The first month of the NFL season zoomed by, and it appeared that fans are beginning to see which teams are the best in the league and which teams may be vying for the No. 1 pick come December.
There are only two undefeated teams – the Kansas City Chiefs and the Minnesota Vikings – while the Jacksonville Jaguars have yet to enter the win column.
Additionally, Jayden Daniels has become a bright spot in the league. He’s led the Washington Commanders to the top of the NFC East to start the season.
The storylines are coming together, but there’s still a lot that will happen before we sniff Week 18.
Here’s how this week’s NFL power rankings shape up to be.
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The fact that the Kansas City Chiefs offense and Patrick Mahomes have played below standard during their four-game win streak only attests to how strong this team actually is. It's illogical to think Mahomes will continue to play as poorly as he has, but the Chiefs can take solace in knowing they can still win games against quality opponents if he does continue to play like a game manager. No other team in the league has that combination of established success with a wealth of untapped potential this early in the season.
Last week: 1
It’s hard to fathom that the Sam Darnold-led Vikings are one of two undefeated teams in the NFL, but here we are. Kevin O’Connell should be the runaway favorite for coach of the year with the job he’s done in Minnesota over the first month of the season.
Last week: 3
Jared Goff continues to play well for Detroit, and they have so many weapons on offense. Their defensive line continues to generate pressure, but there are still questions about the secondary. It’s still unclear if they are true Super Bowl contenders, though.
Last week: 5
No shame in losing on the road to the Ravens in prime time. Buffalo won September and could probably play .500 ball the rest of the season and still win the AFC East. The division is that bad.
Last week: 1
The Ravens seem to have found their groove again after a narrow victory over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3, but a blowout win over the Buffalo Bills has solidified their game. The Ravens run game, led by Derrick Henry, Justice Hill and Lamer Jackson, paved the way to a 35-10 victory and three combined for 271 yards on the ground. The Ravens’ defense was just as good, limiting Josh Allen to one touchdown for the Bills' first loss of the season.
Last week: 13
Things were close this week with the divisional foe Jaguars coming to H-Town, but C.J. Stroud & Co. got the job done as he continues to thrive with Nico Collins, the NFL’s leading receiver through four weeks, and Stefon Diggs as trusted targets. Houston also showcased its depth at running back with Joe Mixon sidelined, as Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale managed to run well against the Jaguars’ defense. Quite the bounce-back for Stroud and the Texans after getting beat up on the road by the Vikings last week.
Last week: 9
For the second time in their last two matchups, the Buccaneers dominated the Eagles. This game looked eerily like the Bucs' NFC Wild Card victory over the Eagles last season. Baker Mayfield picked apart the Eagles' secondary, throwing for nearly 350 yards and two touchdowns. The Buccaneers defensive front lived in the Eagles backfield, sacking Jalen Hurts six times and forcing two fumbles. This was a nice bounce back win after losing to the Broncos last week.
Last week: 14
After Deebo Samuel and George Kittle returned from injuries, San Francisco showed how dangerous they can be, blowing out New England this weekend. We should see more of the same against Arizona, which just allowed 42 points to a rising Commanders team.
Last week: 12
We saw career nights for Jared Goff and Kenneth Walker on Monday night, but their defense is now officially concerning. Their offense is good enough, though, to keep them in it until the final whistle.
Last week: 6
They are the biggest surprise team in the NFL right now, no question. And, no, Jayden Daniels will probably not be completing 80% of his passes the rest of the season. Defensive coordinators will figure out how to curb that. But make no mistake: He will have answers when defenses provide new questions.
Last week: 16
The Steelers' perfect season hit a significant roadblock this weekend: Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor. Pittsburgh’s defense couldn’t stop Taylor, who left the game early with an apparent ankle injury. He finished the day with 21 rushing attempts for 88 yards as well as a touchdown on Indy’s first series. The Steelers top-ranked defense fell flat, and the offense led by Justin Fields wasn’t any better.
Last week: 4
Losing to the Buccaneers is one thing. But losing to them when they survived a hurricane, overcame having 20 guys on the injured list, and it was a blowout? This suggests an underlying problem with the Eagles.
Last week: 7
There might not be a bigger enigma in the NFL than the Green Bay Packers, now 0-2 with Jordan Love starting and 2-0 with Malik Willis under center. It’s hard to know how good the Packers are, so October is a huge month for this team.
Last week: 8
It’s always a tough loss when losing one on a last-second field goal to your division rival. What makes this loss even tougher for the Saints is they did not give up an offensive touchdown. The only touchdowns the Falcons scored were a pick-six on a batted Derek Carr pass and a fumble recovery in the end zone after a muffed punt. This is the second straight week when the Saints have blown fourth-quarter leads after starting the season out scorching hot.
Last week: 11
The Cowboys have won the last few years on talent. Well, their talent is struggling to stay healthy now. So, the focus is on how good (or not) the coaching staff is for the next few weeks.
Last week: 17
A late field goal secured the Falcons' second win of the season, but if this team wants to contend for the postseason, it will have to fix the offense. While the defense has largely done its part, having the unit on the field for long periods of time every game is not sustainable. The Falcons have lost the time of possession stat in every game this season, and the offense can’t seem to convert on third downs with any level of consistency.
