With Week 5 games nearly wrapped up for the bulk of the NFL teams, it's time to cap a wild week by breaking down the latest power rankings. Obviously, it's far too early to crown a Super Bowl champion just yet, but a few teams have begun making their case and done so in impressive fashion.
The week started off with the New England Patriots nearly dropping a 40-spot on the Indianapolis Colts and wrapped up with a few surprising outcomes. The list includes the Tennessee Titans falling to the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets rolling the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers needing a 63-yard last-second field goal to beat the New York Giants.
The week of action left us with plenty to talk about, including Baker Mayfield leading the Cleveland Browns to an overtime victory against a team many considered as a top-10 group in the Baltimore Ravens. Bakermania is rolling right along currently, and there may not be anything that can slow it down with a few enticing matchups ahead for the No. 1 overall pick.
But arguably the most incredible thing about Week 5, was Patriots coach Bill Belichick openly offering praise to Tom Brady. After Brady threw touchdown No. 500 of his career to place him in the elite company of Peyton Manning (539) and Brett Favre (508), his coach had nothing but love, as Phil Perry of NBC Sports revealed.
"Yeah, it's tremendous," Belichick said. "That's a lot of touchdown passes to a lot of different guys, too. There's no quarterback I'd rather have than Tom Brady. He does a great job week-in and week-out, year-in and year-out, all of the situations. He does a great job."
"There's a lot of people who have meant a lot to this organization, but certainly nobody more than Tom Brady," Belichick said. "Adam – the time he was here was fabulous. He made some of the biggest kicks in the history of the game. Certainly one of the toughest, but he made a lot of them.
Kansas City Chiefs' Dominance on Full Display
There is no questioning the Kansas City Chiefs anymore. Their first four wins were impressive, but what they did in Week 5 against the best defense in the NFL was nothing short of spectacular.
Kansas City welcomed the Jacksonville Jaguars and trash-talking cornerback Jalen Ramsey to town. The end result? A 30-14 win for the Chiefs which featured them holding a 20-0 lead at halftime. Patrick Mahomes wasn't his typical dominant self, although he threw for 313 yards (22-of-28, zero touchdowns, two interceptions), but the defense more than covered for him.
Four interceptions and one defensive touchdown later, the Chiefs moved to 5-0 and hold a two-game lead over the AFC West. The question now becomes whether a case can be made for any team to top Kansas City at this moment. You'd be hard-pressed to find one, but let's dive in and check out the full list of the best NFL teams.
Click the next arrow to see this week's NFL power rankings heading into Week 6.
No. 1 Kansas City Chiefs
No. 2 Los Angeles Rams
The fact Patrick Mahomes threw 16 incompletions on 38 passes against the NFL's top defensive unit and the Chiefs still won, is terrifying for the rest of the NFL. Many questioned whether or not Mahomes was fully ready to excel out of the gate after Alex Smith was traded, but Andy Reid knew what he was doing.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce may have summed it up best after the team's 30-14 victory moved them to 5-0. As he told ESPN's Adam Teicher, the "sky's the limit" when the group plays like this.
“The sky’s the limit if we play all phases of the game like that," tight end Travis Kelce said after the Chiefs beat Jacksonville 30-14 more because of what they did without the ball than any muscle they showed with it. “It’s a special thing when you get a whole group of guys that come together for one goal. It’s special and sure as [heck] fun."
The Chiefs have wins over two AFC West opponents (Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos) both on the road. They've proven capable of winning shootouts (against the Pittsburgh Steelers) and taking down top-tier defenses. Overall, there's no test they've failed to pass thus far.
When it comes to top-tier NFL teams, there's just one team close to the level of the Chiefs currently. But Mahomes and company have a Week 6 matchup against the New England Patriots ahead, and it'll be yet another huge test.
Rams Receive a Scare, Rally Late
The Rams' 33-31 Week 5 victory over the Seattle Seahawks wasn't their most impressive, but it showed a lot about their team as a whole. The offense has shown no signs of struggling to put points on the board, but it was a well-rounded fourth quarter in this game that helped the Rams stay undefeated.
After falling behind 31-24 to start the fourth quarter, Todd Gurley scored early in the quarter and the defense stepped up big to post a shutout in the final frame. Gurley looks virtually unstoppable, and even when he's slowed down from a yardage perspective, he finds the end zone with ease. This week alone he added three rushing scores, bringing his season total to seven.
And for good measure, Gurley is halfway to making team history when it comes to touchdowns and he's only 24 years old. As ESPN Stats & Info revealed, Gurley's three-touchdown performance Sunday is the third of his career – most in the NFL since he entered the league in 2015, and behind only Marshall Faulk (six) and Eric Dickerson (four) in franchise history.
