NFL Power Rankings, Week 4: Vikings destroy Texans, Eagles sneak past Saints

Sure, the 2024 season has only gone on for three weeks, but you can get a vibe of which direction teams are going in. Whether that's undisputed Super Bowl contenders or those in the running for the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Plus, there are still unknowns, especially the teams that were expected to dominate and, frankly, haven't yet.

There were some games with top-tier teams competing in head-to-head matchups. The Philadelphia Eagles handed the New Orleans Saints their first loss of the season, while the Minnesota Vikings continued to shock the world with a 34-7 victory over the Houston Texans.

But where do all 32 teams stand in terms of power rankings? Here are our power rankings heading into Week 4 of the 2024 season. (Note: Number in parentheses indicates last week's ranking.)

Tier 5: Basement dwellers of the NFL

32. Tennessee Titans (29)

The Tennessee Titans continue to struggle on offense. Starting quarterback Will Levis committed his league-leading eighth turnover on Sunday, including his second pick-six. The Titans were defeated 30-14 by Green Bay Packers quarterback Malik Willis, who was traded by the Titans roughly three weeks ago.

It represents a new low for the Titans, who have begun a season 0-3 for the first time since 2009. The defense has yet to force a turnover, and looked more suspect against Willis, who routinely concerned third-and-long with his arm and legs.

The Titans are the worst team in football — Justin Melo, Titans Expert, Site Expert at Titan Sized

31. Carolina Panthers (32)

What a difference. The Carolina Panthers looked almost unrecognizable from the squad that lost their opening two games. Dave Canales’ decision to bench quarterback Bryce Young received instant vindication thanks to a mercurial performance from veteran Andy Dalton, who was nothing short of sensational at the Las Vegas Raiders to secure a memorable road victory. 

The Panthers were efficient on defense, kept the clock ticking with a super ground game led by running back Chuba Hubbard, and got yet another outstanding display from their offensive line. There’s a long way to go and nobody is getting carried away just yet, but this was the biggest sign yet of Canales’ process coming to life with a more productive presence under center. — Dean Jones, Panthers Expert, Site Expert at Cat Crave

30. Chicago Bears (26)

As long as the Chicago Bears’ offensive line is a form of swiss cheese that can be found at your local deli, this team should not be taken seriously. There was some growth from Caleb Williams in Week 3 along with the expected rookie mistakes. The Bears won the offseason and wanted us to know it by their internal puffing of their image in Hard Knocks. What we have found out through the first three weeks is that they are the same Bears with the same miserable realization that the game they play is not the same as the games played by the teams at the top of these power rankings. — Jordan Campbell, Bear Goggles On

29. New York Giants (31)

Brian Daboll and the Giants needed this one. Malik Nabers put on a show with his two-touchdown performance, while the defense was fantastic with eight sacks. It looked like the Browns were going to potentially steal the game away late, but thankfully, that wasn’t the case. This was a must-win game for the G-Men and they delivered. Next up for Daniel Jones and Co. is a huge Thursday Night Football showdown with the Cowboys at MetLife Stadium. — Braulio Perez, Giants Expert, Site Editor at GMEN HQ

28. New England Patriots (24)

The good vibes surrounding the New England Patriots are gone. Sure, they picked up a Week 1 win over the Cincinnati Bengals, but in Week 3, they were absolutely embarrassed by the New York Jets.

New England's defense could only do so much, as the offense couldn't do anything. Yes, some of the blame is on quarterback Jacoby Brissett. However, the brunt of the blame belongs to an ineffective offensive line, which resembles more of a subway turnstile, based on how easily Jets pass rushers got past them.

There weren't many expectations for the Patriots entering the season, but a solid two weeks clouded that. Now, it's back to reality for the Patriots.

27. Denver Broncos (30)

The Denver Broncos picked up their first victory of the season, and it came in the form of a massive upset over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Bo Nix looked solid in his third start, completing 25-of-36 pass attempts for 216 yards, while running for 47 yards and a touchdown on nine carries.

Denver's defense stepped up big time, holding the Buccaneers offense to just seven points and 223 yards on 56 plays. Quarterback Baker Mayfield looked like a legitimate NFL MVP candidate through the first two weeks. But facing the Broncos, Mayfield looked hopeless.

There's still a ways to go for Denver, but Week 3 was a promising one.

