NFL Power Rankings
I thought week 2 was rough, but week 3 was even worse. Upsets are becoming the name of the game, and truly, we should expect half of our picks for either the spread or moneyline to be incorrect. Football is a fickle game, but that’s one of the reasons we love it.
There was a huge shakeup in the top 10 this past week. Many teams that we consider elite have fallen on hard times and can’t seem to pull it together. Others that we expected to be near the bottom have shown fortitude and growth and have climbed higher than ever. One thing we have to remember is that it is only week 4. We still have plenty of season left, and trends will likely shift, but for some of these teams, there is cause for concern.
For instance, 3 teams remain winless. The playoff implications for this start is huge. Generally speaking, if you start the season 0-3, you don’t make the playoffs. There have been some anomalies, but man, it is hard to bounce back from that. Is your team one of these 0-3 teams? Are they undefeated? Somewhere in the middle. Let’s see where they stand.
Biggest Riser: Minnesota Vikings (+9), Biggest Faller: San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals (-10)
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1)
Only five unbeaten teams are left in the NFL, and the Chiefs are one of them. Things looked bleak against the Falcons, but this team always finds a way to win even though a controversial pass interference call was missed in the end zone late.
2. Buffalo Bills (3)
The 2nd of the 5 unbeaten teams, this Bills team is a lot better than I expected coming into this year. Josh Allen shows how much he’s grown as a passer without having a true #1 option on this team. If they can win games like this as a team just imagine what adding more talent could do.
3. Detroit Lions (5)
Even without a stellar showing from Jared Goff, this team managed to find a way to win against a much-improved Cardinals team. I don’t think there is any reason to panic, but the Lions must find more consistency on the offensive side of the ball if they are going to make a deep playoff run.
4. Minnesota Vikings (13) 🚀
Who is stopping this team? Everyone wrote Sam Darnold off after his disastrous tenure with the Jets and allowed him to bounce around the league until he found a home in Minnesota. No, Darnold isn’t the long-term answer at quarterback, but he sure is playing his way to a fine payday as a backup/bridge option.
5. Seattle Seahawks (9) 📈
For a team that has a fair amount of injuries, they sure don’t seem like it. Seattle is one of the few that remains unblemished with its record. Kenneth Walker III missed his 2nd game in a row, but 2nd-year running back Zach Charbonnet continued to shine. This offense looks amazing in comparison to last year.
6. Houston Texans (2)
Maybe I was a bit overzealous on the Texans. They scored a paltry 7 points against Minnesota this week as C.J. Stroud threw 2 interceptions. He had not thrown one to this point in the year. I think the bigger story here was the trio of Nico Collins, Stefon Diggs, and Tank Dell all had rather productive games which is a good sign moving forward.
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (14)
The defense may be the biggest strength in Pittsburgh, but Justin Fields is showing some of the best quarterback play in the NFL. There is no way Mike Tomlin sits him when Russell Wilson gets healthy and I do believe the Steelers have found their long-term answer at the position.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (10)
If the Eagles are going to do well this season, Saquon Barkley will be the driving force. This passing attack is beaten up with A.J. Brown missing a good bit of time and DeVonta Smith getting injured this past week so Jalen Hurts is going to have to rely on the run game. Both handing off and rushing himself.
9. New Orleans Saints (7)
A crash back to reality, New Orleans looked confused against Philadelphia. Rashid Shaheed didn’t have any production as Derek Carr turned back into a pumpkin. This shouldn’t be the norm going forward, but what we were seeing previously won’t either.
10. Green Bay Packers (15)
Malik Willis leading this team to 2 wins while Jordan Love is out has been a spectacle. This team badly misses Love and will start clicking once he gets back, but the luxury of having a reliable backup in this league is invaluable.
11. New York Jets (17)
Is it time to panic about Garrett Wilson? He caught a touchdown this week, but other than that he was held in check. Allen Lazard is putting up gaudy numbers and it begs the question of whether or not Wilson will be the contributor he was supposed to be.
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8)
Scoring 7 points against Denver is certainly a way to make your fan base angry. This team looked to be on the up and up, but was it all just a mirage? There is still a real possibility they win the NFC South, but it can’t be with games like this.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (16)
Justin Herbert reaggravated his ankle injury but the Chargers held on for the win. Time will tell if Herbert will be back, but expect this passing attack to become less prominent than it already was. Smashmouth football is the name of the game in LA.
