NFL Power Rankings Week 4: 3 Teams Vaulting Up Rankings After Impressive Wins

The NFL landscape is drastically changing. 

Suddenly the New England Patriots can’t hold 21 points, the New York Jets can’t stop the run and the Philadelphia Eagles can’t keep Michael Vick upright.

On the flip side, here are three teams that are shocking us all with their surprising start to the season:

No. 7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Bucs quietly got a huge win when they dispatched division-rival Atlanta on Sunday.

They have a very balanced offense and an extremely fast defense that can shutdown even the best receivers. Tampa may be the youngest team in the league, but they are playing with the confidence of a bunch of old wily veterans.

No. 10 Oakland Raiders

This team is for real.

RB Darren McFadden might be the best back in the league and he’s running behind an O-Line that has transformed into a premier unit….just ask the Jets.

QB Jason Campbell is as steady as always, and he’s the perfect player for the Raiders system. Get the ball quickly to the speedy receivers and let them take care of the rest.

The defense is still a work in progress, but the young secondary is learning and is starting to show signs of improvement. In a weak AFC West, don’t expect the Raiders to fade anytime soon.

No. 14 San Francisco 49ers

This team isn’t going to do anything in the postseason, but they are the beneficiaries of being in the NFC West, which may be historically awful for the second year in a row.

They don’t have a strong QB, but Alex Smith is rarely put into a position where he has to win the game. They rely on a very strong defensive unit that is one of the tops in the league.

The D is going to lead this team to the postseason and potentially even double-digit wins.

Eric Ball's Week 4 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. New Orleans Saints

3. New York Giants

4. Detroit Lions

5. San Diego Chargers

6. Buffalo Bills

7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

8. New England Patriots

9. Baltimore Ravens

10. Oakland Raiders

11. Philadelphia Eagles

12. Dallas Cowboys

13. New York Jets

14. San Francisco 49ers

15. Houston Texans

16. Pittsburgh Steelers

17. Atlanta Falcons

18. Washington Redskins

19. Tennessee Titans

20. Chicago Bears

21. Cincinnati Bengals

22. St. Louis Rams

23. Denver Broncos

24. Cleveland Browns

25. Miami Dolphins

26. Arizona Cardinals

27. Jacksonville Jaguars

28. Minnesota Vikings

29. Carolina Panthers

30. Seattle Seahawks

31. Kansas City Chiefs

32. Indianapolis Colts