Despite a disappointing loss in Indianapolis, the Steelers still have some momentum behind their offensive passing attack. They'll take a step back this week, but in their rearview mirror is the Baltimore Ravens.
The Ravens have found their rushing attack, signaling to the rest of the NFL that they aren't to be taken lightly after an 0-2 start.
The entire NFL landscape is starting to make a bit more sense, though some more intriguing teams like the Bengals, Rams, and Commanders still have some question marks. Here's how the field of 32 stacks up after the first four weeks of the 2024 NFL season.
It's simple, the Chiefs keep on winning, so they stay at the top of the power rankings. Kansas City will now go on without playmakers Isiah Pacheco and Rashee Rice, which won't be easy. Mahomes is turning the ball over a bit too much, too. Still, until they lose, it's not reasonable to knock them down the list. At this rate, though, it could only be a matter of time.
The Lions played like an elite team on Monday night despite some malleable defense. It'll be interesting to see if the early BYE week affects them negatively as the offense seemed to have found a grove since the loss to Tampa Bay. Regardless, when the Lions are on, they are a tough team to compete against.
The Vikings would have been No. 2 this week if not for a late surge from Green Bay and such a showing from Detroit in primetime. Nonetheless, Minnesota is clicking in every facet of the game and it gets more impressive with each week. A trip across the pond could dampen their consistency by a hair, but they should be able to handle the Jets and get to 5-0.
Tampa's loss on Thursday wasn't weighed in this week's power ranking, of course, though they still looked like a strong team overall. Even still, the Bucs dominated the Eagles to get back on track after a strange loss to Denver. Tampa is a bit more up and down than they'd like, but they are on the cusp of something special, especially with Baker Mayfield playing excellent football.
The Texans struggled against Buffalo and then had a bit of a fight with the Jaguars, which was to be expected given Jacksonville's circumstances. Houston needs to get back into the swing of things with a home matchup with Buffalo. They can take advantage of an inspired Stefon Diggs who will look to show out against his former team.
Pittsburgh's defense was less than good against Indianapolis and it cost them a comeback victory. Still, the play of Justin Fields is catching the attention of the league. Ultimately, despite the handcuffed offense, the Steelers have the makings of a scary team in an AFC that is not playing out as expected outside of Kansas City. A few primetime games coming up will put that to the test.
The Ravens are running the ball extremely well and it's leading to wins. They can ride that style of play a long way and have little reason to deviate away from it. If the Ravens stick to this identity, they can be a serious problem for the rest of the league, because they are still playing solid defense and Lamar Jackson can usually bail them out in a pinch.
The Seahawks get a rare bump up in the rankings after a loss. While the scoreboard and Jared Goff's performance indicate a bit of a blowout, but truthfully the Seahawks played rather well in the loss. Still standing at 3-1, they earned a bit of grace with a solid chance to bounce back against the Giants.
The 49ers beat up the Patriots after a frustrating start to the season. It's far from an indicator that they are back to where they should be, but given the 49ers' track record, they are tough to doubt. Still, an NFC West matchup with Arizona could catch them by surprise. San Francisco isn't in peril just yet, but they can't afford a loss to the Cardinals this week.
The Falcons have turned it on over the past few weeks. They are bound to skyrocket after the comeback win over Tampa Bay on Thursday too. Atlanta fans would surely appreciate it if every game didn't come down to the final drive. Luckily for them, however, Kirk Cousins has plenty of positive experience in such situations.
Derrick Henry clearly hasn't lost much of a step, but it's still damning for an NFL defense to surrender 200 yards against a 30-year-old running back. That's what Buffalo is coming off of in primetime. A road trip against Houston doesn't make things easier.
Few people had the Washington Commanders at 3-1 atop the NFC East through the first quarter of the season, but here they are. Their week-to-week improvement is notable and Jayden Daniels has been the most impressive rookie quarterback so far. Each win builds their confidence, in turn showing their roster isn't as bad as once believed.
The Saints have settled back down to earth in the past two weeks with losses against teams that were expected to be much better than New Orleans. Still, both games were close, so the Saints haven't shown signs of going away. Another tough test on the road awaits them on Monday against the Chiefs. They can shake things up with an upset win.
The Eagles should be thankful for an early BYE week. They are right on the cusp of where they want to be, but keep falling short. A blowout road loss to Tampa last week contextualized that to an uncomfortable degree for the Philly fans. Getting healthy at wide receiver will help them out more than anything.
