PackFan’s NFL Power Rankings 2018: Week 4

PackFan2005 Man, the weeks just get more entertaining in football. Some of the heavily favored teams lost by a large margin this week, but more importantly... the Browns won! Anyway, let’s hop to these rankings.

#1. Los Angeles Rams (3-0) +1 ⬆️
Come to think of it, they should’ve been #1 in week 2, because they’re clearly the most complete team in the NFL. They have it made at every position except linebacker, but that can easily be touched up on. Now as they go into week 4, they have to face their first truly challenging team this year.

#2. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) -1 ⬇️
Brutal loss against the Titans for Jacksonville, and the offense didn’t exactly give off a spark. Blake Bortles didn’t look like the quarterback they needed, and you need a good quarterback to win a Super Bowl. Still, you can’t discount how good their defense is. The offense needs Leonard Fournette back.

#3. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0) +1 ⬆️
At this point, Patrick Mahomes is my prediction for MVP this year. He already has 13 touchdowns on the season, and the offense led by him is near unstoppable. Then there’s the defense. It’s quite atrocious, and one day, it’ll cost them a game I’m sure. I hear they’re looking into trading for Earl Thomas, which could be exactly what they need to jumpstart their dormant defense.

#4. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1) +2 ⬆️
Definitely not the most impressive win over the Colts, but hey, Carson Wentz is back, and with him, anything can happen. Now Philadelphia must battle with the Redskins for the top of the division.

#5. New Orleans Saints (2-1) +4 ⬆️
We finally got the truly good Saints in a shootout win over the Falcons. Drew Brees and the offense cruised over their opponent, but their defense is still largely underperforming. Like the Chiefs, that will become an issue soon. Actually, it has been an issue since week 1.

#6. Minnesota Vikings (1-1-1) -3 ⬇️
Um... what? Did they lose to a terrible Buffalo team? At home? With an elite defense? How? So many questions surround this team as they are now behind the Bears in the NFC North. Still, considering it could’ve just been an unlucky game, they’re still up pretty far on the rankings. Unfortunately for them, their opponent for week 4 is ranked #1 in these power rankings.

#7. Atlanta Falcons (1-2) +1 ⬆️
Despite now owning a 1-2 record, the dirty birds played a great game against New Orleans, and three of Matt Ryan’s five touchdown passes went to rookie Calvin Ridley. They sure are looking like a playoff team on offense, but like so many, their defense is lackluster to say the least.

#8. Green Bay Packers (1-1-1) -3 ⬇️
Yikes. A winnable game turned into an absolute nightmare for the Pack, with an old Adrian Peterson wrecking havoc on the field. The offensive line was decimated, and they lost Muhammad Wilkerson for the season. They need a healthy Aaron Rodgers and a better defense to solve their current problems.

#9. Carolina Panthers (2-1) +2 ⬆️
Slowly, they’ve risen through my rankings, and with an impressive win over the Bengals, they’ve cracked the top ten. Cam Newton and Christian McCaffery are both versatile runners, while the defense hasn’t been terrible, but definitely needs to step up a bit.

#10. Chicago Bears (2-1) +4 ⬆️
For the first time in a while, Chicago has made the top ten of my power rankings (I did them previously prior to TheTopTens). They came back and won against Arizona 16-14, after Khalil Mack nearly cost them the game. Speaking of Mack, he’s still a wrecking ball, and Jon Gruden is looking like the most foolish head coach in the NFL right now.

#11. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2) -1 ⬇️
To be fair, it was the Rams they lost to, which is a tough team. But their defense has consistently struggled over the last few weeks. Casey Hayward struggled in coverage during week 3, and let’s face it, the defensive line isn’t the same without Joey Bosa heading it. They need to gain defensive strength back to become a playoff contender.

#12. New England Patriots (1-2) -5 ⬇️
Perhaps the Brady-Belichick era in New England is coming to a close. When you lose 26-10 to a bad Lions team, then you know something is up. This does not bode well for them.

#13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) -1 ⬇️
Tampa has finally found defeat, and Ryan Fitzpatrick fell back to earth, with three picks, but still another game over 400 yards. Somehow, he set an NFL record. Pittsburgh’s offense actually made their defense look good for a little bit. Now Fitzmagic is going into a tough week 4 duel with the Chicago Bears.

#14. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1-1) -1 ⬇️
While they still won, it sure wasn’t a clean win. They had plenty of goofs, especially Ben Roethlisberger. We can all tell this may be his final season as a Steeler, and maybe an NFL quarterback.

#15. Cincinnati Bengals (2-1)
No movement from Cincy, who lost a close game to the Panthers. They surprisingly look good, but are locked in a battle with the Ravens for the NFC North.

