NFL Power Rankings, Week 4: Lions, Chargers hit top 5; Ravens, Packers slide

Yes, I did consider making a change at the very top -- flip-flopping Philadelphia and Buffalo -- for the first time this season. And yes, I am aware other Power Rankings pulled that lever. But with the Bills needing to scrap their way to victory over winless Miami, and following the Eagles' rousing comeback against the Rams, I just couldn't do it. Hearing Jalen Hurts talk after the game to Pam Oliver convinced me to keep the order as is: "If that doesn't show you what type of team we are, I don't know what does," Hurts said. He also made an important point about the Eagles showing everyone who they were offensively in the second half. At halftime, they had 33 yards on 22 plays, the worst first half of offense in the Nick Sirianni era. Then, on the second snap of the second half, the Eagles fumbled it away inside their own 10-yard line. That's how you fall behind 26-7 at home. But for the final 29 game minutes, Philly outscored L.A. 26-nothing, clamping down on defense and special teams and ringing up three long TD drives in four tries. This team just knows how to win games, with a fourth-and-goal TD and a blocked kick at the buzzer epitomizing that clutch gene.

The offense was methodical and effective against the Dolphins but really lacked a big-play element in the passing game, something that lingered a bit from the Jets game. Defensively, Buffalo also kept the door open for Miami to steal a win by allowing 10-of-15 third-down conversions. In the end, the Bills made enough plays and are earning a reputation as closers, having grown some thicker skin in the past few years. There's also no real reason to panic, given that their next three opponents before the Week 7 bye (New Orleans, New England and Atlanta) all lost Sunday and have a combined two victories. The Bills will receive some defensive line reinforcements after the bye with Michael Hoecht and Larry Ogunjobi coming off suspension, and we could see rookie CB Maxwell Hairston (currently on injured reserve with a knee injury) prior to that point. Those should be some welcome additions to the defense.

I think we can bury any coordinator concerns about John Morton and Kelvin Sheppard here and now. The Lions were the tougher, smarter and better-prepared team on Monday night, repeatedly coming up with clutch plays in a hostile road environment. The Lions delivered the first punch. The Ravens countered, landing a few haymakers, too. But Detroit never came close to shriveling up, playing exceptional three-phase football and essentially beating the Ravens at their own game. Four rushing TDs in Baltimore? Seven sacks of Lamar Jackson? Three-for-three on fourth down? Elevated stuff, borne out of coaching and preparation. There were a dozen players I could highlight, but please, out of respect to Morton and Sheppard -- who each called a brilliant game in the MNF spotlight -- can we now end the Ben Johnson/Aaron Glenn questions? That narrative is dead.

The Chargers are 3-0 for the first time since 2002, and most importantly, they are also 3-0 in the division with wins over each of their AFC West rivals, giving them a huge early edge in the race. All three victories have come in competitive games, with the Chargers more outlasting their opponents than anything else. Sunday's win over Denver also came at a cost, with Najee Harris suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. The Bolts' struggles to run the ball were already anathema to the typical DNA of a Jim Harbaugh team. Now, the onus is on first-rounder Omarion Hampton, who had a good second half vs. the Broncos, to be the bell cow from here on out. But as long as Los Angeles has Justin Herbert and these passing-game weapons, this team has a shot. Herbert's late TD throw to Keenan Allen is about as good a play as you'll see a QB make this season.

After entering the fourth quarter with a three-score lead over the winless Jets at home, the Buccaneers found themselves clinging to a six-point edge at the two-minute warning. A 43-yard field goal would have essentially put the game on ice, but the Bucs apparently needed a bit more drama in their lives. New York blocked the kick and ran it back for a score. Suddenly, Tampa Bay was trailing. Baker Mayfield and the offense got the job done in the end, setting up the game-winning field goal, but the breakdowns that led up to that point were numerous. The Bucs allowed the Jets and backup QB Tyrod Taylor to drive 80 and 73 yards for fourth-quarter touchdowns and settled for too many field goals on offense, going 1-for-5 in the red zone. The Jets nearly shocked the Steelers in Week 1, and the Bucs were lucky they were not victimized. Their late offensive execution was clutch again, but this should have been a statement victory with the way things trended in the second and third quarters.

