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

Recap: For the second straight weekend, Sean McDermott’s club was back at MetLife Stadium. Last Sunday, the club had to rally from 16 points down to defeat the Jets. There were no such issues against the Giants as Buffalo owned a 21-7 lead after two quarters and despite some anxious moments in the second half, the club closed the deal and came away with a 14-point victory.

The Bills’ ground attack came up with 151 yards on 34 attempts as ageless Frank Gore ran for 68 yards and a touchdown on a game-high 19 attempts. Josh Allen absorbed three sacks but threw for one score, ran for another and he and the team played turnover-free football in the road win.

Next Week: McDermott’s club plays its first home game of 2019 and welcomes the Bengals to Buffalo the first time since 2015. The Bills are 1-4 in their last five encounters with the team from the Queen City and have lost two straight on their own home turf, the latest of those meetings a 34-21 setback at Orchard Park four years ago.

Playoff hopes: There’s been one playoff appearance since 2000 but it did come two years ago. The Bills are 2-0 for the first time since 2014 and both victories have come away from home. That all changes very quickly as the club will play five of its next six games (off in Week 6) at Orchard Park. This is a much-improved team in the trenches.

Recap: One week after an impressive road victory at Cleveland, Mike Vrabel’s squad were at home against the rival Indianapolis Colts. Running back Derrick Henry rolled up 81 yards on 15 carries and his third-quarter TD (and the PAT) gave his club a 14-13 lead in the third quarter. The club eventually owned a four-point advantage in the game.

But despite sacking Colts’ quarterback Jacoby Brissett three times and forcing him into a pair of turnovers, Tennessee was never able to pull away. And while Vrabel’s club struggled on third down (1-of-10), the Colts were converted on 50 percent of those tries (7-of-14). Mariota threw for only 154 yards (1 TD) and was sacked four times.

Next Week: The Titans stay in the division for the second straight week and head to Jacksonville for a Thursday night clash with their AFC South rivals. In 2018, Tennessee swept this series for the second straight year via a 9-6 road win (Week 3) followed by a 30-9 prime time victory (Week 14) featuring Derrick Henry’s 99-yard TD run.

Playoff hopes: It proved to be a frustrating loss for Vrabel’s squad as the Titans dropped their third straight game to the Colts, the last two at Nashville. And after posting September wins a year ago over the Texans and Jaguars, Tennessee is now just 1-4 in its last five games vs. the AFC South. And the team heads to Jacksonville on Thursday.

Next: Nos. 16 and 15