26. Las Vegas Raiders (23)

The Raiders are impossible to figure out this season, but it’s safe to say that they can beat anybody and lose to anybody. This has been the team’s MO for years now and many thought that Antonio Pierce was the one who would finally change things. Wrong. The Raiders are still a disaster and Sunday’s blowout loss to the Carolina Panthers shows that the team is still headed in the wrong direction. The Raiders are going to be the worst team in the NFL on some days but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they pull off some big upsets throughout the season. Time will tell if Las Vegas will ever have a good football team but it looks like this will be another long year for fans. — Austin Boyd, Raiders Expert, Site Expert at Just Blog Baby

Tier 4: There's Something Here, But Maybe Not Enough

25. Jacksonville Jaguars (28)

As of this writing, the Jaguars are yet to play. Then again, they should be incentivized to beat the Bills on Monday Night Football, as winning would narrow down the gap between them and the Texans, who lost to the Vikings in Week 3.

Right now, Jacksonville is a 5.5-point underdog that should feel good about the chances of handing the Bills their first win of the year. Trevor Lawrence has been inconsistent, but if he avoids turning the ball over and the coaching staff leans on the backfield tandem of Travis Etienne and Tank Bigsby, they’ll have a shot.

If the Jags beat Buffalo, the heat will decrease for at least a week. But if they lose, there will be questions about Doug Pederson finishing the season and staying put in 2025. — Carlos Sanchez, Jaguars Expert, Site Expert at Black and Teal

24. Indianapolis Colts (27)

The Indianapolis Colts were in desperate need of a win after not only starting 0-2, but disastrous showing from the run defense both weeks and inconsistent performances from quarterback Anthony Richardson. They were able to defeat the Chicago Bears 21-16, but Richardson’s performance still left much to be desired from fans. He threw two interceptions and made several mistakes throughout the game, but also threw several great passes. For the Colts to be successful, Richardson will need to show better leadership and more consistency.

The defense showed massive improvement in Week 3, keeping the run contained, gaining several turnovers, and sacking Caleb Williams four times. Jaylon Jones and Laiatu Latu both had big games, which was sorely needed; the Colts star defender, DeForest Buckner, will be out for several weeks, so they needed to see someone step up with some big plays.

Moving forward, the Colts will be looking to see Richardson continue to grow and develop as a QB, but one thing is for sure: he has the unwavering support of his teammates, which speaks volumes about his leadership off the field. There’s no doubting Richardson’s potential, and unlocking that will be the key to the Colts continued success this season. — Cassandra Chesser, Colts Expert, Site Expert at Horseshoe Heroes

23. Washington Commanders (25)

The Washington Commanders take the field on Monday Night Football at the Cincinnati Bengals. There is a lot of incentive for head coach Dan Quinn’s men to achieve the upset with the Dallas Cowboys losing once again. 

Building on their positive victory over the New York Giants will be more difficult this time around. The Bengals are a tough nut to crack on home soil despite starting the campaign 0-2. It’ll be a stern test of the Commanders’ credentials, but rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels made a living off coming up big in the brightest moments over his college career. Hopefully, he can do the same in the pros during his first taste of primetime. — Dean Jones, Commanders Expert, Site Expert at Riggo's Rag

22. Cincinnati Bengals (22)

The Cincinnati Bengals are set to play on Monday night against the Washington Commanders. So far on the year, they are 0-2. It has been a disappointing start, but it's important to note that they were without wide receiver Tee Higgins. But in Week 3, Higgins will make his return, which will only help quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase.

It may take a bit, but you can expect the Bengals to improve and rise up the power rankings in the upcoming weeks.

21. Cleveland Browns (21)

The Cleveland Browns started out on fire with a forced fumble on the opening kickoff and a touchdown pass on the first play from scrimmage. Then, they completely fell apart.

They allowed the New York Giants to reel off 21 unanswered points then failed in their comeback attempt. There’s vitriol being spit at Cedric Tillman for dropping a fourth down pass but that’s not the reason they lost. Sure, Tillman’s gaffe ended the comeback attempt but the Browns lost because they overlooked the Giants.

Cleveland expected this one to be easy since New York was 0-2 but they underestimated the opposition’s talent while overestimating their own. 

They also got yet another inconsistent performance from Deshaun Watson — which leads to one question. Does anyone truly believe he would have delivered even if Tillman caught that pass? If you say yes, you clearly haven’t been watching him with any objectivity. — Randy Gurzi, Browns Expert, Site Expert at Dawg Pound Daily

Tier 3: Middle of the Pack

20. Miami Dolphins (19)

The Dolphins are not a good football team right now and are being held up by a defense that is still learning how to play together. Fans of the team are starting to lose their faith in Mike McDaniel as head coach. With Tua Tagovailoa out for three more games, the Dolphins options for cheap backup quarterbacks is now coming back to bite them. 

It’s hard enough to watch Skylar Thompson fail as a quarterback but Dolphins fans had to watch four other backups in the league lead their teams to a win, including the Panthers with Andy Dalton. 

