NFL Power Rankings Week 4

The 49ers fall hard, Packers make a huge leap, but where are the undefeated Broncos and Panthers ranked?

32. New York Jets, 0-3

Zach Wilson cut his interceptions down in half this week only throwing 2 in a game where the Jets were shutout. They have Corey Davis so there is no excuse for them to get shut out, even with Wilsons’ struggles.

Either way, this is by far the worst team in the NFL and at least the Jaguars got close to a very good Cardinals team last weekend. On the bright side, if the Jets keep losing they can select another Quarterback #1 overall in next year’s draft like Heisman front runner Matt Corral. Or they can go with dominant defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux and bolster a defense that needs even more help than their atrocious offense.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars, 0-4

The Jags made things interesting against the Arizona Cardinals and the Cincinnati Bengals and guess why that is? Well, Urban Meyer finally gave more touches to James Robinson who flourished in his expanded role.

Whether or not Robinson continues on this trajectory, the Jaguars are going to have to get more consistency out of young QB Trevor Lawrence, who did not even throw a touchdown against the Bengals on Thursday night. Either way, Jacksonville isn’t going anywhere this season and should prioritize defense with the second overall pick if they end up getting it because that is the only thing they can look forward to right now.

30. Houston Texans, 0-3

An embarrassing loss to Carolina last Thursday night brought us back to reality on how bad the Texans really are. Their lone win came against the Jaguars and that may be one of only two wins they get all season long.

They have no run game, no defense, and a young QB now (with Tyrod Taylor out) in Davis Mills. If Mills can continue to establish a passing game that emphasizes getting the ball to Brandin Cooks and avoiding their awful RB’s then maybe the Texans could win 4 games.

29. Detroit Lions, 0-3

The Lions almost captured a signature win against a very good Ravens team and they really should have won that game. Justin Tucker made a 66-yard field goal to win Baltimore the game in a heartbreaking loss for the Lions, but there were definitely some positives for this team.

The first positive is that they are trending in the right direction and Jared Goff, D’Andre Swift, and Jamaal Williams all look better than expected. Even the defense looks good at times without star Cornerback Jeff Okudah who is out all year. They may not win more than 3 or 4 games, but the Lions are at least moving in the right direction, something they haven’t done in years.

28. New York Giants, 0-3

The Giants are way worse than I thought they would be. Three tough losses in a row aren’t ideal for Daniel Jones, Joe Judge, and this Giants team but they are definitely the best 0-3 team without question. Daniel Jones looks really good this year and for the first time ever I seriously do not think they need a QB change after this season. Jones has proven to be the Quarterback of their future and even though he isn’t great he is still an average to above-average QB in the NFL and will continue to get better.

Sterling Shepard has played great and even Saquon Barkley has been getting better, but the playcalling has been questionable, especially late in the game. How is it that you only score 16 points with that offense against the Falcons defense, which is one of the worst defenses in the NFL? I still believe that this Giants team is better than Washington and maybe even Philadelphia, but they need to start winning as soon as possible to avoid a complete embarrassment of a season.

27. Atlanta Falcons, 1-2

The Falcons surprised me and picked up a win against the Giants over the weekend. Matt Ryan did not look awful and the defense seriously stepped up and played well. I was not expecting that, but to build on this success the Falcons desperately need to get Kyle Pitts more involved. Otherwise, they have no chance at winning more than 3 games.

26. Chicago Bears, 1-2

Matt Nagy can’t call plays to save his life. You have a talented young QB in Justin Fields who you give the keys to the franchise to, and you embarrass him by setting him up for failure in his first start against a dominant Browns team? The Bears defense doesn’t even live up to its hype this year and that is supposedly their biggest asset.

They do play in the second weakest division in football and will get to play the Lions and Vikings twice where they could pick up some big wins. However, this team is already a disappointment and they need a new coach as soon as possible.

25. Washington Football Team, 1-2

At least the Football Team got Antonio Gibson more involved last weekend against the Bills. However, this team is far from being good and they get demolished when they play really good teams like the Bills. Ron Rivera still doesn’t know how to implement Gibson more into the offense and it will continue to hurt this team until he does.

