NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

Hell has frozen over.  Dogs are sleeping with cats.  Auburn fans are rooting for Alabama. 

Because the Buffalo Bills are ahead of the Patriots right now, the Eagles are in last place in the NFC East, and Tarvaris Jackson has more wins in Seattle than Donovan McNabb has in Minnesota.

Who could have predicted all this?  Not me—but here is my weekly stab at my NFL Power Rankings.

1. Green Bay, 3-0

To be "The Man", you have to beat "The Man."  Right now, Green Bay looks like the best team in football, with the best quarterback in football.

2. New Orleans, 2-1

Their only loss is to the Packers, and they got stopped at the goal line with a chance to tie it up.  The Saints look like they have recaptured their Super Bowl form from two years ago.

3. Baltimore, 2-1

Okay, they had a hiccup in Week 2 against Tennessee, but the Titans are also a good football team, and that was a road game. 

The Ravens have crushed the Steelers and Rams.  They look like the class of the AFC right now.

4. Detroit, 3-0

Hey, I love the Lions, I just can't rank them above my Top 3 teams just yet.  Detroit looks great, though.

As I predicted earlier, they will host a playoff game this year.

5. Buffalo, 3-0

They beat the vaunted Patriots, causing four interceptions by Tom Brady.  That gets you a spot in my Top 5.  Congratulations to Ryan Fitzpatrick.

6. New England, 2-1

They beat a weak Dolphins team, won a shootout against the Chargers, and lost on the road to the Bills. 

Brady won't have another game like that for the rest of the season, but I'm worried about their defense.  Two words for you—not good.

7. Houston, 2-1

Their only loss was a shootout against the Saints.  I think the Texans have "the look" of a playoff team, but every now and then, that awful defense rears its ugly head.

8. San Diego, 2-1

Their only loss was to the Pats when Brady was on fire.  Phillip Rivers is going to carry this team a long way. 

9. Oakland, 2-1

I look in some Power Rankings, and the Raiders are behind the Jets?  How?  Did people not watch the game?  If not for a miracle comeback by the Bills, the Raiders would be 3-0. 

This team has a ton of talent. If they keep improving, then watch out.

10. NY Jets, 2-1

Besides getting run over by the Raiders, the Jets have looked pretty good.  I've actually been impressed by Mark Sanchez. 

11. Pittsburgh, 2-1

 I've probably been the most disappointed with the Steelers out of all the "good teams" in the NFL.  They just don't look right, but they do just enough to win, which is all that matters.

12. NY Giants, 2-1

I have the Giants ahead of the Cowboys simply because they look like they are about to get healthy, and they are really pounding on both sides of the ball.  This is a physical team that is going to get better as the season goes along.

13. Dallas, 2-1

This is a super-talented team, with a QB who can win games for you, but they just look like they don't have the depth to run with the "good teams." 

If they can't stay healthy, this team is going to miss the playoffs.

14. Tampa Bay, 2-1

The Bucs are a solid team.  Right now they look like they are still trying to figure it out. 

They are young, and so far, "young teams figuring it out" is a theme in the NFL.  The Bucs have the talent to get over the hump.

15. Tennessee, 2-1

One of the nice surprises in the NFL.  Good for Matt Hasselbeck, one of the "good guys" in the league.  Hey Seattle, how do you like Tarvaris Jackson now?

16. Washington, 2-1

I had them dead last in my first Power Rankings. 

In my opinion, they have overachieved more than any team in the NFL, and that is a credit to Mike Shanahan.  They are physical, they run the ball well, and they don't beat themselves. 

17. Atlanta, 1-2

Another underachieving team.  It's not just that they are 1-2—it's that they are 1-2 with a couple of ugly losses.  They just don't look like the kind of team that can compete with the upper-level teams in the NFC.

18. Chicago, 1-2

 If Jay Cutler makes it through the season, I'll be shocked.  How many QB careers is Mike Martz trying to shorten?  Is he trying to break a record?

19. Philly, 1-2

 I have the Eagles this low for a couple of reasons. 

One, the only team they've beat is the Rams, and they are awful. 

Two, there is no way Mike Vick plays 12 games this season with the Eagles' Swiss cheese offensive line.  The Eagles will not make the playoffs.

20. Cleveland, 2-1

Their two wins are over Miami and Peyton-less Indy.  Colt McCoy is an exciting young player. 

In the next two years, they could pass the aging Steelers and Ravens as the class of the AFC North.

21. San Francisco, 2-1

 They have two wins, but they are over Seattle and Cincinnati.  I'm sorry, I just can't put them higher than this. 

Philly with Mike Kafka scares me more than the 49ers with Alex Smith.  I'm just being honest.

22. Arizona, 1-2

 I almost dropped them five spots for losing to Seattle.  That was a bad loss. 

The Cardinals are just not a good team.  They are in the NFC West, so they at least have a shot at the playoffs.

23. Carolina, 1-2

They could be several spots higher if a couple plays had gone differently.  Cam Newton has played great, and the Panthers are showing signs of life.

24. Seattle, 1-2

The Seahawks' only win is over Arizona.  I am breaking my own rule by ranking them lower than the Cardinals, but Tarvaris Jackson is their quarterback, and that is an automatic three-spot deduction.  Sorry, Seahawks' fans.

25. Jacksonville, 1-2

They aren't that good, but they aren't that bad. 

Problems at QB led them to throw rookie Blaine Gabbert to the wolves.  If the kid holds up, then they will probably climb a few spots in the coming weeks.

26. Denver, 1-2

Before the season is over, we will have an answer to the Tim Tebow debate.  Because the Broncos are not good, and Tebow is going to get his shot.

27. Cincinnati, 1-2

The worst-run franchise in football enjoys one week not in the basement.  They are on the top of the stairs, still locked in the basement, but still...

28. Miami, 0-3

The Dolphins are bad, and Tony Sparano is going to get fired.  This is a team with no sense of direction.

29. Minnesota, 0-3

Do you think Donovan McNabb is washed up?  Andy Reid did.  Mike Shanahan did.  Those guys have won a few football games between the two of them.

30. St. Louis, 0-3

Horrible offensive line, stud RB Steven Jackson is hurt, worst secondary in football, and sophomore QB Sam Bradford is completing 50 percent of his passes. 

Did I leave anything out?  Okay then, moving on...

31. Indianapolis, 0-3

 If Manning doesn't play this year, the best the Colts can hope for is 3-13.

32. Kansas City, 0-3

 I know they have been hit extremely hard by injuries, but how did it go so bad, so fast?