NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

We are into the 2nd quarter of the season. To the power rankings!

1 Minnesota Vikings (last week: 2)

The last undefeated team, and completely deserving of it. The running game needs to find it’s feet and the turn over ratio won’t last, but through five games they have been pretty much perfect.

2 Atlanta Falcons (last week: 9)

This time last year the Falcons were 5-0 but hadn’t beaten anyone good. This year they beat the Broncos, one of the best teams in the league, on the road, and they’re 4-1. That’s a strange kind of progress.

3 Seattle Seahawks (last week: 4)

No game, no loss.

4 Green Bay Packers (last week: 5)

Aaron Rodgers return to his old self may have been just a flash in the pan, he threw two interceptions to a defense that couldn’t buy one for the first four games of the year.

5 Pittsburgh Steelers (last week: 6)

It was nice of the Steelers to spot the Jets a 13-7 lead just before halftime before scoring 27 unanswered points.

6 New England Patriots (last week: 7)

Tom Brady didn’t play angry. He played the Browns.

7 Denver Broncos (last week: 1)

The Broncos didn’t play that bad. They held Matt Ryan to his “worst” game of the season and Devonta Freeman had a bland game on the ground, meanwhile Paxton Lynch looked fine in his first start, which is highly encouraging. But Tevon Coleman shredded them in the passing game. They’ll bounce back quickly against the Chargers on Sunday.

8 Oakland Raiders (last week: 8)

The 4-1 Raiders beat a bad Chargers team by 3, to bring their point differential for the season up to a whopping 5 points. It’s going to be midnight eventually.

9 Philadelphia Eagles (last week: 3)

The Eagles had a bad loss against a Lions team that they should have dominated. And yet, it was just by a point. There are worse losses to be had.

10 Dallas Cowboys (last week: 17)

Ezekiel Elliott looks outstanding, when Tony Romo and Dez Bryant return this offense could be dangerous.

11 Kansas City Chiefs (last week: 12)

Bye week.

12 Arizona Cardinals (last week: 15)

Playing the 49ers on a short week is like a bye week.

13 Buffalo Bills (last week: 16)

Tyrod Taylor has been less efficient since Greg Roman was fired, but the Bills are winning so no one is caring. That’ll change.

14 Washington Redskins (last week: 19)

Kirk Cousins threw the ball 41 times and only managed 1 touchdown and 260 yards, but the good news is he only threw one interception!

15 Houston Texans (last week: 10)

We’re just five games into the season and already prize free agent signing Brock Osweiler is looking like he should be benched.

16 Cincinnati Bengals (last week: 11)

The Bengals look listless. Expect a contract extension for Marvin Lewis.

17 Baltimore Ravens (last week: 13)

The Ravens had been skating on thin ice all season and they’re paying the price with their second straight loss. After cutting Justin Forsett last week, John Harbaugh paid his price by... firing his offensive coordinator. Who’s next?

18 Detroit Lions (last week: 27)

At 1-3 the Lions had as big of a must win game as you can have in October, and they pulled it out. With games against the Rams, Redskins and Texans ahead of them, they just might turn it around.

19 Indianapolis Colts (last week: 26)

The Colts win over the Bears just means no one is getting fired this week.

20 Carolina Panthers (last week: 14)

Preserve Cam Newton in ice for the rest of the year and then go get him a legitimate downfield threat in the offseason.

21 New Orleans Saints (last week: 22)

How bad is the Saints defense? They were on their bye this week yet if you averaged their points given up in four games over five games, they’d be 21st in scoring defense.

22 Los Angeles Rams (last week: 18)

Still plenty of time left for Jeff Fisher to go 7-9.

23 New York Giants (last week: 20)

The Giants defense finally got a turnover, two of them in fact, and it didn’t matter because the offense is so bad.

24 Jacksonville Jaguars (last week: 23)

The Jaguars had a great day on Sunday as they were on their bye and thus did not lose.

25 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (last week: 29)

Robert Aguayo, who the Bucs traded up in the 2nd round to draft, kicked a game winning 38 yard FG as time expired. Which he wouldn’t have needed to do if he had made either the 33 or 46 yarder he missed earlier in the game.

26 Tennessee Titans (last week: 30)

DeMarco Murray is on pace for over 2,000 yards from scrimmage and he won’t need 450 touches to get it. And yet the Titans still stink.

27 New York Jets (last week: 21)

The Jets have four QBs on their roster, at some point this season—when it’s too late —they’re going to play someone other than Ryan Fitzpatrick. That won’t help the defense though, who can’t stop anyone.

28 San Diego Chargers (last week: 25)

Another wasted season of Philip Rivers’ prolific career.

29 Chicago Bears (last week: 24)

They’re going to keep Brian Hoyer as the starter when Cutler returns, aren’t they?

30 Miami Dolphins (last week: 28)

Ryan Tannehill has started more games than Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman and Blaine Gabbert. He just isn’t that good and never will be.

31 San Francisco 49ers (last week: 31)

Colin Kaepernick and the 49ers agreed to redo Kaepernick’s contract so that the 49ers can start him without worrying about having to pay him if he gets injured, and so that Kaepernick can escape the team in the offseason. Everybody wins!. Except for the 49ers, who lost their fourth straight game.

32 Cleveland Browns (last week: 32)

The Browns are the only winless team in the league. They play the Titans on Sunday so maybe they can win. Maybe.