Arizona Sports’ NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Chiefs reign; Cardinals plummet

Well, that was a weird week.

Week 3 of the NFL season had a bit of everything: national anthem protests, a player acting like a dog at a hydrant, overtime contests and a good amount of heartbreak.

There was also quite a bit of movement in the Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings, but not at the top. The Kansas City Chiefs, fueled by the game’s biggest new star, Kareem Hunt, beat the Chargers to stay on top for another week. The movement wasn’t good for the Arizona Cardinals, who took a slide after losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.

Here’s a look a the 1-32 pecking order heading into Week 4.

Ties will go to the team that receives the majority of higher rankings from our panel.

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Week 4 Composite

 

How the panel voted: Burns | Jurecki | Lapinski | Marotta | Morgan 

Biggest Risers: Dallas Cowboys ▲8
Biggest Fallers: Baltimore Ravens ▼13

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1. Kansas City Chiefs (3-0)

Shift: —
Hi: 1
Lo: 1
Comment: Remind me again why Kareem Hunt wasn’t drafted until the third round? — Lapinski
Next: vs. Washington (Monday night)

2. Atlanta Falcons (3-0)

Shift: ▲1
Hi: 2
Lo: 3
Comment: Ryan threw two touchdown passes vs. Detroit, his 22nd straight game with a TD pass. — Jurecki
Next: vs. Buffalo (Sunday)

3. New England Patriots (2-1)

Shift: ▲2
Hi: 2
Lo: 3
Comment: A dozen different reasons why that comeback shouldn’t have happened. But it did. — Burns
Next: vs. Carolina (Sunday)

4. Green Bay Packers (2-1)

Shift: ▲4
Hi: 4
Lo: 6
Comment: Aaron Rodgers alone can keep you among the top teams this season. — Lapinski
Next: vs. Chicago (Thursday night)

5. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)

Shift: ▲8
Hi: 4
Lo: 12
Comment: DE Demarcus Lawrence is the guy who doesn’t need reservations for a spot in opponents’ backfield. — Morgan
Next: vs. Los Angeles Rams (Sunday)

6. Oakland Raiders (2-1)

Shift: ▼4
Hi: 6
Lo: 9
Comment: Losing badly to Washington was the second-most perplexing thing I saw in Week 3. — Marotta
Next: at Denver (Sunday)

7. Detroit Lions (2-1)

Shift: ▲5
Hi: 4
Lo: 12
Comment: About six inches away from a 3-0 start. — Burns
Next: at Minnesota (Sunday)

8. Denver Broncos (2-1)

Shift: ▼2
Hi: 5
Lo: 12
Comment: Broncos still allowing just 59.7 rushing yards per game, No. 1 in the NFL. — Jurecki
Next: vs. Oakland (Sunday)

9. Tennessee Titans (2-1)

Shift: ▲5
Hi: 5
Lo: 13
Comment: Truly enjoyed watching them flatten Seattle’s Legion of Whom (Doom). — Burns
Next: at Houston (Sunday)

10. Minnesota Vikings (2-1)

Shift: ▲7
Hi: 4
Lo: 15
Comment: Case Keenum killed it. I’ll take things ‘I never thought I’d write’ for 200, Alex. — Burns
Next: vs. Detroit (Sunday)

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)

Shift: ▼7
Hi: 5
Lo: 19
Comment: All those weapons and such little production. — Marotta
Next: at Baltimore (Sunday)

12. Philadelphia Eagles (2-1)

Shift: ▲3
Hi: 7
Lo: 13
Comment: Jake Elliott’s 61-yard FG was the longest game-winner in NFL history for a rookie and also a franchise record. — Morgan
Next: at Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday)

13. Washington Redskins (2-1)

Shift: ▲6
Hi: 7
Lo: 16
Comment: Back-to-back wins over seemingly decent opponents in the Rams and Raiders. — Lapinski
Next: vs. Kansas City (Monday Night)

14. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)

Shift: ▼3
Hi: 13
Lo: 20
Comment: DeMarco Murray’s 75-yard TD run was the longest against Seattle since Frank Gore’s 80-yarder in 2009, pre-Pete Carroll. — Morgan
Next: vs. Indianapolis (Monday night)