No sugar-coating it: That was easily one of the worst -- and strangest -- losses of Matt LaFleur’s career. The Packers were looking to ice the game on Brandon McManus’ short field-goal try with less than 30 seconds left in a tie game. That cannot turn into a loss in regulation, but somehow it did. The floodgates opened after Jordan Love’s awful interception, inviting a host of questions about whether this offense has what it takes to make the Packers Super Bowl contenders. Love was under heavy pressure all game, taking five sacks against a very good Browns defense. Zach Tom and Aaron Banks both left the game with injuries, and Green Bay has to find some blocking answers up front. But still, the breakdowns were too glaring to ignore, even if the Pack had pulled this game out. 

Another Derrick Henry fumble in the fourth quarter helped sink Baltimore, with Aidan Hutchinson's textbook punchout spearheading a splashy night from Detroit's defense. Lamar Jackson was sacked seven times, kept in check as a runner and turned away on a 4th-and-goal from the 2-yard line. There were plenty of mistakes on offense, but the defense was the bigger concern, as the Ravens were unable to hem in the Lions' run game and bring down ball-carriers on first contact. You could argue this game was decided by tackling, with Detroit vastly superior in that department. Granted, Baltimore's defense didn't have Kyle Van Noy or Nnamdi Madubuike up front due to injuries, while Jaire Alexander was a healthy scratch in the secondary. Still, this unit must prove it can have some success vs. elite offenses; otherwise, we might be talking about another "What if?" season for Lamar and Co. So, why only drop the 1-2 Ravens to No. 7? I doubt there are more than six teams against whom they'd be underdogs against on a neutral field.

In Marcus Mariota's first start in three seasons, he performed ably, shaking off an early fumble to slice up the Raiders. The operation ran smoothly because the run game immediately produced, and Washington set a physical tone for the day. Five different runners carried the ball three times or more, all of them productive. The explosive plays also returned to the offense -- and special teams, with Jaylin Lane's 90-yard punt-return score. The Commanders scored more points on Sunday (41) than in the first two games combined (39), and they suddenly have to feel a lot better heading into this week's game at Atlanta if they need to go back to Mariota in what could be a fun revenge game for the backup QB. Jayden Daniels' long-term health is of primary importance, so Washington shouldn't mess around here if the face of the franchise remains compromised.

Folks, this team is looking fantastic. I realize more than a few of us fell for New Orleans last season when they scored 91 points in two games -- only for the Saints to finish at 5-12 -- but this Indianapolis team looks different. That's now three straight impressive showings to open the season, with a pick-six less than a minute into the game and another highly efficient offensive performance. The Colts have committed zero turnovers through three games, and they've punted only once. Daniel Jones is third in the NFL in pass yards, leads qualified quarterbacks in yards per attempt and has accounted for six TDs. He should be in the early MVP discussion -- damn whatever biases we had coming in. Jonathan Taylor also belongs in that discussion, as the 26-year-old back is enjoying one of the best starts of his career. Indy is on the road again at the Rams this Sunday, and if the Colts pull that one off, you're just hating if you don't buy in heavily.

The Rams defensively frustrated the Eagles in their first five full drives and appeared to be in complete control of the game, up 19 in the third quarter. But things took a drastic turn for the worse as the offense stalled, ultimately resulting in a punt and two blocked field goals to close out the game. On defense, they came unglued as the pressure up front couldn't compensate for the porous coverage on the back end. For more than half the game, Los Angeles made its case to be considered among the NFL's elite teams. Then, with one precipitous fall -- even in the lion's den against a team that has won 19 of 20 games -- those thoughts came crashing down. This remains a dangerous L.A. team, but one that must immediately face another contender, with the 3-0 Colts rolling into town fresh off another statement victory. You only get so many true measuring-stick games in a season.

