Clint Kubiak has done a great job in his first year as head coach, not only with a 3-0 record, but in more significant ways. how The thugs are winning. The team is currently 7th in points scored (up from 32nd in 2025) and 8th in points allowed (up from 25th in 2025.) After signing Kirk Cousins, Tyler Linderbaum, Quai Walker and others in the offseason, the Raiders are a Top-10 team in both football divisions and are riding high with confidence.
Here’s our complete NFL Power Rankings for Week 4, then we’ll get into the biggest ups and downs.
Biggest move: Las Vegas Raiders (+11)
The wild thing about the Raiders is that they’re only set to get better from here. Week 3 was the first time they added Brock Bowers back to their receiving corps, and it paid immediate dividends as he finished with 10 catches for 116 yards. Pairing Bowers with Tre Tucker’s breakout season has made this offense truly formidable — and it sets the stage for something special when you consider Ashton Jeanteen’s recent improvement.
Is this a playoff team? Maybe not, especially with their upcoming schedule and a tough AFC West, but the Raiders are a lot better than anyone thinks. This franchise is the most promising it has felt in over a decade.
Biggest Fall: Houston Texans (-13)
Yes, the Texans were bitten by the injury bug — but they also lost an excuse. Many teams around the league have lost key players, and each week many of them are finding ways to win.…not Houston. The Texans deserved to play three good teams, but they are now 0-3, tied for the bottom spot in the AFC South. What’s more, their program is only going to get stronger from here.
Much of the blame falls on the spread offense, with C.J. Strode struggling behind the offensive line, but this team also struggles defensively, allowing 25.0 points per game and ranking 19th in the league in total defense. That’s a shame, and something needs to change soon.
Team in question: New Orleans Saints (No. 19)
The Saints may be sitting in 19th place right now, but it tells us that something could soon change. This team is poised for another climb up the ladder, or, in the case of the Falcons, poised to come down to earth. Monday night football.
The Saints are 1-2 to this point, but they are swinging above their weight class and closing out games. This match of the NFC South Division must be. If they can be theirs based on the roster and get the job done, we should start talking about this team as real playoff contenders. Loss does a lot of damage to that perception.
