Sizzlin Sports NFL Power Rankings — Week 4: Now We're Learning Who These Teams Really Are

Buffalo takes the throne, Washington jumps 12 after knocking off our No. 1, and Philadelphia falls off a cliff.

BigSlickOrr COO

·September 30, 2026·7 min read

Three weeks.

That's all it took for the NFL to become complete chaos.

Week 1 is for overreactions. Week 2 gives us some clues. By Week 3, we're finally starting to get some actual evidence about who these teams are.

And some teams made us look really smart.

Others?

Not so much.

Remember: these aren't standings. We're ranking teams based on how much we trust them right now — roster, quarterback play, defense, injuries, coaching and, most importantly, what we're actually seeing on Sundays.

The arrows show movement from our rankings last week. Tap any team to read why they moved.

Let's get into it.

NFL Power Rankings

Week 4

Number 1, Buffalo BillsUp 2 from 3
Survived a five-turnover performance against the Chargers and still found a way to win. That's what good teams do. James Cook keeps giving this offense legitimate balance, Josh Allen is still Josh Allen, and until somebody knocks Buffalo off, they've earned the top spot.
Number 2, San Francisco 49ersNo change, held at 2
No movement for San Francisco. The 49ers remain one of the most complete teams in football and keep finding ways to win. They don't need to dominate every week. Just keep stacking wins.
Number 3, Kansas City ChiefsUp 1 from 4
Uh oh. The Chieeeeeefs are back, America. Deal with it. You can question them in September all you want. As long as Patrick Mahomes is standing back there, I'm not betting against them figuring it out.
Number 4, Seattle SeahawksDown 3 from 1
Drops three after the loss to Washington, but I'm not panicking. They moved the football. They created explosive plays. They also turned it over three times. That's the difference between winning and losing in the NFL. Clean up the mistakes and this is still one of the teams I trust most in the NFC.
Number 5, Baltimore RavensUp 2 from 7
Lamar Jackson. Derrick Henry. That's a pretty damn good formula. Baltimore survived Dallas and continues to look like one of the AFC's most dangerous teams: physical, explosive and built to beat you multiple ways.
Number 6, Jacksonville JaguarsNo change, held at 6
Stays put after absolutely dismantling New England. Trevor Lawrence tossed three touchdowns, the defense created turnovers, and the Jaguars looked like a team that could be a legitimate problem in the AFC. Now do it consistently.
Number 7, Denver BroncosUp 9 from 16
HELLO, DENVER. Our first gigantic mover of the week, up nine after knocking off the Rams. Bo Nix delivered when Denver needed him, and the defense made enormous plays despite Los Angeles moving the ball all afternoon. We're buying in.
Number 8, Los Angeles RamsUp 1 from 9
Yes, the Rams lost. Yes, they're 1-2. And yes, we're moving them up. Sometimes the final score doesn't tell you everything. They moved the football against Denver and showed enough offensively to stay inside the Top 10. Clean up the turnovers and the wins will come.
Number 9, Las Vegas RaidersUp 3 from 12
DAHHHHHH RAIDAAAAAHS. Welcome to the Top 10. The Raiders are 3-0, they're playing confident football, and at some point you have to stop calling something a fluke when it keeps happening. We're officially paying attention.
Number 10, Chicago BearsUp 3 from 13
Welcome to the Top 10, Chicago. And I owe you an apology. I picked Philadelphia to win 31-13 on Monday night. Instead, Chicago won 27-7. Case Keenum was efficient, the Bears protected the football, and they embarrassed a team we had near the top of these rankings. You got me. Respect.
Number 11, Minnesota VikingsDown 1 from 10
Minnesota barely moves. At 3-0 they've earned respect, and they're finding ways to win, which is ultimately what matters. For now they sit just outside the Top 10.
Number 12, Detroit LionsDown 4 from 8
A noticeable tumble. I still believe in the roster and I still believe in the offense, but we're getting to the point where reputation matters less and what you're doing right now matters more. Still dangerous. Just not Top 10 this week.
Number 13, Cincinnati BengalsUp 1 from 14
Cincinnati keeps quietly hanging around, and that's dangerous. This is the type of team that can look ordinary for stretches and then suddenly become one nobody wants to see.
Number 14, New Orleans SaintsUp 6 from 20
