NFL Power Rankings (Week 3): Kerplunk! NFC East Drops Like A Stone

Power Rankings are so much more enjoyable when your team won the last game. Well, the Cowboys didn't, so it's a good time to remind ourselves that power rankings don't mean diddly-squat.

But as it is, I find myself with the task of chronicling the Cowboys' fall from grace. Last week, the Cowboys were ranked 13th in the league on average. This week, they drop to 15th - and that's the smallest decline of any of the NFC East teams, as the Giants, Eagles and Redskins all drop more than the Cowboys did.

Here's a look at the Dallas Cowboys and NFC East power rankings heading into week three of the 2013 NFL season.

Week 3 (previous rankings in parenthesis)

Shutdown Corner: 13th (14th): "Didn't think they played that well despite a close road loss at Kansas City, but they are probably the NFC East's best team."

WEEI.com: 15th (10th): " Dallas’ success is dependent on if it can get production from the run game. So far, it hasn’t looked good. Starter DeMarco Murray averaged just 2.1 yards per carry during Sunday’s loss to the Chiefs."

CBSSports.com: 13th (10th): "The defense did its part in Kansas City, but the offense just couldn't get it going. The good news is the rest of the division lost Sunday, too."

NFL.com's Elliott Harrison: 14th (12th). "If the Dallas Cowboys are going to avoid a third straight 8-8 finish to their season, Tony Romo and Bill Callahan will have to call something besides none-yard outs and 2-yard ins. Too many times at Arrowhead on Sunday, Romo responded to second- and third-and-long situations by dinking his way to a long field-goal attempt or punt.

Of course, the Cowboys were in those long-yardage situations in the first place because they completely lacked a running game; DeMarco Murray carried the rock 12 times for 25 yards. Cowboys fans are getting accustomed to Dallas backs averaging 2 and 3 yards per carry. "

Foxsports: 14th (13th): "Dez Bryant made nine catches on Sunday, many in spectacular fashion, but it was the one he dropped that cost them the game."

ProFootballTalk: 14th (14th): "In Week Two, Tony Romo performed exactly like Peyton Manning. In the playoffs."

Drafttek: 15th (12th). "A sideline screen at the 5 when Dez has single coverage? And what happened to the emphasis on the running game? The Chiefs are for real, the Cowboys "be what they be" and Ol' Long Ball needs to lecture zebras on what constitutes pass interference!"

SB Nation: 15th (13th): "Bill Callahan's calling the plays now. You never would've know that during Sunday's game, because it was the same confused Cowboys offense. Dallas ran the ball just 16 times. When they did pass, they aren't throwing it very far. Tony Romo is averaging 6.2 yards per attempt. That number would be a career low, by more than a yard, if it holds. When Tim Ryan's criticizing Dallas' offense, there's a problem."

ESPN: 15th (13th): "Tony Romo was 3-of-8 targeting Jason Witten in Sunday's loss to the Chiefs, the duo's second-worst single-game completion percentage in a game over the past five years."

Newsday.com: 15th (13th). "New and improved offense? Not this time, as Tony Romo comes up with a measley two field goals in the second half after torching the Giants' defense the week before. "

Covers.com: 9th (9th). "The Cowboys rank No. 25 in the NFL in total defense through the first two games, showing no dramatic improvement under coordinator Monte Kiffin's new Cover 2 schemes."Teamrankings.com: 24th (13th). This site measures the relative strength of all teams using team performance, home/away status, margin of victory and other factors.

WhatIfSports.com: 15th (15th). These guys simulate every possible match-up in the NFL 100 times, and use the winning percentages from those nearly 50,000 games to evaluate every team, with updated rosters and depth charts.

Massey-Peabody: 17th (16th). These guys generate their predictions by working up from play-by-play data to calculate a performance figure for rushing, passing, scoring and play success.

Football Outsiders: 21st (22nd). FO have the Cowboys with the 25th-ranked offense, the 17th-ranked defense and the 3rd-ranked special teams.

Teamrankings.com: 24th (13th). This site measures the relative strength of all teams using team performance, home/away status, margin of victory and other factors.

The table below summarizes the power rankings for the four NFC East teams, as well as the Cowboys' next opponent, the St. Louis Rams.

Weeks	wk3	wk2	wk3	wk2	wk3	wk2	wk3	wk2	wk3
CBSSports.com	13	10	18	15	22	10	27	22	16
Shutdown Corner	13	14	18	12	24	18	27	19	19
NFL.com	14	12	17	15	25	16	24	18	18
Drafttek	14	12	15	13	17	16	25	20	18
Foxsports	14	13	19	16	24	20	26	18	18
WEEI	15	10	17	16	18	14	20	17	19
Newsday	15	13	17	14	19	17	18	16	21
ESPN	15	13	19	14	20	16	24	19	17
SBNation	15	13	18	17	24	21	19	15	20
Pro Football Talk	16	14	15	5	22	16	26	20	20
Avg.Opinion-based	14.4	12.4	17.3	13.7	21.5	16.4	23.6	18.4	18.6
Covers.com	9	9	17	17	14	10	23	18	22
Whatifsports	14	15	21	25	23	20	18	17	15
Massey Peabody	17	16	24	25	10	6	25	18	20
Football Outsiders	21	22	6	8	30	24	31	29	14
Team Rankings	24	13	27	19	26	21	31	24	13
Avg. Stat-based	17.0	15.0	19.0	18.8	20.6	16.2	25.6	21.2	16.8
Total	15.2	13.2	17.8	15.4	21.2	16.3	24.2	19.3	18.0