Heavy Metal Rankings NFL Week 4 2009

Hey there friends. Injuries is the name of the game for week 3 of the NFL. Key injuries to some teams may hinder their chances for playoff hopes or simply guide them to throw in the towel early. Chad Pennington, Frank Gore, Marion Barber to name a few of the key players who are out. Let's take a look at the rankings.

1. New Orleans Saints 3-0 (prev. #1)

QB Drew Brees continues to fire it up while taking care of the Buffalo Bills last week. He didn't do it alone though. RB Pierre Thomas came back and ran over the Bills to the tune of 120+ yards and 2 TDs. If the running game continues to be as explosive as the passing game, I don't see anyone in the league outscoring the Saints. Next: New York Jets

2. New York Giants 3-0 (prev. #3)

QB Eli Manning made it look easy against the pathetic Tampa Bay Bucs. A swarming defense and a smooth offense simply was too much for the Bucs to handle. They should continue to roll with another cake walk game against the Chiefs. Next: @Kansas City Chiefs

3. Minnesota Vikings 3-0 (prev. #4)

QB Brett Favre shows the world that his arm still has some of that magic left. After trailing the impressive looking 49ners, Brett Favre relied on his arm to lead his team to a victory with 2 seconds left in the clock. As cliche as it may sound, it never gets old to see a last second TD for the win. Will Brett need to rely on his magic against his old team? Next: Green Bay Packers

4. New England Patriots 2-1 (prev. #8)

The New England defense must have been tired of people calling them done because they showed up to play against an up and coming Atlanta offense. Atlanta QB Matt Ryan had no answers for the stout defense as they held Atlanta to a mere 10 points. If QB Tom Brady can take care of the Baltimore defense this week, then we can proclaim that Tom is back to top form. Next: Baltimore Ravens

5. Baltimore Ravens 3-0 (prev. #9)

Baltimore is looking like a team to beat in the NFL. The only reason they're not ranked higher is because they need to play a formidable offense (sorry KC and Cleveland, you guys don't count). The next coming weeks have them against New England and Cincy. We will be able to better gauge this team once we see how well the defense plays. Next. @New England Patriots.

6. New York Jets 3-0 (prev. #6)

QB Mark Sanchez continues to impress as he's avoiding the costly mistakes and leading the Jets into their third straight victory. The Titans were desperate for a win and the Titan defense definitely keep them at bay. If the jets can pull out a victory over the red hot Saints, heads will turn. Next: @New Orleans Saints

7. Indianapolis Colts 3-0 (prev. unranked)

The Colts had some shaky moments this season and the fact that they only had the ball for under a quarter 2 weeks ago was cause for concern for the defense. Indy QB Peyton Manning put the team on his back, now that DL Dwight Freeney is injured. He threw for 4 TDs as he dispelled the Cardinals. Next: Seattle Seahawks

8. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-2 (prev. #5)

The Steelers are beginning to worry me. Steeler QB Big Ben is good enough to win games on his own (week 1) yet the Steelers are staring at a 1-2 record. Without their star defensive player Troy, the Steeler defense is average, at best. It won't get any easier with the Chargers coming up next. Next: San Diego Chargers

9. Atlanta Falcons 2-1 (prev. #2)

Atlanta was humbled by the Patriots. What we learned from that game is that if QB Matt Ryan cannot connect with TE Tony Gonzalez, the Falcons are in trouble. Look for teams to follow suit and take away that weapon from Atlanta in the coming weeks. Next: Bye

My Oakland Raiders 1-2: The Raiders continue to disappoint. In a matchup against division rival, Denver, the Raiders put up little to no fight. Denver easily marched up and down the field with the Raider defense doing little to stop them. Raider QB JaMarcus Russell continues with his struggles with accuracy. Raider coach Tom Cable has stood by his QB and named him the starter in week 4 but if the bad play continues, we may see the young QB pulled in favor of the back up. WR Chaz Schilens is scheduled to return this week. Maybe he'll be the one to spark a fire to this lethargic offense. Next: @Houston Texans