From play-calling issues, to time management issues, and the undisciplined play of the offensive line, the chances of climbing any ranking at this point is not going to happen. — Brian Miller, Dolphins Expert, Senior Contributor at Phin Phanatic

19. Los Angeles Rams (20)

No one was hit harder by injuries than the Los Angeles Rams. Through two weeks, the team lost wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, cornerback Darious Williams, safety John Johnson III, and offensive linemen Jonah Jackson and Joe Noteboom. Don't tell the Rams they had no chance of beating the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams won 27-24 after overcoming a 24-7 deficit against the 49ers. Yes, the 49ers were dealing with various injuries of their own (Christian McCaffrey and Deebo Samuel), but it just goes to show that no matter the circumstances, the Rams will only compete.

It will be interesting to see if the Rams can keep this up with all of their injuries. But it will only be a matter of time before they're back at full health.

18. Arizona Cardinals (18)

The Arizona Cardinals are going to be a team that is going to play spoiler every week. They pulled off a huge win over the Los Angeles Rams last week. In Week 3, the Cardinals took on the Detroit Lions, and took the NFC North team and Super Bowl contender to the limit.

Head coach Jonathan Gannon was aggressive in the game, especially in the second half. Trailing 20-10, they went for fourth down twice, ultimately losing out on both opportunities. But Arizona's defense did a solid job preventing the Lions from putting more points on the board in the second half.

Again, the Cardinals are going to be a tough team to beat this season. As of now, they are a middle-of-the-pack team.

17. Dallas Cowboys (14)

Being inactive during the NFL offseason has come back to haunt the Dallas Cowboys. They look like an unmitigated disaster on both sides of the line of scrimmage. The Cowboys truly lucked out with the Baltimore Ravens' inability to close out a game, tripping over themselves at every opportunity.

The defense is a disaster, as they gave up 456 yards of offense to the Ravens. The offense is struggling with no effective run game. It certainly hurt to see a dream player to target in Derrick Henry run all over them.

The Cowboys take the Giants next, which should be a win on paper. But given how they've played, anything is possible, and an easy win is far from certain.

16. Atlanta Falcons (16)

The Atlanta Falcons truly lucked out on Sunday night. Facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Falcons did hold their own. But ultimately, when it came down to it, with a chance to win the game, the Falcons folded.

On Kansas City's own 13-yard line, the Falcons faced a third-and-one situation, but Tyler Allegier was stuffed for no gain. On fourth-and-one, down 22-17, the Falcons called a run for Bijan Robinson, who was tackled three yards behind the line of scrimmage that clinched the win for the Chiefs.

The Falcons have all the talent in the world across their roster. It's up to them to figure it all out, as they could have pulled off a massive upset over the defending Super Bowl champions.

15. Baltimore Ravens (17)

The Baltimore Ravens are no longer winless! Phew. While there may not be a more self-sabotaging team when up by double-digits in the fourth quarter in the NFL, they still narrowly managed to escape with a 28-25 win.

The final score was much closer than the game suggested. The Ravens took control of this game from their first drive and poured it on the Cowboys’ defense all afternoon. Running back Derrick Henry showed flashes of his old self running for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The team on the whole ran for 274 yards with three rushing touchdowns. The Henry/Lamar experiment worked for the first time and it worked wonderfully.

The penalties are starting to rear their ugly heads, and Baltimore needs to play more disciplined football. However, they came away with a win on the road against a potential playoff team. There are still several question marks surrounding the eliteness and validity of this team, but they play Buffalo and Cincinnati in their next two games, so we won’t have to wait long for the answer. For now, we’ll take what we can get as we move on to the next one. — Matt Sidney, Ravens Expert, Site Expert at Ebony Bird

Tier 2: Could Contend, but Not Enough Proof Just Yet

14.  New York Jets (15)

The New York Jets faithful got to see Aaron Rodgers play a full game at MetLife Stadium for the first time this past Thursday. Rodgers looked like his old self after recovering from a ruptured Achilles suffered in Week 1. He was able to hit his targets, flashed his chemistry with Allen Lazard, and ran upfield for big gains when needed. It certainly helped that he faced an exhausted Patriots defense.

Then there's the defense, which thrived against New England's porous offensive line. The Jets pass rush logged seven sacks for a loss of 59 yards.

The Jets obviously aren't going to be playing teams as bad as the Patriots on a weekly basis, but still, there was a lot of promise in Week 3.

13. Los Angeles Chargers (6)

The Chargers’ first loss of the season was more concerning than a typical Week 3 loss. Not only was the team bested by the Pittsburgh Steelers, but the Bolts lost four first-round picks to injury over the course of the game. 

