NFL POWER RANKINGS: Where every team stands heading into Week 4
Three weeks into the 2020 NFL season, the Kansas City Cheifs are still the team to beat.
After a dominant performance on Monday night against the Baltimore Ravens, Kansas City proved that they're not giving up the Lombardi Trophy without a fight. Still, beneath them, a few contenders are lurking.
The Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers both have offenses playing at an other-worldly level, and the Steelers and Bills are coming into their own as potential combatants out of the AFC.
Take a look at our power rankings going into Week 4 of the NFL season below:
32. New York Jets
Record: 0-3
Week 3 result: Lost to the Colts, 36-7
Week 4 opponent: vs. Denver Broncos
One thing to know: The Jets are averaging 12 points per game, and while their top offensive weapons are injured, it appears Adam Gase is on the hot seat. Would a bad loss to the Broncos on "Thursday Night Football" be the final straw?
31. New York Giants
Record: 0-3
Week 3 result: Lost to the 49ers, 36-9
Week 4 opponent: at Los Angeles Chargers
One thing to know: Facing a 49ers team riddled by injuries on both sides of the ball, the Giants couldn't do anything. Through three games, New York has scored just three touchdowns, one of which came in garbage time of Week 1 against the Steelers. If there's any good news for the Giants, it's that they can't play much worse than they are now.
30. Atlanta Falcons
Record: 0-3
Week 3 result: Lost to the Bears, 30-26
Week 4 opponent: at Green Bay Packers
One thing to know: The Falcons, a team that once blew a 28-3 lead in the Super Bowl, blew a double-digit lead for the second week in a row. Atlanta held a 26-10 lead over the Bears before being outscored 20-0 over the final 25 minutes. How long can Dan Quinn hold onto his job with these continual meltdowns?
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Lost to the Dolphins, 31-13
Week 4 opponent: at Cincinnati Bengals
One thing to know: Gardner Minshew lost his facial hair faceoff against Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Dolphins on Thursday night, with the Jaguars offense looking rather lifeless in Miami. A game against the Bengals could serve as a good reset to get things back on track, or a sign that it's time to start planning for the 2021 draft.
28. Philadelphia Eagles
Record: 0-2-1
Week 3 result: Tied with the Bengals, 23-23
Week 4 opponent: at San Francisco 49ers
One thing to know: Carson Wentz and the Eagles offense is a mess. Wentz threw two more interceptions in Week 3, and while he added some offense with his legs, the passing game shows no signs of improvement. He won't be helped by tight end Dallas Goedert and wide receiver DeSean Jackson potentially missing time with injuries.
27. Cincinnati Bengals
Record: 0-2-1
Week 3 result: Tied with the Eagles, 23-23
Week 4 opponent: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
One thing to know: Joe Burrow still hasn't gotten his first win in the NFL, but on Sunday, he earned his first tie. Against Jacksonville this weekend, Burrow and the Bengals should have a good shot at a win.
26. Washington Football Team
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Lost to the Browns, 34-20
Week 4 opponent: vs. Baltimore Ravens
One thing to know: Dwayne Haskins threw three picks and had two fumbles in Week 3, but Ron Rivera said he'd stick with the second-year QB, saying: "The only way we are going to find out where Dwayne is and what he can do is by putting him back out on the football field and let him get exposed."
25. Denver Broncos
Record: 0-3
Week 3 result: Lost to the Buccaneers, 28-10
Week 4 opponent: at New York Jets
One thing to know: The Denver Broncos will call on backup quarterback Brett Rypien to start Thursday night against the Jets. The Broncos are still favored to win the game by bookmakers, which is a pretty damning indictment of just how bad the Jets are this year.
24. Miami Dolphins
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Beat the Jaguars, 31-13
Week 4 opponent: vs. Seattle Seahawks
One thing to know: Week 3 was one of those trademark, once-in-a-blue-moon Ryan Fitzpatrick games where he appears unstoppable. The journeyman QB completed 90% of his passes for 2 touchdowns and 0 interceptions to get Miami its first win of the season.
23. Detroit Lions
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Beat the Cardinals, 26-23
Week 4 opponent: vs. New Orleans Saints
One thing to know: After a tough 0-2 start to the season, the Detroit Lions pulled out an upset victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. In related news, head coach Matt Patricia's seat has shifted from hot to moderately warm.
