Casual National Football League fans couldn’t complain about the Super Bowl rematch they were treated to during Week 3, as the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks produced the game of the week. Elsewhere around the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys came back from behind to stun the St. Louis Rams, the Cleveland Browns turned a win into a loss, and a different AFC North team jumped to the top of NFL power rankings.
How is that new Andy Dalton contract looking at the start of fall?
2014 Week 4 NFL power rankings
32. Oakland Raiders (0-3): The Raiders can build on the fact that they weren’t blown out at New England. Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter.
31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3): I was happy to be able to go to bed early on Thursday evening. Thanks, Tampa Bay.
30. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3): It’s time. The Blake Bortles era has (finally) arrived.
29. Minnesota Vikings (1-2): It’s time. The Teddy Bridgewater has (unexpectedly) arrived.
28. Tennessee Titans (1-2): Too many people are picking on the Titans this week. Literally every opponent loses in Cincinnati during regular season play these days.
27. Cleveland Browns (1-2): Cleveland gave Baltimore gifts and then the game at home. Same old Browns.
26. St. Louis Rams (1-2): The Rams surrendered 34 points during the final three quarters of play in a choke-job against the Cowboys. That’s the type of defeat that sinks a season.
25. Houston Texans (2-1): Who would have guessed that the Houston defense would be responsible for the team’s loss at the Giants? That was an ugly performance.
24. New York Giants (1-2): It’s nice that the Giants won a game before Week 7. Now, let’s see them notch a victory against a good team that shows up.
23. Miami Dolphins (1-2): No, no it isn’t yet time for the Dolphins to give up on Ryan Tannehill. That time could, however, be here sooner than later.
22. Washington Redskins (1-2): Kirk Cousins played well against the Eagles. Too bad for him that his defense did not.
21. New York Jets (1-2): Refs don’t win games, and refs don’t lose games. That said, the referees took six points from the Jets at the end of the first half of the game against the Bears. That error undeniably cost the Jets big.
20. San Francisco 49ers (1-2): The offense can’t score. Jim Harbaugh may already have a foot out the door en route to a move to Michigan. It’s bad times for the Niners right now.
19. Green Bay Packers (1-2): There’s no way the Packers are this bad...right? Of course that’s right. Maybe. Possibly.
18. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2): KC was the biggest surprise of Week 3, going to Miami and blowing out the Dolphins. Don’t forget just how bad the Chiefs looked in Weeks 1 and 2, however, before you send them up further in your NFL power rankings.
17. New Orleans Saints (1-2): The Saints found their first win of the season, but they still don’t look right. New Orleans should be dominating teams like Minnesota at home.
16. Indianapolis Colts (1-2): Was anybody actually worried about the Colts? Having to face Denver and Philadelphia in the first two weeks of the season would be brutal for any team.
15. Buffalo Bills (2-1): The worrying thing isn’t that Buffalo lost to a good San Diego team. It’s that the Bills from this past Sunday may, in fact, be the real 2014 Bills.
14. Baltimore Ravens (2-1): Made the plays that they had to at the end of the game, but Baltimore fans shouldn’t be raving about this team. The Ravens should be 1-2.
13. Dallas Cowboys (2-1): They’re downright awful when at their worst, but Dallas also has a ton of firepower. Do not sleep on these Cowboys.
12. Carolina Panthers (2-1): What the heck was that on Sunday night, Carolina? The Panthers could not handle Pittsburgh during what quickly became a rout.
11. Atlanta Falcons (2-1): Matty Ice could be set to have a career year, but let’s pump the breaks just a tad on Atlanta. The Bucs made them look like the 2007 Patriots; before Super Bowl XLII, that is.
10. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1): The Steelers deservedly shoot up NFL power rankings after their performance on Sunday Night Football. Pittsburgh thoroughly dominated the Panthers at Carolina.
9. Detroit Lions (2-1): Defense wins championships, and the Detroit defense did well to smother Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay offense. The Lions may be the best team in the division.
8. New England Patriots (2-1): Yes, he’s still Tom Brady. It does have to be asked: Is age catching up with the all-time great?
7. Chicago Bears (2-1): That Monday Night Football game has a much different feel to it if it’s 20-17 Jets at halftime as it should have been. The Bears remain somewhat of a mystery.
6. San Diego Chargers (2-1): Who cares about having to travel all the way out east to Buffalo for a 1:00 pm ET game? Not these Super Chargers.
5. Arizona Cardinals (3-0): I’m finished disrespecting the Cardinals on a weekly basis. Arizona kept the Niners off the scoreboard in the second half of Sunday’s game, and Bruce Arians is emerging as a Coach of the Year candidate.
4. Denver Broncos (2-1): One can only drop the Broncos so far in Week 4 NFL power rankings after that comeback at Seattle. Change your overtime rules, NFL.
3. Seattle Seahawks (2-1): Oh hey, look at that. Turns out that the Seahawks will be just fine despite the fact that they lost a game.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0): I don’t see Philly as being better than Seattle, but teams are what their records say they are. Nick Foles is an early MVP candidate.
1. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0): They are the best team in the AFC. They’re undefeated. The Bengals deserve to be atop Week 4 NFL power rankings.
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Zac has been covering the Cleveland Browns, New York Giants and National Football League for a variety of websites since 2006. He is a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
