# Bradley Locker: Locker presents PFF's Week 3 adjusted power rankings for the 2026 season, with Buffalo first, Seattle rising to second and Chicago plummeting to 26th amid quarterback injuries. He also expects Kyler Murray back in Week 3, Michael Penix Jr. returning Thursday night, and Jameis Winston taking over as the Giants' starter for most or all of the season. **Claimed:** Sep 23, 2026 **Pundit:** Bradley Locker — https://missedtakes.co/pundits/bradley-locker **Outlet:** Pro Football Focus — https://missedtakes.co/outlets/pro-football-focus **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-3-power-rankings-seahawks-rise-bears-plummet-amid-injury/ 4 checkable claims — 2 availability calls, 1 depth chart call and 1 power ranking — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 6 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 1 unsettled call enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room. > The Bears fall with a projected QB3: Injuries to Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent, coupled with a questionable defense, have knocked Chicago well outside of the top 10. *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **The performance of Murray, who will return in Week 3 in Tampa Bay, will reveal more about the Vikings' long-term chances.** - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Kyler Murray, Minnesota Vikings - Verdict: not settled yet - **the return of Michael Penix Jr. on Thursday night could offer a boost** - Kind: Availability Calls · About: Michael Penix Jr., Atlanta Falcons - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jameis Winston to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jameis Winston, New York Giants - Verdict: not settled yet - **Below is PFF's adjusted power rankings based on the signature holistic model, weighing overall team performance with remaining strength of schedule. 1. Buffalo Bills ... 32. Miami Dolphins** - Kind: Power Rankings - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Kyler Murray — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/kyler-murray - Minnesota Vikings — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/vikings - Michael Penix Jr. — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/michael-penix-jr - Atlanta Falcons — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/falcons - Jameis Winston — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jameis-winston - New York Giants — https://missedtakes.co/nfl/teams/giants ## What others said about the same people - Chris Simms on Minnesota Vikings: Simms went through the entire Week 3 slate with straight-up winners and predicted final scores, taking Jacksonville, Buffalo, Cincinnati, Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle, the Giants, Baltimore, New Orleans, Minnesota, San Francisco, Denver and Philadelphia. He also expected Zay Flowers and Puka Nacua to sit, Kyler Murray to play, and said Marvin Harrison Jr. projects as no better than a good No. 2 or high-end No. 3 receiver. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/662b7ba3-1bf6-4ad0-9f93-9f2ab83143fd (scored 90.48) - Connor Rogers on New York Giants: Rogers picked Detroit, Houston, Carolina, Kansas City, Seattle and the Giants to win their Week 3 games, saying the Chiefs win by two touchdowns and the Giants by a field goal. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/83d1e88b-95a0-45ba-83d3-f86297170c6c (scored 100) - Sam Monson on Minnesota Vikings: Monson picked the Chargers to beat the Bills outright (jokingly crediting Buffalo's gray 'Nickel City' jerseys), took the Vikings to win outright in Tampa, and said Seattle would destroy Washington. He also reiterated his Super Bowl pick of Denver over the Rams, called the Dolphins destined for the No. 1 overall pick, and said the Saints are a worst-to-first candidate in the NFC South. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/0b810ffd-fd93-4ea2-a208-b1353dea5fb0 (scored 100) - Carter Bahns on Jeshaun Jones: A CBS Sports piece expects suspended Vikings receiver Jeshaun Jones to lose his roster battle and be cut by the Aug. 30 deadline, given Minnesota's established receiver group. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/98c7155f-d05c-43cb-8c03-4f50d43211a8 (scored 0) - Adam Carlson on J.J. McCarthy: Carlson names three Vikings he expects could be traded before the end of September: quarterback J.J. McCarthy, wide receiver Jordan Addison and linebacker Ivan Pace. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/65e3f9cf-c441-42a2-baaf-7cd3dbebafad (scored 100) - Greg Auman on J.J. McCarthy: Auman argues no quarterback is likely to replicate Sam Darnold's turnaround this season, but names five candidates. He expects Miami to hold a very high pick in the 2027 draft, and thinks J.J. McCarthy will eventually be traded for a late-round pick or cut by the Vikings. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/9b8eb78e-ddfa-4274-ac8f-17b069e6b87f (scored 100) ## More availability calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Ralph Ventre on Christian Benford: Ventre expects Christian Benford's toe injury to sideline him for at least the Week 4 game against New England, and believes the Bills will have to add a cornerback to the 53-man roster this week — likely by moving Benford to injured reserve — with practice squad rookie Kani Walker the most likely player elevated. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/94b844fe-bb22-4517-81f5-6263eb0213f1 (not settled) - Fox Sports on Jayden Daniels: With surgery ruled out, Washington's outlet speculates Jayden Daniels avoids injured reserve and, if he isn't back for the Week 4 game in London, returns either in Week 5 against the Giants or Week 6 against the 49ers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/38c42e1c-1990-46fb-a145-d6cf5a1d8c33 (not settled) - Jordan Dajani on Baker Mayfield: Dajani writes that, based on the injury timeline, Baker Mayfield should be available to return for Tampa Bay's Oct. 25 game against the Carolina Panthers. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/e3ea298b-362e-42b2-918b-d07d0e69ae41 (not settled) - Evan Tarracciano on Garrett Wilson: In his Week 3 studs and duds recap, Tarracciano says Drake London becomes a mid-tier WR1 now that Michael Penix Jr. is back, maintains Chase Brown should still be ranked as an RB1 despite a slow start, and expects Garrett Wilson to be fine after a concussion evaluation and play in Week 4. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/88e87735-d91e-4436-8793-f2fd9929dd1c (not settled) - Kelly Kirby on Breece Hall: Kirby suggested Breece Hall's leg injury casts doubt on whether he will be available for the Jets in Week 4, making Braelon Allen a priority pickup. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/5467ba30-85be-438a-8fe0-ce12f4b7ee66 (not settled) - Nick Wright on Mansoor Delane: Wright argued Justin Herbert has always been supporting-cast dependent rather than elite, said the Bills are the likely winner over the Chargers, and then gave straight score predictions for five Week 3 games, calling Seattle the best team in the NFL with the league's best defense. — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/f0f98756-17d9-44ae-81c3-391a7ba9bc66 (not settled) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.co/corrections?pundit=bradley-locker