NFL Power Rankings

My current NFL Power Rankings.

I’m going to use these rankings as the order for my 2022 NFL Mock Draft during the 2020 season. Follow @walterfootball.

I’ve gone from WORST to FIRST, so if you don’t see reverse numbering (via Javascript), don’t worry; the Jets and Texans aren’t my top teams.

Updated: Oct. 5

Houston Texans (1-3) – Previously: 32.
Davis Mills had three passing yards and three turnovers in the first half against Buffalo. Not bad, not bad. Perhaps he’ll aim for four yards and three turnovers next week, though maybe he shouldn’t set his sights too high in a matchup against Bill Belichick.

Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4) – Previously: 28.
A win-win for the Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence played well for the first time in his career, and they managed to lose, which will ultimately help them for the long term because of positioning in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Detroit Lions (0-4) – Previously: 29.
The Lions may have beaten the Bears if it weren’t for the constant screw-ups in the red zone. Detroit began the game at Chicago with three trips into the red zone, yet came away with no points because of constant blunders. I suppose this sort of ineptitude was to be expected after the team blew a sure victory the way it did the prior week versus Baltimore.

New York Jets (1-3) – Previously: 31.
Zach Wilson’s had some tough opponents leading up to Sunday’s game, battling the highly ranked Panthers’ defense, Bill Belichick and then Vic Fangio. Wilson finally had an easy matchup, so it shouldn’t surprise anyone that he finally put together a good game.

Atlanta Falcons (1-3) – Previously: 30.
The Falcons surrendered some draft positioning by beating the Giants last week, but they made up for it by allowing the Redskins to win in a fourth-quarter comeback. They now fly to London, where they’ll somehow be favored by more than a field goal over another NFL team not named the Texans.

Miami Dolphins (1-3) – Previously: 19.
I was a fool for listing the Dolphins as an underrated team last week. Their offensive line is absolute trash. I still can’t believe they passed on Penei Sewell in favor of a receiver.

Pittsburgh Steelers (1-3) – Previously: 23.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Steelers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

New York Giants (1-3) – Previously: 27.
It’s weird that the Giants went from losing to the Falcons at home to winning in New Orleans in a span of seven days. Daniel Jones continue to do a good job of avoiding turnovers, but I can’t say I trust him yet. Betting on the Giants this past week, I was constantly fearful that Jones would launch an interception or commit a fumble on any given play.

Chicago Bears (2-2) – Previously: 25.
What a difference a week makes! Or, rather, what a difference a defensive opponent makes. Seeing the Browns shut down the Vikings should make Chicago fans feel better about Justin Fields’ first start, especially after he played mostly well against the Lions. Fields made a couple of mistakes, but improved greatly in start No. 2.

Philadelphia Eagles (1-3) – Previously: 26.
The Eagles lost to the Chiefs by 12, but I can’t believe how competitive they were, considering that they were missing four starting offensive linemen, including Lane Johnson, who was a late scratch. The Eagles scored 30 points, yet had three touchdowns called back to infractions. The penalties shouldn’t surprise anyone, but I have to say I was shocked by how easily they moved the ball.

Washington Redskins (2-2) – Previously: 24.
The Redskins’ defense has been such a disappointment this year that they need Taylor Heinicke to bail them out in a game versus Atlanta. What happened to William Jackson this offseason that he got so much worse with his new team? Did Kendall Fuller catch the regression bug from Jackson? And why is Chase Young playing on a mediocre level?

Indianapolis Colts (1-3) – Previously: 22.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Colts are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

New Orleans Saints (2-2) – Previously: 18.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Saints are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Minnesota Vikings (1-3) – Previously: 21.
Kirk Cousins was playing on an MVP level entering the Cleveland game, and it seemed like that would continue when he led his team down the field for an early touchdown. The Vikings, however, scored zero points after that, as the Browns’ stellar defense completely clamped down on Cousins and the rest of the Minnesota offense. The good news for the Vikings is that they get to battle the Lions at home this week.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-1) – Previously: 20.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Bengals are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Carolina Panthers (3-1) – Previously: 17.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Panthers are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Tennessee Titans (2-2) – Previously: 13.
Losing to the Jets may seem bad, but the Titans were without their top two receivers, so scoring wasn’t going to be easy. Still, the Titans’ horrible defense was exposed versus Zach Wilson. I suspected this would be a problem heading into the year, and things certainly are not looking very promising. The Titans should consider trading for a veteran cornerback; perhaps they can get one of Miami’s corners with the Dolphins collapsing following their opening-week win.

