Power Rankings: Packers surprisingly join league's elite

Updated Sept. 25

We're three weeks into the season, and already the elite have emerged.

So much for all that parity talk.

That's for the middle class of the league, those wannabes. The elite don't have anything to do with that kind of talk; they're looking down on the rest, noses in the air.

Second-year linebacker A.J. Hawk leads the defense in Green Bay. (Getty Images)

The top three teams in that elite bracket shouldn't be too much of a surprise. We expected the Indianapolis Colts, New England Patriots and Dallas Cowboys to be there -- and I thought the Pittsburgh Steelers would be good.

So who's the party crasher, trying to get behind the velvet ropes to join the VIP set? It's the Green Bay Packers, led by an old-man quarterback who plays the game with youthful enthusiasm and a defense keyed by a pair of corners who play in-your-face coverage.

Packers quarterback Brett Favre and his quest for Dan Marino's touchdown record, which he should get this week, might be the highlighted story when it comes to this team, but it shouldn't be the only one.

The offensive line, which started three rookies a year ago, has come together and become a top-notch unit. They kept Favre pretty clean against the San Diego Chargers in their upset victory.

The defensive line, keyed by defensive ends Aaron Kampman and Cullen Jenkins, is a good group and the linebackers, with rising star A.J. Hawk, are active.

In the secondary, Charles Woodson and Al Harris play a fun brand of corner, their ability to match up the reason the Packers can load up to stop the run. Safety Atari Bigby is a rising star.

The Packers are fifth in the latest CBSSports.com Power Rankings. That victory over the Chargers validates them.

It also gives me ammunition to fire back at all my co-workers -- you know who you are -- who laughed at me on our conference call last Friday for picking the Packers to win that game.

Any and all apologies would be accepted.

Poll Which of the five remaining unbeaten teams will be the first to lose?   6%  Colts     16%  Cowboys     54%  Packers     6%  Patriots     19%  Steelers     Total Votes: 55147

While the Packers are surging, the Saints are the great mystery of the first three weeks. How many pundits picked them to go to the Super Bowl from the NFC? After getting beat down by the Tennessee Titans on Monday night, the Saints are 0-3. There has never been a team that started 0-3 and made it to the Super Bowl.

A year ago, the Saints led the NFL in offense. Now they can't do a damn thing. Drew Brees looks lost; there is no separation by receivers; Deuce McAllister is hurt; Reggie Bush dances too much; the defense can't stop anybody ... on and on it goes.

The Saints and Packers are two reminders of how quickly things change in the NFL. Brees was the toast of the league in 2006, an MVP candidate, while many were saying Favre was done, that it was time for him to head to the farm in Mississippi for good.

Now Brees looks frustrated and Favre looks rejuvenated.

Who could have thought that?

The Power Rankings after Week 3:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Colts · Trends	1
	They didn't look great against the 49ers, but they found a way. That's what good teams do. It has to be good having Bob Sanders back again.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	It was a little bit of a struggle against the Falcons, but the schedule is favorable the rest of the way, to say the least. Is an undefeated season possible?
	3	Vikings · Trends	4
	They have a real hold on the division after sweeping the Packers. They really are a balanced team and Brett Favre is coming off a big game. There, I said it. Aside from the Steelers game, he is playing well.
	4	Broncos · Trends	3
	After their first loss, here come the champions. The Pittsburgh Steelers will provide another stiff test for the Broncos. They need to throw it better. Period.
	5	Patriots · Trends	5
	They come off the bye with a chance to take a real hold of the division by beating Miami. You know they'll be ready for the Wildcat.
	6	Bengals · Trends	6
	At 5-2 after their bye, they get a rematch with the Ravens this week. They can throw it better now than when they beat them the first time, which should help.
	7	Steelers · Trends	7
	They can show they are back with a road victory at Denver. The bye week gives them a little edge heading into that one, although Denver will be angry coming off its first loss.
	8	Eagles · Trends	8
	We get Eagles-Cowboys this week for first place in the NFC East. That should be fun. The Eagles are rolling after that Oakland disaster two weeks ago.
	9	Cowboys · Trends	11
	Is it time to stop ripping on Tony Romo? He's playing some of his best football. The defense, which was a problem much of the season, is playing better.
	10	Ravens · Trends	14
	They had to beat Denver to save their season, but now they get a big one against the Bengals on the road. To have a real chance to win the division, they need that one.
	11	Cardinals · Trends	9
	Can anybody figure this team out? They play well on the road and stink it up at home. Good thing they're on the road this week.
	12	Giants · Trends	10
	They are an example of how fast things can go bad in the NFL. If that defense doesn't play better soon, they could be playoff-less.
	13	Texans · Trends	16
	The improvement of the defense to go with that passing game has really helped this team. They do have a lot of premium talent on the defensive side of the ball.
	14	Chargers · Trends	17
	They seemed to right things the past two weeks, but now must head east to play a desperate Giants team. That won't be easy.
	15	Falcons · Trends	12
	They played well at New Orleans, especially in the second half, and the schedule gets easier now. They are a good 4-3 team.
	16	Packers · Trends	13
	Boy that offensive line is bad. If they don't improve there, Aaron Rodgers doesn't stand a chance.
	17	Bears · Trends	19
	Nothing like the Cleveland Browns to provide the perfect potion for all that ails a team. Facing Arizona at home this week won't be as easy.
	18	Dolphins · Trends	22
	That wasn't pretty against the Jets, but they found a way. Now they have to go to New England, with a chance to get back into the race. Playing two consecutive road games is tough.
	19	Jets · Trends	15
	There is no way they should have lost to the Dolphins at home, but at 4-4 they have been way too inconsistent. How about some special-teams work this week?
	20	Jaguars · Trends	18
	They will be a .500 team at best. The defense isn't very good, so they will play a lot of high-scoring games. The good news is they have a winnable game against Kansas City this week.
	21	Panthers · Trends	24
	Was that a job saver for coach John Fox and a season saver last week in Arizona? It was a big win, but those two things are still to be decided.
	22	49ers · Trends	20
	Playing close isn't good enough. They have to start winning those kinds of games. It's hard when they're limited on offense.
	23	Bills · Trends	21
	The run defense is really bad and they don't have the offense to make up for it. Did you ever think they would long to get Trent Edwards back so much?
	24	Seahawks · Trends	23
	They've been a major disappointment in a lot of people's minds. But the injuries have crippled this team. It's a tough first year for Jim Mora Jr.
	25	Raiders · Trends	25
	At least they showed up and competed against the Chargers. It's more than they did the previous week. Wonder how Tom Cable's troubles will affect the team?
	26	Chiefs · Trends	26
	They come off their bye with the Larry Johnson saga hanging over their heads. Something they need more of: Better play from Matt Cassel.
	27	Redskins · Trends	27
	Did they fix things during the bye? Is Jim Zorn safe now that he made it through the week off? Can they turn it around? Doubtful.
	28	Rams · Trends	31
	They won. They won. They won. After 17 consecutive losses, they should celebrate. Steven Jackson is having a good year for a bad team.
	29	Titans · Trends	32
	The move to Vince Young paid off. Yeah, as long as Chris Johnson runs for 228, it paid off. They did show more life coming off their bye in winning for the first time.
	30	Lions · Trends	28
	Losing to the Rams drops them down a few spots. They are competing, which is a good sign for this young team.
	31	Browns · Trends	29
	Does this team need a bye or what? Do they really have to play out the season with that offense?
	32	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	The Josh Freeman Era begins, and it's the right thing to do. They have to get him going for the future. Why wait?