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

The Denver Broncos kicked off Week 4 with a hard-fought 37-28 victory over the New York Jets. Undrafted Brett Rypien got his first-ever NFL start for the Broncos and managed to outlast former No. 3 overall pick Sam Darnold and the Jets.

While the matchup between previously winless teams might not have been the most exciting on paper, it ended up being a fun affair that went deep into the fourth quarter.

In the end, it left the Broncos with their first victory of the year and the Jets in prime position for next year's No. 1 draft pick.

How does the league shape up heading into the weekend of Week 4? Let's take a look.

2020 NFL Standings

AFC East

Buffalo Bills 3-0

New England Patriots 2-1

Miami Dolphins 1-2

New York Jets 0-4

AFC South

Tennessee Titans 3-0

Indianapolis Colts 2-1

Jacksonville Jaguars 1-2

Houston Texans 0-3

AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers 3-0

Baltimore Ravens 2-1

Cleveland Browns 2-1

Cincinnati Bengals 0-2-1

AFC West

Kansas City Chiefs 3-0

Las Vegas Raiders 2-1

Los Angeles Chargers 1-2

Denver Broncos 1-3

NFC East

Washington Football Team 1-2

Dallas Cowboys 1-2

Philadelphia Eagles 0-2-1

New York Giants 0-3

NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-1

New Orleans Saints 1-2

Carolina Panthers 1-2

Atlanta Falcons 0-3

NFC North

Green Bay Packers 3-0

Chicago Bears 3-0

Detroit Lions 1-2

Minnesota Vikings 0-3

NFC West

Seattle Seahawks 3-0

Arizona Cardinals 2-1

Los Angeles Rams 2-1

San Francisco 49ers 2-1

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs

2. Baltimore Ravens

3. Green Bay Packers

4. Seattle Seahawks

5. Buffalo Bills

6. Tennessee Titans

7. Pittsburgh Steelers

8. New England Patriots

9. Los Angeles Rams

10. New Orleans Saints

11. San Francisco 49ers

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. Arizona Cardinals

14. Chicago Bears

15. Las Vegas Raiders

16. Indianapolis Colts

17. Dallas Cowboys

18. Cleveland Browns

19. Los Angeles Chargers

20. Houston Texans

21. Minnesota Vikings

22. Detroit Lions

23. Philadelphia Eagles

24. Miami Dolphins

25. Washington Football Team

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

27. Carolina Panthers

28. Denver Broncos

29. Atlanta Falcons

30. Cincinnati Bengals

31. New York Giants

32. New York Jets

Selected Teams

1. Kansas City Chiefs

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Last Monday, the Kansas City Chiefs proved they're not just the defending Super Bowl champions, they're also the best team in the NFL through three weeks.

Some may have questioned this after a close overtime call with the Los Angles Chargers in Week 2, but the Chiefs asserted their dominance over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday and erased all doubt.

Are they a flawless team? No, but as they showed against Baltimore, Patrick Mahomes and Co. can make things look mighty easy offensively when everything is clicking.

The bigger takeaway from Monday, though, is that Kansas City's defense can hold its own against top-tier NFL offenses. After ranking just 26th against the run in 2019, they rank 27th through three weeks. However, while they allowed 158 rushing yards to Lamar Jackson and the Ravens, they also held them to just 20 points and 228 total yards.

The challenge for Kansas City moving forward will be operating without standout rookie corner L'Jarius Sneed. The promising 23-year-old suffered a broken clavicle against Baltimore and might be lucky to return for the playoffs.

"[It's] usually around three months after the injury or surgery date to return to unrestricted sports," physician Dev K. Mishra said, per Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star.

Sneed had 11 tackles, three passes defended and two interceptions before the injury.

3. Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers might not be quite on Kansas City's level, but they've been looking like the best team in the NFC through three weeks. The Seattle Seahawks are close, but their 32nd-ranked pass defense is a massive liability.

Green Bay, meanwhile, has looked virtually unstoppable on offense. Aaron Rodgers continues to be one of the best quarterbacks in the game, while running back Aaron Jones has picked up where he left off as the league's leading touchdown scorer in 2019.

The 25-year-old has five touchdowns and 398 scrimmage yards in three outings.

Even having an average defense—Green Bay came into Week 4 ranked 14th in yards allowed—the Packers should be legitimate title contenders. Like Kansas City, though, they have a notable injury to watch moving forward.

While No. 1 wideout Davante Adams is still dealing with a hamstring injury, No. 2 wideout Allen Lazard recently underwent surgery for a core muscle injury, according to ESPN's Rob Demovsky.

Lazard is expected to miss an extended period of time, which could take a little luster out of Green Bay's passing attack.

32. New York Jets

The Jets got off to a rough start in 2020, suffering blowout losses in back-to-back-to-back weeks to open the season. Of course, those defeats came against quality opponents in the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts.

Thursday's game was a different animal, though, and was indicative of just how downtrodden the Jets are. The Broncos had top players like Courtland Sutton and Von Miller out for the year and were relying on their No. 3 quarterback. Rypien threw three interceptions, but the Broncos still managed to leave MetLife Stadium with a win.

The season is all but over for New York, and to say that head coach Adam Gase is on the hot seat would be an understatement. For the Jets, the focus now turns firmly to quarterback Darnold.

The rest of the 2020 season will be about evaluating the 23-year-old and determining whether he can ever become an above-average NFL starter. At the same time, the Jets will remain in the running for the No. 1 pick and a shot at a rookie quarterback like Clemson's Trevor Lawrence or Ohio State's Justin Fields.

In the not-too-distant future, New York is going to have a serious decision to make at quarterback.