NFL Power Rankings, Week 4: Bills and Vikings hit top three! Commanders soar, while 49ers plummet

There are a jillion ways to win a football game, and Kansas City could be on a quest to experience each and every one. That's now three close-shave victories in three games, all coming down to the final minute. The Chiefs have never backed down from high degrees of difficulty in their routines, and Sunday night in Atlanta required them to hang on after a slew of defensive penalties, needing a Nick Bolton fourth-down stuff to pull it out. There are still some limitations on offense, and the big play was nowhere to be found versus the Falcons, but the back-to-back reigning champs are getting it done. Undrafted rookie RB Carson Steele held up in place of Isiah Pacheco. Rashee Rice turned in another huge game. Travis Kelce woke up a little after halftime but remained underwhelming overall. It wasn't Patrick Mahomes' best night, but he was still the best QB on the field. The Chiefs are now 77-22 in the regular season with Mahomes as a starting QB. Seven wins every nine times he suits up. This season, they're 3-for-3.

The Bills really could make a case for No. 1 here, but I didn't want to be the guy who dropped the Chiefs from the top spot after the back-to-back Super Bowl champs opened the season with three wins. But the way Buffalo absolutely obliterated Jacksonville served as a firm reminder that this team isn't going anywhere. It was a near-perfect night for the Bills. Josh Allen got cooking early, burgeoning his early MVP candidacy. Dalton Kincaid scored his first touchdown of the season. Khalil Shakir took another step forward. Keon Coleman caught his first NFL TD pass. And in the moment that truly energized the crowd, Damar Hamlin snagged his first career interception. Buffalo has a different level of focus and execution to start this season, one that took way too long to develop a year ago. Guess that Super Bowl window hasn't closed just yet.

Vikings fans: Yes, I hear you! You’ve proven your point, and it’s time for that point to be reflected properly in these rankings. I harbored some doubt about Sam Darnold and a banged-up offense, as well as a defense that had been impressive the first two games but with clear caveats. Throw those concerns out the window following the 27-point blowout of the Texans, who were pretty much cooked by the third quarter. Darnold was sacked four times, but the offense took advantage of great field position on the first two scores. That was thanks to a masterful defensive game plan from Brian Flores, who could once again be a head-coaching candidate to watch this coming offseason. He blitzed the heck out of C.J. Stroud, and the plan worked. Stroud had been effective versus extra rushers his first season-plus, but the Vikings were undaunted in coming after him. And what a sweet day it had to be for Jonathan Greenard to sting his former team for three sacks.

Jared Goff played a cleaner game Sunday, but he still threw a regrettable interception that kept the Cardinals in it. That's now four picks in three outings for Goff, and he could have had another -- a pick-six, no less -- late in the second quarter had the referees not blown the play dead just ahead of the two-minute warning. He also took a pair of sacks, both of which he appeared to walk himself into (including one vs. a three-man rush). Goff was more accurate this time out, completing 18 of his 23 passes despite Sam LaPorta missing most of the second half and Jameson Williams having a quiet game. The hook-and-ladder play was a reminder that this offense still is juicy and fun. But Sunday's victory had as much to do with Detroit's defense stepping up in a big way. There were still a few coverage slip-ups, but the pressure and tackling were strong all game.

I'm not sure what got into a run defense that was gashed in two straight games to open the season, but Vic Fangio's front got the job done well against New Orleans. The Eagles also made life tough on Derek Carr and the Saints' passing game, turning in one of the better all-around defensive performances in the Nick Sirianni era. Now, Sirianni's decision-making? That remains dicey after some curious choices again Sunday, keeping the game remarkably close in spite of Philadelphia holding a yardage edge of more than 250 at one point in the game. Jalen Hurts also is hurting his team with turnovers, although his play this season has been more good than bad overall. But Week 2 was a reminder of the Eagles' ability to lose a game they shouldn't, so I'm still a little cautious with how high I'm ready to jump them up the list.

