Crowe - NFL Week #4 Power Rankings
John Crowe, Sports Contributor
Crowe - NFL Week #4 Power Rankings
The hype for the Buccaneers and Patriots in Foxboro Sunday night is reaching epic hype my friends and it’s not only here in New England and down in Tampa. It’s EVERYWHERE locally, nationally, digitally and all over your radio and tv screens. Sure, we get it. Tom Brady is coming home to face the team, the place he called home for 20 years. Brady and Bill Belichick won six Super Bowl Championships together. Yet, after a bitter divorce that possibly didn’t need to happen, Brady’s moved on to the Bucs, won a seventh Super Bowl title and is on top of the football World, minus a loss last Sunday in LA to the Rams. Meanwhile, his former team, the Patriots are struggling at 1-2 after an embarrassing home loss to the Saints last Sunday and coming off a 7-9 season in 2020 while missing the playoffs without Brady on board. Right now, the scoreboard reads Brady-1, Belichick-0.
Everybody feels the need to pick sides. Are you Team Brady or Team Belichick? There’s no in between for most when in all honesty, there’s a third option: they needed each other. Neither would’ve gone on to the greatness they’ve achieved without the other being at their side. Could they have treated each other better at the end? Sure, and that’s probably more on Belichick than Brady. But now, Brady’s gone scorched Earth with the crew around him trying to defend how it ended in Foxboro. Of course, it’s not as easy as Belichick said earlier this week on WEEI that Tampa was just a better option and that he really wanted Tom back. Plain and simple, he didn’t. He wanted Jimmy Garoppolo as his QB, the owner Robert Kraft didn’t, chose Brady, they won another Super Bowl together and then parted ways not friends.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTSunday night will be a reunion, but if things go according to schedule, the game won’t match the hype and it will be a continuation of the last 18 months with Team Brady coming out on top. We’re just hoping that it stays competitive into the second half.
You can count on this though. History should be made as Brady is on target to pass Drew Brees as the NFL’s All-Time passing leader. Brady’s just 67 yards behind Brees (80,358 – 80,291).
Oh yeah, there’s one more thing too. Tom Brady has beaten every team in the league EXCEPT the Patriots. That record could change around 11pm Sunday night, joining his good buddies Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Brett Favre in the elite club. The only downside so far for Tom? His buddy and former Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is doubtful for game and remains a game-time decision as of Friday’s injury report with his sore ribs.
10. Chargers (2-1, Last week: not ranked)
Is this a different Chargers team than the one that always seemed to find a way to lose in the final seconds, like they did last season and in week 2 against the Cowboys? In week 3, LA found a way to convert a fourth-and-nine, score a touchdown, miss the extra point and yet still beat the defending AFC Champion Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium, 34-20. Of course, getting four turnovers helps your cause but keep it an eye on these Bolts. For the time being, they sent KC packing to the AFC West basement and straight out of our power rankings and that’s no small feat.
9. Broncos (3-0, Last week: ranked 10th)
OK, let’s get this out of the way right away. Denver has beat the Giants, the Jaguars and the Jets. That’s not exactly the upper echelon of the NFL. But as they always say, you can only beat who they put in front of you and that’s exactly what the Broncos have done. This week, it’s a true test as Lamar Jackson comes to town to face a defense that’s only given up a league-low 8.7 points per game.
8. Ravens (2-1, Last week: ranked 6th)
Three games and three last-minute finishes for the Ravens. Two good and one not-so-good including an historic 66-yard Justin Tucker game-winning field goal to beat the Lions in an improbably victory last Sunday. Now with back-to-back last-second victories in its back pocket, it doesn’t get any easier as Baltimore heads back to the Mountain West to face a 3-0 Broncos team. Make no bones about it, this is all on Lamar Jackson’s shoulders. He’s just hoping that Marquise Brown starts holding on to touchdown passes after a trio of drops last Sunday that could’ve make life so much easier for the Ravens.
7. Raiders (3-0, Last week: ranked 8th)
Are the Raiders really this good? Is it just fate or is it their time? With two overtime victories, Las Vegas isn’t asking any question other than how can we go 4-0. This team could be better once Josh Jacobs returns from his toe and ankle injuries. Plus, how about Derek Carr, the NFL’s leading passer already has 1,203 yards through three weeks.
6. Cardinals (3-0, Last week: ranked 5th)
The Jaguars had the Cardinals in the trap, up 19-10 in the third quarter. Then, Arizona woke up. Three touchdowns, two by James Connor and the Cards were 3-0. It’s the first time they’ve scored 30 or more points and racked up over 400+ yards in each of the team’s first three games since 1940. This week, reality takes over as they head to LA to take on the 3-0 Rams.
5. Panthers (3-0, Last week: ranked 7th)
No Christian McCaffrey (hamstring)? No worries. Quarterback Sam Darnold runs for two scores and all of a sudden, the Panthers are the surprises of the NFC South. The league’s top-ranked defense, giving up only 10 points a game along with 191 yards per game, will have its hands full at Dallas and Dak Prescott’s explosive offense.
4. Packers (2-1, Last week: not ranked)
This is the week’s biggest mover, going from out of the rankings to fourth. Here’s why: after a rout over the Lions and a last-second, come-from-behind road win at San Francisco, the Packers have proven that week one’s clunker against the Saints was just that, a one-game mirage. The Aaron duo of Rodgers and Jones is back on track and are ready to have their way with the struggling Steelers this Sunday at home.
3. Bills (2-1, Last week: ranked 9th)
Much like the Packers, the Bills are moving full steam ahead after a loss in week one. Since a home loss to Pittsburgh, Buffalo has routed Miami 35-0 and whitewashed Washington 43-21 in a game that wasn’t really that close. Josh Allen accounted for five TD’s as his march towards a possible NFL MVP run as we boldly predicted before the season continues on.
2. Buccaneers (2-1, Last week: ranked 1st)
The Bucs drop for one reason and one reason only: the Rams. The test for Tampa will be to turn the page quickly and take care of business Sunday night in Foxboro in an emotionally-charged return for Tom Brady against the team he called home for 20 years and six Super Bowl Championships. If the Bucs can keep emotions in check, a return to the win column shouldn’t be unexpected. On the downside, WR Scotty Miller is on IR (toe) and Rob Gronkowski (ribs) is doubtful this week.
1. Rams (3-0, Last week: ranked 2nd)
Almost at the first quarter-pole of the NFL season and the Rams are the NFL’s best, having vanquished the defending Super Bowl Champion Bucs last Sunday pretty simply in LA. How good was Matthew Stafford? Well, how about 4 touchdowns and 343 yards and a 134.0 passer rating against one of the better front sevens in the league.
Games to watch this week:
Buccaneers at Patriots – A certain guy wearing #12 is coming home.
Cardinals at Rams – Winner gets first place in the NFC West in an entertaining battle of unbeatens.
Ravens at Broncos – Is the Broncos' defense as good as it seems?
Raiders at Chargers – Surprisingly, the AFC West is churning out some classics early on. Stay up late Monday night, it’ll be worth it.
Last week:
10. Broncos
9. Bills
8. Raiders
7. Panthers
6. Ravens
5. Cardinals
4. 49ers
3. Chiefs
2. Rams
1. Buccaneers