2024 NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

Chaos continues to reign supreme in the NFL. This week, the Broncos and Commanders secured massive road upsets to tilt the balance of power across the league, while the Panthers and Giants secured their first wins of the season in major upsets.

At the top, the Chiefs and Bills held strong, while some other contenders stumbled on the road. A few teams made big jumps or falls, but there was a little less movement in the rankings this week compared to last.

As always, check back every Tuesday morning for the weekly power rankings.

1 — Kansas City Chiefs (3-0, —)

Another week, another close win over a potential contender for Kansas City. Things don’t look easy for the defending champs, but 3-0 with wins over the Ravens, Bengals and Falcons makes for an impressive resume. This offense needs a strong performance to inspire some confidence. Getting more from TE Travis Kelce would certainly help.

2 — Buffalo Bills (3-0, —)

I think the Bills just scored another touchdown as I write this. The Jaguars came to town, and it was never in doubt. Buffalo scored touchdowns on its first four possessions and never looked back, while the defense stifled the Jacksonville offense. A trip to Baltimore is on deck, and the Bills look as good as they have during the Josh Allen era.

3 — Green Bay Packers (2-1, up 6)

I am extremely impressed with what Packers HC Matt LaFleur has done with QB Malik Willis with starting QB Jordan Love out of the lineup. Back-to-back wins over AFC South opponents with Willis in the lineup allowed them to keep pace with their competition in the NFC North, despite missing Love. Willis looks like a completely different quarterback than he was in Tennessee, and Love could return as soon as next week.

4 — Minnesota Vikings (3-0, up 11)

I can’t hedge my bets on Minnesota anymore. We’ve seen QB Sam Darnold go on hot streaks before, but none like this. He looks confident out there and is clearly comfortable commanding this offense. Vikings WR Jordan Addison and TE T.J. Hockenson should both return later this season, adding more firepower to this already explosive offense. And DC Brian Flores has turned an undermanned Vikings defense into a juggernaut that has shut down the 49ers and Texans offenses in back-to-back weeks. The NFC North is a gauntlet.

5 — Houston Texans (2-1, down 2)

Weeks of underperforming to open the season finally caught up with the Texans in a road loss at Minnesota. The Vikings are legit, but Houston no-showed their toughest contest yet. Something isn’t clicking in Houston, and there doesn’t seem to be one easy fix. Texans QB C.J. Stroud needs to play better, at a minimum, as this was his second game in three outings with a PFF grade under 70.0.

6 — Detroit Lions (2-1, —)

It wasn’t always pretty, but the Lions got the job done against a feisty Cardinals squad. Lions QB Jared Goff continued his streak of poor performances to open the year, while the defense kept the electric Cardinals offense in check for most of the afternoon. Detroit will need more from Goff in future weeks if they hope to keep pace with the Packers and Vikings in their division.

7 — Philadelphia Eagles (2-1, —)

In what was maybe the ugliest game of the week, the Eagles pulled out a win over the Saints thanks to a busted coverage on TE Dallas Goedert for a 60-yard gain on Philadelphia’s game-winning drive. The Eagles’ offense looked out-of-sorts for most of the day, but the defense kept what had been an unstoppable Saints offense on lockdown. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts struggled with interceptions once again, something he’ll need to clean up.

8 — San Francisco 49ers (1-2, down 4)

What’s wrong in San Francisco? That’s what we’re all left wondering after a second consecutive loss for the perennial NFC contenders. 49ers QB Brock Purdy was a standout in this one, and the 49ers built a comfortable lead before the Rams roared back for the last-second win. Several San Francisco stars should return in the coming weeks, but we may be seeing signs that this team has less margin for error than in previous seasons.

9 — Baltimore Ravens (1-2, down 1)

The Ravens got their first win of the season, though they almost let it slip away in the final minutes. After building a 28-6 lead on the Cowboys in the fourth quarter, Dallas managed to make it 28-25 before Baltimore bled out the clock. Now the Ravens host the Bills on Sunday Night Football — a win there would have Baltimore feeling much better about their season.

10 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1, down 5)

Just when it looked like the Buccaneers might be the cream of the NFC crop, QB Baker Mayfield had one of his vintage letdown performances in the weekend’s most disappointing loss. A home loss to the Broncos wasn’t just unexpected, it was downright inexcusable for a veteran, contending team. Tampa Bay will look to bounce back when they host the Eagles next week.

