NFL Week 4 Power Rankings: Who's Putting Their Best Foote Forward?

Three weeks of the NFL season in the books, can you believe it? Week 4 of the season kicks off on Thursday when the Chicago Bears (1-2) travel to Lambeau Field to face their division rival Green Bay Packers (2-1). This has been a crazy season so far, it's bound to get even crazier as the games continue. Let's see where your favorite team ranks in the Week 4 NFL Power Rankings. Which teams are putting their Best Foot(e) Forward, which ones are taking a few steps back?

32: Cleveland Browns

Tough loss to the Colts on Sunday. DeShone Kizer has been hard to evaluate three games into the season. He hasn’t looked as bad as his 53.2 quarterback rating would suggest: the potential is there. I didn’t want to put Cleveland here, but I had to.

31: San Francisco 49ers

Brian Hoyer looked decent against the Rams, throwing for 332 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. The defense, on the other hand, didn’t look so hot. 41 allowed points to an (albeit rejuvenated) offense in LA that continues to exceed expectations isn’t a good look for this 49er defense. I expect both sides of the ball to average out soon but for now, San Francisco is saved from the 32nd spot.

30: Indianapolis Colts

Things are looking up for the Colts. A timetable has been set for Andrew Luck’s return and in the meantime, Jacoby Brissett looks like he might be able to steal a game (probably not two) to help Luck’s cause upon returning. Brissett threw for 259 yards and a touchdown against the Browns on Sunday. Although the defense still doesn’t look good, Brissett may be able to beat the 49ers in two weeks with some continued efficiency.

29: Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati almost upset Green Bay in Lambeau. That has to count for something. Andy Dalton played his best game of the season, tossing two touchdowns and more importantly, ZERO INTERCEPTIONS! With games against the Browns and Bills on the horizon, Cincy won’t have opportunities to display how good they can be, but they’ll be able to prove/disprove how bad they are.

28: Los Angeles Chargers

It’s still weird not calling the Chargers the “San Diego Chargers.” LA has struggled thus far in the year, losing back to back close games before losing by 14 to the Chiefs on Sunday. Quarterback Phillip Rivers threw three interceptions against the Chiefs and never got the offense going. It is going to be a long season for the Bolts as they have a home game vs. the Eagles this week, followed by road contests against the Giants and Raiders.

27: Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins (hopefully) played their worst game of the season on Sunday, losing 6-20 to a team wasn’t favored to win any game this season in the Jets. Jay Cutler averaged five yards per attempt and didn’t throw a touchdown until the very end of the game. This is about as low as it can get for the ‘Fins. A home game against the Saints should give us an idea of how good/bad this offense really is.

26: New York Jets

The Jets put up a somewhat impressive showing against the Dolphins offensively. Josh McCown followed up his efficient performance against the Raiders with a near 250-yard, one touchdown outing. The defense looked dominant against Jay Cutler and company. Solid game for the Jets on both sides of the ball. Had this game went the other way, the Jets easily could have found themselves in the 32nd spot of these rankings.

25: New York Giants

The G-Men have had a very, very rough start to the year. Odell Beckham Jr. is gaining strength and confidence in his ankle and so is the offense. Quarterback Eli Manning threw two interceptions against the Eagles, but counteracted them with three touchdown passes and 366 yards. If this offense gets its act together, expect the Giants to rise in these rankings in the coming weeks.

24: Chicago Bears

Props to these Bears on a shocking overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, even if this was the highlight of the game:

Mike Glennon ranks 27th in total QBR this season, he is lucky he had Jordan Howard to bail him out this week. 24 might be the peak of the season for the Bears unless they can find a way to upset the Packers, Vikings, Ravens or Panthers in the next four weeks.

23: Arizona Cardinals

Another promising start for the Cardinals, but another sour finish. Carson Palmer has steadily improved in each week this season, but this offense still isn’t where it needs to be if it wants to maximize its potential. This is a low ranking for the Cards right now, but a game against the division rival 49ers this Sunday should put them back on track.

22: Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are a hard team to figure out right now. I’m not sure if the issue is whether Cam Newton is healthy or not or if he’s confident in his game. 16 touchdowns and 16 picks in his last 16 games is cause for concern. If MVP Cam shows up against New England, expect Carolina to be a lot higher in next week’s rankings.

