Undefeated Steelers and Seahawks not in top 5

NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 4 of the 2024 season (previous rankings in parentheses):

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1): Have they looked more impressive than the other 31 teams over the last three weeks? Probably not, especially after two close decisions in the last two weeks. And maybe an already-battered offense looks a little disjointed as teams shed Pro Bowl TE Travis Kelce. But a team on a mission for a third-round finish refuses to lose, with QB Patrick Mahomes and the defense making the key plays when they need to. Pure respect will carry them to the top of this list until a loss, whether on the field or personnel, requires a change.

2. Buffalo Bills (3): Have they looked more impressive than the other 31 teams over the last three weeks? A perfect record with a league-best +64 point differential suggests so for a group seeking a fifth straight AFC East title and more. Big test in Baltimore on Sunday night, the Bills’ third straight primetime game.

3. Minnesota Vikings (7): Have they looked more impressive than the other 31 teams in the three weeks since their first 3-0 start in eight years? It’s not a hard argument to make. Fully activated QB Sam Darnold leads the league in TD passes (8), the defense leads the league in sacks (16), and Kevin O’Connell could lead the league in Coach of the Year votes — if an informal poll were conducted. An eminently impressive start to the season, especially considering the quality wins over the 49ers and Texans.

4. Detroit Lions (5): DE Aidan Hutchinson is still healthy, and he’s (prematurely) on pace for 37 sacks. His team will need that kind of pressure against this week’s opponent, Seattle, which has beaten the Lions six straight — the average score of the last three meetings is 45-35.

5. Philadelphia Eagles (9): According to Next Gen Stats, RB Saquon Barkley’s game-winning 65-yard TD run on Sunday was the most remarkable run of the young season, stretching 62 yards more than expected.

6. Green Bay Packers (11): With QB Jordan Love sidelined with a knee injury, they’ve somehow transformed themselves into the league’s best rushing attack — the Packers’ 612 rushing yards being the fourth-most by a team through three games since 1990.

7. New York Jets (10): QB Aaron Rodgers never threw a TD pass to a first-round receiver in his 18 years in Green Bay… but now he has Garrett Wilson. Speaking of former Packers passers, Rodgers became the first NYJ QB1 to beat New England in the spotlight since… Brett Favre 16 years ago.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers (12): It’s hard to say how close their top-ranked defense is to maxing out, but the demands on QB Justin Fields seem certain to intensify as the offensive players around him continue to decline.

9. New Orleans Saints (6): It’s understandable that their offense has gotten a lot of attention. But when was the last time you saw a cornerback (Alontae Taylor) among the league leaders in sacks (3½)?

10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4): They are the only team that has yet to give up a touchdown pass. However, only one team has given up more than six rushing touchdowns, like the Bucs.

11. Houston Texans (2): The running game is gone, and so is the offense. After putting up 29 points and 213 rushing yards in Week 1, Houston hasn’t matched those totals in the last two weeks.

12. San Francisco 49ers (8): Injuries are typically the only factor that has held back Kyle Shanahan’s teams — in the regular season — and they’re piling up now. DT Javon Hargrave (triceps) is now out for the rest of the season, while QB Brock Purdy is dealing with a nagging back and his first dip below .500. It’s anyone’s guess when RB Christian McCaffrey (Achilles) will return.

13. Atlanta Falcons (13): Their offensive line is struggling, as is their third-down conversion rate (22.2 percent) — and their red-zone efficiency was nil at the end of Sunday night’s loss to the Chiefs. That’s not an encouraging sign with two key division games at home (Saints, Bucs) in the next two weeks.

14. Arizona Cardinals (17): QB Kyler Murray is back physically. His 10.7 yards per carry lead the league among players with at least 10 attempts.

15. Seattle Seahawks (20): They feasted on three teams that each had just one win. Sunday’s game at Ford Field will be the first real test for the NFC West’s early leaders (with a two-game lead).

16. Los Angeles Chargers (14): Bad week for Team Harbaugh. With QB Justin Herbert and both starting offensive tackles injured and S Derwin James now suspended, can the Bolts simply opt for a two-week break rather than hosting the Chiefs — to whom they have lost five straight — this Sunday?

17. Baltimore Ravens (15): Good week for Team Harbaugh. But even though RB Derrick Henry seems to be in sync with the offense, the defense presents a strange dichotomy: the league’s best run defense and worst pass defense.

18. Washington Commanders (27): Their “beautiful college offense,” according to Cincy CB Cam Taylor-Britt, scored the most points Washington had in four years (38), while QB Jayden Daniels set a rookie record for completion percentage in a game (91.3 percent). The Commanders haven’t punted since Week 1. If the season ended today (it doesn’t), they’d be in control of the NFC East.

19. Los Angeles Rams (26): Why isn’t RB Kyren Williams’ turnover on former Niners All-Pro S Talanoa Hufanga in the end zone more appreciated — especially as the play that sparked Sunday’s improbable comeback?

20. Indianapolis Colts (22): If they want to emerge as a playoff-caliber team, QB Anthony Richardson can’t remain at the bottom of the league with a 49.3 percent completion rate.

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21. Dallas Cowboys (18): They’ve given up 72 points and nearly 900 yards in the last two weeks. Maybe the defense isn’t up to par? Maybe getting out of Dallas, where the Cowboys have lost three straight, will get them out of their current rut.

22. Denver Broncos (30): Perhaps they deserve a little more respect after facing three teams with a combined record of 8-1, the only loss being the Broncos’ shocking defeat to the Bucs on Sunday.

23. Carolina Panthers (32): Veteran QB Andy Dalton came out of the pine to pass for 319 yards and three TDs — totals that Bryce Young off the bench has never surpassed in the NFL — in Sunday’s upset of Las Vegas.

24. Cincinnati Bengals (16): Remember when QB Joe Burrow said, “The (Super Bowl) window is my entire career”? You’re a hell of a guy… it wasn’t fair to expect you to lead this franchise for more than two years.

25. Las Vegas Raiders (21): Sure, there’s a lot of attention focused on an unstable quarterback position. But the situation isn’t helped by a running game that’s averaging well below the league average of 51 yards per game and 2.8 yards per attempt.

26. Chicago Bears (24): It’s understandable that first-round pick Caleb Williams, whose 65.3 passer rating is the lowest among NFC quarterbacks, is a careful scrutinizer. But RB D’Andre Swift hasn’t paid off yet either, his 37 carries yielding just 68 yards for the conference’s worst offense (249.3 yards per game).

27. New York Giants (31): With 14 sacks, the G-Men trail Minnesota, becoming the fourth team in the last 43 seasons to have nine players record at least half a sack in the same game.

28. Cleveland Browns (19): Injuries have hit them hard. Again. But if reigning Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett’s feet become unmanageable, so will this team’s season… if it isn’t already.

29. Miami Dolphins (25): Since they don’t seem to have bet on QB Russell Wilson yet, it looks like QBs Tim Boyle and/or Snoop Huntley will be tasked with keeping the season afloat next Monday night against the even more hapless Titans.

30. New England Patriots (28): Of all the thankless jobs QB Jacoby Brissett has been given over the years, serving as a human shield for rookie Drake Maye has to rank near the bottom of the list.

31. Tennessee Titans (29): Few teams have spent as much money in free agency…and yet this one only proved that it’s not the optimal way to build a roster, but it can make an 0-3 start much worse.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (23): Few teams have spent as much money in free agency…and yet this one only proved that it’s not the optimal way to build a roster, but it can make an 0-3 start much worse.

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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on X, formerly Twitter, @ParNateDavis.