Ballot and comments from AP Pro 32 panel voter Alex Marvez of Foxsports.com:

Week 4

ALEX MARVEZ (Foxsports.com)

1. Houston Texans - I don't think we'll be hearing any more questions about Matt Schaub's toughness after the quarterback played with a severed ear lobe suffered during last Sunday's 31-25 road victory over Denver.

2. Atlanta Falcons - Playing a West Coast game on a short week, coming off an emotional victory over Denver and the subsequent fallout from running back Michael Turner's DUI arrest gave the Falcons plenty of built-in excuses if they lost last Sunday at San Diego. Atlanta didn't need any of them in a 27-3 rout.

3. Baltimore Ravens - No NFL player had a more inspiring Week Three performance than wide receiver Torrey Smith, who played last Sunday night against New England despite the death of his 19-year-old brother in a motorcycle accident early that morning. Smith paid tribute with a 127-yard, two-touchdown showing in a 31-30 win.

4. San Francisco 49ers - For one of the few times during Jim Harbaugh's coaching tenure, the 49ers failed to show as much intensity as the opposition during last Sunday's 24-13 loss at Minnesota. Don't expect a repeat this Sunday against the New York Jets.

5. New York Giants - If a 36-7 road thrashing of Carolina is a sign of things to come, the Giants have an excellent chance at repeating as Super Bowl champions.

6. Arizona Cardinals - Thanks to a fierce defense and relatively light schedule the next four weeks, these Cardinals may continue soaring to a 7-0 record before facing San Francisco at home on October 29.

7. Chicago Bears - The defense - particularly the front four and cornerback Tim Jennings - has played well enough so far to compensate for a middling offense.

8. Seattle Seahawks - With consecutive victories over NFC heavyweights Dallas and Green Bay, the Seahawks show signs of being able to finish unbeaten at home this season.

9. Green Bay Packers - The officials may have blown the game-winning call against Seattle, but the Packers put themselves in that kind of situation with a horrible first half offensively that saw Aaron Rodgers get sacked seven times.

10. Cincinnati Bengals - Only the Tennessee Titans (113) have surrendered more points than the Bengals (102), but the A.J. Green-led offense is proving prolific enough to make amends.

11. New England Patriots - One controversy ended last Sunday when wide receiver Wes Welker returned to prominence in the offense. Now taking his place in the media spotlight - A pass defense that sprung a leak during a 31-30 loss at Baltimore.

12. San Diego Chargers - If scrambled, the egg that the Chargers laid in last Sunday's listless 27-3 loss to Atlanta would be enough to feed the 53-man roster.

13. Dallas Cowboys - As evidenced in a 16-10 home win over Tampa Bay, the defense will have to carry the Cowboys until the offense gets its act together.

14. Philadelphia Eagles - Whether because of injury or subpar performance, it appears less likely each week that Michael Vick will finish the season as Philadelphia's starting quarterback.

15. Buffalo Bills - What a September for the Bills. A month that started with a horrific opening performance against the New York Jets could end with Buffalo holding a two-game AFC East lead over New England with a victory Sunday at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

16. Pittsburgh Steelers - Maybe it's the absence of injured free safety Troy Polamalu and outside linebacker James Harrison, but an aged Steelers defense looks nothing like the fearsome unit of 2010.

17. Denver Broncos - Slow starts have proven too much to overcome in consecutive close losses to Atlanta and Houston.

18. Detroit Lions - While confusion on a fourth-down center snap between Domonic Raiola and backup quarterback Shaun Hill doomed the Lions in overtime against Tennessee, no team that allows an unprecedented five scores of 60-plus yards in one game deserves to win.

19. New York Jets - The 1995 Pittsburgh Steelers overcame the loss of their best cornerback (Rod Woodson) to reach a Super Bowl. Don't expect the same for the Jets, which were foundering even before Darrelle Revis suffered a season-ending knee injury.

20. Minnesota Vikings - The Vikings responded to head coach Leslie Frazier's challenge to better San Francisco's physicality in a 24-13 thumping. The next step toward respectability - Giving a much better road effort Sunday in Detroit following a win than what Minnesota displayed in a Week Two loss at Indianapolis.

21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Put a 16-10 road loss to Dallas squarely on the shoulders of quarterback Josh Freeman. He was dreadful in a 10-of-28, 110-yard outing against Dallas.

22. Washington Redskins - As predicted here last week, injuries in Washington's defense may prove too much for the Robert Griffin III-led offense to regularly overcome. They were in last Sunday's 38-31 home loss to Cincinnati.

23. Carolina Panthers - Cam Newton needs to quit his moping. The Panthers will need a much better effort from their second-year quarterback Sunday against Atlanta than it got during a shockingly bad 36-7 home loss to the New York Giants.

24. Kansas City Chiefs - Running back Jamaal Charles (233 yards) saved the day - and Kansas City's season - during an improbable second-half comeback win against New Orleans.

25. Miami Dolphins - Dan Carpenter blew the game by missing two field goals, but a 23-20 overtime loss to the New York Jets was another reminder of how insufficient the Dolphins are at wide receiver and cornerback.

26. Oakland Raiders - The Raiders had more than the good karma of Marcus Allen lighting the Al Davis Flame before kickoff against Pittsburgh. Oakland's offense finally looked in sync in a 34-31 win.

27. St. Louis Rams - Despite the defensive betterment under first-year head coach Jeff Fisher, the Rams aren't going to consistently win until the offense catches up. St. Louis never even reached Chicago's red zone in last Sunday's 23-6 road loss.

28. Jacksonville Jaguars - Even with a new offensive minded head coach in Mike Mularkey, it's the same old story for a unit that must still ride Maurice Jones-Drew (177 rushing yards last Sunday against Indianapolis) because of an anemic passing attack.

29. Indianapolis Colts - The bye week challenge for Chuck Pagano's coaching staff - creating schemes that can compensate for a lack of offensive line and defensive talent.

30. Tennessee Titans - Running back Chris Johnson and quarterback Jake Locker both enjoyed their best outings of the season against Detroit, but a much stiffer test is coming on the road Sunday in Houston.

31. New Orleans Saints - The defense has allowed 1,500 combined yards in losses to Washington, Carolina and Kansas City. That total is what Green Bay alone may post Sunday if the Saints can't get their act together.

32. Cleveland Browns - The Browns shouldn't be winless but will remain that way until learning how to close games in the fourth quarter.

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