Raul Vazquez | October 2nd, 2019
This was the hardest time I had ranking the NFL and piecing together where to put teams. Of the teams I had ranked 3-13 last week, only the Saints pulled out a win while the Patriots and Chiefs who I had in the top two spots barely came away with wins. With that being said, here are the power rankings after week four.
1.New England Patriots (+0)
I thought about moving the Patriots off the top spot with a tough, hard-fought 16-10 win in Buffalo but I couldn’t do it. For the first time in the young season, the Patriots showed that they aren’t immortal. Their next three games are against the Redskins, Giants, and Jets which leaves them more than enough of a chance to bounce back.
2. New Orleans Saints (+4)
In a matchup of two of the best teams in the league, the Saints pulled it out. When Drew Brees went down with an injury in week two the hope was to just stay afloat until he was healthy but through two games they are 2-0 and their defense looks stout. The Cowboys came into the game averaging over 32 points per game but were held to just 10 on the night.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (-1)
Kansas needed all four quarters to get past a surprisingly good Lions team. The Chiefs wasn’t its usual self but Patrick Mahomes and company came through big in the last two minutes. Capitalizing on miscues and fumbles the Chiefs now move to 4-0.
4. Green Bay Packers (+0)
After the first three slots, it became really hard to rank these teams. With everyone losing this week, the Packers stay put at number four. Green Bay suffered their first loss on an interception at the goal line which was the first of the year for Rodgers. The offense will need to get it going if the Packers hope to stay at the top of the league. They head to Dallas next week for what should be a great game.
5. Dallas Cowboys (+0)
Everything I said about the Packers could be said about the Cowboys. Dallas lost their first game of the season in a thriller Sunday night but their offense could not match the effort of the defense who held the Saints and Teddy Bridgewater in check. The Dallas offense only put up ten points and the road doesn’t get any easier with Green Bay up next.
6. Chicago Bears (+11)
The Bears offense has struggled to do anything significant to this point in the season but all is well when you have Khalil Mack and an amazing defense behind you. The Bears defense made the Bears look silly and eliminated any kind of run game from Dalvin Cook who has been on fire. Mitchell Trubisky’s injury will be big, but Chase Daniel is a veteran and will be able to keep the team alive and more.
7. Los Angeles Rams (-4)
The defending NFC champs have a lot to get fixed but they are still 3-1 and we all know what they are capable of. Todd Gurley only carried the ball five times which is something to watch while Jared Goff managed to turn the ball over four times. On the other side of the ball, the Rams managed to give up 55 points to the Buccaneers.
8. Buffalo Bills (+2)
The Bills lost, but man did they make a statement. They opened the year sitting at 3-0 which surprised just about everyone and the game against the Patriots was a game in which they would look to set themselves as one of the best teams in the league. Buffalo lost but their defense showed just how dominant they can be. If Josh Allen can return and provide a reliable attack on offense the Bills might sneak into the playoffs.
9. San Francisco 49ers (+2)
The 49ers are one of the last three teams without a loss which nobody could have predicted coming into the year. They are keeping up with their division foes in the Seahawks and the Rams who have run the divisions in recent years.
10. Detroit Lions (-1)
The Lions continue to shock the football world. A week after beating the Eagles, the Lions hung in there with Chiefs and gave them all sorts of trouble. A pair of fumbles proved costly for Detroit’s upset bid, but Matt Patricia’s team has shown they are not a team you can circle as a win when you go through the schedule.
11. Philadephia Eagles (+4)
The Eagles needed an interception at the goal line to secure the win over the Packers but it was an impressive nonetheless. Philadelphia got off to a slow start due to injuries but just beat one of the best teams in the NFL without being fully healthy. They have lost their two games by a combined seven points, the Eagles will get back into a rhythm.
12. Cleveland Browns (+4)
After everyone panicked about Cleveland’s 1-2 start, Baker Mayfield and the Browns made a statement in Baltimore with a 40-25 win. At 2-2 they are now tied for the lead in the division with the Ravens with a whole lot of football left to play.
13. Baltimore Ravens (-6)
After getting off to a nice 2-0 start, the Ravens have now lost two straight games and sit at 2-2. The Lamar Jackson hype has simmered dow but they get the Steelers and Bengals up next which should get them back on track.
14. Seattle Seahawks (+0)
Seattle easily improved to 3-1 on the road with a win in Arizona, a game they were expected to win. The Seahawks have a quick turnaround with a Thursday night game coming up against the Rams. In recent history, they have given the Rams fits and this week should be no different with the Rams coming off a disappointing loss to Tampa Bay.
