NFL Power Rankings: Week 5 Edition

Now that Week 4 of the 2022 NFL season is in the books, it’s time for everyone’s favorite meaningful exercise: NFL Power Rankings! What differentiates these rankings from the others is that they’re the only truly accurate ones in the entire universe. And so let’s take a look at how all 32 teams stack up ahead of Week 5.

BLG’S WEEK 5 NFL POWER RANKINGS

1 - Philadelphia Eagles (Last Week: 3) - The NFL’s only remaining undefeated team after four weeks. Philly’s most recent victory was a character-defining win. Going down 14 to 0, they took a punch from a quality Jags team but answered back with 29 straight points. Miles Sanders’ success on the ground was a reminder that the Birds’ offense can attack defenses by either running or passing. Haason Reddick heating up is a troubling development for opponents. This team takes care of the football (only two turnovers) and they also seize it (ten takeaways). The Eagles are a problem and they’re showing no signs of slowing.

2 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 2) - Though it was a narrow win over Baltimore, it was a win all the same. And a very important one when it comes to AFC playoff picture implications. Buffalo gets Pittsburgh this week but it’s hard not to look ahead to their Week 6 matchup against Kansas City.

3 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 4) - Next level analysis: Patrick Mahomes makes the Chiefs a threat in every game and in every season. KC’s Week 3 loss to Indy felt like a fluke and their Week 4 win confirmed as much.

4 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 1) - Scary to see Tua Tagovailoa go down like he did in Cincy. Hard to know what to make of this team’s outlook after his serious head injury. If Tua is healthy, they’re really good. If Teddy Bridgewater is starting for an extended period of time, they’re probably an average team at best.

5 - Baltimore Ravens (LW: 5) - If the season ended today, the Ravens wouldn’t be in the playoffs. Fortunately for them, the season does not end today. Baltimore’s two losses have been very close and against high quality teams. They’re going to be OK, especially since they have the fourth-easiest remaining strength of schedule.

6 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 7) - The top five teams in these rankings are legitimately good (assuming Tua is going to be OK). After that, there’s a considerable drop off. The Vikings are currently second in the NFC playoff picture but, like, is anyone really scared of them? Kirk Cousins came up big for Minny towards the end of their Week 4 win but he was largely uninspiring. If not for a double doink, the Vikings would’ve had to go to overtime against a bad New Orleans team ... on a neutral field.

7 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 8) - The Packers had to go to overtime to beat the Pats’ third string quarterback. Aaron Rodgers is predictably looking a lot more mortal without Davante Adams. It’s pretty crazy how this team didn’t make a stronger play at wide receiver in the offseason. Why didn’t they try to beat the Eagles’ offer for A.J. Brown, for example?

8 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 9) - Tampa’s defense is really good ... when not facing Patrick Mahomes. The bad vibes persist for the Bucs.

9 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 11) - The Cowboys deserve credit for rebounding after Week 1 went about as terribly as it could’ve for them. The Dallas defense has been able to take advantage of weak offensive lines with their pass rush. It’s a strength that should continue to serve them well against better blocking units. It will be very interesting to see how the Cowboys fare over the next two weeks with the Rams and Eagles up next. Especially with Dak Prescott’s potential return on the horizon.

10 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 14) - Shame on me and anyone else who had the 49ers losing on Monday night. They simply own Sean McVay with a 7-1 record in their last eight games against him. DeMeco Ryans needs to be a head coach next year. He’s been excellent.

11 - Los Angeles Rams (LW: 6) - There was concern about the health of Matthew Stafford’s arm entering the season. Sure enough, he doesn’t look right. The Rams rank dead last in offensive big plays through four games. The reigning Super Bowl champions will probably make the playoffs in a weak NFC but they’re not inspiring a lot of confidence right now.

12 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 13) - The Bolts were banged up but still managed to beat arguably the worst team in the league. They have a chance to go on a run here with CLE, DEN, SEA, and ATL up next.

13 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 16) - The Bengals have stabilized after a very disappointing 0-2 start. With a win over Baltimore, they can reclaim their status as the top team in the AFC North.

