Week 3 is in the books, and we’re starting to get a better sense of the NFL‘s best and worst teams.
The Washington Commanders upset the Cincinnati Bengals and the Buffalo Bills crushed the Jacksonville Jaguars on Monday night to put an end to the first three weeks of the season. The big news? We have a new No. 1 team in the Buffalo Bills after their second consecutive impressive performance. As for the Bengals and Jaguars? Keep scrolling. We polled the Pro Football Network staff to compile our Week 4 NFL Power Rankings.
PFN Consensus NFL Power Rankings | Week 4
1) Kansas City Chiefs (3-0; Last Week: 1)
Another close win for the Chiefs, but that keyword is “win” — because that is what they find ways to do. The Chiefs are that rare team that could lose on a given week and still retain their spot atop the power rankings, but earning prime-time road wins are why they are two-time defending champs. What’s the reason they fell in the rankings? The Bills just looked too good. A showdown in Week 11 might decide the top spot in the PFN rankings … and home field in the AFC.
2) Buffalo Bills (3-0; LW: T2)
We do not know what will happen if the Bills and Chiefs meet AGAIN in January, but for the time being, there has not been a more impressive team this young season than the Buffalo Bills. While favorites are falling all over the board and the Chiefs are winning one-score games, the Bills aren’t taking prisoners, winning the last two weeks by a combined score of 88-20.
Josh Allen had as close to a perfect night as possible, leading the Bills to touchdowns on the first five drives of the game and surpasses Patrick Mahomes as the MVP betting favorite at all major books. Buffalo has scored 30+ points in all three games and take the Chiefs spot for the time being. A win in Baltimore next week on Sunday night would keep them here.
3) Detroit Lions (2-1; LW: 5)
The Lions still haven’t hit their stride. But they earned a sneaky-good road win over the Cardinals on Sunday, and now are set for an intriguing matchup with the equally physical Seahawks. That game should be a blast to watch.
4) San Francisco 49ers (1-2; LW: T2)
We’re not putting too much stock into Sunday’s 27-24 road loss to the Rams. Weird stuff happens in divisional games, and the Niners are dealing with injuries to key players on offense. They’ll be fine, and a Week 4 matchup with the Patriots should get them back on track.
5) Philadelphia Eagles (2-1; LW: 4)
There are two ways to look at the Eagles: They’d be 3-0 if Saquon Barkley didn’t drop a pass late in the Week 2 loss to the Falcons, or they’ve largely unimpressed and have played poorly enough to be 0-3.
Philly’s talent is obvious. But Jalen Hurts has been shaky, and Nick Sirianni could be a bad loss or two away from being on the hot seat. It’s hard to feel great about the Eagles right now.
6) Green Bay Packers (2-1; LW: 10)
Malik Willis deserves a ton of credit for winning back-to-games while filling in for Jordan Love. The ex-Titan ran for a touchdown and threw for another on Sunday in a convincing 30-14 win over his former team. What a great story.
But let’s also show love for Matt LaFleur, who’s one of the more underappreciated head coaches in the NFL. We’re still unsure of just how good the Packers are, but they’re off to a strong start.
7) Minnesota Vikings (3-0; LW: 16)
Through three weeks, Kevin O’Connell looks like the Coach of the Year and Darnold looks like the Comeback Player of the Year. The Vikings are legitimately good and have the pieces on both sides of the ball to stay competitive all season.
This team is so much fun to watch. pic.twitter.com/EHndZTcbDd
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) September 22, 2024
8) Baltimore Ravens (1-2; LW: 8)
The Ravens tried hard to blow Sunday’s game against the Cowboys, but they held on for a 28-25 victory in Dallas. Baltimore is built like a true contender and, with a shaky start in the rearview, is primed to go on a big run.
9) Houston Texans (2-1; LW: 6)
Houston suffered a major letdown with Sunday’s 34-7 loss to the Vikings. C.J. Stroud looked off his game, and the Texans defense got shredded by a resurgent Sam Darnold.
Will it prove to be just a blip on the radar? Probably, but Sunday’s loss still served as a reminder that Houston isn’t a powerhouse just yet.
10) New Orleans Saints (2-1; LW: 7)
The Saints let a winnable game slip through their fingers with Sunday’s 15-12 loss to the Eagles. New Orleans still was impressive, though, and it might be balanced enough to continue exceeding expectations throughout the season.
But how far can Derek Carr take this team? History suggests Saints fans shouldn’t get their hopes up.
