The 2022 NFL power rankings for Week 4 are slightly shorter than usual—I tried to go rapid-fire but find myself writing more than expected, particularly for teams that typically might not be covered by mainstream sports media. Check out The Wolf Sports Show for more on all 32 teams (episodes release Thursday afternoons).
1. Buffalo Bills (2-1) | Last week: 1
I’m not prepared to drop the Bills from the top spot in the power rankings after a loss in which they ran 90 plays and lost narrowly in scorching hot Miami. The injuries on defense are a concern and the loss of All-Pro safety Micah Hyde for the season is a brutal loss, but Buffalo should be fine.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) | Last week: 3 (+1)
Jalen Hurts has been throwing the ball all over the place, including multiple bombs deep down the field per game—and it’s helped to have a suddenly loaded receiving corps after adding A.J. Brown during the draft. The Philly defense dominated Washington in Week 3, and the lone concern for the Eagles through three games is the relatively down second halves after dominating the first 30 minutes each week.
3. Green Bay Packers (2-1) | Last week: 5 (+2)
A fast start helped Aaron Rodgers and the Packers pull off the upset at Tampa Bay, and just getting a victory should be big in terms of confidence for a potential rematch in January considering the Bucs defense has appeared to have Green Bay’s number.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1) | Last week: 2 (-2)
That said, the Bucs were without Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Julio Jones, and Donovan Smith in the two-point loss—and Todd Bowles’ defense made adjustments and shut down the Packers after giving up 14 early points. Hopefully Tampa is healthier this Sunday night versus the Chiefs, and hopefully everyone in the area is OK during Hurricane Ian.
5. Miami Dolphins (3-0) | Last week: 9 (+4)
Give the Dolphins credit for getting gritty wins—it’s something Tua Tagovailoa teams have shown the ability to do, and that’s big for a flashy type of team that added Tyreek Hill. The defense has found a way to make key plays the first three weeks en route to a 3-0 start.
6. Kansas City Chiefs (2-1) | Last week: 4 (-2)
While the Chiefs had extra time to prepare coming off Thursday Night Football in Week 2, the matchup at Indy felt like a potential trap game with the matchup with the Buccaneers looming this Sunday night. The Kansas City offense should get things going with this revamped receiving group at some point, but there’ll be growing pains even with Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
7. Baltimore Ravens (2-1) | Last week: 14 (+7)
My concern was the potential of injuries striking again, but I definitely regret leaving the Ravens out of my preseason playoff predictions. Lamar Jackson (ten passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns) looks excellent, and he’s the primary reason Baltimore is such a dangerous team.
8. Los Angeles Rams (2-1) | Last week: 8
The Rams felt in control the entire game against the Cardinals, but it wasn’t a super pretty win—the good news is the Los Angeles defense got going, and Matthew Stafford avoided interceptions after throwing five in the first two weeks.
9. San Francisco 49ers (1-2) | Last week: 6 (-3)
After an ugly offensive showing in Denver, the Niners can quickly flip the page because they have no doubt been thinking about this upcoming NFC Championship Game rematch with the Rams for a long time. San Francisco’s defense has looked tremendous, and the unit was able to beat up on the Rams quite a bit in 2021. Remember, Jimmy Garoppolo was basically away from the team (practicing separately) all summer; I’m not worried about him getting on track, as he’s currently playing in what basically amounts to the preseason for him.
10. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-1) | Last week: 19 (+9)
This might be too high for the Jaguars, but I like the way they are taking care of the ball (lead the NFL in turnover margin at +7), and getting Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson after he took a year off is doing wonders for the franchise. The Jacksonville defense has held the Colts and Chargers to a combined ten points the past two games, but this Sunday at Philadelphia will be their biggest challenge yet.
11. Los Angeles Chargers (1-2) | Last week: 7 (-4)
The yearly bad injury luck for the Chargers continues, with star left tackle Rashawn Slater now out for the season with a bicep injury, and stud pass rusher Joey Bosa week-to-week with a groin issue. The Texans put up 41 points in a win over the Chargers last December, so head coach Brandon Staley must get his guys ready to play this week as they look to get back on track.
12. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2) | Last week: 12
The Bengals might have just needed some time to get going, but they’ll look to build on their rout of the Jets with a home matchup against the Dolphins this Thursday night. Cincinnati is breaking out their awesome all-white uniforms, so this group can get their swagger back by knocking off the AFC’s lone remaining unbeaten team while looking good doing it.
If it isn’t obvious ¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/uaUYZzvD5p
— Cincinnati Bengals (@Bengals) September 27, 2022
13. Dallas Cowboys (2-1) | Last week: 13
The Cowboys pass rush seemingly got pressure on every snap in the Monday night road win over the Giants, continuing to weather the storm and win their second consecutive game with Dak Prescott (thumb) out of the lineup. Cooper Rush has done a really nice job filling in at quarterback, and the formula to win games is simple with how great Micah Parsons and the defense can be.
14. Minnesota Vikings (2-1) | Last week: 18 (+4)
A 14-point fourth quarter capped by a game-winning touchdown from Kirk Cousins to K.J. Osborn helped the Vikings defend homefield and get a key early-season division win against the Lions. Justin Jefferson has been quiet after he exploded in Week 1, so we’ll see if a trip to London can get him going this Sunday against the Saints.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-2) | Last week: 11 (-4)
The Steelers drop just four spots after a tough loss (closer than the score indicates) on the road at Cleveland. Apparently some people don’t actually watch the game closely enough; Mitchell Trubisky played very well, and his talented receivers let him and the offense down with either drops or not coming down with catches they typically can make. With a tough schedule on paper coming up, Pittsburgh needs a win over the Jets this Sunday.
16. Detroit Lions (1-2) | Last week: 15 (-1)
I thought the Lions were set to get a tone-setting win at Minnesota before the defense couldn’t quite hold on to the lead, dropping Detroit to 1-2. And now star running back D’Andre Swift (shoulder) will miss time and second-year receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown is banged up, but I think the Lions will be fine offensively. The defense (former third overall pick cornerback Jeff Okudah deserves a shoutout for the way he’s played coming off a torn Achilles) might need to learn to put games away, a position they haven’t been in much.
17. Indianapolis Colts (1-1-1) | Last week: 21 (+4)
The Colts have looked awful at times over the past two seasons, but they do often find a way to bounce back almost when it’s least expected—as with the upset over the Chiefs in Week 3. Matt Ryan was fired up after the victory, which was without All-Pro linebacker Shaquille Leonard, who remains out with his back issue but should be nearing his 2022 debut.
18. Tennessee Titans (1-2) | Last week: 23 (+5)
The Titans also got their first win of the season, holding on to take down the Raiders. It’s still very early, but the AFC South is an interesting division after Indy and Tennessee came through with victories over AFC West foes. Derrick Henry ran 20 times for 85 yards and a touchdown last week, and his early involvement as a receiver was encouraging.
19. New England Patriots (1-2) | Last week: 10 (-9)
Turnovers are the big issue for the Patriots to this point, with Mac Jones uncharacteristically making way too many boneheaded decisions. And now Jones might miss time with a serious high-ankle sprain, which is a tough blow to New England. Overall, the turnovers make this feel like a team not coached by Bill Belichick, and they need to get that sorted out from top to bottom no matter who is under center.
20. Denver Broncos (2-1) | Last week: 24 (+4)
The offense continues to struggle, but the Broncos defense has surpassed my expectations and looks like one of the best groups in the league to this point. The pass rush led by Bradley Chubb and Randy Gregory paired with shutdown corner Patrick Surtain II was the difference in the win against the 49ers on Sunday night.
21. Cleveland Browns (2-1) | Last week: 29 (+8)
Myles Garrett was in a one-car accident leaving the Browns facility and landed in the hospital earlier this week, but it appears he has a shot to play this Sunday—it’d be huge for Cleveland if Garrett, Jadeveon Clowney and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah all play versus the Falcons. Offensively, Jacoby Brissett is helping keep the offense moving to complement Nick Chubb and the rushing attack.
