Welcome to the Week 4 Power Rankings. After some lopsided games and stunning upsets, how did your team fare?
(Writers note: Many apologies to those who were expecting a Week 3 Power Ranking. I was in the hospital with Pneumonia and just didn’t have the strength to write. Plus, my bonus hadn’t been in my account as of yet. All jokes aside, I greatly appreciate the patience and appreciate anyone who follows and reads what I have to say. These rankings come from the draft I was working on before my visit. Sorry if there’s any confusion. Thank you!)
1.Eagles (+1)
Philly keeps rolling, staying undefeated. While my definite pick for Game of the Week, it was a little closer than it should’ve been. Jake Elliot managed to shove the dagger in Commanders fans hearts with a Field Goal in OT. Eagles need to keep this momentum going.
2. Dolphins (-1)
The past two weeks remind me of the classic tale: The Ugly Duckling. After absolutely demolishing the Broncos and nearly setting an NFL record for points scored (until the Travis Kelce – Taylor Swift story took over headlines) and looking to be the most talented squad in Football, they chose to barely show up against Buffalo in an extremely important matchup that could decide the division winner come January. Tua looked human while Archane still looks otherworldly. Will the real Dolphins please stand up?
3. 49ers (0)
Niners are still undefeated, after a bit of a close call with the Cardinals. After ending the 3rd Quarter only leading by 5 points, San Francisco put the dagger in the game by scoring two more times to put the pesky Cards away. MVP candidate Christian McCaffrey scored 4 TDs, currently leading all Running Backs in yards and scores. Some of my buddies gave me trouble for choosing CMC as my MVP prediction for the 2023 season and he’s certainly making me appear as if I know what I’m talking about.
4. Bills (+1)
Buffalo has officially stuck their hand into the “Best team in the AFC debate”. After losing a burner to the Zach Wilson lead Jets, the Bills are killing teams. The past three Bills games have been won by 28 (Raiders), 34 (Commanders), and 28 (Dolphins). Josh Allen threw 4 TDs against a tough Dolphins defense and currently hold the top of a tough AFC East.
5. Ravens (+2)
Impressive win for the flock. Against the statistical #1 Defense in the NFL, Lamar went off for 4 TDs, two on the ground and two to Mark Andrews. With Deshaun Watson out and Rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson in, the Ravens ate. Defense had 3 picks and the rook looked lost. With Pickett ruled out with an MCL Sprain next week, the Ravens will have faced three straight backup QBs. How lucky can Baltimore get?
6. Lions (0)
For just the 5th time since 2000, the Lions have beat the Packers at Lambeau Field. Quite the bragging rights for a team that’s been depressing since then. The down side? Goff looked off (say that 5x fast) and depended on David Montgomery having a helluva game. 121 yards and 3 TDs isn’t a small game.
7. Chiefs (-3)
Got tickets to the media circus? The Chiefs have been in the headlines every week this season, but for all the wrong reasons (For god sakes, shut up about Kelce and Swift! What legitimate sports station thinks any football fan cares about celebrity relationships). Mahomes looked bad and the Jets very nearly willed their way back into the game. The Chiefs, in my opinion, are the worst 3-1 team in the league. Escaping Jacksonville at their worst and New York without their star QB isn’t a good look for a team who’s supposed to be defending a championship.
8. Cowboys (+1)
Cowboys continue to impress, as long as you ignore that ugly loss to Arizona. I, although, am continuously suspicious of them. Their 3 wins came by an average of 31.6 points, but they lost to the rebuilding Cardinals by multiple scores? Confusing stuff. Back to this week, Dallas handed Belichick his worst loss of his head coaching career and made it look easy. Now, what Dallas team will we get on Monday Night Football against the undefeated Niners?
9. Chargers (-1)
Man, can’t the Chargers ever make it easy for me? If you were to look at the stats from this game, you’d think Los Angeles blew Las Vegas out. Herbert had 3 TDs, Khalil Mack had 6 sacks (tying the NFL record), and the offense was clicking. Now, look at the score. 24-17. Even when the Chargers look impressive, they still Charger. Good win, but fall a spot for questioning my sanity.
