NFL Power Rankings: Grading Each Team's Week 4 Performance

You can begin to see the discrepancy between the NFL's contenders and pretenders after Week 4.

With nine divisional games played to close out the first month, five were determined by seven points or less.

There also weren't any vehement upsets like we got from the first three weeks. Yes, teams like the Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers and Baltimore Ravens all got a scare. But the better team always wins the game it's supposed to win.

Most definitely were there some questionable performances as well as surprising ones. And to that end, let's give each team a grade from the week's action.

Note: The Indianapolis Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers don't have a grade as both were on a bye week.

32. Cleveland Browns (0-4)

The Cleveland Browns gave one strong performance against the Baltimore Ravens.

Although it ended with a loss, coming within a touchdown of the Ravens in Baltimore gives Cleveland some promise.

Brandon Weeden showed excellent poise stepping into the pocket, and the defense was impressive once again. In addition, kicker Phil Dawson was his usual reliable self while connecting three times from 50-plus yards.

Unfortunately, the receiving corps remains the weakest link.

Grade: B

31. New Orleans Saints (0-4)

Drew Brees is the only player keeping the New Orleans Saints competitive.

Had it not been for Brees, the Saints would have gotten crushed each contest.

So on the bright side, New Orleans' four losses are by a combined 20 points. This, unsurprisingly, brings us to the defense, which is the Saints' biggest flaw.

Allowing 421 total yards to the Green Bay Packers, the Saints only forced two punts despite getting two turnovers. The Packers accumulated more first downs and got a key conversion on a crucial third down.

Kicker Garrett Hartley's missed field goal didn't help either. Add an inconsistent ground game and New Orleans continues to nosedive.

Grade: C-

30. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)

Despite being healthier right now than in 2011, the Kansas City Chiefs have been quite disappointing.

And the Week 3 home game versus the San Diego Chargers was evidence of that.

Turning the rock over six times, Kansas City lost 37-20 and dropped to 1-3 overall. Matt Cassel threw three interceptions, Jamaal Charles lost both fumbles and the defense was left with no help from the start.

Down 20-0 more than halfway through the second quarter, the failed two-point conversion after Charles went all Tecmo Super Bowl for a touchdown is K.C. in a nutshell. And although the defense recorded three sacks, just one turnover was forced with the interception of Philip Rivers, who also had only four other incomplete passes.

Grade: D-

29. Oakland Raiders (1-3)

The Oakland Raiders played a stronger first half against the Denver Broncos.

Down 10-6 as the second half began, Oakland quickly fell apart.

The score was 24-6 roughly halfway through the third quarter and the Broncos won, 37-6. Despite not turning the ball over, the Raiders managed only 237 total yards and 12 first downs.

Oakland was limited to 56 rushing yards, possessed the ball for 22:35, and punted seven times, one of which was deflected. Only Sebastian Janikowski showed up as he connected on both field goal attempts, because Denver was moving offensively all game long and Oakland was ineffective on third down.

Grade: D

28. Miami Dolphins (1-3)

Ryan Tannehill and the Miami Dolphins put on a valiant effort on Sunday.

Facing the undefeated Arizona Cardinals on the road, Miami lost in overtime 24-21.

Tannehill shredded the Cardinals defense for 431 yards but had only one touchdown with two picks, and the Miami offense did everything but win the game. The Dolphins outgained Arizona, recorded more first downs, had a longer time of possession and gave up fewer sacks.

Unfortunately, Miami also turned the ball over four times and never got the ground game totally working. Defensively, the 'Fins recorded eight sacks and got two interceptions of Kevin Kolb. Too bad they couldn't stop Andre Robert, who scored twice, one of which tied the game on fourth down in the waning seconds.

Grade: B+

27. Detroit Lions (1-3)

If this was the "Madden Curse," Calvin Johnson wouldn't have 423 receiving yards on 29 receptions through four games.

The Detroit Lions' 1-3 start is because they still lack consistency running the ball, pass protecting and on defense.

You can include special teams, with the Minnesota Vikings scoring twice from one punt and one kickoff return in Week 4. Also in this game, Detroit barely won the time of possession battle despite the Vikings' quick touchdowns.

The Lions allowed 127 rushing yards, recorded two sacks and didn't force a turnover. With an offense that struggled to run the rock effectively, Megatron's "Madden Curse" seems to be affecting everyone but him.

Grade: D+

26. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)

Once again the Jacksonville Jaguars' offense looks to revolve around Maurice Jones-Drew.

