Week 3 of the NFL season will be remembered for a long time. From a 70-point game to an 18-point comeback in the fourth quarter and some big upsets, there’s a lot of shakeup in our Week 4 NFL power rankings.
On a Sunday when the Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons all lost, the top of our power rankings gets a major overhaul. Meanwhile, surprising wins by the Indianapolis Colts, Houston Texans and Arizona Cardinals have us rethinking where they stand against some of their peers across the league.
Let’s dive into our latest NFL power rankings after Week 3.
Week 4 NFL power rankings
32. Chicago Bears
- Previously: Last in NFL power rankings
The Chicago Bears are the worst NFL team in 2023 and it’s not particularly close. There’s only one brightside to the dismal season, which only passed Week 3. The Bears are on pace to have two top-5 picks and this franchise desperately needs them. Of course, hitting on those picks depends on the general manager at the helm.
31. Denver Broncos
- Previously: 29th in NFL power rankings
The Denver Broncos traded a first-round pick and a second-round pick for Sean Payton. Then, the franchise made him one of the highest-paid coaches in NFL history. With Nathaniel Hackett, the coach that Payton said did everything wrong, Denver was 2-1 after Week 3. Fast forward to this season, the Broncos are 0-3 and just suffered one of the most humiliating losses in NFL history. Karma is a funny thing.
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30. Carolina Panthers
- Previously: 29th in NFL power rankings
Technically, the quarterback change from Bryce Young to Andy Dalton made the Carolina Panthers better. Then again, considering the opponent, the results still weren’t great. For as much as we loved the Panthers’ coaching staff coming into the year, the 2023 season is proving that it’s the players that make the greatest difference. To put it bluntly, Carolina doesn’t have the players to be an NFL-caliber offense this season.
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29. Minnesota Vikings
- Previously: 25th in NFL power rankings
Mathematically, the Minnesota Vikings aren’t eliminated from playoff contention. With an 0-3 record and opponents like the Kansas City Chiefs, San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions remaining, though, it feels safe to start thinking about 2024. Let’s just hope the Vikings get to a Justin Jefferson contract extension sooner rather than later.
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28. Houston Texans
- Previously: 31st in NFL power rankings
Buy stock in the Houston Texans while you can. C.J. Stroud is proving he can be the face of the franchise and head coach DeMeco Ryans is already doing stellar work with a young defense that is missing key pieces. it won’t always show up in the NFL standings, but the Texans are headed in the right direction at an accelerated rate.
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27. New York Giants
- Previously: 23rd in NFL power rankings
Regression has come for the New York Giants. While we might not’ve agreed with the decision to extend Daniel Jones with that lucrative contract, he stands no chance of performing behind this offensive line and with these wide receivers. What makes the Giants one of the worst NFL teams in 2023 is the fact that their defense is just as bad as the offense.
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26. Tennessee Titans
- Previously: 24th in NFL power rankings
Mike Vrabel is an excellent head coach, but the Tennessee Titans were always going to have a rough 2023 season. The offensive line is reminiscent of wet paper mache and the secondary is so bad that opponents don’t even have to commit to running the football.
25. Las Vegas Raiders
- Previously: 22nd in NFL power rankings
Same ol’ Raiders. Jimmy Garoppolo can only be successful if you put him behind a solid offensive line. It’s evident after Week 3 that the Las Vegas Raiders don’t have anything close to that and it’s also having devastating consequences for Josh Jacobs. If this is what the Raiders look like against the Pittsburgh Steelers, we can’t imagine the results against better teams in the weeks ahead.
24. Arizona Cardinals
- Previously: 30th in NFL power rankings
Incredible. If you want to know what it looks like when an entire locker room is willing to run through walls for hours all for their head coach, watch the Arizona Cardinals. There’s not a lot of talent on Arizona’s roster, but the Cardinals are 1-2 right now and they’ve had a chance to win every game this season. No one saw this coming, hats off to Jonathan Gannon and Joshua Dobbs.
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23. Indianapolis Colts
- Previously: 26th in NFL power rankings
Even without Anthony Richardson, the Indianapolis Colts proved they made the right decision hiring Shane Steichen as head coach. We’re definitely not convinced that Indianapolis will be anywhere near the playoff picture by November, but there’s no denying the Colts’ future is bright.