11) Seattle Seahawks (3-0; LW: 12)
The Seahawks might be for real. Mike Macdonald’s defense is physical up front and stingy in the secondary, and Geno Smith is playing some of the best football of his career. Seattle was firing on all cylinders in Sunday’s 24-3 win over an admittedly undermanned Dolphins squad.
12) New York Jets (2-1; LW: 14)
Are the Jets as good as they looked Thursday night, or were they just facing an inferior team dealing with significant injuries? The answer probably is somewhere in the middle, but if Aaron Rodgers continues playing as he did against the Patriots, the Jets could be contenders in the AFC.
13) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-0, LW: 21)
How does Mike Tomlin do it? The eye test says the Steelers aren’t a 3-0 team, and most NFL executives will tell you Justin Fields isn’t a winning quarterback. Yet here we are, with Pittsburgh undefeated and sitting atop the AFC North standings through three weeks.
Pittsburgh’s defense is legit, so if Fields holds up his end of the bargain, the Steelers could have a real shot at competing for a playoff spot this season.
14) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1, LW: 9)
What happened to the Bucs on Sunday? Tampa should’ve coasted to an easy win but instead suffered an ugly 26-7 home loss to the Broncos. We’re not concerned about the offense long-term, but the defense might be a problem. There’s no excuse for getting carved up by Bo Nix.
15) Dallas Cowboys (1-2; LW: 11)
The Cowboys showed a lot of fight on Sunday, but that doesn’t erase what was a disappointing effort through three quarters. If Dallas slips up Thursday night against the Giants, it might be time to hit the panic button.
16) Cincinnati Bengals (0-3; LW: 13)
On a night where the Bengals’ offense finally looked like what we’ve been accustomed to seeing from Joe Burrow and Company, Cincinnati’s defense was a no-show at home on “Monday Night Football.” Lou Anarumo’s unit was picked apart by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, who set an NFL rookie record for completion percentage in a game by a rookie (91.3%).
The Bengals’ defensive performance in Week 3 was actually the third-worst performance of this young season in terms of defensive EPA (-24.73), topped only by its opponent (Washington Commanders) and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ performance in Monday night’s other prime-time game.
For the season, the Bengals are third-worst in defensive EPA as well as defensive EPA/play and now face the daunting challenge of coming back from an 0-3 start to the 2024 season.
17) Atlanta Falcons (1-2; LW: 23)
A week after a completing a frantic, late fourth-quarter comeback against the Eagles, the Falcons found themselves in a similar position late against the defending Super Bowl Champions. But Atlanta’s offense squandered a great defensive effort, failing to convert on fourth down inside Kansas City’s red zone twice in the game’s final five minutes.
What was the end result? They conclude Week 3 in the same position in which they began it — third place in the NFC South despite both teams in front of them in the division losing on Sunday.
The Falcons should be encouraged by Kirk Cousins’ rebound over the last two weeks following a disappointing Week 1. The new Falcons signal caller passed for only 155 yards and posted an EPA per drop back of -0.25 to begin 2024. But in the two games that have followed, Cousins is 11th in the NFL with a 0.16 EPA per drop back while posting a 103.4 passer rating.
18) Arizona Cardinals (1-2, LW: 19)
The Cardinals have played well this season and probably deserve to be 2-1. But they’re now 1-2 after Sunday’s 20-13 loss to the Lions and need to get back on track. A Week 4 matchup with the Commanders should do the trick.
19) Los Angeles Rams (1-2; LW: 20)
The Rams needed a victory over the 49ers on Sunday, and they got it. Even with their top receivers injured, the have the talent and coaching on offense to hang with anyone. They just need to stay afloat over the next month.
20) Los Angeles Chargers (2-1; LW: 15)
The Chargers slipped up with Sunday’s loss to the Steelers but the bigger concern is the health of Justin Herbert, who reportedly left Acrisure Stadium in a walking boot. Herbert’s tough as nails and probably will want to play next week, but Los Angeles should exercise caution with its superstar quarterback.
21) Washington Commanders (2-1; LW: 29)
Let it be known that on a Monday night in Cincinnati in late Sept. 2024, a star was born. The second overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft had his breakout game on a national stage. Commanders QB Jayden Daniels put on a show, showcasing his arm talent and his ability to create as a runner, leading his offense to 38 points while setting an NFL rookie record for completion percentage in a game (91.3%).
