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Thursday, September 18, 2025

NFL Power Rankings and Survivor Pool, Week 3

Here is the latest top ten from ESPN's NFL power rankings:

1.  Buffalo:  2-0
2.  Philadelphia:  2-0
3.  Green Bay:  2-0
4.  Baltimore:  1-1
5.  Detroit:  1-1
6.  Los Angeles:  2-0
7.  San Diego:  2-0
8.  Kansas City:  0-2
9.  Washington:  1-1
10.  Tampa Bay:  2-0

Miami is Number 28.

I don't really like any of the Survivor Pool options this week.  I think Green Bay will beat Cleveland, but the Packers are on the road.  I think Tampa Bay will beat the Jets, but the Bucs are offensively challenged.  I think the Chiefs will beat the Giants, but the Chiefs are on the road -- and are also offensively challenged.  And so I am going to take the Bills to beat the Dolphins.  I don't like a lot of things about this game -- it's a division game, it's on Thursday night, and it's exactly the sort of game Buffalo has had trouble with in the past.  But Buffalo is the best of a bad lot, and I'm taking them.

Past survivor pool picks (home teams listed first):

Week One:  Denver 20 - 12 Tennessee
Week Two:  Baltimore 41 - 17 Cleveland

42 comments:

  1. The Junkies are also going with Buffalo.

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  2. I'm taking the Seahawks at home against the Saints.

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  3. Tampa Bay looking glorious in the orange throwbacks today against the Jets.

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  4. Current scores:

    Cleveland 0 - 3 Green Bay (12:32 left in 3d)
    Tennessee 6 - 20 Indianapolis (Halftime)
    Minnesota 24 - 3 Cincinnati (0:40 left in 2d)
    New England 7 - 14 Pittsburgh (Halftime)
    Philadelphia 7 - 19 Los Angeles (Halftime)
    Tampa Bay 20 - 6 N.Y. Jets (0:17 left in 2d)
    Washington 20 - 10 Oakland (Halftime)
    Carolina 10 - 0 Atlanta (Halftime)
    Jacksonville 7 - 3 Houston (0:04 left in 2d)

    It may just be my imagination, but it seems like teams in the AFC South play more divisional games than everyone else does.

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  5. Patriots also looking good in the red throwbacks at home.

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  6. Current scores:

    Cleveland 0 - 10 Green Bay (3:23 left in 3d)
    Tennessee 6 - 27 Indianapolis (7:31 left in 3d)
    Minnesota 34 - 3 Cincinnati (Halftime)
    New England 7 - 14 Pittsburgh (8:47 left in 3d)
    Philadelphia 14 - 26 Los Angeles (8:43 left in 3d)
    Tampa Bay 20 - 6 N.Y. Jets (9:56 left in 3d)
    Washington 20 - 10 Oakland (10:52 left in 3d)
    Carolina 17 - 0 Atlanta (7:35 left in 3d)
    Jacksonville 7 - 3 Houston (8:44 left in 3d)

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  7. Current scores:

    Cleveland 0 - 10 Green Bay (5:25 left in 4th)
    Tennessee 13 - 34 Indianapolis (12:04 left in 4th)
    Minnesota 48 - 3 Cincinnati (0:17 left in 3d)
    New England 14 - 14 Pittsburgh (7:31 left in 4th)
    Philadelphia 21 - 26 Los Angeles (12:18 left in 4th)
    Tampa Bay 23 - 13 N.Y. Jets (10:12 left in 4th)
    Washington 34 - 16 Oakland (12:57 left in 4th)
    Carolina 27 - 0 Atlanta (8:36 left in 4th)
    Jacksonville 10 - 3 Houston (11:25 left in 4th)

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  8. High drama coming down the stretch:

    Cleveland 10 - 10 Green Bay (1:56 left in 4th)
    Tennessee 20 - 41 Indianapolis (2:00 left in 4th)
    Minnesota 48 - 10 Cincinnati (9:39 left in 4th)
    New England 14 - 21 Pittsburgh (FINAL)
    Philadelphia 27 - 26 Los Angeles (1:48 left in 4th)
    Tampa Bay 26 - 13 N.Y. Jets (3:46 left in 4th)
    Washington 34 - 24 Oakland (3:42 left in 4th)
    Carolina 30 - 0 Atlanta (FINAL)
    Jacksonville 10 - 10 Houston (2:00 left in 4th)

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  9. The Packers have a field goal to win with 25 seconds left, but it is BLOCKED.

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  10. Now Cleveland has the chance to win with a 55-yd field on the last play of the game. Meanwhile, the Rams have a field goal to win their game with 2 seconds left. THE NFL!

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  11. Cleveland goes first. Their kick is good all the way, and the Browns WIN THE GAME!

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  12. The Rams are up next. Their field goal is BLOCKED, and Jordan Davis returns the ball for an EAGLES touchdown. Philly pulls out a thriller, 33 to 26. That's the best NFL game I've seen all year.

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  13. Jacksonville gets a late interception to hold off Houston, and the Jags win 17-10.

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  14. Washington puts up 41 points with Jayden Daniel on the bench, and roll past the Raiders: 41 to 24. Under the circumstances, one of the best games Washington has played since I moved here.

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  15. Meanwhile, the Jets have stormed back to take a 27-26 lead over Tampa Bay with 1:49 left. What a day!

