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Power Rankings: Week 5

Check out the Week 5 Power Rankings. We have a new number 1 with Buffalo falling short in New England.

Ryan A

Ryan A

@xoner1

Power Rankings: Week 5

Week 4 delivered a chaotic slate of cross-conference clashes, divisional statement games, and dramatic finishes that thoroughly scrambled the league landscape. The New England Patriots pulled off one of the weekend's most stunning upsets by going into hostile territory and clipping the Buffalo Bills 29–26, while down in Texas, the Dallas Cowboys edged out the Houston Texans 34–30 in a high-octane Lone Star State shootout. Meanwhile, contenders like the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs had to sweat out gritty performances against the Broncos and Raiders, respectively, proving that a stress-free Sunday afternoon simply doesn't exist in the modern NFL.

Elsewhere, the injury bug bit hard and added high drama to the standings, notably when Lamar Jackson exited the Ravens' narrow win over the Titans and the Atlanta Falcons closed out the week in style by routing the New Orleans Saints 45–24 on Monday Night Football. As the first quarter of the 2026 campaign officially comes to a close, the gap between the league's elite heavyweights and the chasing pack is tighter—and far more unpredictable—than ever.

⚡ Power Rankings
32 Teams Ranked
#1

Kansas City Chiefs

▲ 1
Their balanced, dynamic offense and championship poise continue to bail them out, showcasing why they remain the standard-bearer of the AFC.
#2

San Francisco 49ers

▲ 1
The offense clicked back into high gear in the second half behind Brock Purdy and Christian McCaffrey, proving they can grind out tough wins against legitimate contenders.
#3

Seattle Seahawks

▲ 1
Seattle boasts some of the best underlying defensive numbers in the league, particularly in pressure rate and explosive plays allowed, making them a true NFC threat.
#4

Buffalo Bills

▼ 3
Watching Josh Allen play quarterback is like riding a roller coaster designed by a madman who forgot to install the brakes. The games are fun for the public, but being a fan this must be rough.
#5

Los Angeles Rams

▲ 1
The Rams are coming in at 2-2, but I have to respect them and keep them in the top 5. Their 2 losses have come against top teams and the last win last week could be the season defining comeback to start an LA run.
#6

Minnesota Vikings

▲ 1
Winning ugly is an art form, and the Vikings are currently painting abstract masterpieces that give their fans heart palpitations every single Sunday.
#7

Denver Broncos

▲ 1
The Broncos first 4 games have been all against playoff teams from last season. Starting 2-2 is probably a victory for this team. Bo Nix is struggling, but if we have turn it around the Broncos have the players to make a Super Bowl push.
#8

New England Patriots

▲ 2
Jerod Mayo has instilled a disciplined, fundamentally sound identity that is keeping games tight and stealing wins on margins.
#9

Jacksonville Jaguars

Steady
Trevor Lawrence is executing a clean, run-first complimentary style that allows an underrated defense to consistently flip the field and secure crucial road wins.
#10

Baltimore Ravens

▼ 5
The ground attack remains lethal, and when their defensive front maintains discipline, they look every bit like a Super Bowl fixture. BUT, can the Ravens hold up without Lamar Jackson for the near future?
#11

Dallas Cowboys

▲ 3
Every week with this team is a national referendum on human emotion, oscillating wildly between Super Bowl bound and total disaster. I guess this week they are up. Now they will probably lose to the lowly Bucs.
#12

Cincinnati Bengals

Steady
Joe Burrow and the passing infrastructure can outscore almost anyone on a given Sunday, but defensive lapses are halting any steady win streaks.
#13

Chicago Bears

▼ 2
Head coach Ben Johnson has the offense humming and finding ways to win efficiently regardless of who is taking snaps under center.
#14

Philadelphia Eagles

▼ 1
Phily really blew this one last week. There was bad execution, bad coaching, and terrible body language. Could this be the cracks starting to show in the armor?
#15

Green Bay Packers

Steady
When the offensive rhythm clicks, they can shred zones, but consistency across four quarters remains a work in progress.
#16

New York Giants

▲ 2
Scraped past the Titans 12-7 in a game that felt like a punishment for watching football. If you like punts, three-and-outs, and offensive despair, MetLife Stadium was the place to be.
#17

Arizona Cardinals

▼ 1
This team plays hard every week, but it doesn't seem to lend to too many wins. This is the Cardinals in a nutshell for the last few seasons.
#18

Las Vegas Raiders

▲ 4
They almost pulled it off against KC last week. It would have been amazing to see that win. The Raiders have a tough schedule coming up and if they can get a few wins they will keep climbing.
#19

Cleveland Browns

▲ 6
Nobody ever accused the Browns of keeping things boring, usually opting for maximum emotional chaos before pulling out a victory.
#20

Pittsburgh Steelers

▼ 3
You are riding high after the win to the Bengals then you show up and lose to the Browns. This loss is a killer for this team. I think it proves my 8-9 pick for this season is right on.
#21

Atlanta Falcons

▲ 6
2 weeks ago i was calling for the Falcons to tank. Now they have shown up and given the people of ATL hope. Penix is breathing life into the offense and I'm excited to see if he can keep it up.
#22

Carolina Panthers

▲ 4
Young is playing the best ball of his short career, but I don't think this team has any long sustainable success in them. They might win the South, but so could anyone.
#23

Washington Commanders

▼ 3
This team is now on their 3rd string QB. At times they look competent enough to be a top tier team, but they need to get some QB consistency.
#24

Detroit Lions

▼ 5
The Lions keep falling as they lose to the ho-hum Panthers. The Lions are a tooth skin away from being 0-4 at this point in the season.
#25

Houston Texans

▼ 4
Say it ain't so Houston. I really thought you were going to pull it out against the Cowboys at home on Sunday. I was rooting hard, but I guess that was not enough. Is it OK to say this is the best 0-4 team in the league?
#26

New Orleans Saints

▼ 3
The Saints were looking like a mid team coming into this season and at 1-3 the season is starting to sputter away. I like the young talent, but I'm not sure Moore is the one to bring it out of them.
#27

Indianapolis Colts

▼ 3
The Colts are 2-2 and won big, but they fall because other teams moved up. I'm not impressed by handling a so-so team with their 3rd string QB playing most of the game.
#28

New York Jets

▲ 2
Chronic offensive dysfunction and inability to sustain drives continue to waste a defense that deserves a much better fate.
#29

Los Angeles Chargers

▼ 1
The Chargers could have actually beat the Seahawks of Herbert didn't stink it up so badly. Can someone tell my why this guy is getting paid over $50M a year.
#30

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

▼ 1
Tampa had to start their backup and put up a fight against Green Bay. However, there is a chance that Green Bay stinks too. When Mayfield gets back this team might have a chance, but for now it's Pooppiville.
#31

Tennessee Titans

Steady
I'm not sure Saleh is a good coach. I know both teams he coached he started with trash, but there is a trend here. Watching him DC the Niners every week I never saw anything amazing in his schemes. It was just lineup and get the ball. I'm very unimpressed here.
#32

Miami Dolphins

Steady
I wonder what the odds are on Miami not getting a win. I think I would take that bet.

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