Finishing with 70 total yards against the Cincinnati Bengals, Jones-Drew was the leading rusher and second-leading receiver.

Blaine Gabbert was sacked six times and it's obvious that the offensive line must improve. On the flip side, Mel Tucker's defense started out strong and didn't break until the fourth quarter. Without much offensive help (212 total yards), Jacksonville's defense can only hold off for so long.

The downside, however, was no sacks of Andy Dalton and only three forced punts.

Grade: C-

25. Carolina Panthers (1-3)

Compared to their Week 3 performance at home, the Carolina Panthers made a nice turnaround in Week 4.

On the road against the undefeated Atlanta Falcons, the Cats nearly prevailed over their NFC South rival.

Losing 30-28, the Panthers defense remains their most vulnerable aspect. Yes, Carolina recorded seven sacks and got one interception of Matt Ryan. However, allowing Atlanta to reach field goal range from its own 1-yard line with no timeouts and less than a minute to play was horrendous.

Offensively, though, Cam Newton played much better with three total scores and no interceptions. His late fumble unfortunately cost Carolina a game-winning first down and gave Atlanta another chance.

If the Panthers can become better in clutch situations, this team will make some late-season noise.

Grade: B-

24. Tennessee Titans (1-3)

Before we get all concerned about the Tennessee Titans, it's important to note that all three losses have come against impressive teams.

First were the New England Patriots, then the San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans.

Those are three legit losses, and as we saw against the Detroit Lions, Tennessee can be explosive. In Week 4, however, the Titans were blasted by the Texans 38-14.

Both of Matt Hasselbeck's interceptions were returned for touchdowns and Tennessee's defense couldn't stop Houston's balanced attack. Fortunately, Chris Johnson did have a nice day with 141 rushing yards, so the Titans have something to build from.

Grade: C-

23. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

The Indianapolis Colts were on a bye week, which makes their Week 5 matchup against the Green Bay Packers all the more intriguing.

Andrew Luck has clearly been the right choice in the post-Peyton Manning era, and there's reliable talent around him as well.

Provided the defense improved against the pass, Indy will be better than expected in 2012. The pass rushing is already making an impact, so all the coverage must do is follow suit.

Bye Week, No Grade

22. Buffalo Bills (2-2)

As expected, the Buffalo Bills got off to a great start against the New England Patriots.

Leading 21-7 in the third quarter, Buffalo quickly saw the score turn in favor of the Pats.

By game's end the Bills lost 52-28, and Ryan Fitzpatrick threw four interceptions to match his four touchdowns. Altogether the Bills turned it over six times with C.J. Spiller and Fred Jackson each losing a fumble, and the defense gave up 580 total yards.

Yikes.

Also, Buffalo recorded just 19 first downs to New England's 33, and its leading rusher was Spiller with 33 yards. In short, not a strong showing from the Bills, and the schedule isn't getting any easier.

Grade: C-

21. New York Jets (2-2)

Complete and utter domination is what happened to the New York Jets on Sunday.

Getting blanked 34-0 at home to the San Francisco 49ers, the Jets totaled just 145 yards.

It was the first shutout of the 2012 season and Gang Green's overall performance was ugly to say the least. New York moved the chains nine times, turned it over four times, went 2-of-13 on third down and only possessed the ball for 23:04.

Wow.

The defense somewhat optimistically performed well through the first half. Down 10-0 at halftime, Rex Ryan's defense couldn't fend off the 'Niners any longer and it simply got worse as the game progressed. The Jets failed to force a turnover, recorded just two sacks and allowed 245 rushing yards.

Grade: F

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)

Despite losing a third consecutive game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been on the cusp all season.

The offense produced well in the second half against the Washington Redskins, so that creates confidence for tough situations.

Nonetheless, Tampa has been largely inconsistent on both sides of the ball from week to week. Greg Schiano's defense didn't force a turnover and recorded only two sacks. Also, Washington racked up 160 rushing yards and averaged 5.3 per carry in Week 4.

If the offense can get moving more consistently in the first half, the Buccaneers will start rolling. After all, Tampa's six first half points against Washington were two 50-plus yard field goals from Connor Barth.

Grade: C

19. Washington Redskins (2-2)

We saw why Robert Griffin III was taken at No. 2 overall in the 2012 NFL draft.

And we saw why the Washington Redskins gave up so much to move into that position.