15. Los Angeles Rams (2-1)

Shift: ▲7
Hi: 14
Lo: 18
Comment: The offense looks good, but I’m still not totally sold. We’ll find out more against Dallas. — Marotta
Next: at Dallas (Sunday)

16. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1)

Shift: ▲5
Hi: 14
Lo: 20
Comment: Maybe they should move to London. Apparently they play better with bad food. — Burns
Next: at New York Jets (Sunday)

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-1)

Shift: ▼8
Hi: 13
Lo: 19
Comment: One week, they have all the promise in the world. Next week, they’re rushing for 26 yards and losing to Case Keenum. — Lapinski
Next: vs. NY Giants (Sunday)

18. Houston Texans (1-2)

Shift: ▲2
Hi: 15
Lo: 21
Comment: Bill O’Brien handed the game to Pats. Can’t kick FGs in Foxborough and expect to win. — Marotta
Next: vs. Tennessee (Sunday)

19. Carolina Panthers (2-1)

Shift: ▼8
Hi: 13
Lo: 22
Comment: Newton looks like he’s regressed since his MVP season. — Jurecki
Next: at New England (Sunday)

20. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)

Shift: ▼13
Hi: 11
Lo: 26
Comment: The Jaguars’ 44-7 win was the Ravens’ worst defeat since Nov. 9, 1997, when they lost 37-0 at Pittsburgh. — Morgan
Next: vs. Pittsburgh (Sunday)

21. Buffalo Bills (2-1)

Shift: ▲5
Hi: 15
Lo: 27
Comment: If they could’ve scored at all against the Panthers in Week 2, they’d be 3-0 right now. — Lapinski
Next: at Atlanta (Sunday)

22. New Orleans Saints (1-2)

Shift: ▲3
Hi: 20
Lo: 24
Comment: A road win with Brees throwing for only 220? That doesn’t happen often. — Marotta
Next: vs. Miami (Sunday in London)

23. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)

Shift: ▼5
Hi: 21
Lo: 23
Comment: Once elite tackle Jared Veldheer and guard Evan Boehm look utterly lost on the right side of Arizona’s line. — Morgan
Next: vs. San Francisco (Sunday)

24. Chicago Bears (1-2)

Shift: ▲4
Hi: 21
Lo: 26
Comment: A win for the Bears and Cutler had a bad week. Chicago fans must be ecstatic. — Lapinski
Next: at Green Bay (Thursday night)

25. Miami Dolphins (1-1)

Shift: ▼9
Hi: 22
Lo: 30
Comment: Nearly shut out by the Jets. Let that hang there for a minute. — Burns
Next: vs. New Orleans (Sunday in London)

26. Los Angeles Chargers (0-3)

Shift: ▼2
Hi: 20
Lo: 30
Comment: At least this week, they didn’t lose on a missed FG. Philip Rivers made sure that wouldn’t happen. — Marotta
Next: vs. Philadelphia (Sunday)

27. New York Giants (0-3)

Shift: ▼3
Hi: 24
Lo: 28
Comment: Urine Big Trouble (New York Daily News Headline) — Burns
Next: at Tampa Bay (Sunday)

28. Cincinnati Bengals (0-3)

Shift: ▼1
Hi: 26
Lo: 29
Comment: Lost a close game on the road to the Packers, but the offense looked better with offensive coordinator Bill Lazor. — Jurecki
Next: at Cleveland (Sunday)

29. Indianapolis Colts (1-2)

Shift: ▲1
Hi: 25
Lo: 31
Comment: If Andrew Luck ever comes back, does Jacoby Brissett become a trade chip? — Lapinski
Next: at Seattle (Sunday night)

30. New York Jets (1-2)

Shift: ▲2
Hi: 26
Lo: 31
Comment: Good win for Todd Bowles considering they have one of the worst rosters in the NFL.– Jurecki
Next: vs. Jacksonville (Sunday)

31. San Francisco 49ers (0-3)

Shift: —
Hi: 30
Lo: 32
Comment: San Francisco has lost 17 of its last 18 games. — Morgan
Next: at Arizona (Sunday)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-3)

Shift: ▼3
Hi: 31
Lo: 32
Comment: Well they just lost to the Colts, so… — Lapinski
Next: vs. Cincinnati (Sunday)

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