All offseason, I issued warnings that maybe we were all elevating the Texans beyond where they belonged, and boom: I completely ignored my own advice last week in kicking Houston all the way up to the No. 3 spot. Lesson learned. Sunday's 34-7 loss at Minnesota was a humbling experience for the young Texans. Not having Joe Mixon or Dameon Pierce turned out to be a big factor, as the run game was eliminated early. Cam Akers had three negative runs and a long of 9 yards. The offensive line issues aren't going away. Juice Scruggs had a tough game at center, and even Pro Bowl LT Laremy Tunsil seemed to have his hands full. Honesty, no Texans blocker can shirk blame after this one. The timing in the passing game also felt disjointed for a second straight week. Even while facing two stronger defenses, that's obviously a worry for Houston, considering the aerial attack was expected to be the team's superpower this season.

For two weeks in a row, Matt LaFleur has delivered a game-planning masterpiece, tailoring his offense beautifully to the skills of Malik Willis. In Week 2 against the Colts, it was clear LaFleur kept the training wheels on for a QB who has been an uneven passer in his career -- and who had only been traded to Green Bay just a few weeks earlier. Facing the Titans on Sunday, LaFleur extended the leash quite a bit, and Willis responded against his former team with an absolute gem of a performance that was as poised as it was pristine, setting career highs in passing (202) and rushing yards (73). In two starts, Willis has completed 75.8 percent of his passes, and he hasn't turned the ball over once. That's a huge reason why the Packers are 2-0 this season without Jordan Love -- and the QB could be back from his knee injury soon, perhaps in Week 4 against the Vikings. If this season becomes a special one in Green Bay after the tough opener in Brazil, Willis' contributions could end up being surprisingly significant.

For the first three quarters in Dallas, the Ravens looked like a team that read last week's Power Rankings and still saw their name within spitting distance of the league's heavyweights. Lamar Jackson was highly efficient, thanks in part to a great day from his pass catchers. Derrick Henry was mauling Cowboys defenders. It looked like 2023 for 45 minutes. And yes, the Ravens won. But Baltimore allowed 19 unanswered points in the final nine minutes to turn a laugher into a real sweat. The Ravens have now been outplayed and outscored in two straight fourth quarters, and that has to worry John Harbaugh because it has been a chronic issue for his teams. But the win likely saved Baltimore’s season. Since 1990, 0-3 teams have made the playoffs just 2.5 percent of the time, while 1-2 teams are 10 times more likely (25.1%) to earn a postseason bid.

The offense keeps taking baby steps forward each week while the defense continues its dominance, allowing a mere 26 points through three games. Justin Fields turned in his best overall game as a Steeler, running for one score and throwing for another, attacking the middle of the field more effectively than we’ve previously seen from him. The Chargers helped him out with some poor tackling after the catch and suspect angles to the ball, but Fields is playing low-mistake football now, with just six sacks taken and one interception through three games. Even with the loss of Troy Fautanu, Broderick Jones took his spot at right tackle and played a much better game than he did in Week 2. This is a formula Mike Tomlin can win with -- and has before -- with the defense doing a lot of the heavy lifting. Take a peek at the schedule. Depending on your view of the Cowboys and Jets right now, the Steelers’ defense arguably doesn’t face a truly difficult test until the Ravens come to town -- in Week 11!

It's hard to blame Sunday's offensive dud on one injury, but New Orleans just didn't look right after center Erik McCoy (groin) was sidelined in the first series of the game. The offensive line went from a major question in the offseason to an undoubted success over the first two games, but McCoy's injury has the unit back in the question-mark column again. It should worry the Saints a bit that they force-fed Alvin Kamara early but really stalled after the opening field goal drive, all the way through the fourth quarter. Four of the next six games are on the road, including the first two: at Atlanta and at Kansas City. This next spate of games will give us a better idea of which team we'll get: the one that set the league on fire for two weeks, or the one that sputtered out offensively at home for most of four quarters Sunday.

