NFL Power Rankings after Week 4: Eagles fly to top, Lions enter top 3, Ravens plummet

Four weeks into the season and there are only a few things that we know for sure. The two remaining undefeated teams might have a perfect record, but they are far from perfect. Even the winless teams can put up a fight against a powerhouse like we saw the Saints do in Buffalo and the Giants do against the Chargers. We saw five teams from last week’s top 10 lose, and one of those teams tie. That means for the first time this year, there were some major shake ups in our newest edition of Power Rankings after Week 4.

1) Philadelphia Eagles (4-0) last week 2

It’s hard enough to beat the Eagles on a normal day, but when they block a punt and return it for a TD, and then go into their bag of tricks for a couple of TD plays inside the 10 it becomes almost impossible. It was brilliant for 30 minutes. Then it got complicated. That shouldn’t be a surprise considering the Eagles recent history against the Bucs. The defense allowed Baker to bring TB back into the game, but they made the plays when they needed to. They forced a fumble in the third quarter, and picked off Mayfield in the 4th. We could talk all day about the Xs and Os but just look at the Eagles schedule so far. They have played the Cowboys, Chiefs, Rams and Bucs in the first four games of the season and won them all. That’s why they are our new leaders in the Power Rankings after the month of September.

2) Buffalo Bills (4-0) last week 1

Call it a let up game, a trap game, or a fluke. Call it whatever you want to call it, but the fact is the Bills struggled against the New Orleans Saints. It shouldn’t have been that close, but luckily for the Bills they have the reigning MVP and when they need him most, he delivers. They hope to save those game changing performances for matchups against top opponents but he needed to put the cape on against a winless New Orleans team and got the job done. I don’t want to over react. Buffalo is 4-0 and the only undefeated team in the AFC, but the combined record of the teams they have played is 2-14.

3) Detroit Lions (3-1) last week 5

We have seen the Browns make life awfully difficult for some of the league’s top offenses, and that was the case for a few quarters in Detroit. In the meantime the defense held it down and picked off Joe Flacco a couple times in the first half and forced a fumble in the second half. With how much fire power this team has with Goff, and Gibbs and Montgomery and St. Brown and all the other guys, if the defense starts making a habit of creating take aways on a regular basis this team will go from dangerous to deadly.

4) Los Angeles Rams (3-1) last week 10

We have yet to see the Rams put a complete game together. Despite that, they are still 3-1 and could have been 4-0 if not for the second half collapse against the Eagles last week. Their game against Indy was far from an easy one and they needed a couple breaks along the way, but Matt Stafford smelled blood in the water, he hit Indy with a double edged dagger, first with a TD pass to Puka Nacua to tie up the game with 3:20 left in the 4th and then a couple minutes later as he hit Tutu Atwell on an 88 yard game winning TD. If not for the blocked game winning FG last week in Philly, the Rams could very well be the top team on the Power Rankings.

5) Indianapolis Colts (3-1) last week 6

Football games are 60 minutes long and it’s hard to pin point one play that determines a game’s outcome, but it’s hard to overlook Adonai Mitchell’s blunder fumble as he approached the end zone after a fantastic catch and run. That took a go ahead TD off the board early in the 3rd quarter, but there was still time to make amends. Instead he took another go ahead TD off the board with a holding penalty on Jonathan Taylor’s incredible 53 yard dash to the end zone. Five plays later LA was in the end zone on an 88 yard bomb from Matthew Stafford to Tutu Atwell. This game was decided by the plays LA made and the mistakes the Colts committed. It’s a learning experience for a young team that showed they are ready to be taken seriously just a month into the season.

6) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) last week 7

It was a nightmare start from the Bucs in their battle of undefeateds against the Eagles. They basically spotted the Super Bowl champs 14 points with a blocked punt returned for a TD and a Hurts pass to Goedert eight minutes into the game. You knew that Baker wasn’t going to give up that easy, but it got worse before it got better. PHI went up 24-3 before half but Tampa fought back and showed they can play with this Eagles team. They had their chances to tie the game up but a forced throw by Baker spoiled a red zone trip and the Bucs were handed their first loss of the season. They keep it close with good teams like the Bucs, but they do the same against teams like the Jets and the Texans so it’s hard to get a read on this team.

7) Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) last week 15

Can one player really make that much of a difference on a team of 53? Oh yeah, and if you need any proof just watch the Chiefs first three games of the season and then watch their game against Baltimore. Xavier Worthy’s return completely changed the dynamic of the pass attack for Patrick Mahomes. As a result, the other receivers got more space and the run game finally started to take shape. Worthy had 7 touches for 111 total yards, but that doesn’t paint the picture of his true impact. For the first time in a couple years, the offense looked like the juggernaut we grew accustomed to seeing at the beginning of the Chiefs dynasty.

8) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) last week 16

The wheels are rolling in Pittsburgh. Actually, they are rolling across the pond. After the Steelers defense finally had their coming out party against the Patriots last week, they went to Dublin and doubled down picking off Carson Wentz twice and keeping him under constant pressure. Aaron Rodgers and the offense still need a bit of fine tuning, but if the defense is rolling like they were for the first three and a half quarters against the Vikings, the Steelers won’t need him to be the MVP QB that he was five or ten years ago.

9) Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) last week 3

After three straight weeks of bliss to start the season for the Chargers, it seemed like nothing went right for them on their trip to the East Coast. The offensive line took another hit when Joe Alt went down and that made life awfully complicated for Justin Herbert and the offense. Herbert threw multiple INTs for the first time since 2023 and the defense looked unprepared to stop a rookie QB who killed them with his feet. This is a gut check for the Chargers who have heard for three straight weeks how they deserve to be in the conversation with the league’s powerhouses. We will see about that in the coming weeks.

10) Green Bay Packers (2-1-1) last week 4

Oh how fickle the NFL can be. One week you’re the Super Bowl favorite after rattling off a couple of wins to start the season but a loss to Cleveland and a tie in Dallas has nullified the first two wins to start season and now they have as many wins as the Cardinals. No dig at Arizona, but that’s not the conversation they want to be in. Jordan Love and the offense did their job. They put up 40 on the Cowboys which everyone is doing lately, but what happened to this defense that was supposed to be so dominant? They were flattened by Dak in primetime, but they still had a chance to win it at the end of OT. It seemed like they either didn’t know the OT rules, or just simple weren’t prepared for that situation and a terrible couple plays in the red zone cost them a win and almost cost them the tie.

11) Seattle Seahawks (3-1) last week 11

For 50 minutes the Seahawks played a pretty perfect game. The defense was standing strong, forcing turnovers and containing Kyler Murray and the Arizona offense. There was a good balance of run and pass game and they looked in control until the final few minutes of the fourth but things can change quickly in this league. A quick TD from ARI and a missed field goal turned the tides in the blink of an eye and the 14 point lead disappeared. Luckily for Seattle, they got a gift from the ARI place kicker who put them at the 40 with under 30 seconds to go and Darnold was able to set up a 52 yard game winning field goal from Jason Meyers. It doesn’t have to be perfect, especially on a short week against a division rival on the road but Seattle got the job done.

12) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1) last week 17

I’m not sure if I was the only one doubting this Jags team up until this past weekend. It just didn’t seem feasible that the defense could continue this unbelievable pace of creating turnovers, but they proved me wrong yet again this week. Every time red zone flashed to the game in San Francisco, it seemed like the defense was making a big play. Jacksonville forced four turnovers. The first three were turned into 17 points by the Jags offense, and the final one was the game winning strip sack on Purdy to seal the deal in San Fran. Combine that with the fact they got a special teams TD and Travis Etienne is looking like the RB the Jags were hoping to see when they drafted him, I think it’s about time I open my eyes and start to take this team seriously. I’ve said this before about the Jags in years past, and they flopped, so don’t let me down Jacksonville.

13) San Francisco 49ers (3-1) last week 9

Brock Purdy returned to action in the Bay, as the Jacksonville Jaguars came to town for an early season litmus test. We weren’t sure how good either team was, and the Niners problems rose to the top against Jacksonville’s big-play making defense. McCaffrey can’t get going in the running game, and that’s what this team does best. They ground and pound, and let their defense dictate as Brock Purdy waits for his moment to pounce on the prey. On Sunday from San Fran the undermanned offense were prey to the Jags D that picked them apart.

14) Denver Broncos (2-2) last week 14

After two heart wrenching losses in the previous two weeks, the scheduling gods had mercy on the Broncos in Week 4. The Cincinnati Bengals came into the Mile High City looking like a high school team, and the Broncos treated them like one. Nix was fantastic, JK Dobbins was the first RB to rush for 100 yards in the Sean Payton era, and the defense teed off on a team with no ability to move the ball. This should have been an easy win for the Broncos and it was, but it doesn’t give us much insight on just how good this team can be.

