We’re four games into the regular season and October football is in full swing. While we are still a long way from figuring out which teams are real and which aren’t, some teams have found ways to separate themselves in the first quarter of the season. Five undefeated teams entered the week, and only three remain now. Again, it’s way too early to make any sweeping proclamations, but we’ll take a look at each team’s biggest area of concern heading into Week 5’s edition of WCF NFL Power Rankings.
1.
San Francisco 49ers (4-0)
Biggest area of concern: Injuries, injuries, and more… Injuries.
From a DVOA perspective, the 49ers are in a league of their own to start the season. That said, injuries continue to be an issue for this team, no matter the year or who’s on the roster. The good news is that the offense is still really good and the defense looks much improved. That said, sustainability comes only through continuity over 17 games.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
Biggest area of concern: Do the Chiefs have enough offensive weapons?
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes looks like his vintage self, but this team still lacks the pop it had during its heyday. Even if tight end Travis Kelce has turned back the clock and Rashee Rice looks like their primary receiver, who can provide additional depth behind them? That’s going to be a lingering question that needs to be answered by the trade deadline.
3. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: Finding production at the running back position after allowing Kenneth Walker to walk in free agency and placing first-round rookie Jadarian Price on Injured Reserve.
On Sunday, it wasn’t an issue, but it’s worth wondering what that will look like against a better team. Letting Walker hit free agency was a tough call to make, but Price has not lived up to his billing as a first-round pick thus far. Now we’ll see if Emmanuel Wilson can help round out the rushing attack and provide some stability.
4. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: Will the defense be good enough to make them true Super Bowl contenders come January?
Josh Allen is an alien. The offense is well-rounded and doing well under new head coach Joe Brady. That said, the defense has some holes that need to be ironed out as the season goes on. That’s not a big surprise considering the departure of former head coach Sean McDermott, but with how deep the AFC’s crop of quarterback play is, that’ll be key to finally landing a Super Bowl appearance.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: Things are going about as well as hoped, but with the Jaguars, there’s always the lingering question of how long quarterback Trevor Lawrence can keep it up. So far, so good.
The Liam Coen- Trevor Lawrence marriage has been nothing short of career-defining thus far for Lawrence. Coen’s a great offensive mind, and after some early-season struggles last year, Lawrence has been a Top 5-7 quarterback in the league. That said, we’ve seen these rises from Lawrence before. Sustaining this level of play has become the question. For what it’s worth, I think he can do it.
6. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: Will Trey Hendrickson provide enough pass rush (post-finger surgery)?
So far, Baltimore’s pass rush has been OK, but Hendrickson has just one sack in three games (before missing Sunday due to finger surgery). The Ravens’ defense isn’t what it used to be, but for them to be a true Super Bowl contender come January, they’ll need to get their pass-rushing edge back, and that starts with the guy they gave a huge contract to back in March.
7. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)
Biggest area of concern: Offensive sustainability, regardless of the quarterback (or their hot start), remains an issue.
The Vikings are off to a great start, but without better offensive production, it’s hard to see their string of good fortune continuing. Minnesota has gone 32 offensive possessions without a touchdown, which included five field goals in Sunday’s 15-10 victory. It should be noted that T.J. Hockenson purposely went down at the one to salt the game away, but even so, there should be some serious questions about whether or not they can figure this out.
8. Las Vegas Raiders (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: How sustainable is their hot start? Through four games, I’m convinced this is a legitimately good team.
Even in their lone loss of the season to Kansas City on Sunday afternoon, they looked like a playoff-caliber team. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is playing out of his mind, and the defense is much better than expected. Their next few games are going to be tough, and it’s worth wondering how long Cousins can keep this up, but Sunday convinced me they are a good team and have a real shot at a playoff spot in the AFC.
9. Chicago Bears (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: The defensive line. Although the defense is playing much better, it’s hard to imagine them holding up against the league’s elite offenses without being better in the trenches.
Outside of Week 1, when their defense allowed 37 points and close to 500 yards of total offense, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has this defense playing out of their minds. There’s some talent in this group, and more on the way coming back from injury, but the defensive line lacks that one true difference-maker. We’ll see if someone already on the roster can emerge as the player, but more likely, they’ll have to find it at the deadline in early November.
10. Los Angeles Rams (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: The health of their star players. When will we see Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald on the field together?
Garrett will remain on Injured Reserve for another month or so, and now Aaron Donald is out with a back injury. The goal is never for a team to hit its peak in September, but the Rams have had a less-than-ideal start. Include Puka Nacua in that conversation, and there’s been a lot of star power missing from a team that was a runaway favorite to win the Super Bowl just a month ago.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Finding enough continued defensive improvement to not only win the division but solidify themselves as Super Bowl contenders.
The Bengals are plenty talented, but injuries to Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase hurt them in Week 4. The bigger question is whether this defense can maintain above-average play. They’ve got the horses, but the consistency has yet to be there. If they can, this is a playoff team.
