NFL Week 4 Power Rankings: Lions crash the top tier after statement win over the Ravens

We're three weeks into the NFL season, and the surprises have been coming thick and fast. It's still early, but some of the teams we initially thought would be contenders are slipping, while many of the underdogs have surpassed expectations.

As Week 4 rapidly approaches, let's take a look at how teams currently stack up in our power rankings.

1) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0, Even): It took late heroics to secure the win against the Los Angeles Rams, but the best teams find ways to win when others cannot. Getting Saquon Barkley going is paramount; otherwise, they may slip.

2) Buffalo Bills (3-0, Even): Allen is playing well, but the offense still has another gear. Defensively, they improved against Miami and are expected to receive reinforcements returning from injury and suspension soon.

3) Detroit Lions (2-1, Up 4): Defeating the Ravens was huge. The Lions' ground game was excellent, and their pass rush unit dominated Lamar Jackson and Baltimore's offensive line.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-0, Up 5): Their victory over the Jets was unconvincing, but Mayfield is in fine form. The return of Chris Godwin and the rise of Emeka Egbuka mitigate the loss of Mike Evans. The defense needs to step up, especially in the late stages of games.

5) Los Angeles Chargers (3-0, Even): Justin Herbert has been incredible so far, and their best wide receiver - Ladd McConkey - has yet to really get going. Defensively, they have been excellent, but they must learn how to stop opponents in critical situations.

6) Green Bay Packers (2-1, Down 3): Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory against the Browns was not a great look. Jordan Love needs to play better when the game is on the line. With their talented roster, they should bounce back quickly.

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7) Baltimore Ravens (1-2, Down 3): Problems on both sides of the ball have killed one of the league's powerhouses so far. The defense looks uncharacteristically leaky, and the offensive line porous. John Harbaugh will surely right the ship, but can he do it in time to face the Chiefs this weekend?

8) Kansas City Chiefs (1-2, Up 6): An impressive defensive performance against a Giants' offense masked problems rushing the passer. Patrick Mahomes and the offense need to start games faster. We'll know who they truly are after their showdown with Baltimore in Week 4.

9) Washington Commanders (2-1, Down 1): Marcus Mariota and the Commanders' special teams performed well, but the Raiders weren't the most challenging test. Getting Jayden Daniels back and improving in pass coverage is of the utmost importance.

11) Indianapolis Colts (3-0, Even): It almost feels unfair to rank a team with a perfect record this low. Daniel Jones has been at his best, and Jonathan Taylor leads the league in rushing. They need to create more defensive pressure, but Laiatu Latu has been getting close.

12) Los Angeles Rams (2-1, Down 6): They came within a whisker - and a 335lb defensive tackle - from upending the reigning Super Bowl champions. We have reservations about the secondary following the loss of Akhello Witherspoon, but this team should easily place within the top 10 of these rankings in future weeks if they continue to play good football.

13) San Francisco 49ers (3-0, Down 3): Dropping in these rankings despite winning their third straight game on the back of a strong defensive performance seems unjust, but the impact of the injury to Nick Bosa cannot be understated.

14) Minnesota Vikings (2-1, Up 5): The Bengals, playing with Joe Burrow, were not the most challenging of opponents, but the manner and margin of the victory for the Vikings still warrant recognition. They receive Jordan Addison back this week, and Carson Wentz is perhaps not much of a downgrade over J.J. McCarthy.

15) Seattle Seahawks (2-1, Up 2): Defensively, the Seahawks dominated the Saints, and did so without star cornerback Devin Witherspoon. Sam Darnold looks to have found his groove, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba is among the hottest wideouts in the league.

16) Denver Broncos (1-2, Up 2): The Broncos measured up well with the Chargers and would have walked away with the win if Bo Nix had connected with his receivers on some of his deep throws. Getting Dre Greenlaw healthy will be key to winning close games.

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17) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1, Up 4): The Steelers have been inconsistent offensively, but the defense has started to produce some much-needed big plays with T.J. Watt leading the way. A massive Ireland clash looms, and Aaron Rodgers needs to deliver.

18) Arizona Cardinals (2-1, Down 2): Defensively, the Cardinals have been held back by their inability to generate enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Offensively, glaring drops from Marvin Harrison haven't helped.

19) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2, Up 4): The Jaguars have a lot of potential, but must prove they belong when they play against more challenging opposition. Liam Coen must find a way to get Trevor Lawrence and Brian Thomas on the same page.

20) Carolina Panthers (1-2, Up 10): There could be no clearer sign of the Panthers' turnaround in fortunes than their shutout of the Falcons last weekend. Whether they can generate sufficient pressure to perform well against better teams will be telling, but we must not overlook their dominant performance over the last six quarters of football.

21) Cincinnati Bengals (2-1, Down 9): The biggest faller in our rankings following the injury to Joe Burrow and the lopsided loss to the Vikings, it's tough to see how Cincinnati can contend with Jake Browning at quarterback.

22) Atlanta Falcons (1-2, Down 7): Being blown out by a team that placed below them in last week's power rankings doesn't instill confidence that the Falcons are heading in the right direction. Michael Penix was particularly poor, but he's young, so he may yet turn things around.

23) Chicago Bears (1-2, Up 4): Caleb Williams and the Bears' offense were impressive last week. Generating more pressure defensively holds them back from being ranked more highly.

23) Dallas Cowboys (1-2, Down 3): The problems are mounting for the Cowboys. Lamb will be absent for at least two games, the secondary has been exposed, and Prescott cannot get the job done. Tight end Jake Ferguson is one of the very few bright spots.

24) New England Patriots (1-2, Down 8): The Patriots' only win was a close game, and they're committing too many turnovers. Maybe a shift from Rhamondre Stevenson to TreVeyon Henderson would improve their fortunes?

25) Cleveland Browns (1-2, Up 3): The Browns have their problems offensively, and may be forced to switch from Joe Flacco to Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel soon. Defensively, they're in great shape, with several young players proving their worth.

26) Las Vegas Raiders (1-2, Down 1): The Raiders' offensive line is holding Geno Smith and Ashton Jeanty back. Getting Brock Bowers fully healthy will be key.

27) Houston Texans (0-3, Down 5): A disaster of a start for the Texans, who must improve offensively. Nico Collins has been heating up, but the offensive line must do a better job.

28) New York Giants (0-3, Down 3): The switch to Dart could spark the Giants offensively and help Malik Nabers become more consistent than he has been this year. Cam Skattebo looks to be the real deal. Defensively, they must improve against the run.

29) New York Jets (0-3, Down 2): The Jets hung with a much better Buccaneers team, but once again squandered a chance to win. They have talent on defense, but the loss of Quincy Williams will hurt.

30) Tennessee Titans (0-3, Down 1): The future is bright with Cam Ward at quarterback, but in the interim, their offense lacks punch. Defensively, they're allowing teams to run all over them.

31) Miami Dolphins (0-3, Up 1): The Dolphins hung pretty well with the Bills last week, but they have glaring issues offensively and defensively. Ollie Gordon's emergence and De'Von Achane keep them off the bottom spot.

32) New Orleans Saints (0-3, Down 1): There's little to choose between the bottom three or four teams in these rankings, but the Saints will remain near the bottom unless Kellen Moore inspires a miraculous turnaround. Committing too many penalties compounds their problems.

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