It was a rough week for some teams that had yet to lose in 2022. And those results had a major impact in the latest version of the NFL Power Rankings.
Congratulations to the undefeated Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. The last time there were only a pair of 3-0 teams was back in 2017, when a pair of playoff-bound teams in the Atlanta Falcons and Kansas City Chiefs each won their first three games.
So it’s safe to say that there’s a new team atop this week’s NFL Power Rankings.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
After rallying for a home win over the Jaguars on the opening Sunday, the Commanders were pushed around by the Lions early last week. And that seemed to be the case once again as Ron Rivera’s team hosted the Eagles.
Washington was down 24-0 at halftime and had no answers for a Philadelphia offense that rolled up 400 total yards – 160 more than Rivera’s club (240). Carson Wentz was sacked nine times and lost one of his two fumbles.
One year after winning their first three games on the way to a playoff berth, the Raiders are the lone 0-3 team in the league. That’s because in a battle of winless teams in Nashville, Josh McDaniels’ club came up just short.
Quarterback Derek Carr threw for 303 yards and two scores but was picked off once. Carr found Mack Hollins for a nine-yard touchdown with 1:14 to play but failed to come up with the game-tying two-point conversion.
One-time Bears’ head coach Lovie Smith returned to Solider Field and looked to guide the Texans to their first victory of the season. Rookie running back Dameon Pierce enjoyed a solid performance, carrying 20 times for 80 yards and one score. But he also fumbled twice (none lost).
Second-year quarterback Davis Mills threw for 245 yards and a score but also served up a late interception that set up Chicago for the game-winning field goal.
Pete Carroll’s offensive unit failed to score a touchdown last Sunday at San Francisco. Now the Seahawks returned home to face the 0-2 Falcons in what proved to be a very entertaining contest. Geno Smith hit on 32-of-44 throws for 325 yards and two TDs (1 interception).
Seattle’s defense had zero answers for Atlanta’s Cordarrelle Patterson. And after a productive first half which netted 20 points, the ‘Hawks managed a field goal in the final two quarters.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
The Cardinals hosted the defending Super Bowl champion Rams having dropped 10 of their last 11 games (including playoffs) to Sean McVay’s club. And the Arizona offense was on the run all afternoon as Kyler Murray and company ran 81 offensive plays but gained only 365 yards while settling for four Matt Prater field goals.
All told, Murray finished with 314 yards through the air and “Hollywood” Brown caught 14 passes for 140 yards.
Off an exhilarating come-from-behind win at Cleveland, the Green and White hosted the reigning AFC champion Bengals. Cincinnati had lost its first two games. But it proved to be a long day for Robert Saleh’s club as New York was limited to only four field goals.
All told, Jets’ quarterback Joe Flacco barely hit on half (28) of his 52 pass attempts, throwing for 285 yards. But he was picked off twice, lost two of his three fumbles and sacked four times.
A year ago, the Panthers won their first three games. This season, they were hoping to avoid a 0-3 start as they hosted the talented Saints. Christian McCaffrey totaled 25 carries for 108 yards as Matt Rhule’s club ran for 145 yards.
Baker Mayfield overcame three sacks and threw for 170 yards and one score as Carolina played turnover-free football. The Panthers allowed 426 total yards but forced three turnovers in snapping a nine-game skid.
The Steelers and their struggling offense headed to Cleveland for a Thursday night showdown with the rival Browns. Mike Tomlin’s club owned a 14-13 lead at intermission but was limited to a field goal in the second half.
Pittsburgh’s defense had a rough evening and once again struggled to stop the run – allowing 171 yards rushing on 38 attempts. And the Steelers’ pass rush continued to struggle without T.J. Watt, finishing with just two sacks.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
The winless Falcons made the long trip to Seattle for the first time since 2017. And it proved to be a very entertaining afternoon in Pacific Northwest. Versatile Cordarrelle Patterson ran 17 times for 141 yards and one touchdowns.
Rookie Drake London caught three passes for 54 yards and one score. Marcus Mariota overcame three sacks and two turnovers by throwing for 229 yards and one TD plus rushed for another touchdown.
After suffering a rib injury in the Week 2 Thursday night loss at Kansas City, quarterback Justin Herbert’s availability for the clash with the visiting Jaguars was in doubt. But the strong-armed pro took the field on Sunday.
But the Chargers’ defense was the no-show on Sunday as the Bolts surrendered 413 total yards – including 151 on the ground. Herbert wound up throwing for 297 yards and one score but also committed a pair of costly turnovers.
