B/R Experts Week 4 NFL Power Rankings

We're just three weeks into the 2026 season, but the NFL is already reminding us of an annual tradition.

A team (the Las Vegas Raiders) that many expected to be a tomato can is sitting at 3-0 after a wild win in New Orleans. Two teams widely regarded as contenders (the Houston Texans and Los Angeles Chargers) are winless and reeling. The overwhelming Super Bowl favorite entering the season (the Los Angeles Rams) sits at 1-2 after falling in Denver on Sunday night.

Our preconceptions about contenders and pretenders have been thrown into a blender, but as they do every week Bleacher Report NFL analysts Gary Davenport , Kris Knox , Maurice Moton and Brent Sobleski are here to make sense of that pigskin smoothie by ranking all 32 teams from worst to first.

ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN | CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND | JAX | KC | LAC | LAR | LV | MIA | MIN | NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SEA | SF | TB | TEN | WAS

Week 3 Result: Lost vs. Kansas City 24-10

The Miami Dolphins have some promising young players, and they kept things interesting with the Kansas City Chiefs for much of Sunday. We're likely to see the Dolphins pull off an upset or two at some point in 2026.

However, the reality is that Miami doesn't have the talent to string together many wins right now. The Dolphins are playing hard for new coach Jeff Hafley, and the wins may still come, but the upcoming schedule is diffuclt, and Miami may have just lost its best offensive player, De'Von Achane, to a knee injury.

"To be honest with you, it does not sound optimistic,' head coach Jeff Hafley said, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport . -- Knox

Week 3 Result: Lost at New York Giants 12-7

If there was any doubt that the Tennessee Titans were a bad team, the matter was settled on Sunday in New York.

Granted, the game was short on fireworks on both sides, in part due to the nor'easter that smacked the east coast. But the Titans haven't been moving the ball regardless of the weather. Cam Ward is either unable or unwilling to challenge defenses down the field—the second-year signal-caller averaged five yards an attempt at Met Life. Tennessee entered the week with a bottom-five offense and will leave it the same way.

The team at least finally got first-round rookie Carnell Tate involved offensively. But after back-to-back three-win seasons, 2025 was supposed to be a year of improvement in Nashville.

At this rate, the Titans will be lucky to "improve" to 4-13. And Ward's lack of development has to be unsettling to the team. -- Davenport

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue tumbling down our power rankings amid their 0-3 start.

Tampa's offense has struggled to find any semblance of cohesion under new coordinator Zac Robinson, and its defense hasn't done enough to deliver victories. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has struggled—likely while trying too hard to carry the offense—and now appears set to miss time with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.

It's probably safe to say that Todd Bowles' seat is getting rather warm.

No one is threatening to run away with the NFC South just yet, so there's still time for the Bucs to climb back into their divisional race. However, they'll have to find ways to start stacking some wins soon, or else they could be looking at significant changes before the season is even over. -- Knox

Preseason Contenders in Desperation Mode

The Los Angeles Chargers are completely lost. An 0-3 start has them swimming for a life raft with one unlikely to appear since the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs are next on the docket.

Surprisingly, the Chargers' biggest disconnect can be found on offense, where quarterback Justin Herbert isn't executing Mike McDaniel's offensive scheme.

This past offseason, McDaniel's hire was viewed as one of the league's best, because he brought a proven track record as a play-caller. Instead, the Chargers are in disarray, Herbert is playing poorly and the unit ranks among the league's bottom-feeders in total offense. -- Sobleski

Week 3 Result: Lost at San Francisco 36-30

Well, at least the Arizona offense got untracked Sunday in Santa Clara. Jacoby Brissett threw for 280 yards and two scores. Jeremiyah Love tallied 109 total yards. Michael Wilson saw a gaudy 17 targets and caught 11 passes.

For the second time in as many weeks, the Cardinals were cooked defensively by an NFC West foe. The Cardinals allowed 437 yards of offense, 36 points, four passing touchdowns and over six yards a carry on the ground—to a 49ers team that is being blasted by injuries once again.

Things aren't going to get much easier moving forward—a road trip to face the Giants in Week 4 appears winnable. But after that comes home tilts with the Lions and Broncos sandwiched around a trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams. – Davenport

Week 3 Result: Lost at Indianapolis 19-17

The good news is that the Texans are in familiar territory.

