NFL Power Rankings Week 4: St. Louis Rams escape ESPN punishment after Bears loss

The St. Louis Rams' position in each shifting set of 2012 NFL Power Rankings isn't just low—it's precarious. The new set from ESPN is no exception. Having escaped from the bottom of the list with a well-respected coach and a big win against the Washington Redskins, the new Rams have leapt over, say, the Cleveland Browns on the path to respectability. But where they're at now—the middle-20s—isn't a place teams stay very long. It's a highway connecting the borderline playoff contenders to the—well, the Browns. After an ugly loss to the Bears, it was easy to imagine the Rams falling back to the bottom of the pile in Week 4, but ESPN, at least, is offering them another shot.

The Rams moved down to 25 from 23, with NFC West blogger Mike Sando being kind enough to call their ugly loss a "tough defeat." That's between Jeff Fisher's old Tennessee Titans and the Kansas City Chiefs, and ahead of the likes of the Oakland Raiders, the New Orleans Saints, and—at the bottom—the Indianapolis Colts and the Cleveland Browns.

So here's to you, Rams: Though Week 4, you've successfully avoided the basement, even if you're taking forever to climb the stairs.