14 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 12) - What applies to Trevor Lawrence applies to the team as a whole: improved but hardly a finished product. Though he failed to get revenge in Philly, Doug Pederson will have this team competing for the AFC South crown.

15 - Denver Broncos (LW: 10) - They lost to the NFL’s only winless team. Their spot in these rankings matches their overall DVOA ranking. Average team.

16 - Detroit Lions (LW: 15) - They lead the NFL in scoring with 34.5 offensive points per game. And yet they’re 1-3. That tells you how bad their defense has been. Detroit ranks last in defensive DVOA and has allowed the most offensive points per game. The Lions were able to hang their hat on being better than their record indicated last year. Not so fun to do that two years in a row. They need to produce more wins.

17 - New York Giants (LW: 19) - The G-Men have to be one of the least threatening 3-1 teams of all time. Credit to them for being able to beat bad teams. And credit to Saquon Barkley for defying the doubters. But losses are coming. New York has the eighth-toughest remaining strength of schedule.

18 - New England Patriots (LW: 20) - There are certainly worse losses to suffer than losing to Green Bay on the road while your third string rookie quarterback has to play. That said, the Pats aren’t in a great spot with a 1-3 record in a highly competitive AFC. The Week 5 tilt between New England and Detroit is a must-win matchup for each side.

19 - Washington Commanders (LW: 17) - The Commanders are off to a really bad start. They’re 0-2 in the division with losses to the top two contenders to win the NFC East. There are already calls to bench Carson Wentz ... and they’re not totally unfounded. Washington will eventually have to make a decision on him since the 2023 third-round pick they currently owe to Indy will be elevated to a 2023 second-round pick if he plays 70% of the season’s snaps.

20 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 18) - The Browns should’ve been able to win in Atlanta. Jacoby Brissett ultimately didn’t give them enough. The road gets a little tougher for Cleveland coming up.

21 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 23) - The Cards were blown out in Week 1. They needed a 20-point comeback to beat Las Vegas. They got beat relatively easily by a LAR team that’s hardly firing on all cylinders. They overcame a slow start to beat Carolina. Hard to say they’re good. They need DeAndre Hopkins back in a big way.

22 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 21) - The Eagles benefited from a double doink once again with the Saints losing. New Orleans is currently slated to send the No. 4 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Eagles. Difficult look for the Big Easy.

23 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 25) - After a bad start to the season, the Titans have life. They’ve certainly been afforded margin for error in a lackluster division.

24 - Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 26) - The Raiders are winless no longer. But if they can’t beat KC this week, well, they’re probably donezo. Not an easy task.

25 - New York Jets (LW: 29) - Zach Wilson wasn’t good in his first game back. Wilson has basically never looked good in the NFL. But he did lead a game-winning drive in Pittsburgh, so, that’s something.

26 - Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 22) - Mike Tomlin should’ve benched Mitchell Trubisky earlier. It seemed like they had the perfect opportunity to make the move following their loss on Thursday Night Football. Kenny Pickett didn’t throw a pass that wasn’t caught in his debut! Unfortunately for him, three were caught by defenders. Pickett still offers more promise than Trubisky moving forward. He might benefit from having time to prepare as the starter as opposed to being thrown in the fire in the middle of a game.

27 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 30) - The Falcons lose their first game by one point and their second game by four points. Since then, they’ve won two straight! Maybe they’re a little better than credited for?

28 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 31) - Detroit’s defense clearly isn’t good but Geno Smith pulling out 320 yards and a 132.6 passer rating?! Not exactly expected. Of course, he was aided by Rashaad Penny going off for 151 yards and two touchdowns on just 17 carries. Seattle’s offense is ... somehow better without Russell Wilson.

29 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 24) - The Colts are crap. They’re 0-2-1 in their division with the tie coming against arguably the league’s worst team.

30 - Chicago Bears (LW: 27) - Justin Fields stinks.

31 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 28) - Baker Mayfield stinks. As does Matt Rhule.

32 - Houston Texans (LW: 32) - With the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Houston Texans select ...