24. Philadelphia Eagles, 1-2

Jalen Hurts wasn’t as bad as the stats say Monday night against the Cowboys. He had two linemen hurt and was pressured in the pocket almost every play. With no run game being developed, Hurts had to force a lot of passes which resulted in two interceptions.

Hurts also made some of the best passes I have seen all year with limited weapons, which is promising for Eagles fans. DeVonta Smith wasn’t involved in the offense for a second straight week and really needs to be if they want to win some games. The Eagles aren’t as good as I thought, but they will be sooner rather than later with a really good QB.

23. Indianapolis Colts, 0-3

This team is toast if they don’t win against the Dolphins on Sunday. Plain and simple. Other than that, the Colts desperately need Carson Wentz’s ankles to get 100 percent and at least some of their best lineman to play asap otherwise the passing game will be limited like last weekend since Wentz can’t move in the pocket and has now limited protection. It isn’t Wentz’s fault that the Colts played him hurt, but why did they?

Yes, it was a division rivalry game that many thought was a must-win game, but I would have sat Wentz regardless. Is Jacob Eason that bad that the Colts will ride with a not even 50 percent Wentz over him? Well, he must be, but Wentz’s injury and the injuries on the offensive line are not promising. Jonathan Taylor also hasn’t looked like himself all season and will need to against a pretty good Dolphins defense.

22. Miami Dolphins, 1-2

This team got embarrassed by their division rival Bills and then lost a tough game on the road in overtime against the Raiders. They played way better against Las Vegas, and if they can play like that against the Browns this weekend, they will have a chance to win.

However, I think this is a down year for the Dolphins and they may be better off with Jacoby Brissett at Quarterback instead of Tua Tagovailoa. Sorry Tua fans. At least Jaylen Waddle looks great and both Will Fuller and Devante Parker are balling on the offensive end as well.

21. New England Patriots, 1-2

The Patriots don’t look good at all and will undoubtedly fall to 1-3 after they play the Bucs this weekend on Sunday night football. However, they have a young Quarterback and haven’t figured out the identity of this offense yet.

It’ll take time, but it will help to be at least competitive against the Bucs this weekend. The Patriots’ playoff hopes don’t look great as of right now, but they are probably better than the Dolphins and that is a positive.

20. Minnesota Vikings, 1-2

People are probably going to say that this is too low for a Vikings team that was very impressive against a good Seattle team and their two losses came against a 3-0 Cardinals team and a 3-1 Bengals team. However, I am not yet sold on anything other than their offense.

The Vikings’ defense has looked horrendous and that trend will continue against the Browns this week. I get that the Vikings are better than their record and have had a very tough schedule to start the year, but they will remain at this position until they pick up more signature wins.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1-2

Yes, the Vikings are probably better than the Steelers just because they can actually score points. However, this Steelers team has a dominant defense and will probably be able to snag out 8 wins just on their defense.

Again, like I said last week, Roethlisberger can’t play QB anymore and it is evident. On the bright side, Najee Harris looks fantastic, and hopefully, for the Steelers’ sake, he can take the offensive load over for the team and help pull out some wins for the team.

18. Cincinnati Bengals, 3-1

Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Mixon all look lethal and the defense is not as bad as anyone thought they would be. They did not look that good against a very weak Jaguars team, but they did pull out the win which is all that matters. They got Tight End C.J. Uzomah involved Thursday night and he was crucial in the 24-21 victory over the Jaguars scoring two touchdowns.

Even though last week I said that the Bengals window to make the playoffs doesn’t open until at least next season, Joe Burrow hates losing and is willing his team to victories over some tough opponents. If Uzomah can continue to get more involved in the offense, and Tyler Boyd, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Mixon all continue to stay healthy and productive, then this team will be able to compete against some really good teams this year. Nonetheless, this isn’t a playoff team quite yet. Maybe they will change my mind at some point this season.

17. Seattle Seahawks, 1-2

The Seahawks have had a ton of issues so far this season losing close games to the Vikings and the Titans, two games they easily could have won. Russell Wilson, Tyler Lockett, Chris Carson, and DK Metcalf all look good, but their defense needs to step up and make some stops down the stretch for this team to start winning games and make the playoffs.