The bad news is that familiar territory is up a creek.

This marks the second straight season that the Texans have started 0-3. Last year, they rebounded to make the postseason and won a playoff game. The Texans also started 0-3 and made the playoffs in 2018.

But no team has made the playoffs after an 0-3 start in back-to-back seasons, and right now the Texans do not look the part of a contender—at all.

Houston's offensive line play and rushing attack have been all but non-existent—against a Colts defense that entered Week 3 with the AFC's worst defense, the Texans had 70 rushing yards and averaged less than 3.5 yards per carry. C.J. Stroud had his worst game of the season throwing the ball in Indianapolis.

Houston's defense can't do it all—and right now the offense isn't doing much. – Davenport

The New York Jets have been surprisingly competitive through the first three weeks. While the Detroit Lions pulled away from them on Sunday, the Jets won their opener and probably should have outlasted the Green Bay Packers in Week 2.

New York is developing a solid young core, and it's beginning to look like Aaron Glenn might be the right coach for this team after all. His first season with the franchise didn't go well, but he's shown this season that he can field a balanced and effective football team.

Equipped with three 2027 first-round picks, the Jets are likely laying the foundation for a quarterback to be drafted next April. That doesn't mean they aren't a team that must be taken seriously right now, because they are—though losing Breece Hall to a thigh injury hurts them in the short term. -- Knox

What a difference having a competent quarterback makes.

Michael Penix Jr. made his 2026 debut on Thursday night, and the Atlanta Falcons immediately transformed from being a hapless NFC afterthought to looking like a potential playoff team. Penix sparked the passing game and forged a nearly unstoppable connection with Drake London (9 catches, 194 yards). That helped open up the ground game and unlocked Bijan Robinson (194 rushing yards, 2 TDs).

Atlanta's defense also played splendidly in Week 3, unshackled from the burden of having to carry an inept offense. After crafting a short-week game plan that the Green Bay Packers were never able to counter, even head coach Kevin Stefanski came away looking good.

It was a much-needed get-right game for the Falcons. Only time will tell, though, whether they're ready to reenter the playoff conversation or if the Packers are just not good this year. -- Knox

The Washington Commanders have their signature win of the season—a victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions with backup quarterback Marcus Mariota under center. The Commanders offense moved the ball consistently against arguably the league's best defense, and Mariota sealed the win on a scramble for a first down.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport , starting quarterback Jayden Daniels could be back within three weeks. After Mariota's Week 3 performance, the Commanders don't need to rush Daniels back; their offense fared well without him in the short term. -- Moton

Sunday's game between the Texans and Colts featured two teams trying not to let the season get away from them. The Colts prevailed.

But that doesn't make them a playoff contender. Or a good team.

To Indy's credit, the defense played its best game of the year—although that may have had more to do with the Houston offense than the Colts defense. It wasn't pretty, but the Indianapolis offense found ways to grind out points against an excellent Houston defense.

In the NFL, you take wins any way you can get them—especially at 0-2.

The next month will be pivotal for the Colts—a four-game stretch against the Commanders, Steelers, Titans and Vikings. If the Colts want to claw back into the AFC South hunt, they need to figure out a way to eke out three wins before opening November against the Jaguars in Jacksonville. -- Davenport

Matt LaFleur has had a good run as the Green Bay Packers' head coach and offensive play-caller. Apparently, it ended when this season began.

Right now, the Packers lack a functional offense. The running game is non-existent. In fact, Green Bay's rushing offense averages just under 49 yards per contest. No other team averages fewer than 81 yards.

Plus, injuries to the team's offensive line makes life more difficult on everyone. The group can't hold up in protection. This issue shouldn't come as a surprise after seeing Thursday's lineup, where the team's front five consisted of four new starters, considering Jordan Morgan moved to left tackle this season and a pair of injuries tested Green Bay's depth. -- Sobleski

Through three weeks, we don't have a clear idea of who the Carolina Panthers are in 2026. They racked up 37 points in Week 1 while still losing by double digits. In Week 2, they embarrassed the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons 34-3. Looking to get to 2-1 against the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, the Panthers fell flat.

