Only three teams -- the Bengals, Cardinals and Eagles -- have the undefeated 1972 Dolphins holding their collective breath, and while it's doubtful any of these 3-0 squads go 19-0 and win it all, it's fun for now.

Of those teams, only the never-say-die Eagles play this week, hitting the road for an afternoon game at San Francisco, where the smarting 49ers are coming off a loss to the Cards. That setback drops the Niners 11 spots from No. 4 to No. 15 in this week's Power Rankings.

The Eagles have trailed in every game so far, and we'll see if Chip Kelly's up-tempo attack backed by a somewhat shaky defense holds up against Colin Kaepernick and Co.

Kirwan's Power Rankings

1. Seahawks (Last week -- 1): The world champions played like champs in an OT win over Denver. After a bye this week, they hit the road for a game against the Redskins. Russell Wilson is 9-8 away from Seattle.

2. Bengals (3): The 3-0 Bengals have yielded only 33 points (backing an offense averaging 26.7 points over three games) and have a bye before a showdown in New England on Oct. 5.

3. Broncos (2): They played a tough, hard-nosed game in Seattle and it sure looks like the two teams could meet again in February. Peyton Manning was brilliant in the fourth quarter and that kind of performance figures to carry the Broncos deep into the playoffs. Down the road, keep an eye on the Broncos' visit to Cincinnati (Dec. 22), a game shaping up as a battle for home field.

4. Eagles (5): Trailing by 10 points means little to the Eagles (3-0). Losing at halftime? No problem! Philly has questions on defense, but it has also scored 74 points in the second half this season.

5. Patriots (12): The Patriots eke out a close win at home vs. the Raiders and everyone wonders what's wrong with New England. Tom Brady's protection is a concern, but the defense has only allowed only 36 points in three games and that's a big improvement.

6. Cardinals (10): The Cardinals (3-0) have won two straight with a backup QB (Drew Stanton) who hadn't started a game since 2010. The defense has surrendered only 45 points. After a bye, they go to Denver for their biggest test to date.

7. Chargers (16): Philip Rivers is one hot quarterback, plus he's only been sacked twice and intercepted once in 100 pass plays. The loss of Danny Woodhead (broken fibula, out for season) hurts, but the schedule (next four opponents: Jaguars, Jets, Raiders, Chiefs) helps.

8. Bears (23): They've won two straight (at 49ers before beating the Jets on Monday) on the road. The defense is far from a finished product but is improving and their offensive weapons are a very tough matchup for any team. Next up: Their biggest rival, Green Bay, at home.

9. Ravens (19): Joe Flacco is Mr. Cool. When it looked like the Ravens would lose to the Browns he delivered. Keep an eye on rookie running back Lorenzo Taliaferro. The Panthers and Colts are the next two opponents and those games should tell us more about Baltimore.

10. Steelers (8): The club which whipped the Panthers on the road could win the AFC North, but the Steelers who scored six points against the Ravens aren't going anywhere. Pittsburgh has four very winnable games (Bucs, at Jags, at Browns, Texans) coming up and could make a strong statement, but critical injuries are mounting.

11. Panthers (6): The defense didn't get to Ben Roethlisberger last week like they usually do at home (35 sacks in their previous nine home games) and they ran out of running backs vs. the Steelers. Ron Rivera isn't too happy Mike Tomlin's team ran for 264 yards on Carolina's defense -- the most rushing yards vs. the Panthers since 2008.

12. Colts (7): There's nothing like a game against the Jaguars to get right the ship. The defense will have problems but the offense is explosive and has enough talent to win the AFC South.

13. Falcons (13): In their own building, the Falcons are tough to beat. On the road? Different story. They still need to develop a pass rush to be a solid playoff team.

14. Lions (9): A big win over the Packers raises expectations that a division title is within reach. But can they put a winning streak together and climb these rankings?

15. 49ers (4): They've scored 73 points in the first half this season, but only 3 in the second half. There's a real issue regarding the pass rushers (albeit without Aldon Smith and NaVorro Bowman), who failed to get to Drew Stanton.

