I have to give a formal apology for missing Week Three, it was my 19th birthday and I couldn’t possibly be bothered with football last monday and I hope you all understand, but I took the extra days with Week Four just to evaluate it all a little bit better, I hope you all enjoy the rankings.
1- Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)
The Eagles stand atop the NFL as it is only undefeated team left, and show exactly why they are currently the best team in the NFL currently. Jalen Hurts didn’t have one of his signature games, only throwing 204 yards and an interception, but the Eagles can win games even when Hurts isn’t on his best game. While he may not have thrown the ball very well, Hurts did rush for thirty-eight yards and had a rushing touchdown, proving quite versatile this season. The only thing that saved this game for Philadelphia was Miles Sanders rushing ability, going for 134 yards and two rushing touchdowns, being the best player on the field, head and shoulders above the rest. The Eagles are head and shoulders above most teams in the NFC and are looking to make another 2018 esque run this year.
Game Ball: Miles Sanders
2- Kansas City Chiefs (3-1)
The top of the AFC is not an accomplishment for Kansas City, it is the bar that has been set for them. Patrick Mahomes played lights out against Tom Brady, their sixth matchup all-time. Mahomes threw for 249 yards, three touchdowns and an interception, while he also ran for 34 yards. Clyde Edwards-Helaire rushed the ball nineteen times for just under 100 yards and a touchdown, leading both teams in rushing. Brady used to have Gronk as his number one target, Mahomes has Kelce, who had the most receiving yards for the Chiefs. The Bucs weren’t the tallest task for KC, but they were just the better team, which is a situation they are in a lot of times.
Game Ball: Patrick Mahomes
3- Buffalo Bills (3-1)
The Buffalo Bills took on the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC clash, and just barely came out on top. Josh Allen played like the probable MVP he is trying to be, dominating in every aspect of the game. Allen threw for 213 yards, a touchdown and an interception, but also led his team in rushing yards with seventy yards on eleven carries for a rushing touchdown. No receiver had a dominant game, mostly because Allen was passing to everyone, completing a pass to seven different receivers. Jordan Poyer had a crazy day on the defensive side of the ball, grabbing two interceptions from Lamar Jackson. If the Bills keep playing the way they are, they will be in a tough battle for the one seed in not only the AFC but their division as well, and it is a race every fan is going to enjoy this season.
Game Ball: Josh Allen
4- Miami Dolphins (3-1)
The entire situation with Tua is unsettling to say the least, The Dyspatch and myself wish Tua a speedy recovery and hope to see him back soon, but the fact that we’re going for wins over your own QB’s health and safety is a travesty. Tagovailoa only threw 14 passes and the Dolphins lost 15-27 against the Bengals, but still are a force to be reckoned with for this season, and would most likely still be undefeated if it weren’t due to both Tua injuries. Beating the Bills and Ravens keeps you in the top five, if Tua comes back 100% this team will be terrifying. Teddy Bridgewater played well, throwing for 193 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss. Tyreek Hill could make a legitimate argument for MVP this season, having one of the craziest four game stretches with a new team I’ve ever seen, going for 160 yards on ten catches in the game. Miami heads into Metlife next week and are looking to get an “easy” divisional win against Zach Wilson in his second game back.
5- Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
Lamar did not play up to his usual passing standards, and it ultimately lost the Ravens the game. Lamar threw for 144 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions while also rushing for 73 yards. Baltimore would’ve probably beaten most teams with their performance, but in short, it just wasn’t good enough against one of the best teams in the NFL, and won’t be for the entire season when they play top-three teams this year.
6- Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
I won’t give too much credit to the Bengals for beating a Dolphins team without Tua, but the team is starting to look like last season, coming together and making a lot less mistakes. Joe Burrow played well, emphasis on the average word of well, throwing for 287 yards and two passing touchdowns. Higgins and Chase combined for over two-hundred yards and a touchdown, proving to be one of the best one-two punches in the NFL as of right now. Vonn Bell showed out against Miami, pulling down two interceptions and winning the game ball this week, really deflating the usual hot Miami defense.
Game Ball: Vonn Bell
7- Minnesota Vikings (3-1)
If you would’ve told me that the Vikings were still top ten after week four in the preseason, I would’ve probably believed you because I am gullible, but I am still shocked by this teams performance. Jefferson played out of his mind, catching ten passes for 147 yards and rushing for three yards. Kirk Cousin threw for 273 yards, one touchdown and an interception. Dalvin Cook rushed the ball twenty times, only rushing for seventy-six yards, not meeting the endzone in New Orleans. The Vikings could be a serious playoff contender and show many similarities to the 2018 Vikings who made a fabulous playoff run, looking to do the same this year.
