NFL Power Rankings 2014: Predicting Post-Week 4 Standings

Predicting the NFL season thus far has been a task that seems nearly impossible, but that's what makes the league so entertaining. Parity throughout all 32 teams means the landscape is constantly shifting, as it did after Week 3's slate.

Luckily, the top three teams in the league right now have a bye week, so they are all entrenched in the spots. Hopefully that didn't give too much away, but it seems a bit obvious at this point who the best franchises are.

Before Week 4 in the NFL officially begins, here's a look at predictions for all 32 teams and where they will slot after their upcoming matchups.

32. Oakland Raiders

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Three weeks into the season, the Oakland Raiders have lost all three contests by an average of 9.33 points and looked overwhelmed in nearly every matchup. A close loss to the New England Patriots shows Oakland has a pulse, but a loss to the Miami Dolphins would keep them in the bottom for another week.

31. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It was tough to not drop the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the bottom, but they are awfully close. A 56-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons was demoralizing, and it looked worse than the final score.

Josh McCown suffered a right thumb injury and is expected to miss Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Greg Auman, Matt Baker and Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. Mike Glennon passed for 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions last season, but he likely won't be able to save this team.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Blake Bortles era in Jacksonville appears to be starting earlier than expected, and that might mean good things for the franchise. That doesn't necessarily mean things are turning around in Week 4 against the San Diego Chargers.

Bortles was named the starter for the team's next contest and will likely hold the reins for the remainder of the season. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com provides a report about the rookie quarterback:

"

Are #Jaguars now riding with QB Blake Bortles for good? “There is no turning back,” source said. Couldn’t keep him on the bench any longer

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 22, 2014"

Jacksonville has surrounded him with young talent like Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, but it will be up to Bortles to perform against the Chargers. The tide is turning, but it will be a slow process for the Jaguars.

29. Tennessee Titans

To be fair, the Tennessee Titans haven't exactly had an easy slate since the season-opening win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Now the status of Jake Locker is uncertain due to a wrist injury, and the Titans might have to resort to Charlie Whitehurst under center.

Heading into Lucas Oil Stadium against the Indianapolis Colts, the Titans face a team eyeing another rout after beating Jacksonville 44-17. A winnable stretch against the Cleveland Browns, Jaguars and Washington Redskins is coming, but the Titans will be 1-3 after Week 4.

28. St. Louis Rams

A respectable loss to the Dallas Cowboys gives the St. Louis Rams a glimmer of hope, but the team is still 1-2. Austin Davis showed improvement, but a three-week slate against the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks means the team's losing ways will likely continue after the bye week.

27. Minnesota Vikings

This might come as a shock to NFL fans, but the Minnesota Vikings do have offensive weapons. Unfortunately, they have rarely been used in the last two weeks, leading to two straight double-digit losses.

Now that Teddy Bridgewater is getting his chance under center with Matt Cassel breaking his foot, maybe Cordarrelle Patterson and Greg Jennings will be unleashed. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report offered his thoughts on Bridgewater starting:

Much like Bortles, Bridgewater isn't exactly going to turn the franchise around immediately. If he can simply hit Patterson and Jennings against a porous Falcons defense, the Week 4 matchup might be at least somewhat interesting.

26. Houston Texans

Another strong start for the Houston Texans has already been overshadowed by a loss to the previously winless New York Giants. The defense was gutted by Eli Manning and Rashad Jennings, leaving Houston 2-1 ahead of a tough matchup with the Buffalo Bills.

By no means will the Texans meet the same fate as 2013, but Week 3 was a clear setback. Taking down the Bills would prove Houston is back on track, but a loss could send them spiraling again with the Cowboys, Colts and Pittsburgh Steelers on tap.

25. Miami Dolphins

If it seems like that Week 1 win against the Patriots is a distant memory, that's because it essentially is. Miami has scuffled since that point, losing consecutive games against the Bills and Chiefs by a combined 38 points.

Ryan Tannehill heads into Oakland with his role reportedly in question, according to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. The Raiders have surrendered just 183 passing yards per game, so the running game will likely have to bail out Tannehill to survive in the Black Hole.

24. Washington Redskins

Kirk Cousins has proved through two weeks that he can lead the Redskins, but he was outdone by Nick Foles and the Eagles. Another test awaits in the division-rival Giants, and a 1-3 record would put them behind New York moving forward.

23. Kansas City Chiefs

Here's the good news, Chiefs fans: The team finally got a victory over the Dolphins. The bad news? It looks like the fanbase will have to wait a few more weeks for win No. 2 in Kansas City.

