NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Latest 2014 Standings and Reaction for All 32 Teams: Week 3 in the NFL had a little bit of everything. There was a Super Bowl rematch that went into overtime in dramatic fashion, a couple of blowout victories by some of the more impressive teams in the league and a Monday night game that came down to the final minute. With so much happening, lets take a look at the updated power rankings. 32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were absolutely embarrassed Thursday in their 56-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in all three phases of the game. The possibility of Mike Glennon turning things around is the only silver lining for this squad right now, which is disappointing considering all the personnel changes in the offseason. Lovie Smith has his work cut out for him. 31. Jacksonville Jaguars It’s finally Blake Bortles time in Jacksonville. The rookie quarterback came in well after the Indianapolis Colts put the Jaguars away, but it was the right move. Jacksonville isn’t going to win anything this year (as Sunday’s performance proved), but Bortles can develop alongside receivers Marqise Lee, Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns. There may actually be some hope for the first time in a while. 30. Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans team that knocked off the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 1 looks like a thing of the distant past. The Cincinnati Bengals completely controlled the game Sunday, and Jake Locker has struggled the past two weeks. In fact, he has four interceptions in the team’s two losses, which is a recipe for disaster on a squad that lacks the playmakers to consistently come back from early deficits. 29. Oakland Raiders We have lauded the future in Oakland in these power rankings before, and we will do so again here. Derek Carr and Khalil Mack could both develop into superstars in this league, and Mack and the rest of the defense were particularly impressive against the New England Patriots Sunday. In fact, Oakland had a chance to put that low-scoring game into overtime before a costly turnover at the end. Oakland will struggle this year, but there is reason for hope going forward. 28. Minnesota Vikings It’s Teddy Bridgewater time in Minnesota, and that is good news for the long-term future. Sure, Minnesota’s loss to the New Orleans Saints proved that it may be a long season with a lackluster running game and a struggling offensive line, but Bridgewater has some talent. The question now is whether the Vikings can protect him all year. 27. Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins that knocked off the Patriots in Week 1 were nowhere to be found in the loss to the Kansas City Chiefs Sunday. In fact, the Chiefs ran all over the Dolphins with Knile Davis, and Alex Smith finished with three touchdown passes. The offense wasn’t much better either. Miami was simply one of the most disappointing teams in the league in Week 3. 26. St. Louis Rams ESPN Stats & Info noted that Austin Davis has been better than many expected: Even with Davis outperforming expectations, the St. Louis Rams are stuck near the bottom of these power rankings. You can’t blow a 21-0 lead in the NFL, regardless of the injuries at quarterback. The shutdown defense and dominant defensive line that was supposed to be in place here has yet to show its stuff either. 25. New York Giants When Eli Manning doesn’t turn the ball over, the New York Giants have a chance to win. He protected it on Sunday and found Victor Cruz for the performance fantasy owners have been waiting for all year. Don’t overlook running back Rashad Jennings either. Jennings racked up 176 rushing yards and consistently moved the chains when his team needed him to against the dangerous Houston Texans defensive line. 24. Kansas City Chiefs The Chiefs sort of looked like that playoff team we saw last year during their win in Miami. Davis was impressive in place of Jamaal Charles, the defense held up its end of the bargain and Smith helped put the game away with some solid throws. The 34-15 win may have said more about the Dolphins than the Chiefs, but it was the type of turnaround victory Kansas City desperately needed. 23. Houston Texans The Houston Texans started 2-0, much to the surprise of many, but they fell back down to earth in a somewhat surprising loss to the Giants. Ryan Fitzpatrick struggled mightily, but the real problem for the Texans was the absence of Arian Foster. Foster impressed in the first two weeks, but the team struggled to get much of a legitimate rushing threat going without him. Houston needs him healthy going forward. 22. Cleveland Browns Ross Tucker of NBC Sports Network passed along an impressive stat that indicates the Cleveland Browns probably shouldn’t be ashamed of their two division losses: The AFC North may be formidable, but Cleveland is undoubtedly smarting from its Week 3 loss. The Browns had every opportunity to win that game, but they failed to convert on multiple scoring opportunities late with a lead. Had Cleveland connected on its missed field goals or punched the ball in the end zone when it had a chance, it would be much higher on this list. 21. Washington Redskins Yes, Washington lost to the Philadelphia Eagles in a shootout, but there is plenty of reason for optimism after an impressive performance from Kirk Cousins. Cousins racked up 427 passing yards and three touchdowns and looked incredibly comfortable trading blows with Nick Foles and the Eagles offense in a shootout. If Alfred Morris stays healthy, he and Cousins could be a formidable one-two punch that is difficult to stop every week. 20. New York Jets The New York Jets only lost by