NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 5
The Cardinals just put themselves on the map, while the 49ers fall dramatically in the new Power Rankings
Jacksonville Jaguars, 0-4
Only because the Jets won a game, the Jaguars now are undoubtedly the worst team in the NFL. They probably won’t win all season long now since the players don’t like their own coach because of his lack of leadership. Urban Meyer didn’t fly with the team, was out drinking in Ohio instead, and he has lost the locker room.
The Jaguars actually played really well against the Bengals losing 24-21 against a decently good team last Thursday. Trevor Lawrence played well and James Robinson continued to dominate the run game.
The defense also stepped up and only allowed 24 points. This is progress for a team that has looked lost many times this season with no identity. Who knows how they will play this weekend considering the whole Urban Meyer situation.
Detroit Lions, 0-4
They almost beat the Ravens last weekend, but they got embarrassed by a very bad Chicago Bears team this week, a game that they easily could have won. Either way, Jared Goff fumbled 3 times and his inconsistencies continue to plague this offense.
D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams look good through 4 weeks (even though Swift played awful against the Bears), but this team is going to have to fix the inconsistencies to win more than 2 games on the season.
Houston Texans, 1-3
40-0. That is how bad the Texans lost to the Bills last weekend. Granted, the Bills are arguably the favorite in the AFC while the Texans are the worst team in the AFC without Tyrod Taylor. Regardless, this was a complete embarrassment of a game and it’s not going to get better until Tyrod Taylor returns.
New York Jets, 1-3
They actually got a win. Isn’t that insane? Zach Wilson played well in the second half and in overtime to secure the Jets their first victory against the projected AFC South winner Titans. It was a big win that no one expected, but it happened and now the Jets are the 4th worst team in football as of now, not the worst.
That is progress for this team, but Zach Wilson really needs to cut down on his interceptions and continue to get star receiver Corey Davis more involved. Good things happen when he does.
Atlanta Falcons, 1-3
The Falcons are coming off of a blown lead against the Washington Football Team. I mean they had the game won, but they are the Falcons so we’ve grown accustomed to them blowing leads. Cordarelle Patterson has been the lone Star of this time so far this season. His performances alone are not enough to win games.
The defense is still atrocious and no one can save this team. Well, they could always get Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley more involved but for whatever reason, they can’t seem to get them going.
Miami Dolphins, 1-3
The Dolphins should be in panic mode right now. Ever since their 17-16 win over the Patriots in Week 1, they have looked awful and there isn’t light at the end of the tunnel, at least for this year. This season is done for the Dolphins unless they pick up a win this weekend against the Bucs which is highly unlikely.
Pittsburgh Steelers, 1-3
This may be the worst offense in the NFL. Since the first week of the season in these write-ups, I have said that Ben Roethlisberger has no business being in the NFL anymore.
The Steelers are wasting a dominant defense, a great Running Back, and a good receiving core with a washed QB who can’t pass the ball to save his life anymore.
Mike Tomlin will have to make a tough decision and move on from Big Ben at the end of the season. However, Tomlin may want to try out Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins at Quarterback to see if they can do any better.
New York Giants, 1-3
The Giants picked up a much-needed win against a decent Saints team and both Daniel Jones and Saquon Barkley looked great. The defense did not look awful either, and that win is very promising for Giants fans as their season still has time to be saved.
They just need to desperately pick up another win this weekend against the Cowboys, which is very unlikely with the way the Cowboys are playing.
Philadelphia Eagles, 1-3
The Eagles’ offense is really good, but too bad its defense couldn’t seem to stop both the Cowboys and the Chiefs.
Yes, the Eagles are dealing with some injuries to their defense, but this team seems much better than their 1-3 record and that is due to Jalen Hurts’ stellar performances in the passing and the run game every week this season.
Hurts is the answer for the future, but the Eagles need some more pieces on both sides of the football before they can compete at the highest level.
Chicago Bears, 2-2
Don’t let a 2-2 record fool you into thinking that the Bears are a good team. Yes, they have a good defense, but they also have possibly the worst offense in the NFL behind the Pittsburgh Steelers. Matt Nagy does not know how to call plays for Justin Fields and it is showing.