With less than two minutes remaining, RG3 led Washington downfield and got Billy Cundiff into range for a game-winning kick. It was good and the Redskins got a big road win over Tampa Bay. This win also happened because RG3 and Co. amassed 474 total yards and didn't turn the ball over.

In addition, the defense held Tampa to six points through the first half and 16 first downs. Coverage still remains a weakness as was exposed late, but the Redskins possess an offense capable of scoring when needed.

Grade: B+

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2)

The other team on a bye this week was the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Uncharacteristically, Pittsburgh sits at 1-2 and the lone win came over the New York Jets.

Hosting the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, Pittsburgh desperately needs a win to salvage its season before divisional play begins after facing the Tennessee Titans. Ranking No. 14 against the run, the Steel Curtain will remain susceptible to play-action if not controlling the line of scrimmage continues.

This also goes for Mike Tomlin's offense, because Ben Roethlisberger doesn't have consistently reliable pass protection or a ground game to fall back on.

Bye Week, No Grade

17. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)

This was a statement game for the Dallas Cowboys.

Defeating the Giants in New York was key, but the loss at Seattle and barely outlasting Tampa Bay caused some concern.

On Monday, Tony Romo threw five interceptions and Dallas fell, 34-18, to the Chicago Bears. Now, not all the picks were Romo's fault either, as his receivers were not reliable throughout.

Still, turning the ball over that many times raises questions about the decision-making and he did miss on overthrows quite often. DeMarcus Ware and the defense played decently well and only gave up 13 points through 3.5 quarters. But because of the constant turnovers, it was too much for Rob Ryan's defense.

Two of Romo's picks were taken back for scores and Dallas could only muster 41 rushing yards on 14 carries. The Cowboys remain inconsistent in every phase of their offense and it's no surprise Chicago won.

Grade: D

16. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)

Perhaps we saw the real Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

Facing the St. Louis Rams, Seattle was limited to 13 points and Russell Wilson threw three picks to zero touchdowns.

Marshawn Lynch carried the offense with 118 rushing yards and one score, but Wilson didn't produce well enough through the air. Defensively, the Seahawks pass rush didn't have a major impact with only two sacks and the Rams only turned it over one time.

The fake field goal touchdown was certainly unexpected and it's unlikely Seattle allows that again. What this game came down to was coaching. Jeff Fisher's overall experience trumped Pete Carroll and it showed in Seattle's lack of total offense.

Grade: C-

15. St. Louis Rams (2-2)

Courtesy of three interceptions, the St. Louis Rams got a huge win over Seattle in Week 4.

Even more reliable was kicker Greg Zuerlein, who connected on all four field goal attempts, one of which was from 60 yards out and another from 58.

Believe it or not, but this St. Louis defense is for real. Along with sacking Russell Wilson twice and forcing turnovers, Seattle was just two-of-nine on third down and six of his 17 completions went to running backs.

So the Rams locked it down in coverage and forced multiple checkdowns. Obviously Sam Bradford and the offense must improve, but as long as turnovers are scarce St. Louis has a chance this season.

Grade: B

14. New York Giants (2-2)

It was a slow start for the New York Giants and Eli Manning never fully hit a rhythm on Sunday night.

Throwing for 309 yards and two touchdowns, Manning's end-zone interception was costly and he finished with a 57.1 completion percentage.

Big Blue never got going on the ground either.

Totaling just 57 rushing yards, New York was left one-dimensional and the Philadelphia Eagles adjusted quite well. The Giants' defense, on the other hand, started out strong but failed to finish in the same manner.

Philadelphia gained 422 total yards and after turning the ball over a million times through the first three weeks, Michael Vick and LeSean McCoy didn't give New York any additional possessions.

The Giants lost the time of possession battle by roughly 6.5 minutes and that proved to be a major difference.

Grade: D

13. Chicago Bears (3-1)

Playing at the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night, the Chicago Bears faced a must-win situation.

With both wins having come against the Colts and Rams, Chicago needed a stronger victory.

Courtesy of a defense that recorded five picks and scored twice, Jay Cutler and the offense just had to play ball control. Well, when you have two running backs like Matt Forte and Michael Bush, setting up the play-action pass will be a cinch.

Cutler was rarely pressured, only had six incomplete passes and threw two touchdowns. This was Chicago's second-highest point total of 2012, however, its best all-around performance of the season.

Ahead, we now have to see if the Bears can keep rolling. It happened in 2012 before getting hit with injuries, although the NFC North has a new strong challenger in the Minnesota Vikings.

