Though it's early in the NFL season, one division has emerged above the rest as the most daunting in the entire league. Thanks to a surprisingly quick ascent to the top of the power rankings by the Detroit Lions and what looks to be an even better offense by the defending Super Bowl champs in Green Bay, the NFC North is currently the NFL's best division.
The NFC East currently has three teams sporting 2-1 records (Washington Redskins, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants), while the Philadelphia Eagles sit at 1-2. Meanwhile, the AFC East has the New England Patriots (2-1), Buffalo Bills (3-0) and New York Jets (2-1), but that division is weighed down by the Miami Dolphins (0-3) and their horrendous defense.
Right now, the Lions and Packers top the list of teams you don't want to play league-wide, while the Chicago Bears (1-2) and Minnesota Vikings (0-3) haven't been great but certainly do not figure as automatic wins.
Detroit's ascent to 3-0 has been rapid but hardly unexpected. Thanks to the superstar passing combination of Matthew Stafford-to-Calvin Johnson, the Lions boast the NFL's fourth-best aerial attack, averaging 321.7 yards per game. Defensively, Detroit has also been stout against the pass, as they rank fourth in yards allowed through the air at 188 per game.
Stafford is also third in the NFL with a 110.7 quarterback rating, while the team is scoring an average of 33.7 points per game (fourth best in the NFL) and allowing just 15.3 (third best).
The Green Bay Packers have picked up right where they left off last season. The defending Super Bowl champs have emerged as the NFL's top team early in 2011 thanks to an offense that dominates with its efficiency. Nowhere is that more apparent than with quarterback Aaron Rodgers' NFL-best 120.9 quarterback rating.
Green Bay is currently averaging 403.3 yards of total offense (eighth in the NFL) and scoring 33 points per game (fifth in the league). While the team's pass defense has left much to be desired—allowing 359.2 yards allowed per game, which is 31st in the NFL—the Packers do boast the league's best run defense, allowing just 55 yards per game.
The bottom of the division isn't horrible, as the Bears were able to punish the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 and had tough matchups with the New Orleans Saints and Packers in Weeks 2 and 3. Chicago has probably faced the league's toughest schedule to date, so a 1-2 record is understandable.
While the Vikings are clearly the weakest link in the NFC North's chain, any team with Adrian Peterson on offense and Jared Allen on defense will always be a threat. That was apparent during a 26-23 overtime loss to the Lions in Week 3.
There is not a single team in the NFC North that you can simply pencil in as a victory right now. With the Lions and Packers both undefeated and rolling, the division has proven itself to be the NFL's best so far.
NFL Power Rankings Week 4
1. Green Bay Packers (3-0)
2. New Orleans Saints (2-1)
3. Baltimore Ravens (2-1)
4. New England Patriots (2-1)
5. Detroit Lions (3-0)
6. Buffalo Bills (3-0)
7. New York Jets (2-1)
8. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
9. San Diego Chargers (2-1)
10. Houston Texans (2-1)
11. Dallas Cowboys (2-1)
12. Philadelphia Eagles (1-2)
13. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1)
14. New York Giants (2-1)
15. Washington Redskins (2-1)
16. Oakland Raiders (2-1)
17. Tennessee Titans (2-1)
18. Atlanta Falcons (1-2)
19. San Francisco 49ers (2-1)
20. Cleveland Browns (2-1)
21. Chicago Bears (1-2)
22. Carolina Panthers (1-2)
23. Miami Dolphins (0-3)
24. St. Louis Rams (0-3)
25. Cincinnati Bengals (1-2)
26. Minnesota Vikings (0-3)
27. Arizona Cardinals (1-2)
28. Denver Broncos (1-2)
29. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-2)
30. Seattle Seahawks (1-2)
31. Kansas City Chiefs (0-3)
32. Indianapolis Colts (0-3)
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