Signing Tyquan Thornton looks like a pretty genius move now. Making a little over a million bucks, Thornton all but bailed the Chiefs out Sunday night in a second-half flourish and a comfortable -- albeit unattractive -- road victory over the Giants. The offense had its typical struggles early, and it could have been worse, had Patrick Mahomes not taken the ball back from Bobby Okereke after giving it up on an ill-fated backward pass. Starting a drive at the Giants' 47-yard line and missing a 40-yard field goal felt like a turnover, with the Chiefs holding a delicate 6-0 lead at the time. Thankfully, New York provided little explosion and couldn't turn the game. Kansas City's defense, which has been good two games in a row, largely stonewalled Big Blue. Then Mahomes and Thornton connected for a breathing-room TD and two big downfield catches to set up the put-it-away score. It might not have been the tune-up performance the Chiefs wanted prior to hosting the Ravens this Sunday, but it was an important win nonetheless.

Mac Jones looked doomed when he threw a fourth-quarter interception, and the 49ers’ chances of beating the Cardinals dropped to 16 percent, per Next Gen Stats, after the disastrous safety with just over three minutes left. But the San Francisco defense held, and Jones rallied the team down the field to set up the game-winning kick for a huge divisional win and a 3-0 start. Ricky Pearsall was quiet in the first 20 minutes but ultimately came up with big catch after big catch, including a massive deep grab on fourth-and-2 in the final quarter. After the victory, however, awful news arrived with Nick Bosa’s torn ACL. The Niners’ defense has done its job so far, but that job is about to be a lot more difficult, especially with some tougher games upcoming. It’s rarely easy in San Francisco, as Bosa is just the latest big-name 49er to go down with a major injury the past few years.

The Seahawks had to feel good about Sunday’s blowout, which was all but in the bag early in the second quarter. The Saints were no feared opponent, but they came in with two close losses and left with a whooping. Seattle was able to pull starters early in the fourth quarter and turn its attention to the next three games: at Arizona, home against the Bucs, then at Jacksonville. Sam Darnold has settled in a bit now, stringing two strong performances back to back. The Seahawks didn’t need to drive long fields, and they took care of business with four TDs in five red-zone trips. Defensively, they brought a lot of heat on Spencer Rattler, and the secondary held up well, forcing the Saints to throw short and preventing long pass plays. And, yes, the special teams were once again great. These next few games should give us a better idea of whether the 'Hawks can keep this formula going, but it has been more encouraging than not so far.

The Broncos are now 2-8 in one-score games since the start of the 2024 campaign, and they have self-inflicted wounds to blame for Sunday's 23-20 defeat to the Chargers. Ten penalties were killers -- first on defense, then late in the game on offense. Denver went 2-for-13 on third downs, including two big misses in the final two drives. Bo Nix's scramble was inches away from converting a third-and-13 with six minutes left in the game, and Nix barely overthrew a streaking Courtland Sutton with less than two minutes remaining. That's when Denver's defense came up short, allowing the game-tying and game-winning drives in the final five minutes. The offensive issues must be addressed, but this is a defense that came into the season thinking it could be a top-five unit in the NFL, perhaps even the league's best group. Through three games, that hasn't been the case. The Broncos are by no means out of anything at 1-2, with two nail-biter losses, but they're also not yet ready to win these types of games, which is concerning.

Even if the Bengals were their own worst enemies on Sunday, the Vikings showed enough with Carson Wentz at the helm to have reasonable hope they can hold the fort until J.J. McCarthy’s return. Wentz was sharp early, cooled off and then heated back up in a net-positive performance. Even while taking three sacks, Wentz kept the chains moving by finding open guys. Minnesota’s run game (even without Aaron Jones) and the defense did a lot of the heavy lifting, with two defensive touchdowns and five turnovers giving the offense all the opportunities they needed and then some. Thirteen penalties, most of them on offense, were a bummer, and they will give Kevin O’Connell his white-board point for the week ahead of the big Euro duo against the Steelers and Browns prior to the early bye. If the Vikings can make it back home with a winning record, they’ll be in far better shape to handle the most lethal part of the schedule after the bye. Sunday showed it was too soon to punt on Minnesota.