15) Baltimore Ravens (1-3) last week 8

It’s been far from a dream start to the season for the Baltimore Ravens. They have had to play a few really tough teams in the first month of the season, injuries are piling up, Derrick Henry suddenly has problems hanging on to the ball and they come out of Week 4 at 1-3 on the year. All of that was cause for concern, but on Sunday in KC panic started to set in when Lamar Jackson went to the bench with a hamstring injury. As of Tuesday morning his status is uncertain for the game against the Texans.

16) New England Patriots (2-2) last week 20

See what happens when you hold on to the ball? After turning it over five times last week against the Steelers, the smile came back to Drake Maye’s face in the post game presser and for good reason. He went 14/17 for 203 yards and a couple TDs as Stefon Diggs showed he’s ready to take the roll of top target in the second year QB’s arsenal. Meanwhile Mike Vrable’s defense showed they are starting to take shape. They are going to put that D to the test next week against Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.

17) Atlanta Falcons (2-2) last week 21

I was ready to write off the Falcons after seeing them get pounded by the Panthers last week. Luckily Raheem Morris believes in his team more than I do, and he went to the OGs to lift them out of the gutter. Bijan Robinson, Drake London and Kyle Pitts all scored TDs on the same day for the first time and Penix Jr. had a 300 yard day. It was a tough week, but Atlanta showed resilience after getting embarrassed in Carolina. Big character win for a team that needed some momentum heading into the their early BYE week.

18) Washington Commanders (2-2) last week 12

Jayden Daniel’s absence against the Raiders wasn’t as noticeable as it was in Atlanta when the Commanders went up against a desperate Falcons team. Last year the Commanders had a steady run game and a stingy defense, but this year this team is still trying to find it’s identity. That’s going to be tough with the face of the franchise sitting on the sideline with a knee injury.

19) Minnesota Vikings (2-2) last week 13

The bad news: The Vikings were man handled by the Steelers in Dublin. The good news: J.J. McCarthy can breathe easy. His job is safe. There were questions about Carson Wentz maybe being a better fit for this team after their blowout of the Bengals last week, but those were silenced in a hurry. The 24-21 score would suggest the game was closer than it was but the Steelers controlled the Vikes for all four quarters. The defense looked a shade of itself and the offensive line spent more time picking Wentz off the ground than blocking pass rushers. There was a half hearted attempt at a comeback in the 4th quarter, but by then Minnesota had dug themselves into too deep of a hole to climb out of and the Vikes dropped to 2-2.

20) Chicago Bears (2-2) last week 23

Let’s tip our cap to the Bears, who we were ready to toss in the gutter after losing their first two games of the season. Ben Johnson needed some time to get his guys playing like he wants them to play. They are far from that, but it’s getting better and it looks like the process is working. With how hard their division is, these games against teams that are equal or lesser to them are the games they need to be winning. They took it down to the wire, but a go ahead drive constructed by Caleb Williams is only going to help him grow, and a blocked FG to seal the game was the cherry on top for the Bears.

21) Arizona Cardinals (2-2) last week 18

After a few couple of cake games to start the season, things have got real for the Cardinals. Unfortunately the Cardinals have been hit by a dose of reality in the last two weeks, and the reality is they aren’t ready to compete with good teams like the Seahawks. For three and a half quarters it wasn’t good enough against Seattle. Marvin Harrison Jr. overcame a terrible first half and sparked the comeback to draw level with half a minute left. All was well in the desert, for a few seconds but kicker Chad Ryland gifted the Seahawks possession at the 40 which allowed Darnold to set up the game winning field goal and the comeback crumbled in the desert.

22) Dallas Cowboys (1-2-1) last week 26

Well, they didn’t lose to the Packers and that will count as a win in Jerry’s book, but we all know ties don’t really do you many favors when it comes to the end of the season. Dak went off against one of the top defenses in the league. That’s something to be happy about, but it seems that if the Cowboys don’t want to lose games Dak is going to have to put up video game numbers and Dallas is going to have to post at least 40 points to have any chance with the defense getting shredded like a slow cooked Texas pork shoulder.

