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Week 4 NFL Power Rankings: Let's talk about your QB

NFL, New England Patriots, Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens

Here's a rundown of our Week 4 Power Rankings as determined by ESPN's power panel -- a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities -- with a special focus on all 32 starting quarterbacks.

We'll take a look at their performances so far this season using ESPN's Total QBR, an efficiency stat that measures all of a quarterback's contributions to winning. It is measured on a 1-to-100 scale; an average quarterback will have a QBR of about 50, while a Pro Bowl-level player will have a QBR of about 75.

ESPN Stats & Information's John McTigue contributed the following information.

Methodology: These rankings reflect which teams voters think would win head-to-head matchups. Higher-ranked teams would be favored against lower-ranked teams. Coming off a win doesn't guarantee a jump, and a loss doesn't guarantee a fall.

Previous rankings: Week 3 | Week 2 | Preseason

1. Atlanta Falcons

2017 record: 3-0
Week 3 ranking: No. 1

Matt Ryan: 71.2 Total QBR. Ryan snapped a streak of 309 pass attempts without an interception by throwing three picks in a span of 15 passes against the Lions. The Falcons still won despite this, and with home games against the Bills and Dolphins coming up, they could very well be 5-0 heading into a Super Bowl rematch against the Patriots in Week 7.

2. Kansas City Chiefs

2017 record: 3-0
Week 3 ranking: No. 2

Alex Smith: 51.7 Total QBR. Smith is completing a league-best 77 percent of his passes and leads the NFL with three touchdowns on passes thrown 30 or more yards downfield. The Chiefs will need that efficiency and deep passing to continue, as their next seven games are against teams that finished last season above .500.

3. New England Patriots

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 4

Tom Brady: 76.5 Total QBR. Brady leads the league in passing yards (1,092) and Total QBR, and he has yet to throw an interception this season. With the Patriots' defense currently ranking last in points allowed, New England will continue to rely on Brady's 40-year-old arm to get it through games.

4. Green Bay Packers

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 6

Aaron Rodgers: 52.7 Total QBR. Rodgers has one touchdown and three interceptions in the first half of games this season, compared to five touchdowns and no picks in the second half. The Packers are 2-1, but Rodgers will have to get off to better starts, especially with upcoming road games against the Cowboys and Vikings.

5. Denver Broncos

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 7

Trevor Siemian: 58.8 Total QBR. The Bills have allowed the fewest points per game this season, so Siemian's 36 Total QBR in Week 3 can be forgiven. If he does the same this week against the Raiders, who have allowed the worst QBR so far (74), there might not be as much forgiveness.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 3

Ben Roethlisberger: 55.4 Total QBR. Roethlisberger's Total QBR over the past three seasons has been 20 points worse on the road than at home. The Steelers play four of their first six games on the road this season and still have trips to Baltimore and Kansas City in the coming weeks. Roethlisberger's relatively slow start could get a lot slower as a result.

7. Oakland Raiders

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 5

Derek Carr: 43.9 Total QBR. Carr hasn't completed a pass thrown more than 20 yards downfield this season. The short-passing attack worked over the first few weeks, but Carr didn't come through when it got shut down in Week 3. With the Broncos and Ravens coming up, Carr will need to show he can go vertical again.

8. Detroit Lions

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 12

Matthew Stafford: 64.6 Total QBR. Stafford ranks fifth in Total QBR, and it would be even better had Golden Tate not been ruled down at the end of the Falcons game. A pair of stingy defenses await in the Vikings and Panthers over the next two weeks, but Stafford's efficiency should make the Lions a tough foe for anyone.

9. Dallas Cowboys

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 8

Dak Prescott: 60.8 Total QBR. Sometimes less is more. Prescott needed to throw only 18 passes Monday, but he averaged 10.2 yards per attempt, a big improvement from his 5.7 average from his first two games. Balance is key for the Cowboys and will continue to be with upcoming games against the Rams and Packers.

