2019 NFL power rankings, Week 4: Saints rise, Chargers slide

Recap: For the third consecutive year, Big Blue has opened a season with two losses. And last Tuesday, the team announced that rookie quarterback Daniel Jones would get the start against the Buccaneers in Tampa. The sixth overall pick in April’s draft would prove to be a mixed bag in this exciting contest. He was sacked five times and lost a pair of fumbles. And the Giants trailed 28-10 after 30 minutes of play. But he threw for 336 yards and a pair of scores. He also ran four times for 28 yards, including a seven-yard jaunt for his second rushing touchdown of the game. The subsequent PAT gave New York the lead and it held up thanks to a missed field goal in the closing seconds.

Next Week: The Giants return home and take on the one team in the NFC East that they have been able to beat in recent years, Washington. Dating back to 2017, the club is just 2-11 vs. their divisional foes from Dallas (0-5), Philadelphia (0-4) and Washington (2-2). The Giants and Redskins have split their two-game set four straight years dating back to ’15.

Playoff hopes: There’s been no playoff appearance since 2016 and just one postseason showing since ’12. And even with Sunday’s comeback win, the Giants are just 9-26 in their last 35 games dating back to the start of the 2017 season. But can Shurmur’s squad build on this emotional victory. The defense is still a major issue.

Recap: A year ago, it took Mike Tomlin’s team three games to get their first win of the season. Off to a 0-2 start for the first time since 2013, the club headed west to San Francisco as second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph prepared to make his first NFL start. The much-maligned Pittsburgh defense forced four early turnovers as newcomer Minkah Fitzpatrick came up with a fumble recovery and interception. But when the Steelers weren’t coming up with a total of five takeaways, Keith Butler’s unit was burned for 436 yards. And a fumble by running back James Conner in the fourth quarter set up San Francisco’s game-winning touchdown with 1:15 to play.

Next Week: The Steelers face their first divisional foe of the season when the Cincinnati Bengals head to Heinz Field for a Monday night showdown. Dating back to the clubs’ second meeting in ’15 and including a memorable playoff encounter, Tomlin’s club has taken eight straight in this series, including the last three at Heinz Field.

Playoff hopes: It’s only happened six times in NFL history. A team has overcome a 0-3 start to reach the playoffs. It did happen a year ago in the case of the Houston Texans. But these Steelers have a lot of new parts, most notably quarterback Mason Rudolph. Pittsburgh does face the division-rival Bengals and Ravens the next two weeks.

Next: Nos. 22 and 21