23) Cleveland Browns (1-3) last week 19

For the second straight week, the Cleveland Browns took on a top team from the NFC and their defense kept it close until the final quarter. Unfortunately for the Browns, their offense couldn’t hold up their end of the deal after scoring an opening possession TD to take an early 7-0 lead. They would get outscored 34-3 the rest of the way, but Myles Garrett and the defense gave the Browns a punchers chance much like they did against the Packers last week. A punt return for a TD in the fourth quarter ended any possibility of a second straight miracle as Flacco and the offense fizzled in the fourth, going three and out, fumble and three and out on their final three possessions.

24) Houston Texans (1-3) last week 28

Through two quarters it appeared as though it was going to be another dreadful day for the Texans. Three quarters in and they still only led the Titans 6-0 as Houston continued to struggled despite the defense pitching a perfect game. Finally in the fourth quarter, the floodgates opened and CJ Stroud gave us a glimpse of what this offense used to look like. Three fourth quarter TDs turned an ugly win into a divisional blowout and the Texans can finally exhale for a moment after getting their first W of the season.

25) New York Giants (1-3) last week 30

It’s been a long time since there was reason to get excited about a quarterback in New York. Giants fans should still be salivating after watching Jaxon Dart’s debut against the LA Chargers. Not only did he lead the Giants to the first win of the season, but he did it against a top rated defense, and he did it without his best WR for most of the game. The Malik Nabers injury’s is devastating. He won’t be around to build chemistry with Dart all year, and you can see how much that pained him as he clutched his knee on the MetLife Stadium grass. He’ll be back, and by the time he’s back Dart will have a full season season under his belt.

26) Miami Dolphins (1-3) last week 29

It wasn’t exactly the overwhelming aerial attack that we grew used to seeing from the Dolphins back when they were good, and unfortunately it probably won’t be all season after seeing Tyreek Hill go down with a gruesome injury, but Miami finally got their first win on Monday night. Tua was efficient, De’Von Achane had a great game on the ground and Darren Waller proved to be a lethal red zone threat which Tua will need with Hill out for a while. It’s a bittersweet win for Miami, but at least they are in the W column.

27) New York Jets (0-4) last week 22

Penalties and turnovers. It’s as simple as that. The Jets have been in most of their games until the end, and if you erase the mental mistakes and self inflicted wounds this team might have a couple wins under their belt. This won’t have head coach Aaron Glenn dancing for joy on the sidelines, it’s going to have him headhunting in the film room.

28) Las Vegas Raiders (1-3) last week 24

If there is something Raiders fans will take comfort in after their last second loss to the Chicago Bears, it’s that Ashton Jeanty is the real deal. Three TDs on the day, and 138 yards on the ground was almost enough to single handily lead his team to the win. I get Geno Smith was a hero in Seattle once Russ left, but he can’t try and play hero in Vegas. They don’t have the team to afford him the opportunity to be tossing multiple picks a game. He leads the NFL with 7 interceptions and in one point games like Sunday’s those make the difference between wins and losses.

29) Carolina Panthers (1-3) last week 27

After their 30-0 blowout over the Atlanta Falcons last week, the Panthers took no time reminding us that they stink, and we can’t let one game fool us. This league is about consistency. You may not win every game, but you want to establish an identity. You want to come out and compete on a weekly basis. The Panthers have shown us they aren’t that kind of a team for many years, and it appears that this year will be no different.

30) Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) last week 25

There is absolutely nothing to be said about this team without Joe Burrow. Jake Browning is not the answer and if the Bengals want to stay in the chase for the postseason they are going to have to make a change at QB. It’s been hard to watch since Burrow went down. They have scored 13 points in the last two weeks with Browning in at QB, and the Cincy spiral has started. It’s going to be hard to escape with no roster changes.

31) New Orleans Saints (0-4) last week 31

Bravo to the Saints for going into Buffalo and standing toe to toe with one of the best teams in the league. They didn’t back down. They weren’t intimidated, and somehow they didn’t look outmatched by the Bills. I get that there are some short comings on both sides of the ball, but when you are in the red zone with a chance to take a lead before halftime and you try a Philly Special that completely changes the course of the game, you have to start pointing fingers. The players did a great job making life tough for the Bills, but it has to sting to see a play call cost the team some much needed momentum heading into the halftime break.

32) Tennessee Titans (0-4) last week 32

It took just four weeks for frustration to hit a boiling point in Tennessee for the No. 1 overall pick. They were shut out by the previously winless Texans and Cam Ward had seen enough by the time the post game conference came along. Both teams went into the game 0-3 on Sunday in Houston, but only one team looked like they were deserving of being at the bottom of the Power Rankings and that was Tennessee.

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