15. Indianapolis Colts (-3)
This was a rough week for the Colts. They could not stop the 1-2 Raiders and could not take an early advantage in the division. They are now at 2-2 along with the rest of their division with a battle with the Chiefs up next.
16. Jacksonville Jaguars (+2)
Whether you want to call it Minshew mania or Minshew magic the fact of the matter is Gardner Minshew has been balling. Nobody expected these kinds of results from the sixth-round rookie who has come in for Nick Foles. The Jags play the Panthers next weekend in a battle of surprising quarterbacks.
17. Minnesota Vikings (-9)
In an important game in the division, the Vikings were handled easily by the Bears. Minnesota now falls to 0-2 in the division which is not ideal in a division that has been very impressive.
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7)
Well, how about that. A week after missing a field goal late in to give the Giants their first win, the Bucs come back and pull off an upset on the road over the Rams. Tampa Bay would be 3-1 if Matt Gay hits a 34-yard field goal. Can they shock the world again when they head to New Orleans next week?
19. Carolina Panthers (+0)
Miraculously the Panthers are 2-0 with Kyle Allen under center. Carolina won again but this time in a 16-10 win over the Texans. They did what they needed to do to win a low scoring affair. The defense got the job done containing the potent Texans offense led by Deshaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins.
20. Los Angeles Chargers (+1)
The Chargers were the next team in line to blow out the Dolphins but it didn’t come easy. The two teams were tied at 10 at the half but then the Chargers scores 20 unanswered in the second half.
21. Houston Texans (-8)
The Texans fell victim to the Allen show. Watson was kept in check throughout the game while Hopkins has been far from elite for the last three weeks. The Texans haven’t been able to come away with wins in one possession games as they have lost their three games by a combined nine points. In a tight division, these losses may come back to haunt them.
22. Tennessee Titans (+1)
The Titans are as inconsistent as it gets. After a thirty point win in week one, the Titans lost their next two but followed that up with a clobbering of the Falcons. If the same Marcus Mariota that showed up against the Falcons can show up every week, the Titans might be able to make some noise.
23. New York Giants (-1)
The Daniel Jones excitement continues. With Jones as the starter, the Giants are 2-0. Jones was not as spectacular as he was in his debut so he has Dwayne Haskins to thank for the win, who made the Giant’s defense look like the ‘85 Bears on Sunday. Haskins threw three picks and was shut down.
24. Oakland Raiders (+3)
The Raiders have sandwiched two rough losses with two wins. Oakland was impressive in a seven-point win over the Colts. Against the Chiefs and Vikings they lost by a combined score of 62-24, will they suffer a similar fate against the Bears this week who have been absolutely dominant again this year?
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (-1)
The Steelers have gotten very creative helping out Mason Rudolph and it worked against the Bengals. He completed 86% of his passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. The success they had might speak more towards the terrible state the Bengals are in. Steelers will get tested next week against the Ravens in a pivotal divisional matchup.
26. Atlanta Falcons (-6)
The Falcons have easily been the biggest disappointment so far. Some picked them to be a surprise playoff team and you can’t blame them. The talent is certainly there, but after a bad loss to the Titans, they now sit at 1-3.
27. Denver Broncos (+1)
The Broncos looked poised to win their first game of the season in week four but instead blew a fourteen point lead and fell victim to Minshew mania. The Broncos are now 0-4, but on the bright side finally got their first sack of the season.
28. Arizona Cardinals (+1)
The Cardinals moved up in my rankings but they have the Redskins to thank for that. The Seahawks had won three of the last four meetings and this week it was no different. The growing pains for this young team continue.
29. Cincinnati Bengals (+1)
Andy Dalton was sacked eight times and the defense did not have any success stopping the creative attack the Steelers deployed. A.J. Green’s return might not matter the way they looked on Monday night.
30. Washington Redskins (-4)
I had forgiven the Redskins terrible start and placed it on their brutal schedule but they were embarrassed against one of the worst teams in the league in the Giants. Haskins stepped in to save a struggling offense but he did not show anything encouraging. In over three-quarters of play, Haskins threw for only 107 and three interceptions.
31. New York Jets (+0)
On a bye week, the Jets couldn’t move up from the 31st spot. They head to Philly next week in hopes of winning their first game. When will Sam Darnold return? That’s the critical question.
32. Miami Dolphins (+0)
The Dolphins once again put up a fight early. The issue is they have failed to stay in the game past the second quarter as Miami has failed to score in the second half this season. After going into the half tied with the Chargers at 10, they did not score again and would lose 30-10. They can’t lose next week with the bye week coming up, can they?
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