The NFL’s contender picture is starting to sharpen, and after two weeks, a few teams are already making their case while others are hanging around on reputation and early results. With Week 3 on deck - the final football of September - the first month is nearly in the books, and that’s when these rankings begin to feel a lot more real.
For now, the list stays focused on the teams that look most capable of surviving the grind and showing up in the Super Bowl conversation later on. A couple of the names here have already forced their way in.
- Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 10)
Jacksonville holds onto the No. 10 spot after Week 2, and there’s no reason to move them yet. If not for another fourth-quarter comeback from the Denver Broncos, the Jaguars would be 2-0 and probably drawing a lot more buzz as one of the stronger teams in the AFC.
A loss to a very good home team doesn’t really change the bigger picture. The roster may not jump off the page, but this is a group that is too well-coached to ignore. The staff deserves plenty of credit, and Trevor Lawrence has been playing his tail off since the team’s initial winning streak began during 2025.
Maybe the Jaguars are still a year away, but they’re good right now and capable of hanging with most teams in the league.
- Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: Unranked)
The Eagles are harder to fully trust, but they’re sitting at 2-0 with narrow wins over Washington and Tennessee, so they’ve earned a place in the mix. The offense raises questions because the run game has been shaky and AJ Brown is missing, which makes it fair to wonder about the ceiling.
Still, Philadelphia has a defense that can keep it in just about any game, and the simplest truth is that this team wins. It may not always look clean, but there’s real value in a club that has won double-digit games every year since the 2022 season and reached the playoffs every year since 2021.
So the Eagles are in the Super Bowl contender rankings as Week 3 approaches. The next thing to watch is how that offense develops as the season moves along.
In Other News...
Jaguars Rookies Already Face A Week 3 Reality Check
The Jaguars Week 2 loss to the Broncos was a sharp reminder that early-season momentum can disappear fast, especially for a young roster trying to settle in. Jacksonville had led 13-3 before things slipped away, and head coach Liam Coen spent the week stressing the same point to the rookies: keep the focus on the next game, not on the disappointment behind them. For a group still trying to earn trust and find a foothold, every snap and every inactive list decision carries extra weight.
Several newcomers felt that reality in Denver, where Wesley Williams, Tanner Koziol, Jalen Huskey and CJ Williams were healthy scratches, while undrafted rookie Bryan Thomas Jr. got his NFL debut. Others, including Albert Regis, Josh Cameron and Nate Boerkircher, had different levels of involvement as the staff mixed and matched roles on the fly. It is the kind of early-season sorting process that can change quickly, but for these rookies, Week 3 already looks like another test of how much they can handle and how soon they can help. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Just Got A Reality Check Fans Can't Ignore
The Jaguars Week 2 loss to the Broncos was more than a bad finish, it was the kind of setback that forces a quick reality check. Jacksonville had a 10-point second-half lead and still walked away empty-handed, a result that stings even more in September when early momentum can shape the rest of the season.
Liam Coen has already stressed accountability and a strong response moving forward, and now the question is how this team handles the fallout. National power rankings have taken notice, too, nudging Jacksonville just outside the top 10 and reflecting how fragile the margin can be when a promising start slips away. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Run Defense Suddenly Has A Week 3 Concern Fans Will Notice
The Jaguars Week 3 injury report brought a familiar kind of small-sample concern into focus, with center Robert Hainsey and defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton both listed as limited participants. Hamiltons situation is the one that matters most on the defensive side, because he has been working back from a back injury and remains a key part of the middle of Jacksonvilles run defense.
Liam Coen said the team needs more production from the defensive tackle group, but also pointed to the depth behind it if Hamilton cannot handle a full workload. Rookie Albert Regis is among the players who could see more snaps in that case, and that is the kind of adjustment fans will be watching closely as the Jaguars try to keep the interior of the defense steady early in the season. [Read more 🡒]