16. Saints (14): At least they stopped the skid at two games, but barely beating Minnesota, which was minus Adrian Peterson and lost Matt Cassel to an early injury, wasn't as dominating as it should have been in the Superdome.

17. Jets (22): This club won't disappear or fall apart. There is too much fight in this team and Geno Smith is getting better. But they are facing a Murderer's Row of QBs. The next four are Matthew Stafford, Philip Rivers, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, who have a combined record of 8-4.

18. Texans (20): The Texans went into New York undefeated, facing the winless Giants. But by the end of the game you had to wonder which team had the better record. J.J. Watt and company were only OK on defense.

19. Cowboys (31): This defense is overachieving because of defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli. RB DeMarco Murray is on pace for a 2,000-yard season. If this solid O-line gives Tony Romo time, they could even move up these rankings. The next two games -- at home vs. the Saints and Texans -- could provide defining moments.

20. Packers (15): During the summer it looked like this team was poised for a title run, but at 1-2 the Pack is a disappointment and fighting for an identity. In three games they have averaged 16 points and their defense just isn't good enough to keep foes under that number.

21. Bills (21): They're competitive but young. EJ Manuel is a work in progress, so patience with the young QB is in order. This team beat the Bears on the road in the opener, but couldn't handle the Chargers at home. This week they head to Houston. I wouldn't write them off just yet.

22. Redskins (27): RG3 is out for 6-8 weeks, and a QB controversy is brewing. Kirk Cousins threw for 427 yards in his first start this season and is on the national stage Thursday night vs. the beatable Giants (8:25 p.m. ET, CBS).

23. Vikings (17): AP and Matt Cassel are gone, so this has become a rebuilding project. Without Adrian Peterson the past two games, the Vikings have scored 16 points. Welcome to the Teddy Bridgewater Era.

24. Titans (18): Ken Whisenhunt is learning a lot about his new team, and a lot of it's not good. He likes the effort, but the losing must stop or there will be changes. Jake Locker threw two picks in the first half last week and the Titans' only score came in the fourth quarter after the game was decided.

25. Giants (28): They prevented an 0-3 start by relying less on Eli Manning and cranking up the running game (193 yards vs. Texans). Now they play Washington on Thursday night so we will see if Manning can build on his 13-6 record against his NFC East rival.

26. Browns (32): They have a lot of fight in them and I haven't heard a cry for Johnny Manziel in weeks. The defense can be stubborn and the rookie running backs help keep things close. Their two loses are by a combined 5 points. It wouldn't surprise me if they went on a run over the next few weeks.

27. Chiefs (24): KC also prevented an 0-3 start with a win (without Jamaal Charles) at Miami. Alex Smith needs better protection (11 sacks). The next three opponents -- Patriots, Chargers and 49ers -- will determine the Chiefs' fate.

28. Dolphins (11): The pressure already is mounting because of attendance, Ryan Tannehill's poor play and some defensive players complaining about the game plan -- all bad signs. A loss this week to the Raiders plunges this team further into the abyss.

29. Rams (30): Injuries have prevented a better start and the schedule-maker shows no mercy. The next three opponents: Eagles, 49ers and Seahawks.

30. Raiders (29): This is not a good team, and rookie QB Derek Carr is taking his lumps. However, they showed some fight in a close loss to the Patriots. They need to beat Miami, or the cracks in the foundation widen for a club on a nine-game skid dating to last season.

31. Buccaneers (25): I had this team figured all wrong, thinking Lovie Smith would shape up a talented group of young players. But the Bucs are on a six-game skid, dating back to last year and they can't score. Not many teams win averaging 15 points a game.

32. Jaguars (26): Maybe rookie QB Blake Bortles gives them a spark, but he also may take a beating with that protection. The Jags have allowed the most points in the first three games of a season (119) since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970.

>> Want more Power Rankings? Prisco's high on Bengals, Cards