Power Rankings: Improved Broncos still must prove themselves

Updated Oct. 6

Sitting in the Superdome press box with some other national writers late Sunday, word came back that the Denver Broncos had rallied to be beat the Dallas Cowboys 17-10.

"Is that the worst 4-0 team ever?" someone asked.

Do we really know?

The Broncos are undefeated and proving to a lot of people, including me, that they might be better than expected. Yet there are still some doubts. The schedule has been favorable -- although they have defeated two pretty good teams in the Bengals and Cowboys -- and the offense hasn't exactly lit it up.

When Josh McDaniels traded away Jay Cutler, I ripped him for it. Who was this brash, young coach acting like he invented the game by jettisoning the franchise quarterback?

Josh, as of right now, I owe you an apology.

You've done a heck of a job. McDaniels might be young, but he's the first-quarter coach of the year.

Having said that, I'm still not sure about this team. It won on a fluke play at Cincy, dominated two bad teams in Cleveland and Oakland and beat a Dallas team that might not be near as good as some expected.

What isn't up for debate is the job defensive coordinator Mike Nolan has done. He has taken a unit that was the second-worst in the league last season -- one that gave up more points than any team except the Detroit Lions the past two years -- and has them playing top-notch football. They are ranked first in scoring defense, giving up 6.5 points per game, and second in total defense.

In four games, the Broncos have given up two touchdowns. In switching to the 3-4, Nolan has made outside rusher Elvis Dumervil a star. Adding veterans Renaldo Hill and Brian Dawkins to the secondary has really helped and linebacker D.J. Williams is playing at a Pro Bowl level. They still have Champ Bailey, one of the NFL's best at corner.

The four-game winning streak to open the season has the Broncos ranked fifth in our CBSSports.com Power Rankings. But the next four games will define this team.

The Broncos will play host to the New England Patriots this Sunday in the Reunion Bowl -- McDaniels worked for and tries to imitate Bill Belichick -- and then play at San Diego, at Baltimore and then home against Pittsburgh. If they get to early November at 7-1 or even 6-2, then we will know that this is a quality football team.

I'm not sure how good they are right now, but there is no denying they are one of five undefeated teams left, the least likely of the bunch.

Are they the worst 4-0 team ever? Check back in a month. We'll know a lot more about them.

The Power Rankings after Week 4:

Power Rankings
Current		Team	Previous
	1	Colts · Trends	1
	They should send Belichick a Christmas card. What a gift. They face a tough road game this week at Baltimore.
	2	Saints · Trends	2
	They probably learned a valuable lesson against the Rams: Anybody can challenge you on any Sunday. They need to be careful when playing lesser teams.
	3	Vikings · Trends	3
	Get ready for the playoffs. The NFC North belongs to the Vikings. It's obvious nobody else in that division is in their class.
	4	Bengals · Trends	5
	You believe? You have to now. They've beaten both Baltimore and Pittsburgh twice. That's a statement right there.
	5	Patriots · Trends	4
	They are still in control of the AFC East, but don't lose this week against the Jets. Then it's another story.
	6	Steelers · Trends	6
	The champs have a wild-card look about them after being swept by the Bengals. That's OK. They won a Super Bowl a few years back taking that route.
	7	Cowboys · Trends	7
	Just when they start feeling good about the way they're playing, they go and lay an egg in Green Bay. Who was that in Tony Romo's jersey?
	8	Broncos · Trends	8
	It's amazing how quickly their season has turned around. Now they play the Chargers with a gimpy Kyle Orton and first place on the line.
	9	Chargers · Trends	12
	They have a chance to take over first place in the AFC West this week if they can win at Denver. That's hard to believe after their start.
	10	Cardinals · Trends	10
	The division title is theirs unless they have a disaster. Now they have to work on playing better at home because they will have a home playoff game.
	11	Eagles · Trends	9
	They might want to stay away from the West Coast. That is two bad games out there after losing to the Chargers on Sunday. Was that their defense we saw against San Diego?
	12	Giants · Trends	13
	They come off the bye with a huge game against Atlanta, trying to end a four-game losing streak. Did they dispose of the bad karma during the break? If not, they'll be watching come playoff time.
	13	Texans · Trends	14
	They come off their bye with a chance to earn their first playoff berth with a good second half. The key will be how well they play on defense.
	14	Falcons · Trends	11
	With Michael Turner down with an ankle sprain, it's time Matt Ryan truly takes over the offense. He has been struggling, and that has to stop.
	15	Ravens · Trends	15
	They have a huge game with Indianapolis this week. I can tell the Ravens defense this: The Colts offense doesn't look anything like the Browns' unit.
	16	Jaguars · Trends	17
	Don't look now, but they really are in the playoff hunt. The schedule is really soft, which will help their chances.
	17	Packers · Trends	18
	They will look back on that loss to Tampa Bay in Week 9 the rest of the season. How did it happen? They still have major issues on their offensive line.
	18	Jets · Trends	16
	If they don't win this week at New England, which won't be easy, they can kiss the playoffs goodbye. Were they overrated at 3-0? Yes.
	19	Panthers · Trends	21
	They have life. They've done a nice job of turning things around. Now they have to do it without Jordan Gross, which won't be easy.
	20	Bears · Trends	19
	You have to start to wonder about Jay Cutler. He's trying to do too much. Where's Matt Forte? They are a playoff long shot now.
	21	Dolphins · Trends	20
	Chad Henne time is here. His game-winning drive was impressive. Now they have a quick turnaround against Carolina.
	22	Titans · Trends	24
	Don't look now, but Vince Young is 3-0. Can they make a run? Is it possible?
	23	49ers · Trends	25
	Moral of their season: If you can't throw it consistently, you can't win. Alex Smith had a regress game against the Bears.
	24	Seahawks · Trends	22
	Their disappointing season gets worse every week. They will not be a playoff team with the injuries they've had. Bad first year for Jim Mora Jr.
	25	Bills · Trends	23
	Dick Jauron is gone. The Bills aren't playing very well and now must go to Jacksonville.
	26	Chiefs · Trends	27
	OK, so it came against the Raiders. But winning on the road is big for this young team. Jamaal Charles might be the real deal at running back.
	27	Redskins · Trends	28
	They have life. The Redskins won a game, but does that matter for coach Jim Zorn? Not really.
	28	Raiders · Trends	26
	Tom Cable should be looking for a realtor. There is no way he comes back next season. When does somebody fire Al Davis?
	29	Rams · Trends	29
	Steve Spagnuolo has to feel good about his team's effort. They are getting better. Just ask the Saints.
	30	Buccaneers · Trends	30
	They have to be thrilled with the way they are playing with Josh Freeman at quarterback. That bodes well for the future. Now it's time to fix the defense.
	31	Lions · Trends	31
	They picked Matthew Stafford last spring to help fix the offense. Now they are another team that needs to fix its defense next spring. Good news: The Browns are coming to Detroit.
	32	Browns · Trends	32
	That offense is as bad as I've seen. I mean ever. They can't even attempt passes down the field. What an eyesore.