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

Recap: It was a short week and a road trip for Mike Vrabel’s club as the Titans, facing their second divisional foe in five days, headed south to take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Things did not start out well for the team as they fell behind, 14-0, after 15 minutes of play. And Tennessee’s offense only scored once all evening as workhorse running back Derrick Henry found the end zone with just 12:04 remaining in the game. While quarterback Marcus Mariota threw for 304 yards and was not intercepted, he was sacked nine times by the relentless Jaguars’ pass rush. Minus left tackle Taylor Lewan, Vrabel’s struggling club has allowed 17 sacks during the team’s 1-2 start.

Next Week: It’s off to the city of Atlanta for the first time since 2011, where a mere 20 years ago the Titans came up a bit short in a very memorable Super Bowl (XXXIV). As for this inter-conference series, the franchises have split 14 previous meetings (7-7) dating back to when the Falcons and then-Houston Oilers first squared off in 1972.

Playoff hopes: The team’s 30-point win at Cleveland on the season’s first Sunday has been followed by a pair of setbacks within the division, including that Week 2 home loss to the Colts. It’s an early hole that could come back to haunt this team down the road. The Titans’ next battle with an AFC South foe doesn’t come until Week 12.

Recap: Off a very physical clash and eventually a tough road loss to the Falcons, these battered Birds were back in Philadelphia to take on a Lions team that had yet to lose a game (1-0-1) this season. And the mistake-prone Eagles had a rough first half in which they gained 228 total yards but turned over the football twice and allowed a 100-yard kickoff return for a score. Quarterback Carson Wentz and company just couldn’t make enough big plays down the stretch when it really counted, failing to capitalize on a blocked field goal late in the game. The team also failed to convert twice on fourth down in the fourth quarter. And the Eagles’ pass rush produced zero sacks.

Next Week: It’s a short week and a road trip for the Birds as the club heads to Lambeau Field for a Thursday night showdown with the 3-0 Packers. It will marks the Eagles’ first appearance at Green Bay since the team fell hard, 53-20, in 2014. As for the teams’ last meetings, the Eagles fell at home, 27-13, on a Monday night in 2016.

Playoff hopes: From rallying for a win at home in Week 1 against the Redskins to a pair of tough losses to teams within the conference, Doug Pederson’s club is reeling a bit these days. And it doesn’t get any easier for an injury-riddled club that has to travel on a short week. Jim Schwartz’s defensive unit has been an early disappointment.

Next: Nos. 18 and 17