Both the Los Angeles Rams and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are trending upward heading into their Week 3 matchup at SoFi Stadium, each sitting 2-0 and looking like the two best teams in the NFL. The Rams made easy work of the Bears, as did the Buccaneers with the Falcons. But Los Angeles was tested by the Colts in Week 2 and Tampa Bay narrowly beat the Cowboys in the opener.
Neither team has been perfect, but it’s hard not to be impressed by the way they’ve played in the early going. It’s why they’re slotted in the top two spots of this week’s power rankings from Nick Wojton of Touchdown Wire.
He kept the Buccaneers in the top spot, followed by the Rams at No. 2. Here’s what he wrote about the Rams after moving them up from No. 3 to 2.
It’s rare that an NFL team has their best stuff every week. It’s a tough league for a reason. Still, great teams win even when not at their best, and that’s how the Rams looked against the Colts.
The Colts were a playoff team a year ago. They’re no slouch. But some late scores led by the Rams’ Matthew Stafford was the difference.
The Seahawks (8), 49ers (9) and Cardinals (11) are all in the top 11 of this week’s power rankings, which shows the strength of the NFC West. It’s by far the toughest division in football, with all four teams likely contending for a playoff spot later this season.
Nate Davis of USA TODAY also released his power rankings on Tuesday and he, too, has the Rams at No. 2, with the Buccaneers staying in the top spot.
However this group, which handled the Bucs in Tampa last season before the eventual Super Bowl champs started their historic run, might have something to say Sunday when they lock horns at SoFi Stadium. Matthew Stafford’s 127.0 QB rating is nearly 40 points above his career average.
Sunday’s game between the Rams and Buccaneers will determine who is the better team so far, but we very well could be seeing a rematch of these two powerhouses in January. It should be a fun matchup between two great defenses and two of the best quarterbacks in football right now.
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