Quarterback Bryce Young had his worst game of the season in Week 3, and the Panthers mustered a season-low scoring total as a result. While the defense spent much of the game letting the Browns shoot themselves in the foot offensively, it imploded on Cleveland's go-ahead touchdown drive late in the fourth quarter.

Week 3 may have simply been a flukey performance on the road, or these Panthers may not be much different than last year's squad—a largely average team that only occasionally put together a complete performance. Carolina did win the NFC South in 2025, but it doesn't feel like 8-9 will be enough to take the division this year. -- Knox

The Cleveland Browns are racking up wins against the NFC South, beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers by close margins. Deshaun Watson only completed about half of his pass attempts in the previous outing, but he's doing enough to lead the Browns to victories, throwing two touchdown passes without an interception in back-to-back games.

We'll see how Cleveland handles a little success in a division matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers coming up on a short week. -- Moton

It's fitting that the New York Giants won a gritty game in the rain because they must be willing to grind through games and play physical football to win.

Without quarterback Jaxson Dart, who's out for the season, the Giants will likely move the ball with a heavy dose of bruising running backs Cam Skattebo and Najee Harris, which will limit quarterback Jameis Winston's turnovers. Or the Giants could eventually turn to former first-round pick J.J. McCarthy, who the G-Men acquired in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings Monday.

It's not an appealing winning formula with Malik Nabers and tight end Isaiah Likely on the field, but it could be effective for this team. -- Moton

The Super Bowl hangover is in full effect for the New England Patriots, who have looked and played almost nothing like last year's squad. Drake Maye has been even more mistake-prone than he was as a rookie and has actively cost the Patriots games.

Through three weeks, Maye has completed a career-worst 63.8 percent of his passes for one touchdown, six interceptions, and a 58.6 quarterback rating. He has also lost a fumble.

There's no guarantee that New England can get back on a playoff trajectory simply by settling in Maye, either. The defense has been solid overall but not quite disruptive enough to take over games. The Buffalo Bills are up next, and if the Patriots can't steal one in Week 4, it could be time for them to panic. -- Knox

Although it sounds like a broken record with this team, the Dallas Cowboys defense is a liability. In Rio de Janeiro, defensive coordinator Christian Parker set up his unit for failure, leaving the middle of the field open for Lamar Jackson to connect with Zay Flowers on a 27-yard completion before Tyler Loop kicked a 56-yard game-winning field goal.

Dallas has allowed nearly 400 total yards in all three of its games. Parker needs to make overall and situational adjustments on his side of the ball. -- Moton

Right now, the Chicago Bears are trying to weather the storm.

With Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Tyson Bagent (concussion) both banged up, the Bears will be forced to turn to veteran journeyman Case Keenum at quarterback Monday night against the Eagles.

And with the Vikings at 3-0, the Bears can't afford to fall too far off the pace in the NFC North. -- Sobleski

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough had played like a viable MVP candidate through most of the first three weeks. Unfortunately, he had a critical fourth-quarter interception on Sunday that led to a lead-extending Las Vegas Raiders touchdown, and he had another fumble after that.

The Saints are just good enough that they can beat very good teams when Shough is playing nearly flawless football. However, they're not good enough to consistently hang with playoff-caliber teams—and Las Vegas may just be one of those this season—when Shough makes multiple mistakes.

New Orleans is still trying to find some rhythm in its ground game and more consistency from a defense that is allowing just over 27 points per game.

If the Saints can do those things, they can make a run at their first NFC South title since 2020. Until then, they must be considered fringe contenders at best. -- Knox

Between these AFC North rivals, four of the last six matchups were high-scoring battles. The Bengals came up short in this one, and their defense took a big step back after forcing four turnovers in Week 1 and holding the Houston Texans to six points last week.

Cincinnati's defense still has weak spots in coverage, as it allowed Aaron Rodgers to throw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, though it picked him off once. The Bengals are a few spots outside of our top 10, which feels right for them. -- Moton

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered Week 3 averaging the fewest yards per play (3.8). Offensively, they woke up to match scoring drives and outduel the Cincinnati Bengals.

