NFL Power Rankings: Week 5
The Eagles did nothing wrong this week as they remain unbeaten, but two new teams join the top tier. The Bills completed an impressive comeback on the road against a quality team to get back in the win column. Their arrow is trending down in my eyes simply because of how dominant they looked through 2 weeks. But they’re clearly one of the top teams in the NFL. So are the Chiefs. I was dead wrong with my offseason takes on them. They had a statement win this week where Patrick Mahomes and their offense have officially convinced me Tyreek Hill is not needed.
The Packers and Buccaneers are in this next tier by themselves. They both had disappointing performances this week, with the Packers getting a win and the Bucs getting a loss. But these teams are clearly elite defensive teams with offenses that should be able to do just enough to win many games.
The Ravens love blowing big leads. But the fact that they had a big lead againstan elite Bills team showed me that they’re still a good team. The Chargers had an impressive win, albeit against a bad team. It’s not easy winning games with as many injuries as they’ve had. The Bengals have now won two straight and are slowly making me think they’re a quality team. The Vikings and Cowboys continue to win games and just seem to be well-rounded teams. The Rams are in a freefall in my eyes. They have no talent on their team outside of Stafford and Kupp on offense and Donald on defense. The only reason I still have them this high is because they looked exactly the same way last year quite often, and they wound up winning the Super Bowl. But it’s very hard to be optimistic about this team. The Dolphins were really starting to impress me until Tua went down. The uncertainty surrounding that situation has me hesitant to put them higher, even though I do believe Teddy Bridgewater is a capable backup.
A dominant, physical performance by the 49ers has me back to thinking they may be a playoff team. I still question whether they can beat teams who also have strong fronts, but they can certainly pound weaker teams. The Jaguars and Broncos both suffered losses this week, dropping them to .500. I’m more confident in the Jags, but the Broncos still have that upside if their offense can figure anything out. Good, dominant wins by the Cardinals and Giants this week against lesser opponents have them in relevant status. The Browns blew a golden opportunity to get a road win against a bad team, which would’ve had them sitting pretty.
The most polarizing team this season has been the Lions, who boast the league’s highest scoring offense along with the defense allowing the most points. Their offense can’t be stopped, no matter what injuries they’re dealing with. Unfortunately for them, defense matters too. A tough loss for the Saints in London has dug them a pretty big hole they hope to climb out of. The Titans and Raiders both won their games this week, giving them hope. Neither of these teams can be considered relevant yet though. The Patriots had an inspiring effort this week that resulted in another loss. They need to start winning. The Steelers are praying Kenny Pickett can spark a lifeless offense to pair with a capable defense that should be getting TJ Watt back at some point. The Colts officially stink. The Seahawks were on the opposite side of that Lions game this week. Great job by the offense and Geno Smith, but their defense also is clearly very bad.
The Jets and Falcons both got wins this week to get back to .500, but don’t let that fool you. They both stink. The Commanders, Panthers, Bears and Texans all lost rather uncompetitive games. None of them are any good either.