San Francisco 49ers (2-2) – Previously: 16.
The 49ers continue to suffer injuries. Trent Williams got hurt at the end of the Seattle game, while Jimmy Garoppolo suffered a “calf injury” that kept him out of the second half. Is Garoppolo’s calf attached to his feelings, which were clearly hurt when Kyle Shanahan told him Trey Lance was going to quarterback the team the rest of the way?

New England Patriots (1-3) – Previously: 14.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Patriots are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Seattle Seahawks (2-2) – Previously: 15.
The Seahawks rebounded nicely with a win at San Francisco, but their offensive line is a huge problem at the moment. They need right tackle Brandon Shell back in the lineup because his absence means that they’re down two starters.

Las Vegas Raiders (3-1) – Previously: 12.
Overrated NFL Team: See why the Raiders are an overrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Denver Broncos (3-1) – Previously: 7.
Underrated NFL Team: See why the Broncos are an underrated NFL team in our Overrated-Underrated page.

Green Bay Packers (3-1) – Previously: 11.
I was worried about Green Bay’s injury-ravaged offensive line holding up against T.J. Watt, but it ultimately didn’t matter because Ben Roethlisberger was either throwing 1-yard passes on fourth-and-5, or giving the game away with horrible turnovers. The Packers are now 3-1, but they could certainly be on the overrated list because of their problems on the blocking unit.

San Angeles Chargers (3-1) – Previously: 10.
Look, the Chargers had an impressive win versus the Raiders, but the constant ESPN nonsense of “they’re the team to beat in the AFC West” is nonsense. It’s still the Chiefs, who would’ve defeated the Chargers if they didn’t commit so many sloppy turnovers in Week 3.

Dallas Cowboys (3-1) – Previously: 9.
The Cowboys trailed the Panthers at halftime, but they hit a number of big plays on both sides of the ball to pull away from Carolina for what eventually turned into a blowout before some garbage-time scores. The Cowboys have been very impressive thus far, especially defensively. Micah Parsons might win Defensive Rookie of the Year, while Trevon Diggs is certainly the most improved player in the NFL.

Baltimore Ravens (3-1) – Previously: 8.
The Ravens lucked out earlier in the year with Clyde Edwards-Helaire’s fumble and the 66-yard field goal fiasco, but they now have many more players back from injury. It was also nice to see Lamar Jackson have a nice passing game when the rushing attack wasn’t working.

Cleveland Browns (3-1) – Previously: 6.
Cleveland’s defense is ridiculous, while its running game is so difficult to stop. The only problem right now is Baker Mayfield, who is coming off two very lackluster performances, to put it nicely. This is not an official stat, but I believe he has missed six touchdowns over the past couple of weeks. If he continues to play this way, the Browns won’t win in the playoffs.

Los Angeles Rams (3-1) – Previously: 3.
The Rams had the hangover of the century against the Cardinals. They were high off their win over the Buccaneers, and they were looking forward to battling the Seahawks on Thursday night. I imagine the Rams-Cardinals rematch later in the season will be much closer.

Arizona Cardinals (4-0) – Previously: 5.
What a dominant performance against the Rams! I know the Rams weren’t 100-percent focused, but it was still nice to see Arizona overcome its previous demons against that particular rival. This Arizona team reminds me so much of the 2017 Eagles. I bet that Philadelphia squad to win the Super Bowl, which is why I did the same thing with the Cardinals at 50/1 odds.

Buffalo Bills (3-1) – Previously: 4.
Josh Allen is back! Allen struggled in his first two games, but reverted to 2020 form versus the Redskins. He was inconsistent against the Texans, though the bad weather had something to do with that. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s defense has been excellent this year. The ultimate test is coming up against the Chiefs, however.

Kansas City Chiefs (2-2) – Previously: 2.
I saw one publication’s power rankings have the Chiefs at No. 15 last week. I nearly puked all over my laptop upon seeing that. The Chiefs would be 4-0 right now if they didn’t have some sloppy turnovers. The notion that Patrick Mahomes wouldn’t rebound from that was very foolish. The defense has been a problem, but the impending return of Frank Clark and Charvarius Ward should help.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1) – Previously: 1.
The Buccaneers were missing two of their top three cornerbacks against Matthew Stafford and all of his receivers. The absences of Jason Pierre-Paul and Antonio Brown also hurt. No wonder they lost to the Rams. They rebounded against the Patriots, but saw two more defensive backs (Antoine Winfield, Carlton Davis) get hurt. Tampa may have to acquire yet another defensive back to help.