Last week: 20
The defense is holding up its end of the bargain, so when will the offense catch up? Aaron Rodgers is losing patience, it seems, and it won’t be long before blame starts being passed around. Could a mid-season acquisition (say, Davante Adams) get the Jets on track?
Last week: 10
Justin Herbert is now 1-6 against Patrick Mahomes. Even in a game where Mahomes struggled, Herbert did even less. The Chargers are not in too much trouble, they still have a talented roster, and with an accomplished coach and a quarterback who can win, they will surely be a playoff contender as the season goes on. But their ceiling as a team seems to appear harder and harder every time they play the Chiefs.
Last week: 15
There are signs of life in the Bengals' locker room. Joe Burrow led Cincinnati to its first win of the season with two rushing touchdowns and two passing and finished 22 of 31 for 232 yards. The Bengals' offense finally seemed to click in their 34-24 win over the Panthers – just in time for a game against division opponent Baltimore.
Last week: 21
The Colts were able to finally notch a win this season, and it came in a hard-fought effort against the undefeated Steelers at home. Anthony Richardson had to leave this game with a hip injury, but Joe Flacco came in and threw for two touchdowns and 168 yards on a 61.5% completion rate as the veteran journeyman continues to prove he can still sling it. There is a chance Richardson can play against the Jaguars this week, but after watching Flacco move the ball against a stout Pittsburgh defense, perhaps head coach Shane Steichen is confident in him starting if Richardson isn’t 100%.
Last week: 23
The Bears are 2-2, but they feel like a much worse team than their record. Caleb Williams has been OK, but he’s been heavily outshined by No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels. Still, they have the Panthers and Jaguars as their next two opponents before the bye week, so the door is open for a 4-2 start despite uneven play.
Last week: 24
Denver is undoubtedly trending up after back-to-back wins against teams with high expectations. Their latest win ventures further into fluke territory with the unusual nature of how the game played out, but a win is a win, and the Broncos' defense has been one of the best in the league so far this year. They may soon clear their expectations of being a bottom-five team.
Last week: 27
From beating the Ravens to losing to the Panthers to a bounce-back win against Cleveland, the Raiders are the team no one can quite figure out yet. One thing is for sure, defense is the identity of this team under the leadership of head coach Antonio Pierce, and with Gardner Minshew at quarterback, Vegas will only go as far as their defense takes them.
Last week: 28
This current version of the Rams without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp simply cannot contend. That win against San Fran seems to be a bit of a fluke at this point, especially considering Samuel and Kittle were both absent.
Last week: 19
This is now back-to-back weeks of disappointing offense, and it’s concerning to see Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison and James Conner only put up 14 points against a terrible Commanders defense. Things don’t get easier as they head to San Fran this weekend.
Last week: 18
It’s starting to feel like GM Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel might not survive the season. If you’re the Dolphins owner, do you want that duo deciding what to do with a top-5 draft pick next April?
Last week: 22
They have the makings of a good team, and coach Brian Daboll remains a good coach regardless of the noise in New York. Don't underestimate those things. The obvious thing holding this team back right now is Daniel Jones, who needs significant fixing.
Last week: 26
It might be time to admit that DeShaun Waton’s glory days are well behind him. Even without Maxx Crosby and Davante Adams, the Raiders were able to pull off a 20-16 win over the struggling Browns, who managed to blow a double-digit lead. Cleveland has led in all four matchups this season but is last in the AFC North with a 1-3 record.
Last week: 25
Tennessee dominated a Dolphins squad that is lost for answers on offense without Tua Tagovailoa, but it still wasn’t the prettiest offensive performance. First, Will Levis injured his shoulder, forcing backup Mason Rudolph into the game, and the latter was just 9-for-17 for 85 yards. A touchdown wasn’t seen in this game until the third quarter, though running back Tony Pollard was solid with over 100 scrimmage yards. Head coach Brian Callahan said Levis is "100%" the team’s starting quarterback as long as he’s healthy, and the Titans still need to work on offense despite seeing 31 points on the board in Miami.
Last week: 32
Andy Dalton helped stabilize the quarterback position over the last couple of weeks. Instead of focusing on their quarterback woes, the Panthers coaching staff is likely spending more time trying to find ways to overcome the team’s mounting injuries. Shaq Thompson is lost for the year, and defensive lineman Derrick Brown and safety Jordan Fuller were already banged up.
Last week: 30
The big debate in New England right now is whether Drake Maye should take over the offense. The rookie QB can’t be any worse than what the Pats have gotten from Jacoby Brissett, but will Maye’s development be stunted by playing behind such a bad offensive line? Tricky situation for first-year coach Jerod Mayo.
Last week: 29
Trevor Lawrence looked better, the offense was generating scoring drives, and the defense was halting some Texans drives as well. But their efforts were all for naught on the road as Jacksonville still looks for its first win of the season. Head coach Doug Pederson is officially on the hot seat now as the Jaguars’ losing streak going back to last year continues.
Last week: 31
The Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.
