NFL: Power Rankings at the quarter-mark of the 2018 NFL season

20. Seattle Seahawks (2-2)

I hate this Earl Thomas situation. The nine-year veteran has been a leader and the most important player they have had on defense since starting their playoff success in 2012. Now the final image we have of him in a Seahawks jersey probably is him being carted off the field and flipping off his own sideline.

So without him in the lineup, Bobby Wagner and K.J. Wright are the only two members left of the Seahawks Super Bowl defense and with how the Rams are rolling right now, I don’t see how Seattle can slow them down. Offensively, they have felt kind of a re-emergence of the ground game, finally taking pressure off Russell Wilson, who did everything for them last season.

However, this offense is still facing some challenges. Doug Baldwin is back in the line-up but outside of him Tyler Lockett is pretty much the only dynamic playmaker in the passing game and they are down to one tight-end on the roster. More importantly, the offensive line has been losing one-on-one matchups, was confused by stunts up front and even Wilson has deserved some blame for holding onto the ball when it should have come out of his hands already.

21. Miami Dolphins (3-1)

I know it seems unfair to put the Dolphins this low and I have plenty of good things to say about them, but they just got utterly dominated in New England on Sunday. Miami decided to go with veterans who would help build a culture around the organization in favor of some of their most talented and productive players.

I applaud Adam Gase and the front office for doing so. Ryan Tannehill has looked like his 2016 version for the most part and that offense gets plenty of chunk plays. Defensively, they have taken some hits, but I still like what they have coming off the edges and I absolutely love Minkah Fitzpatrick.

With all that being said, the offense didn’t get into field goal range until the final drive of the game when Brock Osweiler was inserted into the lineup and they were held to just 172 total yards by a defense that was really struggling up to that point. Similar to the Titans, Adam Gase is turning this into a tough-minded team that grind out some late victories, but if Sunday was a sign of what’s to come when they face off against the elite teams in the league, that 3-1 record is a little misleading.