2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

Updated: September 30, 2009, 11:47 AM ET

2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

Week:

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How the mighty have fallen: The Pittsburgh Steelers, perennial top-5 residents, have tumbled in the latest poll.

The defending Super Bowl champions, who opened this season appropriately ranked No. 1 overall by our experts, sit at No. 16 this week.

The Baltimore Ravens remain atop the standings, though the Indianapolis Colts and New York Giants flip-flopped positions and now rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. The surging New Orleans Saints are No. 4, just ahead of the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 4, the Saints play host to the upstart No. 6 New York Jets. The Ravens will have their supremacy tested in a visit to the No. 7 New England Patriots.

The Cincinnati Bengals' Week 3 victory over the Steelers helped vault them 13 places to No. 11 overall.

Congratulations to the Detroit Lions, who not only snapped a 19-game losing streak in Week 3 but also vaulted to No. 28 in the latest rankings.

[Editor's note: LW indicates each team's ranking in the Week 3 edition of the Power Rankings.]

2009 Power Rankings: Week 4
RANK	TEAM / RECORD	TRENDING	COMMENTS
1	Ravens 3-0	-- Last Week: 1	They've got a great defense and an offense averaging 34 points per game. (Chadiha)
2	Colts 3-0	1 Last Week: 3	The Colts seem to be in their traditional early season form, which means they are hard to beat. (Kuharsky)
3	Giants 3-0	1 Last Week: 2	The Giants stay ahead of their long injury list by winning. (Clayton)
4	Saints 3-0	3 Last Week: 7	They're 2-0 on the road and have four of their next five games at home. (Sando)
5	Vikings 3-0	-- Last Week: 5	Brett Favre has lived up to the hype so far. (Chadiha)
6	Jets 3-0	2 Last Week: 8	The Jets team that beat the Titans on Sunday might have more staying power than the 8-3 Jets that beat Tennessee in 2008. (Clayton)
7	Patriots 2-1	3 Last Week: 10	Tom Brady might not have his offense in sync yet, but you can see it's coming. (Clayton)
8	Falcons 2-1	4 Last Week: 4	You know the Falcons have made progress when a road loss to the Patriots stands as a disappointment. (Sando)
9	Eagles 2-1	-- Last Week: 9	Expect Donovan McNabb to return after the bye week, but Kevin Kolb kept the offense humming during his absence. (Clayton)
10	Packers 2-1	2 Last Week: 12	They should be pumped for their first meeting with Brett Favre. (Chadiha)
11	Bengals 2-1	13 Last Week: 24	They haven't been this impressive since winning the division in 2005. (Chadiha)
12	Chargers 2-1	1 Last Week: 11	They have a great opportunity to make a statement in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers will be feeling desperate. (Kuharsky)
13	Broncos 3-0	7 Last Week: 20	A great start against lightweights will now be measured against a much tougher five-pack. (Kuharsky)
14	Bears 2-1	-- Last Week: 14	It's now hard to remember how lousy Jay Cutler played in Week 1. (Chadiha)
15	49ers 2-1	2 Last Week: 13	Nothing quite like a home game against the Rams to cleanse the palate following the taste of bitter defeat. (Sando)
16	Steelers 1-2	10 Last Week: 6	Think they miss Troy Polamalu? (Chadiha)
17	Cowboys 2-1	2 Last Week: 15	Tashard Choice and Felix Jones prove the Cowboys can still have a running offense when Marion Barber is injured. (Clayton)
18	Titans 0-3	2 Last Week: 16	Drops have to be a big practice issue this week, on special teams and for pass targets. (Kuharsky)
19	Cardinals 1-2	1 Last Week: 18	The bye week comes at a good time because Kurt Warner is hurting and the Cardinals have much to figure out. (Sando)
20	Texans 1-2	3 Last Week: 17	The Texans lost one they had to have to the Raiders last year. They'll try again, this time in Houston. (Kuharsky)
21	Bills 1-2	-- Last Week: 21	Terrell Owens' 185-game reception streak was snapped Sunday. The next thing to snap will be T.O. (Clayton)
22	Jaguars 1-2	5 Last Week: 27	Would a win over winless Tennessee qualify as an upset at this point? (Kuharsky)
23	Seahawks 1-2	1 Last Week: 22	Two of their top three corners are out and the other one, Ken Lucas, has been banged up. Hello, Peyton Manning. (Sando)
24	Dolphins 0-3	5 Last Week: 19	With Chad Pennington likely done for the season, the rebuilding program officially begins with new QB Chad Henne. (Clayton)
25	Panthers 0-3	-- Last Week: 25	Who are these guys? Carolina seems to be searching for its identity three games into the season. (Sando)
26	Redskins 1-2	3 Last Week: 23	As much as Clinton Portis is being stopped on goal-line plays, maybe Jim Zorn should let Portis call a few plays. (Clayton)
27	Raiders 1-2	1 Last Week: 26	Raiders' passing average: 119.7 yards per game. Next worst passing average: Cleveland (146.7). (Kuharsky)
28	Lions 1-2	3 Last Week: 31	That won't be the last victory they get this season. (Chadiha)
29	Browns 0-3	-- Last Week: 29	As ugly as this looks, it's only going to get worse. (Chadiha)
30	Chiefs 0-3	-- Last Week: 30	Improved third-down efficiency on offense has to be one of the Chiefs' top priorities. (Kuharsky)
31	Buccaneers 0-3	3 Last Week: 28	Raheem Morris was all smiles when the Bucs hired him as head coach. He could not have known what awaited. (Sando)
32	Rams 0-3	-- Last Week: 32	If QBs Kyle Boller or Marc Bulger cannot find open receivers, it's probably because there aren't any. (Sando)
Biggest Jump: 13 Biggest Drop: 10

Glossary

The rankings were determined by a poll of five voters on ESPN.com's NFL staff: writers John Clayton (AFC South), Ashley Fox (AFC West), Dan Graziano (NFC East, NFC North), Jamison Hensley (AFC East, AFC North), and Mike Sando (NFC South, NFC West).

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2009 NFL Power Rankings: Week 4

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