11 — New Orleans Saints (2-1, —)

The high-flying Saints offense came back down to Earth against the Eagles. We could look back on the Saints wins over the Cowboys and the Bryce Young-led Panthers as deceptive. But even in a loss, the offensive line was competitive, and the Saints’ defense looked like one of the league’s best.

12 — Seattle Seahawks (3-0, up 5)

Now that’s more like it. After struggling against overmatched opponents the first two weeks, the Seahawks looked dominant against a depleted Dolphins squad. Starting QB Geno Smith threw two interceptions, but otherwise Seattle played a clean game. Don’t look now, but the Seahawks have an early two-game lead over the rest of the NFC West.

13 — Indianapolis Colts (1-2, down 1)

Missed opportunities and inaccurate passing from Colts QB Anthony Richardson made Indianapolis’ 21-16 win over Chicago look closer than it was. The Colts’ offensive and defensive lines controlled this game, and it took a late Bears touchdown to make the score look reasonable. Richardson threw two interceptions this game after three the week before, and he needs to get his turnovers in check if the Colts want to be in the playoff hunt this season.

14 — Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0, down 1)

The Steelers keep grinding out wins exactly the way HC Mike Tomlin wants to. This week, it was the Chargers caught in the crosshairs, and the Steelers controlled the game from start to finish. Steelers QB Justin Fields looks more and more comfortable in this offense each week, and while he might not light up the box score, he’s doing everything they’re asking of him. Stiffer tests await, but stacking wins to open the season gives them some cushion as their schedule toughens.

15 — Atlanta Falcons (1-2, down 1)

This time, the last-minute primetime comeback wasn’t in the cards for Falcons QB Kirk Cousins, as their hopes fell just short in the final minute. Cousins continues to look more mobile and confident each week, which is a good sign for Falcons fans. However, the story of this game — and potentially of Atlanta’s season — is the offensive line. Both C Drew Dalman and RT Kaleb McGary went down with multi-week injuries Sunday night, and now what was already suspect pass protection will face additional challenges.

16 — New York Jets (2-1, —)

The Jets have gotten better each week, this time clamping down on a New England team that had been trouble through the first two weeks. Depth is being tested along both lines, but QB Aaron Rodgers looks better than he did his last season in Green Bay, and his connection with WR Garrett Wilson is heating up. Next up: a home tilt against a Denver squad that just took down the Buccaneers on the road.

17 — Cincinnati Bengals (0-3, down 7)

Is the sky falling yet in Cincinnati? It’s not looking good. The Bengals entered the year with Super Bowl aspirations, but head-scratching losses to the Patriots and Commanders put their playoff hopes on thin ice. A get-right game lies ahead against the Panthers, with the Giants and Browns on deck after a date with the Ravens. If the Bengals want to stay in the thick of the AFC race, going at least 3-1 in that stretch is a must.

18 — Arizona Cardinals (1-2, up 2)

Although they’re only 1-2, the Cardinals have been competitive in every game. It’s a nice step forward from the last two seasons. A 10-point loss to the Lions isn’t anything to be ashamed of, and QB Kyler Murray was electric once again. A suddenly explosive Commanders squad visits Phoenix next in a matchup of two of the more fun teams in the league.

19 — Los Angeles Rams (1-2, up 2)

Way to bounce back. After an overtime loss in Detroit, the Rams were run off the field against the division-rival Cardinals. Coming back from that — despite all the injuries Los Angeles is dealing with — in a win against the 49ers is impressive. The Rams were down 14 twice in that game, but QB Matthew Stafford never let them wilt. Now they have a chance to build some momentum when they visit Chicago in Week 4.

20 — Miami Dolphins (1-2, down 2)

Miami had better hope that QB Tua Tagovailoa’s absence doesn’t extend much beyond the four-game minimum stay on injured reserve. The Dolphins’ backup quarterback, Skylar Thompson, suffered a chest injury in the loss to the Seahawks and could miss time. The AFC is too strong a conference to sacrifice a quarter of your season without competent quarterback play, but there aren’t any immediate answers for the Dolphins to turn to.

21 — Dallas Cowboys (1-2, down 2)

The season-opening dismantling of the Browns is a distant memory at this point. Cowboys QB Dak Prescott had some nice moments in the fourth quarter to claw back into the game, but ultimately the Cowboys couldn’t complete the comeback against the Ravens. Two straight home losses leave the future uncertain in Dallas.

