Kansas City is the last team standing at the top. Kenneth Walker III ran 22 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 win at Las Vegas, and Tyquan Thornton caught two scores for 111 yards before a dislocated ankle sent him off on a cart. Xavier Nwankpa intercepted Kirk Cousins on the final play to end it.
Still unbeaten, still methodical. Brock Purdy threw two more touchdowns in a 24-14 win over Denver, giving him multiple scoring passes in all four games. George Kittle broke a 56-yard screen for a touchdown, Christian McCaffrey punched one in from a yard out, and the defense forced three Denver fumbles.
Minnesota is 4-0 and has stopped scoring touchdowns entirely. All 15 points in the win over Miami came from Will Reichard, who made five field goals and has now converted 31 in a row. T.J. Hockenson caught all 13 of his targets for 119 yards. The defense is good enough to carry this, but the red zone has become a real problem.
Jacksonville went into Cincinnati and won 22-17 behind an efficient Trevor Lawrence, who completed 18 of 23 for 227 yards. The defense intercepted Joe Burrow twice, with Jourdan Lewis and Foyesade Oluokun taking them, and stopped Chase Brown a yard short in the red zone with 50 seconds left. Three wins in a row.
Seattle beat the Chargers 30-23 with its top two running backs unavailable, so Emanuel Wilson took 24 touches for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Rashid Shaheed added a 28-yard touchdown run, the defense picked off Justin Herbert twice, and Uchenna Nwosu stripped him with two minutes left to end it.
The unbeaten run ended at home against New England, 29-26. Josh Allen threw for 253 yards with a touchdown and a late interception by Craig Woodson, and Keon Coleman had 116 receiving yards. Buffalo gave up 405 yards and could not get a stop when it needed one. D.J. Moore aggravated a shoulder injury and did not return.
Three straight wins and sole possession of first place in the AFC North. Andre Szmyt beat Pittsburgh from 56 yards with 10 seconds left, the defense sacked Aaron Rodgers five times and picked him off twice through Grant Delpit and Denzel Ward, and Deshaun Watson threw for 268 yards. The 34-10 opening night loss feels like another season.
Baltimore beat Tennessee 24-18 and may have paid for it. Lamar Jackson was 15 of 20 for 222 yards and two touchdowns before leaving in the second quarter with a left ankle injury, and he left the stadium in a walking boot. Tyler Huntley finished the job at 8 of 9. Zay Flowers had 118 yards and a score.
Three wins in a row, and the defense is doing the heavy lifting. New York intercepted Jacoby Brissett three times in a 36-24 win over Arizona, with Deonte Banks returning one 98 yards for the clinching score. Jameis Winston threw three touchdowns and two interceptions, and Malik Nabers went for 112 yards.
The first loss came at home against the team everyone expected to be chasing. Kirk Cousins threw for 365 yards and two touchdowns in a 30-27 defeat, and Brock Bowers caught six for 86 and a score. The defense had no answer for Kenneth Walker III. Still 3-1, still ahead of schedule, and the Chiefs now lead the division.
Chicago is winning without its starting quarterback. Tyson Bagent threw for 268 yards in a 23-12 win over the Jets, Kyle Monangai carried 30 times for 146 yards and two scores, and the defense held New York to 157 yards and 0 for 7 on third down while owning the ball for nearly 43 minutes.
The Rams won 24-20 in Philadelphia without a passing touchdown, which tells you how the day went. Kyren Williams had 147 yards from scrimmage on 26 touches and both scores, Puka Nacua caught nine for 125, and Byron Young led a four sack afternoon. Matthew Stafford threw two interceptions and it did not matter.
Jared Goff threw for 412 yards in Carolina and Detroit still lost 32-26. That is twice now the Lions have put up a big number and come away with nothing. Jameson Williams had 102 yards, Sam LaPorta caught a touchdown, and the defense allowed 329 passing yards to Bryce Young. At 2-2 the margin is gone.
CeeDee Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards and the go-ahead touchdown with 43 seconds left in a 34-30 win at Houston. That is a career high in catches and one short of the franchise record. Javonte Williams scored three times in the second half and Dak Prescott threw for 335 yards without an interception.
A week after being run off the field in Jacksonville, New England went to Buffalo and won 29-26. Drake Maye threw three touchdowns and ran for 54 yards, Romeo Doubs caught two scores, and Efton Chism III caught the go-ahead touchdown late. Craig Woodson sealed it by intercepting Josh Allen. The biggest jump in the rankings this week.
Denver lost 24-14 in San Francisco and never threatened. Bo Nix threw 42 times for 214 yards, the Broncos lost three fumbles, and Jaylen Waddle's touchdown was the only real highlight. Patrick Surtain II left with a non-contact ankle injury, which is the worst news of the day for a team built on its defense.