eight to a solid Chicago Bears squad, but the Bears were a shell of themselves by the fourth quarter thanks to so many injuries. Frankly, if New York wants to be taken seriously as a playoff contender, it needs to find a way to win at home against an injury-plagued squad that was basically bringing practice-squad players in to play safety by the end. The rush defense is still stout as ever, as is the rushing attack, but Geno Smith is still a work in progress. So are the Jets. 19. Buffalo Bills Much like the Texans, the Buffalo Bills may have gotten a reality check in Week 3. The San Diego Chargers flew across the country and controlled the entire contest, and they made life particularly difficult on EJ Manuel. The Bills have an impressive rushing attack and a solid defense, but it will be difficult for them to come back from early deficits. We saw that Sunday. 18. Dallas Cowboys ESPN Stats & Info noted just how great DeMarco Murray has been this season: We are not really sure what to make of the Dallas Cowboys right now. The two wins are a product of the opponents thus far as much as anything else, but the defense hasn’t been the complete disaster that many expected. Offensively, Murray is a beast, and Dez Bryant is one of best receivers in the league. Despite that talent, let’s wait and see just how Dallas performs against better competition before moving it too far up. 17. San Francisco 49ers Is there a Colin Kaepernick stunt double that comes out of the locker room every week for the second half? Things like penalties have cost the San Francisco 49ers all year, but the Kaepernick-led offense has struggled mightily in the second halves of games. In fact, the 49ers have three measly points after halftime this season. Still, wide receiver Anquan Boldin discussed the flags (San Francisco was flagged nine times for 107 yards in the loss to Arizona) after the game, via Paul Gutierrez of ESPN: “If you look at it, it’s unbelievable. We’ll send the tape into the league, and they’ll say, We made a mistake. But [Arizona] got 30 yards down the field (on those calls), and some were coming at crucial times ... if you’re going to call it, call it both ways.” There is still far too much talent to give up on the 49ers this early in the season, but they need to find some discipline and perhaps try to re-establish themselves as a run-first squad. 16. Carolina Panthers Carolina jumped out to a 2-0 start behind a stout defense and an opportunistic offense. However, that suspect offensive line came back to bite the Panthers in the loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday. Throw in terrible special teams play from the punt return unit, and Carolina never really had a chance. The defense struggled a bit as well, but the offensive line is a bigger concern moving forward. It is difficult to envision Cam Newton staying healthy all year if the Panthers cannot block for their quarterback at a consistent level. 15. Pittsburgh Steelers ESPN Stats & Info passed along an encouraging statistic for Pittsburgh Steelers fans: The Steelers, like many teams in the NFL, have been a bit of a mystery thus far. They looked like one of the worst teams in the league after halftime of Week 1 and into Week 2, but they pulled a 180 and destroyed a potential playoff team on the road in Week 3. The injuries on defense are a concern, but if Antonio Brown continues to put up big numbers, the Steelers could contend all year. 14. Green Bay Packers Maybe we overrated the Green Bay Packers a bit this year because the players are in so many commercials? Green Bay is a choke job from the New York Jets away from being 0-3 and only scored seven points against a Detroit team that is not exactly lauded for its defense. The Seattle Seahawks completely destroyed the Packers in Week 1 as well, and the offensive line simply doesn’t look the part in the early going. The rivalry game at Chicago against a banged-up Bears team in Week 4 will go a long way toward telling us just how good the Packers truly are this year. 13. Detroit Lions So much for the shootout between the Packers and the Detroit Lions in Week 3. Instead, the Detroit defense came out and dominated Green Bay, holding Aaron Rodgers and company to a measly seven points. It said a lot about a Lions squad that many assume is just a high-flying offensive attack to win in that fashion. Reggie Bush was the one standout on the offensive end, which is encouraging news for a team looking to get some type of rushing attack going alongside the passing game. 12. New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are officially on the board. Drew Brees and company handled an overmatched Vikings team to get win No. 1, but it was the performance of the New Orleans defense that was most impressive. The Saints struggled to stop anyone in the first two weeks, but they looked much better behind a number of impressive blitzes Sunday. The offense is still a sure bet with Brees, Jimmy Graham and a litany of receivers. The Saints just need the defense that showed up in Week 3 to make an appearance more often. 11. Chicago Bears Give the Chicago Bears credit. They found a way to win two consecutive games with an injury-ravaged roster. Yes, wide receivers Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery are still less than 100 percent, but the secondary is a mess right now. Chicago lost Charles Tillman for the season in Week 2 and saw safeties dropping left and right in the victory over the Jets in Week 3. Next up is a test against the Green Bay Packers, which could certainly be problematic with a banged-up secondary. Still, its hard not to apply the cliche a win is a win saying for the Bears right now. 10. Baltimore Ravens Right now, Steve Smith looks like a great addition for the Baltimore Ravens, and his presence has helped counter the lack of production from Torrey Smith. As for the Ravens being a top-10 squad even after struggling to beat the Browns, the thought here is that says more about Cleveland than Baltimore. The Browns are tougher than many give them credit for and were a couple of plays away from winning in both of their losses. Baltimore was the only team that tested Cincinnati in the early going as well. Once Torrey Smith hits his stride next to Steve Smith, look out. 9. Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts looked much more like the squad we expected at the beginning of the season in their victory over the Jaguars Sunday. We are not going to hold those two losses against Andrew Luck and company too drastically, either, because they came in nail-biting fashion against the Denver Broncos and Eagles (two top-five teams in these rankings). Luck dominated the lowly Jaguars, and the defense looked much better, meaning there is reason for optimism in Indianapolis. 8. New England Patriots The New England Patriots did not exactly look like world-beaters in their narrow victory over the Raiders, but the defense was impressive. Having Rob Gronkowski helps as well. The biggest problem going forward appears to be the offensive line, which is particularly concerning because Tom Brady isn’t the most mobile quarterback in the league. Any injury to No. 12 would likely doom New England’s Super Bowl championship hopes, so it will be up to the line to protect him more effectively in Week 4 and beyond. 7. Atlanta Falcons The Falcons may have been the most impressive team in Week 3, although that was partially a factor of the uninspiring display from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Still, the Falcons beat a division team 56-14 without Roddy White and proved to the rest of the league that the Matt Ryan and Julio Jones combination is one of the best in the NFL. The defense is still suspect, but Atlanta should be able to outscore plenty of teams all season long. 6. San Diego Chargers The San Diego Chargers are for real, everyone. The Chargers impressed in a victory over the defending Super Bowl champion Seahawks and then traveled across the country and handed the Bills their first loss of the year. Philip Rivers is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and had no issues with Seattle’s “Legion of Boom” either. There is reason to be concerned with Danny Woodhead and Ryan Mathews out with injury, though. It may be up to Donald Brown to carry the load. 5. Arizona Cardinals Speaking of teams that are for real and surprising some folks, the Arizona Cardinals are sitting at 3-0 and in first place in the loaded NFC West. All the Cardinals did without their quarterback is knock off division rival San Francisco with a stout defense and a breakout performance from rookie receiver John Brown. Drew Stanton made enough plays against a solid 49ers defense to win, and the Arizona defense proved that it can keep this team in almost every game. Next up is a trip to Denver, so stay tuned to see just how real the Cardinals are this year. 4. Philadelphia Eagles ESPN Stats & Info noted that the Eagles have made some history in the early going: Yes, Philadelphia has struggled out of the gates this year, but the fact that it has come back every week is a testament to its conditioning and the difficulty opponents have facing Chip Kelly’s offense. The scary thing is that LeSean McCoy has yet to break out this season, even with the offense putting up big numbers. The defense will rear its ugly head at some point, but the offense means the Eagles are a serious Super Bowl contender through three games. 3. Denver Broncos The Week 3 game between the Broncos and Seahawks was the Super Bowl we were all promised. Sure, Denver lost, but Peyton Manning and company deserve tons of credit for that comeback in the final minutes to force overtime. It started with the defense after a safety and interception, and then the offense went almost the entire length of the field with no timeouts in front of the raucous 12th man and scored the touchdown and two-point conversion to tie it up. If nothing else, that performance should give the Broncos some confidence after getting blown out in the Super Bowl. They may just get another try at Seattle in February after all. 2. Cincinnati Bengals With all the hype surrounding the Eagles offense, the Cardinals defense and the showdown between Denver and Seattle, the Cincinnati Bengals are just plugging away with impressive wins. They went to Baltimore and won in dramatic fashion in Week 1, crushed a dangerous Falcons team in Week 2 and took care of business against an overmatched Tennessee squad in Week 3. The offense is putting up points, and the defense is one of the best in the league. Cincinnati may be the biggest challenger to Denver in the AFC, especially if it can figure out a way to turn more field-goal attempts into touchdowns. 1. Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks take back the top spot in the power rankings thanks to a dramatic overtime victory against Denver. It was Russell Wilson’s emergence in overtime that was particularly notable because it gives a loaded Seattle team yet another weapon. The Seahawks already have an incredible defense, Marshawn Lynch and Percy Harvin, and Wilson’s continued development into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL should have the rest of the league on notice. If the Seahawks can secure home-field advantage in the playoffs again, look out. Follow me on Twitter: Follow @ScottPolacek Read more NFL news on BleacherReport #NFL #Opinion
Posted on: Tue, 23 Sep 2014 12:43:15 +0000
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