NFL Power Rankings: Jets and Steelers Lead Teams with Most to Prove in Week 4

The New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers battled in the AFC Conference Championship game last season.

Three weeks into this new season, they are two of the teams with the most to prove after questionable 2-1 starts.

Gang Green hardly resembles the ground-and-pound team from a year ago, and the Steelers look clumsy and old.

Here are three teams—including the Jets and Steelers—with the most to prove in Week 4.

New York Jets

We still have yet to see the Jets of last year. Even in their rout of the lowly Jacksonville Jaguars, Gang Green looks like a team struggling to find their identity.

Mark Sanchez has already attempted 111 passes this season. Last year, also a 2-1 start for New York, saw Sanchez attempt only 79 passes through three games.

Things just aren't the same this year with Rex Ryan's team. They can't run the football (ranked 25th in NFL) and can't stop the run, either (ranked 31st in NFL).

That is not New York Jet football, and we saw it catch up with them out in Oakland.

The Jets are in the middle of a three-game road trip that has them visit Baltimore on Sunday before traveling to New England the following week.

A loss to the Ravens would be devastating before their division showdown with the hated Patriots.

This team needs to fix things immediately.

Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers are still trying to wipe the taste of the 35-7 opening-day beatdown from the Ravens out of their mouth.

Their division rivals may have lost a game as well, but they hold a mental edge over the Steelers that they won't get a chance to shake until Week 9.

Pittsburgh beat up on a Seattle team going nowhere fast, but then escaped away from Indianapolis with a win.

Neither game was overly impressive, and the Steelers have to look like a team ready to compete for the Super Bowl again.

This week they'll travel to Houston to take on the Texans' potent offensive attack.

The Steelers' defense needs to take this opportunity to show they're still one of the best units in the league.

Minnesota Vikings

Yes, the Vikings are 0-3, but they've blown three double-digit leads and have yet to use Adrian Peterson in a way that pleases him.

And you can't really argue with him, either.

Here are Peterson's stats so far this season broken down into halves:

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First half: 36 first carries, 230 yards, 6.4 ypc avg, three touchdowns

Second half: 22 carries, 66, 3.0 ypc avg, zero touchdowns

"

Oh, and did I mention the Vikings have blown three double-digit leads?

It makes no sense, and Minnesota has to straighten things out immediately. They travel to Kansas City to take on the lowly Chiefs. One of the two winless teams will actually have to win this week.

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