Top teams heading into Week 4 of the NFL

We are three weeks into the 2024 NFL campaign, and to the surprise of no one, the two-time defending champion Kansas City Chiefs are still undefeated. So are the Buffalo Bills – a team that the Chiefs have regularly victimized in recent playoffs. Both Kansas City and Buffalo appear to be among the best in football this season, but they have some company at or near the top.

Let’s break down the league’s best teams heading into Week 4, which begins with Thursday Night Football between the Dallas Cowboys and New York Giants – two teams that are nowhere near these power rankings!

Kansas City Chiefs 

The Chiefs have by no means been the most dominant team through three games, but when you are the defending champions, you have to be defeated to be knocked off the top perch. Even though Patrick Mahomes and company have not yet played their best football, all they do is win. They are 3-0 after beating the Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Atlanta Falcons. Kansas City is rolling along nicely even though Travis Kelce has done nothing, and Isiah Pacheco is out for at least six weeks because of a fibula injury. 

Head coach Andy Reid’s 2024 squad isn’t even a well-oiled machine yet; wait until it starts firing on all cylinders. Current odds have the Chiefs as favorites to win both the AFC (+220) and the Super Bowl (+450).

Buffalo Bills 

Tales of the Bills’ demise at the end of the 2023 season were clearly exaggerated. Many thought their winning window had closed following a myriad of playoff heartbreaks and wide receiver Stefon Diggs’ departure from the Houston Texans. Well, it turns out that not much is different with Josh Allen still under center.

Allen has played like a possible MVP candidate through three weeks while leading his crew to defeats of the Cardinals, Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars. Buffalo was especially impressive in its most recent outing on Monday Night Football when it humiliated Jacksonville 47-10. The performance was complete with an interception by Damar Hamlin and four touchdown passes by Allen. So far, Sean McDermott’s squad is averaging a ridiculous 37.3 points per game.

The Bills are getting primetime treatment again in Week 4. They are set for a Sunday Night Football showdown at the Baltimore Ravens. Buffalo is a +2.5 underdog.

Minnesota Vikings 

What is going on in Minnesota?!?! The Vikings were not expected to be much of a factor this year after letting Kirk Cousins walk in free agency – especially not after they lost first-round draft pick J.J. McCarthy for the season before it even began. Enter Sam Darnold, who suddenly has this team flying high. Very few would have had Minnesota winning their first three games in their NFL predictions, yet here we are. The Vikes are perfect through three weeks, and to say they have done it impressively would be a gross understatement.

After destroying the New York Giants 28-6, they beat what are two of the best teams in the business – the 49ers (23-17) and the Houston Texans (34-7). Darnold has already tossed eight touchdown passes, and star receiver Justin Jefferson has made 14 receptions for 273 yards and three scores. Minnesota is ranked second league-wide in scoring defense, trailing only the Pittsburgh Steelers. 

Is this team for real? We will discover a lot more when it visits the NFC's North rival, Green Bay Packers, on Sunday. Minnesota is the second favorite (+195) in the division, behind only Detroit.

Detroit Lions 

There are two other undefeated teams, but it’s hard to trust both the Steelers and Seattle Seahawks. Don’t sleep on the Lions even though they have taken a loss. A competitive 20-16 setback against a respectable Tampa Bay Buccaneers squad is not a terrible result, and they bounced back to beat Arizona on the road in Week 3.

Remember, that is a Cardinals team that just barely lost to the Bills and then clobbered the Los Angeles Rams 41-10. Detroit boasts a well-constructed roster that is strong on both sides of the ball, with the offense led by Jared Goff and Amon-Ra St. Brown in addition to a defense spearheaded by Aidan Hutchinson. 

The Lions are tied with the Philadelphia Eagles as +450 second choices to win the NFC, trailing only the San Francisco 49ers.

NFL Week 3 Summary + Week 4 Preview

We are already getting to the point of the season where the contenders can start separating themselves from the pretenders. It is all but a guarantee – barring some kind of major injury – that Kansas City and Buffalo will be in this for the long haul. Minnesota certainly has more to prove before a definitive judgment can be made. Whatever the case, all three undefeated clubs are looking good right now.

What does Week 4 have in store? There could be some moving and shaking in these power rankings because the schedule is awesome. In addition to the Bills at Ravens and Vikings at Packers, we also have Chiefs at Chargers, Saints at Falcons, and Seahawks at Lions.

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