AFC Power Rankings Week 4: Patriots back to No. 1

(2-1). Previous: . Houston Texans. 6. team. 10. The Texans drop two spots in these AFC power rankings after getting blanked for just the second time in franchise history in Week 3. For this team to rise from pretender to contender in 2016, they will have to limit the kick return fumbles (of which they committed two on Thursday Night Football), among other mistakes that winning teams like the Patriots keep to a minimum. A home game against the Titans gives the Texans a chance to right their Week 3 wrongs.

team. 28. The Raiders’ defense may be as thin as printer paper, embodying “bend but don’t break” to the fullest, but they crack the top five of these AFC power rankings after navigating past the Titans in Week 3. Derek Carr displayed some unreal elusiveness on one play, dodging two would-be sackers to connect with Michael Crabtree for a big gain (Crabtree paced the Raiders with 102 receiving yards). We’ll see what this team is made of next week on the road against the…. (2-1). Previous: . Oakland Raiders. 5