Losers of their first two games and both by a field goal on the final play, the Bengals traveled to MetLife Stadium to battle the Jets. Joe Burrow threw for 275 yards and three scores without an interception.
More significantly, the three-year pro was sacked only twice after being dropped 13 times in the club’s first two outings. Meanwhile, the Cincinnati defense did not give up a touchdown and forced Jets’ quarterback Joe Flacco into four turnovers.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
Quarterback Jameis Winston had his problems in the fourth quarter in last week’s home loss to the Buccaneers. Now the Saints faced a third straight NFC South rival as they traveled to Carolina. The mistake-prone signal-caller threw for 353 yards and one score.
Chris Olave (147) and Tre’Quan Smith (105) totaled 100-plus receiving yards. Winston served up two interceptions. And Alvin Kamara’s first-quarter fumble was returned for a touchdown.
Off last week’s win at Pittsburgh, the Patriots faced another AFC North team in the formidable Ravens. It was a back-and-forth affair and Bill Belichick’s club owned a 20-14 lead early in the third quarter.
But the Pats were outscored 23-6 the rest of the way. Quarterback Mac Jones threw for 321 yards but was picked off three times. The second-year pro limped off the field late in the game and via ESPN’s Mike Reiss, figures to miss some time.
Frank Reich’s club had gotten off to a miserable start with a tie at Houston. That was followed by a shutout loss at Jacksonville. And now the Colts would host the undefeated Chiefs, who had few problems scoring points in wins over the Cardinals and Chargers.
But quarterback Matt Ryan overcame five sacks and numerous failures on third and fourth down to drive his team 76 yards – hitting Jelani Woods with a 12-yard score with 24 seconds to play.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
Quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo was back in the starting lineup for Kyle Shanahan’s club after a relief appearance vs. the Seahawks last week. But the San Francisco offense had all kind of problems with the Broncos’ defense on Sunday night at Denver.
He was technically sacked four times but one of those came about when he stepped out of the back of the end zone, resulting in a safety. The 49ers scored just 10 points for the second time in three games.
Dan Campbell’s club had few problems scoring points in their first two games. Now the Lions would take on the talented Vikings at Minnesota. Detroit was impressive on offense once again, racking up 416 total yards.
Jared Goff threw for 277 yards and a score. He was picked off once but was not sacked. Jamaal Williams’ second TD of the game gave the Lions a 24-14 lead after three quarters. However, Detroit’s shaky defense couldn’t close the deal.
The Broncos’ offense looked to get untracked on Sunday Night Football as Nathaniel Hackett’s club hosted the 49ers. Quarterback Russell Wilson would be facing a very familiar foe in San Francisco but he and the offense struggled throughout the evening.
He did put together one 80-yard touchdown drive in the fourth quarter. Denver came up with three takeaways and would sack San Francisco quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo in the win.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
Off to their first 2-0 start since 2016 (which happens to be the last time the team made the playoffs), the Giants hosted the rival Cowboys on Monday night. Brian Daboll’s team would lose the battle in the trenches as Dallas rushed for 176 yards and did not allow a sack.
On the other hand, Giants’ quarterback Daniel Jones was dropped five times by the Cowboys’ pass rush. Saquon Barkley ran for 81 yards and scored his team’s only touchdown.
The Bears were coming off a tough loss at Green Bay in a game in which the defense allowed the Packers to run for 203 yards. But led by Khalil Herbert, it was the Chicago ground game that had a big day.
All told, he finished with 157 of the Bears’ 281 rushing yards and scored both of the club’s touchdowns. Linebacker Roquan Smith totaled 16 tackles and his fourth-quarter interception set up Cairo Santos’ game-winning 30-yard field goal at the gun.
Dating back to 2017, the Cowboys owned a 9-1 advantage in their rivalry with the Giants entering Monday night’s clash in New Jersey. Quarterback Cooper Rush made his second start of the season for Mike McCarthy’s club and the Dallas’ offensive line came up big on the evening.
They did not allow a sack while paving the way for 176 yards rushing. Meanwhile, defensive end Demarcus Lawrence had six tackles and three of the Cowboys’ five sacks.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
The defending AFC South champions didn’t have a lot of time to lick their wounds after being embarrassed at Buffalo last Monday night. They hosted the equally 0-2 Raiders in a clash of 2021 playoff teams.
Derrick Henry had a strong outing, totaling 20 carries for 85 yards and one TD. Ryan Tannehill threw for 264 yards and a touchdown (1 interception) and ran for a score. The Titans owned a 24-10 lead at intermission and held on for the victory.
The Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers renewed their longtime rivalry in prime time at Cleveland. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was sharp and the Browns’ offensive line enjoyed a solid performance.
Running back Nick Chubb totaled 23 carries for 113 yards and one score as the team rushed for 171 yards. Jacoby Brissett was sharp as well and both David Njoku and Amari Cooper had big evenings. The Browns owned the football for 36:09 by game’s end.
Not surprisingly, the focal point in this clash between the Packers and Buccaneers would be veteran quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. But this proved to be a defensive struggle in Tampa.
The Green Bay offense was sharp in the first half as the team drove 75 and 71 yards, respectively, for touchdowns. But the Pack was done scoring for the day. Matt LaFleur’s defense forced two turnovers and came up with the big play when necessary.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
Doug Pederson’s club was impressive last week at home against the rival Colts. Now the Jaguars headed west to take on the Chargers. The franchise was looking to end an 18-game road losing streak that dated back to 2019.
And the club did that in resounding fashion as Trevor Lawrence threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns. Pederson’s team played turnover-free football. The Jaguars have won two straight games by a combined 62-10 score.
Off a heartbreaking fourth-quarter collapse against the Dolphins, the Ravens made the trip north to Foxborough. Lamar Jackson had another huge outing, running for 107 yards and one TD plus throwing for 218 yards and four scores (1 interception) – two of those touchdown strikes to tight end Mark Andrews.
The Baltimore defense allowed 447 total yards but the Ravens also came up with four takeaways – including three interceptions.
The Buccaneers’ defense had been stellar during the team’s 2-0 start. Now Todd Bowles’ club hosted the Packers in a clash of 2021 division champions. And Tampa defenders rebounded from a shaky first half to blank Aaron Rodgers and company after intermission.
The Bucs were limited to 34 yards on the ground while Tom Brady was sacked three times. Bowles’ team scored a TD with 14 seconds left but failed on the game-tying two-point attempt.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
The Purple Gang had their issues in their Monday night loss at Philadelphia and returned home to face the Lions. Kevin O’Connell’s club played turnover-free football. But the Vikings still trailed by 10 points after three quarters of play.
Dalvin Cook finished with 96 yards rushing and a score before leaving the game. But it was quarterback Kirk Cousins’ 28-yard touchdown strike to wideout K.J. Osborn with 28 seconds to play that completed the comeback.
With Sean McVay at the helm, the Rams have had their way with their NFC West rivals from the desert. And that dominance continued on Sunday despite a so-so effort from an offense that ran only 46 plays. But the defense limited Arizona to four field goals.
Cooper Kupp caught four passes for 44 yards but ran 20 yards for a touchdown. Under McVay and including last year’s playoff meeting, the Rams are now 11-1 in this series dating back to 2017.
The Chiefs had some extra time to prepare for the winless Colts as the team visited Indianapolis for the first time since 2016. Andy Reid’s team totaled a combined 71 points in their first two outings but the Kansas City offense seemed out of sorts for most of the afternoon.
Patrick Mahomes had 26 of the team’s disappointing 58 yards on the ground. The Chiefs’ defense sacked Matt Ryan five times but Reid’s club committed two costly turnovers.
NFL Power Rankings: Week 4
The reigning AFC East champions had won their first two games by a combined 72-17 score. They traveled to Miami looking to extend their seven-game winning streak vs. the Dolphins. Buffalo ran 90 offensive plays to the Dolphins’ 39.
Josh Allen threw for 400 yards and two scores but was sacked four times and lost one of his three fumbles. Down 21-19 in the closing seconds, the Bills looked to move into field goal range but ran out of time.
It’s been pretty ugly when it comes to the Dolphins’ recent clashes with the Bills. They entered Sunday’s clash with their AFC East rivals having dropped seven straight to Sean McDermott’s team – by a combined score of 258-123.
It was a back and forth affair that finally saw Mike McDaniel’s team take their first lead with just over 10 minutes to play. There was a forgettable botched punt attempt for a safety but the Dolphins managed to hang for the victory.
The Birds made their way to Washington to renew acquaintances with one-time starting quarterback Carson Wentz. And Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia offense made it look easy as Mick Sirianni’s attack came up with its share of big pass plays.
The Eagles’ quarterback threw for 340 yards and three scores and the team scored all 24 of its points in the second quarter. Led by veteran Brandon Graham (2.5), the Birds racked up nine sacks of Wentz.