21: Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens joins the large group of teams that are 2-1, but don’t play like it. Joe Flacco didn’t look good in weeks 1 or 2 and now has thrown 5 interceptions in three games. The Ravens will likely find themselves lower than 21st on this list next week and even lower the week after, with battles against Pittsburgh and Oakland on the horizon.

20: New Orleans Saints

The Saints are a team with a definite identity and style of play: offense is great, defense is bad. Both were great against the Panthers. If the defense can play even close to average this week against the Dolphins, the Saints could find themselves approaching the middle of the pack in the week 5 power rankings.

19: Houston Texans

After Houston, there’s only one more team in the top 18 that has a losing record. If it weren’t for the late game heroics of one Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr, Houston would be sitting at 2-1 and a lot higher in these rankings. DeShaun Watson threw 2 interceptions against the Pats but had his best game as a pro thus far, passing for 301 yards and a pair of touchdowns as well. This team will go as far as Watson takes it. I am a firm believer in the Texans’ defense, all the team needs is some improved QB play in order to make the leap from okay to good.

18: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs had an easy win in week 2 against the lowly Bears, but quickly were brought back down to Earth by the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. Quarterback Jameis Winston was picked off three times against the Vikings and even though he had 328 yards and a pair of touchdowns to go with it, he did not look as good as the stats show. Winston is going to have to pick up his play quickly, as the Bucs have the Giants and Patriots coming to town with little time in between (October 1-5).

17: Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars’ play correlates directly to the play of Blake Bortles. Bortles threw for 223 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions against the Titans, I think you can guess the result of the game. He threw for 4 touchdowns and no interceptions on Sunday, I think you can guess whether or not the Jags beat the Ravens. The secondary in Jacksonville is no joke. If this team can get average play from Bortles at worst, this can be a 7-9 win team.

16: Seattle Seahawks

Something is off every week with the Seahawks. In week 1, the offense came out flat. More of the same in week 2. Last week, the offense started off slow but finished with a bang, putting up 27 points on the Titans. This would usually end up as a win, but the stout Seattle defense floundered against Marcus Mariota and his dynamic duo in the backfield. Until Seattle can work out its kinks, I have no other choice but to rank the team in the middle of the pack. A matchup this week with the Colts might be just what the doctor ordered.

15: Buffalo Bills

The Bills had a great showing against Denver on Sunday. QB Tyrod Taylor completed an efficient 77 percent of his passes and tossed two touchdowns to boot. The Bills defense has exceeded expectations thus far in the season, only giving up 31 points in three games. This is definitely one of the weaker 2-1 squads, as I’m not convinced that the Bills are better than the Broncos (who they beat), but a solid win for Buffalo deserves some respect.

14: Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh just hasn’t looked like normal to start the year. Ben Roethlisberger doesn’t have the it factor he usually brings to the field. An upset loss to the Bears doesn’t help things. Matchups against the Ravens and Jaguars in the next two weeks should help Big Ben and company get their swagger back before a big road matchup with the Chiefs in Kansas City.

13: Los Angeles Rams

Unlike the Chargers, it feels right to have the Rams in Los Angeles. Their second season in LA has gone well so far. The team scared me a bit when it allowed 39 points to the 49ers last Thursday, but this offense looks legit. Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and Sammy Watkins looks like a great QB, RB and WR punch. Combine that with the fact that Aaron Donald is back and ready to lead this defense up front, and you’ve got a decent team. A road matchup with the Cowboys this Sunday will dramatically impact where the Rams sit on the list next week.

12: Dallas Cowboys

Speaking of Dallas, how ‘bout them Cowboys? After a rare 2-interception outing from Dak Prescott and an 8-yard effort from Ezekiel Elliot against the Broncos, both guys bounced back in a big way against the struggling Cardinals.

When Dak Prescott is making plays like this, the Cowboys are tough to beat. The ‘Boys started off a bit sluggish, but were rolling on all cylinders by the end of the game. Expect more of this going forward.

11: Denver Broncos

It was just a bit over a week ago when the Broncos demolished the Dallas Cowboys, 42-17. Oh, how quickly things change in the NFL. Denver had a rough game traveling to New York to face the Bills, losing 26-16. Trevor Siemian did not look like he did in week 2, throwing no touchdowns and 2 interceptions. Expect Siemian to bring his A-game in what is anticipated to be an old-fashioned AFC West shootout with the Raiders this Sunday in Denver.

