NFL Power Rankings: Week 4 Standings and Review After Sunday's Games

I don't think it's too early to declare Mike Zimmer the front-runner for the NFL Coach of the Year Award.

Not only have the Minnesota Vikings been competitive since losing Teddy Bridgewater in practice and Adrian Peterson to injured reserve, they've been dominant. 

It hasn't just been the addition of Sam Bradford, though he has done a remarkable job of steadying the ship for the Vikings offense, it's been the collective effort of the team to step up its play since the aforementioned injuries took place.

Oh, and the Vikings defense may or may not have something to do with the team's success so far this season.

Recording 15 sacks through three games and creating havoc for opposing quarterbacks has been the recipe for Minnesota's success. 

The Vikings weren't the only team that impressed in Week 3, however. There was plenty of movement (good and bad) in my power rankings after Sunday's games. While it's hard to judge the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints since they don't play until Monday night, they'll both have a relatively low ranking until they prove they can play defense. 

As for the other 30 NFL teams listed below, keep in mind that these rankings are based on what has been seen on the field so far. A team may be 1-2 but can still play well, and a team that is 3-0 doesn't automatically qualify as a top-three team in the NFL.

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

Biggest jump: No. 4 Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

The Eagles can be thanked for trading Bradford to the Vikings in order to salvage their season, but it can also be said that the Vikings sped up Philadelphia's rebuild by giving them draft picks and the boost they needed to start rookie quarterback Carson Wentz.

Through three weeks, it seems like both teams have benefited from that trade.

Wentz has been remarkable. Not only is he a rookie who found out he would be starting Week 1 just a few days before the game, but he also suffered a rib injury in the preseason and was drafted from North Dakota State, an FCS school.

He's my favorite to win Rookie of the Year, and Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys is the only other rookie who should have any claim to that award through three weeks. Is this a knee-jerk reaction? Probably. Is Wentz's play or the Eagles' 3-0 start any less impressive because of it? Absolutely not.

The Eagles manhandled the Steelers on Sunday, 34-3, an astonishing result against a team that many, including myself, had going all the way to the AFC Championship Game this season. But in addition to Wentz's efficient play, the Eagles defense has been very sharp to open the season. It has allowed just 27 points through three games for an average of nine points per game.

Biggest Drop: No. 19 Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

In addition to having the Steelers going to the AFC Championship Game before the season began, I also had the Arizona Cardinals reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2016.  

While the season is still young and the Cardinals are very much in play for a deep playoff run in a weak division that consists of the Los Angeles Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers, Bruce Arians' squad has a lot of work to do in the meantime. 

Obviously, the play above was just an unlucky one that fell in favor of the Buffalo Bills, but it's hard to ignore the score before that snap even took place. 

The Cardinals trailed 23-7 against a mediocre Bills team that was without Sammy Watkins and his backup receiver Greg Salas. This Cardinals team, on paper, should be beating teams like the Bills with relative ease. But unfortunately for Arians and the Cardinals, football games aren't played on paper.