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With three confusing but entertaining weeks in the books, it’s time to look at the NFL power rankings for Week 4 of the 2022 season.
Bear with us with the power rankings today are a little confusing or out of sorts. We’ve put the preseason win totals behind us and focused on what has happened during the regular season. But we’ve seen good and bad from teams through three weeks, making the final NFL power rankings in September 2022 more than a little complicated
NFL Power Rankings Week 4 2022
Just keep in mind that the NFL power rankings today are not necessarily going to stay that way moving forward.
The problem is we can only base our final NFL power rankings of September 2022 on what we’ve seen over the first three weeks of the season. Needless to say, that has led to some surprises.
With that said, here are our NFL power rankings for Week 4 in the 2022 season.
32. Texans
Nobody should consider Houston a good team, although Lovie Smith deserves some credit. The Texans have been a little better than most people anticipated. Granted, they don’t have a win just yet, but a tie with the Colts in Week 1 takes a 0-17 season off the table.
If nothing else, Smith has turned the Houston defense into a halfway decent unit. That could help the Texans remain somewhat respectable most weeks. But scoring points was always going to be an issue with Davis Mills handed the keys to the offense. There have been no signs that Houston will be better than anticipated on that side of the ball, which is what has the Texans where they are last in our power rankings.
31. Jets
The Jets have a win this season, which is something they can hang their hat on. But they needed an absolutely brutal collapse by the Browns to get it. In their other two games, which were at home, they were nowhere close to winning or being competitive.
In their defense, the Jets have been playing with a backup quarterback. But even when Zach Wilson gets back, there are no guarantees that the Jets are suddenly going to pick it up and start playing good football. In all likelihood, this will be another lost season for the Jets, barring a dramatic turn of events.
30. Steelers
If Cincinnati’s holder hadn’t gotten hurt in Week 1, the Steelers would be winless right now. To be fair, they’ve had to play two of their games on the road and their loss at home to the Patriots was a close game.
But Mitch Trubisky just isn’t getting it done with two touchdown passes in three games while averaging 5.5 yards per pass. That’s bad enough to interfere with Pittsburgh’s rushing attack. If the Steelers can’t get that going, this could be a long year for Mike Tomlin’s team.
29. Panthers
The Panthers showed a little life with a win in Week 3 over the Saints. Christian McCaffrey can still be a difference-maker if he’s healthy.
Plus, Carolina’s two losses have both been close. However, Baker Mayfield has regressed thus far with his new team, making it hard to be too optimistic about where the Panthers are going this year.
28. Seahawks
Unfortunately, that surprising win over Russell Wilson and the Broncos might end up being the highlight of Seattle’s season.
Against quality defensive teams, Geno Smith and the offense can’t be expected to get much done. Meanwhile, even at home, the Seattle defense couldn’t hold onto a late lead against the Falcons last week. That doesn’t leave the Seahawks with much of a pathway to victory most weeks.
27. Falcons
The Falcons certainly won’t be boring to watch this season, so they deserve some credit for that. However, it’s already easy to tell that Atlanta’s defense is going to make it tough to win close games.
Meanwhile, Marcus Mariota isn’t going to be able to lead late touchdown drives every week. This team remains flawed, although they don’t look nearly as bad as they were a year ago.
26. Commanders
In retrospect, it’s amazing that the Commanders managed to beat the Jaguars in Week 1.
They have not looked good on either side of the ball since that game. They were particularly bad while getting beat 24-8 at home against the Eagles last week. They have the pieces to get things turned around and put together a halfway decent season. But after three games, a lot needs to change to get Washington into the playoff picture.
25. Patriots
New England’s schedule hasn’t been particularly easy, so we’ll cut them a little bit of slack. But this still doesn’t look like a team that’ll be in the playoff hunt.
The defense can only do so much, and it’s not going to get any easier with Mac Jones out for a few weeks. It’s hard not to give Bill Belichick the benefit of the doubt, although the 2022 Patriots have done little to deserve it.
24. Lions
How do you not like the fight and moxie that Dan Campbell has instilled in the Lions over the past two seasons?
The problem is they are the worst defensive team in the league, allowing 31 points per game. On the other hand, they rank second in points scored and have been endlessly entertaining. But while D’Andre Swift and the running game have been sensational, it’s hard to believe in a team being led by Jared Goff.
Plus, the Lions still found a way to lose last week despite leading by 10 points entering the fourth quarter, which is a problem we can’t overlook.
23. Raiders
If it matters, the Raiders might be one of the better 0-3 teams the NFL has had in a while. Their three losses have only come by a combined 13 points, including a game that went to overtime.
Two of their games essentially came down to a two-point conversion that went the wrong way for them, so they aren’t far from being 2-1 or at least 1-2 on the season. But while there have been some positives on the road to being 0-3, Las Vegas has still showcased too many flaws.