It’s hard not to see the potential of Mike Macdonald’s defense after it disrupted the Dolphins all day in Week 3, but it comes with the caveat of whom Miami had at quarterback. That carries on with the theme through the first three games: The results have been impressive, but the competition level is about to spike. There’s also a rash of injuries up front, with DLs Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams both getting hurt on Sunday and Uchenna Nwosu still out. The offense would love to get RB Kenneth Walker III back soon, but Seattle's not in great shape on the offensive line. There were too many missed assignments and penalties up front, and both of Geno Smith’s interceptions came amid pressure. A rookie coach starting his career at 3-0 is nirvana, but the Seahawks are about to be tested heavily.

I figured that the 49ers would have some fits offensively here and there against the Rams, given their injury woes leading up to the game. But for three-plus quarters, they still had the right formula to win. Jake Moody's missed 55-yard field goal attempt late in the fourth quarter kept the door ajar, and Los Angeles kicked it down to pull out the stunner. But really, San Francisco's troubles went back to the second quarter, when they couldn't protect a 14-0 lead. A fake punt caught the 49ers flat-footed, helping the Rams score a critical touchdown before halftime that changed the arc of the game. Even with the Niners making it a two-score lead later, their special teams and defensive issues were back-breakers. Los Angeles drove for scores on each of its final four drives, aided by some huge penalties that changed field position and sunk San Francisco. Where do the reigning NFC champions go from here? George Kittle could be back soon; perhaps Deebo Samuel, too. But this team's problems appear to run deeper than early injuries.

Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock last Thursday, especially for a short-week game, and he most likely enjoyed the mini-bye, but the Jets also want to keep this offensive momentum going. They're starting to develop something interesting on that side of the ball, with at least half a dozen capable skill-position producers and an offensive line that can withstand injuries for now. Defensively, the competition level rises with this next string of games, but Thursday also was the best performance this group has enjoyed this season. The Week 1 struggles against the 49ers still linger in our minds, but we at least know this unit is capable of turning in a quality performance, even if it came against the offensively challenged Patriots.

When the Chargers intercepted Justin Fields midway through the third quarter, it put them in position to take control of the game, similar to how they leaned on the Raiders late in the Week 1 victory. But the Bolts went three-and-out, with Justin Herbert leaving the game due to injury, and it was all Steelers after that. They scored 10 points on their next two drives and bled out the final five minutes of clock to seal it. Los Angeles obviously can't afford to lose Herbert for an extended period of time, so it was good news that his ankle ailment turned out to be about as positive as it probably could have been. The problem is that three other key Chargers left the game with injuries: edge menace Joey Bosa and offensive tackles Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Taylor Heinicke was sacked three times in five dropbacks, which obviously isn't a sustainable rate if he needs to step into the starting lineup for Herbert. It's a bit of a scary time for the Chargers heading into a matchup with the Chiefs, but the early bye in Week 5 might end up being a blessing, allowing the Bolts to get their health in order.

Bucs fans leaned into me for ranking them 12th last week following their big win over Detroit. I did not see a clunker coming like the one Tampa Bay delivered in Week 3, but I did have some worries about the defense. Those concerns were elevated after the Bucs couldn't get any pressure on Broncos QB Bo Nix; they clearly missed both Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey up front. The secondary held together in Week 2 but fell apart Sunday, especially early on. And we can't absolve the offense for its issues, as Baker Mayfield's early interception set the Broncos up in a goal-to-go situation, helping stake them to a 17-zip lead. A TD before halftime gave Tampa a chance to steal the game back, but the Bucs did nothing offensively in the third quarter and turned it over twice in the fourth, driving inside Denver's 25-yard line twice but coming away with no points. This is one where you just bury the game ball and hope the team can be more mentally sharp the next time out.

Jayden Daniels was already among the league leaders in completion percentage at 75.5 percent, and that was before he completed 21 of 23 passes on Monday night in a stunningly good performance that fueled the Commanders' road upset of the Bengals. Daniels was so cool and poised all night, leading six scoring drives (five TDs) in six tries, not counting kneeldowns. He sprayed the ball all over, including a few gorgeous deep shots, and was a terror with his legs, rushing for a touchdown and five first downs, frustrating the Bengals all night. Daniels now has completed 61 of 76 passes this season, good for a fiery 80.3 percent. The NFL record for a season is Drew Brees' 74.4 percent in 2018, at 8.2 yards per attempt. It's only three games, but Daniels is averaging 8.7 yards per attempt so far. Just a remarkable start in what certainly looks like an Offensive Rookie of the Year type of season early on. Oh, and the Commanders are suddenly pretty fun, too.

