NFC Power Rankings: Have the Cowboys shown enough to be No. 1 entering Week 3?
4th Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 2-0
Points per Game: 23.5 (16th in the league)
Points Against per Game: 17.0 (8th in the league)
People in Tampa Bay right now are pleasantly surprised at the play of the Buccaneers so far this season. The offense looks to be back and the defense is playing quite well and in this division they are going to need it. Baker Mayfield has been smart with the football he's also added a new dimension to this offense with his ability to escape the pocket while still keeping his eyes downfield to pick up yards through the air, something Tom Brady wasn't able to do during his tenure there.
They are going to need him to continue playing smart football in order to lead this team back to the playoffs. They are also going to need to see increased production from Rachaad White in order to keep the pressure off Mayfield. If there's one area that could end up hurting this team against a good defensive unit it will be their offensive line. They've allowed defenses to get pressure on Mayfield at times, they'll need to clean that up if they want to climb in the rankings and keep pace with the Falcons and Saints in the NFC South.
3rd Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 2-0
Points per Game: 29.5 (5th in the league)
Points Against per Game: 24.0 (16th in the league)
The Eagles are still trying to work out their issues on offense and this past weekend they found one way to help the offense, give D'Andre Swift the football. The added dimension of that running game will eventually help open up the offense for Jalen Hurts as look still looks to return to his 2022 form. Their offensive line is still blocking at a high level, giving Hurts a clean pocket and opening up huge running lanes. For his part though Hurts needs to get rid of the football a bit quicker in order to prevent the sacks in the future because he's already at seven on the season.
From a defensive standpoint this unit is already banged up going into the third game of the season and things are only going to get tougher for them as the season progresses. Teams will look to take advantage of that weakened secondary but the real concern needs to be the middle of that defense. Teams have had a lot of success attacking those linebackers on passing downs. Getting players back isn't going to solve all the Eagles' defensive issues but it will help, right now if they were to go against a high-powered offense they would be in serious trouble.