NFL 2012 Week 3 power rankings

Parity is rampant in the league this year.  There are plenty of 1-2 teams, more than I can remember in recent history.  That means that 0-3 is not a playoff killer; every team is still in the race.  With only 3 unbeaten teams and only TWO winless teams, it is definitely a mediocre year.

Top half of the league [Last week's position]
1.  Houston Texans (3-0) [2] : Still one of the best defenses in the league, and the offense is looking good, too
2.  Atlanta Falcons (3-0) [4] : Owners of one of the most potent offenses so far, their defense gets the job done
3.  Arizona Cardinals (3-0) [7] : Definitely the surprise team of the season so far, it doesn't seem to matter who plays quarterback
4.  Baltimore Ravens (2-1) [5] : The defense doesn't seem to have as much as punch, but the offense was able to keep pace with the Patriots; few teams can say that
5.  New York Giants (2-1) [18] : A manhandling of Carolina demonstrated strength on both sides of the ball
6.  Chicago Bears (2-1) [13] : The Bears don't need Matt Forte as backup RB Michael Bush rushed for more than 100 yards and helped the Bears claw the Rams
7.  Seattle Seahawks (2-1) [10] : Another surprise team of the year, they got help from the replacement officials, but you can't criticize any defense that can hold Green Bay to less than 14 points.
8.  New England Patriots (1-2) [8] : A losing record is a rare occurrence for the Pats, but they do have one of the toughest early season schedules
9.  San Diego Chargers (2-1) [3] : Blow out by Atlanta, the offense evaporated
10. Minnesota Vikings (2-1) [16] : Another surprise team, Christian Ponder shows great poise.  A healthy Adrian Peterson is helping them much, too
11. Buffalo Bills (2-1) [25] : The Bills took a big leap as strength of schedule has flip-flopped due to poor records of perennial winners.  That doesn't take away from what they are doing offensively.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) [12] : Although they have a losing record, they have been doing fairly well, especially on offense
13. Washington Redskins (1-2) [14] : The offense is looking good, but the defense still needs some work
14. New York Jets (2-1) [17] : They engineered a nice fourth quarter comeback
15. San Francisco 49ers (2-1) [1] : Huge drop after an embarrassing loss to Minnesota
16. Green Bay Packers (1-2) [6] : They should have won Monday's game, but their offense still stunk

Divisional rankings [Last week's ranking]
1 (tie).  NFC North [2] : With three teams in the top half of the league, and Detroit not far away, this division is showing strength; as much as any other division, at least.  Detroit had a chance to extend overtime by kicking a field goal, so if backup QB Shaun Hill can make better decisions, this entire division will be a force.
1 (tie).  AFC East [5] : Just like the NFC North, they have three teams in the top half of the league and Miami not far behind.  The ending to the Miami - Jets game proved the stupidity of "icing" the kicker, which rarely works.  The coach should give bonuses to the players who caused the blocked field goal, even if his own actions wiped it out.
3.  NFC West [1] : The rise of the Seahawks and the Cards makes this a powerful division.  San Francisco is still potent, too.
4.  AFC North [3] : Cincy's fall hurts them, but I expect the Bengals to rise and bring the division with them.  Cleveland is showing power, too.
5.  NFC East [4] : Dallas and Philadelphia have winning records despite negative difference in points and yardage, so I expect this division to improve as those two live up to their abilities.
6 (tie).  NFC South [7] : The Saints collapse due to "bounty-gate" seems definite, and the Panthers are struggling, so this division may end up much like the last couple of seasons, and may be the first division title crowned.
6 (tie).  AFC South [8] : This division has the best team in the league, but it also has three of the worst.  The Colts are not improving as quickly as hoped, the Titans are too inconsistent, and the Jags are floundering.
8.  AFC West [6] : Three of the four teams slipped downwards this week, and I don't know if Oakland's rise will be sustained.  Something needs to be done for this division.