Before the season began, it was a widely held belief that a team from the AFC North would be playing in the AFC Championship game for the right to go to the Super Bowl.
Now, four weeks into the season, it seems like that thinking may be correct, albeit with a different team – or maybe even teams.
Tied atop the division at 3-1, the Cincinnati Bengals and Baltimore Ravens have been two of the most surprising teams in the NFL and both had huge wins against quality opponents in Week 4 in the Falcons and Steelers, respectively.
And unlike in years past, the Bengals and Ravens are getting things done on the offense instead of defense. Ranked at No. 4 and 5 in points per game, both squads are averaging more than 30 points scored through four games.
An impressive feat considering neither team’s quarterback – Andy Dalton for the Bengals and Joe Flacco for the Ravens – is considered to be elite or even approaching that level.
But elite or not, Dalton and Flacco have done enough to get the job and are both completing around 65 percent of their passes and have thrown for around 1,200 yards.
Taking on the Dolphins (Bengals) and Browns (Ravens) in Week 5, Cincinnati and Baltimore are poised to go to 4-1 and open an even bigger lead in the division of the presumptive AFC North winner, Pittsburgh.
But how do the power rankers from ESPN, NFL.com, and USA Today see it?
Find out in the first edition of RealClearLife‘s Ultimate NFL Power Rankings, which combine ratings from those three outlets to get a single rank for all 32 teams in NFL and use segmented tiers to arrange them.
Also, for an even greater perspective on how the season has been progressing, check out how each team’s season average ranking compares with where they finished this week.
The Best of the Best (1.00-5.33)
No. 1.00, last 1.00, two weeks ago 1.33, season average 1.58: Los Angeles Rams (ESPN, 1), (NFL.com, 1), (USA Today, 1)
No. 2.00, last 2.00, two weeks ago 3.33, season average 4.08: Kansas City Chiefs (ESPN, 2), (NFL.com, 2), (USA Today, 2)
No. 3.33, last 5.33, two weeks ago 1.66, season average 3.83: Jacksonville Jaguars (ESPN, 3), (NFL.com, 3), (USA Today, 4)
No. 3.66, last 4.66, two weeks ago 11.00, season average 7.33: New Orleans Saints (ESPN, 4), (NFL.com, 4), (USA Today, 3)
No. 5.33, last 14.33, two weeks ago 6.00, season average 7.06: New England Patriots (ESPN, 5), (NFL.com, 6), (USA Today, 5)
The Best of the Rest (5.34-10.66)
No. 7.66, last 7.66, two weeks ago 12.33, season average 9.57: Carolina Panthers (ESPN, 11), (NFL.com, 5), (USA Today, 7)
No. 7.66, last 13.66, two weeks ago 12.33, season average 13.41: Cincinnati Bengals (ESPN, 8), (NFL.com, 7), (USA Today, 8)
No. 8.66, last 14.66, two weeks ago 17.00, season average 13.08: Baltimore Ravens (ESPN, 7), (NFL.com, 10), (USA Today, 9)
No. 9.66, last 13.00, two weeks ago 5.33, season average 8.66: Green Bay Packers (ESPN, 9), (NFL.com, 9), (USA Today, 11)
No. 10.33, last 3.33, two weeks ago 6.66, season average 5.33: Philadelphia Eagles (ESPN, 6), (NFL.com, 12), (USA Today, 13)
No. 10.66, last 17.66, two weeks ago 17.33, season average 15.99: Chicago Bears (ESPN, 10), (NFL.com, 8), (USA Today, 14)
So You’re Saying There’s a Chance (10.67-15.99)
No. 11.66, last 19.66, two weeks ago 20.00, season average 18.91: Tennessee Titans (ESPN, 12), (NFL.com, 11), (USA Today, 12)
No. 12.00, last 12.66, two weeks ago 11.00, season average 12.08: Los Angeles Chargers (ESPN, 16), (NFL.com, 14), (USA Today, 6)
No. 14.33, last 12.33, two weeks ago 4.66, season average 8.66: Minnesota Vikings (ESPN, 13), (NFL.com, 13), (USA Today, 17)
No. 14.66, last 17.66, two weeks ago 23.00, season average 17.08: Washington Redskins (ESPN, 19), (NFL.com, 15), (USA Today, 10)
No. 15.66, last 8.00, two weeks ago 14.00, season average 11.91: Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN, 15), (NFL.com, 16), (USA Today, 16)
Stuck in the Middle with You (16.00-21.32)
No. 16.33, last 9.00, two weeks ago 17.00, season average 16.41: Miami Dolphins (ESPN, 14), (NFL.com, 17), (USA Today, 18)
No. 16.66, last 10.66, two weeks ago 8.66, season average 10.91: Atlanta Falcons (ESPN, 17), (NFL.com, 18), (USA Today, 15)
No. 19.33, last 20.00, two weeks ago 15.66, season average 17.99: Denver Broncos (ESPN, 18), (NFL.com, 20), (USA Today, 20)
No. 19.33, last 8.66, two weeks ago 8.00, season average 13.83: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ESPN, 20), (NFL.com, 19), (USA Today, 19)
It’s Probably Not Your Year (21.33-26.65)
No. 21.33, last 23.00, two weeks ago 27.33, season average 23.83: Seattle Seahawks (ESPN, 22), (NFL.com, 21), (USA Today, 21)
No. 21.66, last 24.33, two weeks ago 20.66, season average 22.49: Dallas Cowboys (ESPN, 21), (NFL.com, 22), (USA Today, 22)
No. 23.33, last 19.00, two weeks ago 25.66, season average 23.91: Cleveland Browns (ESPN, 23), (NFL.com, 23), (USA Today, 24)
No. 24.00, last 23.00, two weeks ago 29.66, season average 26.16: Detroit Lions (ESPN, 25), (NFL.com, 24), (USA Today, 23)
No. 26.00, last 27.33, two weeks ago 27.66, season average 25.16: New York Giants (ESPN, 28), (NFL.com, 25), (USA Today, 25)
No. 26.33, last 21.66, two weeks ago 22.33, season average 24.99: Indianapolis Colts (ESPN, 24), (NFL.com, 27), (USA Today, 28)
See You in 2019 (26.66-32.00)
No. 26.00, last 29.00, two weeks ago 22.00, season average 22.75: Houston Texans (ESPN, 26), (NFL.com, 26), (USA Today, 26)
No. 28.33, last 29.66, two weeks ago 27.66, season average 28.41: Oakland Raiders (ESPN, 30), (NFL.com, 28), (USA Today, 27)
No. 28.66, last 29.33, two weeks ago 21.00, season average 24.83: San Francisco 49ers (ESPN, 27), (NFL.com, 29), (USA Today, 30)
No. 29.33, last 26.00, two weeks ago 24.66, season average 25.66: New York Jets (ESPN, 29), (NFL.com, 30), (USA Today, 29)
No. 31.33, last 27.66, two weeks ago 31.66, season average 30.66: Buffalo Bills (ESPN, 31), (NFL.com, 32), (USA Today, 31)
No. 31.66, last 32.00, two weeks ago 31.33, season average 31.24: Arizona Cardinals (ESPN, 32), (NFL.com, 31), (USA Today, 32)
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