NFL Power Rankings after the first quarter of the 2020 season

13. New Orleans Saints (2-2)

Much has been made about QB Drew Brees’ arm falling off and I have talked about this for a while now, which somewhat limits the potential for this offense. But at least against the Lions, the Saints attacked beyond the marker and didn’t allow the defense to just focus on all the underneath stuff. RB Alvin Kamara has been phenomenal, and this has been a run-oriented offense for a few years now. The Saints stay ahead of the chains and are converting 52.9 percent of their third downs, tied for second-best in the league. More concerning is that the defense allows 30.8 points per game, thanks in large part to allowing opponents to score touchdowns on an NFL-high 82.4 percent of their red-zone trips. Right now, the Saints are as average as it gets at 2-2, scoring just as many points as their opposition (123) and right in the middle of the pack in yards gained. It doesn’t help to be the most penalized team in the league, giving up basically 100 yards for free every week.

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14. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

I struggled with my power rankings for the Niners because they have suffered so many injuries, but considering most of those guys will be coming back and they have still played as well as they have, this might actually be a little low for them. San Francisco blew out the Jets and Giants by a combined score of 67-22 despite being without their starting quarterback, running back, center, two defensive linemen, a linebacker and a cornerback. And even with those two losses in games that they could have easily (and you can argue should have) won, San Francisco is still fifth in the league with a point margin of +36. Even without QB Jimmy G and missing some skill-position players, they are top ten in yards per play and third-down success rate, while being third in time of possession (32:45). Their defense on the other hand is holding opposing quarterbacks to an NFL-low average of 5.9 yards per pass attempt and they are third in points per game (17.8). I know DE Nick Bosa isn’t coming back, but the 49ers should still be around 90 percent healthy going forward.

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15. Chicago Bears (3-1)

I know the Bears are 3-1 and some people might think it’s disrespectful to have them this low in the power rankings, but you have to put things into perspective. The three teams the Bears have beaten (Lions, Giants and Falcons) only have one combined win and the one time Chicago faced a winning team, they lost pretty decisively, even if the scoreboard only says eight points. Overall they are only +4 in points margin on the season and it took two epic collapses by Detroit and Atlanta to not have their record flipped right now. There are only three teams who have scored fewer points (9.0) in the first half than the Bears, and they have the second-worst third-down offense, converting only 33.9 percent of those attempts. What keeps Chicago in games, however, is their defense -- which is top eight in yards and points allowed while having the top red-zone defense (37.5 percent) and being No. 3 in third-down percentage (34.4), as well as missing just 12 tackles on the year.

Stay aggressive, keep attacking, good things happen.

— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) October 9, 2020

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16. Las Vegas Raiders (2-2)

This is another one of those teams that gives up 30 points per game, with Maxx Crosby being the only defender with a full sack on the season (four total) and they’re giving up 6.2 yards per play (tied for fifth-highest). So what Las Vegas has to do is keep their offense on the field. They've done that really well outside of the Patriots game. The Raiders' offense averages the most plays per drive, thanks part in to only one other team converting a higher percentage of their third downs (52.9%) and one other team scoring points on a higher percentage of their possessions (55.3%). Derek Carr is completing 73.1 percent of his passes for 1,095 yards and eight touchdowns compared to no INTs. Second-year RB Josh Jacobs is the star of the show, however. He has put up 400 yards and three touchdowns on 96 touches, but sadly (especially for fantasy owners), his numbers have gone down since the season opener in Carolina and that’s also the last time he has reached the end zone. The Raiders have not had their full arsenal of receivers available, but once speedster Henry Ruggs comes back, that should really open up the offense again.