A disturbing formula has emerged over the past two games where the Cowboys can't stop the run and can't generate big plays offensively until they're down big. Lamar Jackson and Derrick Henry often had a head of steam before any Cowboys could touch them in Sunday's defeat, as the Ravens stayed ahead of the sticks most of the afternoon. Baltimore had one third-and-long situation all game prior to the end of the third quarter. When that happens, the Cowboys' great pass rushers are neutralized. Running the ball on offense also has been a problem for Dallas, as the RB triumvirate hasn't come close to combining for 100 ground yards in any of the three games so far. Dak Prescott was held down for three quarters before a furious rally that came up just short. Dallas isn't completely down and out, but it's feeling mighty shaky all of a sudden.

What a breath of fresh air to see the Colts have an effective game defensively, taking away the Bears’ run game and forcing them to live and die with Caleb Williams. Gus Bradley's unit forced just enough mistakes to make it a strong game overall from the defense. Offensively, though, the questions remain. Do the Colts need to revise their plans for Anthony Richardson? It’s not a stretch to say they won on Sunday despite his performance. He’s been an all-or-nothing player through three games, completing less than 50 percent of his passes and averaging two picks per game. Richardson hit on two big passes against Chicago, for 40 and 44 yards, and those two completions made up more than half his passing yards. He showed some toughness late as a runner, but overall, this still feels like Jonathan Taylor’s offense -- or it should. Richardson’s big-play ability is what makes him dangerous, but his turnovers and accuracy issues are impossible to ignore. 

Sunday’s thriller felt like a season-saving win, and Los Angeles' desperation was palpable. The Rams still have their share of issues, but if they can get to the Week 6 bye in relatively good shape, record-wise, who knows? We saw them rise from the ashes of 3-6 to not only make the playoffs a year ago but then enter as a dangerous team. There’s a ton of football left between now and the postseason, and a lot of big challenges are still to come in a tough schedule, but in a one-week-at-a-time league with few transcendent teams to this point, Sean McVay’s squad can’t be counted out. Let’s be clear and point out the Rams’ defense will have to turn in better performances going forward, as the 49ers moved the ball consistently all day without three of their best playmakers, but a win is a win -- and this was a massive one.

The Falcons are more competitive with the threat of Kirk Cousins and the passing game, which produced some big plays to Drake London, Darnell Mooney and Kyle Pitts against the Chiefs. But when the run game is stalled, it’s still a team with shortcomings. Ray-Ray McCloud had a 20-yard end around late in the game, but the Falcons gained just 63 rushing yards on the other 23 handoffs Sunday night. One big reason for the struggles was the offensive line suffering two injuries, with C Drew Dalman and RT Kaleb McGary both leaving the game. Storm Norton seemed to hang in there at right tackle, but Ryan Neuzil appeared to have his hands full at center. A big game against the Saints looms, and the Falcons will need their offensive line in as good of shape as possible for that one. 

From 1990 through last season, 162 teams started at 0-3 -- just four made the playoffs and zero won the Super Bowl. This is what the Bengals are staring at right now. There are winnable games coming up, but Monday night looked like the perfect spot to end the 0-for. Instead, Jayden Daniels shredded Cincinnati's defense time and time again. The Bengals were moving the ball all night, but you can't kick field goals three times (missing one) and beat an opponent that never punts and hits paydirt on nearly every drive. It's hard to completely kill a team that has lost three one-score games, but the Bengals are not a threat right now. They beat themselves too often and can't get those crucial stops late. They won't go quietly, but they're in an uphill battle from here on out.

