NFL Power Rankings
That’s what we wanted! An offensive explosion in week 5 reminds us that sometimes, these teams and players just need a bit of time to find their footing before we can see fireworks. There are two unbeaten teams left in the NFL. I wonder how long that will last. On the other hand, there are no longer any winless teams, as everyone has won at least one game this year. However, there are better one-win teams than others, and we all know it.
I’m intrigued to see how these rankings land. We have a 1-4 team ranked above other teams that have twice as many wins as them yet they’re ranked higher. Is this a mistake? If a team with a franchise quarterback lands the #1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, who do they take? This class has so many good defensive prospects that I would be shocked if an offensive player is taken. There has never been a cornerback drafted 1st overall. The last time an interior defensive lineman was drafted 1st overall was 30 years ago in 1994. There are studs at these positions that have a strong case to break those trends.
Where does your favorite team end up? Am I crazy? Probably. But hey, we all are to an extent.
Biggest Riser: Atlanta Falcons (+10), Biggest Faller: San Francisco 49ers (-9)
1. Kansas City Chiefs (1)
The 1st of 2 unbeaten teams, Kansas City remains undefeated off the backs of vintage performances from Juju Smith-Schuster and Kareem Hunt. 2017 was a great year for these players and it looks like they are in the beginning stages of recreating history.
2. Minnesota Vikings (2)
The 2nd unbeaten team, Minnesota is a testament to coaching. No one pegged them to be undefeated nor has a winning record. Yet, they do. They are the 2nd best team in the league and honestly could have a case for the best team in the league.
3. Detroit Lions (3)
A bye week signals no movement. Hopefully, Jared Goff can congeal with this offense a bit more to recreate the magic of last year. This is a good team and should worry any opponent.
4. Houston Texans (4)
Who needs a run game with a passing offense like this? The Texans stay put in these rankings after a huge win over Buffalo. They may have locked up the AFC South already and it’s only been 5 weeks.
5. Baltimore Ravens (9) 📈
With a huge win over rival Cincinnati, Baltimore looks to have turned the corner. Cincinnati neutralized Derrick Henry and forced Lamar Jackson to beat them with his arm and sure enough. He did. Zay Flowers was my biggest miss for as long as I can remember. He is a stud.
6. Washington Commanders (12) 📈
I don’t think there is any way this team won’t win the NFC East outside of a cataclysmic collapse caused by injuries. Jayden Daniels is far and away the front-runner for Offensive Rookie of the Year and should be considered in the MVP conversation as well. It looks like Washington finally got something right.
7. Green Bay Packers (10)
Even though they were short-handed at wide receiver. Jayden Reed shows that he can handle the extra work. I loved Reed coming out of college and he is finally showing the player that he is at the NFL level. This is a solid team with a lot of underrated players.
8. Buffalo Bills (6)
276 yards of total offense and Josh Allen passing for 131 yards is just not going to get the job done. Not to mention Allen being allowed to return to the game after that brutal head injury isn’t going to get the job done either. Can we please protect these guys better?
9. Atlanta Falcons (19) 🚀
Our biggest riser, Atlanta looks like a legit playoff contender. Kirk Cousins is beginning to lead this team the way we all expected. Drake London is a superstar and will continue to be the focal point of this offense. Now if we can just get more consistency from Bijan Robinson and Kyle Pitts.
10. Dallas Cowboys (13)
With a huge win over Pittsburgh, Dallas is beginning to play like the team we expected. Sure, CeeDee Lamb had a poor game, but it doesn’t mean he didn’t help them win. The run game isn’t much of a threat, so expect to see a plethora of passes for this team.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8)
Losing to the Falcons was a shock, but when they total 550 yards of offense, it’s hard to win. I’m not worried about this team as no one has ever had an undefeated season. Tampa gets New Orleans next week and should be able to right the ship.