12. New England Patriots (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Which version of Drake Maye will this team get consistently? Consistency is needed.
Through the first three weeks of the season, Maye looked flat-out bad. Week 4 was more of his vintage self, coming off a big win against the Bills. The Patriots have been a prime regression candidate due to their easy schedule last year, but the talent is there. If Maye can right the ship, there’s no reason they can’t challenge for the division, or at the very worst, a Wild Card spot.
13. Denver Broncos (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Whether it’s Bo Nix stuck in the “slightly above average” category or first-year offensive coordinator Davis Webb’s struggles, the offense is not doing its part.
The defense is still legit, even with some of their minor injuries. That said, the offense has not looked nearly the same, and it’s hard to tell if it’s simply play-calling or if Nix is taking a step back. Year 1 to Year 2 was already pretty linear, but this offense hasn’t been good enough to play comeback kid, outside of one game. At some point, it feels like Sean Payton is going to take play calling back; it’s just a matter of when.
14. Dallas Cowboys (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Even with all of the additions on defense, is this group good enough to get them into the playoffs? The offense sure is.
Last year, the Cowboys were just bad. Much of that was because of an atrocious defense. So far this season, their offense is top-tier, and their defense is doing just enough to make things fun, especially in the fourth quarter. After trading Micah Parsons, they have spent a lot of resources on that side of the ball. The hope is that it will all meld together, but they have to hope it happens this season, and likely soon. I’m not convinced it will, but we’ll see!
15. Detroit Lions (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Without great improvements defensive improvements, it’s hard to imagine them reaching their 2023-2024 peak.
The secondary’s health continues to be a mess, and even when Brian Branch returns, it’s unlikely to get markedly better without other players stepping their games up. The immediate question is how much longer defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard will last, but even if they fire him, how much will that fix? The offense is still very good, but without a league-average defense, not even an easy schedule will be enough to get them back in the playoffs.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: That lingering “funk” surrounding them for the second half of last season appears to be there still. What gives, and can it be fixed?
There’s something odd about the Eagles, and it’s been going on since the middle of last year. Some believed trading receiver A.J. Brown would get rid of the locker room issues, but so far this season, I’m not so convinced. They are the most talented team in the division, but they haven’t had that one convincingly dominant game we saw from them in 2024. We’ll see what shakes out, but this doesn’t seem to be trending in the right direction.
17. Cleveland Browns (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: Can Deshaun Watson keep up with a young and ascending team?
I’m not buying the narrative that Prime Video was pushing that Watson looked like his old self. That said, he does look quite a bit better than he has since arriving in Cleveland, but there are still bad stretches (see the second half of Thursday night’s game) where you have to wonder if he’ll ultimately hold this young team back. Regardless, this group is playing much better than anyone would have anticipated, especially coming out of Week 1’s ugly loss to Jacksonville.
18. Carolina Panthers (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: So far, the defense hasn’t been nearly good enough. With long-term injuries to both starting quarterbacks and now $30 million-a-year pass rusher Jaelan Phillips, health is in question.
Quarterback Bryce Young and this offense are no joke. They proved that once again on Sunday night. That said, the defense has serious question marks, and health only clouds that more. With a league-average defense, this would be a dangerous team. That said, this group is far from that, so there’s plenty to figure out in the coming weeks.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Quarterback Play. Aaron Rodgers is well past his prime, and the frustration with Mike McCarthy is already setting in.
Let’s be honest here: not only have Aaron Rodgers and head coach Mike McCarthy already clashed like they never “broke up” in Green Bay, but Rodgers looks old, not mobile, and isn’t seeing receivers streaking wide open. The Steelers had plenty of questions coming into the season, but the ceiling feels low.
20. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Is Michael Penix enough of a difference-maker to keep the Falcons in contention in the NFC South? Consistency, as always, will be key for the third-year quarterback, but so far, so good.
The first two weeks looked like a complete disaster, largely because of their quarterback situation. Enter Penix, and all of a sudden, their offense looks unstoppable. They’ve got enough talent on defense, so if the quarterback play can even be league-average, they’ve got a puncher’s chance at a division title. It will be interesting to see how they match up against the Panthers at full strength.
21. Green Bay Packers (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Even with the new additions on the offensive line, this group still isn’t delivering. Combine that with a shaky defense, and there are so many questions to solve in a short amount of time.
The Packers have been about as uneven as it gets to start the season. Between an inconsistent offense, a horrible offensive line, and a defense that is missing Micah Parsons, it has been a rough first four games. Yetthey’res at .500, with a chance to jump into second place with a win on Sunday against the Bears. Fixing the offensive line is step 1, and even then, the issues ahead of them won’t easily go away.
22. New York Giants (3-1)
Biggest area of concern: Can the Giants survive the season without quarterback Jaxson Dart? So far, so good, but it’s also worth wondering how sustainable this is over the remainder of a 17-game season.