The elite receivers Allen Robinson II and Darnell Mooney have barely been involved and targeted in-game and everyone has suffered because of that. This offense is so bad that it is hard to watch on television. If the Bears want any shot of making the playoffs they need to figure out how to get their star receivers more involved and to change their playcalling for their talented young QB, Justin Fields.
Indianapolis Colts, 1-3
The Colts picked up a much-needed victory against the Dolphins last weekend, and an embarrassment by the Titans in Week 4 gives this Colts team hope that they can still win the division. However, to do so it would help if they picked up a big win against the Ravens in Baltimore on Monday night.
Carson Wentz needs to target Michael Pittman and Jonathan Taylor the whole game for the Colts to win. Taylor also needs to replicate his great performance from last weekend against the Dolphins.
Minnesota Vikings, 1-3
The Vikings had a fantastic offense through the first 3 weeks of the season, then they played the Browns where they couldn’t get anything going. Kirk Cousins could not get going the whole game and Dalvin Cook was kept in check as well.
The Vikings have been in every game and are a better team than their 1-3 record. However, it would help this team tremendously if they pick up a win this weekend against the Lions, and they should definitely win. I expect a bounceback game from Kirk Cousins and Dalvin Cook.
Washington Football Team, 2-2
The Football Team came back and won against the Atlanta Falcons behind a big game by Taylor Heinicke and receiver Terry McLaurin. They have a big game against another 2-2 team in the New Orleans Saints this weekend and if Taylor Heinicke, Terry McLaurin, and Antonio Gibson continue to play well, they have a serious shot at winning which would put them right back in the division race.
Their defense hasn't performed nearly to the level they should be performing at, and if it can get back to how it was last season, then this Washington Football Team may not be as bad as we think they are.
New England Patriots, 1-3
Mac Jones and the Patriots played fantastic against the Bucs, only losing by two points in a game that they easily could have won if it weren’t for some questionable playcalling decisions by Bill Belichick (not going for it on 4th and 2).
Either way, the Patriots are the best 1-3 team and their defense has played great all season long. They have just gotten some bad breaks. They are bound to start putting together wins soon and playing the Bucs that well was a good start to a promising rest of the season for the Patriots.
New Orleans Saints, 2-2
Again, the Saints look dominant one week and awful the next week. The inconsistencies have been the biggest issue for this team on both the offensive and defensive end.
Jamies Winston throws 5 touchdowns one week and 2 interceptions the next…well that is expected. But the defense dominated two weeks ago and played awful this last weekend.
This has to be a coaching issue right? Either way, it’s too early to really know who this Saints team is other than they are supremely inconsistent in every single way possible, not just with Jameis Winston.
Tennesee Titans, 2-2
The Titans are coming off of an embarrassing loss to the New York Jets, yes the New York Jets who looked like the worst team in football until their matchup with the Titans last weekend. Julio Jones and A.J. Brown did not play, which obviously hurt Ryan Tannehill’s production. However, even when those guys have played this season, something has been off with this offensive scheme.
Tannehill can’t seem to ever get Jones or Brown involved in the offense, and just because Derrick Henry is producing does not mean there isn’t obviously something wrong with the offensive game plan. The Titans’ defense looks really weak as well and who knows how they will do the rest of the year if they keep playing like this.
San Francisco 49ers, 2-2
The 49ers aren’t a bad team, just an unlucky one. They should be 3-1 right now, but instead, they are in last place in their division at 2-2. San Francisco started off fantastic winning their first two games. Then, they proceeded to lose to the Packers on a last-second field goal in Week 4 and then lost to the Seahawks in Week 5 at home. The sad thing is that the 49ers dominated the Seahawks in the first half with over 240 yards of offense, but only scored 7 points. Getting into the Red-Zone after big drives have been an issue for the 49ers all season so far.
