32. Tennessee Titans (-2)
31. Miami Dolphins (+1)
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-5)
29. Los Angeles Chargers (-3)
28. Arizona Cardinals (-1)
27. New York Jets (-5)
26. Washington Commanders (+3)
25. Houston Texans (-8)
24. Green Bay Packers (-5)
23. New Orleans Saints (-7)
22. Indianapolis Colts (+1)
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (+3)
20. Atlanta Falcons (+11)
19. Carolina Panthers (+1)
18. New York Giants (+3)
17. Detroit Lions (-3)
16. Cleveland Browns (+12)
15. New England Patriots (-4)
14. Dallas Cowboys (+1)
13. Philadelphia Eagles (-6)
12. Cincinnati Bengals (-7)
11. Las Vegas Raiders (+7)
Chicago Bears (3-1)
Winning two games in a row despite missing your starting quarterback is anything but a given – yet the Bears have pulled it off with flying colors over the past two weeks.
Beating the Philadelphia Eagles with Case Keenum was a huge surprise. The fact that the result was so decisive (27:7) can only be attributed to a strong team performance.
Last Sunday, they also defeated the New York Jets 23:12. This time the quarterback was Tyon Bagent, but the star of the game was running back Kyle Monangai (146 rushing yards, 2 TDs). It was once again proof that Ben Johnson's offense functions best when the running game works.
Good news for the Bears: Star quarterback Caleb Williams probably won't be out for too much longer. It's possible that Williams could return for the upcoming game against the Green Bay Packers. While the Packers aren't in great form, games against divisional opponents can be tricky – whether with or without Williams.
Minnesota Vikings (4-0)
Minnesota is one of three teams that are still marching flawlessly through this season: Four wins in four games deserve respect. Why are the Vikings still only ninth? The offense.
Kyler Murray returned to the lineup as the starting quarterback for the Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, he hasn't been an upgrade compared to his backup Carson Wentz so far. The offense has been struggling recently to move the ball – Justin Jefferson's injury, of course, hasn't been much help.
It's a good thing the Vikings also have a great defense and special teams, which played a huge part in their recent victories. In the 23:16 win in Tampa, for example, Myles Price scored a punt-return touchdown. In the 15:10 win against the Miami Dolphins a week later, kicker Will Reichard was responsible for all 15 of the Vikings' points.
However, the biggest ace up their sleeve remains the defense. Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores is one of the absolute best in his field; no other defense is currently better at terrorizing opposing quarterbacks than the Vikings'. Eventually, though – as opponents get better – a point will come where a bit more help from the offense will be needed.
Los Angeles Rams (2-2)
Not much was missing, and the Rams' start to the season would officially have been labeled a "disaster." After all, in Week 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles, the Rams were already trailing 10:20 at the start of the fourth quarter - but things were destined to change.
Matthew Stafford orchestrated the comeback that was denied to him the week before against the Denver Broncos. Philadelphia was ultimately defeated 24:20 - resulting in an even 2-2 record instead of a 1-3 record. Certainly not what the Rams had envisioned before the season, but at least not an absolute disaster.
Hailed as the super team par excellence before the season, they had to suffer their first losses early in the season against San Francisco and Denver - admittedly two good teams. However, the Rams' situation also clearly shows that nothing is given for free in the NFL. Anyone can beat anyone - especially when injuries also pile up.
Denver Broncos (2-2)
The Broncos have also suffered two losses already this regular season. However, their schedule at the beginning of the season was not easy - for orientation: Three of their four opponents so far (Kansas City, Jacksonville, San Francisco) are ranked ahead of Denver in this Power Ranking; the other team was the aforementioned Rams.
Denver has a good team that is capable of beating good teams: After the Week 2 win against Jacksonville (20:13), they had a spectacular comeback win the following week against the L.A. Rams (30:26).
The Broncos' recipe for success has changed little compared to last season: rely on a strong defense and then hope that Bo Nix somehow wins the game in the fourth quarter.
Last Sunday, the plan didn't work out against the San Francisco 49ers (14:24), but Denver remains an unpleasant opponent for anyone to play against.
Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
The start to the new Jesse Minter era in Baltimore was a solid one. The Week 2 loss against New Orleans (17:24) was definitely unexpected, but the narrow 34:31 victory against the Dallas Cowboys put the Ravens back on the winning track - a highly important win considering that International Games never come with a guarantee.