One of the week's biggest risers. There are still questions here, but they're showing enough that keeping them buried in the 20s didn't make sense anymore.
Number 15, Indianapolis ColtsUp 8 from 23
Another major jump. Indianapolis climbs eight because they're beginning to look a lot more competitive than we expected. Are we ready to call them contenders? No. Are we taking them seriously now? Absolutely.
Number 16, Washington CommandersUp 12 from 28
BIGGEST RISER OF THE WEEK. Washington jumps an insane 12 spots after beating Seattle. That's what happens when you knock off our previous No. 1 team. The Commanders didn't dominate statistically, but they made the plays that mattered and took advantage of Seattle's mistakes. Welcome back to relevance.
Number 17, Pittsburgh SteelersUp 5 from 22
The Steelers are the Steelers. Every time you think they're finished, they drag somebody into a street fight and somehow come out holding the other guy's wallet. They aren't always pretty. They don't have to be. They're 2-1 and moving up.
Number 18, Philadelphia EaglesDown 13 from 5
BIGGEST FALLER OF THE WEEK. What. Was. That? Philadelphia entered Monday night at No. 5. Then Chicago beat them 27-7. Three turnovers. Seven points. Against a backup quarterback. There's losing an NFL game, and then there's getting embarrassed. The Eagles aren't suddenly devoid of talent, but you can't put that performance on tape and stay anywhere near the Top 10.
Number 19, Dallas CowboysNo change, held at 19
Dallas gave Baltimore everything it had. Unfortunately, moral victories don't count. The Cowboys drop two, but I'm not burying them for losing a close game to Baltimore. There's still plenty to like here.
Number 20, Atlanta FalconsUp 11 from 31
WELCOME BACK TO LIFE. We buried Atlanta last week. Apparently they read the article. The Falcons jump 11 after showing exactly why we liked their roster entering the season. Is this version real, or are we moving them 10 spots the other way next week? With the Falcons, anything is possible.
Number 21, New England PatriotsDown 10 from 11
This one hurts. New England was sitting at No. 11. Then Jacksonville beat them 35-6. You can't lose by 29 points and expect us to pretend nothing happened. I'm not dropping them into the complete basement after one nightmare performance, but 11 spots feels appropriate. Respond next week.
Number 22, Houston TexansDown 5 from 17
We came into the season expecting significantly more from this team. Eventually, expectations stop mattering. Start winning.
Number 23, New York JetsUp 2 from 25
Another massive mover, up eight. We're still not completely sold, but they've done enough to get themselves out of the basement. Now comes the hard part: staying here.
Number 24, Green Bay PackersDown 9 from 15
Another painful fall. Green Bay drops eight after a rough week, but there's too much talent here for me to completely abandon ship. They have time to turn it around. The honeymoon period is over.
Number 25, New York GiantsUp 4 from 29
The Giants move up four. Nobody is planning the parade yet, but they're doing enough to climb out of the bottom tier. Progress.
Number 26, Arizona CardinalsDown 5 from 21
Arizona slides five, and we're entering dangerous territory. This is where teams either respond and climb back toward the middle of the pack, or start making vacation plans for January.
Number 27, Cleveland BrownsNo change, held at 27
Cleveland stays put. They're difficult to figure out. There are weeks where you can convince yourself there's something here. Then there are weeks where you immediately regret having that thought.
Number 28, Tampa Bay BuccaneersDown 2 from 26
At some point, you are what your record says you are. The Bucs need to give us a reason to move them back up.
Number 29, Carolina PanthersDown 11 from 18
Oof. Carolina continues its free fall. Whatever optimism existed after last week disappeared quickly, and they're sitting dangerously close to the basement.
Number 30, Los Angeles ChargersDown 6 from 24
0-3. Enough said. Yes, the Chargers forced Buffalo into five turnovers. Yes, there are reasons to believe they're better than their record. But eventually? WIN. A. FOOTBALL. GAME. We're done rewarding potential.
Number 31, Miami DolphinsUp 1 from 32
Congratulations, Miami! You're not last! Pop the champagne. Hang the banner. 31ST PLACE! It's been that kind of season.
Number 32, Tennessee TitansDown 2 from 30
Somebody has to be last. Congratulations, Tennessee. You did it. The Titans officially inherit the basement.