Tied at 7 at halftime, the 49ers then got outplayed by Seattle the rest of the game and lost 28-21. This was a must-win game for both teams and Seattle came out on top. Now the 49ers are going to lose again in Arizona on Sunday afternoon and will be 2-3 with their playoff hopes looking very dim. This was supposed to be a Super Bowl contender, but now they would be lucky to get into the playoffs.
Cincinnati Bengals, 3-1
Joe Burrow has been playing great along with the whole Bengals offense, which has resulted in them being 3-1. Even the defense is defying expectations and putting together some really good performances.
Joe Mixon is out this week which will affect this offense tremendously when they play the Packers this weekend. Expect the Bengals’ run to be over and to go back to normalcy after they lose to the Packers this weekend in a close one.
Seattle Seahawks, 2-2
Seattle needed to win that game against the 49ers last weekend and they did pretty easily. They started out slow, but once they got going, they got going and the 49ers had no chance. The Seahawks’ biggest issue is their defense which could cause them to miss the playoffs if its woes continue.
However, the 49ers win puts them in a good position with momentum heading into a tough matchup against the Rams on Thursday night football. Seattle would love to get another win this week against the Rams but it will require a flawless game from Russell Wilson to do so.
Denver Broncos, 3-1
The Broncos obviously have a dominant defense and should be able to get to 4-1 if they can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers this weekend in what should be an all-defense battle with little offense.
If Teddy Bridgewater is able to play instead of Drew Lock, then this team will have a very high chance of beating the Steelers who have no offense to begin with. I am not sold on this team being a playoff team just yet, but if they continue to pull out W’s they could be one.
Carolina Panthers, 3-1
Carolina was just gifted Stephon Gilmore, the All-Pro Cornerback from the Patriots, bolstering their already dominant defense even more. Sam Darnold leads the league in rushing touchdowns and D.J. Moore has become one of the league’s premier Wide Receivers.
The Panthers should be able to make the playoffs this season as a Wild Card team, but they will need to get Christian McCaffrey back as soon as possible to keep their really good record. When McCaffrey plays this is a whole different team obviously.
Las Vegas Raiders, 3-1
The Raiders tried to pull off another comeback against a dominant Chargers team and they couldn’t pull it off. Now they will be playing the Bears, who they should beat pretty easily and get to 4-1 on the season.
Derek Carr has a great connection with Darren Waller and Hunter Renfrow, but if they can get Henry Ruggs more involved on the deep routes then this offense could take their game to a whole nother level. The Raiders are a good team this year and only lost because they faced the best team in the AFC right now.
Kansas City Chiefs, 2-2
The obvious best 2-2 team in the NFL is the Chiefs who have only won this season when Tyreek Hill has had more than 120 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Any time he has an off game, the Chiefs lose and that simply isn’t a coincidence. The Chiefs have honestly had a tough time managing the superstars on their offense including Travis Kelce and Tyreek Hill.
One week Kelce goes off and Hill has an off day, while the next week it’s the opposite. That can’t be the case as they need to target Hill and Kelce both 13 times each per game if they want to win the big games they have been losing so far this season (and last season if you consider the Super Bowl loss)
Their defense simply isn’t good enough to sustain not getting Hill or Kelce involved on the offensive end. For this team to come back, win the AFC, and possibly win the Super Bowl, they will need to put up 35-40 points a game, which is possible with their offensive superstars.
Cleveland Browns, 3-1
Baker Mayfield looks awful, which leads me to believe that this team won’t be as good as anyone thought they would be. I mean they only put up 14 points against an abysmal Vikings defense. Can you believe that? 14 points and the only offense was coming from Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. For the Browns to win big games like the one this weekend against the Chargers, Mayfield will need to be more consistent in the passing game like last year.
Mayfield desperately needs to use Odell Beckham Jr. to his advantage and target him 13 plus times a game since Beckham Jr. is a mismatch nightmare for defenses. Cleveland’s defense and run game is incredibly solid, but their passing game needs to be on par or at close to being on par with their run game and defense to win the AFC and the Super Bowl. Otherwise, the Browns are in for another early playoff exit when this team is talented enough to win it all.
Green Bay Packers, 3-1
Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, and Davante Adams are absolutely rolling and that means W after W after W will continue to come for the Packers even with a subpar defense.