Justin Herbert, Joey Bosa, Rashawn Slater and rookie Joe Alt were all removed with injuries at various points throughout the game. The focus has quickly shifted to the future for Chargers fans with Week 3’s loss already in the rearview mirror. 

If the entire quartet of first-round picks has to collectively miss time then the Chargers are going to plummet down the NFL totem pole. Los Angeles already has a thin talent that is elevated by good coaching, losing four of the five best players on the team is not going to help whatsoever. — Jason Reed, Chargers Expert, Content Director at Bolt Beat

12. San Francisco 49ers (10)

Brock Purdy was amazing. Jauan Jennings was even more amazing. And yet the Niners coughed up two (yes, two) 10-point leads to a previously winless Rams squad that is even more injury-depleted than they were.

Whether it’s the six dropped passes by Purdy’s targets, defensive miscues by players like De’Vondre Campbell or Malik Mustapha, or a complete embarrassment on special teams, San Francisco is playing about as disjointed a game as possible, and LA completely exposed every potential flaw coach Kyle Shanahan has yet to solve.

Where’s Brandon Aiyuk? He got all that money just before the regular season, and he’s been mostly a non-factor these first three weeks. — Peter Panacy, 49ers Expert, Site Editor at Niner Noise

11. Green Bay Packers (13)

The Green Bay Packers' season was seemingly on life support after the injury to starting quarterback Jordan Love. However, the team's trade for Malik Willis before Week 1 paid dividends. After leading the team to a win over the Indianapolis Colts last week, Willis was incredibly effective against his former team in the Tennessee Titans this past Sunday.

Willis completed 13-of-19 pass attempts for 202 yards and one touchdown while running for 73 yards and a touchdown on six carries.

Green Bay's defense had a field day as well, making Titans quarterback Will Levis' job much more difficult, sacking him eight times and forcing three turnovers.

Now, Love could be back ahead of a pivotal divisional matchup against the Vikings. Things could have gone much worse for Green Bay, and they are in solid shape.

10. New Orleans Saints (12)

What happened after the last two weeks? As it turns out, the Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys are two bad teams. The Saints faced off against the Philadelphia Eagles, and were just two minutes away from securing a win and a 3-0 start after a 13-yard touchdown pass from Derek Carr to Chris Olave.

But then, the Saints offense couldn't hold back tight end Dallas Goedert, a theme for the entire game, and allowed Saquon Barkley to punch in his second rushing touchdown of the game. With that, the Saints lost 15-12.

Simply put, the Saints need to use this loss as a learning experience. They have the firepower to put points on the board, now it's up to holding back some of the other top offenses in the NFL, like the Eagles'.

9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)

It doesn't get more sobering or embarrassing than what happened to the Buccaneers in Week 3. After an emotional win over the Lions last Sunday, Tampa Bay chased that high by laying about as big of a dud as you can. Bo Nix led the worst redzone offense in the NFL to touchdowns on two of Denver's first three drives of the game, and the Bucs dug themselves into a 14-0 hole they never climbed out of. 

Nothing went right, but it shouldn't be overlooked that Tampa Bay was missing four key players. Antoine Winfield Jr., Calijah Kancey, and Vita Vea were all out on defense, which no doubt opened things up for the Broncos -- and Bucs bully Sean Payton -- to carve the team up. Luke Goedeke was out for a second straight week which weakened an already struggling offensive line, one that let Baker Mayfield get sacked 12 times over the last two games, including seven sacks on Sunday. 

It was the worst imaginable version of the Bucs, but it also wasn't a complete team which should give fans confidence a repeat performance won't happen when the roster is whole. — Josh Hill, Buccaneers Expert, Content Director at The Pewter Plank

8. Philadelphia Eagles (11)

The Philadelphia Eagles won, but it wasn't pretty. The offense looks a bit lost without wide receiver A.J. Brown. Not to mention in Week 3, they saw DeVonta Smith suffer a concussion after a nasty hit. But they saw running back Saquon Barkley and tight end Dallas Goedert step up.

Barkley ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns on 17 carries, while Goedert caught 10-of-11 targets for 170 yards.

As for the defense, they did their job of stopping what has been a high-powered Saints offense. NEw Orleans was held to just 12 points and 219 yards on 55 plays.

The expectations are high for the Eagles this season. However, they should be winning more convincingly.

7. Houston Texans (3)

The Houston Texans were a popular pick to contend for a Super Bowl in the AFC. In Week 3, they had a huge matchup against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings and lost...by a lot.