The Steelers started hot and finished strong, but the in-between was shockingly bad for stretches offensively. Even Pittsburgh's defense, which came up with several big plays, had room for improvement, allowing New England to stay in the game until the final minutes despite ending up plus-four in the turnover margin. There were too many negative plays offensively (nine, not counting kneeldowns) and very few explosive gains. Defensively, critical penalties and steady gains from the Pats nearly undid the Steelers, but two massive red-zone takeaways bailed them out. The situational football was mostly good Sunday, but the Steelers have to come away from this game knowing they were fortunate not to blow all the extra possessions they gained. This was a much-needed win, but there's still plenty to tidy up before Ireland.

The Panthers, Bengals and Texans might not represent the most fearsome trio of opponents, but the Jaguars’ defense held up well against all three, for the most part, which is a big reason for the team’s 2-1 start. They’ll rue letting that Cincinnati game get away, but Sunday was a turn in the right direction. A young team has to make big plays in crunch time to learn how to win, and the Jaguars did just that by causing three fourth-quarter turnovers vs. Houston -- their third straight three-takeaway game to open the season. Liam Coen’s offense still has plenty of room for growth, and Brian Thomas Jr.’s struggles have been borderline alarming. He had three drops by my count and seemed mostly miserable for the game’s first 58 minutes, but Thomas came up with a massive catch late to help Jacksonville pull out the thriller and earn a big divisional win.

The Cardinals have been playing with fire to start the season, but they didn’t get burned until Sunday. Following two close victories, Arizona appeared poised to make it three straight after the ageless Calais Campbell forced a safety with 3:15 remaining, giving the Cardinals the ball and a 15-13 lead. If Zay Jones would have made a catch on third-and-9, they win. Instead, he didn’t, and the defense couldn’t stop the 49ers late. This is a bad loss, no two ways about it. Jones wasn’t the only goat, as both Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emari Demercado had awful drops on a second-half drive that bogged down and ended in a field goal. Harrison came up with a big catch on the game-tying drive in the fourth quarter, but he had just three receptions for 44 yards, continuing his slow start to the season. Adding injury to insult, James Conner will undergo season-ending surgery, casting more doubt on an offense that has underperformed so far. 

This was the Ben Johnson offense Bears fans signed up to see. Immediately, they attacked Dallas’ most glaring weaknesses -- defending shot plays up the seams -- and didn’t slow down until late. It was a far cleaner and more consistent offensive effort against the Cowboys than we’d seen in the first two games. While there were glimpses of hope in Weeks 1 and 2, Week 3 provided the vision, even if the Cowboys clearly have their issues on defense. The Bears managed their secondary issues fairly well and came up with enough big plays on that side of the ball to feel good about things. They’ll have a chance to keep both elements going this week against a battered Raiders team, with the bye shockingly upon them in Week 5. 

Jake Browning might have had some moments while leading the 2023 Bengals back to respectability, but he also has now thrown a league-high five interceptions on just 59 attempts. His first pick was run back for a score on Sunday, putting Cincy in a 14-0 hole only nine minutes in. It was 41-3, Vikings, when Browning threw his second one. It wasn’t a great game for the Bengals’ defense, but it was a truly putrid one for the offense, which turned the ball over five times, leading to 31 Minnesota points. The Bengals also had two more fumbles, but they recovered them. This was already the biggest blowout in franchise history, but it very easily could have been even worse. Cincinnati is still 2-1, but Sunday poked even more holes in its porous résumé. Can Browning find a way to get back in rhythm?

Three of the Panthers’ seven victories with Bryce Young starting at quarterback have come against Atlanta. He’s 3-1 against the Falcons and 4-25 against the rest of the league, which is strange, but no one is going to sneeze at a 30-zip whooping after the uninspired 0-2 start. In the first 96 minutes of the season, the Panthers were outscored 53-13. Since then, it has been a 49-0 edge for Carolina. They certainly feel like a more confident operation right now, especially defensively. There are still some warts that could come out against stronger teams, but this suddenly doesn’t look close to the worst defense in the league. Chau Smith-Wade had a pick-six, Mike Jackson added a pick and Christian Rozeboom and A’Shawn Robinson were highly disruptive. This might not be the 1985 Bears, but the Panthers’ no-name defense has come alive.

