NFL Power Rankings - Week 4: Bills on fire, Cowboys plummet
NFL Power Rankings are selected by a panel of theScore's football editors.
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1. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)
Previous rank: 1
Kansas City has won nine straight games dating back to the 2023 season, including the playoffs. They're still undefeated this year, and the scary thing is that the reigning Super Bowl champions aren't firing on all cylinders yet. All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce has only eight catches and no touchdowns so far in 2024.
2. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
Previous rank: 6
Remember all the questions regarding the Bills' roster? Josh Allen's superb performances to start the season have helped Buffalo overcome those concerns and reaffirm its status as an AFC contender. Allen is a strong MVP candidate after accounting for nine touchdowns in his first three games.
3. Detroit Lions (2-1)
Previous rank: 4
David Montgomery and Jahmyr Gibbs combined for 188 rushing yards on 39 carries Sunday. That helped the Lions outgain the Cardinals by nearly 100 yards and dominate the time of possession by almost 14 minutes.
4. Minnesota Vikings (3-0)
Previous rank: 12
You could argue that the Vikings' defense is one of the best-coached units in the entire NFL. Minnesota is second in points allowed, leads the league in team sacks, and is tied for third with six takeaways.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)
Previous rank: 5
Philadelphia got 324 combined yards from Dallas Goedert and Saquon Barkley in Week 3 to improve to 2-1. Head coach Nick Sirianni must work on his in-game decisions, as the offense is still outside the top 10 in points per game.
6. Houston Texans (2-1)
Previous rank: 2
Houston didn't look like a contender in its 34-7 loss to Minnesota in Week 3. But the Texans will have a good chance to bounce back against Jacksonville next week before a heavyweight clash versus Buffalo.
7. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)
Previous rank: 3
The 49ers are still waiting on a big game from Brandon Aiyuk after he signed a contract extension with the team. He was targeted 10 times against the Rams but only hauled in five receptions for 48 yards, and he has just 119 yards and no touchdowns this season.
8. Green Bay Packers (2-1)
Previous rank: 8
Jordan Love continues to work his way back from a knee injury, but Malik Willis has kept things rolling. The 25-year-old capitalized on his revenge game against the Titans with 202 passing yards, 73 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns.
9. Baltimore Ravens (1-2)
Previous rank: 10
The Ravens won't be spending too much time celebrating their first win of the year. John Harbaugh's team nearly blew a 28-6 lead in the fourth quarter against Dallas before hanging on.
10. New Orleans Saints (2-1)
Previous rank: 7
New Orleans' offense came back down to earth in Week 3, totaling only 12 points and 219 yards. However, the Saints showed they can light up the scoreboard in their first two games and should still be the favorites to win the NFC South.
11. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0)
Previous rank: 13
Justin Fields has the Steelers off to a 3-0 start. The defense has played a large part in that, as Pittsburgh is the first team since the 2009 Broncos to hold its first three opponents of the season to 10 points or less.
12. Seattle Seahawks (3-0)
Previous rank: 18
Mike Macdonald and Co. have quietly picked up three consecutive wins to start the season, though their opponents have a combined 3-6 record. When the playoff picture begins to form, Week 4's matchup against the Lions could be reflected upon.
13. New York Jets (2-1)
Previous rank: 16
Aaron Rodgers had his best game in quite some time against the Patriots. He looked comfortable moving around and threw with great poise and accuracy. While he said to remain relaxed after a Week 1 loss, it's now time to get excited.
14. Dallas Cowboys (1-2)
Previous rank: 9
Dallas' defense has been gashed in back-to-back weeks, allowing 889 yards and 72 points during its two-game skid. Dak Prescott leads the NFL in passing yards, but a consistent run game is needed for the offense to hit its ceiling.
15. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
Previous rank: 15
Atlanta came up short against Kansas City, but the club is looking like a much better team than it was in Week 1. Kirk Cousins has thrown for 471 yards and three touchdowns over the last two weeks.
16. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
Previous rank: 11
After a 2-0 start, Tampa Bay laid an egg against Denver. But Baker Mayfield has six passing touchdowns, and the offense should bounce back given all its weapons.