The Texans could only put up seven points against the Vikings defense, which has been incredibly-coached by coordinator Brian Flores. Quarterback C.J. Stroud struggled, throwing for 215 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions while completing 20-of-31 pass attempts. It certainly didn't help that the running game was non-existent, mostly due to Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce being inactive.

This is by no means a sign that the Texans are in trouble. Rather, they ran into a buzzsaw in the Vikings, who are perhaps one of the more complete teams in the NFL currently.

Tier 1: Legitimate Super Bowl contenders

6. Seattle Seahawks (7)

Seattle defeated a diminished Miami Dolphins team in Week 3 which proved a couple of things about the 2024 Seahawks and new head coach Mike Macdonald. One is that a team doesn’t suddenly get better just because of a coaching change in all areas. Penalties were a huge issue against Miami just as they have been in the last few seasons when Pete Carroll was the head coach. 

On the positive side, however, Macdonald did something Carroll was seemingly unable to do and that is quickly ending any hope that a backup quarterback will be able to have a good game against Seattle. Boye Mafe and his friends put constant pressure on the two quarterbacks Miami used in place of Tua Tagovailoa and made their lives awful.

Seattle will face its biggest challenge of the season so far in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. If the defense shines again in that game, 12s might find that this Seahawks team can be pretty special. — Lee Vowell, Seahawks Expert, Site Expert at 12th Man Rising

5. Pittsburgh Steelers (8)

The Pittsburgh Steelers are climbing in the power rankings, and it’s not hard to see why. Mike Tomlin has executed his game plan to a tee, as the running game is firing on all cylinders and Justin Fields is playing mistake-free football. 

Meanwhile, T.J. Watt spearheads the NFL’s top-ranked scoring defense, which has allowed a mere 8.7 points per game entering Week 4. After besting both Kirk Cousins and Justin Herbert in their first three contests, Pittsburgh is poised to hang with the big dogs in 2024.

The Steelers are 3-0 with promising quarterback play and an elite defense. It’s time we start taking them seriously. — Tommy Jaggi, Steelers Expert, Site Editor at Still Curtain

4. Minnesota Vikings (9)

Three games into the 2024 season and the Vikings look like they can currently defeat almost any team in the NFL. Minnesota’s 3-0 start might be surprising to some, but for the people inside the team’s locker room, no one is shocked by how well things have gone so far this season.

Sunday’s dominant performance against the Houston Texans was just the latest example of people being completely wrong about the Vikings this year. Minnesota was the underdog heading into the matchup and all they did was win by 27 points. — Adam Patrick, Vikings Expert, Site Editor at The Viking Age

3. Detroit Lions (5)

It wasn’t pretty, again, but the Lions got it done in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals. The offense was shut out in the second half, but the defense was up to the task all day against a Cardinals offense that can be dangerous.

The Lions re-established their identity as a run-oriented offense, after straying from it in Week 2. Ultimately a gritty win is better than the alternative some other teams in the NFC are experiencing. Updates on multiple injured players from Sunday’s game will come, before taking on be undefeated Seattle Seahawks on Monday Night Football in Week 4. — Brad Berreman, Lions Expert, Site Expert at SideLion Report

2. Buffalo Bills (2)

As of this writing, the Buffalo Bills are scheduled to host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday Night Football. Unlike their last two matchups, this game will be taking place in Orchard Park in front of Bills Mafia. Coming in at 2-0, this feels like a little bit of a trap game for the Bills. 

The Jaguars will look to get their first win of the season in front of a tough crowd. They have had the Bills’ number in recent matchups. However, the Jaguars are coming into this game with a weak offensive line that has already allowed seven sacks on Trevor Lawrence. 

The Bills will look to start 3-0 for the first time since 2020, but it certainly won’t be easy for them. — Brandon Ray, Bills Expert, Site Expert at BuffaLowDown

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1)

Patrick Mahomes is turning in average numbers. Travis Kelce is on the back of a milk carton. The team is down their WR1 (Hollywood Brown) and RB1 (Isiah Pacheco) while left tackle is a concerning turnstile of youth. Meanwhile, on defense, young players are making silly mistakes, costly penalties haunt them in big moments, and there are real concerns in coverage in the heart of the field. And we’ve not yet mentioned the utterly confusing lack of red-zone effectiveness.

Still, it doesn't matter. The Chiefs shoot themselves in the foot and allow teams to stay right with them until the end, but somehow, they end up on top again and again and again. They're 3-0 and they've yet to play a good game of football, which should terrify everyone else in the National Football League. At this point, a three-peat doesn't feel historic. It feels obvious. — Matt Conner, Chiefs Expert, Site Editor at Arrowhead Addict