The job doesn’t get any easier this weekend when the Seahawks travel to San Francisco to take on the 49ers who are heartbroken after blowing a game that they should have won against the Packers. The 49ers haven’t lost two games in a row at home with Jimmy Garroppolo healthy and RB Elijah Mitchell should be back to wreak havoc against the worst rushing defense in the league. This will be more of a shootout than people expect, but if the 49ers can run the ball with efficiency and take time off the clock, then the Seahawks will be heading for an abysmal 1-3 start.

16. New Orleans Saints, 2-1

Yes, this might be low considering how dominant their defense has looked. but this is the same team that lost to the Panthers no? Again, the Saints got some key defensive players back for their game against the Patriots and they dominated Mac Jones and the Pats' offense.

However, even though I do believe that the Saints could be a playoff team, they haven’t shown me enough to think that they can secure a wild card spot over a team like the 49ers, Panthers, or Cardinals.

15. Tennesee Titans, 2-1

Yes, the Titans are clearly the best team in their division. However, they lost to the Cardinals badly and should have lost to the Seahawks as well. Their lone win where they were in control the whole game came against an injury-ridden Colts team and I am not sold on how good this team can be because of their inconsistencies on defense and in the passing game. They desperately need Ryan Tannehill to start playing like 2020 Ryan Tannehill where he was as consistent of a player as anyone in the NFL.

14. Denver Broncos, 3-0

Everyone thinks Denver is good. Just because they played 3 horrendous teams and came out with wins does not mean that they are going to beat really good teams. Their defense is elite, we all know that.

The offense will struggle for the first time this week against the Ravens and the Broncos will get a reality check. However, the Ravens also aren’t as good as everyone believes they are, so we may have to wait until Denver gets exposed by an elite team.

13. Dallas Cowboys, 2-1

The Cowboys’ offense looks amazing right now and the defense isn’t that bad at all. Micah Parsons will be a Pro-Bowler in his first season if he keeps his production up. The guy can play Defensive End, Linebacker, and wherever you want to put him. He and Trevon Diggs are dominating offenses and they should both be Pro-Bowlers this season if they can keep it up.

Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliot are both playing great while the receiving core remains solid with Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, and now Tight End Jordan Shultz. They have so many weapons on the offensive end and if they can get their defense to continue its surprising production, then the Cowboys will easily win 10 or 11 games and secure the NFC East.

12. Baltimore Ravens, 2-1

Too low? That’s what people are probably going to think when they see this, but you are only taking into account Lamar Jackson’s greatness, which isn’t enough to make this a dominant team. They are way too inconsistent on both sides of the ball and should have lost to the Lions had it not been for an NFL record 66-yard field goal from Justin Tucker.

They got lucky, and they have only played well in one game the whole season and they should have probably lost that one as well. I am not sold on how good this team is yet. Are they a playoff team? Yes, but can they win a playoff game? I am not so sure about that right now.

11. San Francisco 49ers, 2-1

Just like the Broncos, the 49ers had not played anyone good until Green Bay last Sunday night. The 49ers should have won that game and should have been 3-0 had they not given too much time to Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams. Jimmy Garroppolo usually folds in big games, but actually lead a signature drive where the 49ers converted on 3rd down plenty of times when the odds were against them.

The 49ers were also down 17-0 in that game and they still showed grit and came back to take the lead with 37 seconds left. However, they haven’t shown that they can beat a really good team and that is concerning for 49er fans. They will probably make the playoffs as a wild card but if they continue to play how they are playing, they will be outmatched by the Rams, Bucs, and Packers in the NFC.

10. Carolina Panthers, 3-0

Cupcake schedule but fantastic execution in game. That is how you can define this Carolina team who won’t have very many easy games to go for the rest of the season. Matt Rhule is obviously a great head coach and has his team playing very consistently through 3 games.

Sam Darnold is playing great and so is receiver D.J. Moore. However, Chuba Hubbard needs to have a huge week to help carry Chrsitian McCaffrey’s load on the offense. CMC will miss at least three weeks and Hubbard needs to be a beast in the run game and the passing game.

9. Arizona Cardinals

Cardinals fans already hate me by ranking them not in the top 8 two weeks in a row. But what has this team shown you? That they took advantage of an unprepared Titans team in the first week and snuck by both the Vikings and Jaguars? Kyler Murray’s MVP season is undeniable and DeAndre Hopkins, Rondale Moore, and Christian Cook are all playing well too. However, they will get a nice taste of reality when they play a PROVEN Rams team at Sofi Stadium on Sunday.

