With week four of the NFL in the books, here are the InscriberMag’s NFL Power Rankings.
1. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0): Any doubts about the Bengals being legit will be answered in a big road test in Foxboro against a recently embarrassed New England Patriots team looking to bounce back. Better believe that Brady and Belichick are licking their chops.
2. San Diego Chargers (3-1): Don’t look now, but despite Andrew Luck, Drew Brees, Matt Stafford and Matt Ryan putting up better numbers thru four games, Philip Rivers is quietly putting up early NFL MVP numbers in nine touchdowns and 1,155 yards passing
3. Seattle Seahawks (2-1): After once again getting the better of perennial foil, Peyton Manning, the defending champs travel east into our nation’s capital to face a desperate Washington Redskins team searching for answers at quarterback.
4. Denver Broncos (2-1): With a week to prepare for the Arizona Cardinals, you better believe that Peyton Manning wants to wash the bitter taste of the 26-20 overtime loss to Seattle out of his mouth soon.
5. Dallas Cowboys (3-1): After losing to the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas has reeled off three straight wins against the likes of the Tennessee Titans, St Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints. With an inter-state battle against the up-start Houston Texans, we will see if the Cowboys have indeed turned the corner.
6. Baltimore Ravens (3-1): It is clearly apparent that Steve Smith Sr. gives the Ravens some serious attitude on the field. Not bad for a 35-year-old right? Carolina?
7. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1): Still a very talented team. Unless the Eagles can get some consistent production on the ground in McCoy and Sproles and toughen up on defense, the Eagles will not go far.
8. Detroit Lions (3-1): Fresh from a 24-17 win over the hapless New York Jets, the Lions get another easy AFC East opponent in the Kyle Orton-led Buffalo Bills.
9. Arizona Cardinals (3-0): Fresh off a bye, we finally get to see if the Cardinals are legit against Peyton Manning at Mile High.
10. Indianapolis Colts (2-2): Thanks to Andrew Luck’s early-season performance, the Colts are beginning to live up to the Super Bowl hype. With a big game against Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas, the Colts set themselves up nicely for a big divisional matchup against the hard-nosed Texans.
11. Houston Texans (3-1): Neither flashy or spectacular, the Texans have the look of a real contender under Bill O’Brien, and having a potential back-to-back AP NFL Defensive Player Of The Year in J.J. Watt and an experienced game-manager in Ryan Fitzpatrick makes Houston a team to watch.
12. San Francisco 49ers (2-2): In grounding the high-flying Philadelphia Eagles, 26-21, the Niners reminded purists why defense wins games against gimmick offenses.
13. Green Bay Packers (2-2): R-E-L-A-X, In the immortal words of Mr. Discount Double-Check, who seems to have the Chicago Bears on speed-dial.
14. Atlanta Falcons (2-2): One week, they look like world-beaters against the winless Bucs at home, and get blown out on the road against a rookie making his first NFL start. Matt Ryan can only do so much to bail out a team with no running game and average defense.
15. Chicago Bears (2-2): The Bears continue to be owned by Aaron Rodgers. That is all.
16. New York Giants (2-2): Thanks to back-to-back wins over the Texans and Redskins, it seems that Big Blue is beginning to get on the right track again.
17. New England Patriots (2-2): They say all dynasties eventually fall, consider the Patriots 41-14 rout at the hands of the Chiefs their Waterloo.
18. Carolina Panthers (2-2): How much do you want to bet that the Panthers regret letting Steve Smith leave in the off-season? Thought so.
19. New Orleans Saints(1-3): On pure talent alone, the Saints would be ranked higher, thanks to Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham. But that defense will cost them some games in the South this year.
20. Kansas City Chiefs (2-2): Whether or not the Chiefs caught the fading Pats at the right time or not, getting Jammal Charles back makes a world of difference for Reid and Co.
21. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2): These are not your father’s Steelers. This team has an aging defense that will eventually wear down. Big Ben cannot bail them every time. Losing to a winless Tampa team at home is enough to set off calls for Tomlin’s head in the Steel City if this continues.
22. Miami Dolphins (2-2): Don’t let their record fool you, there is a quarterback controversy brewing with Ryan Tannehill and a coach on the hot seat in Joe Philbin.
23. Cleveland Browns (1-2): See the Bills comment below, and remember that the Browns get back starting tailback Ben Tate, face a hapless Titans team on the road and their next five opponents have a record of 4-16. Oh! and Josh Gordon comes back in six more weeks.
24. Buffalo Bills (2-2): That smile you see in the distance is that of Cleveland Browns general manager, Ray Farmer fleecing the Bills out of their 2015 first-round pick. Manuel out, Orton in? Right!
25. Minnesota Vikings (2-2): Looks like the Teddy Bridgewater era is off to a promising start, thanks to a 41-28 upset of the Atlanta Falcons.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3): The upset of the week in beating the Steelers at Heinz, one week after getting humiliated by division rival, Atlanta. Looks like Mike Glennon is the man going forward.
27. Washington Redskins (1-3): Forget the brief Kirk Cousins era and the injury-plagued RGIII era, can you say, Jameis Winston?
28. Tennessee Titans (1-3): If Jake Locker continues his current level of play, rookie Zach Mettenberger could be seeing the field, sooner than later.
29. St Louis Rams (1-2): Austin Davis getting his third start, is perhaps the only good thing going right by the Rams.
30. New York Jets (1-3): New quarterback, same story with Gang Green.
31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4): After a un-inspired performance by Chad Henne, the Jags may have found a potential franchise savior in Blake Bortles.
32. Oakland Raiders (0-4): Out with Dennis Allen, in with Tony Sparano. The Raiders are the NFL’s eternal train wreck hot-mess.
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