NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Reaction and Standings After Thursday Night Football

Two AFC North rivals began Week 4 of the 2015 NFL season Thursday night in a tight overtime battle that ended in the Baltimore Ravens beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-20.

Baltimore got its first win of the season, while Pittsburgh moved to 2-2 with the loss at home. Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's absence due to a knee injury did loom large, as backup Michael Vick failed to consistently make the big plays that have become a staple of the Pittsburgh offense.

Ultimately, it was the Ravens' powerful running game and superior special teams that lifted the team to victory.

So where does this game leave us in terms of the league hierarchy heading into the meat of Week 4? Let's examine a ranking of all 32 teams, complete with standings, and then look more in-depth at the Ravens, Steelers and another one of their division rivals.

Rank	Team	Record
1	New England Patriots	3-0
2	Green Bay Packers	3-0
3	Arizona Cardinals	3-0
4	Denver Broncos	3-0
5	Cincinnati Bengals	3-0
6	Buffalo Bills	2-1
7	Atlanta Falcons	3-0
8	Seattle Seahawks	1-2
9	Minnesota Vikings	2-1
10	Carolina Panthers	3-0
11	Dallas Cowboys	2-1
12	New York Jets	2-1
13	Kansas City Chiefs	1-2
14	Pittsburgh Steelers	2-2
15	Indianapolis Colts	1-2
16	Oakland Raiders	2-1
17	Philadelphia Eagles	1-2
18	Baltimore Ravens	1-3
19	St. Louis Rams	1-2
20	Miami Dolphins	1-2
21	San Diego Chargers	1-2
22	New York Giants	1-2
23	Detroit Lions	0-3
24	Houston Texans	1-2
25	Tennessee Titans	1-2
26	Washington Redskins	1-2
27	Cleveland Browns	1-2
28	New Orleans Saints	0-3
29	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-2
30	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-2
31	San Francisco 49ers	1-2
32	Chicago Bears	0-3

Notable Teams

Baltimore Ravens (No. 18)

It wasn't anything close to pretty, but the Ravens gutted out their first victory of the season.

Baltimore's running game was a huge reason the squad prevailed. Halfback Justin Forsett had the breakout game Ravens fans and his fantasy owners were waiting for, toting the ball 27 times for 150 yards. His performance was certainly needed, as a Ravens loss would've put them in a tough hole, per NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano.

Overall, this team has the potential to be much better than its record shows.

Joe Flacco isn't super consistent, a point he drove home Thursday night, but he's still a solid quarterback who has a history of turning it on when his team needs him most. Justin Tucker is also an elite kicker, which is a major weapon in close games.

And the defense did face Vick instead of Roethlisberger Thursday, but it still held an offense with two of the best players at their positions (Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown) to 20 points on the road.

That's definitely something to build on for the Ravens. Now, if they can only get No. 1 receiver Steve Smith back, they'll be feeling even better. The 35-year-old left the game Thursday night with a lower back injury, per ESPN.com's Jamison Hensley, and did not return. 

Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 14)

It was really, really obvious, but the Steelers offense missed Big Ben. His pocket presence, instincts and deep-ball throwing were three things that could've changed the complexion of this game.

In Roethlisberger's first three games, his average completed pass went for 13.6 yards. Vick, by comparison, cut that in half Thursday night by reaching an average gain of just 6.6 yards on his completions. He wasn't taking the strikes downfield like Big Ben usually does, crippling Pittsburgh's offense.

Don Wright/Associated Press

But somehow, Pittsburgh was still in great position to win this game, up 20-7 late in the third quarter behind a rock-solid defensive job on Flacco and the Ravens receivers. However, Forsett ran wild to close the game, and kicker Josh Scobee (now public enemy No. 1 in Pittsburgh) continued a nightmarish season by missing two fourth-quarter field goals from less than 50 yards to let Baltimore back in the contest.

An AFC North championship is still attainable for Pittsburgh. But Vick needs to find a way to get loose for more big plays while Big Ben recovers, and the field-goal kicking must improve, whether that involves keeping Scobee or acquiring a new kicker.

Cincinnati Bengals (No. 5)

Besides the Ravens, the Bengals were a huge winner from Thursday night. The Steelers' loss gives Cincinnati some breathing room heading into a Sunday afternoon contest with the tough Kansas City Chiefs.

But if the Bengals keep on playing like they have been, they won't even need that breathing room.

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Andy Dalton is doing his darnedest to change his status as the punchline of every joke with 866 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception through three games. Running back Giovani Bernard is leading the league's No. 8 attack on the ground, and the defense's No. 4 rank against the rush makes Cincinnati tough to deal with on both sides of the ball.

The 1.5-game lead Cincinnati sports over its division foes now could stretch out if the Steelers offense continues to struggle without Roethlisberger.