A date with the Patriots on Monday Night Football is followed by the Niners and Chargers. Suffice it to say, the Chiefs could soon be in a free fall down the power rankings. For now, they'll sit at No. 23 after just one predicted loss to New England.

22. New York Giants

Winning makes up for a woeful start. Taking down a previously undefeated Texans team by 13 points? Well, that does a lot for the confidence of a team.

Less than a week after Philadelphia proved Washington's pass defense is still porous, look for New York to exploit it again. The Redskins are still a top-five defense in yards allowed, but the Giants are finally clicking and will get back to .500 on Thursday night.

21. Cleveland Browns 

Respectability is extremely coveted in the NFL, and the Browns have certainly earned that honor. The two losses for the team have been by a combined five points, and the lone win was over the New Orleans Saints.

Brian Hoyer hasn't exactly been a savior, but his 200-plus yards per game, three touchdowns and no interceptions are, well, respectable. The real story has been the young stable of running backs, as Mary Kay Cabot of The Plain Dealer explained:

"

Browns rookie running back Isaiah Crowell ran in untouched for a 14-yard touchdown with 10:01 left in third quarter to put the Browns ahead 14-10. Crowell also ripped off a 12-yard run on the drive, and Hoyer hit Andrew Hawkins with a 24-yard pass on third down. …

[Terrance] West and Crowell both rushed for touchdowns inside the red zone, marking the first two times the Ravens allowed touchdowns in the red zone this season. They also marked only the second and third TDs allowed by the Ravens this season. They came in with a league-low one.

"

A Week 4 bye typically seems too early for teams, but Cleveland now has time to regroup and plan ahead. With the Titans, Steelers, Jaguars, Raiders and Bucs ahead, the Browns have a chance to make some serious noise and be much more than just respectable.

20. New York Jets

Similar to the Browns, the New York Jets have lost two close games and have shown flashes of greatness. Unlike Cleveland, they have a daunting schedule ahead that starts with the Detroit Lions. Even a loss would mean they remain inside the top 20, but things get dicey moving forward.

19. San Francisco 49ers

At 1-2, the 49ers look like a shell of the NFC West contender that most fans believed they would be. The late loss to the Chicago Bears was one thing, but a nine-point defeat at the hands of a backup quarterback is deflating.

Taking down the Eagles this weekend would put the team back at .500, but nothing is promised at this point. San Francisco remains inside the top 20 but will need to get back on track against the Chiefs and Rams before heading to Denver.

18. Buffalo Bills

The party in Buffalo couldn't last forever, but the Bills still have a chance to return to their winning ways against Houston. Do that, and they keep a spot in the top 20. A loss, on the other hand, sends the Bills into a tough stretch against the Lions and Patriots at 2-2.

17. Dallas Cowboys

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A win is a win, but how the Cowboys got theirs is especially alarming. Starting the season with a promising defense, it was destroyed by a third-string quarterback.

Luckily, the offense was able to carry the load after the first quarter, and Tony Romo got back on track. Dallas will likely return to earth against the New Orleans Saints, but it still remains a decent team and worthy of a No. 17 ranking.

16. Green Bay Packers

Nothing looked good for the Green Bay Packers offense in Detroit. Aaron Rodgers had just 162 passing yards and a touchdown, and Eddie Lacy was held to 36 rushing yards, fumbled and was tackled for a safety.

Now, Green Bay faces rival Chicago, who is coming off two hard-fought wins to move to 2-1. A win would move the team up in the rankings, but a potential loss leaves it in the middle of the power rankings.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers

Being routed by the Baltimore Ravens made a statement about where the Steelers are as a franchise. Destroying the Carolina Panthers on the road during a prime-time game, well, that tells a completely different story.

Pittsburgh's 37-19 win over the Panthers was courtesy of a balanced running game with both Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount. The team also accomplished something that hasn't happened in 28 years, as the Steelers' official Twitter account notes:

Up next is a pair of games against the Buccaneers and Jaguars before the Browns. Needless to say, Pittsburgh is in good shape moving forward and looks like a team on the rise.

14. Detroit Lions

A 21-point loss to the Panthers was remedied by a huge win over the division-rival Packers. The team now has a slightly more forgiving matchup against the Jets but remains a team near the middle of the league due to inconsistencies.

13. New Orleans Saints

The New Orleans Saints finally have a win after an 11-point victory over the Vikings at home. This is just a hunch, but Drew Brees will now turn around the road woes against the Cowboys and help inch the franchise closer to the top 10.

