NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Latest Outlook and 2014-15 Super Bowl Odds

Although each game in the NFL is important, it's important to think big picture and keep the long season in perspective each week.

The teams that suffered bad losses early on could still be top Super Bowl contenders, while a squad that had a fast start could regress and miss the playoffs altogether. This makes it necessary to look beyond the record to truly examine which teams are the best in the NFL.

There is still a lot to be decided this season, but here is an early look at how each team stacks up after Sunday's games, along with Super Bowl odds for the top squads, courtesy of Oddsshark.com.

Team	Odds
Seattle Seahawks	15-4
Denver Broncos	5-1
New England Patriots	8-1
Cincinnati Bengals	10-1
Philadelphia Eagles	10-1
New Orleans Saints	16-1
San Diego Chargers	16-1
San Francisco 49ers	16-1
Green Bay Packers	22-1
Detroit Lions	22-1
Arizona Cardinals	25-1
Indianapolis Colts	28-1
Atlanta Falcons	33-1
Chicago Bears	33-1
Baltimore Ravens	40-1
Carolina Panthers	40-1
Pittsburgh Steelers	40-1

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3)

Down 30-0 at the half, the Jacksonville Jaguars were never really in the game against the Indianapolis Colts as they continue to struggle in every phase. The only bright spot in the loss was the debut of Blake Bortles, who threw two touchdowns and two interceptions in the second half.

This was apparently enough for the coaching staff to stick with the rookie quarterback going forward, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter:

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller is expecting better things with a full week to prepare:

The Jaguars had better hope this is the case, because the rest of the roster looks extremely poor.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-3)  

There is really nothing positive to say about the 56-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The offense was bad, the defense was bad and the special teams were really bad.

The team will hope Mike Glennon can get a chance to show what he can do, possibly with a healthy Doug Martin. There is still talent on this team, but so far none of it has been present. 

30. Oakland Raiders (0-3)

The Raiders looked good enough in a loss to move up a couple of spots, keeping it close against the New England Patriots before a costly mistake at the end.

With rookies Derek Carr and Khalil Mack looking good in the early going, there is at least light at the end of the tunnel for Oakland.

29. Minnesota Vikings (1-2)

There seems to be a big gap between the three worst teams and the rest of the league, but the Vikings still remain at the bottom of the next tier. Their ineffective running game allows opposing teams to cover more of the field to shut down the offense.

Unless other players like Teddy Bridgewater and Cordarrelle Patterson step up, this squad will continue to have a hard time scoring. 

28. Tennessee Titans (1-2)

Jake Locker looked good in his Week 1 win, but the quarterback has struggled mightily in the past two games. In two losses, he has four interceptions with only one touchdown while completing just over 50 percent of his passes.

If he cannot turn things around in the next few games, he might be out of chances to prove himself.

27. Miami Dolphins (1-2)

The Dolphins kept things close against the Kansas City Chiefs, but Ryan Tannehill was once again under pressure throughout the game and only completed 21 of his 43 attempts. This is not a recipe for success.

Although the organization rebuilt the offensive line in the offseason, these same problems could once again doom Miami's season. 

26. St. Louis Rams (1-2)

Austin Davis actually looks better than many anticipated, throwing for 327 yards and three touchdowns while spreading the ball around to eight different receivers against the Dallas Cowboys. However, the inability to hold on to a 21-point lead does not reflect highly on anyone in a Rams uniform.

25. New York Giants (1-2)

The Giants are finally on the board, gaining a win over the Houston Texans. Rashad Jennings was the obvious bright spot with 176 rushing yards, but the difference in the game was Eli Manning avoiding turnovers.

Since the start of 2013, Manning has thrown multiple interceptions in eight different games, all losses. If he learns to avoid these types of mistakes, New York will have a lot more success. 

24. Washington Redskins (1-2)

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Kirk Cousins has been the most popular player on the Redskins for a while now, as fans have called for Robert Griffin III to be benched. Now that the starter is injured, Cousins lived up to his lofty expectations with 427 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Although he did throw a costly interception, almost everyone watching the game was impressed:

The coaching staff was certainly pleased with the performance afterward:

While there are still plenty of question marks about this team, most notably in the defensive secondary, Cousins is definitely an early bright spot.

23. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)

Kansas City got its first win behind Knile Davis, who filled in beautifully for the injured Jamaal Charles. The problem is that there are more injuries around the field to key players like Eric Berry, Derrick Johnson and others.

The Chiefs will be able to win some games this year, but a repeat of last year's run to the playoffs seems unlikely.

22. Cleveland Browns (1-2)

Cleveland remains on the brink of actual playoff contention without really being a threat to make the postseason. The team continues to show it is capable of hanging around with almost any opponent, but it will still end up with more losses than wins.

In a competitive AFC North, the Browns appear to be at least one more year from getting to where they want to be.

21. Houston Texans (2-1)

Ryan Fitzpatrick has had an interception problem throughout his career, and the problem came back with three picks against the Giants. The Texans are a good team, but they will not win too many games when this happens.

Considering four of the Giants' six scoring drives were fewer than 30 yards, there should not be too much worry about this fluky loss.

20. New York Jets (1-1)

The Jets play on Monday night and will hope that their run-heavy attack will be able to do damage against the poor Bears run defense. With a strong run defense of their own, this might be a closer game than people expect.

That being said, New York is still weak in the secondary and will have problems sticking with Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery. The Jets simply are not at the level to compete with the top teams in the league just yet. 

19. Buffalo Bills (2-1)

The home loss to the San Diego Chargers had to be disappointing, but the Bills still have an excellent defense with an offense full of playmakers who are getting better each week. 

In a down year for the AFC East, Buffalo has a chance to keep winning and challenge for a division crown.

18. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

We still do not know what the Cowboys are after three games, mostly due to the fact that they look so different from quarter to quarter. Poor decisions cause easy touchdowns for opponents, and it leads to more work to come back.

The defense is still well below average, but DeMarco Murray and Tony Romo could help the offense enough to win a bunch of games this year. 

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)

After struggling on both sides of the ball against the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers came back with an impressive win on the road over the Carolina Panthers.

Antonio Brown had another big-time showing against one of the better defenses in the NFL, while running backs Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount each topped 100 rushing yards.

Despite the solid win, head coach Mike Tomlin made sure his team stayed focused, via Steelers.com:

"

It was a necessary response for us coming off a negative performance. We were presented with a challenge in a hostile environment, a very good football team. We responded appropriately, made the necessary plays in all three phases. I am happy for the group, but at the same time we’ve got a little perspective on it. We’ll evaluate it tomorrow and move forward. Obviously we have some adjustments to make.

"

It is a good sign that the team is looking for more after a significant victory. With a relatively easy slate of games going forward against the Buccaneers, Jaguars, Browns and Texans, the Steelers can go on a roll.

16. Atlanta Falcons (2-1)

The Falcons completely destroyed the Buccaneers on Thursday, but this seemed to be more of an indictment of Tampa Bay than anything else. Matt Ryan will not have receivers that open too often during the season.

Atlanta remains extremely tough to beat at home, but three of the next four games on the road will tell us a lot more about this team.

15. New Orleans Saints (1-2)

A return home helped give the Saints their first win of the year, but they were still not as dominant as we hoped to see against the flailing Vikings. Without Mark Ingram, Khiry Robinson will have to step up to create more balance in what should be a high-powered attack. 

Christian Petersen/Getty Images

14. San Francisco 49ers (1-2)

We are officially ringing the alarm bells after a concerning start for the 49ers.

There is plenty of blame to go around after the 1-2 start, but the biggest problem appears to be the play-calling. The 49ers have held second-half leads in each of the last two games, but Frank Gore has only accumulated 19 carries in this time.

San Francisco has gone away from the power-running style that helped the squad in the past, and it is causing problems.

13. Carolina Panthers (2-1)

The Panthers came into Sunday night with one of the top defenses in the league, but the Steelers torched the unit with 264 rushing yards at 7.8 yards per carry. With Cam Newton almost getting killed every time he dropped back as well, there was not a lot to like from Carolina's performance.

This team can turn things around quickly, especially after an impressive Week 2 showing against the Detroit Lions, but this poor outing was extremely concerning. 

12. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

Like so many times in the past, the Ravens simply did what they needed to do to win. There is a lot to complain about, from the poor pass defense to the disappearance of Torrey Smith, but this was a good win on the road against a division rival.

Baltimore will leave the division for the first time in Week 4, but the team already looks like it can play its way back into the playoffs.