Their offense is back on its historic pace last season thanks to the great playcalling and offensive superstars doing their thing. The Packers remain a serious threat to go to the Super Bowl and they will improve to 4-1 when they beat the Bengals this weekend.
Dallas Cowboys
Dak Prescott, Dalton Schultz, Ezikiel Elliot Amari Cooper, and CeeDee Lamb make a fantastic offensive core that the Cowboys use to their advantage. Prescott has established himself as an elite top 10 Quarterback in the National Football League without any question after his injury. Prescott was always a top 10 QB, but now there are only questions on if he is a top 5 QB,
Trevon Diggs has had one of the best starts to the season as any Cornerback has ever had as he has 5 interceptions and 8 pass deflections which both rank 1st in the NFL through four games. Micah Parsons is also special and is on his way to being an All-Pro defender as well. A lot is coming together for this team and they are leaps and bounds better than any other team in their division. For the first time in a long time, the Cowboys are on their way to a nice playoff run this season.
Baltimore Ravens, 3-1
The Ravens have Lamar Jackson and that is all you really need to be considered a Super Bowl contender. However, the injuries to both the offense and defense could prove costly in a probable playoff run.
Lamar Jackson can only do so much, but at least this season he has already beaten the Chiefs, something he had yet to accomplish in his already prestigious start to his football career. The defense needs to continue to play well this weekend against the Colts and the Ravens should come out on top with a W.
Los Angeles Rams, 3-1
The Rams suffered an embarrassing 37-20 loss at home to the Arizona Cardinals last weekend, but still, remain one of the league’s best teams due to their consistency on offense. Like I said in my preseason power rankings, the Rams lost John Johnson and Troy Hill, therefore becoming much worse on the defensive end this season, even with their star players. However, they are still a top ten defense and should have played better than giving up 37 points against the Cardinals.
The offense has been so good this year behind Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Darell Henderson, and Robert Woods as well. They will have to ride on Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford to continue to win big games. They are due for a big victory to get to 4-1 on Thursday night when they play the Seattle Seahawks.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 3-1
The Buccaneers remain one of the favorites to come out of the NFC despite back-to-back subpar performances to the Rams and Patriots. The Bucs have Tom Brady, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, and Antonio Brown on offense.
That is all you need to know to understand how lethal the Bucs’ offense is and why it will win them 12-13 games this season regardless of their defense not playing up to its potential. They will be 4-1 after they pick up the victory against the Dolphins this week.
Buffalo Bills, 3-1
The Bills have a very tough matchup this weekend on Sunday night football against the Chiefs, but they should be able to come out on top. They have proven to have a better team so far this season than the Chiefs and as long as their defense steps up and only gives up 24-27 points against the Chiefs, then the Bills should come out with a victory.
Along with the dominant defense, the Bills’ offense is led by QB Josh Allen, who is back to his MVP-type production and should show it again this weekend against one of the worst defenses in football.
Los Angeles Chargers, 3-1
The Chargers are the best team in the AFC as of right now. Is that too hard to believe? Justin Herbert is still going on his historic pace to start his career, Austin Ekeler looks the best he has ever looked so far, and Mike Williams has joined Keenan Allen to be co #1 receivers on the offensive end.
What has been even more impressive than the Chargers’ high-powered offense is the Chargers’ defense which has stepped up to the plate against really good offenses all year long.
They only gave up 20 points to the Cowboys, only 24 to the Chiefs, and only 14 to the Raiders, all 3 teams having top ten offenses so far this season. If the defense can keep it up along with the offense obviously, then the Chargers have a legitimate shot at making the Super Bowl.
Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are undoubtedly the best team in the NFL right now as the only undefeated team left and a team that is coming off of a big win against the Rams in their home stadium. Kyler Murray is the MVP frontrunner and the defense continues to step up when it needs to in big games.
I expect this team to continue rolling and exploiting a young Trey Lance and the 49ers at home this weekend to get to 5-0. This is a really good football team with a superstar QB. And we all know that if you have a superstar Quarterback then you can make the Super Bowl.