In Week 3, Aaron Rodgers looked like an NBA point guard on the field, logging a completion to nine different pass-catchers, with touchdown throws to DK Metcalf, Roman Wilson and Ben Skowronek. Perhaps Pittsburgh needed this performance to establish its offensive rhythm. -- Moton

Week 3 Result: Won vs. New York Jets 31-24

The Detroit Lions responded after a disappointing loss to the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football . Granted, Sunday's victory came at the expense of the New York Jets, who aren't on Buffalo's level. However, the Lions took care of business. Specifically, the Lions showed some defensive improvement.

Dan Campbell's squad will be able to move the ball, because the Lions feature too much offensive talent and quarterback Jared Goff is the perfect facilitator within their scheme. The defense hasn't held up its end of the bargain, though.

Specifically, Detroit surrendered 915 yards through the first two weeks of play. For those keeping track, that's nearly 460 yards on average. The Jets managed a more respectable 335 yards. The Lions were particularly stingy at the point of attack by allowing only 58 rushing yards. With Geno Smith's 12 yards taken out of the equation, Breece Hall and Braelon Allen averaged a measly 2.7 yards per carry. -- Sobleski

At 3-0, the Las Vegas Raiders have already matched their entire win total from last season. It's amazing how different a team can look thanks to organizational competency. It's only the second time since 2002 this franchise opened a season with three straight wins.

Are the Raiders legit, though? Obviously, the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Chargers aren't good. The New Orleans Saints are highly competitive, but Kellen Moore's squad has found ways to lose during his time as head coach. Next week's matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs will provide a true test.

Las Vegas should be ready for its upcoming matchup now that Brock Bowers is back. Much like Travis Kelce, Bowers isn't an ordinary tight end. He's the Raiders' No. 1 target, as evidenced by 10 catches for 116 yards upon his return to the lineup. -- Sobleski

The Los Angeles Rams cannot catch a break.

This is a team whose prized offseason acquisition is out indefinitely after knee surgery. Whose No. 1 wide receiver has missed the last two games with an ambiguous abdominal injury.

In Denver Sunday night, the Rams squandered a 16-0 lead and lost a game they should have won despite those personnel losses. The phantom DPI call on Denver's game-winning drive was a factor, sure. But so was a second half where the Rams defense took a nap to the tune of 30 points allowed.

It's not time to hit the big red panic button. In the first half, the Rams looked the part of the team so many expected them to be this year. 1-2 isn't the end of the world.

But it is time to worry. The Rams aren't shaking off the injuries like their rivals in San Francisco. Said injuries continue to mount. The schedule is brutal, with the Eagles and Bills next.

Again, the Rams can't catch a break. -- Davenport

Last week, Knox wrote that Sunday's visit from the defending AFC champions, "will speak volumes about how seriously we should take the Jaguars as AFC contenders."

Knox was absolutely right—because the Jaguars dropped a set of encyclopedias on the New England Patriots Sunday.

For the second time in as many home games this year, the Jaguars completely dominated their opponent. Trevor Lawrence didn't have a big day yardage-wise, but he threw three touchdown passes. Jacksonville averaged 4.6 yards a carry and found paydirt twice on the ground. The Jags converted eight of 12 third downs. And the team forced three turnovers.

There is zero question that the Jaguars are the best team in the AFC South. With a trip to Cincinnati and a visit from the Eagles next up, the Jaguars have an opportunity to stake their claim as a legit Super Bowl contender as well. -- Davenport

Week 3 Result: Won at Dallas 34-31 (Brazil)

The Baltimore Ravens played to win—not for overtime in Rio de Janeiro, and their aggressive approach paid off. After the Ravens advanced the ball to their own 35-yard line off a touchback, Lamar Jackson threw a 27-yard dart to Zay Flowers, which set up Tyler Loop's 56-yard game-winning field goal.

In a critical moment, the Ravens were the better team. Too many times under the previous coaching regime, they fell apart in those scenarios. It's an early sign of progress under first-year head coach Jesse Minter. -- Moton

The Minnesota Vikings understand the exact blueprint for them to be successful, even if it's not pretty. Brian Flores is going to bring more pressure than any other defensive play-caller and dictate games. The approach is simple yet effective.

