NFL Composite Power Rankings: Week 4
After what could be considered a very interesting series of developments in this past week's slate of games, our panelists had wildly divergent opinions on which teams belonged where in their respective rankings. But there are some clear buyers and sellers on some squads as well. Note the wide spreads for a few teams going forward.
The Gridiron Eye takes 5 nationally recognized power rankings (Mike Florio, ProFootballTalk; Dan Hanizus, NFL Media; Nate Davis, USA Today; Pete Prisco, CBS Sports; NFL Nation staff, ESPN) and bases a power ranking on the average of those polls. Also noted will be a spread between the highest and lowest ranking each team receives to show consensus, with narrow spreads to denote agreement and wide spreads to show disagreement. A second integer in parentheses will note change from last week's composite ranking.
1. New England Patriots (-) (1.0 average, 0 spread) The Pats were not the razor sharp outfit that many were just handing the Lombardi Trophy to save the formality, but they made the plays they needed to defeat division rival Buffalo.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (-) (2.0 average, 0 spread) Patrick Mahomes did not throw a touchdown pass in Detroit and were behind a majority of the game, yet they still found a way to win the game. The Chiefs showed resilience, which makes them all the more dangerous.
3. New Orleans Saints (+4) (3.2 average, 1 spread) The Saints showed against quality competition that they can win without Drew Brees as he convalesces from thumb surgery. Until further notice, the Saints are the top team in the NFC.
4. Dallas Cowboys (-1) (4.8 average, 2 spread) Playing the Saints in the Superdome was a tall task, but no touchdowns scored? These Cowboys still need a little more seasoning.
5. Green Bay Packers (-) (7.0 average, 4 spread) The Packers lost a tough game against a desperate Philadelphia Eagles squad on a short week. Titletown will need the extra rest to prepare for the Dallas Cowboys.
6. San Francisco 49ers (+4) (7.6 average, 9 spread) The lift in the rankings may have been due to catching their bye week early. The spread between the ranking lists shows not everyone is on board.
7. Los Angeles Rams (-3) (7.6 average, 10 spread) The clunker against the Buccaneers may be an anomaly, but now there are questions about Jared Goff's ability as a passer. Was it just a bad game, or a discernable weakness been found?
8. Chicago Bears (+4) (7.8 average, 5 spread) The Bears won a convincing result over the Vikings, but lost Mitchell Trubisky for a few weeks due to a shoulder dislocation. Given Trubisky's struggles, is his injury a blessing or a curse?
9. Seattle Seahawks (+4) (9.2 average, 10 spread) The disparity of the rankings shows that whipping up on the Cardinals only means so much. The Thursday Night tilt against the Rams will be a better gauge on where the Emerald City Birds are.
10. Philadelphia Eagles (+7) (10.0 average, 7 spread) The Eagles won a crucial road game in Green Bay. Now with the Jets visiting the Linc, the Eagles need to maintain momentum.
11. Buffalo Bills (-2) (10.4 average, 3 spread) The loss to the Patriots caused the Bills to dip a little in the rankings, but the fact they played one of the league's toughest teams hard for four quarters both mitigated the fall and served notice to their future opponents that the Bills should not be taken lightly.
12. Detroit Lions (+3) (11.6 average, 11 spread) USA Today put the Lions 4th after taking the Chiefs to the limit, while the rest of the lists moved Detroit up a tick or two. Just as in the standings, wins in games like that will translate into the Lions going up.
13. Los Angeles Chargers (+3) (13.2 average, 6 spread) The Chargers picked up an easy win in Miami. Let's see if that boosts the confidence of a squad that is dealing with injuries and trying to keep pace with Kansas City.
14. Baltimore Ravens (-8) (13.6 average, 6 spread) OK, losing to the Chiefs wasn't the worst thing in the world. But getting spanked by the Cleveland Browns with the AFC North lead on the line was painful.
15. Cleveland Browns (+4) (14.0 average, 7 spread) All of a sudden, the Browns find themselves in the lead in the AFC North. Now, they face the 49ers in a marquee interconference game on Monday Night Football.
16. Minnesota Vikings (-8) (17.0 average, 9 spread) The Vikings, specifically QB Kirk Cousins, stunk in Chicago against the Bears, and the team showed some fissures. Is this simple frustration after a divisional loss or something bigger?
17. Carolina Panthers (+5) (18.0 average, 4 spread) Kyle Allen has two consecutive wins as Cam Newton's injury replacement under center. Once Newton's convalescence concludes, does he get his job back?
18. Houston Texans (-7) (18.2 average, 11 spread) It seems like the Texans are more talented than a muddling 2-2 record. So who's under achieving, the players or the coaches?
19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7) (19.0 average, 9 spread) OK, the Bucs had a great game against the defending NFC champion Rams. But we've seen this movie before, where a good performance is backed up with a bad one.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (-) (19.2 average, 6 spread) The Gardner Minshew Movement collects another victory, this time a comeback against Denver. Can the Jags make it 3 in a row against the Panthers in Charlotte?
21. Tennessee Titans (-) (20.2 average, 6 spread) The Titans trounced the Falcons, yet stayed put in the rankings. It's hard to tell which team is being indicted here.
22. Indianapolis Colts (-8) (21.0 average, 5 spread) When a team known for resilience turns in a turkey of a game like that against the Raiders, it's hard for those not emotionally invested in the Colts to keep buying in. Their next game against Kansas City may not help matters.
23. Oakland Raiders (-) (22.0 average, 7 spread) The Raiders picked up their second win of the year in defeating Indianapolis pretty convincingly. The Chicago Bears will be much stiffer competition.
24. New York Giants (-) (23.8 average, 5 spread) The Giants cruised to their second win. The reason they didn't move is because they beat up athletes cosplaying as a team in the Washington Redskins.
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (-) (24.4 average, 3 spread) The Steelers won a critical game in beating the Bengals. While the win may have saved their season for the moment, Cincinnati has been a Steelers whipping boy since the Bush 41 Administration.
26. Atlanta Falcons (-8) (25.2 average, 3 spread) There's no two ways around it: the Falcons are terrible. And given the talent around them, they shouldn't be.
27. Denver Broncos (-) (27.8 average, 1 spread) It's been awhile since the Broncos have been this bad. John Elway must concede that the roster needs to be rebuilt.
28. Cincinnati Bengals (+1) (28.4 average, 3 spread) The Bengals looked awful against Pittsburgh. And it wasn't due to past Steeler dominance, it was due to simply bad play on both sides of the ball.
29. Arizona Cardinals (-1) (29.0 average, 2 spread) Kyler Murray has been sacked 20 times in 4 games. Even as CB Patrick Peterson returns to shore up the back end of the defense, the Cards aren't getting better if their quarterback can't stay upright.
30. New York Jets (+1) (29.0 average, 4 spread) The Jets moved up for two reasons: injuries are a mitigating factor, and their open date allows others to play the part of gridiron clowns.
31. Washington Redskins (-1) (30.8 average, 1 spread) Your humble scribe believes this team should be dead last thanks to their embarrassing performances....
32. Miami Dolphins (-) (32.0 average, 0 spread) ....But the Dolphins have been historically pathetic. While the Redskins might back into a win, Miami may need an Act of God to get one.
