:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/67449368/usa_today_14957493.0.jpg)
The Dallas Cowboys were victorious for the first time this season last Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons. They now face the rest of the year with a 1-1 record as opposed to 0-2.
As exhilarating as that win was, it was also a peek at another potential reality where the Cowboys were indeed winless two games in. Determining how solid of a team this group is two weeks in takes more than looking at their record.
Here is how the Cowboys are stacking up against the rest of the league for Week 3’s power rankings. You can view our Week 2 power rankings right here.
1 - Baltimore Ravens (LW: 2)
This is the best team in the NFL. Anybody doubting Lamar Jackson at this point is watching the game with closed eyes.
2 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 1)
It’s always interesting to see a team drop despite winning (more on that with regards to our team), but Kansas City looked fallible on Sunday. Arrowhead Pride’s Pete Sweeney, Bleeding Green Nation’s Michael Kist, and myself discussed the Chiefs in depth on the latest episode of Monday Football Monday on the SB Nation NFL Show.
3 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 3)
While the Ravens are the best team in the NFL at the moment, Russell Wilson is the league’s best player. We are in for a tall order this week.
4 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 4)
The wagons are being circled.
5 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 5)
There is some egg on my face at the moment as I thought the Packers were going to regress a bit, and that looks silly at the start of the season. Aaron Rodgers is playing well and has help. That’s a dangerous combination.
6 - Los Angeles Rams (LW: 10)
This is another team that I know I slept on. I’m still not a believer in Jared Goff as the most elite quarterback, but he’s doing what is asked of him and doing it at a high level.
7 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 7)
Such a hard team to figure out long-term. They are undefeated through two games and I’d imagine that’s all they care about.
8 - Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 8)
If there is a team that can disrupt everyone’s penciled in AFC Championship Game it is likely Pittsburgh.
9 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 11)
What a fun team. With a 2-0 record they have the Lions at home then visit the Panthers and Jets before traveling to AT&T Stadium for a Monday Night Football game in Week 5. They might be undefeated then.
10 - Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 17)
Remember when the NFL cancelled Tony Romo’s fantasy football event in Las Vegas? Hilarious considering an actual game happened there. The Raiders being good is fun and I’m all for that.
11 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 6)
It wasn’t quite to that level on Monday night, but 2020 Drew Brees has some shades of 2015 Peyton Manning to his current game.
12 - New England Patriots (LW: 9)
They lost, but Cam Newton looks like a fine quarterback. Their journey this year will be fascinating.
13 - Chicago Bears (LW: 23)
If there is any fraudulent 2-0 team then it is probably Da Bears.
14 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 13)
The Cowboys won, yes, but they were down 20-0 at one point. This did not look like a good team early on and they have a lot to prove.
15 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 12)
Injuries suck.
16 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 15)
The revolution hasn’t exactly shown its face quite yet in Tampa Bay.
17 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 27)
This was an impressive performance last week. Cleveland will hardly be a walk in the park for the Cowboys in Week 4.
18 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 14)
YIKES.
19 - Houston Texans (LW: 16)
Count me among those that is still a believer in Houston. They are 0-2, but they had to play Kansas City and Baltimore. That was hardly an easy way to start the year.
20 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 18)
Justin Herbert should be this team’s starter.
21 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 22)
Life as a Falcons fan really must be rough.
22 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 20)
Gardner Minshew is making a huge decision very complicated.
23 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 21)
I’m not ready to commit to this team yet, but they are interesting at the very least.
24 - Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 19)
It’s so hard to bury this team’s potential because we have seen elite play from Carson Wentz before. That being said, they look like an absolute disaster right now.
25 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 28)
We are all Bengals fans this week.
26 - Detroit Lions (LW: 24)
There are people speculating that Matt Patricia could be out when the Lions hit their bye in Week 4. An 0-2 record with games against Arizona and New Orleans between now and then don’t make that sound impossible.
27 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 25)
Get well soon, Byron Jones.
28 - Washington Football Team (LW: 26)
Back down to earth.
29 - Denver Broncos (LW: 29)
Outside of drafting Von Miller and signing Peyton Manning, what has John Elway really done? This team is weird.
30 - New York Giants (LW: 31)
It will be a tall task for Jason Garrett’s offense to be successful without Saquon Barkley. At the very least they are not the New York Jets.
31 - New York Jets (LW: 30)
They are, though.
32 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 32)
Trevor Lawrence season.
NFL.com: 11 (LW: 11)
No movement is better than backwards movement, right?
Down 39-30 with 2:57 to play and no timeouts, the Cowboys pulled off the unthinkable on Sunday, going TD-onside recovery-FG to obliterate the souls of the Falcons. It’s the type of game you win one out of 1,000 times — Dallas’ probability of victory was as low as 2 percent in the fourth quarter, per Next Gen Stats, and a finish like that has a way of covering up all the blemishes that led up to those final two minutes. To put it another way: The Cowboys should be proud of their accomplishment against the Falcons, but they’ll need to be a much better, much cleaner team if we’re to take them seriously as contenders in the NFC.
ESPN: 14 (LW: 12)
Another situation where the Cowboys fell despite a win.
Schultz caught nine passes for 88 yards and a touchdown against the Falcons. He had 14 career receptions entering the game. Dak Prescott wasn’t afraid to look his way, even in key situations, including on his 10-yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Schultz will benefit from the attention Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup, CeeDee Lamb and Ezekiel Elliott receive, but he should not be viewed as another Jason Witten. If Schultz can be steady — he had a fumble versus the Falcons after two drops against the Rams — he can be an asset, but more as an outlet option than main target. — Todd Archer
USA Today: 16 (LW: 15)
The back-slide is popular.
How good was QB Dak Prescott in Sunday’s epic comeback, when he became the first player to ever pass for 400 yards while also rushing for three TDs? Suffice it to say even Skip Bayless was impressed.
Sporting News: 13 (LW: 15)
Somebody moved them up!
The Cowboys need to pay Prescott long-term, stat, after that latest miracle he pulled against the Falcons. He does whatever’s needed passing and running to cover all their other issues include a lack of discipline and consistent defense.
Yahoo: 17 (LW: 12)
A bit of a larger dip.
Mike McCarthy had one weird game. He has gone overboard on ditching his conservative approach. He tried a pair of fake punts and a two-point conversion attempt when the Cowboys were down nine points and probably should have just kicked the extra point. Even at the end, McCarthy’s decision to sit on the ball and settle for a 46-yard field goal could have turned out terribly. McCarthy is very lucky the Cowboys got a miracle win.
CBS Sports: 14 (LW: 14)
Flat is flat.
Dak Prescott was sensational in rallying the Cowboys past the Falcons. Now comes a tough one on the road at Seattle, where he has to prove he can do the same type of thing away from home.
Sports Illustrated: 16 (LW: 11)
Right around average ultimately feels fair.
A gutsy performance from Dak Prescott has the Cowboys in the driver’s seat of a division that already seems poised to underwhelm.