Clint Kubiak has worked wonders in his first year as head coach, and it’s not just a 3-0 record that shows, but more critically. how Raiders win. The team currently ranks 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, Quay Walker and others during the offseason spending spree, the Raiders have become a Top-10 team on both sides of the football and are now riding high with confidence.
Here are our complete NFL Power Rankings for Week 4, then we’ll talk about the biggest risers and fallers.
Biggest increase: Las Vegas Raiders (+11)
The wild thing about the Raiders is that they’re only willing to get better from here. They added Brock Bowers to their receiving corps for the first time in Week 3, and it paid immediate dividends when he finished with 10 catches for 116 yards. Adding Bowers to Tre Tucker’s wild season has made this offense really, really scary — and when you factor in Ashton Jeanty’s recent improvement, it makes for something special.
Is this a playoff team? Maybe especially with their upcoming schedule and the brutal AFC West, but the Raiders are better than anyone imagined. This is the most hopeful the franchise has felt in over a decade.
Biggest Drop: Houston Texans (-13)
Yes, the Texans have been bitten by the injury bug — but they’ve also run out of excuses. Many teams around the league have lost key players, and with each passing week, many of them find ways to win…not so Houston. While it’s fair to point out that the Texans have played three good teams, they are currently 0-3, tied for the bottom of the AFC South. Plus, their schedule only gets tougher from here.
Much of the blame falls on the sloppy offense as CJ Stroud struggles behind a screen offensive line, but this team also struggles defensively, allowing 25.0 points per game and 19th in the league in total defense. This is a cliff and something needs to change soon.
Team to watch: New Orleans Saints (No. 19)
The Saints may be sitting in 19th place right now, but something tells us that will change very soon. This team is poised for either another climb in the standings or a relegation depending on what happens against the Falcons. Monday night football.
The Saints are 1-2 to this point, but punch above their weight class and keep games close. This is an NFC South divisional matchup should do Own them for roster-only acceptance, and if they can get the job done, we should start talking about this team as true playoff contenders. A loss would hurt that perception a lot.