14. San Francisco 49ers (4) 📉
Losing this game against the Rams was a disappointment. Yes, they were without many key contributors, but so was Los Angeles. The fact that the 49ers could not secure this win raises alarm bells. Hopefully, San Francisco can get healthy soon.
15. Baltimore Ravens (11)
Baltimore finally got their first win with the dominant run attack that we are used to seeing from this team. Derrick Henry had 10 more carries than Lamar Jackson did passes in this game. As you’d expect, the passing game was not a focal point. I would expect more of the same.
16. Cincinnati Bengals (6) 📉
Yes, this was supposed to be a get-right game. Yes, multiple events happened for the first time in years. No, the Bengals do not look like a playoff team. This is the highest-ranked 0-3 team you’ll find but the panic is starting to set in.
17. Los Angeles Rams (18)
An amazing comeback victory for the Rams certainly breathes life back into this team. And it was done without. Arguably, the best receiver duo in the league. This team is depleted but Kyren Williams seems capable of carrying the load and leading this team to victory.
18. Dallas Cowboys (12)
Are we panicking about CeeDee Lamb? I certainly am not. We are seeing all of the holdout receivers struggle early in the year. Sure, we saw him start slow last year but we all know how that finished. The offense runs this Lamb and that’s not changing.
19. Atlanta Falcons (20)
Losing a game and they move up a spot? I must be crazy. This team is a lot better than their record shows. Their run scheme is one of the best in the NFL and when Kirk Cousins doesn’t have to be the star, he shines. The only issue now is the loss of their starting center and left tackle.
20. Indianapolis Colts (23)
Anthony Richardson has thrown 5 interceptions in his last 2 games. We knew this was possible, but the issue is he’s also not running either. Jonathan Taylor had a stellar game and we should expect to see more of this until Richardson can grow as a passer.
21. Arizona Cardinals (21)
The Lions aren’t the best team against pass coverage but they aren’t a slouch either. This was evident against Arizona in week 3. We saw the offense explode in week 2 and then revert right back to pedestrian in week 3. I don’t know what the answer is here.
22. Washington Commanders (30)
Jayden Daniels is him. He had as many touchdown passes as he did incompletions and set the rookie completion percentage record for a game. Opposite of the other rookie quarterbacks, Daniels seems to be making extraordinary progress.
23. Miami Dolphins (19)
We knew this team would struggle with Tua Tagovailoa missing time but 205 yards of offense is not what I expected. And to make matters worse, Skylar Thompson left this game with an injury. When it rains it pours.
24. Denver Broncos (29)
A statement win against a very competitive Tampa Bay team was just what this team needed. Bo Nix played turnover-free but it was the defense that showed out in week 3 holding the Bucs to just 223 yards for the game. To put that into perspective, that’s just 7 more yards than Nix had passing.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (22)
I had high hopes for this team this week, but I was reminded again of who they are. Not only did they lose to the Panthers but they had 36 points hung on them. The offense scored 22 but this team isn’t built to win shootouts.
26. Chicago Bears (25)
Caleb Williams had the best game of his young career, but it still wasn’t enough to secure a win. I can’t tell if he’s doing too much or if this offensive line is worse than we thought. Either way, it’s been a disappointment thus far.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (27)
I just don’t have an answer. Trevor Lawrence isn’t playing well and no one else on the offense is either. What a bummer.
28. Cleveland Browns (26)
Don’t even get me started with this team. Do you rush for 69 yards as a team against one of the worst run defenses in the NFL? What a disappointing showing this team is giving their fans.
29. New York Giants (31)
Simply put, if you have playmakers, you get them the ball. Malik Nabers tied with Anquan Boldin for the 2nd most receptions by a rookie with 23 and became the youngest player to score 2 touchdowns in a game (previously held by Mike Evans).
30. New England Patriots (24)
Drake Maye saw his first bit of action in the regular season and it went about as well as you’d think. Jacoby Brissett will remain the starter which will work in Maye’s favor.
31. Tennessee Titans (28)
Sure, Tennessee is 0-3 and the Panthers just won a game. I’d still rather have the Titans.
32. Carolina Panthers (32)
Ever heard the one about the blind squirrel and the nut? Don’t let this team fool you.
