NFL Power Rankings: Good, Bad News for Each Team Going into Week 4

These power rankings employ a balanced approach, because even the cream of the NFL crop still has room for improvement, and even the most hopeless gang of misfits out there must have something to be happy about.

Plus, by now, we all know that any football team in the world can beat any other any day of the week if the conditions are just right (the entire city of Las Vegas is quietly snickering right now), so nobody should be placing too much emphasis on these precious little lists of ours in the first place. 

The good news for the NFL this week is that ticket prices for the 2014 Super Bowl in the Meadowlands are already expected to be the most expensive we’ve ever seen.

The bad news?

Fans will probably still be battling February blizzard conditions, single-digit temperatures and absolute madness at the airport in order to get there.

32. Indianapolis Colts (0-3)

The Good News: Quarterback Peyton Manning is so eager to return, he’s apparently open to anything scientifically possible that might speed up his recovery.

The Bad News:  Until he does, the Colts offense is still at the mercy of Kerry Collins and Curtis Painter, who so far have it averaging a solid 250 total yards and 15 points per game (29th and 28th in the league, respectively) and are about as intimidating in the pocket as two small pieces of lint.

31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)

The Good News:  A high draft pick is all but guaranteed now that safety Eric Berry and running back Jamaal Charles are out for the season.

The Bad News: The draft is a good seven months from now, and this team still has to survive 13 more games this year.

30. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

The Good News:  Sidney Rice had over 100 receiving yards in his first game as a Seahawk and looks to be a solid offseason pickup at this point.

The Bad News:  Rice’s 109 yards accounted for over 40 percent of the team’s entire offense production last week, against the sixth-worst defense in the league!

29. St. Louis Rams (0-3)

The Good News: Cadillac Williams has established himself as one of the best backup running backs in the league, and so far, looks like one of the biggest steals of the offseason.

The Bad News: Despite spending four of their last six first-round draft picks on defensive players (each of which were top-15 selections), the Rams are allowing a staggering 32 points per game so far this season, worse than any other team not based out of Missouri.

28. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)

The Good News: This early in Andy Dalton’s career, there’s virtually no chance this team’s starting quarterback will just up and retire after this season.  

The Bad News: Off-field setbacks aside, no team has performed worse on third down than the Bengals this season, who’ve converted a measly 9-of-38 attempts so far (24 percent).

27. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

The Good News: The Cardinals play in the worst division in football and still have a handful of winnable games on their schedule.

The Bad News: They’ve given up over 800 passing yards in three games so far and have yet to play a quarterback who was starting in the NFL last season.   

26. Miami Dolphins (0-3)

The Good News: Rookie Daniel Thomas is averaging 100 rushing yards a game so far and looks like he could become a solid starter for the Dolphins moving forward.

The Bad News:  Thomas is also set to make about $4 million less than Reggie Bush this season—the Dolphins’ other new running back addition, who right now (while completely healthy) is on pace to reach 100 total rushing yards by Week 5.    

25. Minnesota Vikings (0-3)

The Good News: Even with all the quarterback issues this team is facing this season (they’re averaging less than 150 passing yards a game right now), three weeks have already gone by without Brett Favre’s name being mentioned even once.

The Bad News:  Even with all the quarterback issues this team is facing this season (Donovan McNabb’s 47 completions are the fewest of any quarterback who’s started all three games this year), they’ve mysteriously chosen not to rely on Adrian Peterson, one of the best running backs in all of football, for no apparent reason.

24. Carolina Panthers (1-2)

The Good News: Rookie quarterback Cam Newton breaks some all-time record every time he plays.

The Bad News:  Cam Newton is 22 years old, and his entire professional resume fits on a postage stamp.

23. Denver Broncos (1-2)

The Good News: Denver still has four games on their schedule against 0-3 teams.

The Bad News:  The rest of their remaining opponents are a combined 15-6.

22. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)

The Good News: Home game attendance is up almost 20 percent since 2009.

The Bad News:  The team sure isn’t doing much to impress their new fans, averaging only 9.7 points per game so far (31st in the league) and producing on average a pathetic 4.3 yards per play (30th overall).

21. Cleveland Browns (2-1)

The Good News: Cleveland has a winning record right now for the first time since 2007.

The Bad News:  The three teams they’ve played so far are a combined 1-8, and all rank at the very bottom of their respective divisions. 

20. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)

The Good News: They have the third easiest schedule in the league while playing in its worst division.

The Bad News:  It’s hard to see them going very far with an offense that so far has produced the fewest yards in the league (just 213.7 per game).

19. Tennessee Titans (2-1)

The Good News: Nate Washington has flourished as Tennessee’s No.2 wideout this year, averaging seven catches and over 80 yards per game so far.

The Bad News:  Now that No. 1 receiver Kenny Britt is out for the year, Washington will be facing much stiffer defensive competition and will probably start posting numbers closer to last year’s performance (2.6 catches and 42.9 yards per game).

18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)

The Good News: The future looks bright for the youngest team in the NFL, who surprised everyone last season with a 10-6 record and already has a win over Atlanta, last year’s NFC South Champs.

