NFL Week 5 Power Rankings

Atlanta Falcons' wide receiver Aldrick Robinson celebrates with teammates
Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

With four weeks in the books, we're starting to get an idea of who's for real and who may be pretenders. Two more undefeateds fell, a few teams we thought would be around in the end continue to struggle and teams we thought would merely be middle-of-the-pack teams are dominating.

Week 5 should be just as exciting with a few highly-anticipated matchups that should tell us a lot about what to expect the rest of the season.

1. Denver Broncos (4-0)

Much like they did in their championship season just a year ago, the Broncos are proving that they can win with virtually anyone behind center. The team has won nine straight dating back to last season and with rookie Paxton Lynch stepping in for the injured Trevor Siemian Sunday, Denver has played four different quarterbacks during that stretch. The defense will be tested this weekend as they'll try to stop Atlanta, who's 478.8 YPG and 38 PPG are tops in the league.

2. Minnesota Vikings (4-0)

The absence of Teddy Bridgewater as well as Adrian Peterson doesn't seem to have slowed Minnesota down. Sam Bradford continues to amaze us with his control of the offense and ability to make crucial plays. It's not that anyone has ever doubted his talents, but rather his poise and decision-making. That hasn't been a problem this season as he's yet to throw an interception. The defense continues to suffocate opposing offenses, giving up just 12.5 points per game. If they continue taking the ball away at the rate they have been, they'll be the favorites in the NFC. 

3. Philadelphia Eagles (3-0)

The Eagles had Week 4 off and will suit up again Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Lions. It's a game they should win, but you've got to think rookie Carson Wentz will have a rookie-like game at some point. Right? Regardless, he's not the only reason for their success. Philadelphia also boasts the league's best defense to this point, surrendering just nine points per game. 

4. New England Patriots (3-1)

I don't think many people thought we'd be talking about the Patriots falling this week after a matchup with the Buffalo Bills, though they were simply outplayed in a 16-0 loss. It was the first time since 1992 that New England was shut out at home. The good news? Bill Belichick's crew is 3-1 with Tom Brady set to return. More good news? They play the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

5. Atlanta Falcons (3-1)

Dan Quinn has certainly come into Atlanta and made his mark so far, taking a losing team and turning them into a .500 team last season. They were again supposed to be a middle-of-the-pack team, but they find themselves with an impressive 3-1 record and the top-ranked offense in the league. Matt Ryan is clearly the leading MVP candidate after the first month. Carolina clearly isn't the team they were last year, but putting a beatdown on the defending NFC champion still isn't easy. We'll find out what they're really made of next week when they play the defending Super Bowl champion.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)

How do you bounce back from an embarrassing blowout loss to a cross-state opponent? Ask
Mike Tomlin. He seems to have all the answers after Pittsburgh's dismantling of Kansas City on Sunday Night Football. Ben Roethlisberger looked nothing short of an MVP quarterback after a couple of pedestrian weeks, tossing five touchdowns to four different receivers. The offense is showing that it can be virtually unstoppable when they have all the pieces in place. Le'Veon Bell was exceptional in his return with 144 rushing yards and five receptions. Big Ben found nine different receivers on the night, demonstrating that despite having Antonio Brown, the most dynamic receiver in the league, they don't need to rely on him to be able to score.
























[Chiefs vs. Steelers (Week 4) | Post Game Highlights | NFL]

7. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)

Russell Wilson
put forth his best performance of the season in Seattle's 27-17 win over the New York Jets. He was able to boost his very average numbers by tossing three touchdowns. He's been helping Seattle win games by simply not turning the ball over and keeping pressure off the rest of the team. The defense has been the No. 1 reason for their early success and if it can continue to play well, they'll always have a shot to win because they still have playmakers offensively. Finding a solid replacement for Marshawn Lynch has been a problem, but Wilson is experienced and talented enough to keep the offense going.

8.
Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

Tony Romo
hasn't played a snap this season, yet the Cowboys are finding ways to win. Rookie Dak Prescott has been finding the end zone the past two weeks and fellow rookie Ezekiel Elliott has managed to increase his yards-per-carry numbers each week. If you're a 'glass half empty' kind of fan, I'll humor you as well. Dallas has played a relatively soft schedule and lost to the only playoff-caliber team they've faced so far. Their young players continue to improve, but they might struggle over the next few weeks with Cincinnati, Green Bay and Philadelphia upcoming.

9.
Houston Texans (3-1)

If you're looking for a team who will be very dangerous in a year or two, look no further.
Bill O'Brien is establishing a winning culture for a relatively new franchise and you can already see the potential. As for this season, they don't strike me as a team that will make a deep playoff run, especially after the likely season-ending injury to J.J. Watt. They'll probably run away with a division title in a bad AFC South, but unless Brock Osweiler improves on his average performances before the regular season's end, they might be looking at another first-round exit. Houston will have the opportunity to prove that they are a contender next weekend against the Minnesota Vikings.

10.
Green Bay Packers (2-1)

It's always difficult to discount any team with
Aaron Rodgers as being a contender, though the Packers haven't been overly impressive through three games. They managed to sneak past Jacksonville in Week 1 and despite holding a huge lead on Detroit, only won by a touchdown. It's the NFL and wins are wins but if you're projecting for the rest of the season, I would have much more faith in the Vikings than the Packers as it currently stands. Mike McCarthy's group has their work cut out for them if they hope to win another NFC North title, which they have done frequently over the past several years.

11.
Oakland Raiders (3-1)

12.
Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)

13.
Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

14.
Los Angeles Rams (3-1)

15.
New York Giants (2-2)

16.
Washington Redskins (2-2)

17.
Carolina Panthers (1-3)

18.
Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)

19.
Arizona Cardinals (1-3)

20.
Buffalo Bills (2-2)

21.
New York Jets (1-3)

22.
New Orleans Saints (1-3)

23.
San Francisco 49ers (1-3)

24.
San Diego Chargers (1-3)

25.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)

26.
Chicago Bears (1-3)

27.
Detroit Lions (1-3)

28.
Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)

29.
Indianapolis Colts (1-3)

30.
Miami Dolphins (1-3)

31.
Tennessee Titans (1-3)

32.
Cleveland Browns (0-4)