NFL Power Rankings: Which Teams Are Plummeting Toward League Basement?

A number of teams have already made convincing cases as to why they're among the worst in the league, but there are a few more who are threatening to drop down and join them with a Week 4 loss.

The Miami Dolphins are 0-3 despite ranking in the top half of the league in both rushing and passing offense. Their 26th-ranked defense has been the team's Achilles heel through three games, and they will need to improve in a hurry if the team has a shot at beating the San Diego Chargers this Sunday.

In my Week 4 power rankings, I have the Dolphins at a respectable 20—they are the best 0-3 team in the league, to be sure. But while myriad stats are far more useful in determining a team's true skill level, an 0-4 record cannot go ignored.

Without a turnaround this week, the Dolphins will slide down the rankings into the bottom six.

Another 0-3 team desperate for a win is the St. Louis Rams. The Rams entered the season with a great deal of promise as favorites to dominate the otherwise-woeful NFC West division, despite statistics that would suggest otherwise.

Instead, the Rams have disappointed thus far, losing to the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Giants and Baltimore Ravens in three consecutive weeks.

They are ranked 31st in overall defense and 29th in offense, showing a significant backslide from their disappointing 7-9 2010 season.

That the Rams couldn't hold their own against three difficult opponents does not bode well for their ability to adequately turn around their season, let alone become contenders among the NFL's elite.

If they lose this week against the Washington Redskins, they will suffer the same fate as the Dolphins and drop below their current No. 24 spot.

Indeed, if the Rams and Dolphins don't notch wins this week, it is going to get quite crowded at the bottom headed into the second quarter of the season.

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