10. Tennessee Titans

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 14

Marcus Mariota: 56.6 Total QBR. The Titans have two wins even with Mariota off to a modest start, throwing for just three touchdowns in three games. Tennessee plays three of its next four on the road, which could actually be a benefit to Mariota. His QBR is 14 points higher on the road (62) than at home (48) in his career.

11. Minnesota Vikings

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 16

Case Keenum: 75.8 Total QBR. Keenum posted a 94.6 Total QBR in Week 3, the best single-game QBR of the season. Sam Bradford posted a 92.0 QBR in Week 1, the third best of the season. The Vikings are rolling no matter the quarterback right now, and that will need to continue with three straight division games coming up.

12. Seattle Seahawks

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 9

Russell Wilson: 49.0 Total QBR. The good news is Wilson hasn't thrown an interception yet this season, but he has yet to complete more than 60 percent of his passes in a game. Wilson's Total QBR currently ranks 20th, and a home game against the Colts might be just what the doctor ordered to get back on track.

13. Philadelphia Eagles

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 15

Carson Wentz: 63.7 Total QBR. Wentz is coming through when it matters for the Eagles, posting the fourth-best Total QBR in the second half of games so far this season (74). Wentz has games against the Chargers and Cardinals before getting a chance to shine (or flicker) in a pair of prime-time affairs.

14. Washington Redskins

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 17

Kirk Cousins: 47.0 Total QBR. Cousins averaged nearly twice as many yards per attempt (12.2) in Week 3 than he did in the first two weeks of the season (6.3). He'll need more performances like last week's with upcoming road games against the Chiefs, Eagles and Seahawks.

15. Buffalo Bills

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 26

Tyrod Taylor: 59.6 Total QBR. Despite losing most of his favorite targets this offseason, Taylor currently sits ninth in Total QBR. Don't be surprised, though -- he finished in the top 10 in both 2015 and 2016, too. He'll try to grind out more yards and wins on the road over the next two weeks with stops in Atlanta and Cincinnati.

16. Los Angeles Rams

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 22

Jared Goff: 68.5 Total QBR. Goff is averaging a league-best 10.1 yards per attempt this season, and he also has the fourth-best Total QBR. He ranked last in both in 2016. The new Rams offense will have some tougher challenges coming up though, with games against the Cowboys, Seahawks and surprising Jaguars.

17. Houston Texans

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 20

Deshaun Watson: 64.2 Total QBR. Watson leads all quarterbacks in rushing, but he has improved his completion percentage and passing yardage in every game this season. With the Titans, Chiefs and Seahawks on the schedule for three of Houston's next four games, his continued improvement will be crucial to any postseason aspirations for the Texans.

18. Baltimore Ravens

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 10

Joe Flacco: 24.1 Total QBR. Remember all of those deep balls Flacco hit during the Ravens' 2012 Super Bowl run? Fast-forward to 2017 and Flacco's average pass distance is shortest in the NFL and led to the second-worst Total QBR. The Steelers and Raiders await the Ravens the next two weeks, so Flacco needs to figure it out soon.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

2017 record: 1-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 11

Jameis Winston: 47.3 Total QBR. Winston followed up an interception-less season opener with three picks in Week 3. Coach Dirk Koetter told him that limiting mistakes would be key toward making the next step. With the Giants and Patriots coming up, it would help to take that next step ASAP.

20. Jacksonville Jaguars

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 25

Blake Bortles: 48.1 Total QBR. Over the past three seasons, Bortles is 3-0 with a 69 Total QBR in London games. Unfortunately for him, he's 7-25 everywhere else in that time with a sub-45 QBR. Bortles is not only back on American soil, but will be on the road for three of the next four games.

21. Arizona Cardinals

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 21

Carson Palmer: 50.8 Total QBR. Palmer had his best passing game of the season Monday night, but six sacks were too much to overcome. He's now 1-9-1 when taking four or more sacks as a Cardinal, and unfortunately for him and Arizona, he'll be facing defensive linemen such as Fletcher Cox, Gerald McCoy and Aaron Donald in upcoming weeks.