The schedule ahead isn’t going to get any easier in the AFC West. It’s a long road back to the playoff picture, although the Raiders clearly aren’t as bad as their record indicates.
22. Colts
How is it possible to fairly grade the Colts? Does a home win over the Chiefs somehow supersede two terrible performances to begin the season?
Defensively, there could be something there.
But this isn’t the running game we saw in Indy last season and Matt Ryan hasn’t made the type of impact the Colts were expecting. If we were grading the Colts, they’d get the dreaded incomplete. For now, their spot in our power rankings is more reflective of their first two games rather than last week’s win.
21. Giants
It was a great story seeing the Giants start 2-0. But how long can they sustain that success with Daniel Jones at quarterback? Losing Sterling Shepard isn’t going to make things any easier for them.
The schedule starts to get tough in October, which is why it could only be a matter of time until the Giants fade and drop to the bottom of the NFC East again.
20. Bears
The Bears deserve a little credit for starting the season 2-1. If nothing else, they’ve been able to hold serve at home.
But Justin Fields hasn’t shown enough proficiency as a passer for Chicago to have sustained success, even with a solid defense and a good running game. There’s only so much that a team can do without being able to consistently move the ball and score points.
19. Saints
Perhaps the Saints were more lucky than good when they overcame a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter of their Week 1 win over Atlanta. New Orleans has stumbled against the two other NFC South teams in recent weeks, which is a concern.
The talent is surely there for the Saints, but that can be negated quickly if Jameis Winston is going to keep throwing more interceptions than touchdowns. We’ve seen this act from him before, and it has the potential to hold back an otherwise solid roster.
18. Titans
Even after holding on to beat the Raiders in Week 3, we’re not sold on the Titans. They couldn’t beat the Giants at home and were non-competitive in Buffalo. Derrick Henry hasn’t been able to get on track, putting way too much pressure on Ryan Tannehill, who has struggled with a set of receivers that’s largely inexperienced outside of Robert Woods.
Surely, the reigning AFC South champs are better than they’ve shown thus far. We’re just not sure how much better.
17. Cardinals
The Cardinals are dangerously close to being 0-3. They needed a late touchdown, a two-point conversion, and a defensive touchdown in overtime to beat the Raiders in Week 2.
If not, they’d be winless and going nowhere. In fairness, it’s hard to blame a team too much when their losses have come against the Chiefs and Rams. But it’s still hard to reconcile the fact that the Cardinals could be 0-3 right now.
16. Chargers
How are we supposed to react to a 38-10 home loss to the Jaguars? It’s possible that everyone was wrong and this isn’t going to be a breakout season for them.
The additions to the defense haven’t paid off and the running game has been non-existent. Justin Herbert has good numbers, but where are the wins? The ceiling is still high for them because they have the talent, but the results and the performances have been abysmal thus far.
15. Browns
It’s weird to think that if the Browns could have just run out the clock against the Jets that they’d be 3-0. But we’re not looking at them like a team that could be 3-0 right now.
Other than a good rushing attack and a quarterback who has avoided turnovers, the Browns don’t have a lot going for them. The results help a little, but they haven’t played a difficult schedule yet, giving us reasons to remain skeptical.
14. 49ers
Defensively, the 49ers look like one of the best teams in the league. That side of the ball is good enough to carry the 49ers for a little while and keep them in the playoff picture.
San Francisco is also running the ball effectively, especially for a team that has suffered some injuries. Alas, the rest is up to Jimmy Garoppolo.
He didn’t play particularly well in his first start of the season. That performance and that Week 3 loss surely dropped the 49ers down a few places while creating some semblance of doubt about the rest of their season. But with their defense, they have a chance to do some things this year.
13. Broncos
It’s hard to rank the Broncos too high in our NFL Week 4 Power Rankings for 2022 until they get their offense going.
Russell Wilson is with a new team and adjusting to a new system, so it’s possible that this will take some time.
Defensively, the Broncos have been good, but they’ve also faced some subpar offensive teams. After three weeks, they’ve conceded the second-fewest points but they’ve also scored the second-fewest points. That leaves us a little skeptical despite the 2-1 start.
12. Jaguars
Is it too soon to buy stock in the Jaguars? On paper, they still seem like a team that could be a year away from making serious noise in the AFC South.
On the other hand, they’ve won two games in a row by a combined score of 62-10 and weren’t far from winning in Week 1 either. But the Jags are balanced and Trevor Lawrence looks like he’s taken a step forward, so perhaps Jacksonville is better than anyone expected them to be in 2022.
11. Bengals
The Bengals don’t necessarily look like a team that played in the Super Bowl last season. A 1-2 start to the season is a little concerning, especially with that one win coming against the winless Jets and a brutal schedule ahead of them in October.
