Besides the Packers which are again atop the Power Rankings this week, there is some shake up near the top of this week’s rankings with some big losses and gains. The 49ers move up into the number 2 spot sitting at 6-1 atop the NFC West. The Steelers, after their big win over the Patriots, move up to number 3 and are the top team in the AFC just ahead of division rivals Baltimore who moved from 8^th to 5^th.

The Patriots and Saints saw themselves drop four spots from 2^nd and 3^rd to 6^th and 7^th respectively after bad losses this week. The Chargers are the big losers this week dropping all the way from 7^th down 15^th after a loss for the 2^nd straight week this time coming at the hands of division rivals the Chiefs.

The Eagles saw themselves jump four spots from 22^nd to 18^th after an impressive victory over the Cowboys. The Vikings also saw themselves making a jump from 28^th to 23^rd behind a second impressive game from rookie QB Christian Ponder and another stud performance from Adrian Peterson.

The Rams who got their first win of the season against the Saints saw themselves leapfrog the Cardinals who blew a 23-6 halftime lead against the Ravens. Bringing up the rear of the rankings again this week are the Dolphins at 31 and the Colts at 32 as both teams failed to get a win again and don’t look very good.

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The Packers top the Power Rankings again this week with another impressive performance from Aaron Rodgers. The Steelers make a push for the top jumping up to 5^th, and with a win over number 2 New England can jump up next week. The Texans, Falcons, and Chiefs all jumped up 5 spots to 12^th, 14^th, and 19^th respectively.

The Ravens saw themselves drop from 3^rd to 8^th after a horrible loss to the Jaguars. The Raiders dropped 7 spots from 9th to 16th after trouble at the QB position post Carson Palmer trade gave them a loss going into their bye week. The Bucs also dropped 5 spots from 12^th to 17^th after getting whooped in London by the Bears.

The Colts again round out the bottom of the rankings this week after getting obliterated by the Saints 62-7 and they don’t look poised to move anytime soon.

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The Packers still hold the top spot in this week’s Power Rankings. The 49ers and Giants are the big winners both jumping five spots up to 4^th and 10^th respectively. This week’s big losers are the Texans who fall five spots down to 17^th and the Cowboys who dropped from 14^th down to 21^st. The Colts, Rams, and Dolphins still round out the bottom of the pack.

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As we enter week four of the NFL regular season, teams look to prove if they are contenders or pretenders. This week does not feature a divisional game, like in week two, because of fear of the lockout. Still, there are intriguing match-ups to be played in week four.

Carolina Panthers @ Chicago Bears: Cam Newton came away with his first career win last week despite the horrible weather conditions. Bears look to confuse the rookie with their cover 2 schemes. Bears 24-17

Buffalo Bills @ Cincinnati Bengals: Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the Bills into Cincinnati after another amazing comeback, this time coming against the New England Patriots. They are 3-0 but this game might be a must-win. They still have to play the Jets twice, the Patriots in New England, a game in San Diego and the NFC East Division. Bills 28-24

Washington Redskins @ St. Louis Rams: Redskins let one get away at Dallas Monday night. They stay on the road to play a Rams team in the lower echelon in total defense. Washington is looking to bounce back. Redskins 23-14

San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles: Michael Vick left last week against the Giants with a broken right (non-throwing) hand. The CT scan on Monday reported it was just a contusion. Vick should be able to make the start. 49ers have to travel from east to west — not good. Eagles 26-17

Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs: For the third straight game, the Vikings blew a double-digit lead and lost the game. The Chiefs competed for the first time this season last week against the Chargers, but fell short. McNabb’s job is in jeopardy. Vikings 27-14

New Orleans Saints @ Jacksonville Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert looks to capture his first win of his career. He’ll have to do it against the high-powered Saints who hung up 40 points on the Texans and 30 in the second half. Saints 28-14

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans: Big Ben looks to stay upright against Mario Williams and the Texans’ improved defense. Texans defense failed their first test against an Elite quarterback last week. Ben Roethlisberger is of that caliber. Steelers 27-24

Detroit Lions @ Dallas Cowboys: Lions have not run the ball well this season and are using their TEs to get yardage. Detroit plays back to back games on the road. Dallas looks to win the time of possession battle. Dallas 23-17

