NFL Week 6 Power Rankings
Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott celebrates with teammate Ezekiel Elliott
Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
With every team now at least a quarter of the way through their regular season, things are starting to get crazy. Only one unbeaten remains a cluster of middle-of-the-pack teams are really giving us no indication that they're ready to make a run for the postseason. There is still one near-certainty every week, though. The Cleveland Browns will probably lose.
1. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Dominant defense and steady offense has been the recipe for success for the surprising Vikings, who are now the lone unbeaten in the NFL. No Teddy Bridgewater? No Adrian Peterson? No Stefon Diggs? No problem. Sam Bradford hit seven different targets in their 31-13 win over Houston Sunday and they continue to find ways to score regardless of who's on the field. What's more impressive is that they're beating potential playoff teams. Their 3-0 start against NFC opponents and early-season win over the division rival Green Bay Packers may come in handy down the stretch in a possible tie-breaking scenario. They'll hit the road this weekend to play the stingy Philadelphia Eagles, who just dropped their first game of the season Sunday afternoon.
2. New England Patriots (4-1)
Tom Brady's back and with just one loss in his absence, the Patriots are still the favorites to return to the Super Bowl out of the AFC. He looked as if he'd never missed a game with a three touchdown performance in his return against the Cleveland Browns. It's hardly a win to hang your hat on considering the incompetence of the opponent, but it was a good warm-up game for Brady, who hasn't played since January. The schedule gets a little more difficult with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh upcoming, which means we may have a much better idea of who the AFC's best is two weeks from now.
3. Atlanta Falcons (4-1)
We have just one unbeaten remaining in part because Atlanta proved their legitimacy by taking down the defending Super Bowl champs, the formerly unbeaten Denver Broncos. The Falcons lead every major offensive category except for rushing yards per game, which they trail just five other teams. Defense has been a different story as they're currently ranked 16th or lower in every major defensive category. It hasn't done much damage yet, but they'll have to clean that up if they hope to compete in the postseason. Offense can carry you far but you can't win a championship without defense. All that said, Matt Ryan is clearly the leading candidate for MVP through five weeks and he'll likely carry them to a division championship.
4. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)
We're just over two weeks removed from the Steelers being embarrassed by the Philadelphia Eagles and already, we're talking about them once again being one of the two or three best in the AFC. They rebounded last week with a blowout win over Kansas City and followed up Sunday afternoon with a 31-13 win over the Jets. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is back to elite form and the return of Le'Veon Bell has done wonders for an already dominant offense. They should have an easy one on deck in Miami, but it's the NFL, so you never know.
5. Denver Broncos (4-1)
Rookie Paxton Lynch registered his first career start in Trevor Siemian's absence and though he played relatively well, it wasn't enough extend Denver's nine game win streak dating back to last season. Despite having two inexperienced quarterbacks, the Broncos are still in a great position to make a run through the AFC with a great defense and aerial weapons offensively. Lynch looked fantastic last week when he stepped in mid-game and there's no reason to believe that's a fluke. He certainly looks the part of a great quarterback and he couldn't have fallen into a better situation. How often does a rookie get to start for the defending Super Bowl champion? It's a rare privilege and it's pretty clear Denver will be relevant for a long time.
6. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
No one really expected Dallas to be in the position they are now when Tony Romo went down in the preseason, but the fact is the Cowboys are quietly one of the top teams in the NFC. Rookie Dak Prescott has exceeded expectations and along with Philadelphia's Carson Wentz, is proving that the future of quarterbacks in the league is very bright. They've got young talent at so many positions and their dominant offensive line takes a great amount of pressure off a young quarterback. If Romo soon comes back healthy, the Cowboys are certainly a team built for a championship run.
7. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
Pete Carroll's squad is coming off a bye and now they're diving into the more difficult part of their schedule. They'll host Atlanta this weekend, who've proven they're for real with a win over the Broncos before heading to Arizona and New Orleans. The latter two teams' records don't suggest a threat, but they are indeed dangerous teams who shouldn't be taken lightly. After that, they'll play the next three against teams with a combined record of 10-4. With the Rams showing that they may be a little more competitive than years past, the Seahawks can't afford to lose much ground during that stretch.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)
The Eagles suffered their first loss of the season following their bye week, proving that Carson Wentz is indeed human. This is far from a knock on his play, considering he still completed 75.8 percent with two touchdowns. He threw the first interception of his young career but it was in desperation time and he was just trying to make a play. It's about to get pretty difficult for Philadelphia with nine of their remaining 12 games against teams currently with winning records. We're about to find out if the Eagles are for real or if they're still a year or two away from contention.
9. Green Bay Packers (3-1)
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers continue to put together wins in close games and though they haven't looked like the dominant Green Bay teams of recent years, it's the NFL and wins are all that matter. They have a big game with the Cowboys on deck and in a competitive NFC, it'll be crucial to pick up a win against another top team. They'll face a rookie quarterback which might give them the slight edge, though Prescott has been impressive and hasn't made the rookie mistakes we've all been expecting him to make. With Dallas' running game, the Green Bay defense will have their hands full.
10. Oakland Raiders (4-1)
We don't often talk about the Oakland Raiders as a top-10 team, but they've earned this spot with a few scrappy wins. Granted, the quality of opponents hasn't been great but it's just what the doctor ordered for a young team on the rise. Overtaking the Denver Broncos for a division title is still a long shot, but their first postseason berth since 2002 is looking pretty good. Derek Carr is every bit the leader they had hoped when they spent a first-round pick on him a few years back. The defense needs to start putting pressure on the quarterback but if they can show improvement, Oakland should continue to improve overall.
11. Washington Redskins (3-2)
12. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
13. Houston Texans (3-2)
14. Buffalo Bills (3-2)
15. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
16. Los Angeles Rams (3-2)
17. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
18. Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)
19. New York Giants (2-3)
20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
21. Detroit Lions (2-3)
22. New Orleans Saints (1-3)
23. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
24. Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
25. Tennessee Titans (2-3)
26. New York Jets (1-4)
27. San Francisco 49ers (1-4)
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)
29. San Diego Chargers (1-4)
30. Chicago Bears (1-4)
31. Miami Dolphins (1-4)
32. Cleveland Browns (0-5)