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22. New York Jets
- Previously: 17th in NFL power rankings
An elite defense is going to be wasted. The New York Jets entered 2023 banking everything on Aaron Rodgers, all while leaking that Zach Wilson was improving and would be the quarterback of the future. It’s evident that wasn’t true. Now, the Jets must deal with the repercussions of not addressing their offensive line nor backup quarterback.
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21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Previously: 21st in NFL power rankings
Reality arrived for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night, with Bakery Mayfield regressing against a very good defense. While Tampa Bay’s defense played well situationally, especially in the red zone, this was largely a one-sided game with a score that doesn’t capture how much Philadelphia outplayed Tampa Bay. Even so, the Bucs will be more than happy with a 2-1 record.
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20. Los Angeles Rams
- Previously: 27th in NFL power rankings
Safe to say the Matthew Stafford for MVP campaign won’t be going anywhere. It’s obvious this Los Angeles Rams offense misses Cooper Kupp, but at least it has some young stars emerging for the future. After playing both Cincinnati and San Francisco tough, the Rams earned a promotion in the NFL power rankings.
19. Washington Commanders
- Previously: 15th in NFL power rankings
When Sam Howell is pressured, the results are disastrous. Eric Bieniemy can get creative with his schemes and the Washington Commanders receiving corps is still great, but everything falls apart if the pocket isn’t clean. Even if you’re willing to put that aside, because of Howell’s positive moments, Washington’s defense is becoming a new problem.
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18. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Previously: 13th in NFL power rankings
It’s time to be concerned about the Jacksonville Jaguars. Defensively, not addressing glaring needs on the roster this offseason is already coming back to bite Jacksonville. Offensively, Trevor Lawrence hasn’t built off his phenomenal play in the second half of the 2022 NFL season. An early hole isn’t devastating in the AFC South, but the Texans and Colts won’t give Jacksonville any extra margin for error.
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17. New England Patriots
- Previously: 19th in NFL power rankings
Considering the state of the Jets’ offense, New England Patriots fans can’t feel elated with how close Sunday’s victory was. Yet, heading into Week 4, New England can feel great about its defense and the offensive line is starting to get healthy. A healthy O-line means far more running room for Rhamondre Stevenson and we can see the best from Mac Jones.
16. Los Angeles Chargers
- Previously: 20th in NFL power rankings
The Los Angeles Chargers emerged victorious in a must-win game. Not only do they avoid the 0-3 start that would be catastrophic to their playoff chances, but running back Austin Ekeler could return in Week 4. Unfortunately, our confidence level in the Chargers’ defense and head coach Brandon Staley is at an all-time low.
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15. Green Bay Packers
- Previously: 12th in NFL power rankings
Green Bay could not maintain home-field advantage Thursday night against the division rival Detroit Lions. Without Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari and cornerback Jaire Alexander, they were dominated. The final score of 34-20 isn’t indicative of just how much better the Lions performed in this one. Add in injury concerns, and there are a ton of questions relating to the .500 team.
15. New Orleans Saints
- Previously: 14th in NFL power rankings
If not for the Derek Carr injury, the New Orleans Saints likely finish Week 3 with a victory. However, injuries are decimating every NFL team right now including the offense that scored 18 unanswered points in its comeback victory. The Saints are a good football team, but those rosters always have a moderate ceiling.
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14. Pittsburgh Steelers
- Previously: 18th in NFL power rankings
Facing one of the worst defenses in the AFC, Kenny Pickett and Co. looked a lot more comfortable. We’re not ready to suggest that Matt Canada should stick around, but consecutive victories show the Pittsburgh Steelers can still claw their way to victories. Don’t sleep on the Houston Texans in Week 4, though, C.J. Stroud and Co. can give Pittsburgh problems and you know DeMeco Ryans will find ways to mess with Pickett.
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13. Atlanta Falcons
- Previously: No. 9 in NFL power rankings
The Atlanta Falcons can still win the NFC South, but Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons is a reminder of this team being several tiers below the true kings of football. Desmond Ridder is fine for what he is, but having him at quarterback with a below-average defense will lead to a lot of bad matchups against great NFL teams.
11. Cincinnati Bengals
- Previously: 11th in NFL power rankings
Joe Burrow clearly isn’t close to 100 percent right now, but he knew the Cincinnati Bengals’ playoff odds plummet to effectively zero if they lost in Week 3. Avoiding that winless start through three weeks is nice, but the Bengals have a long way to go before we can believe they’re a Super Bowl contender.