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  16. So the Bucs have a field goal to win the game on the last play. A few minutes ago, they had a field goal for a nine-point lead, and the Jets blocked it and ran it back for a touchdown. What will happen now?

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  17. The kick is good! Tampa Bay wins 29 to 27.

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  18. For the afternoon game, we have an old-school Channel 6 special: the Chargers hosting the Broncos. I can hear Charlie Jones now.

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  19. Here are the final scores of the noon games, which are now finished:

    Cleveland 13 - 10 Green Bay
    Tennessee 20 - 41 Indianapolis
    Minnesota 48 - 10 Cincinnati
    New England 14 - 21 Pittsburgh
    Philadelphia 33 - 26 Los Angeles
    Tampa Bay 29 - 27 N.Y. Jets
    Washington 41 - 24 Oakland
    Carolina 30 - 0 Atlanta
    Jacksonville 17 - 10 Houston

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  20. Current scores of the 3 PM Games:

    San Diego 3 - 0 Denver (5:50 left in 2d)
    Seattle 28 - 3 New Orleans (9:44 left in 2d)
    Chicago 14 - 6 Dallas (13:49 left in 2d)
    San Francisco 0 - 3 Arizona (8:45 left in 2d)

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  21. Current scores -- Eric's prediction looks good so far:

    San Diego 10 - 7 Denver (13:40 left in 3d)
    Seattle 38 - 6 New Orleans (Halftime)
    Chicago 24 - 14 Dallas (0:25 left in 2d)
    San Francisco 6 - 3 Arizona (Halftime)

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  22. San Diego 13 - 17 Denver (15 minutes left in 4th)
    Seattle 44 - 13 New Orleans (14:53 left in 4th)
    Chicago 31 - 14 Dallas (0:09 left in 3d)
    San Francisco 6 - 6 Arizona (end of 3d)

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  23. Two close games left:

    San Diego 20 - 20 Denver (2:25 left in the 4th)
    Seattle 44 - 13 New Orleans (2 minutes left in the 4th)
    Chicago 31 - 14 Dallas (4:46 left in the 4th)
    San Francisco 13 - 13 Arizona (3:28 left in the 4th)

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  24. San Francisco is called for holding in the end zone! That's a safety, and the Cardinals take a 15-13 lead with 3:15 left in the 4th. They also get the ball.

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  25. On the last play of the game, the Chargers have a field goal to win. The kick is up -- and the kick is good! The Chargers win 23-20, and they are 3-0 with wins over the Chiefs and the Broncos.

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  26. The 49er defense holds. With 1 minute left, the Niners have a chance to win the game.

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  27. The Niners quickly drive down to the Cardinal 16, and now they will have a chance to win the game with a field goal on the last play of the game.

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  28. The kick is up -- and the kick is good! On a day where the Rams had a game-winning field goal blocked, the Niners make their game-winning field goal and move to 3-0.

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  29. Check out the standings in the NFC West:

    SF: 3-0
    Ariz: 2-1
    Sea: 2-1
    LA: 2-1

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  30. Finals from the 3 PM games:

    San Diego 23 - 20 Denver
    Seattle 44 - 13 New Orleans
    Chicago 31 - 14 Dallas
    San Francisco 16 - 15 Arizona

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  31. Top 5 coaches with most NFL wins, all time:

    1. Don Shula: 328
    2. George Halas: 318
    3. Bill Belichick: 302
    4. Andy Reid: 273
    5. Tom Landry: 250

    Of these five coaches, Halas has the highest winning percentage.

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  32. I've watched the Chiefs play three games so far this year, and I don't think I've seen an open receiver on any play.

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  33. With 40 seconds left in the first half, the Chiefs and the Giants are tied at 6 -- and that score is a very accurate reflection of the quality of play we've seen.

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  34. With 23 seconds left in the first half, Mahomes finally finds an open receiver. But JuJu Smith-Schuster drops the ball.

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  35. On the next play, Mahomes is running for his life, as usual. He finally heaves a long pass deep down the field -- and, as usual, his receiver is covered. But the Giants' defender commits pass interference, and the Chiefs go down to the 12.

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  36. The next play goes nowhere, so Harrison Butker comes out to try his fourth field goal of the half. He makes it to go 3-4 for the half. KC leads 9-6 with two quarters to go.

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  37. Halftime stats:

    Mahomes: 12-23, 100 yds, 0 TD's, 0 INT's, Rating of 63.7.
    Wilson: 7-13, 39 yds, 0 TD's, 2 INT's, Rating of 19.9.

    In the record book someday, it will show that this game featured two Hall of Fame quarterbacks.

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  38. To be fair, I'm not criticizing the Chiefs. For seven seasons, from 2018 through 2024, the Chiefs did everything I've ever wanted them to do. Even now, they are playing hard. But it's really hard to keep any NFL team going beyond seven years.

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  39. With one quarter to go, the Chiefs are hanging on to a 16-6 lead. NBC, which has no doubt despaired of anything of interest happening here, has decided to remind us that the Ryder Cup is coming up this weekend.

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  40. With 10:12 left, the Giants kick a field goal to cut the KC lead to 16-9.

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  41. The Chiefs tack on one more touchdown, and win 22-9. I have a feeling that big changes are coming to the Giants. While the Giants are 0-3, the teams that employ Saquon Barkley (the Eagles) and Daniel Jones (the Colts) are a combined 6-0.

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