Don't look now, but Oakland and Detroit are 'in the hunt'

This is how the NFL's 32 teams stack up after Week 4:

In the hunt

(Teams, listed with record and previous week's ranking, that look good enough to be among the 12 playoff qualifiers, but not based on conference):

1. New England (4-0; 1):Tom Brady and Randy Moss make passing, catching and scoring look ridiculously easy.

2. Indianapolis (4-0; 2): The Colts are good enough to overcome key injuries and keep rolling, although the Buccaneers will pose a serious challenge.

3. Dallas (4-0; 3): Multitalented Tony Romo keeps making a strong case to be mentioned among the best quarterbacks in the league.

4. Green Bay (4-0; 4): It's hard to believe a lot of us were talking about Brett Favre retiring not long ago. Maybe we'll pick up that conversation in two … three … five years?

5. Pittsburgh (3-1; 5): With a Week 5 clash vs. Seattle, the Steelers won't have an easy time rebounding from their stunning loss to Arizona.

6. Tennessee (2-1; 6): The Titans are good, but not good enough to take the Falcons lightly.

7. Detroit (3-1; 12): The Lions made a huge statement about their character by quickly bouncing back from their humiliating Week 3 loss to Philadelphia.

8. Seattle (3-1; unranked): The Seahawks' easy win over San Francisco reinforced that they are still the class of the NFC West.

9. Tampa Bay (3-1; unranked): Season-ending injuries to Cadillac Williams and Luke Petitgout take plenty away from the offense, but this team has made major strides.

10. Jacksonville (2-1; 9): The Jaguars' defense needs to be at its run-stuffing best against Larry Johnson.

11. Washington (2-1; 10): The Lions will make it tough for the rested Redskins to recover from their crushing Week 3 loss to the Giants.

12. Oakland (2-2; unranked): Daunte Culpepper is writing a remarkable comeback story.

MIDDLE OF THE PACK

(Listed alphabetically)
Arizona Cardinals (2-2)
Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
Carolina Panthers (2-2)
Cleveland Browns (2-2)
Denver Broncos (2-2)
Houston Texans (2-2)
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)
New York Giants (2-2)
San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

NEED WORK

(Listed alphabetically)
Atlanta Falcons (1-3)
Buffalo Bills (1-3)
Chicago Bears (1-3)
Cincinnati Bengals (1-3)
Miami Dolphins (0-4)
Minnesota Vikings (1-3)
New Orleans Saints (0-3)
New York Jets (1-3)
Philadelphia Eagles (1-3)
St. Louis Rams (0-4)
San Diego Chargers (1-3)

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