The Bad News:  They’re giving up over 23 first downs per game right now, fourth worst in the NFL, while producing only about 18 of their own (19th overall).

17. Chicago Bears (1-2)

The Good News: On October 7, the ’85 Bears will finally be given the White House visit they never received for winning Super Bowl XX.

The Bad News:  If the President really wanted to help the Bears, he’d send a couple Secret Service agents to help protect quarterback Jay Cutler, who’s been sacked a painful, league-leading 14 times so far this season.  

16. New York Giants (2-1)

The Good News: After undrafted wideout Victor Cruz had a breakout performance last week (110 yards, two touchdowns), this team’s ability to scout capable wide receivers is now beyond question.  

The Bad News:  The top two receivers on their depth chart have both missed time this year due to injuries, and the talent pool at any one position can only be so deep.

15. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)

The Good News: On paper, this is still one of the most talented teams in the league (they had nine Pro Bowlers last season, the most of any team).

The Bad News:  In action, this is the most disappointing team in the league so far this season (they’ve scored less than 14 points in two of their three games).

14. Washington Redskins (2-1)

The Good News: Traditionally known for helping no-name running backs overachieve, this year, Mike Shanahan is working his magic on quarterback (and former punch line) Rex Grossman, who’s thrown only three interceptions so far this season and has a career-high passer rating of 86.4.

The Bad News:  If Grossman can’t keep it up or ever goes down, the only other QB on the roster is another career backup, John Beck, who’s played in only five games over five seasons in the NFL.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)

The Good News: Running back LeSean McCoy is off to a ridiculous start this season, averaging over six yards per carry and 115 yards per game.

The Bad News:  Quarterback Michael Vick still holds the football like he thinks it’s permanently glued to his hand or something and has already fumbled it seven times this year.

12. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

The Good News: In Weeks 2 and 3, quarterback Tony Romo reminded everyone he has what it takes to lead his team to victory.

The Bad News:  In Week 1, quarterback Tony Romo reminded everyone he also knows how to screw everything up at the last minute. 

11. Oakland Raiders (2-1)

The Good News:  Darren McFadden had the longest run of the 2011 season last week (70 yards for a touchdown) and right now is on pace to have just the seventh 2,000 rushing yard season in NFL history.

The Bad News:  The Oakland secondary is definitely missing them some Nnamdi Asomugha this season, currently allowing almost 290 passing yards per game (28th in the league).

10. San Diego Chargers (2-1)

The Good News: Quarterback Phillip Rivers is completing over 68 percent of his passes this year, on pace for a career high.

The Bad News:  Rivers is also on pace for a career high in interceptions right now, with six already just three games into the season.

9. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)

The Good News: Mike Wallace has over 100 receiving yards in every game this year and is averaging 18 yards a catch (best among any player with at least 17 receptions).

The Bad News:  Ben Roethlisberger has only three touchdowns this year (along with four interceptions) and has been sacked nine times (second worst among AFC quarterbacks).

8. New York Jets (2-1)

The Good News: Quarterback Mark Sanchez appears to have taken a leap here in his third professional season, as he’s currently outperforming his career averages in nearly every statistical category.

The Bad News:  Their next eight games include New England twice, Buffalo twice, Baltimore and San Diego.

7. Buffalo Bills (3-0)

The Good News: The Bills are 3-0 for the first time since 2008.

The Bad News:  In 2008, they went on to finish last in their division with a 7-9 record, and Tom Brady wasn’t even playing that year! 

6. Houston Texans (2-1)

The Good News: Defending rushing champ Arian Foster is expected to fully participate on Sunday for the first time this season.

The Bad News:  In the two games since they obliterated the Peyton Manning-less Colts in Week 1, the Texans have allowed over 50 points and given up over 750 yards.

5. New England Patriots (2-1)

The Good News: Tom Brady has thrown only nine interceptions in his last 19 regular season games.

The Bad News:  Nearly half those picks took place in one game, last week, against a pass defense ranked 24th in the league (Buffalo).

4. Detroit Lions (3-0)

The Good News: The Lions are off to their best start in three decades with a top-10 offense, a top-10 defense and a freakish wide receiver who sometimes just doesn’t seem fair.

The Bad News:  In the 30 seasons between the last 3-0 start and this one, the Lions have posted a winning record seven times but won just a single playoff game.

3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

The Good News: Baltimore has put together two of the most dominant performances in the league this year, outscoring Pittsburgh and St. Louis by more than 27 points.

The Bad News:  Nearly a sixth of the team’s total receiving yards for the entire season came on three plays in one quarter of their last game.

2. New Orleans Saints (2-1)

The Good News: If Tom Brady weren’t so busy being his terrific self, people might be talking about how the Saints’ Drew Brees is also on pace to shatter several single-season passing records this season.

The Bad News: Their defense is giving up points (88 so far, third most in the league) almost as often as their offense is scoring them (104, second overall).

1. Green Bay Packers (3-0)

The Good News: The Pack hasn’t lost a meaningful game of football in over nine months.

 The Bad News: The only other undefeated team in the NFC is a divisional rival they’ve been picking on since the Cold War.