32. CLEVELAND BROWNS (0-4)
Last week:30
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 23 - Defense: 22
The spirit and Isaiah Crowell are willing; he's on pace for 1,576 yards, which would be the most for a Browns running back since Jim Brown. But too much of the rest of the team is weak.
31. MIAMI DOLPHINS (1-3)
Last week:29
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 31 - Defense: 21
By the time the Dolphins play another road game, we'll know who the 45th President of the United States will be -- unless we have a re-run of 2000, which was caused in part by the confusing ballot of Palm Beach County, which is just one county away from where the Dolphins will play their next four games. See how everything comes together?
30. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (1-3)
Last week:24
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 30 - Defense: 13
Blaine Gabbert's quarterback rating of 73.1 is the third-lowest in the league, and their offense has grown less productive each week.
**
- TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-3)**
Last week:21
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 26 - Defense: 14
The Week 1 win over Atlanta looks like an anomaly -- for both teams. By the time Doug Martin returns, it might be too late.
28. DETROIT LIONS (1-3)
Last week:20
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 5 - Defense: 31
The Lions' fading offense accounted for just two field goals and a two-point conversion after a punt return last week.
27. TENNESSEE TITANS (1-3)
Last week:19
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 27 - Defense: 12
In their last 15 games decided by seven points or fewer, the Titans are 3-12, including 1-2 this year. Their fortune has to start improving sometime, right?
**
- INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (1-3)**
Last week:23
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 8 - Defense: 30
Rallies for dramatic losses have been a defining staple of the Colts' games with Andrew Luck the last two seasons, and Sunday was no different in London.
25. SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (1-3)
Last week:25
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 9 - Defense: 20
No team has a worse scoring margin in any quarter than the Chargers do in the fourth quarter -- minus-32 through four games. The latest culprit was fumbles on three consecutive offensive snaps, two of which were lost and led to Saints touchdowns.
24. CHICAGO BEARS (1-3)
Last week:32
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 24 - Defense: 18
Brian Hoyer or Jay Cutler? With the Colts and Jaguars next on the slate, the choice matters, because the Bears are in the softest part of their schedule and this is likely their only chance to salvage their season.
23. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (1-3)
Last week:27
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 4 - Defense: 29
New Orleans' usually explosive offense had one of its worst games in recent memory, finishing with 3.8 yards per play and 275 yards from scrimmage. But when you can recover fumbles on back-to-back plays, it doesn't matter.
22. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-3)
Last week:31
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 20 - Defense: 24
Their last three away games have seen them lose by an average of 19.7 points. This is a bit of a problem with five of their first seven games after this week's bye being on the road.
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- NEW YORK JETS (1-3)**
Last week:18
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 10 - Defense: 25
Ryan Fitzpatrick has 13 interceptions in his last five games -- which, if the pace is maintained, would give him 42 over a 16-game season. The NFL single-season record is 35 (Vinny Testaverde, 1988).
20. NEW YORK GIANTS (2-2)
Last week:16
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 12 - Defense: 19
The Giants' next five opponents -- Green Bay, Baltimore, Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Cincinnati -- are a combined 13-5. Good luck.
19. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (2-2)
Last week:26
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 3 - Defense: 32
Washington has not held an opponent below 20 points in its last nine games, giving up 26.7 points per game in that span.
18. BUFFALO BILLS (2-2)
Last week:28
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 22 - Defense: 10
Firing the offensive coordinator appears to have helped Rex Ryan's defense more than the offense. Whatever works ...
17. ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-3)
Last week:9
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 15 - Defense: 6
The next two games against the 49ers and Jets offer a chance to get better quickly, but you have to wonder if Carson Palmer is hitting his career wall.
**
- CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-3)**
Last week:6
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 19 - Defense: 9
Only once in NFL history has a defense allowed a quarterback to reach 500 yards in fewer attempts than the Panthers did against Matt Ryan last week.
15. LOS ANGELES RAMS (3-1)
Last week:22
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 32 - Defense: 16
The Rams are 6-1 in their last seven games decided by one score, including three in the last three weeks. If they can ever get Todd Gurley untracked, they could be playoff-bound; he's averaged just 2.6 yards per carry so far this season.
14. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (2-2)
Last week:8
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 25 - Defense: 11
In the past year, the Broncos, Jets and Texans all had their burn-the-film games against the Chiefs. Last week, it was their turn.
**
- CINCINNATI BENGALS (2-2)**
Last week:15
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 16 - Defense: 8
The Bengals have a different -- and elite -- defense with Vontaze Burfict back.
12. BALTIMORE RAVENS (3-1)
Last week:12
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 21 - Defense: 3
Despite the result, the Ravens might have played their best game so far this season in their loss to Oakland.
11. GREEN BAY PACKERS (2-1)
Last week:11
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 11 - Defense: 26
Three more home games in their four-game homestead loom, but their goal should be remaining within one game of the Vikings by the time they meet again on Christmas Eve.
**
- OAKLAND RAIDERS (3-1)**
Last week:14
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 13 - Defense: 27
The Raiders went three-and-out a whopping eight times in Baltimore, but it didn't matter as they eked out a second one-point win already this season. Oakland has played six consecutive games decided by a touchdown or less, winning four of them.
9. DALLAS COWBOYS (3-1)
Last week:13
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 2 - Defense: 23
The Cowboys' offense is able to control the pace of games like few others, leading the league with 2.54 first downs per series. Dallas also ranks third in yardage and points per possession.
8. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (3-1)
Last week:10
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 14 - Defense: 15
Pittsburgh will look back on its Week 3 loss to the Eagles in Week 3 and wonder, "What happened?" That seems likely to be their anomaly for the season.
7. HOUSTON TEXANS (3-1)
Last week:7
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 28 - Defense: 2
A 5-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio for Brock Osweiler through four games is not what the Texans expected.
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- ATLANTA FALCONS (3-1)**
Last week:17
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 1 - Defense: 28
Not only are the Falcons prolific, they're precise, with just two turnovers to go along with the league's most efficient offense.
5. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (3-1)
Last week:5
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 17 - Defense: 4
Finally,the Seahawks are getting the Jimmy Graham for whom they traded.
4. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-0)
Last week:4
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 29 - Defense: 5
Only the Eagles have a better net-points-per-possession figure than the Vikings, who have allowed just 0.76 points per possession this year.
3. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (3-1)
Last week:2
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 18 - Defense: 17
3-1 with Tom Brady coming back ... the Patriots are right where they wanted to be. But there are issues, namely the lack of a pass rush and a struggling third-down defense -- both of which are obviously connected.
2. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (3-0)
Last week:3
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 7 - Defense: 1
Four of the Eagles' next five games are on the road, including games against all three NFC East rivals. We'll learn a lot about Carson Wentz's ability to play in raucous environments.
1. DENVER BRONCOS (4-0)
Last week:1
Per-possession efficiency rankings --Offense: 6 - Defense: 7
In the last 15 seasons, just two teams have more sacks after four games than the Broncos, with 17 sacks in Weeks 1-4. One of those two teams? Last year's Broncos, of course.