It wasn’t just the raw stats, of course, but rather when Daniels made his plays. His signature moment was an absolute dime along the right sideline in the end zone 30 yards down the field on a critical 3rd-and-7 play with just 2:15 left in the game to put the Commanders up by two scores.
Daniels finished the night throwing for 254 yards and two touchdowns to go along with a rushing touchdown. In doing so, Daniels became the first rookie quarterback in NFL history with 250+ passing yards, 2+ passing TDs, 1+ rushing TDs, and a completion percentage over 80% in a single game.
22) Cleveland Browns (1-2; LW: 18)
The Browns have enough talent to be one of the best teams in the conference but Deshaun Watson is holding them back. He just doesn’t look right and his subpar play has simultaneously dragged down the offense and put too much pressure on the defense.
23) Miami Dolphins (1-2; LW: 17)
The Dolphins are reeling. The offense hasn’t looked right all season, and Tua Tagovaila can’t return until Week 8 at the earliest. Miami might round into a formidable unit later in the season, but it won’t matter if it loses too many games early in the campaign.
Skylar Thompson suffered an injury and was replaced by Tim Boyle in Sunday’s loss to Seattle, so TBD on who’ll be under center in Week 4.
24) Indianapolis Colts (1-2; LW: 24)
The Colts picked up their first win of the season with Sunday’s victory over Chicago but Anthony Richardson completed just 10 passes for 167 yards to go along with two picks. Indy needs much more from the second-year quarterback if it’s going to live up to preseason expectations.
25) Chicago Bears (1-2; LW: 25)
Caleb Williams made plays and put up strong numbers (363 yards, two TDs) in Sunday’s loss to the Indianapolis Colts, but sacks and turnovers remain an issue for the rookie. The Bears are in danger of digging themselves an early hole.
26) Jacksonville Jaguars (0-3; LW: 22)
Not much has gone right for the Jaguars since Trevor Etienne fumbled going into the end zone in Miami with a 10-point lead over the Dolphins. Jacksonville has been outscored 78-23 since that fumble, and QB Trevor Lawrence has now lost eight consecutive games since last season.
Is Doug Pederson on the hot seat now? Past problems were blamed on the short Urban Meyer era, but the Jags have now lost eight of the last nine dating back to 2023, only beating the Panthers. The offense is 25th in EPA and the defense is 29th. Monday night alone was the worst defensive performance of the season of any teams (-25.02 EPA). Not good all the way around.
Jacksonville has back-to-back divisional games up next that they must win if they are to save their season.
27) Denver Broncos (1-2, LW: 30)
Nix was one of the NFL’s worst quarterbacks the first two weeks but the rookie stepped up in Sunday’s win over the Buccaneers. He completed 25 of 36 passes for 216 yards, and most importantly, avoided turnovers. Let’s see if Nix can repeat it.
28) Las Vegas Raiders (1-2; LW: 26)
Just when you want to feel good about the Raiders, they go out and suffer a 36-22 loss to the Panthers. That’s an inexcusable loss anywhere, but that it happened at home was especially embarrassing.
The Raiders are talented enough to pull off some upsets, but they’re a bad team.
29) New York Giants (1-2; LW: 31)
The Giants picked up a much-needed win against the Browns but they still have a long way to go. Regardless, New York fans can feel great about rookie receiver Malk Nabers, who starred against Cleveland and has shown strong early chemistry with Daniel Jones.
30) New England Patriots (1-2; LW: 27)
The Patriots are better than many expected entering the season, and they probably would be 2-1 if they hadn’t allowed a blocked field goal late in the Week 2 overtime loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
However, the bottom fell out in Thursday’s loss to the New York Jets, and New England’s offensive line is next-level terrible. The defense also likely will play the rest of the season without Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley. This could get ugly.
31) Carolina Panthers (1-2, LW: 32)
You could predict the Panthers would receive a boost from Andy Dalton replacing Bryce Young. But you couldn’t have predicted Dalton would throw for 319 yards and three TDs in Sunday’s blowout win over the Raiders.
The Panthers might still be the worst team in football, but the narrative could change if they win again next week.
32) Tennessee Titans (0-3; LW: 28)
We tried telling you the Titans wouldn’t be any good.
Tennessee has decent talent on both sides of the ball, but the offense is soft and led by a struggling second-year quarterback. Head coach Brian Callahan backed Will Levis after Sunday’s loss to the Packers, but he might have to bench the sophomore QB if his problems continue next week. The Titans are already in must-win mode.