ defense on its heels all day.
Next Week: The Rams are the only franchise in NFL history to win a league title for three different cities. The first of those came in Cleveland in 1945 before the moved to Los Angeles. As for a little more recent history, the club is 4-1 in this series since the Browns were reformed in 1999. It’s the Rams first appearance in Cleveland since 2011.
Playoff hopes: It’s been a fascinating start to the season for not only the Rams but the entire NFC West. Not only are the defending conference and division champions sitting at 2-0, the rival 49ers and Seahawks each have the identical record. Despite the unfortunate injury to Brees, McVay’s balanced attack was the story of the game.
Previous: . Kansas City Chiefs. 3. team. 124. . 2-0
Recap: The Chiefs went into Sunday’s clash at Oakland knowing Tyreek Hill would be shelved for a few weeks. Last Sunday at Jacksonville, Sammy Watkins stepped up in a big way and scored three touchdowns in the team’s win. After Andy Reid’s team spotted the host Raiders a 10-0 first-quarter lead, the Kansas City passing attack exploded in the next 15 minutes.
The Chiefs got all of their points in the second quarter thanks to four touchdown passes from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. He threw for 443 yards, including scoring strikes of 44, 42, 27 and 39 yards, respectively. The 2018 NFL MVP was sacked twice and did lose a fumble but the Chiefs did tally 464 total yards.
Next Week: It’s the first home game of the season for the Chiefs as Mahomes and company take on the Baltimore Ravens in a rematch of one of 2018’s best contests. A year ago at Arrowhead Stadium (Week 14), Reid’s club rallied for a 27-24 overtime win. But including a playoff loss in 2010, Kansas City is 1-3 lifetime at home in this series.
Playoff hopes: Only the New England Patriots (10) have currently been to the postseason more consecutive years than the Chiefs (4). The club is 2-0 for the third time in four years and already has a pair of road victories on his 2019 resume. And Kansas City now owns an impressive 11-2 record vs. their AFC West rivals dating back to ’17.
Next: Nos. 2 and 1