22 — Washington Commanders (2-1, up 8)

Welcome to the NFL, Jayden Daniels. The rookie quarterback and No. 2 overall pick had more total touchdowns than incompletions in the Monday night win over Cincinnati, outdueling fellow LSU product Joe Burrow for the upset win. Daniels looked sharp, throwing accurate balls to all levels of the field, navigating the pocket and the open field comfortably, and asserting his command of the offense. The Commanders roster still needs a lot of work, but if Daniels keeps this up, the future is bright in Washington.

23 — Chicago Bears (1-2, down 1)

Despite a breakout passing performance for first-round QB Caleb Williams and a great day from fellow first-round WR Rome Odunze, mistakes doomed the Bears in Indianapolis. The Colts’ offensive line bullied the Chicago defense all afternoon, and backbreaking turnovers killed any offensive momentum they tried to build. The Bears will try and build on the progress Williams made in a home tilt with the Rams.

24 — Denver Broncos (1-2, up 5)

I keep calling upsets “the most surprising of the season” every week, so I’m going to stop doing that, because clearly this season has a lot more chaos in store. But few expected the Broncos to win in Tampa Bay, especially in the manner they did. This defense is for real, and first-round QB Bo Nix had his best game of the young season.

25 — Los Angeles Chargers (2-1, down 2)

Not only did the Chargers lose the game against the Steelers, but they also lost some key players in the process. First-round RT Joe Alt sprained his MCL and QB Justin Herbert reaggravated his high ankle sprain. Now Los Angeles needs to regroup quickly, with the Chiefs coming into town Sunday.

26 — Las Vegas Raiders (1-2, —)

It was an embarrassing performance for the Raiders against the Panthers. Raiders HC Antonio Pierce benched QB Gardner Minshew partway through the game and made comments postgame that indicated he felt many of his players weren’t playing with maximum effort. Minshew will start in Week 4, but Pierce made it clear that higher standards need to be met.

27 — Tennessee Titans (0-3, —)

Things got out of hand early this time against the Packers, but it was more of the same overall for the Titans. While QB Will Levis has a big arm, he leads the league in turnovers and has an awful chaos play every week. This week it was a pick-six thrown to Packers CB Jaire Alexander in the second quarter. Levis needs to stop throwing the game away, as Titans HC Brian Callahan grows increasingly frustrated with his young signal-caller.

28 — New England Patriots (1-2, —)

After two strong performances to open the year, the Patriots just didn’t have the horses to run with the Jets Thursday night. New England’s anemic offense couldn’t get anything going, and though Patriots HC Jerod Mayo recommitted to QB Jacoby Brissett this week, we did see first-round QB Drake Maye for a drive to end the game. We’ll see how long the Patriots staff holds out before we see him full-time.

29 — Carolina Panthers (1-2, up 3)

There’s life in Charlotte! Veteran QB Andy Dalton entered the lineup and sparked this offense, putting up one of the best individual quarterback performances so far this year. The real surprise was the Panthers’ defense — perhaps the least talented unit in the NFL on paper, they shut down the Raiders offense for most of that game. We’ll see if they can keep up their newfound momentum when a desperate Cincinnati team visits Sunday afternoon.

30 — New York Giants (1-2, up 1)

It came against the hapless Browns, but the Giants got their first win of the season. Giants QB Daniel Jones didn’t have a good game, but first-round WR Malik Nabers was sensational once again. He has to be the early favorite for Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Giants’ defensive line, expected to be the team’s strength entering the year, finally asserted themselves against Cleveland.

31 — Cleveland Browns (1-2, down 7)

Per Austin Gayle, Deshaun Watson in 2024 has the worst EPA per dropback through three weeks of any Browns quarterback since 2000. Any Browns fan can tell you how bad the quarterback position has been in Cleveland during that span, and Watson is up there with the worst of them. There aren’t any clear answers here, either. The offensive line can’t run block, the receivers can’t get separation, and every Watson pass attempt hurts the team.

32 — Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3, down 7)

Will Doug Pederson be the first head coach fired in 2024? It might be trending that way after Monday night. The Jaguars looked lifeless in a blowout loss to the Bills. Jaguars QB Trevor Lawrence has regressed, sailing easy completions for interceptions and never looking comfortable. The entire second half was garbage time, and the Jaguars’ Week 2 loss to the Browns looks worse than ever, and there aren’t immediate answers to the problems Jacksonville faces.