Tennessee Titans @ Cleveland Browns: Titans are taking a huge hit after losing WR Kenny Britt for the season. He tore both his ACL and MCL. There is cause for concern as RB Chris Johnson is yet to get it going. The signing of Matt Hasselbeck has looked good thus far. Titans 20-17

Atlanta Falcons @ Seattle Seahawks: Falcons always struggle on the road, while Seattle plays better at home. Falcons are the better team. They’ll get it done. 21-13

N.Y. Giants @ Arizona Cardinals: Giants could be in for a letdown, coming off a huge divisional road win last week. The Cardinals secondary has been horrible so far in the first three weeks. Giants 31-24

Miami Dolphins @ San Diego Chargers: Dolphins are still searching for their first win this season. Phillip Rivers looks to pick apart their secondary. Chargers 27-14

New England Patriots @ Oakland Raiders: Patriots almost never lose back to back games. Raiders looked impressive against the Jets and look to take advantage of one of the worst defenses in the league. Tom Brady finds a way to win. 28-27

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers: Denver has had trouble stopping anybody. It might be time to see Tim Tebow. Packers look ready to repeat. Packers 31-20

N.Y. Jets @ Baltimore Ravens: Jets were embarrassed last week and they know it. Rex Ryan and his old team meet again. This game could be a shootout. Jets 28-24

Indianapolis Colts @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Colts played well last week but can they take it with them on the road. Tampa is back after a tough week one loss. Tampa 17-10
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Fourteen-year-old Nick Gilbert embodied it best Tuesday night after learning that the Cleveland Cavaliers had won the NBA lottery. He raised his hand and his face beamed with excitement. The tides may be beginning to turn for Clevelanders who have had notoriously bad luck with their sports teams. The ping pong balls fell their way twice, even better than in 2003, giving the Cavs the number four pick as well, and continuing a positive change in the Cleveland landscape since the departure of that lottery pick, LeBron James. While most of the country is experiencing Seattle-like weather, the sun is shining in Cleveland these days.

LeBron James left a black eye on the face of Cleveland sports fans, spurning his hometown for the glamour of south beach, but as always their hate has bred passion. The Bulls have proven they can stand toe to toe with the Heat, and the fans in Cleveland can bandwagon on to the team that decimated them many years ago. Michael Jordan and “The Shot” that has been played over and over again was 22 years ago. The loss in the Eastern Conference Finals once again to the Bulls was 19 years ago. Cavs fans will forget all about that for the time being if the Bulls can eliminate public enemy number one. With two picks that high in the draft, the Cavs should be back in the playoffs next year, where they could likely try to dethrone James themselves, a quick turnaround for a franchise that lost their king just a year ago.

Then there is baseball. A quarter way through the baseball season the Cleveland Indians are leading the American League Central and have the best record in baseball. This may come as a big surprise to most baseball fans, and although it’s early in the season the Indians could have the staying power to make a run at the playoffs.

If history says anything about how this team will perform, a glance at the minor leagues can give uneasy Clevelanders something to grab hold of. They have a lot of talent coming up, and their winning ways should continue on as they develop more talent at the minor league level. Two years ago the Indians AA team the Akron Aeros won the championship, and last year their AAA team the Columbus Clippers won the championship. Now that is no prediction for the big club to win it all this year, but the franchise is developing winners, and a winning attitude, something that has been absent from Cleveland, and perhaps an ingredient that will finally put them over the top.

The crystal ball and development of youth has not been the sheer reasons why the Indians have been so successful this year. Manny Acta’s team is doing it in every phase of the game. Their offense ranks in the top three in runs, batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. Their pitching staff ranks in the top seven in ERA, quality starts, WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched), and batting average against. Josh Tomlin and Justin Masterson are both 5-1 and boast ERA’s under three. With a five game lead over the Tigers, and the Twins and White Sox underachieving, the division is there for the taking keeping Clevelanders engaged and excited throughout the summer.

All seems well in Cleveland these days, and if the NFL gets its act together, maybe it will be a good year for even the Browns.

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