I don’t think many saw Michael Penix Jr.’s nightmare game coming Sunday against a Panthers defense that a year ago allowed the most points in NFL history. Even if we agree Carolina’s defense has come a long way since, Penix was all out of sorts. He started the game 3-of-5 passing for 37 yards in the first three minutes; after that point, Penix went 15-for-31 for 135 yards and two picks, one which was run back for a TD early in the third quarter. It was a 10-0 game prior to that pick-six, and Atlanta was still nominally in it, down 20-0, when he threw his second INT. The Falcons handed off just 10 times in the first half and never got back to the run game until it was a laugher. The defense can’t really be blamed when the Panthers started three drives inside Atlanta’s 45-yard line, producing 13 points right there. It was a demoralizing game for a team that had looked highly competitive in the first two games but now has only one TD in its past 23 possessions.

It felt like Houston gambled that former offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik and former O-line coach Chris Strausser were holding this attack back, as the Texans seemed to believe a few coaching changes would fix everything. Right now, the results haven't borne that out at all, with the Texans falling to 0-3. Their meager 271 yards in Sunday's 17-10 loss to the Jaguars actually represented a high-water mark for the season, with Houston committing three fourth-quarter turnovers, including two in the final four minutes inside the Jacksonville 30-yard line. Houston ran the ball a bit better, and Nico Collins had a big game, but his late fumble was wicked. The Texans have made four trips to the red zone this season and have six points to show for them. C.J. Stroud hasn't done enough, but the blocking also remains a big issue. The protection was actually decent on the final drive in Jacksonville, but rookie bookend Aireontae Ersery allowed pressure and Stroud's arm was hit on the game-sealing pick. The Texans can get off the schneid by beating the winless Titans at home this Sunday, but then they have road games against the Ravens and Seahawks. This is a big hole they’ve dug for themselves.

The pass defense has utterly crumbled the past two weeks. Russell Wilson and Caleb Williams have otherwise looked ordinary this season, but the Cowboys have brought out the absolute best in both, allowing Wilson to throw for 450 yards and three scores and Williams to tie his career high with four TD passes. Williams had 239 pass yards and three TDs at halftime, so it could have been worse had the game been closer. The problem with Dallas’ defense is, well, just about everything. No pressure, poor tackling, awful coverage lapses -- give them credit for not making this about only one thing. It’s all bad, and it’s hard to envision Dak Prescott and the offense being able to bail out this unit on a weekly basis. Some games, sure, but with CeeDee Lamb and Tyler Booker likely to miss multiple weeks, the task will be that much harder.

Shelby Harris' late block not only dramatically changed the arc of Sunday's incredible win, but it also put him in rare air. That was Harris' sixth-career blocked FG try in his 12th season, making him one of the elite niche players in the NFL. But the Browns also have a young foundation that appears too good to overlook suddenly. We'll see if they got the QB pick(s) right, but so far, Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. have been fabulous rookie additions from GM Andrew Berry, with each of them having their fingerprints on Cleveland's dramatic victory -- the first of the season. Joe Flacco still looks old at times, and the offensive limitations can't be ignored, but this win seemed to alter the outlook for this team.

The Raiders made some fun and interesting additions this offseason, especially on the offensive side of the ball, but nothing is really working as it should right now. The blocking up front hasn’t been the sole reason for the unit’s struggles, but it’s at the top of the list of concerns right now. Geno Smith might not make it through the season if he keeps taking hits and sacks at this rate. And it’s hard to get the ball to your first-round running back if there are no holes through which Ashton Jeanty can run. That’s not to suggest Jeanty hasn’t been disappointing on his own, which I would say he has. But given the limitations, including Brock Bowers playing hurt, it’s hard to put much blame on the rookie. Combine that with allowing 41 points to a backup-QB-led team, and the vibes seem pretty dour. 

