Four weeks are in the books, and EST Elite has another new king.
Week 4 saw Buffalo finally suffer its first loss, San Francisco and Kansas City remain perfect, and multiple teams force their way into the Top 10. Remember, EST Elite isn’t about reputation, preseason expectations or simply looking at a team’s record. It’s about what teams have shown us on the field and who we believe would beat who right now.
Here is the EST Elite Top 10 after Week 4.
1. San Francisco 49ers ↑1
Week 4: 49ers 24, Broncos 14
San Francisco takes the throne.
The 49ers handled Denver 24–14 to improve to 4–0, and with Buffalo finally losing, San Francisco moves into the No. 1 spot.
The 49ers have now won in different ways throughout the opening month of the season. They’ve dominated teams, survived close games and continue to look like one of the most complete teams in football.
Four games. Four wins. San Francisco is the new No. 1 in EST Elite.
2. Kansas City Chiefs ↑1
Week 4: Chiefs 30, Raiders 27
Kansas City keeps climbing.
The Chiefs faced arguably their toughest challenge of the season in Las Vegas and escaped with a 30–27 victory. The Raiders pushed Kansas City all afternoon, but the Chiefs once again found a way to finish the job.
Kansas City is now 4–0 and continues to show just how difficult this team is to beat. The offense is more balanced, the defense continues to make plays when needed, and the Chiefs have yet to lose.
They move up one spot to No. 2.
3. Seattle Seahawks ↑1
Week 4: Seahawks 30, Chargers 23
Seattle responds.
After suffering its first loss of the season against Washington last week, Seattle bounced back with a 30–23 victory over the Chargers.
That is exactly what you want to see from one of the league’s best teams. The defending champions took a hit last week, responded immediately and reminded everyone why they spent the opening weeks of the season at the top of EST Elite.
Seattle moves back into the Top 3.
4. Buffalo Bills ↓3
Week 4: Patriots 29, Bills 26
The king has fallen.
One week after taking over the No. 1 spot, Buffalo loses 29–26 at home to New England.
This doesn’t suddenly make Buffalo a bad football team. The Bills were excellent through the first three weeks and remain one of the most talented teams in the league. But losing at home to New England while the three teams behind you all win has consequences.
Buffalo falls three spots to No. 4.
5. Minnesota Vikings —
Week 4: Vikings 15, Dolphins 10
Minnesota is 4–0, but we aren’t rewarding this performance with a move up.
The Vikings beat Miami 15–10, with all 15 of their points coming from field goals. Minnesota’s defense deserves plenty of credit for continuing to play excellent football, but offensively, this was far from convincing.
Winning matters, and 4–0 certainly matters. But EST Elite is about more than simply looking at the standings.
Minnesota stays exactly where it was at No. 5.
6. Chicago Bears —
Week 4: Bears 23, Jets 12
Chicago just keeps finding ways to win without Caleb Williams.
After losing Williams to injury against Minnesota, there were legitimate questions about whether Chicago could maintain the level it showed when it dropped 59 points on Carolina in Week 1.
The Bears have answered those questions.
After dominating Philadelphia 27–7 last week, Chicago followed it up with a 23–12 victory over the Jets. The offense obviously isn’t the same without Caleb, but the defense continues to perform and Chicago continues to win.
The Bears stay at No. 6, and getting Williams back could make them even more dangerous.
7. Jacksonville Jaguars — NEW
Week 4: Jaguars 22, Bengals 17
Welcome to EST Elite.
Jacksonville went into Cincinnati and came away with a 22–17 victory, improving to 3–1 and forcing its way into the Top 10.
At some point, you have to respect what the Jaguars are doing. They continue to win games, their defense continues to perform, and now they have added a quality road victory over Cincinnati.
Jacksonville enters EST Elite at No. 7.
8. Baltimore Ravens —
Week 4: Ravens 24, Titans 18
Baltimore wins, but there are questions.
The Ravens improved to 3–1 with a 24–18 victory over Tennessee, although struggling to put away a winless Titans team isn’t exactly the type of performance that earns you a move up the rankings.
The bigger concern is Lamar Jackson’s health after he left the game with an ankle injury.
Baltimore gets the win and stays at No. 8, but Lamar’s health could determine where this team goes from here.
9. Los Angeles Rams — NEW
Week 4: Rams 24, Eagles 20
The Rams are back.
Los Angeles went into Philadelphia and beat the Eagles 24–20, earning its way back into EST Elite after falling out last week.
The 2–2 record isn’t spectacular, but this is exactly why EST Elite isn’t simply a standings table. The Rams have shown enough through four weeks to believe they can compete with some of the best teams in football.
A road win in Philadelphia gets them back through the door.
The Rams return at No. 9.
10. Las Vegas Raiders ↓1
Week 4: Chiefs 30, Raiders 27
Las Vegas loses, but the Raiders aren’t going anywhere.
The Raiders gave the undefeated Chiefs everything they could handle before eventually falling 30–27. There is no shame in losing a three-point game to the No. 2 team in EST Elite.
Las Vegas drops one spot because Jacksonville and Los Angeles earned their way into the rankings, but the Raiders remain a team we believe belongs among the NFL’s ten best right now.
At 3–1, Las Vegas hangs onto the final spot.
Out This Week
Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles
Cincinnati falls out after losing 22–17 at home to Jacksonville. The Bengals started the season 2–0, but back-to-back losses have now knocked them out of EST Elite.
Philadelphia is also gone after losing 24–20 at home to Los Angeles. The Eagles barely survived at No. 10 last week following their 27–7 loss to Chicago, and another defeat leaves no reason to keep them inside the rankings.
Jacksonville and Los Angeles take their places.
That’s what EST Elite is about. Your spot is never guaranteed.
Stay Tuned for Week 5
Four weeks down, and the picture continues to change.
San Francisco has taken the throne. Kansas City continues its climb. Seattle responds after its first loss. Buffalo takes its first major fall of the season, while Jacksonville and Los Angeles force their way into the rankings.
And then there’s Minnesota: 4–0, but five field goals against Miami aren’t enough to move up in EST Elite.
Now comes Week 5.
Every team gets another chance to rise, fall or prove exactly where it belongs.
If you enjoyed this week’s EST Elite rankings, make sure to like the article and subscribe to Ethical Sports Takes for weekly power rankings, picks, recaps, analysis and more.
Thanks for reading, and we’ll see you for Week 5!
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