10. Seahawks? (+1)
Pete Carroll has got to be one of the best coaches in the NFL. On paper, this team is pretty mediocre, but they fight for their leader. Seahawks came out and manhandled the Giants. Even with the passing defense leaving much to be desired, Geno and crew got the job done. Well, most of the crew. The self awarded “Best Safety in the League” Jamal Adams left with a concussion. Remember when Jamal Adams was terrifying? You know what is terrifying? Devon Witherspoon. Myself and the rest of the PFD crew were awful surprised to see him get picked up so early, but man, what a guy. 2 sacks and a 97 yard interception return is astounding.
11. Buccaneers (+1)
The Bucs came into Caesar’s Superdome and took over, plain and simple, in a 26-9 beating of the Saints. Baker has continued to lead his team to some admittedly close wins, but wins nonetheless. That’s the good news. Bad news? Those wins were against teams with a combined record of 3-9. Tampa has yet to get a quality win in their threshold.
12. Jaguars (+4)
This is starting to look more like the Duval we expected! After an early start, the Jaguars left London with a demanding defense win over the upstart Falcons. Lawrence has continued his statistical explosion and is coming into his own. Jacksonville and starting to look like they can repeat as AFC South Champs. Only problem, the rest of the South is suddenly 2-2 as well. Buckle up Duval.
13. Packers (0)
After a stupendous beginning to his starting career, Love had a rough game. After not being intercepted so far this season, Love threw two of them Thursday night. While the Packers are a bit of a mess, the season is still young. Speaking of which, I do like the youth movement occurring in Green Bay right now.
14. Jets (0)
What a fight from the Jets. After starting the 2nd quarter down 17-0, Zach “MILF lover” Wilson led his team back into it, eventually tying the game at 20-20. Zach Wilson flat out outplayed the reigning MVP, while that underrated Jets defense got their hand on two Chiefs passes. New York is currently 1-3, but damn are they fun to watch at times.
15. Commanders (+4)
Although a tough loss to swallow, Commanders fans have a lot to look forward to. Washington is well coached, competitive, and has a lot of interesting pieces to work with. Sam Howell appears to be here to stay, adding an impressive late game drive and score to take the hearty Eagles to OT. After years of thunderclouds over the franchise, the sunlight finally seems to be sneaking through.
16. Titans (+2)
Tennessee protects home turf from the lowly Bengals. While their defense has been suspicious, they held Cincy to 211 total yards of offense. Impressive. Also Impressive, Ryan Tannehill AND Derrick Henry had more Passing TDs than Joe Burrow. Nice little win to hang your hat on.
17. Vikings (-7)
Beloved reader, you’re probably thinking to yourself; “Why did the Vikings drop so much? They beat Carolina for the first win, didn’t they?” Why yes, you are correct for saying so, but I’ve been too hopeful for the Vikings. I kept giving them excuses. Three point loss to the Bucs? It happens. Six point loss to the Eagles? They’re a really good team, the reigning NFC Champs! Four point loss to the Chargers? Questionable, but bad luck happens. Eight point win against a rebuilding Panthers team? OK, this team is simply BAD. Kirk had his worst game of the season and was bailed out by Jefferson and Co. I can’t believe I picked this team to win the NFC North.
18. Patriots (-1)
New England didn’t even get off the bus in Jerry World. After Belichick was handed his worst loss in his head coaching career, will we see someone new at the helm in Foxborough? While we’re on leaders, I’m curious to see if any Pats fans still think Mac Jones is still the answer at QB. He looked pedestrian against a tough Cowboys defense. Could there be a full change in Massachusetts this off-season?
19. Rams (+5)
Los Angeles has the pieces to a great young puzzle in their ranks! The Rams are currently very competitive with the likes of Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua on board. My problem is the QB. Matt Stafford just doesn’t have it anymore, needing a walk off TD in OT to beat Indianapolis (God, Nacua is a beast). Draft yourself a young, talented QB in the draft, and we could see a very scary Rams team return. That, or Justin Fields is supposedly available?
20. Browns (0)
Ouch. After losing Chubb for possibly the season and losing Deshaun Watson for the time being, all that Browns fans had to hang their hat on this season was their dominant defense, only allowing one offensive TD. Well, that deflated quickly. Lamar Jackson tore up the Dawgs with 4 TDs. Cleveland’s defense needs to rebound quickly if the Browns want to make the postseason.
21. Steelers (-1)
Excuse my French, but What. The. Hell? After taking the lead in the AFC North from the Ravens, Pittsburgh laid possibly the biggest egg in the decade, losing to the terrible Texans. Not by a Field Goal, not by a fluke TD, but by 24 points. Tomlin has told the press that “changes will be made” after this loss. Coming from a Ravens fan, F#%KING. FIRE. MATT. Sorry for my Canadian French.