The Packers responded to getting punched in the face by Minnesota with an unsuccessful comeback attempt. The Packers would no doubt have liked to have established the run earlier in the contest, but they still show great balance overall. A trip to LA gives them a chance to get right against a banged-up Rams team.
Dallas was already struggling to match expectations, but the injuries to key players, particularly Micah Parsons, will only complicate things further. The Steelers on the road in primetime after a loss is a tough draw for the Cowboys at this point. Dallas isn't bad, but a bad stretch could be lying ahead of them.
The Colts' rushing defense just woke up. On top of picking apart Pittsburgh's defense, stopping the rushing attack last week played a big part in their early lead to get a much-needed win. The injury to Anthony Richardson would be more concerning if Joe Flacco wasn't still playing at a high level.
Beating Carolina isn't impressive, and neither is giving up 24 points in that game. Still, Cincinnati took a positive step offensively, which was the main thing holding them back. They need to go on a tear to get where they'd like to be, but that'll be tough to do against Baltimore.
The Jets looked out of sorts against the Broncos, though the downpour at MetLife Stadium certainly didn't help. Still, a team built to play great defense and that can lean on Breece Hall shouldn't struggle because of a little rain. Aaron Rodgers has to get the ball to Garrett Wilson, too, or unnecessary problems will continue to stack.
The Rams' injuries notwithstanding, the Bears looked strong on offense against Los Angeles as they picked up their second win of the season. Caleb Williams played efficiently, so there is a comforting improvement from the first overall pick. With Carolina up next, Chicago has a chance to continue to build upon that improvement.
The Chargers were handcuffed last week and Justin Herbert is still pushing through a significant injury. The Chargers aren't bad, but they are underperforming to a degree. The BYE week will do them some favors as they look to get healthy and back on track.
The Rams are clearly in a tough spot with the injuries they have suffered early in the season. They clearly aren't a bad team at even half-strength, but wins will continue to be difficult to come by. Still, an early win over San Francisco two weeks ago will give them a leg up once they are healthy.
The Raiders are likely about to send their best player to another team, are facing some significant drama because of it, and have been wildly inconsistent in every regard. How they are 2-2 is beyond anyone, but it's admirable, to say the least. They can get back above .500 against Denver, though they'll do it without Davante Adams. Makes for good practice, I guess.
The Giants are playing a bit above their talent level, but their offense remains handcuffed by Daniel Jones. He's playing clean and unproductive, a frustrating combination. Taking on Seattle without Malik Nabers will be a difficult task.
Arizona should be better than 1-3, but as they say, "You are what your record says you are." The Cardinals can flip the narrative against San Francisco while the 49ers are stumbling. They need to if they want to prevent an early-season spiral.
Denver outlasted the Jets on the road to pick up another strange road victory to get up to .500. They are showing steady improvement, especially on offense with Bo Nix. As long as he plays within the framework of the offense, they can do some good things. There is clearly a ceiling over Denver, but they are testing how shallow it is every week.
The Titans took advantage of the Dolphins in primetime to pick up their first win on Monday Night Football. They dug an unnecessary hole early starting 0-3, but they have a chance now to build on some momentum after the BYE week.
The Browns are back to being the Browns and they have no one to blame but themselves. Deshaun Watson is clearly too far gone from the player he once was and he continues to hold the team back. Their upcoming matchup with Washington is winnable but there isn't much confidence that Cleveland can get it done.
New England is bound to lose more games than not, but they play everyone tough. Miami comes to Foxborough reeling, which opens up another opportunity for the Patriots to test what works and pick up their second win. They remain one of the more intriguing teams at the bottom of the NFL barrel.
The Panthers can move the ball a bit better with Andy Dalton, that much is clear. Still, they lack enough firepower to translate that into competitiveness. Still, they deserve credit for showing more heart in the past two weeks after a dismal start.
Miami simply can't do much of anything offensively without Tua Tagovailoa. Until he returns, the Dolphins are in serious trouble. Losing Jaelan Phillips for the season creates even more problems that seem too much to overcome at this stage of the season.
Credit where it is due, Jacksonville looked a lot better against Houston. That doesn't change the fact that Jacksonville is 0-4 without much promise to turn things around. They get to host Indianapolis this week. How the Jags respond to their own desperation for a win will be telling for how the remainder of the 2024 season will unfold for them.