Kyler Murray's return to the lineup didn't exactly jumpstart Minnesota's offense. The Vikings' 230 yards were fewer than the team managed during the previous two weeks with Carson Wentz at the helm.

Maybe Murray shows more once he gets comfortable in Kevin O'Connell's offense. As for now, Minnesota will blitz, blitz and blitz some more to ensure they're in a position to win every game possible. -- Sobleski

Week 3 Result: Won vs. Los Angeles Rams 30-26

The Denver Broncos continually find ways to win despite getting out of the gate slowly. They did so again against the Los Angeles Rams. Bo Nix and Co. trailed 16-0 at halftime after mustering only 67 yards. Yet, these horses know how to close down the stretch.

Denver scored 30 second-half points to beat the Rams. It did so through a combination of its offense getting on track, while leaning on an opportunistic defense.

At some point, this formula will backfire. The Broncos have continually gotten away with it for over a year now. For whatever reason, Nix doesn't play well until after halftime. If head coach Sean Payton can figure out how to get his team started quickly, the Broncos would be the NFL's toughest team to beat. -- Sobleski

There are no "gimme" wins in the NFL. Yes, the Seattle Seahawks had looked as good as any team in the NFL over the first two weeks of the season. The winless Commanders, on the other hand, were rolling out a backup quarterback in Marcus Mariota.

But while Sam Darnold threw for 379 yards and four scores in his return from injury, he also threw a pair of costly interceptions—one of which was a pick-six. A third turnover set Washington up with a short field. The Seahawks couldn't run the ball at all—less than 50 yards and 2.4 yards per carry. And despite outgaining the Commanders by almost 200 yards, Seattle came up short on the scoreboard.

Now the Seahawks will host a desperate Chargers team before a brutal three-game stretch.

They need to flush this stinker and get back to work. -- Davenport

The Philadelphia Eagles will face third-string quarterback Case Keenum in the Monday Night Football matchup, but they shouldn't take the Chicago Bears lightly.

The Eagles' defense has been susceptible to the run, giving up an average of 127 rushing yards in two games. Philadelphia will likely spend a lot of the night tackling running backs D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. -- Moton

The Kansas City Chiefs went to Miami and handled business against an inferior opponent. It shouldn't be surprising that quarterback Patrick Mahomes wasn't entirely thrilled with the performance despite a two-score victory.

The Chiefs approach is evolving, though. Kansas City isn't the same team that won back-to-back Super Bowls a few years ago. Mahomes isn't forced to do everything as part of the team's current offense.

Kenneth Walker III is as much the focal point as the two-time NFL MVP. Kansas City relies more on the play-action passing game than any other team. Mahomes has feasted when defenses start to cheat up in hopes of slowing Walker. This version of KC's offense will be extremely difficult to stop as it progresses. -- Sobleski

49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan might be a sorcerer.

It seemingly doesn't matter how many players get hurt in San Francisco. The team just keeps winning. Sunday against the Redbirds, the Niners ended the game short their best edge-rusher in Nick Bosa and watched top wideout Mike Evans get carted off the field with a rib injury.

Actually, while Shanahan deserves a ton of credit for coaching up his guys, we need to give Brock Purdy his flowers as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Purdy continued his stellar start to the season—297 passing yards, four touchdowns and a passer rating north of 130.

"Mr. Irrelevant" is anything but. Per ESPN , Purdy tied Steve Young's 49ers team record for most touchdown passes in the first three games of a season. The Niners haven't scored this many points in their first three games since 1998.

With Young and some guy named Jerry Rice. -- Davenport

The Buffalo Bills got to 3-0 on Sunday, and they may still be one of the teams to beat in the AFC. However, Buffalo's undefeated start to the season has included some concerns.

The Bills' defense still seems average at best, which is a significant problem when Josh Allen fails to take care of the football. And while Allen has statistically been a viable early MVP candidate, his ball security has left something to be desired.

Buffalo would have dropped its opener had Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter not dropped the late pass that Allen threw right to him. Allen's three turnovers against the Chargers left the Bills flirting with an upset loss.

3-0 is 3-0, and there aren't many quarterbacks a team would rather carry into the postseason. However, we may not know if this incarnation of the Bills is any better than last year's unit until we actually reach January. -- Knox