NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Analyzing which undefeated team is the best?

After three weeks of the NFL 2021 season, only five teams remain undefeated. Arguably, four of the five have shocked the NFL by staying unbeaten through three games.

This article ranks those five undefeated teams and analyzes which franchise is most likely to remain unbeaten for the longest time.

Ranking the five unbeaten NFL teams

#5 – Carolina Panthers

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey

Next week: vs. Dallas Cowboys

The Carolina Panthers were not being listed high on anybody's power rankings before the start of the season. Still, head coach Matt Rhule has led his team to a 3-0 start after dominant wins over the New York Jets, New Orleans Saints and Houston Texans.

The Panthers' young defense has emerged as one of the NFL's best, but they face their most formidable challenge yet when they travel to face Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4. The Panthers will be without Christian McCaffrey, so Sam Darnold will need to lean more on his passing game in Week 4. That could result in Carolina's unlikely winning streak crashing to a halt.

#4 – Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos quarterback Teddy Bridgewater

Next week: vs. Baltimore Ravens

Teddy Bridgewater has spent the first three weeks of the NFL season proving his doubters wrong. The Denver Broncos quarterback has been faultless so far in 2021. But there is plenty of skepticism around the Broncos' unbeaten run due to the quality of opposition they have faced so far.

The New York Giants, Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Jets are a combined 0-9. Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens pose a fiercer challenge in Week 4, and the Broncos go into the encounter as slight underdogs.

#3 – Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray

Next week: at Los Angeles Rams

Kyler Murray is making it seem like being an NFL quarterback is easy. The Arizona Cardinals' 31-17 win against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday involved fewer flashy plays from the third-year quarterback than in the previous two weeks. Still, we saw a more consistent version of Murray against the Jaguars.

The 24-year-old completed 28 of 34 pass attempts for 316 yards. Murray continued to be a threat in the running game, leaving the entire Jaguars defense flat-footed as he sauntered untouched into the endzone off a bootleg.

Murray has been in a zen state for three weeks, and it's hardly surprising. His supporting cast is stepping up to make plays. James Conner complemented his quarterback in the running game, while A.J. Green and Christian Kirk went over 100 yards against the Jaguars. Rookie wideout Rondale Moore has also shown flashes of brilliance.

Chandler Jones and J.J. Watt have been leading a nasty pass-rush, and they will have to be on their game to disrupt the Los Angeles Rams offensive line and unsettle Matthew Stafford. Arizona's Week 1 victory over Tennessee was impressive. If they can upset the Rams in L.A., it will put the entire NFL on notice.

#2 – Las Vegas Raiders

Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Derek Carr

Next week: vs. Los Angeles Chargers

Derek Carr leads the NFL in passing yards after three weeks, averaging more than 400 yards per game. The Las Vegas Raiders quarterback had his struggles in Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, but since that overtime win in the opener, Carr and the Raiders have grown in stature and become a force to be reckoned with.

Jon Gruden's team was expected to succumb to defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 2, but a shock 26-17 win sent the NFL a message of what they are capable of. In Week 3 against the Miami Dolphins, the men in silver and black lived dangerously at times but ultimately did enough to seal another overtime victory.

Receivers Henry Ruggs Jr., Bryan Edwards and Hunter Renfrow have stepped up this season, while Peyton Barber has been influential in the running game. While there are question marks over their pass defense, this Raiders offense is energetic and they have a solid chance of beating the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 4.

#1 – Los Angeles Rams

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford

Next week: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Matthew Stafford was always capable of being a dominant force. He's just never had Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay by his side and one of the league's most fearsome defenses helping his cause.

The former Detroit Lions quarterback cranked up his MVP bid to maximum volume by knocking off the defending champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a stellar performance on Sunday.

After a standard-setting Week 1 display against the Chicago Bears, Stafford was more subdued in a close Week 2 win over the Indianapolis Colts. Still, in Week 3, the veteran quarterback lit up SoFi Stadium with 343 yards and four touchdowns.

Stafford's 75-yard bomb to DeSean Jackson was a highlight, his chemistry with Cooper Kupp (96 yards, two touchdowns) continues to build and the offensive line is doing a superb job of protecting the franchise's prized asset.

Aaron Donald and the rest of the Rams' defensive front will look to stifle Kyler Murray next week and quickly get the ball back in Stafford's hands. The Rams were strong before Stafford's arrival, but now it's hard to see a weakness in this team. Their unbeaten stretch could go deep into the season.