22. Minnesota Vikings
Record: 0-3
Week 3 result: Lost to the Titans, 31-30
Week 4 opponent: at Houston Texans
One thing to know: Make sure to add Justin Jefferson to your fantasy team. The rookie wide receiver hauled in seven of nine targets for 175 yards and a touchdown in Week 3, a lone bright spot on the flailing Vikings.
21. Los Angeles Chargers
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Lost to the Panthers, 21-16
Week 4 opponent: vs. New York Giants
One thing to know: On their final play of the game, the Chargers ran a hook-and-ladder that opened up the Panthers defense to perfection, but the lateral between Keenan Allen and Austin Ekeler wasn't clean, and the potential game-winning play fell apart. Football is a game of inches.
20. Carolina Panthers
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Beat the Chargers, 21-16
Week 4 opponent: vs. Arizona Cardinals
One thing to know: The Panthers finally made some progress on the defensive end in Week 3, getting their first two sacks of the season in the first half. They'll need that defensive intensity as they face the Falcons (twice), Saints, and Chiefs in the coming weeks.
19. Houston Texans
Record: 0-3
Week 3 result: Lost to the Steelers, 28-21
Week 4 opponent: vs. Minnesota Vikings
One thing to know: It's difficult to imagine a team having a more challenging start to the season than the Houston Texans, who faced the Chiefs, Ravens, and Steelers to open the year, and have understandably fallen to 0-3. With the Vikings and Jaguars scheduled for the next two weeks, they have the opportunity to build a little momentum, but their winless start to the year has left the Texans with very little room for error the rest of the way.
18. Chicago Bears
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Falcons, 30-26
Week 4 opponent: vs. Indianapolis Colts
One thing to know: The Bears made the dramatic mid-game switch to Nick Foles, and it paid off, as he threw 3 touchdowns to lead Chicago back from a 26-10 deficit. Head coach Matt Nagy said the team is sticking with Foles over Mitch Tribusky as the starter.
17. Las Vegas Raiders
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Lost to the Patriots, 36-20
Week 4 opponent: vs. Buffalo Bills
One thing to know: The Raiders' undefeated start to the season came crashing down on Sunday thanks to a dismantling at the hands of the New England Patriots. With games against the Bills, Chiefs, and Buccaneers over the next four weeks, they'll have to bounce back fast or watch their season unravel.
16. Cleveland Browns
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Beat the Washington Football Team, 34-20
Week 4 opponent: at Dallas Cowboys
One thing to know: The Browns have scored a nice 69 points over the last two weeks after scoring just six in their season-opener. Cleveland's offensive weapons remain intriguing if they can all get on the same page for an extended period.
15. Indianapolis Colts
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Beat the Jets, 36-7
Week 4 opponent: at Chicago Bears
One thing to know: After a shocking loss to the Jaguars to open the season, the Colts have locked in, with the Indianapolis defense holding opponents to just 18 combined points over the past two weeks.
14. Arizona Cardinals
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Lost to the Lions, 26-23
Week 4 opponent: at Carolina Panthers
One thing to know: Kyler Murray had three interceptions, a career-worst in his 19 starts. It says something about an improving Cardinals defense that those three turnovers turned into just 10 Lions points, and Arizona still had a chance to win the game late.
13. Dallas Cowboys
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Lost to the Seahawks, 38-31
Week 4 opponent: vs. Cleveland Browns
One thing to know: There's no team in the NFL tougher to figure out than the Dallas Cowboys through three weeks of the season. Their one win came on a fluke play against one of the worst teams in football, and their two losses came in dramatic late-game fashion against two of the best teams in the league. A convincing win over the Browns this weekend would go a long way in proving they're no fluke.
12. New Orleans Saints
Record: 1-2
Week 3 result: Lost to the Packers, 37-30
Week 4 opponent: at Detroit Lions
One thing to know: While Drew Brees struggles have been dissected (and he surely misses Michael Thomas), Alvin Kamara looks like perhaps the best running back in the league. Fresh off a $75 million contract, Kamara has 438 total yards and 6 touchdowns. He's the second player in the Super Bowl era to have three rushing and receiving TDs each in his team's first three games, according to ESPN.