12. Seattle Seahawks (5)
When you lose to the Giants, you’re going to fall. There is no reason this Seahawks team should have dropped this game to New York, but they did. This is not a sign of times to come, but it could be if Seattle keeps playing lax like they did.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (7) 📉
A winnable game for the Steelers against the Cowboys is the reason why this drop is so drastic. This Cowboys team isn’t that good and Pittsburgh has been better. George Pickens not being a part of this gameplan was unexpected to me. That could be a big reason their offense sputtered.
14. Chicago Bears (20)
Caleb Williams and DJ Moore seem to be a duo that will wreak havoc on opposing defenses for years to come. As Williams keeps developing, so will this offense. Don’t forget about Rome Odunze either, he’s a stud.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (14)
A bye week for Jim Harbaugh and the Chargers could prove wonders for this team. Justin Herbert has a chance to get healthy and others, like J.K. Dobbins, can rest up for what will be a long rest of the season.
16. Philadelphia Eagles (15)
Another team on a bye week. I hope this team found some common ground and is ready to hit the ground running in week 6. Let’s hope some guys come back from injury as well.
17. New Orleans Saints (16)
Playing the Chiefs is no easy feat, even with all of their injuries. Derek Carr has faced Kansas City 18 times in his career and has won just 3 games. That’s a tough look. Still, the Saints seemed to play well and Rashid Shaheed is a bonafide star. I wish Chris Olave was getting more work though.
18. Arizona Cardinals (25) 📉
A huge win over intra-division rival San Francisco, Kyler Murray is looking more and more like his old self. Marvin Harrison Jr. seems to be the 2nd option behind Trey McBride and they may not be a bad thing as he gets acclimated to the NFL game.
19. Denver Broncos (21)
Bo Nix is looking more and more comfortable in this offense which is a welcome sign from the first 4 weeks of this season. Nix could have had an even bigger game if Troy Franklin didn’t drop a touchdown in this game. That’s not going to earn him playing time.
20. San Francisco 49ers (11) 📉
Similar to the Rams, this is a wait-and-see approach. You’d think they’d be able to win with the amount of talent they have on the field, but they just couldn’t pull it out. I’m sure Christian McCaffrey will help with Brock Purdy and his quarterback play, but there are other playmakers as well that aren’t helping.
21. Cincinnati Bengals (17) 📉
I’m not ready to write off Cincinnati just yet, but it’s getting close. Blowing this game in overtime to Baltimore is the exact opposite of what the Bengals needed. They sit at 1-4 and the playoffs are looking far away.
22. New York Jets (18)
This team is so much better than their record shows but for some reason, they can’t put it together. Get Davante Adams to this team ASAP. It may not fix everything, but sweet lord it should fix something.
23. New York Giants (26)
A statement win without superstar receiver Malik Nabers is not what I expected, but a welcome sign for Giants fans. This could have been sheer luck, but the way Daniel Jones is playing should give some hope.
24. Indianapolis Colts (23)
I should have known Indianapolis was going to lose. They haven’t beat Jacksonville on the road since 2014. But I thought Joe Flacco had it in him. It was a heck of a game, but still a loss for the Colts.
25. Las Vegas Raiders (22)
Antonio Pierce has turned this team into a disciplined franchise, except for Sunday. An abysmal amount of penalties and poor quarterback play led to them falling to a beatable Broncos team.
26. Los Angeles Rams (24)
There’s not much more to say about this team that hasn’t already been said. It’s just a wait-and-see approach for Sean McVay and Co.
27. Tennessee Titans (27)
A bye week means no movement for this team. Hopefully, it helped them find the “trend up” button.
28. Miami Dolphins (31)
Tyler Huntley led this team to a much-needed win. I’d be shocked if they move away from him for as long as Tua Tagovailoa is out.
29. New England Patriots (28)
We’ve been saying it for weeks but it seems to finally be happening. Drake Maye is in line to start on Sunday. Thank goodness.
30. Cleveland Browns (29)
Deshaun Watson is the problem and needs to go. Admit it Cleveland, you were wrong.
31. Carolina Panthers (30)
The clock may have struck midnight already as this team looks just as bad as before.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (32)
They finally won a game, but there wasn’t much more to celebrate. They are my current favorite to land the 1st overall pick.
