NFL writer John Dudley ranks the five most impressive teams from Week 3.

1. Patriots (38-7 over Buffalo): Randy Moss had two more touchdown catches and New England's defense sealed down and crumpled up the Bills' punchless offense, knocking J.P. Losman out on Buffalo's first series. Spygate seems to have provoked the Patriots, not humbled them.

2. Cowboys (34-10 over Bears): The latest Rex Grossman meltdown -- three interceptions, no touchdowns -- came courtesy of a Cowboys defense that has been living in the shadow of its much-talked-about offense. Terrell Owens is behaving, and Tony Romo is managing the game as well as any quarterback.

3. Packers (31-24 over Chargers): It's possible that the Chargers simply aren't responding well to general manager A.J. Smith's decision to sweep away the entire coaching staff from a 14-2 team. It's unlikely that the unbeaten Pack can continue to win with virtually no running game, but they look pretty good so far.

4. Eagles (56-21 over Lions): Donovan McNabb silenced reports of his demise -- for now -- and wide receiver Kevin Curtis answered criticism of the Eagles offense as lacking a No. 1 wideout with 221 yards and three touchdowns. Caveat: It came against the Lions.

5. Steelers (37-16 over 49ers): Another solid outing by Ben Roethlisberger combined with another 100-yard rushing performance by Willie Parker combined with another smothering effort by the Steelers' defense was far too much for the 49ers, who watched Frank Gore (18 carries, 39 yards) run in place for most of the afternoon.

Week 3 rankings (record, previous ranking)

1. New England (3-0, 1)
2. Indianapolis (3-0, 2)
3. Pittsburgh (3-0, 3)
4. Dallas (3-0, 4)
5. Green Bay (3-0, 9)
6. Seattle (2-1, NR)
7. Tampa Bay (2-1, NR)
8. Houston (2-1, 6)
9. Jacksonville (2-1, NR)
10. Denver (2-1, 8)
11. Baltimore (2-1, 12)
12. Carolina (2-1, NR)

-- John Dudley (john.dudley@timesnews.com)