Week 4 NFL Power Rankings
By Liam McKeone
Your weekly NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 4.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-3)
Josh Rosen looks like he could inject some life into Miami, and they looked adequate at times against the Cowboys. Still the worst team in the league, but things aren't quite as bleak as they were this time last week.
31. New York Jets (0-3)
Without Sam Darnold, this is an awful football team. When healthy, they're competitive, but as is, Le'Veon Bell needs help to win a game.
30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)
For all of the yards Andy Dalton has put up, the Bengals still average only 18 points per game. The defense isn't going to win anything on their own. It's a transitional year, and their record will continue to reflect that.
29. Denver Broncos (0-3)
We knew the offense would be bad, but it is a legitimate shock that the defense is in tatters, too. Most, including yours truly, thought it would be one of the best units in the league with Vic Fangio at the helm. Instead, they have ZERO (!!!!) sacks with Von Miller and Bradley Chubb on their team. This is a worst-case scenario for Denver.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-2)
Offensively, things clicked against the Giants. But they let New York waltz right back into the game and missed a chip-shot field goal for the win. The Bucs can turn it around, but seem permanently situated on the edge of disaster.
27. Arizona Cardinals (0-2-1)
Arizona can make things happen on offense, but every other aspect of their team needs major work. The Larry Fitzgerald resurgence has been an absolute treat, though.
26. Washington Redskins (0-3)
Case Keenum is medicore and the defense, the unit that was supposed to carry the team this year, is struggling as a whole. Terry McLaurin seems like a future stud, but he alone will not bring wins to Washington.
25. Oakland Raiders (1-2)
The Raiders have some fun young pieces, but that talent translating to wins seems like a far-off destination.
24. Tennessee Titans (1-2)
Another underwhelming season seems to be in the cards for Tennessee. Marcus Mariota is failing what feels like his final audition as a Titan so far.
23. Pittsburgh Steelers (0-3)
Mason Rudolph looked overwhelmed throughout most of his first start, but had his moments. The verdict is still out on him. But this team doesn't have the makings of a playoff sleeper.
22. New York Giants (1-2)
Daniel Jones. That is all.
Actuality, Jones' first start was exciting, but they were lucky to stay in the game. The team just isn't there yet on defense, no matter how good Jones might play this year.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
Gardner Minshew II turning out to be a serviceable quarterback may very well be the best storyline in the NFL this year. Not much else has gone well, and Jalen Ramsey wants a trade. They'll be fascinating to watch, but beating the Titans doesn't vault them into AFC South contention.
20. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Well, this has been disappointing. Everyone outside of the AFC North wanted the Browns to be good. But Freddie Kitchens looks out of his league and Baker Mayfield doesn't look anything like the guy we saw last year.
19. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
While Kyle Allen injecting life into the offense was encouraging, let's see him do it against a team other than the Cardinals before we crown him king of Carolina. It does mean Cam Newton can take his time getting back, a big positive.
18. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Easily one of this year's most disappointing teams, it's unclear what isn't clicking in Atlanta. But nothing is working and they lost Keanu Neal for the season again after getting smacked by the Colts. They need to turn it around quickly.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2)
The offense hasn't looked anywhere close to last year's iteration and the defense has suffered with no Derwin James. Not sure what the solution is, but the problems are clear.
16. Indianapolis Colts (2-1)
The plan is now clear -- an offense that doesn't turn the ball over and a stingy defense that doesn't give up big plays can win. But that makes for a low-ceiling team and they just lost a crucial cog in Malik Hooker. Atlanta was a big win, but the Colts don't scare anyone.
15. San Francisco 49ers (3-0)
Jimmy Garoppolo is getting back to his old self, but he isn't there yet. The pass rush has been frightening and lived in Pittsburgh's backfield. But considering their easy opening three games, the Niners still have some things to prove.
14. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
The Bills are undefeated, and Orchard Park rejoices. The defense has forced seven turnovers through three games. But Josh Allen has turned the ball over six times by himself. Much to work on, but many reasons for optimism.
13. Detroit Lions (2-0-1)
The Lions won a big game in Philly on Sunday despite several attempts to blow it. Everything is still coming together, but scraping together two wins against competitive teams in consecutive weeks is what good teams do. Detroit isn't there yet, but they're on the way .
12. New Orleans Saints (2-1)
There are few tougher tasks in the NFL than to start your backup quarterback and march into CenturyLink Field to beat the Seahawks. Sean Payton did just that. New Orleans won't return to powerhouse status until Drew Brees comes back, but they'll be fine in the meantime, even if they won't see as much good fortune as they did on Sunday.
11. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)
The offense finally broke it open this week, but it was against the Raiders. Dalvin Cook is the real deal, but can he hold up under this kind of workload?
10. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
Both injuries and drops have been continuous and unforgiving, and they lost a very winnable game against the Lions. Still, Carson Wentz and Doug Pederson are tough to bet against.
9. Chicago Bears
The defense certainly looks the part of a championship unit. Can Mitch Trubisky do just enough to prevent his team from losing? He did against Washington, but whether he can do it against the best of the best remains the question mark that will define this season.
8. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)
Dropping a home game to Teddy Bridgewater is brutal, but some wonky things happened during that game. Such losses happen. They're still a tough matchup with anyone in the league.
7. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
Baltimore may not have come away without a W, but it proved it belongs among the cream of the crop in this league by sticking with the Kansas City juggernaut. If there's such thing as an encouraging loss, this is as close as it gets.
6. Houston Texans (2-1)
Each week Deshaun Watson exits the field healthy seems like a victory by itself, but the Texans have proven themselves to be a good football team and beat the Chargers without much trouble. They need to keep it improving, but right now Houston looks like it could beat anybody.
5. Green Bay Packers (3-0)
The defense looks excellent, to the joy of Packers fans. The offense is puzzlingly inefficient, to the extreme frustration of Packers fans. Aaron Rodgers remains their quarterback, to the dismay of us all. There's definitely reason to be concerned about the offense, but I'd bet on Rodgers figuring it out sooner rather than later.
4. Dallas Cowboys (3-0)
As expected, Dallas steamrolled the hapless Dolphins. They seem quite well-rounded. New Orleans will be its first real test.
3. Los Angeles Rams (3-0)
Their SNF matchup with Cleveland was probably a bit closer than it should've been, but all's fine in La La Land.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
Patrick Mahomes and Co. reminded the Ravens who sits at the top of the totem pole. Nothing to worry about in KC yet.
1. New England Patriots (3-0)
Antonio Brown is gone, which reduces the Patriots from ridiculous Super Bowl favorites to regular old favorites. The defense hasn't given up a TD in 180 minutes of football, and the offense has room to improve. The Jets didn't stand a chance, and no one does until the halfway mark of the year.