Game Ball: Justin Jefferson
8- Los Angeles Rams (2-2)
Stafford threw for 250+ yards, Cooper Kupp had over 100 yards receiving, this team played fantastic, the only issue was their redzone production. The Rams only scored nine points yesterday, and it is an awful look for them, moving them down a few pegs from Week Two. A rough week for the Rams isn’t ever going to be a death sentence, as I do believe they will be a top-three team in the NFC this year.
9- Green Bay Packers (3-1)
Reigning MVP Aaron Rogers barely beat the 137th pick in this years NFL draft and a weak Patriots team, and it was ugly to watch this game go to overtime. A-Rod went for 251 yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception, and the Packers played really solid, just an ounce better than the Patriots. Aaron Jones had 110 rushing yards, and Lazard had a nice game with 116 receiving yards. I don’t think this is the year for the Packers, but when it is their year they mess it up, so maybe being underdogs will help Green Bay.
Game Ball: Aaron Rogers
10- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)
Brady had an absolute masterclass against rival Patrick Mahomes, but it wasn’t enough to stop the power house that is Kansas City. Brady threw for 352 yards and three touchdowns, easily his best performance this season. Mike Evans had just over 100 yards receiving with two receiving touchdowns, but he was only one of ten different receivers threw to. Brady and the receivers played well, same deal with the defense, but Tampa Bay only had a combined three rushing yards, and it failed them in the end. Tampa Bay as of right now isn’t the scariest contender, but never count Tom Brady out.
11- Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
With Herbert’s injury that he is deciding to tough out in LA, this season will be an odd one to rank, but they are just barely outside of the top ten this week. Even with half of a rib on Sunday, Herbert still went for 340 yards and two passing touchdowns in an effortless win over Houston. Putting up twenty points in a quarter is huge, and it proves this offense is something special that just needs more chemistry. Ekeler had a great game in the red zone, only rushing for sixty-yards, but having two touchdowns. Mike Williams used to just be a fantasy sleeper, but now is a great first option wide receiver in Los Angeles. The division is very difficult for the Chargers, but they will be in the top ten by week eighteen.
Game Ball: Justin Herbert
12- Dallas Cowboys (3-1)
Dallas barely misses the top ten this week, but the legend of Cooper Rush builds more and more every game. I gave Dallas a death sentence in Week One, and they are shocking the world behind Cooper Rush’s huge arm. Rush went fifteen-for-thirty-seven for 223 yards and two passing touchdowns, while also rushing for seven yards. Ezekiel Elliott didn’t have a great game, not even breaking fifty yards rushing, but Dallas still dominated Washington. CeeDee Lamb led the game in receiving yards with 97 yards on six catches for a touchdown as well. Dallas has caught some huge breaks, but maybe losing Dak was one of them.
Game Ball: Cooper Rush
13- San Francisco 49ers (2-2)
Besides Jimmy G and Deebo, there aren’t many stats that explain why the 49ers won this game. If they play how they did on Monday Night Football, they would go 6-11, but because their elite defense held Stafford and company to only three field goals, it was an easy win for San Francisco.
Game Ball: Deebo Samuel
14- Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2)
The Jaguars have been outplaying expectations as of late, and almost beat the only undefeated team left in the NFL being the Eagles. Trevor Lawrence is no longer an embryo on the field, throwing like a real QB. Lawrence went for 174 yards, two passing touchdowns and an interception. The pick-six really made this game that much closer, but the offense could not get it done and lost Jacksonville the game. Jacksonville can end this season with a .500 record if they try, and they’re looking to be on track for that.
15- Denver Broncos (2-2)
Broncos Country, let’s slide… Down the power rankings. The Wilson experiment was meant to replicate what Denver did with Peyton Manning, and it isn’t working in the slightest. Russell Wilson played a lot better than he has been on Sunday, throwing for 237 yards and two passing touchdowns, while also rushing for 29 yards and a rushing touchdown, being responsible for every touchdown scored. It felt like Denver played at 50% the whole game, and it showed in their odd loss to the Raiders, giving them their first victory this season.
16- New York Giants (3-1)
If you wanted to watch a game with a total of nine completed passes and forty-four rushes from New York, you were tuned in Sunday. I’m not sure what to say about Daniel Jones, he didn’t play bad in any way but he also did nothing of note, in the words of MJF from All Elite Wrestling, he was mid. Saquon rushed the ball a crazy thirty-one times, going for 146 yards, but it was Daniel Jones who picked up the lone two touchdowns with his rushing ability. Luckily for Jones, the turf monster didn’t trip him up, so besides the lackluster passing, Jones easily gets the game ball. No matter what the stats show, your defense played very well if you only allowed field goals, and the middle of the pack is the only sensible place to place New York, and hopefully they’ll burst through that ceiling in a difficult division.