Bo Nix played his best NFL game, top to bottom, and he looked remarkably comfortable at times -- especially compared to the more chaotic feel the offense had in Weeks 1 and 2. The offensive line protected Nix well, and he made quality snap decisions and delivered very catchable balls more often than not. The run game did just enough, thanks to Nix's scrambling, Jaleel McLaughlin's miracle TD early and Tyler Badie's fine work in the fourth quarter. And how about Denver's defense? Patrick Surtain II clamped down on Mike Evans, and the front pressured Baker Mayfield relentlessly, to the tune of seven sacks and 18 pressures, per Next Gen Stats. Mayfield threw 33 times, but the longest pass play Denver allowed was for just 13 yards. This win was much-needed after the Broncos let a pair of close games slip away to start the year.

After the opening TD drive against Detroit, Arizona's offense really hit the skids, turning the ball over twice on downs and once via interception when Kyler Murray tried to force the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. The rookie receiver has provided some big plays in the past two games, but the Cardinals can’t seem to consistently get the ball into his hands. Arizona just couldn’t get much going in the middle chunk of this game, crossing midfield three times but generating just three points on those drives. They were 1-for-9 on third downs, too, spoiling a decent effort from a defense that has made strides. Right now, the strength of this team still lies on offense, so if Jonathan Gannon’s squad is going to pull off more upsets, it has to come with stronger showings on that side of the ball. The opportunities were there on Sunday, but the Cards couldn’t close the deal.

Caleb Williams made some terrific plays in an up-and-down performance in the loss to the Colts, but the Bears have some serious identity questions right now on offense. Pass protection remains an issue, and Williams’ pocket feel and decision making still have room for improvement. The run game has been a disappointment overall, with D’Andre Swift struggling to find his footing. The Bears tried to get Roschon Johnson and Khalil Herbert involved, but neither did much. New offensive coordinator Shane Waldron seems like he’s still feeling his way through things, having a few tough moments in the loss. The failed fourth-and-goal option play felt doomed from the start. The timeout prior to the two-point conversion was a waste of resources. The Bears remain hindered by injuries on offense. The first half of the season always was going to be somewhat of a heuristic affair with Williams and all the new pieces, but it’s frustrating to watch right now.

This has to be the lowest point for Mike McDaniel’s team in his reign after it was unable to mount anything resembling an offensive drive until Sunday’s game against the Seahawks was out of reach. Those drives came with Tim Boyle at quarterback, replacing an injured Skylar Thompson, who floundered for two-plus quarters before leaving with a rib issue. With Tua Tagovailoa out until at least Week 8, the only other QB on the roster who could factor in here is Tyler Huntley. McDaniel has been very praiseworthy of Thompson, but he can’t feel great about what his offense did Sunday. Even with the 0-3 Titans and 1-2 Patriots up next, these feel like scary games. The Dolphins have to find a way to get to the Week 6 bye with another win or two, but even that feels like a stretch assumption now.

A crisis has now turned into an epidemic. Blaming the offensive line for all of the Browns' issues is unfair, but it's impossible to look past what's happening out there. On Sunday, three more linemen were hurt: Jedrick Wills Jr., Wyatt Teller and James Hudson III, with an MCL sprain set to cost Teller around four weeks. The Browns had eight active O-linemen Sunday, and every one of them played 15 or more snaps. It's to the point where they're having to roll with front fives that have not worked together, much less with people in their ideal places. Deshaun Watson and the Browns had zero answers for the Giants' pressure packages, and he was sacked eight times on 45 dropbacks. Watson has held the ball too long; no argument there. But not every sack is on him. The Browns simply don't have an offensive identity with all these issues, and Sunday provided proof that their strong defense can't bail them out of trouble every single week. A strange, troubling start to the season in Cleveland.

Jacoby Brissett never had a chance against the Jets, snowed under by the rush seemingly every time he dropped back to pass, so it was surprising in the immediate aftermath of the loss when head coach Jerod Mayo initially punted on the question of whether he would make a QB change. The next day, Mayo made it clear that Brissett was his starter and Drake Maye would remain QB2. The Patriots were fundamentally sound in the Week 1 upset in Cincinnati, and they were at least competitive in the loss to the Seahawks, albeit with more mistakes than this team can afford. But they weren’t competitive in Week 3. Executing the pure basics -- blocking and tackling -- is absolutely crucial if this team wants to win more games soon. New England catches some breaks, facing the 49ers and Dolphins when they’re really banged up, but it won’t matter unless the Patriots do a much better job with the fundamentals than they did last Thursday.