17. Los Angeles Rams (1-2)
Previous rank: 22
The Rams pulled out a scrappy comeback win over the 49ers despite missing a plethora of key pieces. L.A. will need to continue getting meaningful contributions from its special teams and depth players to contend with opponents.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (2-1)
Previous rank: 17
The loss to the Steelers in Week 3 is the least of the Chargers' concerns right now. Offensive tackles Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater are both expected to miss Week 4, while safety Derwin James has been suspended one game.
19. Washington Commanders (2-1)
Previous rank: 27
Jayden Daniels is coming off an incredible Week 3 performance in which he torched the Bengals for 293 yards and three touchdowns while completing 91% of his passes. But Washington's defense is holding the team back, as opposing quarterbacks are consistently picking apart its secondary.
20. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
Previous rank: 20
Arizona's offense is a top-10 unit in scoring and yardage, but the defense ranks in the bottom half of the league in allowing points and yards. If the Cardinals can get a bit more from the latter, they have a chance to remain competitive in the NFC.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)
Previous rank: 14
Cincinnati is in trouble after falling to the Commanders on Monday Night Football. This is its first 0-3 start since 2019, when it went 2-14 and got the first overall pick. The franchise will look to get its season back on track against the Panthers in Week 4.
22. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)
Previous rank: 25
It wasn't pretty, but the Colts earned their first win of the season thanks to a strong Jonathan Taylor performance against the Bears. Running the ball is Indy's best option right now, as Anthony Richardson continues to struggle. The second-year QB has completed just 49.3% of his passes this year and thrown a league-high six interceptions.
23. Chicago Bears (1-2)
Previous rank: 21
Caleb Williams finally threw a touchdown, but the Bears' blocking schemes will need to be cleaned up for Chicago to consistently threaten teams. Only Deshaun Watson (16) and Will Levis (15) have been sacked more than Williams (13).
24. Miami Dolphins (1-2)
Previous rank: 19
The Dolphins have more injuries at the quarterback position than wins so far after Skylar Thompson went down in their crushing defeat to the Seahawks on Sunday. It might not be long before Miami is smashing the panic button.
25. Denver Broncos (1-2)
Previous rank: 30
What a win for Denver. The Broncos dominated a strong Buccaneers team on the road to claim their first win of the season. Bo Nix has yet to throw for a touchdown, but the rookie QB delivered the best performance of his young NFL career in Week 3.
26. New York Giants (1-2)
Previous rank: 31
Rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers is leading the league in targets and is fifth in receiving yards through three games. New York will be tested in Week 4 when it hosts the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football.
27. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
Previous rank: 32
Carolina appears to have life after benching Bryce Young. The Panthers' offense exploded in Week 3, with the 36-year-old Andy Dalton passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns in a 36-22 win over the Raiders.
28. Cleveland Browns (1-2)
Previous rank: 23
Deshaun Watson got outdueled by Daniel Jones on Sunday. With an offensive line in shambles, poor quarterback play, and a 1-2 record, things aren't looking good in Cleveland.
29. Las Vegas Raiders (1-2)
Previous rank: 24
It looked like Las Vegas was still coached by Josh McDaniels - not Antonio Pierce - in its 36-22 loss to Carolina in Week 3. Pierce said his team might make big changes moving forward, and a loss to the disappointing Browns on Sunday could result in Aidan O'Connell taking over at quarterback over Gardner Minshew.
30. New England Patriots (1-2)
Previous rank: 29
The Patriots did not look like they play football in the same league - or stratosphere - as the Jets in their 24-3 defeat Thursday. Fans may want Drake Maye, but there are serious concerns about putting him behind an offensive line that has surrendered 11 sacks through three games.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)
Previous rank: 26
Doug Pederson's seat is getting hotter and hotter. Monday's 47-10 loss to the Bills completely exposed the Jaguars. It's hard to believe this team played a divisional-round game roughly a year and a half ago.
32. Tennessee Titans (0-3)
Previous rank: 28
The Titans are a mess right now, and first-year coach Brian Callahan needs to do something about it. A QB change could be coming for Tennessee, as Will Levis has suffered an NFL-high eight turnovers in 2024.