Game Ball: Daniel Jones
17- Tennessee Titans (2-2)
Tennessee has had an odd start after being the one seed last year, but have bounced back in the last two weeks. Derrick Henry has finally gotten the wheels to turn, rushing the ball twenty-two times for 114 yards and a rushing touchdown, as well as thirty-three yards receiving. Tannehill completed 81% of his passes, going 17-for-21 for a low 137 yards, but an efficient two passing touchdowns. The receiving wasn’t insane, the top receiver for the Titans having thirty-eight yards. Some kinks will need to be worked out, and first place atop the AFC isn’t likely, but the Titans are still here.
Game Ball: Derrick Henry
18- Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
Watching Kyler and the Cardinals look like a real football team is nice to watch. It obviously wasn’t double XP weekend this weekend in Call Of Duty, and Kyler showed it. Murray finished with 207 yards, two passing touchdowns, an interception and 26 yards rushing along with a rushing touchdown. While beating the Panthers isn’t insane, the Cardinals are still showing definite progress and growth in this season, and it’ll be fun yet tricky to predict where they could possibly end up this season. They could go 2-15, but they can also go 10-7. Both are semi-believable.
Game Ball: Kyler Murray
19- New York Jets (2-2)
The New York Jets are in the top twenty of NFL teams and not last in the division for the first time since your grandfather was born, and are coming off of a Zach Wilson season debut win. Joe Flacco held down the fort for a good amount of time, but with Wilson back in action the Jets could at the very best finish second in the AFC East, but will most likely still round out at third or fourth in the division. Wilson went 18-for-36, 252 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. My favorite Jets player of all time also had his first career passing touchdown, being Braxton Berrios. The Jets offense didn’t do too much of note, but the defense pulled down four interceptions, three from Pickett and one from Tribusky, but may have done the Steelers a favor in getting Mitch benched. The Jets could make a run this year, but another year or two or rebuilding is what the Jets need, and knowing them they’ll mess it up badly.
Game Ball: Zach Wilson
20- Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)
Las Vegas finally got to celebrate a win with a champagne shower in the desert, and it felt like watching an undefeated team playing. Carr honestly did nothing of note, so I won’t even talk about him. Josh Jacobs easily got the game ball this week, rushing for 144 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Davante Adams finally had a breakout game, having nine receptions for 101 yards. Las Vegas won’t be winning their division this year, but they got the win on Sunday, and are undefeated when Logan Paul is in attendance.
Game Ball: Josh Jacobs
21- Cleveland Browns (2-2)
Browns fans seeing their team without their QB1 and still sticking in the top twenties is a breath of relief, and possibly even a good thing for them, but losing to a laughingstock like Atlanta isn’t anything anyone is happy about. Brissett was looking like a viable option as backup for a few weeks, but in Week Four he had an absolute dud of a game. Jacoby went 21-for-35 for 234 yards and an interception, looking like the Patriots third string once again. Nick Chubb continued to show how dominant he is, rushing for 118 yards with 6.2 yards per carry, while also scoring a rushing touchdown. Like I said in Week Two, the Browns are going to be very difficult to rank until week eighteen of the season.
22- Seattle Seahawks (2-2)
If you like games with zero defense, the Seahawks versus Lions game is one for the books. In a 48-45 thrilling finish, this is one of the best games of the year, but also the oddest by far. The reason the Seahawks don’t exactly jump in the rankings is because of their very near blown lead. Seattle was up 38-23 going into the fourth, where they allowed twenty-two points and nearly lost to Detroit. Geno Smith had another masterclass this season, throwing 23-for-30 for 320 yards and two passing touchdowns. Rashaad Penny played one of the best games of his career, rushing seventeen times for 151 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Geno Smith also cooked on the ground, rushing the ball seven times for forty-nine yards and a rushing touchdown. DK Metcalf had a shocking game, catching seven passes for 149 yards, much better than usual for the human version of The Hulk. The Seahawks are an odd fringe team as of right now, but putting up 48 points in a win is impressive no matter the circumstances, so I have to give Seattle some credit here. Also, scorigami! First time in NFL history the final score of 48-45 has happened! Thank you Jon Bois!
Game Ball: Geno Smith
23- New England Patriots (1-3)
The Patriots start off their season 1-3, which is their worst start in what feels like 100 years. Watching Brian Hoyer play football hurts no matter what level it is at, but he took a sack on the first drive, letting rookie quarterback and pick 137 Bailey Zappe get his first snaps, and in his first drive got his first NFL touchdown. Zappe ended up passing 10-for-15 for 99 yards and a touchdown, and made the Patriots season without Jones look promising. Going five quarters with the reigning MVP’s team and only losing by three shows a lot in the Patriots, and fans should not be upset with this loss.
24- Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
The Falcons were pretty much beaten in every stat of the game besides rushing yards, but still won 23-20 against Cleveland. No quarterback threw a touchdown in Week Four’s matchup, and honestly it makes zero sense how Atlanta won this game, but hey! Props to them!
Game Ball: Caleb Huntley
25- Pittsburg Steelers (1-3)
Ben Roethlisberger predicted it correctly, the boo birds were loud for Mitch, and he was benched. Pickett did not miss a pass, going 10-for-13 with his three incompletions being interceptions. Pickens had another great game in what has been a great season for him. The star studded defense is mostly on the injury reserve, and this is looking like a season of rebuilding for the Steelers, and no one should expect much besides development from this team this year.
26- Chicago Bears (2-2)
The Chicago Bears have completed the least passes in the NFL by a longshot but continue to stay in every game they play. This team makes zero sense on paper, but oddly enough is working, sort of. Fields did a lot of nothing, completing eleven passes for 174 yards, and that’s it. Darnell Mooney played well, but besides that, the Bears could barely get in field goal range, scoring 100% of their points on “The Money Badger” Michael Badgley’s foot, who if they would’ve won would’ve easily gotten the game ball. The Bears are going to be a top-ten pick this year if this keeps up, and that’s where I see them finish.
27- New Orleans Saints (1-3)
Andy Dalton in a Saints uniform will never look normal to me, nor will Andy Dalton in the NFL for that matter. It’s not that I don’t respect what he’s done, I just can’t believe he’s not on the Bengals. The “Red Rocket” had 236 yards and a passing touchdown in the awkward 25-28 loss against Minnesota. The Saints are looking for the quarterback of their future in the next draft, and with a better-than-decent player under center, maybe the Saints could figure it out, or maybe the Saints have to go full rebuild mode for years to come just like their rival Atlanta Falcons have had to do as well.
28- Detroit Lions (1-3)
Detroit is honestly so close to being a team and winning games, but they’re still missing that special ingredient. Jared Goff had 378 yards for four touchdowns and an interception in the close 45-48 loss to Seattle. You don’t see a tight end put up over 150 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns, but T.J. Hockenson had himself a day. The Lions are due for five-to-six wins this year, and they are on the up and up from past seasons of repetitive failure.
29- Carolina Panthers (1-3)
The Baker Mayfield experience is turning out to be a dumpster fire this season, only bringing the Panthers closer to a top five draft pick. Baker had just under 200 yards passing, a touchdown and two interceptions, which will never be enough to win games with this team. You may be thinking, even without a competent quarterback, Christian McCaffrey is still on the team, but he also had a dud of a game, only rushing for 27 yards. Luckily for Carolina, McCaffrey remembered he could catch the ball, having 81 receiving yards and the lone passing touchdown. Carolina has some of the building blocks to be a good team in a few years, but the Panthers are playing with Lincoln Logs, and the rest of the league is playing with Legos.
30- Indianapolis Colts (1-2-1)
Nothing is clicking for the Colts, even with once MVP Matt Ryan and stud Jonathan Taylor. Matt Ryan had over 350 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, but it still felt like they were never close to winning this game, even if Tennessee has had a slow start. Jonathan Taylor had most likely the worst game of his career, rushing the ball twenty times for forty-two yards, taking up a lot of time rushing but not getting much back in return. While filtering through Luck, Rivers, and now Ryan has seemingly worked, it may be time to give up on the 2010 underdog quarterbacks and draft a new kid in 2023.
31- Washington Commanders (1-3)
The Commanders plan of having Carson Wentz throw the ball forty-plus times per game was working for a second, but now it has come to a screeching halt. Wentz had 170 yards, a passing touchdown and two interceptions. No receiver or running back had over fifty yards, the lone touchdown going to Jahan Dotson. I’m not saying Washington was a favorite to win the division, but their performance has shocked many at how pitiful they’ve played, and division rival Dallas ran them into the ground on Sunday.
32- Houston Texans (0-3-1)
The Texans remain the only team without a win in week four, and they have accepted their fate of a top three draft pick next year. The Davis Mills project doesn’t need to be talked about, but I do believe it is going to work out for Houston in the long run. Mills went for 246 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The highlight of this loss to Los Angeles had to be Dameon Pierce, who was the lone rusher for Houston, having 131 yards and one touchdown. This was the best the Texans have played this season, against a team like Washington, this would’ve been a win, but unfortunately they played the Chargers.
Week Four was a fun one for sure, a lot of great matchups and crazy final scores, and even a Scorigami! Let me know your opinions in the comments down below and check out my socials!
TheDyspatch 