Sam Darnold’s MVP run continues, Ravens save season with win in Dallas
Sports Seriously’s Mackenzie Salmon “overreacts” to the key news from Sunday’s games.
Sport in Seriousness
NFL power rankings entering week four of the 2024 season (previous ranking in parentheses):
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1): Have they looked more impressive than the 31 other teams over the last three weeks? Probably not, especially after a couple of close calls over the last two weeks. And maybe an already banged-up offense looks a little uncoordinated after the teams were stripped of Pro Bowl TE Travis Kelce. But a team on a mission to get its third straight win refuses to lose. QB Patrick Mahomes and the defense make the crucial plays when they need to. Pure respect will put them at the top of this list until a loss, either on the field or personnel-wise, necessitates a change.
2. Buffalo Bills (3): Have they looked better than the 31 other teams over the three weeks? A perfect record with a league-best point differential of +64 suggests so for a group that is seeking its fifth consecutive AFC East title and much more. Big test in Baltimore on Sunday night, the Bills’ third consecutive prime-time game.
3. Minnesota Vikings (7): Have they looked more impressive than the 31 other teams through three weeks en route to their first 3-0 start in eight years? That’s not a difficult argument to make. Fully activated QB Sam Darnold leads the league in touchdown passes (8), the defense leads the league in sacks (16) and Kevin O’Connell could lead the league in Coach of the Year voting – if you were to do a mock ballot. A very impressive start, especially considering the quality wins against the 49ers and Texans.
4. Detroit Lions (5): DE Aidan Hutchinson is still in top form and on pace for 37 sacks (early enough), and his team will need that pressure against this week’s opponent, Seattle, who have beaten the Lions six times in a row – the average score over the last three meetings was 45-35.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (9): According to Next Gen Stats, RB Saquon Barkley’s decisive 65-yard touchdown sprint on Sunday was the most notable run of the young season, as it went 62 yards farther than expected.
6. Green Bay Packers (11): Despite quarterback Jordan Love being sidelined with a knee injury, they have somehow become the league’s best running attack – the Pack’s 612 rushing yards are the fourth-most of any team through three games since 1990.
7. New York Jets (10): QB Aaron Rodgers never threw a touchdown pass to a first-round wideout in his 18 years in Green Bay…but now he has Garrett Wilson. Speaking of former Packers passers, Rodgers was the first NYJ QB1 to beat New England under the lights since…Brett Favre 16 years ago.
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (12): It’s hard to say how close their top-notch defense is to breaking point, but the demands on quarterback Justin Fields are sure to increase as the offensive players around him continue to decline.
9. New Orleans Saints (6): Understandably, so much attention has been focused on their offense. But when was the last time a slot corner (Alontae Taylor) was among the league’s sack leaders (3½)?
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4): They are the only team that has never allowed a touchdown pass, but only one team has allowed more than the Bucs’ six touchdowns.
11. Houston Texans (2): As the running game has disappeared, so has the offense. After scoring 29 points and 213 yards on the ground in Week 1, Houston has failed to match those totals in the last two weeks combined.
12. San Francisco 49ers (8): Injuries are generally the only factor that has held Kyle Shanahan’s teams back — in the regular season — and, boy, are they piling up now. DT Javon Hargrave (triceps) is now out for the year, while QB Brock Purdy is dealing with a stubborn back and his first dip below .500. When RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) returns is uncertain.
13. Atlanta Falcons (13): Their offensive line is banged up, as is their third-down conversion rate (22.2%) – and red zone efficiency was nil after Sunday night’s loss to the Chiefs. Those aren’t encouraging signs, with two key division games at home (Saints, Bucs) coming up in the next two weeks.
14. Arizona Cardinals (17): Is it safe to say that quarterback Kyler Murray is back to full physical health? His 10.7 yards per carry are the best in the league among players with at least 10 attempts.
15. Seattle Seahawks (20): They’ve taken on a trio of teams that each have just one win, and Sunday’s game at Ford Field will be the first real test for the early NFC West leaders (who have a two-game lead).
16. Los Angeles Chargers (14): Bad week for Team Harbaugh. With QB Justin Herbert and both offensive tackles injured and S Derwin James now suspended, can the Bolts simply opt for a two-week break instead of hosting the Chiefs, who they’ve lost five in a row to, this Sunday?
17. Baltimore Ravens (15): Good week for Team Harbaugh. But even though running back Derrick Henry seems to be plugging into the offense, the defense has a strange dichotomy – the best in the league against the running game and the worst against the passing game.
18. Washington Commanders (27): Their “good college offense” has scored the most points for Washington (38) in four years, according to Cincy CB Cam Taylor-Britt, while QB Jayden Daniels set a rookie record for the number of passes completed in a game (91.3%). The Commanders have not punted since Week 1. If the season ended today — which it doesn’t — they would lead the NFC East.
19. Los Angeles Rams (26): Why doesn’t running back Kyren Williams’ flip over former All-Pro Niners S Talanoa Hufanga into the end zone get more attention – especially since it’s the play that sparked Sunday’s improbable comeback?
20. Indianapolis Colts (22): If they want to establish themselves as a team with playoff qualities, quarterback Anthony Richardson, with a completion rate of 49.3%, cannot remain at the bottom of the table.
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21. Dallas Cowboys (18): They have given up 72 points and nearly 900 yards in the last two weeks. Maybe the defense isn’t “all there”? Maybe a game in Dallas, where the Cowboys have lost three in a row, will help them out of their current slump.
22. Denver Broncos (30): Maybe they deserved a little more respect after facing three teams with a combined record of 8-1 and whose only loss was the Broncos’ shocking loss to the Bucs on Sunday.
23. Carolina Panthers (32): In Sunday’s surprise win over Las Vegas, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton came off the bench and threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns – a total that Bryce Young has never surpassed on the bench in the NFL.
24.Cincinnati Bengals (16): Remember when quarterback Joe Burrow said, “That (Super Bowl) window is my whole career”? You’re a real badass, dude…not that it would have been fair to expect you to carry this franchise for more than a few years.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (21): Sure, there’s a lot of focus on an unsettled quarterback spot, but a running game that’s averaging the league average at 51 yards per game and 2.8 yards per attempt doesn’t help matters.
26. Chicago Bears (24): Understandably, Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick with a passer rating of 65.3, the lowest among NFC quarterbacks, is being looked at with skepticism. But RB D’Andre Swift hasn’t proven himself yet either. His 37 carries have brought him a measly 68 yards, which is the worst offense in the conference (249.3 yards per game).
27. New York Giants (31): Their 14 sacks trail only Minnesota, making the G-Men the fourth team in the last 43 seasons to have nine players record at least half a sack in the same game.
28. Cleveland Browns (19): Injuries have hit them hard. Again. But if reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett’s feet become uncontrollable, this team’s season will be over, too… if it hasn’t already.
29. Miami Dolphins (25): Since they apparently haven’t signed QB Russell Wilson – yet – it looks like QBs Tim Boyle and/or Snoop Huntley will be tasked with keeping the season going against the even more hapless Titans next Monday night.
30. New England Patriots (28): Of all the thankless tasks quarterback Jacoby Brissett has had over the years, serving as a human shield for rookie Drake Maye has to rank at the bottom.
31. Tennessee Titans (29): Few teams have spent this much money during free agency… and this time it turns out that it’s not the optimal way to build a roster and can actually make an 0-3 start seem even worse.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (23): Few teams have spent this much money during free agency… and this time it turns out that it’s not the optimal way to build a roster and can actually make an 0-3 start seem even worse.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ByNateDavis.