#16. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) +2 ⬆️
Speaking of Baltimore, they had a good win over the previously undefeated Broncos. They are actually a fairly balanced team, which is what makes them a #16 type of team.

#17. Miami Dolphins (3-0) +4 ⬆️
Okay look, I’m still not all on board with them yet. They haven’t played a truly quality team yet, which could explain the 3-0 record. Still, they have a lot more talent than we first expected, and now they face their first true challenge in playing the Patriots in week 4.

#18. Washington Redskins (2-1) +5 ⬆️
A very nice win over the Packers, which showed that the Redskins aren’t to be looked over. Don’t underestimate this team.

#19. Denver Broncos (2-1) -2 ⬇️
Unfortunately for Denver, Case Keenum so far hasn’t been their answer at quarterback. What has been winning them games over the last three weeks is their defense, which was
beat out by the Ravens offense in week 3.

#20. Tennessee Titans (2-1) -1 ⬇️
A 9-6 win is still a win, especially if it’s over a juggernaut AFC team vying for a playoff spot. Fortunately, even with injuries to himself and the offense, Marcus Mariota can still play. And the defense did surprisingly well also.

#21. San Francisco 49ers (1-2) -5 ⬇️
The darkest hour has been reached in San Francisco, with fans in awe of Jimmy G’s torn ACL. Now C.J. Beathard is their quarterback, who only managed one win with the 49ers in 2017. Beathard could be the equivalent to Nick Foles or Brett Hundley. We won’t know until they play again.

#22. Indianapolis Colts (1-2) +4 ⬆️
Nearly pulling off a win against the Eagles is quite impressive. Perhaps we see an even bigger improvement from Andrew Luck and co next week.

#23. Seattle Seahawks (1-2) +4 ⬆️
The win showed upside for a struggling Seattle team, with Earl Thomas and Russell Wilson both looking pretty good. Still, the Cowboys are an easy team. It still looks rough ahead for them.

#24. Detroit Lions (1-2) +5 ⬆️
Let’s give it up for Kerryon Johnson, the first Lions running back to rush for over 100 yards in a game since 2013. And to cap it off, they won against the New England Patriots. The NFC North just got a whole lot more complicated.

#25. New York Giants (1-2)
Good win over the Texans, but let’s not forget that Houston is a bad team, and New York isn’t very good either. Although, Saquon Barkley looks like a true #2 overall pick.

#26. Cleveland Browns (1-1-1) +4 ⬆️
They... they did it. After 635 days, the Cleveland Browns have won a game... oh my. Cleveland has done it. Baker Mayfield looks to be their future so far.

#27. Dallas Cowboys (1-2) -5 ⬇️
Under the Browns? Well, Cleveland is slightly better and more talented to say the least. Dak Prescott isn’t the quarterback we once saw in 2016, and the defense is a shell of its former self.

#28. Houston Texans (0-3) -8 ⬇️
The drop continues for this team, who can’t seem to ever win a game, let alone take the lead. If this keeps going, Bill O’Brien’s job may be in serious jeopardy.

#29. New York Jets (1-2) -5 ⬇️
The issue with them may just be that a lot of their players are pretty young. The talent is there, but they need another season or two to develop fully.

#30. Buffalo Bills (1-2) +1 ⬆️
Ha, you thought I’d give them more credit for their win over Minnesota. Well, to me, it seems like a fluke. Every bad team has a win in their season (well, the 2008 Lions and 2017 Browns beg to differ). Anyone who bet on Buffalo winning might have just retired like Vontae Davis did.

#31. Oakland Raiders (0-3) -3 ⬇️
Jon Gruden is farther up in hot water than I think he’d like to be at this point. An 0-3 start isn’t acceptable, especially for a team with some good talent. It’s not the players at fault here. It’s Gruden.

#32. Arizona Cardinals (0-3)
Started off with a 14-0 lead, then Sam Bradford did what he does, and in came Josh Rosen, who succumbed to the fierce Bears. The Cardinals still can’t manage to win. No matter what they do.

Comments

I agree with pretty much all of these. I hope we can land Earl Thomas. That would be a start towards improving the defense - visitor

Just imagine a safety group of Eric Berry and Earl Thomas. - PackFan2005

That would be a huge boost for the defense - visitor

For me if the Texans end up 0-5 I'd be stubborn and fire Bill O' Brien immediately. This was a stacked team with big promise, and what's holding them back the one making the play calls done the wrong way.

49ers should be near 25 to 32 after losing Jimmy G I can't see this team putting any effort coming with W's C.J. Beathard as said on my rankings is 1-11 as a starter that isn't good which means is it possible Cards could get a win over this very vulnerable team can be possible especially early on coming up. - visitor

I see where you’re coming from, but I haven’t dropped them farther because Beathard has starting experience, and the talent is there. - PackFan2005