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After four weeks, I think the storyline, besides quarterback play and big comebacks, has to be that the good teams keep winning and the bad teams keep losing. There are some 2-2 teams, but it feels like there’s a pretty clean line in the sand about who is on top of the always-important rankings of power and who has many questions to answer before the season becomes a lost cause.
As always, and by always I mean three weeks, I look at record first with a nod to head-to-head meetings and who is winning more impressively. In other words, 3-1 is better than 2-2. Always. You what your record says you are.
1. Green Bay Packers (4-0) – Aaron Rodgers is playing quarterback on a whole different level than everyone else. Even if you have questions about the
2. Detroit Lions (4-0) - Will there be any better environment next week than Monday Night Football's return to
3. New Orleans Saints (3-1) – I never thought I’d say this, but Gregg Williams’ defense is going to get quite the test from young Cam Newton’s travelling bomb show.
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) – The defense carries them to the fourth spot. The offense, specifically the passing game, has tons of questions after Sunday’s struggles.
5. New England Patriots (3-1) – Fantasy advice: Rob Gronkowski will have a big bounceback game on Sunday. I’d bet on it.
6. Houston Texans (3-1) – Interesting fact: Arian Foster has rushed for 125+ yards in 6 of his last 18 games. That’s impressive.
7. Buffalo Bills (3-1) - Was Sunday's game (their third straight game decided on the last drive) a sign of things to come or a bump in the road?
8. New York Giants (3-1) – The Giants are probably the quietest 3-1 team in the league, but Tom Coughlin probably enjoys that kind of anonymity in
9. San Diego Chargers (3-1) – Bad news for the AFC: It’s October and the Chargers are 3-1. Traditionally, this is when the Chargers begin to hit their stride.
10. Tennessee Titans (3-1) – Has their defense shutdown anyone of note? No. Does it matter? Not with the schedule they have. There are no apologies in winning.
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12. Washington Redskins (3-1) – Every win for
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) – LeGarrette Blount doesn’t get enough credit for being a brutish, physical runner. The man is hard to bring down and is what makes
14. Chicago Bears (2-2) – Matt Forte doesn’t get enough credit for being the kind of offensive weapon he is. Forte’s averaging 158.5 yards per game from scrimmage. That’s kind of good.
15. Oakland Raiders (2-2) – Allowing 6.1 yards per carry to
16. New York Jets (2-2) – Could it get worse for Rex Ryan’s boys after Sunday’s embarrassment? A loss to
17. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) – This team’s problem (in the trenches) really can’t be fixed mid-season.
18. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2) – For now, the Bengals are surprises. No one thought they’d be this good, this early. There’s a bright future in
19. Atlanta Falcons (2-2) – 28 points to
20. Dallas Cowboys (2-2) – I could put all the blame on Tony Romo or I could put it on Rob Ryan for angering Calvin Johnson with his comments and not being able to cover him in the red zone.
21. Cleveland Browns (2-2) – They’re only a game back of
22. Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) – Michael Vick seemed angry after Sunday’s game, but that was a career game for him. The problem seems to lie on the defensive side where all that talent isn’t gelling right.
23. Carolina Panthers (1-3) – Even though their defense has been struggling, color me interested to see the chess match between Cam Newton and Gregg Williams.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3) – I wonder how this team would be doing with David Garrard as quarterback.
25. Denver Broncos (1-3) – A beatdown in
26. Arizona Cardinals (1-3) – Three weeks, three close losses by four points or less.
27. Seattle Seahawks (1-3) – If you’re
28. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3) - The win was nice, but has Todd Haley's act gotten old?
29. Indianapolis Colts (0-4) – Curtis Painter-to-Pierre Garcon can give the offense a fighting chance. Injuries along the trenched will not.
30. St. Louis Rams (0-4) – Did not see this coming at all.
31. Minnesota Vikings (0-4) – They finally didn’t blow a lead in the second half, but
32. Miami Dolphins (0-4) – Going back to last season,