10: Washington Redskins

The Redskins played one of their best games in recent memory against the Raiders, holding Derek Carr, Marshawn Lynch and company to just 10 points on Sunday night. Kirk Cousins rebounded from two average games in a big way last week, totaling 365 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Redskins find themselves in the top 10 this week, but a big Monday Night Football matchup with the Chiefs could raise or drop them quite a few spots.

9: Oakland Raiders

Listen, the Raiders will be just fine. Is the defense going to be good? Probably not. Is the offense going to be great? Probably. Oakland had an off game against the Redskins, but this offense is too talented to have two bad weeks in a row. Expect a big day from Oakland’s offense against Denver this Sunday.

8: Green Bay Packers

If Green Bay hadn’t narrowly defeated Cincinnati, I’d probably have them in my top 5. The Packers’ defense is not good, but we already knew that. Much like the Raiders, this ranking is mainly anchored by what we know about the offense. Aaron Rodgers is one of the top 2 quarterbacks in the NFL, as shown by this play:

Green Bay will be fine. The Pack could climb a couple spots after playing the Bears Thursday at Lambeau.

7: Philadelphia Eagles

Despite a pedestrian outing from QB Carson Wentz (176 yards and a touchdown) Philly looked like the team we knew they would be this season. Dramatics aside, the Eagles are a legit team. How legit they are depends on how well Wentz plays throughout the year. That front seven scares me (in a good way). A road matchup with the Chargers should allow this offense to flap its wings, pun intended.

6: Minnesota Vikings

Case Keenum threw for 369 yards and 3 touchdowns against the Bucs. Yes, that Case Keenum. I’m convinced that nearly any QB can step in and play at a near-average level in this system. With the Lions and Packers being 2 of the Vikings’ next 3 opponents, we’ll need the week 3 version of Keenum or the week 1 version of Sam Bradford to show up in order to prevent Minnesota from falling in the rankings.

5: Tennessee Titans

I’m sure a lot of you were wondering if I had forgotten the Titans on my list. Not at all, they’ve just been that impressive. Marcus Mariota had his best outing of the season thus far (225 yards, 2 touchdowns) as the team upset the Seahawks, 33-27. The defense is doing enough to keep opponents at a distance, and the offense features two of the most exciting backs in the NFL. Tennessee is 2-1 at the moment and has the chance to build significantly on that record. The Texans, Dolphins, Colts, Browns, Ravens and Bengals are the next 6 opponents the Titans will face.

4: Detroit Lions

The Lions showed me a lot on Sunday. The offense is averaging 28 points per game, while the defense is allowing 21 points a contest. Detroit nearly, nearly, nearly completed another 4th quarter comeback on Sunday against an Atlanta team that some see as the best in the NFL. A near 3-0 start is too much to ignore. Really, nearly:

Detroit’s high-scoring offense is a lot of fun to watch. As long as points are being put on the board, Detroit will be one of the most exciting teams in the NFL to watch.

3: New England Patriots

I'm not sure if someone asked Tom Brady to show us how many rings he had or how many touchdowns he threw for on Sunday. Tom Brady is back to being Tom Brady. He has 8 touchdown passes in his last 2 games, including this game-winner to Brandin Cooks:

Brady was lights out on that comeback drive, throwing for 93 yards. What a special throw and a special player. Let’s keep in mind that the Texans hung in there against New England and only lost by 3 points. Still, credit where credit is due. The Pats are absolutely one of the 3 best teams in the NFL right now.

2: Atlanta Falcons

Had the Falcons dominated the Lions, they would likely be in the top spot in this week’s power rankings. Much like the Lions, the Atlanta offense is potent and will put up lots of points every week. This team is built to win shootouts. There will be a lot of scares near the end of games, but expect the Falcons to come out on top in a lot of them.

1: Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs had their worst game of the season against the Chargers and still won by 14, thanks in large part to this dagger by rookie phenom Kareem Hunt:

That’s the word to keep in mind when comparing this year’s Chiefs team to that of last year: dagger. Justin Houston and Marcus Peters can make a game-clinching play on defense. Kareem Hunt and now Alex Smith can put the game on ice when the offense has the ball. This team is a lot of fun to watch and looks like the best in the NFL through 3 weeks.

That's it for this article. Than you a bunch for reading! We'll see how these teams hold up this week and where they'll rank in my Week 5 Power Rankings! In the meantime, make sure to put your Best Foot(e) Forward in everything you do! Spread positivity and happiness, it's contagious.

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