Jameis Winston’s first two starts have been quite the rollercoaster, but then again, hasn’t that been the majority of his career? On Sunday, Winston threw for 250 yards and three touchdowns; the issue is that he also had two interceptions. The Giants have been a fun story so far and find themselves in first place in the NFC East. I’m still not convinced they can sustain this start, mainly because of uneven quarterback play.
23. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)
Biggest area of concern: Daniel Jones’ lack of consistency, and a defense that is way too expensive to be playing poorly this often.
Following a 0-2 start, the Colts have fought their way back to .500. While that might look good on paper, the quality of those two wins is questionable at best. This team has far too much money tied up in key positions at quarterback and on defense, and it hasn’t gotten the desired return thus far. That might be the key to getting this season back on track and back into the playoffs.
24. New Orleans Saints (1-3)
Biggest area of concern: Even in a weak NFC South, it’s worth wondering if the Saints have enough to compete. Their primary competition will be the Panthers, who have an elite offense so far. That said, the Falcons boatraced them on Monday night and might be in the mix too.
The Saints were one of my “surprise” playoff teams for this year, and through four games, I’m starting to regret that. Quarterback Tyler Shough looks the part, as do some of their offensive weapons. The issue is that their defense isn’t very good; they struggle to compete in the first half, and overall, the team feels incomplete.
25. Houston Texans (0-4)
Biggest area of concern: How does a team this talented start 0-4? It defies logic and may have already cost them a chance at the AFC South.
It’s not even like quarterback C.J. Stroud is playing poorly, either. The defense hasn’t been nearly as dominant, and overall, there’s just a lot going wrong through the first quarter of the season. I’m not sure there are any obvious solutions to fix their disastrous start, but even if they pick things up next week, they might have already sunk their ship beyond salvage.
26. New York Jets (1-3)
Biggest area of concern: Despite a Week 1 victory and some hard-fought games, envisioning the future is still hard to project right now.
Don’t get me wrong- the Jets are a much better team than last year. They finally broke their interception-less streak, and outside of injuries, they look like a well-rounded team. That said, this is much closer to a six-win team than anything resembling a playoff contender. Outside of an eventual change at quarterback, how long will it take to rebuild this group fully? The upside is that they have three first-rounders coming in April. Get your quarterback of the future.
27. Washington Commanders (1-3)
Biggest area of concern: Health at quarterback after injuries to their Top 2 quarterbacks on the depth chart.
We’ll know later in the week whether Jayden Daniels can/will start on Sunday. That said, he has dislocated the same elbow twice, and now with Marcus Mariota in the mix, there’s a lot of danger for this group. A 1-3 start is bad enough; couple that with the potential of having to start a seventh-round quarterback for more games, and it gets even uglier.
28. Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
Biggest area of concern: Is Marvin Harrison Jr. a part of the future? Right now, it doesn’t feel like it.
Through four games in his third NFL season, MHJ has just five catches for 85 yards and a touchdown. No matter how you felt about the Ohio State product coming out of college, nobody expected these struggles. The good news is that Michael Wilson is legit, and Jeremyiah Love will provide plenty of juice for years to come. That said, there are serious long-term questions at quarterback, and throwing away a Top 5 pick in MHJ would make matters even worse.
29. Los Angeles Chargers (0-4)
Biggest area of concern: Everything. What the hell is going on with the Chargers?
Following the hiring of Mike McDaniel as offensive coordinator, Quarterback Justin Herbert was one of the front-runners for MVP. Four games later, and it’s easy to say that Herbert is having the worst season of his professional career. McDaniel can’t seem to get the running game going, and the defense without Jesse Minter isn’t the same either. With their upcoming schedule, this isn’t likely to get better any time soon. Come early November, the Chargers should be sellers.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-4)
Biggest area of concern: Will the absence of Baker Mayfield compound their slow start?
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels had some solid moments in his debut on Sunday, but this team is much further away than a healthy Mayfield at this point, aren’t they? They doubled down on big contracts for Mayfield and Vita Vea, and even then, many questioned their long-term goals. Four games into the season, and this has been nothing short of a disaster.
31. Tennessee Titans (0-4)
Biggest area of concern: Following the hiring of a defensive-minded head coach, Cam Ward’s long-term future is in serious question after an extremely slow start.
Ward is such a difficult evaluation because, while he has all the tools and makes those “wow” plays, so much of his game makes you cringe. Admittedly, I had him as the breakout quarterback for this year from last year’s class, but unfortunately, that does not appear to be the case. This is always the risk when a team hires a defense-minded head coach with a young, highly drafted quarterback.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-4)
Biggest area of concern: Even in the midst of a rebuild, where will their first win come from on this schedule?
It almost came in Minnesota, but self-inflicted mistakes, combined with a sheer lack of talent, cost them one in Week 4. That said, the Jets in Week 7 could be one. Other than that, it could be an extended stretch without sniffing their first win if they can’t get it done there. Just remember, Dolphins fans- rebuilds take time.