Grade: A

12. Minnesota Vikings (3-1)

One of the surprise teams of 2012 has been the Minnesota Vikings.

This team is certainly legit after defeating the San Francisco 49ers at home and then the Lions on the road.

Adrian Peterson remains the key offensive weapon; however, Minnesota proved in Week 4 that it's a complete team. The defense limited Detroit's explosive offense and sacked Matthew Stafford five times.

Include two big plays on special teams and the Vikings aren't going away at all.

Christian Ponder has developed emphatically well under center and this is a balanced team across the board.

Grade: A

11. Cincinnati Bengals (3-1)

After losing the season opener to the Baltimore Ravens, the Cincinnati Bengals have run off three straight wins.

And although these wins came over the Browns, Redskins and Jaguars, those are games Cincy was supposed to win.

That's one area where teams become playoff contenders: winning the games their expected to win. Against Jacksonville the defense was great by giving up just 10 points, 212 total yards and recording six sacks with two forced turnovers.

The offense may have started a bit sluggish, however, Andy Dalton went to A.J. Green and the chains started moving. Also, the ground game was reliable in racking up 138 yards with 48 coming from Cedric Peerman's big play.

Grade: B+

10. San Diego Chargers (3-1)

Much like the Bengals, the San Diego Chargers have won all the games they were expected to win.

Now 2-0 in the AFC West, San Diego possesses a lot of momentum heading into Week 5.

On Sunday, San Diego forced six turnovers of the Chiefs, sacked Matt Cassel twice and won 37-20. Philip Rivers and the offense then capitalized on the turnovers and built a 27-6 halftime lead.

Rivers only missed on five passes, threw two touchdowns and set up the rushing attack quite well. There, Jackie Battle and Ryan Mathews combined for exactly 100 yards and K.C. was on its heels early.

Not to mention kicker Nick Novak made all three field goals, which made a significant difference in the Bolts' favor.

Grade: A

9. New England Patriots (2-2)

If the New England Patriots played the entire game like they played the second half, Tom Brady and Co. would have scored 70-plus points.

Down 21-7 early in the second half, the Pats were getting worked by the Bills.

Then everything started clicking and New England finished with 580 total yard and 52 points. And 31 of those 52 came in the fourth quarter.

The Pats averaged 6.2 yards per carry, Brady was sacked only once and Buffalo turned it over six times.

With Ryan Fitzpatrick also getting sacked three times, the Bills' offense began to slow down and New England just took over.

One area of concern, though, is kicker Stephen Gostkowski.

After missing a game-winner against the Arizona Cardinals, Gostkowski missed two against the Bills. If he remains inconsistent, the Pats will be in trouble against better defenses just like they were against Arizona.

Grade: A-

8. Denver Broncos (2-2)

The Denver Broncos are an elite team and that was proven on Sunday.

Coming off two tough losses of only six points against the Atlanta Falcons and Houston Texans, Denver blasted the Raiders in Week 4.

Winning 37-6, the Broncos collected 503 total yards, 26 first downs, went 10-of-16 on third down and only had four penalties. Had it not been for Demaryius Thomas' fumble, the Broncos would have scored even more.

Defensively, it was straight dominance.

Denver allowed just 12 first downs, forced seven punts and deflected one to set up a score. Oakland didn't turn the ball over but was held to 237 total yards and one-of-12 on third down.

Grade: A+

7. Green Bay Packers (2-2)

Thanks to a missed field goal, the Green Bay Packers didn't need a late drive to hold off the Saints.

Fortunately, the Pack is now 2-2 and has three straight road games up next.

Versus the Saints, though, Green Bay fans saw immense improvement from its offensive line. Aaron Rodgers was not sacked and the Packers gained 102 yards on the ground.

Totaling 421 yards, Rodgers also threw four touchdowns and went 31-of-41 with only one pick. Clay Matthews and the defense still must improve, however. They allowed Drew Brees to toss for 446 yards and the Saints nearly stole one in Lambeau.

Provided Dom Capers buffs out the rough spots on his defense, the cheese will have more confidence down the stretch.

Grade: B

6. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)

The Philadelphia Eagles are about two yards away from being 2-2 instead of 3-1.

Fortunately for Andy Reid, Lawrence Tynes' second field goal attempt of 54 yards fell just shy of the crossbar.

Still, this was a technically-sound performance by the Eagles from each aspect. Michael Vick and the offense didn't turn the ball over and we saw how effective Philly can be when LeSean McCoy is given 20-plus carries.