I took some heat for not raising the Raiders much after their Week 2 upset of the Ravens, but I truly felt after watching that game that Baltimore gave it away as much as Las Vegas won it. While my pick of the Panthers to beat the Raiders on Sunday was a bit of a dart throw, Antonio Pierce offered some strong words for his team after the loss that made me think I might have been onto something. The defense is too Maxx Crosby-dependent in general, and when he's banged up, as he was this week, the poor results can be eye-opening. The offense has been too reliant on the passing game, which feels odd for a team with QB questions, even taking into account the Raiders' pass-catching talent. Pierce brought Aidan O'Connell into the game late, but he's keeping Gardner Minshew in the QB1 role for now. If the Raiders can't win against the Browns or Broncos coming up, this season could slip away pretty fast. 

Eleven seconds into Sunday's game, the Giants had already coughed up the opening kickoff and allowed Amari Cooper to sneak behind them, setting up a 7-0 lead for the Browns. If you -- like me -- thought, Here we go again, you cannot be blamed. The Giants did not look good in their 0-2 start, so falling behind early in Cleveland felt like a death knell. Oh, how wrong we were. It wasn't easy, but New York earned a welcome road win by showing terrific tenacity, turning the quick deficit into a 21-7 halftime advantage. It helps to have Malik Nabers. The rookie was outstanding again, running for a key fourth-down conversion and catching eight passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. If you've avoided Big Blue football, do yourself a favor and check this guy out. The Giants still have a lot to sort through, but they might have the best rookie in the NFL. Their next five games come against teams that had winning records a year ago, and that stretch includes two squads that are unbeaten so far this season, but on Sunday, they secured some well-timed relief. 

The Jaguars now have lost eight straight games with Trevor Lawrence starting. It's a startling fact to see, considering how strong Lawrence looked in his breakout season of 2022. He began the 2023 season in solid form, as well. But he just hasn't looked quite right since about midseason last year, and especially in the first three games of this season. The man's completion rate is barely above 50 percent. The blocking has been bad. The offensive design from Press Taylor and Doug Pederson has looked disjointed. And, yes, I haven't even touched on Jacksonville's defensive no-show on Monday night. After yielding three total touchdowns in the first two games, the Jags allowed the Bills to rack up that many on their first three drives. In fact, Buffalo scored touchdowns on its first five possessions, piling up 288 yards before halftime. It's officially panic time in Jacksonville.

Dave Canales absolutely deserved to lead a raucous postgame celebration of Sunday's win, which was his first as a head coach and only the second for the Panthers since last Halloween. Canales' controversial decision to bench Bryce Young after two games and turn to Andy Dalton was validated by Dalton's delivery of a Red Rifle classic. The veteran threw for three touchdowns and looked totally in command, as if he'd been running this offense as the starter since OTAs. If you're a glass-half-empty type, well, no, this one didn't make Young look great in comparison, as the Panthers had much better rhythm than they did at any time he was running the offense. The energy and body language also felt far different Sunday. But questions about the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft can wait; for now, we're looking forward, and Carolina is 1-0 in the AD era. For the first time in forever, the Panthers have elevated from the Power Rankings basement. The view surely isn't too shabby from here after they were below ground for the better part of a year.

For the first time in almost a year, we have a new No. 32. QB Will Levis is up to eight turnovers now through three games, and those turnovers have led to 25 points for the opponents. Mind you, Tennessee has scored only 48 points as a team so far, failing to reach 20 in any single game. The mistakes are not all on Levis, as his offensive line has not protected him well at all. Levis was sacked eight times Sunday, with half of those coming on third and fourth downs. There might also be a play-calling element responsible for all the negative plays, but Levis has been too careless on throws outside the numbers, too shaky with his ball control in the pocket and too unaware of pressure closing in. It has been a terribly humbling start to the season for the Titans, even if they probably should have at least one victory. This is a critical time for Brian Callahan. There are winnable games on both sides of the Week 5 bye, but Tennessee looks far too sloppy right now.