Philadelphia went 0 for 12 on third down in a 24-20 home loss to the Rams, the most attempts without a conversion by any team since 1991. Jalen Hurts threw for 93 yards. Saquon Barkley left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury after two carries. Two straight losses, and the offense has stopped functioning.
Joe Burrow threw 54 times for 428 yards and Cincinnati lost 22-17 at home to Jacksonville, undone by two interceptions and a red zone stop in the final minute. Tee Higgins caught 11 for 157 before a groin injury. Ja'Marr Chase left in the second quarter with a concussion. Two losses in a row and a banged up receiver room.
Tetairoa McMillan caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns as Carolina beat Detroit 32-26. Bryce Young threw for 329 yards without an interception and Chuba Hubbard ran for 122 and two scores. The Panthers have split four games and have beaten a playoff contender at home. That was not on anyone's list in September.
The trip to London went well. Indianapolis beat Washington 30-13 behind Jonathan Taylor, who ran 20 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns. Daniel Jones threw for just 143 yards and did not need to do more. Two straight wins after that nine game losing streak, and the defense has allowed 30 points in two weeks.
Aaron Rodgers threw for 299 yards and three touchdowns in Cleveland and it still ended in a 27-24 loss, because he also threw two interceptions and took five sacks. D.K. Metcalf had 115 yards. Pittsburgh has now lost the lead late in two of four games and sits third in a division it expected to win.
Green Bay ground out a 17-14 win in Tampa Bay behind two Jordan Love touchdown passes and interceptions from Edgerrin Cooper and Evan Williams. The Packers went 2 for 9 on third down and turned it over twice in the fourth quarter, so this was no masterpiece. Cooper left with an Achilles injury, which is the lasting concern.
Three interceptions from Jacoby Brissett, including a 98-yard return the other way, sank Arizona 36-24 in New York. The defense created takeaways on three straight Giants possessions in one stretch and the offense turned them into almost nothing. Three straight losses, and the Week 1 upset in Los Angeles is now a distant memory.
The Saints host Atlanta on Monday night, so this ranking covers three games rather than four. New Orleans has been competitive in all of them, with Tyler Shough throwing seven touchdown passes across the first three weeks. Ball security is what has cost them: three lost fumbles in the loss to Las Vegas was the difference in that game.
Atlanta also has Monday night left to play, so this is a three game picture. The Falcons looked transformed in their last outing, a 35-14 win at Lambeau Field with Michael Penix Jr. back from his knee injury, Bijan Robinson running for 194 yards and Drake London catching nine passes for 194. The division is there for the taking.
The Jets managed 157 total yards and went 0 for 7 on third down in a 23-12 loss at Chicago. Geno Smith threw just 15 passes. The lone bright spot was Minkah Fitzpatrick's interception, which ended a team drought that had stretched well over a year. Three straight losses after a promising opening week.
The quarterback situation has gone from bad to dire. With Jayden Daniels still out, Marcus Mariota hurt his knee early in London and rookie Athan Kaliakmanis made his debut in a 30-13 loss to Indianapolis, throwing for 186 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Terry McLaurin was out with a hamstring. Three straight losses.
Houston finally scored and still lost. C.J. Stroud threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns and Nico Collins caught both of them for 118 yards, but Dallas won 34-30 on a touchdown with 43 seconds left. The Texans are 0-4 having lost by four, two, three and four points in a stretch. Nothing has gone their way.
With Baker Mayfield out, undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels made his first start and threw two interceptions in a 17-14 loss to Green Bay. He also ran for 55 yards and showed something. Bucky Irving managed 61 yards on 16 carries. Four losses, all of them close, and a quarterback room that has run out of healthy options.
The injury list is getting out of hand. Rashawn Slater, Joe Alt, Donte Jackson and Ladd McConkey all left the 30-23 loss in Seattle, and Derwin James did not play. Justin Herbert threw two more interceptions and lost a late fumble. An 0-4 team losing its left tackle, right tackle and top receiver in one afternoon is in serious trouble.
Miami held Minnesota without a touchdown and still lost 15-10, because the offense produced 85 passing yards. Ollie Gordon II was the one bright spot with 100 rushing yards on nine carries. The defense recorded its first sacks of the season, four of them. Four games, four losses, and the quarterback position remains unsettled.
Tennessee lost three fumbles in a 24-18 defeat in Baltimore and that was the game. Cam Ward threw for 222 yards and a touchdown and rookie Carnell Tate caught nine passes for 145 yards, so there are pieces here. But the Titans are 0-4, they have turned it over in bunches every week, and the schedule is not getting easier.