Despite not getting constant pressure on Eli Manning, the Eagles stuffed the run and forced the Giants into many passing situations. It also helps that New York was flagged twice more and kicker Alex Henery connected on all four field goal attempts.

Grade: A+

5. Arizona Cardinals (4-0)

Ladies and gentlemen: the undefeated Arizona Cardinals.

Certainly the most surprising team thus far in 2012, but the Cards have displayed excellent perseverance each week.

In Week 1, the defense needed to halt the Seahawks inside the red zone. Week 2 was completely limiting the Patriots offense and putting the game out of Tom Brady's hands. Kevin Kolb showed up the Eagles in Week 3 and Sunday was pure clutch against the Dolphins.

Kolb proved on his second touchdown pass (third overall) to Andre Roberts that he can get it done in clutch times. With an unreliable ground game throughout, Kolb was Arizona's offense against Miami.

The Cards defense was just as reliable when it came to big moments. Despite giving up 480 total yards, Arizona forced four turnovers and recorded four sacks. This team is resilient from top to bottom, so watch out for the Cardinals in December.

Grade: A-

4. San Francisco 49ers (3-1)

The road loss to the Vikings is looking more legit now that Minnesota is 3-1.

So the San Francisco 49ers had to put that behind them in preparation for Week 4.

The 'Niners did just that by totally destroying the New York Jets, 34-0. Jim Harbaugh's defense was relentless against the run and pass, and Gang Green attempted eight punts (one blocked) while also having four turnovers.

Offensively, San Francisco just kept hitting the Jets on the ground and as the game progressed, so did the production. New York was worn down in the trenches and the creative use of Colin Kaepernick only helped.

The 49ers drilled the Jets for 245 rushing yards and Alex Smith's 143 passing was two yards short of outgaining New York's overall total.

Grade: A+

3. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

Most contests in the AFC North are anticipated to be hard-fought matches.

And regardless of how elite the Baltimore Ravens are across the spectrum, the Browns really gave them everything.

In short, this was not the best performance from Baltimore, but winning the game despite that displays the potential of John Harbaugh's team. Cleveland sacked Joe Flacco four times, got an end zone interception and limited Ray Rice to 49 yards on 18 carries.

Ray Lewis, Ed Reed and the defense were rather uncharacteristic as well, because the Browns protected Brandon Weeden better than anticipated and he threw for 320 yards. Interestingly enough, Baltimore won the time of possession battle by seven minutes but only won 23-16.

If the ground game, pass defense and pass protection doesn't improve, the Ravens will be in trouble against a team like the Houston Texans.

Grade: B

2. Atlanta Falcons (4-0)

The Atlanta Falcons squeaked by Carolina at home in Week 4.

Courtesy of the Panthers weak pass defense, Matt Ryan was able to pick them apart on Atlanta's final drive to set up Matt Bryant for the game-winning field goal.

On the other hand, Cam Newton and the Cats' offense moved all over Atlanta's defense for 404 yards and 28 points.

Newton didn't throw a pick and the Panthers also gained 199 rushing yards. Against other strong ground teams like San Francisco and Philadelphia, the Falcons must get better up front. We can, however, always expect a nice performance from Ryan and the Dirty Birds' offense.

Paired with the efficient aerial assault, Michael Turner bowled for 103 rushing yards and averaged almost eight per carry. There is a red flag regarding Ryan's pass protection, though. He was sacked seven times by Carolina, and better defenses will bring more pressure to try and force turnovers.

That said, the Falcons took advantage of Carolina's miscues and remain undefeated.

Grade: B+

1. Houston Texans (4-0)

By no means have the Houston Texans faced a tough schedule to this point.

However, what we're seeing is a team not only winning the expected games, but also crushing in the process.

Only the Broncos have given Houston a challenge thus far, and that game was in Denver. Nevertheless, the three other inferior teams were totally smashed by the Texans.

In Week 4, Houston squared off against division rival Tennessee. Based on some of the previous divisional contests, the Titans certainly could have given the Texans a game, right?

Wrong.

Houston jumped out early and led 14-0 by first-quarter's end. Winning 38-14, the Texans forced three turnovers and the defense took both interceptions back for six points. Houston also got four sacks and forced the Titans to punt seven times.

With the ability to stop anyone, force turnovers, get sacks and run the ball consistently well, there is no one better in pro football.

Grade: A+

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