Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Rams the next No. 1
For the third time in three weeks, there's a new number-one team in our NFL Power Rankings. Los Angeles Rams, step on up and take your spot.
Los Angeles Rams' Cooper Kupp carries the ball during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers Sunday, Sept. 23, 2018, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
(AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
It’s been a strange year in the NFL so far.
Week 3 could have been hosted by Rod Serling. The Lions beat the Patriots? The Vikings lost to the Bills? Tennessee out-muscled Jacksonville?
Therefore, a lot of movement occurred in this week’s Arizona Sports NFL Power Rankings. There are a couple teams (the Rams and Chiefs) who look like the real deal, a few more (Houston, Oakland and Arizona) that look really bad, and about 27 interchangeable teams stuck in the middle so far.
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Here’s this week’s look at how the league shakes out.
| Rank | Team | Record | Result | Movement | Comment | 1. |  |
Los Angeles Rams | 3-0 | beat LA Chargers 35-23 | (▲1) | Have scored 33, 34 and 35 points in games this year. Will they put up 36 vs the Vikings? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2. |  |
Kansas City Chiefs | 3-0 | beat San Francisco 38-27 | (▲2) | Mahomes has 13 TDs and 0 picks and nine different players have caught TD passes |
| 3. |  |
Philadelphia Eagles | 2-1 | beat Indianapolis 20-16 | (▲5) | Carson Wentz is back, and looked pretty good in his return |
| 4. |  |
Jacksonville Jaguars | 2-1 | lost to Tennessee 9-6 | (▼3) | Just when we were ready to elevate Bortles, he takes a giant step back |
| 5. |  |
Miami Dolphins | 3-0 | beat Oakland 28-20 | (▲6) | Their wins have come against so-so or bad teams, but winning is winning |
| 6. |  |
Carolina Panthers | 2-1 | beat Cincinnati 31-21 | (▲8) | Top running team in the NFL, powered by Christian McCaffrey |
| 7. |  |
New Orleans Saints | 2-1 | beat Atlanta 43-37 (OT) | (▲10) | Drew Brees doing Drew Brees things with 296 yards and 3 TDs, but ran for two as well. Defense still a concern. |
| 8. |  |
Chicago Bears | 2-1 | beat Arizona 16-14 | (▲8) | Khalil Mack one of only four players with at least one sack in all three games |
| 9. |  |
Baltimore Ravens | 2-1 | beat Denver 27-14 | (▲3) | Solid win over Denver; 2nd in the league in point differential (+46) |
| 10. |  |
Minnesota Vikings | 1-1-1 | lost to Buffalo 27-6 | (▼6) | No, actually we don’t like that — Cousins first since AFL merger to complete 40 or more passes for less than 300 yards |
| 11. |  |
Washington Redskins | 2-1 | beat Green Bay 31-17 | (▲4) | The ‘Skins have been a three-week roller coaster | 12. |  |
Tennessee Titans | 2-1 | beat Jacksonville 9-6 | (▲11) | Slugged it out and beat the best defensive team in the league |
| 13. |  |
Green Bay Packers | 1-1-1 | lost to Washington 31-17 | (▼8) | Clay Matthews has to be the most frustrated man in America |
| 14. |  |
New England Patriots | 1-2 | lost to Detroit 26-10 | (▼8) | Tom Brady looked human in humbling loss to Lions |
| 15. |  |
Pittsburgh Steelers | 1-1-1 | beat Tampa Bay 30-27 | (▲9) | No Le’Veon still, but Big Ben has the best receiving corps in the league to throw to |
| 16. |  |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 2-1 | lost to Pittsburgh 30-27 | (▼9) | Fitzpatrick was great late, but terrible early in loss to Steelers |
| 17. |  |
Cincinnati Bengals | 2-1 | lost to Carolina 31-21 | (▼8) | Andy Dalton had his third career game with four picks in loss to Carolina |
| 18. |  |
Denver Broncos | 2-1 | lost to Baltimore 27-14 | (▼8) | Case Keenum has at least one pick in each game this year |
| 19. |  |
Los Angeles Chargers | 1-2 | lost to LA Rams 35-23 | (▼1) | Trendy pick to win AFC West gashed by Rams for 521 yards | 20. |  |
Atlanta Falcons | 1-2 | lost to New Orleans 43-37 (OT) | (▼7) | Falcons are really beat up after three weeks; now Ricardo Allen is out for the year |
| 21. |  |
New York Giants | 1-2 | beat Houston 27-22 | (▲4) | Eli Manning very efficient in G-Men’s first win of the year | 22. |  |
San Francisco 49ers | 1-2 | lost to Kansas City 38-27 | (▼1) | Jimmy G gone for the year — C.J. B just doesn’t have the same ring to it |
| 23. |  |
New York Jets | 1-2 | lost to Cleveland 21-17 | (▼4) | The Jets became the answer to a trivia question they wanted no part of |
| 24. |  |
Seattle Seahawks | 1-2 | beat Dallas 24-13 | (▲3) | Russell Wilson only sacked twice by Cowboys — progress! |
| 25. |  |
Cleveland Browns | 1-1-1 | beat NY Jets 21-17 | (▲3) | Finally! Baker Mayfield has electrified a whole city — can he keep it up? |
| 26. |  |
Buffalo Bills | 1-2 | beat Minnesota 26-7 | (▲5) | Buffalo has been really good since Vontae Davis quit at halftime in Week 2 |
| 27. |  |
Detroit Lions | 1-2 | beat New England 26-10 | (▲3) | Nice first win for Matt Patricia against his former boss |
| 28. |  |
Indianapolis Colts | 1-2 | lost to Philadelphia 20-16 | (▼7) | They’ve been competitive, I’ll give them that |
| 29. |  |
Dallas Cowboys | 1-2 | lost to Seattle | (▼7) | Real issues on offense |
| 30. |  |
Houston Texans | 0-3 | lost to NY Giants 27-22 | (▼4) | Tons of talent…zero wins |
| 31. |  |
Oakland Raiders | 0-3 | lost to Miami 28-20 | (▼2) | I guess a pass rusher isn’t the only thing hard to find |
| 32. |  |
Arizona Cardinals | 0-3 | lost to Chicago 16-14 | (–) | The Sam Bradford experiment lasted less than three games. Josh Rosen, you’re next! |
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