11. Tennessee Titans
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Vikings, 31-30
Week 4 opponent: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
One thing to know: The Tennessee Titans reported the first COVID-19 outbreak of the NFL season this week, with three players and five staff members testing positive. The team will not be permitted to practice until at least Saturday, and their scheduled game against the Steelers is set to be pushed back, with Monday and Tuesday night both reportedly options on the table. Given the lack of practice they'll have ahead of the game, their undefeated record could be in jeopardy.
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Beat the Broncos, 28-10
Week 4 opponent: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
One thing to know: The Bucs have held their opponents below 20 points two weeks in a row. Their defense ranks second overall in DVOA, and while they had the best run defense last year, their pass defense is up to No. 5 in DVOA this year.
9. Los Angeles Rams
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Lost to the Bills, 35-32
Week 4 opponent: vs. New York Giants
One thing to know: The Los Angeles Rams cried foul after what looked like a ghost of a pass interference penalty cost them their shot at beating the Bills. It was a tough call, but given that the Rams were the beneficiaries of the most high-profile pass interference non-call in the history of the NFL, this felt like the league finding balance within the force rather than any sort of mass conspiracy.
8. San Francisco 49ers
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Beat the Giants, 36-9
Week 4 opponent: vs. Philadelphia Eagles
One thing to know: The 49ers were missing 10 projected starters in Week 3 and still got the win. They have a soft schedule, facing the sputtering Eagles this week, then the Dolphins. They'll need to get healthier after that, as they face the Rams (twice), Seahawks, Packers, Patriots, Saints, and Bills over the next seven weeks in what could be a season-defining stretch.
7. New England Patriots
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Beat the Raiders, 36-20
Week 4 opponent: at Kansas City Chiefs
One thing to know: While Cam Newton was the star of the show for the Patriots through the first two weeks of the season, it was running back Rex Burkhead to stepped up on Sunday to carry the team. Burkhead rushed for 49 yards, caught 49 more, and scored three touchdowns for New England en route to victory.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Texans, 28-21
Week 4 opponent: at Tennessee Titans
One thing to know: Ben Roethlisberger is off to an impressive start to the season. After missing most 0f 2019, the 38-year-old has thrown for 777 yards, 7 touchdowns, and 1 interception while completing 67% of his passes for a 105 passer rating.
5. Buffalo Bills
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Rams, 35-32
Week 4 opponent: at Las Vegas Raiders
One thing to know: Through three weeks, Josh Allen has thrown for 1,038 yards, 10 touchdowns, and just one interception. While Russell Wilson is getting the majority of the early MVP hype, don't sleep on Allen's chances of taking home the hardware.
4. Green Bay Packers
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Saints, 37-30
Week 4 opponent: vs. Atlanta Falcons
One thing to know: Much was made about the Packers not upgrading their offensive weapons in the offseason (rightfully), but so far, second-year receiver Allen Lazard has stepped up to become Aaron Rodgers' No. 2. Lazard has 13 catches for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns on the season and has come up just short of the end zone on a few plays.
3. Seattle Seahawks
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Cowboys, 38-31
Week 4 opponent: at Miami Dolphins
One thing to know: In the history of the NFL, no quarterback has ever thrown for more than Russell Wilson's 14 touchdowns through three weeks. The Seahawks needed every point he's given them, as their defense is giving up an average of 440 passing yards per game to opposing QBs. "Let Russ cook!" is the trend in Seattle, but opposing quarterbacks have also been cooking pretty well.
2. Baltimore Ravens
Record: 2-1
Week 3 result: Lost to the Chiefs, 34-20
Week 4 opponent: at Washington Football Team
One thing to know: The Ravens may still be the second-best team in football, but they look to be a tier below the Chiefs. The defending champs exposed them on Monday, swallowing the Ravens run game while the Chiefs' speedy receivers continuously beat the Ravens' man coverage. The Ravens are 0-3 against the Chiefs since 2018.
1. Kansas City Chiefs
Record: 3-0
Week 3 result: Beat the Ravens, 34-20
Week 4 opponent: vs. New England Patriots
One thing to know: It might be time to wrap up the season and just let the Chiefs hang on to the Lombardi Trophy for another season. Kansas City can score whenever, however, and with whomever they want. There's still plenty of time for a challenger to rise from the ranks to take on the Chiefs, but as things stand, Kansas City is in a league of their own.
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The top 16 waiver-wire pickups for Week 4 of fantasy football
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