NFL Power Rankings – Week Four
By Luke Sims
Welcome to the B&T Power Rankings. The place where we rank the teams on their record, front office actions, and overall craziness. Expect some arbitrary explanations, some in-depth analysis, and your fair share of surprises.
The mighty Patriots and Saints look to finally be caught by the competition, the Niners lost to the Vikes and the Falcons look unstoppable. Will the shake up continue?
Hate ‘em? Love ‘em? Agree? Disagree? Leave it in the comments.
#1 [2]. Atlanta Falcons, 3-0: A very strong offense puts the Falcons ahead of the Texans, but until we see them face a defense the likes of Houston we can’t really be certain there won’t be a speed-bump.
#2 [3] . Houston Texans, 3-0: The Texans are incredibly strong in all aspects of the game. Matt Schaub showed that he can really get it done with four touchdowns. I fear the day a team has to choose to between stopping the run or stopping Schaub (hint: there’s no real answer).
#3 [1]. San Francisco 49ers, 2-1: Falling to the Vikings is tough for a team that many still consider to be the best in the nation. That said, the Niners showed that they are vulnerable.
#4. [4] Baltimore Ravens, 2-1: Joe Flacco is proving that not only Elite “Eli” Manning can make the jump when the offense is opened up. That field goal at the end couldn’t have been any tighter. The Ravens are in control and should continue to roll with the Browns ahead.
#5 [7]. New York Giants, 2-1: Beating on the Panthers was impressive. The Giants are proving that they are still a very successful team. They should keep going strong, it’ll be tough to beat them.
#6 [5]. Green Bay Packers, 1-2: Losing to the Seahawks like that is…is that really losing? The results are final, but that game shouldn’t have been that close anyway. The Pack will be back this coming week though.
#7 [6]. New England Patriots, 1-2: They played it close, but the Pats fell to the Ravens. The Belichick grab isn’t worthy of a $50K fine (IMHO). If I’m Tom Brady I’m angry and want to win ASAP.
#8 [13]. Dallas Cowboys, 2-1: Beating the Bucs is no small task. Tony Romo needs to get going quickly to put up some more points. It’s tough to win when you only score 16 points. Fortunately, Romo is the man to do it.
#9 [10]. Chicago Bears, 2-1: It’s good to win the games you’re supposed to win. The Rams were set back in their rebuilding because the Bears came to town and showed them up.
#10 [9]. Denver Broncos, 1-2: Peyton Manning needs to start throwing tighter balls. He looks good, but he has yet to prove he can be the game changer he used to be in Indianapolis.
#11 [8]. Pittsburgh Steelers, 1-2: They lost to Oakland. It’s the kind of loss that can start some hemorrhaging, they need to stop the bleeding this week.
#12 [17]. Cincinnati Bengals, 2-1: Andy Dalton can win the close ones. BenJarvus Green-Ellis isn’t producing as much as they hoped as the feature back, but you can’t argue with results. The Jags probably won’t be able to stop A.J. Green, so the Bengals should be able to impose their offensive will.
#13 [11]. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1-2: It’s tough losing the close ones, but this team is still a threat in every game. The Bucs are competitive, now they need to start winning.
#14 [14]. Washington Redskins, 1-2: This team can put up some points. RGIII is strong and the roster is considerably more deep than anticipated. The Shanahan’s really have some magic in them when they have a good young guy to lead the team. Like the Bucs, the ‘skins need to win some more.
#15 [23]. Arizona Cardinals, 3-0: At 3-0 the Cardinals join the Texans and Falcons as the only unbeaten teams. While beating the Eagles is big, limiting them to six points is even better. If they win again it will be time for this team to be in the top ten.
#16 [12]. Philadelphia Eagles, 2-1: If Michael Vick continues to throw the ball to defensive backs this team will continue to lose. Andy Reid needs to keep Vick healthy but also get him back to form.
#17 [18]. Detroit Lions, 1-2: Matthew Stafford is not playing the best ball right now. The 5,000 yard passer really needs to lead his team to victory. Calvin Johnson needs to be fed the ball.
#18 [19]. Seattle Seahawks, 2-1: Good job playing the Packers close. Good job on heaving the ball to the end zone and giving his receiver a chance to fight for it is big for Russell Wilson, but that catch may not have been a catch….
#19 [16]. San Diego Chargers, 2-1: It appears that the Chargers offense can be limited by the opposing team. You have to wonder if Norv Turner’s improbable fast start is already starting to sputter.
#20 [20]. New York Jets, 2-1: The Dolphins are playing some good ball so kudos to the Jets for beating them.
#21 [29]. Minnesota Vikings, 2-1: Is this team becoming one of the best in the NFC North. The Vikes really could beat the Lions and maybe the Bears right now. Christian Ponder is playing smart and the defense is doing enough even with Jared Allen being shut out.
#22 [25]. Tennessee Titans, 1-2: Jake Locker really looks like a real quarterback. Beating the Lions may not be as big of a feat as it appears if they continue their fall, but the offensive explosion is tough to deny. Good work Tennessee!
#23 [15]. Carolina Panthers, 1-2: A sulking Cam Newton lost big to the Giants. Granted it was against the Super Bowl champs, but the Panthers need to be more competitive.
#24 [21]. St. Louis Rams, 1-2: Ouch. Keep rebuilding Jeff!
#25 [28]. Kansas City Chiefs, 1-2: Jamaal Charles really exploded on Sunday. He can’t do it every week, but his 200+ yards gave this team an opportunity and they took it. Charles could carry this team, we’ll see.
#26 [26]. Buffalo Bills, 2-1: They beat the Browns, we’ll see how good they actually are in week four though.
#27 [31]. Jacksonville Jaguars, 1-2: They are tied for second with three teams in the AFC South. The Jags beat the Colts, but after the Tennessee offensive explosion, it will be tough for the Jags to hang with the other teams in the division.
#28 [22]. New Orleans Saints, 0-3: Oh how the mighty have fallen. This team needs Joe Vitt back to be the interim head coach as soon as possible.
#29 [24]. Indianapolis Colts, 1-2: The Colts lost a big halftime lead to the Jaguars. Andrew Luck needs to show he can hold on for some more wins. The Colts are still looking competitive though.
#30 [27]. Cleveland Browns, 0-3: I have faith this team will win a game…but when?
#31 [30]. Miami Dolphins, 1-2: They played the game close and continue to look better than their record. Can Tannehill start to string some momentum together?
#32 [32]. Oakland Raiders, 1-2: The Raiders won agains the Steelers which is big, but this team is nothing more than Darren McFadden.
