NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Where Did ESPN Get It Wrong?

I don't have much of an issue with ESPN's recently-released NFL power rankings, but I do have a problem with the worldwide leader's placement of the Seattle Seahawks.

Pete Carroll's squad checks in at No. 24 in this week's rankings after finishing dead last following Week 2. Seattle jumped eight spots despite barely beating an Arizona Cardinals team that hasn't looked anywhere close to good during the first three weeks of the season. The Seahawks snuck by the Cardinals 13-10 at home in what was one of the most unwatchable NFL games in recent memory.

I have Seattle at No. 30 in my rankings, but I could understand why someone would even put them dead last. You can't win games if you can't score points and it's fairly obvious that the Seahawks have the worst offense in the NFL.

Seattle ranks 31st in offensive yards per game with a paltry 214.7, and the team has scored just 30 points through three weeks (30th in the league). In addition to that, the Tarvaris Jackson-led passing attack is also 30th in the NFL (142.3 yards per game), and the team is 29th in the league in rushing yardage (72.3 yards per game).

The team's defense hasn't looked bad as it is (10th with 318 total yards allowed per game). Still, when a team is as bad offensively as the Seahawks are, it doesn't matter how good the offense is.

Jackson has completed 59 of 97 passes (60.8 percent) for 527 yards, with two touchdowns and two interceptions. His 73.7 quarterback rating ranks him 28th out of the 32 signal-callers who qualify. He has also been sacked an NFL-high 14 times.

Wide receiver Sidney Rice finally returned to action this past weekend, and that helped somewhat, but until Jackson grows up or something else steps in, Seattle is going to have a rough go of things. The Seahawks belong at or near the bottom of any power rankings based on how they have performed so far this season.

NFL Power Rankings Week 4

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