This past week has been filled with numerous questions about which teams would be playing after COVID-19 cases were present in the NFL. The Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers game was canceled due to several positive tests inside the Titans facility. The Kansas City Chiefs and New England Patriots game was pushed to Monday night as Patriots quarterback Cam Newton tested positive and did not play.
There is a lot of movement this week in the middle of the pack as teams continue to figure things out, but we are close to fully understanding “whos who” this NFL season.
Below are my current NFL Power Rankings after Week Four.
32. NEW YORK JETS (0-4) — LAST WEEK 32
You might as well just bank on the New York Jets being the worst team in the NFL. Your defense had multiple interceptions and the Denver Broncos still put up 37 points with a quarterback in his first start that was an undrafted free agent. Nobody is healthy and the organization is a complete mess.
31. NEW YORK GIANTS (0-4) — LAST WEEK 31
The New York Giants are the better worst team in New York. It was a closer game in Los Angeles than all of us expected but a loss is a loss. We might as well start taking bets on when the Giants might actually win a game.
30. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (1-3) — LAST WEEK 30
The Washington Football Team was put in the worst position this week. They played a pissed off Baltimore Ravens team that was dominated the previous week in primetime. Washington didn’t stand a chance, but they are doing better than the New York Giants so there is at least one positive.
29. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 29
The Jacksonville Jaguars are young and still figuring out how to win football games, but so are the Cincinnati Bengals. The defense was the problem in Sunday’s matchup as Joe Mixon and Joe Burrow had their way. The Jaguars are locked for a top 10 pick in the draft, but the way things are playing out, it might be a lock for a top-five pick. At least they stay put this week in terms of rankings.
28. ATLANTA FALCONS (0-4) — LAST WEEK 22
You never want to be the guy that calls for a man to lose his job but Dan Quinn is no longer the answer for Atlanta. They have lost some close games this season and also been blown out — we are four weeks into the season. The message has run stale and the excitement to play football has disappeared for the Atlanta Falcons. They need to figure something out soon or you might as well start tanking and kiss this season goodbye if you haven’t already.
27. MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 24
Welp. The Miami Dolphins faced the red-hot Seattle Seahawks on Sunday and played closer than all of us expected. They did get a garbage-time touchdown near the end, but they were only trailing by two at one point in the fourth quarter. Fitzpatrick’s interception ended their chance at taking the lead, but as I’ve said before, the foundation is there for Miami. I am starting to wonder when we see Tua take over.
26. DETROIT LIONS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 23
Does anybody have an answer on what the Detroit Lions need to do to find success? This is a team that everyone wants to predict on having a breakout season and how they have finally “figured it out” but year after year this seems to be the story. It’s exhausting and frustrating and I’m not even a Lions fan! I feel bad for those who are because this is brutal.
25. DENVER BRONCOS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 28
Brett Rypien. You better learn that name because he was ripping it all over the star-studded New York Jets on Thursday night. Sarcasm. He did throw for 242 yards along with three interceptions and two touchdowns, but if you are a Denver Broncos fan, just pray for the return of Drew Lock this season. There were some positives to take away from this game as Melvin Gordon broke the 100-yard mark and tallied two touchdowns and Tim Patrick led the way receiving with 113 yards. The Broncos weapons played well, even if their new starting quarterback did not.
24. HOUSTON TEXANS (0-4) — LAST WEEK 19
It’s an end of an era in Houston as the Texans have fired Bill O’Brien. He has left this organization in an awful place as they don’t have a first or second-round draft pick and are currently winless. The Texans are going to need time to get everything lined back out, but at least they have their franchise quarterback locked in.
23. CAROLINA PANTHERS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 26
Ole Teddy two gloves Bridgewater has been getting the job done recently for the Carolina Panthers. They are now 2-2 on the season and Joe Brady has found ways to get everyone involved in the offense to make the job easier for Bridgewater. Let’s see if they can keep this momentum rolling heading into Atlanta next week.
22. CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-2-1) — LAST WEEK 25
Joey Burrow has picked up his first win as a starting NFL quarterback and did so to the tune of 300 passing yards. The Cincinnati Bengals found success on the ground too as Joe Mixon finally had his breakout game this year. The defense was another aspect that showed out this week as they had three sacks and an interception. Yes, those are obvious box score stats, but it’s nice to see the Bengals put together a complete game.
21. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-2-1) — LAST WEEK 27
THEY WON and LEAD the NFC EAST! Man, the NFC East is weird, but the Eagles tie game from two weeks ago seals the number spot in the division for Philadelphia. Carson Wentz was playing with practice squad receivers and still found ways to get the job done. It was not pretty, but a win is a win in the NFL. Celebrate while you can I guess.
20. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 21
Who would have thought that rookie Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Charger would be in a shoot out against the GOAT, Tom Brady? That’s exactly the situation they were in on Sunday as they lose a close one, but Justin Herbert had another solid showing. The Chargers are dealing with some big injuries, but this team has plenty to build off of and has shown they are close to putting it all together.
19. CHICAGO BEARS (3-1) — LAST WEEK 17
The Chicago Bears picked up their first loss of the season and ended it with a garbage-time touchdown. They couldn’t get anything going on offense with Nick Foles being the starter and now it’s back to the drawing board for Matt Nagy
18. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 18
Another week, another set of turnovers that costs the Las Vegas Raiders the game. Two fumbles and a turnover on downs does not put your team in a position to win. Duh, but it’s what the Raiders did to themselves. They started off the year so strong and since then have not looked to be on the same page. They better figure it out soon though because the Raiders travel to Kansas City next week. They stay put for now, but things are starting to fall apart.
17. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 20
Welcome to the win column Minnesota. Your invite is in the mail and I hope you are ready to celebrate accordingly. Your victory this past Sunday got a man fired in Houston, but that’s not entirely your fault. It was very nice to see the Vikings carry over their success from last week and turn it into a win. Justin Jefferson and Dalvin Cook had another big week along with Adam Thielen. The Vikings now have a taste of victory and will do their best to get some seconds next week against Seattle. Their potential to keep up this style of play bumps them in the rankings
16. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 14
Kyle Shanahan has to be the most pissed off coach after his team’s performance on Sunday night. Nick Mullens clearly can’t run the offense as well as Jimmy Garoppolo, even though their accuracy is about the same. The 49ers struggled to get the ball downfield and spent the majority of the game running screens. Fans will be happy to see Jimmy G coming back soon.
15. DALLAS COWBOYS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 11
126 points. That’s the amount that has been scored on the Dallas Cowboys in the last three weeks of football. Dak Prescott throws for 500 yards and four touchdowns and you still lose. The protection has not been there for Dak as he was sacked three times and once of them was a strip sack in the beginning of the game. The defense is slow to react and doesn’t play with much effort — it’s sad to watch and has been present in every one of their games.
14. ARIZONA CARDINALS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 12
It was the defense that let the Arizona Cardinals defense down on Sunday. The Carolina Panthers found themselves leading by two touchdowns at the break and made sure not to make any mistakes. The Cardinals struggled to get the offense rolling early in this game and then started the second half with a fumble. That is not a winning recipe and the Cardinals will look to get back on track next week against the New York Jets.
13. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-1) — LAST WEEK 15
Phillip Rivers is going to talk smack — no matter how close the game is and I love it. The Colts won a sloppy game of football on Sunday and it was not thanks to any one player in particular. The running game broke 100 yards and as Jonathan Taylor had 68 of those 103 yards, 18 carries also went to his backups. The receiving was led by Zach Pascal believe it or not and now I wonder where T.Y. Hilton has been this season? You gotta love winning games as a Colts fan, but it also looks like it can come tumbling down at any moment.
12. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 10
Cam Newton was out of this game due to testing positive for COVID-19 so it was Brian Hoyer who got the start and then lost the job to Jarrett Stidham. For as well as the defense played, it was the offense that put New England in tough situations as they continued to make mental errors that cost them this game.
11. CLEVELAND BROWNS (3-1) — LAST WEEK 16
The Browns beat up the Dallas Cowboys. They took them to the back alley and just landed punch after punch. The running game was on full display once again and the Cowboys did not have an answer for the dominant performance of Odell Beckham Jr. If the Browns keep this up, they will be finding themselves in the Top 10 very soon. The AFC North is going to be a close finish season.
10. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 13
Drew Brees is BACK baby! Well at least the New Orleans Saints are back to winning I should say after losing back-to-back games. Michael Thomas sat out on Sunday but the Saints offense was able to find enough success through Emmanuel Sanders and Trequan Smith. The Saints found themselves down 14-0 at one point but came storming back for 35 unanswered points to win. The stresses of “Is Drew Brees still Drew Brees?” can be laid to rest. For now at least.
9. TENNESSEE TITANS (3-0) — LAST WEEK 9
On a bye week due to positive cases of COVID-19. The forced bye week will not change their place in rankings.
8. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-1) — LAST WEEK 8
Tom effin Brady. That is about all you can say. A slow first half for their offense and another pick-six from Brady, but they exploded in the second half. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored on every drive and eventually took the lead back at the start of the fourth quarter. The Bucs defense sealed the victory with an interception late in the game.
7. LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-1) — LAST WEEK 7
It was closer than you would have liked it to be, but no win is easy in the NFL. The Los Angeles Rams keep winning and showcasing they are a complete team. The offense was a little slower on Sunday but don’t expect to see a similar showing anytime soon from them.
6. BUFFALO BILLS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 6
Josh Allen leaves this game with another two passing touchdowns and six completions to Stefon Diggs. Allen is another quarterback in the NFL so far who is playing out of their mind. Diggs has been a HUGE difference to the Buffalo Bills offense and the Bills are looking to be sure-fire winners of the AFC East for the first time since the year I was born. 1995.
5. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (3-0) — LAST WEEK 5
On a Bye due to Tennessee Titans having positive cases of COVID-19. This will not change their place in rankings.
4. GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 4
Aaron Rodgers just continues to show he is on another level this season. The Green Bay Packers were missing three of their starting receivers, but that did not slow down this offense one bit. Rodgers was getting the ball to his running backs and tight ends all night as they destroyed the Atlanta Falcons.
3. BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-1) — LAST WEEK 3
The Ravens dominated the Washington Football Team, as they should have. Lamar Jackson had to be disappointed in his performance last Monday and did his part in making up for it. The Ravens are supposed to win this game, so congrats on getting back in the win column.
2. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 3
They handled business with the Dolphins and don’t look to be slowing down anytime soon. The Seahawks are playing amazing football right now and Russell Wilson continues his MVP campaign.
1. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 1
Thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs’ defense, they were able to get by the New England Patriots and Bill Belichick. The offense was held scoreless until the third quarter but the defense did their part in getting multiple turnovers, which allowed the offense to find their rhythm late. The Chiefs remain atop the NFL.