GREEN BAY, Wis. – A couple weeks ago, the Green Bay Packers looked like a potential Super Bowl champion. Now, after blowing games against the Cleveland Browns and Dallas Cowboys, they will enter their bye week in search of answers and momentum.
The Packers fell to No. 8 in our Consensus NFL Power Rankings following Sunday night’s tie at the Cowboys. They were No. 3 after beating Washington and No. 6 after losing to Cleveland.
Our Consensus Power Rankings take eight sets of national power rankings and turn them into one superior power ranking. The Packers range from No. 5 to No. 11.
Here’s a look at where the Packers rank through Week 4, with more extensive analysis available at the links.
The Packers fell two spots in Pete Prisco’s rankings. “The tie in Dallas actually has to feel like a loss. The defense suddenly fell apart. The end-of-game management was awful, too.”
The Packers actually moved up a spot in Josh Kendall’s rankings.
This week’s theme is rookie spotlight, and Kendall wrote about Green Bay’s top three picks. Of first-round pick Matthew Golden, he wrote, “The first-round wide receiver had career highs in catches (five) and yards (58) Sunday night against the Cowboys, but he’s still looking for his first NFL touchdown.”
The Packers stayed at No. 6 in Eric Edholm’s rankings, even though their 2-1-1 record is a “colossal disappointment” considering who they beat and who they didn’t beat.
While the offense got rolling, “it came on a night when the defense looked relatively helpless after a certain point. The lack of pressure … was a problem; even when the Pack got home late, it didn’t seem to matter.”
The Packers fell two spots in Frank Schwab’s rankings. His analysis nailed it.
“Through two games and 56 minutes of the third game, the Packers looked like one of the best teams in football. Then they collapsed against the Browns and barely got a tie against the Cowboys. It’s hard to know what to make of the Packers now, but a lot of the shine is definitely off.”
The Packers remain No. 8 in Ralph Vacchiano’s rankings.
“The Packers offense looked great in their high-scoring tie in Dallas, but what a spectacular defensive meltdown against a team missing its best receiver. Green Bay is still loaded, but this tie coming off a loss to Cleveland shows it has some issues.”
The Packers fell three spots in ESPN’s rankings, which are selected by team beat writers.
This week’s theme is biggest issue on offense. Rob Demovsky picked penalties. After listing the individual issues, Demovsky wrote, “The Packers lead the league with 10 false start penalties, and only three teams have more offensive holding calls than the Packers’ nine this season.
Wrote Mike Florio, “From talk of going undefeated to two weeks without a win.”
The Packers remained No. 11 in Conor Orr’s rankings. He took a contrarian view of how overtime should be handled, saying he would take the ball first, even though the value of going second means the offense knows exactly what it needs to do on its possession.
“It’s easy to say that after the team embarrassingly ran out of time and had to kick for a tie against the Cowboys, but I personally don’t see the value in getting to adjust to what your opponent has done. Utilize the fullness of the clock and get the third possession as well.”
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning (6) is sacked on Monday night at the Denver Broncos. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Packers must take advantage of the next quarter of the season. Their next four games are at home against the Cincinnati Bengals, at the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers, and at home against the Carolina Panthers. None of those teams are in the top 10 of the Consensus NFL Power Rankings.
Pittsburgh is the only team with a winning record, with its three wins coming against teams with a combined four wins, and Arizona is the only team with a positive point differential.
Sportsbook odds are not part of these rankings. However, from the betting perspective, the Packers are still viewed as a championship team.
At FanDuel Sportsbook, they have the third-shortest Super Bowl odds, with the Bills the favorites at +440, followed by the Eagles at +600, the Packers at +900, the Lions and Chiefs at +950 and the Ravens at +1000. Green Bay still has a slight edge over Detroit to win the NFC North.
Coming out of the bye, the Packers will host the Bengals. This week, the Bengals will host the Lions.
1, Detroit Lions (9 points; seven first place votes); 2, Buffalo Bills (15 points; one first-place vote); 3, Detroit Lions (24 points); 4, Los Angeles Rams (35); 5, Tampa Bay Buccaneers (50); 6, Los Angeles Chargers (57); 7, Kansas City Chiefs (59); 8, Green Bay Packers (61); 9, Seattle Seahawks (69); 10, Indianapolis Colts (81); 11, San Francisco 49ers (92); 12, Pittsburgh Steelers (96).