22. New Orleans Saints (1-2) | Last week: 16 (-6)
The connection between Jameis Winston and Alvin Kamara has been off since last season, and I think it’s imperative that gets going if the Saints get to where they want to be. Getting Taysom Hill (ribs) back closer to full strength and being able to utilize him would also help. A positive for New Orleans is how good rookie receiver Chris Olave has looked through three games.
23. Arizona Cardinals (1-2) | Last week: 17 (-6)
Aside from the late scoring outburst at the end of Week 2’s comeback win over the Raiders, the Cardinals offense has been very sluggish and a bit out of whack. As another team that didn’t play during the preseason, maybe that is the culprit—but for a team that typically starts fast, Arizona must pick it up.
24. New York Giants (2-1) | Last week: 20 (-4)
It was evident how overmatched the Giants were by the Cowboys on Monday night, but Daniel Jones played a very good game in avoiding pressure and making things happen with pinpoint passes and with his legs; if Jones was in a better situation, I think he’d be having more success early in his career. The good news for the Giants is that they are already playing hard under Brian Daboll, and Saquon Barkley keeps looking like his old self.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (0-3) | Last week: 22 (-3)
Not that I condone his private emails, but Raiders fans are right in missing Jon Gruden after he was the primary reason the team was built into a playoff team last season in my opinion. This season, they have taken a step back to this point despite adding headlining talent to the roster. Fortunately for Vegas, no one in the AFC West has looked like a complete juggernaut.
26. Atlanta Falcons (1-2) | Last week: 27 (+1)
The Falcons were due for a win, and they held on for a tight victory at Seattle. Kyle Pitts finally got going as a receiver, and rookie first-round pick Drake London scored again for Atlanta—quarterback Marcus Mariota has been a solid triggerman for the offense, which got a career-high in rushing yards from Cordarrelle Patterson in Week 3. You could say this for many teams and games, but a few different breaks and the Falcons could be 3-0.
27. Seattle Seahawks (1-2) | Last week: 26 (-1)
The Seahawks played faster on offense last week and were able to get DK Metcalf going, but I’d still like to see Rashaad Penny break loose and have a big outing for a team that wants to run the ball and play solid defense at its core. If Seattle is going to compete for a playoff spot this season, this upcoming NFC stretch (at Detroit, at New Orleans, vs. Arizona) is critical.
28. Chicago Bears (2-1) | Last week: 31 (+3)
Star linebacker Roquan Smith—one of the most underrated players in football—basically put the Bears on his back in their 23-20 win over the Texans, racking up 16 tackles and a late interception to set up the game-winning field goal for Chicago. The passing game remains ugly, but the Bears are able to run the ball—Khalil Herbert, who has been highly impressive in his first two seasons when he’s gotten the ball, had 20 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns last week after David Montgomery went down.
29. Carolina Panthers (1-2) | Last week: 32 (+3)
Matt Rhule’s Panthers were in desperate need of a win, and they got it within the division against the Saints. But the offense and the passing game still must play much better than they have. We’ll see if Laviska Shenault Jr. gets more involved after he broke the long touchdown in the win over New Orleans.
30. Washington Commanders (1-2) | Last week: 25 (-5)
No one played well for the Commanders in Week 3, but the offensive line and quarterback Carson Wentz both struggled mightily—with the o-line not protecting Wentz, and Wentz himself holding the ball too long at times. This week against the Cowboys pass rush might prove to be just as difficult.
31. New York Jets (1-2) | Last week: 28 (-3)
The Jets were unable to build on their Week 2 comeback victory at Cleveland, scoring 12 points against the Jets. Zach Wilson (knee) might make his 2022 debut this week at Pittsburgh; but whether he or Joe Flacco is at quarterback, I’d like to see second-year receiver Elijah Moore more involved offensively.
32. Houston Texans (0-2-1) | Last week: 30 (-2)
The Texans have a tie and two one-possession losses this season, and it might be a squad that needs to figure out how to win close games—which is obviously key in a tight league like the NFL. The Houston defense has looked good under Lovie Smith, coming off a five-sack, two-interception performance in the loss.