Where the Saints clock in on USA Today's Week 3 NFL power rankings

The New Orleans Saints, spurred on by their “fresh approach” to football, have continued to rise in the USA Today power rankings. They leapfrogged from the 24th position in the power rankings after last week all the way up to 6th, joining some of the strong contenders in the league through two weeks.

This improvement was reflected across many media outlets, as their defeat of the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 44-19 really shook up how many people viewed the organization. Here’s what USA Today’s Nate Davis had to say about the Saints after Week 2’s landscape-changing win:

“They destroyed a bad team in Week 1, then destroyed a decent one Sunday. New OC Klint Kubiak’s system has certainly suited QB Derek Carr (league-best 5 TD passes and 142.4 passer rating while leading team to points on his first 15 drives of the season) and RB Alvin Kamara (league-best 5 TDs and 290 yards from scrimmage). Amazing how apparently declining vets can be revived by a fresh approach.”

Davis had high praise for new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and for good reason as many fans have seen him as the immediate reason for the turnaround of the team. Statistically speaking this is one of the best Saints offensive teams through two weeks ever, and that is validated by a whopping 91 points through only two games so far.

However, the Saints rank second of the NFC South teams, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rose from 11th all the way to 4th. The Atlanta Falcons also rose with their Week 2 win, going from 19th to 13th. The Carolina Panthers did end up falling the one spot remaining from 31st to 32nd after starting the season 0-2 and benching Bryce Young.

Overall a strong week for the Saints on the field, in the power rankings, and in the eyes of fans and media alike.