11. Chicago Bears (1-1)

Either the home loss to the Bills or the road win over the 49ers was a fluke, but we still do not know which one it was. On paper, this should be one of the top teams in the league, although the squad is still yet to prove itself.

It likely all comes down to Jay Cutler utilizing his weapons and playing to his ability. If he can do that, this will be a very good team. 

10. Green Bay Packers (1-2)

You don't often see an Aaron Rodgers-led offense score just seven points, but that is what the Packers were limited to against the Lions on Sunday. The team managed just 223 yards of offense.

While you can assume this unit will bounce back over the next few weeks, the poor showing is definitely concerning for a team with this much talent. 

9. New England Patriots (2-1)

Jim Rogash/Getty Images

While the Patriots have won their last two games, there is not much reason to celebrate in New England. The squad was only able to score 16 points against the Raiders, a team that allowed 30 points the previous week to the Texans.

The big problem seems to be the offensive line, which is neither clearing running lanes (2.4 yards per carry in Week 3) nor protecting the quarterback (two sacks and six quarterback hits in Week 3).

Greg Bedard of Sports Illustrated summed up the offense best:

Tom Brady does not seem to have any connection with his receivers outside of Julian Edelman, and the entire unit is struggling to get anything done. 

The Patriots might keep winning close games, but they appear likely to be exposed in the second half of the season when the schedule gets much tougher.

8. Detroit Lions (2-1)

Fantasy owners were certainly disappointed to receive poor outings from Matthew Stafford, Calvin Johnson and others, but the Lions proved they were able to win a game without lighting up the scoreboard.

Detroit controlled possession for much of the contest against the Packers, while the defense was outstanding when it was on the field. This strategy is not what we have come to expect from the Lions, but it is another reason this team is on its way up. 

7. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

The Colts dominated the Jaguars like they were supposed to, earning a 44-17 win that was virtually over at halftime. Andrew Luck spread the ball around and finally looked comfortable after an inconsistent first two weeks.

Indianapolis has losses to two of the best teams in the NFL, which makes the 1-2 record nothing to be worried about.  

6. San Diego Chargers (2-1)

So far, the Chargers have beaten the defending Super Bowl champions and went across the country to beat a good team on the road. The only loss came in a tough environment, with the Arizona Cardinals earning a late come-from-behind win.

If you thought San Diego was lucky to reach the playoffs last year, you are sadly mistaken. This team keeps getting better and should remain an AFC contender throughout the season.

5. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)

Not only are the Cardinals one of three remaining undefeated teams at this point of the year, but two of those wins also came with Drew Stanton at quarterback, who had a 63.1 quarterback rating coming into the year.

Arizona has one of the better defenses in the league and big-time playmakers on offense. When this team starts getting healthy, the rest of the NFL had better watch out. 

4. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

The Eagles have looked far from perfect over the first three weeks of the season, but Chip Kelly obviously knows how to run an offense. Philadelphia has scored at least 30 points in each game despite LeSean McCoy averaging just 2.9 yards per carry.

Although the defense could cost the squad some games, there will be enough shootout wins to easily win the NFC East. 

3. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0)

USA TODAY Sports

The Bengals have done everything you could have asked for to this point of the year, winning all three of their games with relative ease. They have not allowed a sack and do a great job of putting pressure on opposing quarterbacks.

ESPN's Mike Greenberg believes this is the best team in the NFL:

This is a reasonable argument based on the talent on both sides of the ball and what we have seen this year. However, this squad still has to prove itself in other ways.

Cincinnati went 3-5 on the road last season, while Andy Dalton still has to show that he can consistently take care of the football after throwing 20 interceptions in 2013. The early returns have been good, but we need to see a bit more before buying Super Bowl tickets.

2. Denver Broncos (2-1)

Even in a loss, the Broncos should feel a lot better about how they fared against the Seattle Seahawks this time around compared to the Super Bowl. Peyton Manning led the team on a ferocious comeback to tie the game before Seattle was able to win on the first possession of overtime.  

With the bye week coming up, Denver should be able to regroup and get started on another long winning streak.

1. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)

Even though the Seahawks lost in Week 2, this is still the best team in the NFL. They did as well against Manning and the Broncos offense as anyone could imagine, while the offense is even better than last year with an improved Russell Wilson.

Seattle might lose a few more games before the year is done, but nothing has changed the team's standing as Super Bowl favorites. 

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