The Broncos started out the season shorthanded on defense, but Peyton Manning and the offense are on a blistering pace.  The Seahawks, meanwhile, have been stellar on defense, and continue to be unbeatable at home.  Heading into Week 4, Seattle owns the top slot in KP’s NFL Power Rankings at The Wife Hates Sports.  The Broncos are second and just ten ratings points behind.  Rounding out the top five are the Saints, Patriots and Chiefs.

Heading into the 2013 NFL season, many prognosticators included both the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos on a short list of Super Bowl favorites.  It’s quite clear that three weeks in, neither team has disappointed.

Here’s where each squad sits in the NFL Power Rankings after Week 3, featuring a few key stats, notes, thoughts and figures for every team:

russell-wilson-is-pointing-seattle-to-the-playoffs

NFL Power Rankings: Russell Wilson and the Seahawks are pointing towards a big season

KP’s NFL Power Rankings: September 25, 2013

*Stats, records and information through Week 3 of the 2013 NFL season

1. Seattle Seahawks (164 points)

The Seahawks continue to suffocate opponents, leading the NFL in total defense after three weeks, and allowing just 241.7 yards per game.

2. Denver Broncos (154 points)

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That’s right, Peyton…the Denver Broncos are in second place this week

Just how good has Peyton been?  Try these numbers on for size: 12 TD, 0 INT, a 134.7 QB rating and 1,143 passing yards in three games.

3. New Orleans Saints (131 points)

Drew Brees continues to excel and having Sean Payton back certainly has helped, but give the most credit to the defense, which has allowed 38 total points in the first three games.

4. New England Patriots (120 points)

The rookie-loaded offense should continue to improve in time, but it is extremely odd to see the Patriots ranked 22nd in the NFL in total points (19.7 ppg).

5. Kansas City Chiefs (116 points)

Andy Reid, Alex Smith and the Chiefs have brought excitement and energy back to Kansas City, and with the Giants, Titans and Raiders up next, it is possible that the Chiefs could get to 6-0.

6. Houston Texans (114 points)

This ranking may be a hair high after a 30-9 loss at Baltimore, but the Texans remain ranked in the top ten in run offense, pass offense, run defense and pass defense, which gives Houston a ratings boost.

7. Chicago Bears  (112 points)

Many questioned how Marc Trestman would fare in Chicago, and that question is becoming crystal clear, as the Bears’ offense (31.7 ppg, 3rd in NFL) continues to give opposing teams headaches.

8. New York Jets (102 points)

The top ten ranking may not last for long, but the Jets are here, mostly thanks to the defense, which ranks 7th in points allowed and 3rd in total yards allowed (270 ypg).

9. Dallas Cowboys (102 points)

Tony Romo may steal the headlines, but DeMarco Murray (and his health) is the key to this offense – and Murray is off to a great start (4.9 ypc, 286 rushing yards, 116 receiving yards).

10. Miami Dolphins (95 points)

Ryan Tannehill (94.3 QB rating over first three games) has made some key plays, and is one of the main reasons why the Dolphins are off to a surprising 3-0 start.

11. Cincinnati Bengals (91 points)

The Bengals entered the season with a lot of hype, and showed the resiliency needed for a contender, with a big-time comeback win over the Packers, especially after blowing an early 14-0 lead.

12. Detroit Lions (90 points)

The Lions defeated the Redskins on the road, Detroit’s first win in Washington D.C., after losing its previous 21 attempts.

13. Indianapolis Colts (86 points)

In his first game with the Colts, RB Trent Richardson carried the ball 13 times for 35 yards.  The numbers aren’t anything to write home about, but he’s still learning the offense.

14. Tennessee Titans (81 points)

Often forgotten amongst the other young, talented quarterbacks, Jake Locker has yet to commit a turnover in the first three games, two of which were on the road in hostile environments.

15. Carolina Panthers (81 points)

After being sacked six times in a Week 2 loss to the Bills, Cam Newton and the Panthers rebounded in a big way, blowing out the Giants 38-0.

16. Green Bay Packers (71 points)

Green Bay’s pass defense has allowed 311 yards per game in its first three games, as opponents have posted a 113.7 QB rating against the Packers.

17. Baltimore Ravens (69 points)

The Ravens hoped to have the best two-headed monster in football, with Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce leading the way.  Rice is currently hobbled, while Pierce is averaging just 2.8 yards per carry.

18. Philadelphia Eagles (65 points)

The verdict may still be out on Chip Kelly’s offense, but the team’s running game leads the NFL, averaging 209 yards per game (58 yards more than any other team).

19. Atlanta Falcons (58 points)

Convinced to stay one more year, Tony Gonzalez has failed to post big numbers in the opening weeks, with no more than four catches in a game, and only 93 total receiving yards on the season.

20. Cleveland Browns (56 points)

In his first start with the Browns, Brian Hoyer threw the ball 54 times, accumulating 321 total passing yards, with 3 touchdowns and 3 interceptions.

21. Oakland Raiders (48 points)

His numbers aren’t gaudy, but Terrelle Pryor (624 yards passing, 198 rushing) has added a spark to an Oakland team that was missing any excitement heading into the 2013 season.

22. Buffalo Bills (39 points)

The Bills are going to be that team that is in every game, and to this point, each of its first three games have been decided by a touchdown or less.

23. Arizona Cardinals (36 points)

The Cards are third in the league in run defense, but the offense has sputtered a bit since Larry Fitzgerald was hampered by a hamstring injury.

24. San Diego Chargers (34 points)

Discarded by countless Fantasy owners, Philip Rivers enters Week 4 as the 5th best quarterback, currently having more points than Matthew Stafford, Andrew Luck, Cam Newton and Matt Ryan.

25. St. Louis Rams (28 points)

Hampered by injuries and falling behind in games, the Rams have turned into a one-dimensional offense, with a run game (57 ypg) that is really struggling.

26. Pittsburgh Steelers (24 points)

Ranked 31st in the NFL in rushing offense, the Steelers hope to gain a spark in its offense when rookie running back Le’Veon Bell makes his debut.

27. San Francisco 49ers (23 points)

After opening the season with 34 points in a win over the Packers, the Niners have really struggled offensively, posting just ten combined points against the Seahawks and Colts.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (15 points)

In hopes to provide a spark to a struggling offense, the Bucs have announced that rookie Mike Glennon will be the starting quarterback, replacing Josh Freeman.

29. Minnesota Vikings (11 points)

Adrian Peterson is off to a steady start, but nothing near the lofty expectations set for him.  In fact, he’s currently on pace to hit around 1,500 yards rushing by the end of the season.

30. Washington Redskins (5 points)

Struggling and clearly not 100 percent healthy, Robert Griffin III is still making Fantasy owners happy, posting more than 320 passing yards in each of his first three games.

31. New York Giants (-9 points)

Eli Manning is off to an awful start, throwing eight interceptions and posting an abysmal 70.5 quarterback rating over New York’s first three games.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (-28 points)

Coming off last season’s injury, Maurice Jones-Drew is off to a very slow start, rushing for just 115 yards and averaging 2.6 yards per carry over his first three games.

* All stats per NFL.com

The Wife Hates Sports NFL Power Rankings system has a method to its madness, attempting to be different and not just rank by popularity and record.  It mixes a secret formula of eight completely different categories, meshed into a points system.  The categories don’t just include team results regarding record, but how each team has performed on the road, as well as incorporating some statistics on both a team’s offense and defense, too.