Last Sunday, they also fulfilled their duty against the Tennessee Titans (24:18) and boosted their record to 3-1.
After the game, headlines, of course, revolved around Lamar Jackson's injury. However, it seems the star quarterback may have escaped with a scare: a sprained ankle will force him to take a short break.
While a start next week against the Atlanta Falcons is not ruled out, in my opinion, it's not very advisable. The Ravens are better with Jackson than without him - that much is clear. But against Atlanta, you can trust backup Tyler Huntley to win a game. It's better to rest Jackson now and go into the playoffs fully fit with him, rather than risk something foolish.
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)
With their 13-4 record, the Jacksonville Jaguars were one of the most underrated teams last NFL season, and at the start of this season, not many headlines focused on the Jaguars either - but their performances so far have clearly signaled that Jacksonville is a team to be reckoned with again this year.
With an extremely dominant 35:6 home win against the New England Patriots and a 22:17 away win against the Cincinnati Bengals, their record improved to 3-1.
Liam Coen's offense delivered solidly, but above all, the defense came up big multiple times with important takeaways. If Jacksonville continues to deliver like this, it could turn into a truly successful season.
Buffalo Bills (3-1)
The Bills suffered their first loss in their new stadium last Sunday. Against the New England Patriots, who were struggling heavily at the start of the season, this wasn't necessarily expected, but when two teams know each other as well as these two do, it's not extremely surprising either.
The Bills ultimately lost 26:29. While Keon Coleman's strong performance on offense is particularly noteworthy, the defense once again proved to be not exactly solid. For the third time this season, they allowed 29 points or more.
Some players, like NFL sack leader Greg Rousseau, have delivered excellently so far this season, but as a collective unit, Buffalo's defense still has a lot of room for improvement. Defensive Coordinator Jim Leonhard is called upon if they want to provide Josh Allen with a defense that allows for a true Super Bowl push.
Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
After the injury shock surrounding Sam Darnold in Game 1 of the NFL season, the Super Bowl quarterback has now fought his way back into the lineup - but his comeback game turning into a "flop" was not expected given the opponent.
In Week 3, the Washington Commanders, with their backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, surprised the entire NFL when they brought Seattle to their knees 33:31. The surprising factor was primarily that Seattle's notorious defense allowed 33 points.
They showed they could do better last Sunday: The Los Angeles Chargers were defeated 30:23. The "Dark Side" made an impression with two interceptions and a forced fumble. Darnold delivered a solid, but not outstanding, performance.
However, it was already clear last season that this constellation is capable of a lot.
Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
The Chiefs have stabilized again after their chaotic season last year, when they missed the playoffs for the first time in the Mahomes era. Four wins in four games speak for themselves.
The big spectacle on both sides of the ball – with the exception of Week 1 against the Broncos (31:10) – hasn't been seen yet. But what counts in the NFL is only wins anyway.
It's even better when these come against divisional rivals: In a surprising clash for the top of the AFC West (the Raiders, like the Chiefs, were 3-0), Kansas City secured a narrow, but well-deserved, 30:27 victory last Sunday in Las Vegas.
Running back Kenneth Walker, in particular, put on a tremendous performance again with 177 rushing yards and two touchdowns. By far the best running game of Mahomes' career could become a true game-changer for the Chiefs this season.
San Francisco 49ers (4-0)
It's interesting how much was talked about the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks before the season, but four weeks into the season, the "other" team from the NFC West, the San Francisco 49ers, is suddenly sitting at the top of this Power Ranking.
Unlike the other two, the Niners have managed to move through this season unscathed so far. However, the competition, with the Rams in Week 1 (27:7) and most recently the Denver Broncos (24:14), has been anything but easy.
If the Niners stay healthy, they are well-positioned enough on both sides of the ball to beat any opponent in this league - I am convinced of that. Whether the Niners stay healthy is another question.
Because they haven't exactly been spared from injuries so far this season (see, e.g., Nick Bosa). If anyone knows how to perform at the absolute limit despite that, it's San Francisco.
The next big challenge awaits next Sunday: The Seattle Seahawks present the next major test for first place in the NFC West.