NFL power rankings after Week 3
10. Baltimore Ravens
- Previously: 5th in NFL power rankings
Injuries and a missed pass interference call could be blamed for the loss on Sunday. Our bigger concern is the turnovers. Lamar Jackson is an MVP-caliber player for 95% of the plays, but ball security is a glaring issue for him right now. The Ravens are still 2-1 and they’ll take that, given seven starters are sidelined, but this team must execute better and protect the football. Otherwise, Cleveland’s defense will destroy this offense in Week 4.
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9. Seattle Seahawks
- Previously: 8th in NFL power rankings
It wasn’t the prettiest victory on Sunday for the Seattle Seahawks, but Pete Carroll will happily take the 2-1 record and move on. What’s remarkable about the Seahawks’ two-game winning streak is that this offense is making explosive plays and sustaining long drives despite starting two backup offensive tackles. Although, Seattle’s defense is going to hold it back all year unless this secondary turns things around quickly.
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8. Cleveland Browns
- Previously: 10th in NFL power rankings
We’re not ready to say Deshaun Watson is back. He greatly benefitted from a lot of mistakes and blown coverages by the Titans’ secondary. Watson also had some of his own dumbfounding moments. Yet, even if he plays like a top-15 quarterback in the NFL, Cleveland’s defense and the emergence of Jerome Ford can make the Browns a top 10 team.
7. Dallas Cowboys
- Previously: 1st in NFL power rankings
Maybe Week 3 was just an instance of a team that overlooked its opponent and didn’t completely get over the mental blow of Trevon Diggs’ ACL tear. That’s what the Dallas Cowboys have to be hoping for right now. Otherwise, with the Patriots, 49ers, Chargers and Eagles looming, Dallas is in trouble.
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6. Detroit Lions
- Previously: 6th in NFL power rankings
Detroit is a juggernaut waiting to happen. Thursday’s win over the Green Bay Packers added another layer to this. With a ton of Lions fans on hand inside Lambeau, the Lions laid a but whooping on their division rivals. The final score of 34-20 didn’t do this one justice. David Montgomery scored three touchdowns in leading a Lions rushing attack that went for north of 200 yards. Meanwhile, Detroit’s defense got to Jordan Love for 11 QB hits and five sacks. Yeah, this team is good.
5. Buffalo Bills
- Previously: 7th in NFL power rankings
Since repeatedly shooting themselves in the foot in the Week 1 loss, the Buffalo Bills have played perfect football. Without Von Miller, Buffalo’s defense is generating takeaways at an eye-popping rate and Josh Allen is playing like an MVP once again. Of course, the real test is next Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. Winner is No. 1 in our NFL power rankings.
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4. Philadephia Eagles
- Previously: 2nd in NFL power rankings
A step in the right direction for the Philadelphia Eagles defense on Monday Night Football, although, Jalen Hurts and Co. won’t be pleased with their lack of efficiency in the red zone. The Eagles might not be as good as they were in 2022, but this remains one of the best NFL teams in 2023.
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3. Kansas City Chiefs
- Previously: 3rd in NFL power rankings
Here’s why the Kansas City Chiefs are dangerous. Everyone knew that with a healthy Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, Kansas City has an elite offense. Now, with Chris Jones back and the youngsters around him more experienced, the Chiefs arguably have a top-10 defense in the NFL. Put those two things together and it’s clear why the Chiefs can repeat as Super Bowl champions this season.
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2. San Francisco 49ers
- Previously: 2nd in NFL power rankings
The San Francisco 49ers are the best team in the NFC, that much is clear after Week 3. Brock Purdy isn’t playing at the highest level right now, but it doesn’t matter when you have Kyle Shanahan, the No. 1 defense in the NFL and an offense loaded with playmakers.
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1. Miami Dolphins
- Previously: 6th in NFL power rankings
The Miami Dolphins are the best team in the NFL. Coming off a historic 50-point win, Miami demonstrated how dangerous this team is when everyone’s healthy. Tua Tagovailoa is the NFL MVP today, Mike McDaniel is NFL Coach of the Year and the Dolphins’ defense doesn’t even have Jalen Ramsey back yet.
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