NFL Week 4 Power Rankings: Miami Dolphins jump into the top five, Chicago Bears drop to No. 32

Biggest riser: Indianapolis Colts (up three spots since Week 3)

Biggest faller: Denver Broncos (down three spots since Week 3)

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Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes


You can find a statistical review of Week 3 here.

WR:CB Matchup Chart

NFL Week 4 Power Rankings

  1. Kansas City Chiefs (no change)
  2. San Francisco 49ers (no change)
  3. Buffalo Bills (up 1)
  4. Miami Dolphins (up 2)
  5. Dallas Cowboys (down 2)
  6. Philadelphia Eagles (down 1)
  7. Baltimore Ravens (no change)
  8. Cleveland Browns (up 1)
  9. Cincinnati Bengals (down 1)
  10. Detroit Lions (up 1)
  11. Los Angeles Chargers (up 2)
  12. Jacksonville Jaguars (down 2)
  13. Seattle Seahawks (up 1)
  14. New Orleans Saints (down 2)
  15. Green Bay Packers (no change)
  16. Minnesota Vikings (up 1)
  17. New York Jets (down 2)
  18. Washington Commanders (no change)
  19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (up 1)
  20. New York Giants (down 1)
  21. Atlanta Falcons (up 1)
  22. Tennessee Titans (down 1)
  23. Los Angeles Rams (no change)
  24. New England Patriots (no change)
  25. Indianapolis Colts (up 3)
  26. Pittsburgh Steelers (no change)
  27. Las Vegas Raiders (no change)
  28. Denver Broncos (down 3)
  29. Houston Texans (up 2)
  30. Carolina Panthers (down 1)
  31. Arizona Cardinals (up 1)
  32. Chicago Bears (down 2)

The Miami Dolphins thrashed the Denver Broncos in Week 3, proving their offensive prowess. They earned the highest team offense grade (93.4) and generated the most expected points added (EPA) per play (0.558). The Dolphins used motion the most of any team and were very successful. In Week 4, they take on a Buffalo Bills team that has allowed the fourth-lowest EPA per play against motion, presenting a very interesting matchup.

Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals continued their struggles in Week 3 despite the win. Their offensive line was particularly poor, as the group finished with just a 30.8 pass-blocking grade, 29th among teams. The defense performed well, however, allowing just -0.210 EPA per play to finish 10th among the league's defenses.

After this week, only three undefeated teams are left: the Miami Dolphins, the Philadelphia Eagles and the San Francisco 49ers. Will they remain on top?

Biggest Riser: Indianapolis Colts

The Colts are coming off an impressive victory, entering the contest as 7.5-point underdogs and beating the Ravens outright despite missing QB Anthony Richardson.

They relied on the run game in this one and took advantage of an injured defensive line, and they were more efficient running the ball than passing. Zack Moss ran for 122 yards and forced nine missed tackles, providing a huge boost to a Colts run game without Jonathan Taylor

Biggest Faller: Denver Broncos

The Broncos fall three spots after allowing 70 points to the Dolphins in Week 3. There was no resistance from any part of the Broncos defense — at one point, Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa was 16-for-16 throwing the ball.

Russell Wilson was not the problem, though, as he earned an 84.9 PFF passing grade and recorded four big-time throws, a silver lining for Denver fans.

PFF WAR Lost to Injuries

The Panthers were riddled with injuries this week, especially on defense. They were without linebackers Frankie Luvu (0.51 WAR) and Shaq Thompson (0.37 WAR) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (0.21 WAR). Their defense ranked 23rd in EPA per play allowed this week (0.098).

The Dolphins weren’t far behind them, with injuries to edge defender Jaelan Phillips (0.43 WAR) and wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (0.41 WAR). However, their offense was electric and dominated the Broncos despite these injuries.

The Giants offensive line struggled without tackle Andrew Thomas (0.43 WAR). They were the lowest-graded offensive line this week (24.0) and allowed the second-highest pressure rate  (47.2%).

The Chargers lose a valuable asset in receiver Mike Williams (0.34 WAR), who is currently second on the team in targets and receiving yards. They’ll need Joshua Palmer or Quentin Johnston to take over his role as a deep threat. The Chargers are third in receiving yards through three weeks. Will they be able to keep this up without Williams?

Late-Down Decision-Making

This week, the most questionable late-down decision-making goes to the Raiders, who kicked a field goal on fourth-and-4 at Pittsburgh's 8-yard line. The Raiders lost the most in win probability this week due to their fourth-down decisions.

The Cardinals had the highest late-down success rate (71.4%) of any team this week. Through Week 2, they ranked 16th in the same metric. The Texans were right behind the Cardinals in late-down success rate, having ranked 22nd over the season's first two weeks.

The Eagles continued to dominate on late downs, earning the highest offensive grade on such plays in Week 3.

Game Finishers

Note: This graphic includes overtime.

In the second half, the Dolphins scored three passing touchdowns on top of the three rushing touchdowns Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane combined for.

The Chargers ended up on top in a back-and-forth game against the Vikings. Keenan Allen and Mike Williams led the league in second-half receiving yards this week. The Chargers kept extending their drives in the second half, converting 10 of their 18 pass attempts into a fresh set of downs.

The Trenches

The Vikings offensive line performed well, earning the second-best unit grade of the week (75.0). Ezra Cleveland and Ed Ingram were two of the highest-graded linemen of Week 3.

The Bengals were the opposite. They won, but their offensive line failed to protect Burrow. Guard Cordell Volson had the lowest grade amongst offensive linemen this week (27.3).

The Chiefs and Cowboys offensive lines have not allowed a sack this season.

Defensive Success

The Browns are in a league of their own, as you can see in the graphic above. Through three weeks, they’ve allowed the lowest EPA per play (-0.4) and only one receiving touchdown. No team has earned an offensive grade above 55.0 against the Browns.

Myles Garrett is the highest-graded defensive player in the league (93.8) and is tied with T.J. Watt, Danielle Hunter and Tuli Tuipulotu with the most sacks in the league (5).

The Bills defense was on fire. The group allowed the lowest EPA per play (-0.529) and earned by far the highest coverage grade (90.6). They sacked Sam Howell nine times and came down with four interceptions.

The Colts are the 18th-graded defense through Week 3, but they had a solid performance against the Jaguars this week. Linebacker Zaire Franklin produced 13 tackles, and cornerback JuJu Brents earned an impressive 89.3 coverage grade, the third-best mark at the position in Week 3. 

Perfectly Covering Plays

Mike McDaniel’s offense is humming right now — no offense has forced broken coverage more often. In Week 3 alone, the Broncos were able to perfectly cover just 9% of the Dolphins’ dropbacks, which is the lowest rate in any game this season.

The Browns defense is also something to highlight here, as Jim Schwartz has completely revamped the unit. Last year, the Browns finished dead last in the percentage of perfectly covered dropbacks. Now, they’re first — a tremendous turnaround for that unit.

Sustaining Drives on Offense

The Bills offense has done a great job of avoiding three-and-outs and extending drives. They’ve gone three-and-out on just 20% of their drives this year.

On the other hand, two teams from the AFC North lead the league in the highest percentage of drives resulting in a three-and-out. Somehow, the Steelers have overcome that and are 2-1 on the season, whereas the Bengals are 1-2 and required a vintage Lou Anarumo defensive game plan to beat the Rams in prime time.

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