I stopped writing NFL Power Rankings a couple of seasons ago ’cause nobody was reading ’em. You know – every sports media website in the world has some form of these power rankings up, so there’s a lot of competition, and the little guys like us lose out in those scenarios. It makes it somewhat pointless to do stuff like this, but whatever happened with Google’s core web vitals update back in May seems to have kicked our traffic into another gear. I guess they like us? Anyway, it made me think that maybe it was worth giving these bad boys another try. So, like I said before I stopped writing these, my NFL Power Rankings are based solely on what has happened on the field so far. I’m not taking preseason expectations or projections into consideration. These rankings are based strictly on what I’ve seen so far this season. Let’s get to it.
NFL POWER RANKINGS: WEEK 4, 2021
1. Arizona Cardinals (4-0) – Well, I said it was going to happen and it happened. The Rams got the Stoney Keeley kiss of death special last week, and now the Arizona Cardinals are the recipient of it. I thought they would win that game…I called it on my NFL picks last week…but I didn’t think they’d win it like that. Kyler Murray was phenomenal as the Cards made their case as the best team in the NFL in impressive fashion. They host the 49ers on Sunday evening.
Nothing but respect. pic.twitter.com/RKS3lwfjdp
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 3, 2021
2. Green Bay Packers (3-1) – Wow, that inexplicable loss to a middling Saints team feels like forever ago now. Aaron Rodgers is back to playing MVP football, and the Packers are absolutely ROLLING. A surprisingly big one is coming up on Sunday, as the Packers head to Cincinnati for a date with the 3-1 Bengals at high noon.
3. Buffalo Bills (3-1) – The Bills are straight up whooping ass right now. Sure, it helps to get games against the Washington Football Team and the Houston Texans, but I’m a believer in that offense. They flipped the switch and got this thing going. MASSIVE road trip to Kansas City for Sunday Night Football this week.
4. Los Angeles Rams (3-1) – Despite the loss to the Cardinals, the Rams are still a damn good football team. I thought they would get caught in that spot after a big win over the Bucs. Now, they have to correct course and get ready for the Seattle Seahawks on a short week for Thursday Night Football.
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) – A gutsy win in New England on Sunday Night Football for Tom Brady in the Bucs. In a deluge, they were able to run the ball, and while it wasn’t easy, they got it done off the leg of Ryan Succop. Props to the Patriots for fighting the way they did, but it was an emotional win for Brady. They host the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
6. Dallas Cowboys (3-1) – The Cowboys are clearly the best team in the NFC East, and Dak Prescott is playing his ass off. That dude is having an amazing season, and the Cowboys offense is firing on all cylinders because of it. This looks like a different team when he’s back and healthy, and I dare say these Cowboys could be legit contenders in the NFC. They host the Giants on Sunday.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (3-1) – My love affairs with the Broncos and Raiders are both officially over, and I am sending flowers to the Chargers. Holy shit, is Justin Herbert fun to watch or what? That defense is the truth, and Brandon Staley has done a tremendous job in Los Angeles so far. I’ll say it – this looks like a real contender four games into the season. They have a big one on Sunday, hosting the Browns in a game that could go a long way in determining how the AFC shakes down.
8. Cleveland Browns (3-1) – It hasn’t always been pretty, but the Browns are quietly getting it down en route to a 3-1 record. They’ve won three straight games heading into Sunday’s MASSIVE AFC showdown with the Chargers in Los Angeles. That’s going to be a fun one.
9. Las Vegas Raiders (3-1) – One loss doesn’t undo everything, and while we learned that maybe Derek Carr isn’t quite on the MVP level yet, this is still a solid defense (that was just worn down by the Chargers offense) with an explosive offense. I’m not jumping ship just yet. They host the Bears on Sunday.
10. Baltimore Ravens (3-1) – Okay, okay. Fine. I’ll acknowledge that the Ravens are actually good after wins over the Chiefs and Broncos in two of the last three weeks. I still think there are problems, but a win is a win is a win, and the Ravens have stockpiled three in a row after losing the opener to the Raiders. They should handle business against a hobbled Colts team on Monday Night Football.
If the season ended today…
AFC
- (1) Los Angeles Chargers (BYE)
- (7) Denver Broncos @ (2) Cincinnati Bengals
- (6) Baltimore Ravens @ (3) Buffalo Bills
- (5) Las Vegas Raiders @ (4) Tennessee Titans
NFC
- (1) Arizona Cardinals (BYE)
- (7) Washington Football Team @ (2) Dallas Cowboys
- (6) Carolina Panthers @ (3) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- (5) Los Angeles Rams @ (4) Green Bay Packers
PREDICTIONS
- Top 5 NFL Draft order: 1. Jaguars, 2. Texans, 3. Lions, 4. Falcons, 5. Dolphins
- AFC Championship: Browns @ Bills
- NFC Championship: Packers @ Cardinals
- Super Bowl: Bills vs. Cardinals
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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