You could make a case they could be a really ugly 3-0, but the Patriots were also one or two plays away from being 0-3 right now. Instead, they’re 1-2 with two home losses, and Sunday’s turnover party showed a shocking lack of discipline from a Mike Vrabel-coached team. They’re up to 27 penalties on the season, which also doesn’t reflect too kindly on the new coach. Rhamondre Stevenson’s two lost fumbles further an issue that could soon come to a head as far as the backfield rotation goes. And Drake Maye, for all his fine plays in Sunday’s game and so far this season, is making too many avoidable mistakes. In addition to his fumble and pick, Maye also had two bad passes that should have been intercepted. If the Patriots struggle at home this week against an energized Panthers team, it might be time to permanently adjust our expectations for this season.

Aaron Glenn doesn't have a win as head coach yet, and he might get sick of moral victories after notching his second in three weeks. As they did during their Week 1 loss to Pittsburgh, the Jets hung tough and took a late lead, only to see it evaporate. Sunday's comeback push against the Bucs was exceptionally improbable, considering the score, the location and the quality of the opponent, but Glenn's team came up a few plays short. There were plenty of positives, but also enough negatives not to celebrate much. Tyrod Taylor threw for two TDs and used his legs well, but he was sacked four times and under heavy fire, including on a brutal pick-six before the half. Taylor helped the Jets dig themselves out of a huge deficit, but they were playing out of character -- and out of desperation. If they want to be a run-heavy, defense-driven team, there's still a whole lot of work left to do.

With a pick-six less than a minute into the game, two missed field-goal tries and some painful penalties, the Titans put themselves in a deep hole they couldn’t get out of against the Colts. That’s now two home losses where they’ve been outclassed by better-caliber teams, giving them a clear measuring stick to aim for -- one they can’t quite yet reach. The most concerning element was the lack of energy early, and Colts WR Michael Pittman Jr. said he could sense it in pregame warmups. Brian Callahan has a lot of work to do to keep this team competitive. The Titans can build around Cam Ward and a few of their encouraging offensive pieces, but they’ve been borderline anemic offensively for stretches and not much better defensively. With three straight (and four of the next five) on the road, Tennessee has to turn the tide quickly or risk another long, losing season.

Watching Russell Wilson throw the ball away on three of his four plays in the red zone late in the fourth quarter had to be a low point for Giants fans in Week 3. Two Wilson interceptions and three turnovers on downs killed any chance of an upset, even if it was a close game at one point. Will Bobby Okereke live down having Patrick Mahomes strip the ball from him? It was a 6-6 game when that happened, and New York needed one of those plays to pull off the shocker. Cam Skattebo had his best game yet, but the Giants couldn’t get the ball to Malik Nabers. Another disappointing offensive performance and their 28th loss in their past 37 games. But there's at least some intrigue now. Jaxson Dart barely played Monday, but he'll be the starter in Week 4 against the Chargers. Let's see if Brian Daboll made the right call here.

The Dolphins had a chance to beat the Bills last week. They made a few crucial mistakes on offense (the late INT), defense (penalties, poor tackling) and special teams (Zach Sieler’s critical penalty), and that was that. The 0-3 Dolphins have decades of history flying in their face as far as salvaging the season is concerned, but the improved effort and offensive execution is at least a starting point. I’d personally love to see more of Ollie Gordon II, and also more second- and third-level shots, please. Tua Tagovailoa was throwing short most of the night, and the Bills were squatting on everything. We know the Fins have explosive weapons; now they just need to be featured more readily. If the defense can’t make major improvements fast, Miami is likely going to be in a few shootouts.

As of halftime Sunday, New Orleans had outgained Seattle while racking up 15 first downs and running more than twice as many plays as the Seahawks. Yet, even with zero turnovers from either team, the Saints found themselves down 38-6. Eight first-half penalties, a turnover on downs and some truly awful special-teams play were the major reasons for the absurd hole they put themselves in. New Orleans missed a field-goal try, had one punt blocked deep in its own territory and had another one run back 95 yards for a score -- all in the first 30 minutes. That's a pretty good formula for being blown out of a game early. The offense and defense didn't do enough to overcome those major deficits, and the Saints fell to 0-3, with the well-rested Bills in Buffalo up next. Even with some winnable games thereafter, there have been few reasons for hope amid the brutal start.