NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3) Previous Rk #29

Probably one of the worst Thursday Night Game’s anyone has ever seen. It was 56 to NOTHING after three quarters against the Falcons. Embarrassing. This team needs a hug, and maybe some better social media people…

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31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)  Previous Rk #32

Remember last week when the Jags said they were sticking with veteren QB Chad Henne? Yeah, benched after two quarters. Bortles went for 223 with 2 TD’s and 2 picks. Not bad for a rookie with a poor supporting cast.

30. Oakland Raiders (0-3) Previous Rk #31

The Raiders had a chance to take down the Pats in New England this past week had it not been for an unfortunate red zone bounce that landed right in Vince Wilfork hands.

29. Minnesota Vikings (1-2) Previous Rk #26

As predicted, a QB shuffle was only a matter of time. Cassel went down with an injury, and Teddy did his best but came up short in New Orleans. Also apparently Adrian Peterson still doesn’t get that he might not play another down this season. Trying times in Minnesota right now.

28. Tennessee Titans (1-2) Previous Rk #25

Jake Locker looks lost out there. There were too many penalties (11 for 99yds). But, one bright spot was Bishop Sankey, who more than doubled his carries from the first two games.

27. New York Giants (1-2) Previous Rk #30

Hey hey! Look at Eli throwing for 230, two touchdowns and most importantly zero picks. Now, they did it against the lowly Houston Texans, but a wins a win.

26. St. Louis Rams (1-2) Previous Rk #27

The struggle is real for St. Louis fans. After bursting out to an unbelievable start the Rams squandered a 21 point lead and gave the Cowboys its biggest comeback in franchise history. The defense was completely absent in the second half, and Jared Cook shoved his rookie quarterback after he dropped a fourth quarter touchdown catch. You read that right, COOK DROPPED THE BALL but had the gull to get mad at his QB.

25. Cleveland Browns (1-2) Previous Rk #21

If you’re a Browns fan should you just tune into the last 3 minutes of each game or the first 57 minutes when the game has yet to be decided? Seriously, that’s three games now decided in the waning seconds of each game. One fan who’s watching every play has got to be this guy. I wonder who his favorite player is?

24. Houston Texans (2-1) Previous Rk #16

In the wise words of the great musical group Soul II Soul, “Back to life, back to reality.” The Texans finally toppled against a mediocre team in the NY Giants. It’s a long season and it’s going to be one of rebuilding for new head coach Bill O’Brien.

23. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2) Previous Rk #28

The Chiefs finally put an end to their early season slide with a quality win in Miami. Knile Davis filled in nicely for the once again injured Jamal Charles, and ran for 132 yards and a score.

22. Washington Redskins (1-2) Previous Rk #24

Possibly the most intriguing matchup of the weekend was the Redskins and Eagles and it lived up to the hype. DeSean Jackson got a score against his former team, and Kirk Cousins looked sharp, minus the late turnover, starting over the injured RGIII. Redskins move up two spots despite the loss.

21. Miami Dolphins (1-2) Previous Rk #12

Looks like my questions were answered this past week when the Dolphins lost at home to the winless Chiefs. It’s time to jump ship from this bandwagon, and it looks like the coaching staff is considering jumping ship from Ryan Tannehill.

20. New York Jets (1-2) Previous Rk #20

Geno Smith regressed last night under the lights against the Chicago Bears. Untimely turnovers cost them the game- 2 interceptions (and a muffed punt on special teams). Some are even calling for backup and former superstar Michael Vick to take the reigns. We know one Jets QB who won’t be back, even if fans still love him…

19. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) Previous Rk #23

Ravens found a way to squeak by division foe Cleveland Browns. It wasn’t pretty, but it was effective. And the late field goal by kicker Justin Tucker came on the heels of another Flacco to Steve Smith connection. The relationship continues to grow between the wide receiver and his quarterback.

18. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) Previous Rk #19

Don’t look now, but the Cowboys are 2-1 and seemingly nobody is talking about them. Why? Most likely it’s because everyone prefers to talk about Romo’s interceptions or Dez’s diva behavior, but when those things don’t happen nobody tunes into Jerry’s reality tv show.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1) Previous Rk #22

The Steelers made a statement on Sunday night when they went into the undefeated Carolina and put a whoopin’ on them Panthers. The 37-19 game was highlighted by two Ben Roethlisberger touchdowns and the two-headed running attack of the Steelers. Le’Veon Bell ran for 147 yards, while LeGarrette Blount ran for 118 (the first time since ’86 the Steelers have had two 100-yard rushers in a single game).

16. New Orleans Saints (1-2) Previous Rk #14

The Saints won the game against the lowly Vikings this past Sunday, but they didn’t do it in the impressive fashion as most people anticipated. Had it not been for a roughing the passer call against Vikings DB, Captain Munnerlyn, this could have been a very different game. This could be nothing, or it could mean the Saints just aren’t the powerhouse as they used to be. Except for Jimmy Graham, he’s got some grown man strength…

15. Green Bay Packers (1-2) Previous Rk #6

The Packers have a lot of issues on the offensive line. Don Barclay was supposed to be the fill in guy for the O-line, but when he went down with a torn ACL he made the depth chart paper thin. Rogers was held to a pedestrian 162 yards, and Eddie Lacy only rushed for 38 yards, including one rush that led to a safety.