22. Falcons (+1)
After impressive wins over the Panthers and Packers to start the season, Atlanta has suddenly dropped two in a year, scoring a combined 13-43 against Detroit and Jacksonville. If the Falcons want to compete with Tampa for a playoff spot, they have got to start putting points up. Also, what was the point of drafting Kyle Pitts with a high pick when Jonnu Smith has more yards? Confusing stuff.
23. Bengals (-8)
What is going on in Cincinnati? Looking back in June, the Bengals were Super Bowl favorites and the Reds are streaking. Come late September, the Bengals have one of the worst offenses and the Reds miss the playoffs. Joe Burrow has looked awful this year and Mixon can’t carry the load. Burrow just needs to keep his eyes down the field, Jamarr Chase is “always wide open”. I haven’t seen Cincinnati this depressed since, well, 3 years ago.
24. Giants (-4)
The woes of the G-men are never ending. The Giants are currently the only team in the NFL without a first half TD and it doesn’t appear to be ending soon. Remind me, how was this a playoff team a year ago? When Daboll was asked, “what did you want Jones to do from deep in the red zone?” and Brian had possibly one of my favorite reactions from a coach in NFL history; “Obviously, not throw an interception”. Great stuff, Brian.
25. Colts (+1)
Indianapolis almost pulled it off. After being down 23-0 in the 3rd Quarter, Anthony Richardson went off, putting up three unanswered TDs to tie the game 23-23. Speaking of, Richardson has quieted a lot of doubters, myself included, and currently has Indy looking at a possible playoff position after a lot of folks bet on the Colts finishing winless. You just love to see it.
26. Saints (-1)
New Orleans are, quite literally, the luckiest team in football. Before their matchup with Tampa, their combined point total was 51-49 and a +2 point differential. They lost to the Bucs 26-9 to drop it to 60-75 and a -15 point differential. To me, that is the definition of average, sporting a 2-2 record. Derek Carr has quieted down as of late and the rest of the offense is following behind him.
27. Broncos (+2)
Well, that uh, happened. After facing a 7-28 deficit to the lowly Bears, Denver suddenly sprung to life, putting up 24 unanswered points for the comeback win. Wilson willed his team back into competition with 3 TDs. I hate to remind you, Mile High fans, Saints still own your First Round Pick. Oof.
28. Panthers (-1)
Carolina is stuck. While a close loss (8 points, 1 point until a last second TD by Justin Jefferson) to a playoff team isn’t anything to be ashamed of, it’s the future that’s worrisome. The Panthers shipped their First Round Pick to Chicago to pick Bryce Young. While Young looks promising, the Panthers also spent a lot of cap space to surround him with a decent team, but they’re still lined up as the 2nd overall pick. I mean, Chicago’s 2nd overall pick. Hopefully they can bounce back and push that pick out of the top ten for their own pride.
29. Raiders (-1)
Las Vegas is a bad team. No doubt about it. While they tried to keep the score close, Rookie Aidan “Inspector Clouseau” O’Connell was beaten the hell out of in his first professional start, taking 7 sacks. Las Vegas isn’t making the playoffs this year, sorry Raiders fans.
30. Texans (+1)
Big upset win for Houston! After looking dead in the water against Baltimore and Indy, the Texans have suddenly stacked up two quality wins against playoff hopefuls Jacksonville and Pittsburgh. CJ Stroud looks to be a favorite in the OROY race and I couldn’t be happier for him. Keep it up!
31. Bears (-1)
Chicago can’t catch a break. What will probably go down as Justin Fields’ best game of the season, also goes down as a loss to the equally bad Broncos. Fields looked great in front of the home crowd with 4 TDs, but all for naught. Rumor has it that Justin is on his way out of the Windy City and it’s officially Caleb Williams season. Currently, the Bears own the 1st and 2nd Overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Could the Bears swap Fields for another first rounder? Dynasties have been built with less. Keep your head up, Chicago.
32. Cardinals (0)
Although they are still bad, Arizona is pesky. Dobbs kept his team in the game against the undefeated Niners until the 4th quarter, which is quite commendable. This seems to beg the question; Are the Cardinals as bad as I thought they were, or is Joshua Dobbs that guy? Whichever it is, I think poor Dobbs will finally be able to find his jersey at the team store now.
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