Pretend we’re one quarter into this week’s games so we can say we’re at the three-quarter pole of the 17-game NFL season. The sample sizes may not be as large as we’d like, but four games are enough to give us a sense of each team’s 2022 identity. With that in mind, we move forward with this week’s power rankings, featuring a new team at the top — as if you didn’t already read the headline.
1. Philadelphia Eagles (4-0)
(Last week: 2)
What they are: Nimble.
The undefeated Eagles have proven they can win in a variety of ways. They won an offensive shootout in Week 1 thanks in large part to Jalen Hurts’ scrambling ability. They dominated the Vikings in Week 2 with Hurts’ precision passing and a suddenly aggressive defense. They turned the pressure up in Week 3 with nine sacks, then proved in Week 4 they could take a punch, storming back from a 14-0 deficit against the Jaguars to win 29-21 behind a run-heavy offense that turned the clock back to the second half of last season. Jonathan Gannon was a punching bag for Eagles fans last year and now sports the No. 2 defense in the league by defensive EPA per drive. The offense is No. 8 in EPA per drive and the team is fourth in points per game. There’s a long way to go, but this is the best team in the league so far.
Up next: at Arizona, Sunday 4:25 pm ET
2. Buffalo Bills (3-1)
(Last week: 3)
What they are: Super Bowl favorites.
.