12. Chicago Bears

Two prime-time matchups for the Bears have put them in the spotlight, and they came away unscathed after a tough loss to open the season. A tough stretch is coming up against the Packers, Panthers and Falcons, but Chicago looks closer to a top-10 franchise than outside of the playoff picture so far.

11. Baltimore Ravens

Nothing is easy in the NFL, and the Ravens learned that quickly on Sunday against the Browns. Their prize for surviving the difficult game is a matchup with Carolina in Week 4. Steve Smith will get some vengeance, but Baltimore will remain outside of the top 10 following the game.

10. Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck was nearly perfect against the Jaguars as the Colts finally got a win in decisive fashion. But the Colts will need to do much more than beat the Jags and Titans—which seems likely—to move closer to being a top-five team in the league.

9. Carolina Panthers

Among the popular storylines in Week 4, likely the biggest is Smith taking on the Panthers. The former franchise wide receiver is now with the Ravens and will be hosting Carolina when they face each other on Sunday.

Ahead of the matchup, Ravens coach John Harbaugh gave some slightly sarcastic advice to the receiver, per Garrett Downing of BaltimoreRavens.com:

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My advice to Steve will be, ‘Shock the world. Surprise everybody. Don’t even say a word the whole game. Go into a shell.’ But I don’t think he’s going to take that advice.

I think he’s going to be himself. Steve knows how to control his emotions. He’s going to be fired up. He’s knows how to channel that. He knows how to focus that the right way.

"

Being himself so far has led to two games of over 100 yards and a touchdown. The Panthers will need to limit the veteran receiver to move to 3-1, but they should remain in the top 10 if they turn things around in Baltimore.

8. Atlanta Falcons

Claiming their spot as the top team in the NFC North after just three weeks, the Falcons will remain there after Sunday against the Vikings. A difficult schedule moving forward, though, will test Atlanta as it attempts to reclaim its title as one of the best in the NFL.

7. San Diego Chargers

Moving to 2-1 was a crucial step for San Diego after a difficult start to the season. Wins against the Seahawks and Bills were hard-fought, but the Chargers now have a stretch against the Jags, Jets, Raiders and Chiefs before facing the Broncos.

This is a top-10 team and will remain there for several weeks before being tested again.

6. Arizona Cardinals

A bye week for the Cardinals means time to recuperate and prepare for a Week 5 matchup against the Broncos. Regardless of the starter, Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton have proved their worth under center thanks to a talented receiving corps.

Thanks to a tenacious defense and an offense that can more than back it up, Arizona looks like a surprise team thus far. Cracking the top five, however, will likely be contingent upon beating a team ahead of them—like Denver.

5. New England Patriots

It wasn't pretty, and it wasn't convincing, but the Patriots got a much-needed win over the Raiders at home. Next up is a Kansas City team that can run the ball at will, an area where New England has thrived this season, allowing just 104 rushing yards per game.

Limiting Alex Smith and the Chiefs offense will be crucial as the team looks to move to 3-1. The true test, however, lies ahead in Week 5 at home against the Bengals.

4. Philadelphia Eagles

Rich Schultz/Getty Images

A shootout in Philly left the Eagles with yet another nail-biting win and was convincing enough to make them one of the top NFC teams. In order to prove that, taking down the 49ers would put them over the top.

Foles has more than recovered from a rough start against Jacksonville, but he will be tested against San Francisco on the road. The Eagles are clearly the top team in the NFC East right now but still have work to do in the conference overall.

3. Cincinnati Bengals

The Cincinnati Bengals did nothing to deserve dropping in the rankings, but they haven't proved themselves as the No. 1 team in the AFC. A bye week means they will certainly remain in this spot for another week.

2. Denver Broncos

Peyton Manning did nearly everything possible to lead the Denver Broncos to a come-from-behind win, but Marshawn Lynch was simply too much. Beast Mode thrashed the Denver defense in overtime and knocked the Broncos back down to second.

1. Seattle Seahawks

Here's the thing about the Seattle Seahawks: Doubting them just adds to their bravado. Every NFL team knows how strong the defense is, but the entire league can't seem to find an answer for Russell Wilson thus far.

Through three games, Wilson has thrown for 651 yards, six touchdowns and one interception along with a staggering 69.0 completion percentage. Stats like that inspired comments like these from Broncos corner Chris Harris, per ESPN.com.

"He's the best quarterback we've played so far," Harris said of Wilson. "I don't know why they keep saying Andrew Luck is better than him. He's not better than Russell Wilson."

Simply put, Wilson is one of the best quarterbacks, Lynch is the most dominant running back and the defense remains stout. The Seahawks are still the team to beat and will remain atop the rankings after a Week 4 bye.

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