8. Las Vegas Raiders, 3-0

Give credit when credit is due. That’s what I am doing with the Raiders who obviously have beaten some tough teams through 3 weeks of the season. Derek Carr is having a Pro-Bowl season and like I said last week when talking about the Raiders, this team has grit and it shows. They find ways to win games, and their relentlessness and perseverance show. They play a very good Chargers team on Monday night and we will see if that grit continues to lead this team to victory.

7. Los Angeles Chargers, 2-1

The Chargers came away with a signature victory against the Cheifs at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City last Sunday and it must have felt fantastic. It was the first game we have seen Justin Herbert dominate like that. Austin Ekeler and Mike Williams continue to ball out, but it is the defense led by Joey Bosa, Asante Samuel, and Derwin James that has impressed me the most.

It may be crazy to say this, but if Herbert can play like that every week along with this overachieving defense, then the Chargers have a serious shot to make a postseason run this year. However, they have to get there first and capitalize on Red-Zone opportunities which they continue to struggle with.

6. Kansas City Chiefs, 1-2

The Chiefs are 1-2 but rank in the top 6 because they are the Kansas City Chiefs and are still the favorite in the AFC. They still have a top 3 QB in Patrick Mahomes, the best Wide Receiver in football in Tyreek Hill, and the best Tight End in football in Travis Kelce. The reason why they are on a 2 game losing streak is that they haven’t found ways to get Tyreek Hill more involved, resulting in limited pass production for Patrick Mahomes and the offense. Kansas City should return to form this week and dominate the Eagles this weekend.

5. Green Bay Packers, 2-1

The Packers rode on the back of Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams to win a crazy game on Sunday night against the 49ers. The Packers played better defensively than they did in the previous two weeks against the 49ers and that is promising. We know Rodgers, Aaron Jones, and Adams will continue to dominate on offense, but if the defense can do something as they did against the 49ers against other teams, this team has a serious shot to win the Super Bowl. Let’s see how they do against the Steelers this weekend.

4. Cleveland Browns, 2-1

The Browns have established themselves as a serious contender to win the Super Bowl. They have only lost one game, a 4 point loss to the Kansas City Cheifs, a game they easily could have won. The Browns’ success depends on Nick Chubb and the running game.

Too many times the Browns depend on Hunt instead of Chubb and get into trouble because of that. Chubb is ten times the rusher that Hunt is and to beat really good teams, they need to use Chubb to demolish defenses and use his power rushing to their advantage. Baker Mayfield is pretty good and will keep you in games as well, but Nick Chubb is the key.

3. Buffalo Bills, 2-1

I told you guys last week that Josh Allen would dominate the Washington Football Team and pass for 4 touchdowns. Check the receipts. Allen is about to dominate again with at least 4 touchdowns against the Texans this week. Expect Zack Moss to get at least one of them and rush for a touchdown as well. This team is so dominant on both sides of the field and if Allen continues to play like he did last week, then the Bills will be tough to beat all season long.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 2-1

One loss against the Rams doesn’t define how special this team is. They are still the clear Super Bowl frontrunner even with the Rams toying with them last week. Why is that? Well, last season we saw this Bucs team struggle against good teams early on, and then Tom Brady’s killer instinct went to another level in the playoffs where he dominated opponents. That is probably what is going to happen again, but as of right now Tampa Bay has some things to figure out and is only the 2nd best team in football.

1. Los Angeles Rams, 3-0

The Rams showed that as of right now they are the best team in the NFL with an astounding 34-24 win over the Bucs on Sunday. Matthew Stafford has been flawless passing for 9 touchdowns and only 1 interception, most of those touchdowns coming to Cooper Kupp. Kupp and Stafford are an even better tandem than Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams if that is possible.

Kupp has been the best receiver in the league and what Stafford and the Rams dominance shows is actually how bad Jared Goff is since he had virtually the same team minus Stafford and a couple of injuries. It’s mind-boggling how much better of a QB Matthew Stafford is and if he continues to play this way, then the Rams will be the undisputed favorite to win the Super Bowl until they don’t…or do.