But if their holder hadn’t gotten hurt in Week 1, the Bengals probably would have won that game, even after turning it over five times. The perception of Cincinnati would be a lot different if they were 2-1 right now rather than 1-2. Obviously, they aren’t that close to being one of the best teams in the league, but they’re a little closer than their record suggests.
10. Vikings
Considering Minnesota’s only loss in three games came against a Philadelphia team that looks outstanding, the Vikings are not a team to forget about.
In fairness, they probably aren’t as good as they looked in that Week 1 win over the Packers. Kirk Cousins hasn’t exactly been flawless thus far. But the supporting cast around Cousins has looked good, making Minnesota look like an above-average team with legitimate playoff aspirations.
9. Rams
It’s hard to figure out the defending champs after three weeks. They were dominated by the Bills in Week 1, which is why they aren’t among the league’s elite teams in the NFL Power Rankings for Week 4 in 2022.
The Rams weren’t overly convincing in wins over the Falcons and Cardinals either. We should know more about what this team is made of after they play the 49ers in Week 4, as they’ve struggled against San Francisco in recent years. But all of the pieces are there, so we don’t want to write off the Rams too soon.
8. Cowboys
Dallas didn’t make a strong first impression in Week 1, but things have looked much better since then. Of course, there is a ceiling with Cooper Rush at quarterback. But the Cowboys have looked good enough defensively to win two games with him as the starter.
In fact, they’ve held opponents to under 20 points in all three games this season. It’s possible to win games like that, even with a limited offense. The defense also makes the Cowboys a team that’s worth watching closely in the weeks to come.
7. Buccaneers
Something still seems off about Tom Brady and the Tampa offense after three games. This should be an elite offense, but instead, the Bucs are averaging just 17 points per game.
That being said, the Tampa defense has been at another level thus far. They have allowed just 27 total points in three games while collecting 11 sacks and eight takeaways. That alone is enough to put the Bucs in the top 10, regardless of how Brady and the offense have performed.
6. Packers
By virtue of their two-point win over the Buccaneers last week, we had to put the Packers ahead of Tampa. The Green Bay defense has actually carried the load thus far, allowing just 15 points per game, giving Aaron Rodgers the kind of support he needs.
Of course, the offense is still a work in progress. But the Packers have run the ball effectively and played strong defense. When you add the two-time reigning MVP to that equation, there’s a chance to do something special.
5. Ravens
What happened to the Ravens always being strong defensively? Baltimore’s last two games have been shootouts, which isn’t like them. On the other hand, Lamar Jackson has looked healthy and played like a potential MVP candidate.
Through three weeks, the Ravens lead the league in scoring at 33 points per game. If they had managed to hold on in Week 2 against the Dolphins, we might be talking about them as the team at the top of the NFL power rankings in Week 4. They aren’t quite there thanks to that loss. But rest assured the Ravens are knocking at the door.
4. Chiefs
The Chiefs certainly had a puzzling loss to the Colts last week. It’s rare to see Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense that out of sorts and out of rhythm. But with just two undefeated teams remaining in a season that’s already been filled with parody, there’s no reason to overreact.
As long as they have Mahomes, the Chiefs are going to remain among the NFL’s elite teams. Plus, they made a big statement in Week 1, which is a victory that they can ride in the power rankings for a few weeks.
3. Bills
Before losing in Week 3, the Bills would have been the easy choice to sit at the top of the NFL Week 4 power rankings in 2022. But that loss isn’t that much of a setback.
Josh Allen still has excellent NFL MVP odds with Buffalo leading the league in passing. The Bills have also played excellent defense this year and are tied with the fifth-fewest points conceded through three weeks. They do face a challenging schedule in October, so we’ll find out quickly what this team is made of. But unless they make losing a habit, they’re not going to slip too far in the power rankings.
2. Dolphins
After beating the Bills head-to-head last week, it’s only fair to put the Dolphins ahead of Buffalo in the NFL power rankings for 2022, at least right now.
After all, Miami is undefeated, having beaten the Patriots, Ravens, and Bills. That’s not exactly a cupcake schedule either. Tua Tagovailoa has made more progress in three weeks than anyone could have imagined, especially with a lackluster rushing attack. It’s still early, but the Dolphins have earned a spot this high.
1. Eagles
We wouldn’t have guessed this before the season, but the Eagles are at the top of our NFL power rankings for Week 4 in 2022. It’s not just the fact that they are one of only two undefeated teams left. They’ve genuinely looked like an elite team.
After conceding 35 points in Week 1 against the Lions, the Philly defense has bounced back quickly with the Eagles allowing just 15 total points over the last two weeks.
Meanwhile, the addition of A.J. Brown has transformed the offense. A year ago, the Eagles were one of the NFL’s top rushing teams, basing their offense on the ground game. But Jalen Hurts is averaging over 300 passing yards per game, creating a balanced offense that’s been hard to contain. In other words, this team looks like the real deal.
