Since the top three teams from last week had byes, they will remain unchanged in the rankings. If they are to lose their positions in the top of the power rankings, let it be done on the field.
The Cincinnati Bengals are the most balanced team in the NFL so far this season and remain at the top of the power rankings. They will be heading into Foxboro to face a New England Patriots team that was humiliated by the Kansas City Chiefs. What do they say about an injured animal, or in this case a Patriot? The Bengals can't take the Patriots for granted or they will suffer their first loss.
Leon Hall #29 of the Cincinnati Bengals celebrates after intercepting a pass during the third quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Paul Brown Stadium on September 14, 2014 in Cincinnati, Ohio.
(September 13, 2014 - Source: Joe Robbins/Getty Images North America)
The Green Bay Packers shot up eight spots in the rankings after they took care of business on the road against their division rival, the Chicago Bears. Aaron Rodgers sliced up the Bears defense as he threw four touchdowns while the Packers defense picked off Jay Cutler twice.
Aaron Rodgers #12 of the Green Bay Packers pulls on his jersey as a signal to receiver Jordy Nelson before throwing a touchdown pass against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on September 28, 2014 in Chicago, Illinois. The Packers defeated the Bears 38-17.
(September 27, 2014 - Source: Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images North America)
The Patriots dropped 11 spots in the rankings after their dismal performance in Kansas City. Tom Brady is struggling behind an offensive line that features two rookies. The questionable trade of center Logan Mankins looms large as the porous line is unable to keep Brady protected in the pocket. For the first time in the Bill Belichick/Tom Brady era, the Patriots are facing questions and doubts about the direction the team is headed in.
Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots sits on the sidelines late in the fourth quarter during the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium on September 29, 2014 in Kansas City, Missouri.
(September 28, 2014 - Source: Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images North America)
The Oakland Raiders sit at the bottom of the rankings and may be there for a quite awhile to come. After an 0-4 start and a performance against the Miami Dolphins that looked as if the team had quit on head coach Dennis Allen, the Raiders fired their coach and moved on to Tony Sparano for at least the remainder of the season. The Raiders suffer from a lack of talent and questionable costless agent signings in the offseason didn't make things much better.
Head coach Dennis Allen of the Oakland Raiders during the NFL match between the Oakland Raiders and the Miami Dolphins at Wembley Stadium on September 28, 2014 in London, England.
(September 27, 2014 - Source: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images Europe)
| Rank | Prev. | Team | Record | Remarks |
| 1 | 1 | Bengals | 3-0 | The Bengals are firing on all cylinders as they head off their bye. So far they have shown to be the most balanced team in the NFL. Next Up: at Patriots |
| 2 | 2 | Seahawks | 2-1 | The Seahawks offense is playing at a higher level this season. The Broncos exploited some holes in the defense in the fourth quarter of their game two weeks ago that Pete Carroll was hard at work to fix over their bye. Expect the Seahawks to come out strong on Monday night. Next Up: at Redskins |
| 3 | 3 | Broncos | 2-1 | The Broncos are coming off a loss in Seattle but had alot to feel good about with their performance, especially on offense. The Cardinals won't be easy but with two weeks to prepare you would have to think Peyton Manning has an idea of where the weak points are to exploit. Next Up: vs Cardinals |
| 4 | 5 | Cardinals | 3-0 | The Cardinals head into Denver with Drew Stanton once again at quarterback. The Cardinals defense will have their biggest test yet against Manning and the Broncos offense. A win in Denver and the Cardinals would catapult themselves to the top of the pecking order in the NFC. Next Up: at Broncos |
| 5 | 6 | Chargers | 3-1 | The Chargers continue to roll with Philip Rivers having a great start to his season. Rivers threw for 377 yards and three touchdowns against the Jaguars. San Diego is a legitimate threat to the Broncos in the AFC West and all signs point to the Thursday Night matchup in Denver on October 23rd as a battle for first place. Next Up: vs Jets |
| 6 | 4 | Eagles | 3-1 | The Eagles suffered their first setback of the year in San Francisco as they were unable to keep their high octane offense, especially in the second half, firing on all cylinders. The Eagles seemed to lose faith in LeSean McCoy and the running game, especially in a critical goal-to-goal situation in the fourth quarter. Next Up: vs Rams |
| 7 | 11 | Ravens | 3-1 | Steve Smith embarrassed his former team as he racked up 139 yards receiving and two touchdowns against a once formidable Panthers' defense. Gary Kubiak's offense is beginning to show results. Next Up: at Colts |
| 8 | 13 | Lions | 3-1 | Matthew Stafford threw for more than 300 yards despite having a hobbled Calvin Johnson (2 catches for 12 yards) acting as nothing more than a decoy. Next Up: vs Bills |
| 9 | 15 | Colts | 2-2 | Andrew Luck had a field day against the Titans, passing for 393 yards while Reggie Wayne and T.Y Hilton each had a 100 yard receiving day. Next Up: vs Ravens |
| 10 | 16 | Cowboys | 3-1 | The Cowboys finally have a solid offensive line to give Tony Romo the protection he needs and the holes DeMarco Murray can barrel through. A balanced offensive attack and an improved defense may just make the Cowboys a threat in the NFC East. Next Up: vs Texans |
