Oct 4, 2015; London, United Kingdom; New York Jets running back Chris Ivory (33) is pursued by Miami Dolphins safety Michael Thomas (31) and cornerback Jamar Taylor (22) in Game 12 of the NFL International Series at Wembley Stadium.The Jets defeated the Dolphins 27-14. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Week 4 is in the books, and the NFL’s good teams are starting to separate themselves from the bad ones. Six undefeated teams remain: In the AFC, the Bengals and Broncos stand at 4-0, with the the 3-0 Patriots close behind. In the NFC, the Falcons, Packers and Panthers, all 4-0, remain unbeaten. Only the Arizona Cardinals and the New York Jets have 3-1 records; the rest of the NFL is 2-2 or worse. However, with the Bears and Saints winning in Week 4, only the Lions remain winless.
AFC MVP: Chris Ivory
Chris Ivory gashed the Dolphins’ defense all game long, taking 29 carries for an impressive 166 yards and a touchdown. Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin was canned on Monday morning as I predicted, but Ivory’s performance could have been a huge part in this decision being made so quickly after the Jets’ victory over the Dolphins in London. Ivory ran straight through Ndamukong Suh on a particular run, making the big man–and the rest of the Phins’ defense–look like a complete disaster on all fronts.
NFC MVP: Josh Norman
Josh Norman has been balling out in 2015. He picked off two passes in Carolina’s win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and solidified his status as one of the NFL’s top corners. Norman has a league-high four interceptions in just as many games, and his defensive play has directly helped the Panthers win games.
Coach of the Week: Marvin Lewis
Lewis missed a challenge this week, but his great coaching throughout the season deserves some recognition. Lewis and his staff have helped Andy Dalton become a top-10 quarterback (as of this season), they’ve vastly improved the Bengals’ defense and they have a 4-0 record to show for it. Lewis’ defense played as a testament to his coaching for this team, as the Kansas City Chiefs were unable to score a single touchdown on seven scoring drives. Cairo Santos kicked seven field goals in Cincinnati; and while his performance was fantastic, Lewis’ coaching performance was even better.
With the awards handed out, let’s get right into it and take a look at this week’s Power Rankings. If you don’t agree with where your team is ranked, just remember that I purposely ranked them lower than they should be ranked as a personal attack on you because I don’t like your team. That being said, hit me up on Twitter @HoweNFL if you want to discuss why I ranked your team where I ranked it. Without further ado, let’s get started.