14. Detroit Lions (2-1) Previous Rk #18

The Lions defense is good, real good, and right now they’re carrying the team. Most people instinctively think of potent offense when they think Lions football, but the O scored only six points against the Pack last week. The other 13 points came from defense and special teams. One thing the Lions don’t need is silly injuries, like Stephen Tulloch who tore his ACL celebrating a sack on Aaron Rogers.

13. San Francisco 49ers (1-2) Previous Rk #8

The most popular question coming off of the 49ers loss to the Cardinals this past weekend was, “Are the Cardinals (3-0) that good, or are the 49ers that bad?” The answer might be that the 49ers just aren’t as good as we predicted them to be. They take on Philly next week, which should be a tremendous game to watch.

12. Atlanta Falcons (2-1) Previous Rk #17

It was pretty hard not to be impressed by the Falcons rout of the Bucs last Thursday. They play the Vikings next week at home, which they should be favored heavily. Devin Hester has scored several special teams touchdowns against his former NFC North rival, a trend he hopes continues especially now that he holds the NFL record for return TD’s.

11. Indianapolis Colts (1-2) Previous Rk #15

Colts feasted on the Jags as almost everyone thought they would. They have the Titans this week at home and I’m predicting another victory for the Blue Horseshoes.

10. New England Patriots (2-1) Previous Rk #10

The jury is still out on the Patriots. They lost to the Dolphins week 1, destroyed the Vikings week two, and almost dropped a game at home to the Raiders. They pulled off the victory, but it was an ugly one. Pats and Saints are kind of in the same boat of- an extremely hyped team preseason who is failing to meet expectations, and now have people wondering if a lower standard should be set. For now though, the Pats are still a team a top ten team, but I’d be wary of them slipping.

9. Buffalo Bills (2-1) Previous Rk #11

Wait, the Bills went up in rankings after LOSING last week? Yeah that’s right, they’re moving up. And it’s for two reasons. One, they lost to a very good San Diego team. And two, the teams ranked lower than the Bills have too much uncertainty to be ranked higher than Buffalo. We’ll see if my reasons are validated when they play Houston this week, a team they should be able to handle.

8. Carolina Panthers (2-1) Previous Rk #5

The Panthers got thumped at home in a very unimpressive way last Sunday against the Steelers. Cam wasn’t as protected as he’d like, resulting in three sacks during the game. And they really couldn’t get the run game going, especially with starting RB DeAngelo Williams out. Cam said it best after the game, “At times we just looked out of sync.” You wanna know what was also out of sync?…

7. San Diego Chargers (2-1) Previous Rk #13

Quality win on the road for Chargers who have a bye week this we…I mean they play the Jaguars this week. Should be a reeeeaal tough test. One thing I did not point out was Philip Rivers wearing the #61 on his helmet. It wasn’t an equipment mistake (note the green QB sticker), rather it was to honor his center, Nick Hardwick, who was placed on season-ending injured reserve with a neck stinger. Hardwick was the only center Rivers teamed with in his 11 year career before his injury. Classy move by a good teammate there.

6. Arizona Cardinals (3-0) Previous Rk #9

Right ahead of the Chargers is the team that beat them week one. Most people thought it was a fluke (and didn’t even count their week two win against the Giants), but the Cardinals win against the 49ers last week solidified their spot as a bonafide playoff threat. What makes it even more impressive is they did it with backup QB Drew Stanton, filling in for the again injured Carson Palmer. This team might be for real after all in a tough division featuring the Niners and Seahawks.

5. Chicago Bears (2-1) Previous Rk #7

Last night was a big show-me game for the Bears, who were a 1 point underdog going into MetLife Stadium to take on the Jets. The defense rose to the occasion with a pick-six on Geno Smith, and Jay Cutler took over on offense tossing two touchdown passes to TE Martellus Bennett. Scary moment when Brandan Marshall left the game in the second quarter due to his ankle, but he came back later in the game to calm all Bears fans and fantasy owners.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) Previous Rk #3

What a shootout it was in Philadelphia this past week! The Birds held on for dear life as the Redskins tried to rally late, but it was their defense that stopped that by forcing a Kirk Cousins interception. Nick Foles took an absolute cheap shot from Redskins Chris Baker, which lead to a all out brawl between both teams and resulted in multiple ejections. Eagles roll, and play the Niners next week in San Fran.

3. Denver Broncos (2-1) Previous Rk #1

I really wanted to put Denver at #2 this week. Yes, even after they lost to Seattle. The reason? Because they almost stole the game in a place where seemingly no visiting opponent has a chance to win. If they played on a neutral site I think Peyton could get that team to victory.

2. Seattle Seahawks (2-1) Previous Rk #4

You beat the number one team in football in OT you’re gonna keep your ranking if not move up. The Seahawks move up this week. As I just stated in the Broncos description, the Hawks are almost unbeatable at home. Come playoff time, NFC teams better hope they can secure home field advantage or else it’s gonna be tough knocking off the defending champs.

1. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0) Previous Rk #2

The most complete team in football right now. Defense is great. Offense is hitting on all cylinders. And Muhammed Sanu keeps throwing gems as a wide receiver. This past week it was to Andy Dalton, in a play that made every Bengals fan saying, “no no  NO NO, YEAH YEAH YEAH!” Seriously, he almost got absolutely lit up, but somehow it ended in a touchdown.