22. Carolina Panthers

2017 record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 13

Cam Newton: 25.6 Total QBR. In his past 16 games, Newton has thrown 16 touchdowns and 16 interceptions and completed 54 percent of his passes. If he doesn't shape up, the Panthers could be in trouble, as four of their next five are on the road.

23. Chicago Bears

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 27

Mike Glennon: 27.8 Total QBR. Glennon's average pass has been the second shortest in the NFL so far this season, which hasn't helped his overall efficiency, since his Total QBR ranks 27th in the league. With games against the Packers, Vikings, Ravens and Panthers upcoming, we might see Mitchell Trubisky sooner rather than later.

24. New Orleans Saints

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 24

Drew Brees: 60.8 Total QBR. This is the longest into a season Brees has gone without an interception, and the Saints are the only team in the NFL without a giveaway. With the least efficient defense in the league, the Saints will need Brees to be flawless. Let's see if Brees can continue protecting the ball against the Dolphins in London this week.

25. Cincinnati Bengals

2017 record: 0-3
Week 3 ranking: No. 28

Andy Dalton: 16.6 Total QBR. Despite a solid effort against the Packers, Dalton still owns the worst Total QBR at 16.5. It might not get better anytime soon. The Bengals' next two games are at Cleveland, where Dalton has a career 36.1 Total QBR, and then home against the Bills, who have allowed the fewest points per game this season.

26. Miami Dolphins

2017 record: 1-1
Week 3 ranking: No. 18

Jay Cutler: 42.0 Total QBR. Cutler surprised with a 60 Total QBR in Week 2, but his 22 QBR in Week 3 against the lowly Jets' defense might have surprised even more. If he can't do better against the Saints' defense this week in London, we might know who the "real" Jay Cutler is.

27. Los Angeles Chargers

2017 record: 0-3
Week 3 ranking: No. 24

Philip Rivers: 49.5 Total QBR. After three touchdowns in Week 1, Rivers has one passing touchdown over the past two weeks, the same as Ryan Mallett, Jacoby Brissett and Kevin Hogan. He'll have to do more with the Chargers' upcoming schedule: Eagles, Giants, Raiders, Broncos and Patriots. If not, they could be staring 0-4, 0-5, 0-6 or worse in the face.

28. New York Giants

2017 record: 0-3
Week 3 ranking: No. 19

Eli Manning: 42.6 Total QBR. He might be completing 74 percent of his passes this season, but Manning's Total QBR ranks 25th in the NFL. He seemed to right the ship in the fourth quarter on Sunday with three touchdowns, so we'll see if he can carry that momentum into Tampa this week.

29. San Francisco 49ers

2017 record: 0-3
Week 3 ranking: No. 31

Brian Hoyer: 27.2 Total QBR. Hoyer has thrown an interception in every game this season after not throwing any all of last year, leading to the fifth-worst Total QBR in the NFL. If he's going to turn it around, he'll have to do it on the road. The 49ers' next three games are all away.

30. Indianapolis Colts

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 30

Jacoby Brissett: 50.9 Total QBR. Brissett has more rushing touchdowns (three) in his career than passing (one), but his two rushing touchdowns in Week 3 helped the Colts earn their first win of the season. He'll likely need to yield more from his arm with a trip to Seattle looming this weekend, assuming Andrew Luck is still out.

31. New York Jets

2017 record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: No. 31

Josh McCown: 53.2 Total QBR. After throwing two picks in the opener, McCown has posted a 68 Total QBR over the past two weeks, which is the fourth best in that span. Will it continue? The Jaguars, who own the second-best opponent QBR this season, are next.

32. Cleveland Browns

2017 record: 0-3
Week 3 ranking: No. 29

DeShone Kizer: 26.6 Total QBR. Kizer has the fourth-worst Total QBR this season, but there is some good news. Well, kind of. His QBR through three career starts is better than Brandon Weeden's and Johnny Manziel's, so that's good. The Bengals and Jets are up next for the Browns, so there's hope for improvement.

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