NFL Power Rankings: Which Contenders Need to Make a Statement?

In the NFL, it doesn't matter which teams you beat. As long as you win, you'll be in the mix at the end of the year.

Having said that, you and I know better, and so do the teams themselves. A win over the Kansas City Chiefs is all well and good, but a win over the New England Patriots is worth a heck of a lot more.

Just ask the Buffalo Bills.

Wins like these are what we call "statement wins," and they are a helpful guide in terms of weeding out the true contenders and pretenders in the league.

Three weeks into the season, there are a couple of contenders that have already notched statement wins. On the flip side, there are a handful of contenders who have yet to make any kind of statement.

I have managed to narrow the list down to five. Feel free to argue with me in the comments section after you finish reading. 

5. New York Jets (No. 12)

So far this season, the Jets look an awful lot like the Jets. This is to say that they look decent, but well short of great.

The Jets' two wins this season are perfect testaments to this reality. It took a couple of lucky plays and Tony Romo turnovers for the Jets to beat the Dallas Cowboys, and the Jets did what they had to do by steamrolling the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Then they went to Oakland, and let the Raiders beat them like a drum. The Raiders are not a bad team, but they're the kind of team that can be beaten by a team that is truly good (i.e. the Bills).

So we'll see what the Jets can do against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 4. If they lose, I think we can start calling them pretenders.

4. Washington Redskins (No. 10)

As I suspect many people are, I'm more intrigued by the Redskins than I am impressed by them. They might be a good team, but it's hard to tell at this point.

The main reason I say this is because the Redskins have beaten two just-okay teams in the New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals. It's also certainly worth noting that both wins came at home.

So, needless to say, I'm very much interested in seeing how the Redskins fare in their first road game at Dallas on Monday night. The Cowboys are a mediocre team, but a road win is a road win is a road win, you dig? 

3. San Diego Chargers (No. 8)

Just as the Jets have looked like the Jets, the Chargers have looked like the Chargers. They are early-season underachievers who have no chance against the better teams in the AFC.

For example, take a look at the two games that the Chargers have won. They barely beat the Minnesota Vikings and they barely beat the Kansas City Chiefs. Those two teams have a combined record of 0-6.

San Diego's one loss is much more indicative of the team's true quality. They put up a fight against the Patriots, but lost 35-21.

The Chargers are good enough to win the AFC West, but are they good enough to win in the playoffs? Until they prove otherwise, probably not. 

2. Houston Texans (No. 7)

Let's be honest. We all want the Texans to be good and make the playoffs this year. They've only been in existence for nine years, but they've suffered long enough.

Alas, the Texans are another team that has beat-up on bad teams in the early goings. They beat the Indianapolis Colts in Week 1, and then took it to the Miami Dolphins in Week 2. The combined record of those teams is—you guessed it—0-6.

Credit where credit's due, the Texans did do pretty well on the road against the New Orleans Saints. The only thing they didn't do is win.

No matter. The Pittsburgh Steelers are coming to town next week, and with them comes another fine chance to get a statement win. 

1. Philadelphia Eagles (No. 13)

On paper, the Eagles entered the season as the most loaded team in the NFL.

Off paper, the Eagles have been one of the most unimpressive teams in the NFL in the early goings. They're 1-2, and their only win came against the 0-3 St. Louis Rams.

Don't get me wrong, the Eagles still have a very good team. However, given the injury issues that Michael Vick is going through, I have my doubts. The big picture doesn't work without him, and the Eagles are in danger of spending more time without him than they are with him.

If so, they'll be more worried about not racking up losses than racking up wins. 

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 4 Power Rankings

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