Review-Journal’s Week 4 NFL rankings
Review-Journal NFL reporter Gilbert Manzano’s weekly rankings, with last week’s ranking in parentheses.
1. Chiefs 3-0 (1): Can anyone stop Kareem Hunt and that mighty Chiefs offense? On defense, Marcus Peters is turning into arguably the league’s best cornerback.
2. Falcons 3-0 (3): The Falcons played like the best team in the NFC for three quarters until their fourth-quarter collapse against Detroit. They escaped with a win.
3. Patriots 2-1 (5): Tom Brady is still amazing at age 40. But the defense continues to slide after allowing Deshaun Watson to throw for 300 yards.
4. Raiders 2-1 (2): It was a night to forget for the Raiders in the nation’s capital. Oakland’s offense might not have a game like that again this season, but it gets harder this week against Denver.
5. Broncos 2-1 (4): The Broncos are coming off a disappointing loss to the Bills. They get the Raiders at home in a vital AFC West game.
6. Lions 2-1 (7): The Lions might have the worst luck, but they continue to play like NFC contenders.
7. Packers 2-1 (9): Aaron Rodgers continues to bail out the Packers with late-game heroics.
8. Steelers 2-1 (6): Are we ever going to see that explosive Steelers offense? Pittsburgh often struggles on the road.
9. Eagles 2-1 (12): The world got to know Jake Elliott, who made a clutch 61-yard field goal to beat the Giants. Philly continues to get better.
10. Titans 2-1 (14): After a flat performance against the Raiders, the Titans have picked up two dominant wins over the Jaguars and Seahawks.
11. Cowboys 2-1 (13): The Cowboys offense continues to struggle, but Dak Prescott stepped up to defeat the Cardinals.
12. Seahawks 1-2 (10): There are serious issues in Seattle, but they get a pass for losing in Green Bay and Tennessee.
13. Ravens 2-1 (8): Baltimore got a beatdown across the pond last week versus Jacksonville. But there’s still plenty of talent on its defense.
14. Vikings 2-1 (16): Was that really Case Keenum who threw for 369 yards against Tampa Bay? The Vikings are in good hands with Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen at wideout.
15. Redskins 2-1 (19): Washington made a statement by crushing the Raiders. The Redskins arguably have the league’s best secondary.
16. Panthers 2-1 (11): Cam Newton needs to wake up if the Panthers want to stay competitive versus the Patriots this week
17. Rams 2-1 (20): The Rams are suddenly fun to watch. Coaching matters.
18. Jaguars 2-1 (21): The inconsistent Jags have dominated the Texans and Ravens this season.
19. Bills 2-1 (25): What happened to the Bills tanking this season? Quarterback Tyrod Taylor and the Buffalo defense will stay competitive.
20. Texans 1-2 (22): Houston is 1-2, but Watson continues to get better and put a smile on DeAndre Hopkins’ face.
21. Buccaneers 1-1 (15): Tampa Bay is hurting on defense, and Jameis Winston continues to turn the ball over.
22. Dolphins 1-1 (17): Miami was embarrassed by the lowly Jets last week. Jay Cutler and Jay Ajayi need bounce-back games.
23. Saints 1-2 (26): Drew Brees is still good, and the Saints defense wasn’t that bad in Week 3.
24. Bears 1-2 (28): The running back tandem of Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen will give defenses fits all season.
25. Cardinals 1-2 (23): The once mighty Arizona defense continues to sink.
26. Giants 0-3 (24): The Giants’ playoff hopes continue to slip away, but at least the offense woke up against the Eagles.
27. Bengals 0-3 (27): Cincy’s offensive coordinator change gave the offense a boost, but Aaron Rodgers wasn’t going to let the Bengals win in Green Bay.
28. Chargers 0-3 (18): The Chargers scored only 10 points at their home soccer stadium.
29. Jets 1-2 (32): The quest to 0-16 ended quickly. The Jets aren’t as bad as we thought.
30. Colts 1-2 (31): Jacoby Brissett is giving the Colts hope.
31. 49ers 0-3 (30): The Kyle Shanahan era is off to a good start despite being winless. There’s finally a future in the Bay.
32. Browns 0-3 (29): Cleveland is back in familiar territory. Losing to the Colts wasn’t a good look.