| 11 | 19 | Packers | 2-2 | R-E-L-A-X Packers fans. The Packers stormed into Chicago and buried the Bears 38-17 as Aaron Rodgers had a four touchdown performance. Next Up: vs Vikings |
| 12 | 18 | 49ers | 2-2 | The 49ers defense dug down deep and pulled out a terrific second half performance as they shut down a Eagles offense that was scoring at will coming out of halftime in their first three games. Next Up: vs Chiefs |
| 13 | 20 | Texans | 3-1 | The Texans would be ranked higher but their three wins have come against the Raiders, Redskins, and Bills. With a road game against the Cowboys coming up on Sunday, the Texans have an opportunity to show they are a contender this season. at Cowboys |
| 14 | 7 | Bears | 2-2 | The bad Jay Cutler showed up against the Packers. He was throwing the ball wildly, missing his target and dropping two passes right into the hands of defenders. The Bears defense was unable to force any mistakes from Aaron Rodgers. Next Up: at Panthers |
| 15 | 10 | Panthers | 2-2 | The Panthers defense that dominated all of last season and reappeared for the first two games of this season has abandoned them. The last two games the Panthers have been manhandled by opposing offenses. They still have a chance to get things worked out as they are in a NFC South division that has two dome teams unable to win on the road and a Buccaneers team that is awful. Next Up: vs Bears |
| 16 | 23 | Chiefs | 2-2 | What a surprise thrashing they put on the Patriots for a primetime TV audience to see on Monday Night Football. The Chiefs executed in all phases of the game as they blew out the Patriots 41-14. Injuries, especially on defense, will still be an issue going forward for this team. Next Up: at 49ers |
| 17 | 8 | Falcons | 2-2 | A defense that is giving up huge chunks of yardage, a thin offensive line that now loses it's center, and the inability to win outside of the dome is hurting this team. Next Up: at Giants |
| 18 | 12 | Steelers | 2-2 | Ben Roethlisberger throws for 314 yards and three touchdowns against a bad football team at home and still find a way to lose. Their inability to get one last first down to run the clock out cost them. Next Up: at Jaguars |
| 19 | 28 | Giants | 2-2 | Have the Giants finally figured out how to execute their new offense? After managing just 14 points in each of their first two games, they have ripped off 30 and 45 in the next two games. Larry Donnell has become a household name after his three touchdown performance on Thursday Night Football. Next Up: vs Falcons |
| 20 | 9 | Patriots | 2-2 | Times have become hard in Boston. Offensive line problems and a lack of quality weapons for Tom Brady have brought the Patriots once productive offensive to a sudden halt. Next Up: vs Bengals |
| 21 | 14 | Saints | 1-3 | The Saints defense was overwhelmed by the Cowboys offense. DeMarco Murray ran all over them while Tony Romo victimized the Saints secondary. The Saints lost their first game in Dallas since 1991 and are in danger of seeing the hopes for a great season vanish before their eyes. Next Up: vs Buccaneers |
| 22 | 17 | Bills | 2-2 | It's Kyle Orton team in Buffalo as EJ Manuel was benched due to ineffective play. The Bills have the talent to make a run in the AFC East, they just need consistent play from the quarterback position. Next Up: at Lions |
| 23 | 25 | Dolphins | 2-2 | The Dolphins picked up a blow out win over a Raiders team that quit on their head coach in London. Despite his head coach not showing much love, Ryan Tannehill performed well by throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns. Next Up: Bye |
| 24 | 27 | Vikings | 2-2 | Teddy Bridgewater showed off his arm (19/30 for 317 yards) and legs (rushing for 27 yards and a touchdown) in an impressive 41-28 win over the Falcons. He was banged up and is a question for the Thursday night game against the Packers. Next Up: Packers |
| 25 | 22 | Browns | 1-2 | The Browns schedule on the other side of the bye gets easier. Four of the next five are against bottom rung teams and they will have the Steelers at home. Now is the time for the Browns to pick up some wins and make things interesting in the AFC North. Next Up: at Titans |
| 26 | 21 | Jets | 1-3 | Geno Smith continues to turn the ball over and when asked about benching Smith during the game, head coach Rex Ryan seemed to imply that it wasn't his call. Who is in charge of the team on the field if the head coach isn't? Next Up: at Chargers |
| 27 | 24 | Redskins | 1-3 | The Redskins were just awful against the Giants. They couldn't hold on to the ball and the Giants offense had their way with what seemed like an improved Redskins D. Next Up: vs Seahawks |
| 28 | 26 | Titans | 1-3 | The Titans weren't in the game against the Colts as they fell behind 20-3 before they knew what hit them. The impressive performance against the Chiefs to start the season seems like a distant memory now. Next Up: vs Browns |
| 29 | 29 | Rams | 1-2 | The Rams announced that Austin Davis will remain the starter for the rest of the season. Next Up: at Eagles |
| 30 | 30 | Buccaneers | 1-3 | Mike Glennon comes in for the injured Josh McCown and ends up leading the Bucs to a last second win over the Steelers. Next Up: at Saints |
| 31 | 32 | Jaguars | 0-4 | Blake Bortles' debut performance last week gives the Jags hope going forward. Next Up: vs Steelers |
| 32 | 31 | Raiders | 0-4 | The Raiders fire head coach Dennis Allen and replace him with Tony Sparano. The only problem is the same lack of talent still exists and the organization has no clear path forward. Next Up: Bye |