The Rams travel to take on the Broncos in Denver next week and have a tough seven-game stretch after their bye which should clearly define just how good this group is. From Weeks 9-15, they'll face the Packers, Saints, Seahawks, Chiefs, Lions, and Bears.
No. 3 Jacksonville Jaguars
No. 4 Cincinnati Bengals
I really hated seeing the Jaguars lose how they did to the Chiefs, but even after falling behind 20-0, they were able to find the end zone twice in the second half. There's no question it's going to be tough to adjust to life without Leonard Fournette for a few weeks, but losing to the NFL's best team in a hostile environment isn't anything to stick your nose up at.
Sure, the Jaguars need to improve offensively, but I'm not the slightest bit concerned about the defense. After the four-interception game, Blake Bortles was honest about there being some bad fortune and admitted he needed to be better in that capacity, as ESPN's Michael DiRocco revealed.
“We had a little bit of bad fortune,” Bortles said. “We have a tipped pick in the end zone. We had a screen get picked. ... Then we had some strip sacks. It is stuff we have to try to eliminate. It is a group effort. We all have to lock in and be better."
“It felt a lot like some games we have had in the past,” Bortles said. “Moved the ball. There were some good things done and then there were the turnovers. You can’t turn the ball over. I can’t throw four picks. It is hard to win when you turn the ball over.”
The Jaguars will be fine and are still the best team in the AFC South. With that said, they'll be tested in the coming weeks with games against the Cowboys, Texans and Eagles on tap.
Bengals Keep Rolling, Offense Hums Along
Following Sunday's action, the Cincinnati Bengals now hold the top spot in the AFC North by themselves. Thanks to Browns pulling off an upset of the Ravens, it means Andy Dalton and company continue their upward trend. The Bengals have gone 3-0 in conference play and 1-0 in the division to this point.
The return of Joe Mixon only bolsters the Bengals' legitimacy as one of the NFL's top teams. Coming back from a knee injury, the second-year back tallied 22 carries for 93 yards and caught three passes for 22 yards and one touchdown in the 27-17 win over the Miami Dolphins.
As Adam Baum of the Cincinnati Enquirer revealed, both Dalton and head coach Marvin Lewis even admitted that Mixon's touchdown reception helped spark their recent win.
"The touchdown to Joe really gave us that spark and felt like the momentum shifted at that point," said Dalton.
"Joe came back to the ball and made a nice play – an athletic play – on the football, which is great." Marvin Lewis stated.
The Bengals are facing a few major tests in the coming weeks, and these games could potentially be a measuring stick to show just how good this team is capable of being. Cincinnati faces the Steelers, Chiefs, and Buccaneers prior to their bye week, and then draws the Saints, Ravens, and Browns following it.
No. 5 New Orleans Saints
No. 6 New England Patriots
The New Orleans Saints have a chance to make a statement on Monday Night Football, and it'd be close to pushing them up higher, but the slight edge still goes to the Jaguars. Regardless, the Saints have moved into the top five thanks to a few losses ahead of them from some talented teams.
One key reason why I remain high on the Saints is the fact that they've at least flashed some improvements on defense. Allowing 48 points to the Buccaneers in Week 1 and 37 (in a win) during Week 3 against the Falcons isn't good. But New Orleans wasn't expected to have a top-tier defense, so showing glimpses of potentially turning the corner is a starting point.
The defensive unit will continue to improve as the season rolls on, and by the time the playoffs get here, New Orleans has the potential to be one of the most well-rounded NFL teams. But beyond what we've seen to this point, it's one name I have circled this week and for the remainder of the year that jumps out.
Mark Ingram is back in action after serving his four-game suspension and will be the perfect piece next to Alvin Kamara once again. With the second member of the Saints' dynamic duo back, this team just became even more dangerous offensively.
Patriots' Offense Officially Back?
The Patriots are holding down the top spot in the AFC East again thanks to a victory over the Indianapolis Colts and a loss by the Miami Dolphins. Very few fans are concerned about whether or not New England will be at the top of the division when the year wraps, but things were getting concerning offensively.
Thankfully, we saw a bit of the Patriots of old on Thursday Night Football this week. While the Colts don't have the best defense in the league by a long shot, the Pats reeled off 438 yards of offense and Brady went off for 341 yards and three scores in the 38-24 victory.
This can't be fully attributed to one player, but the return of Julian Edelman from his four-game suspension was big. Brady's go-to target and safety blanket hauled in seven passes for 57 yards, but his presence alone gave the likes of Rob Gronkowski and James White additional room to work.
Brady's top wideout was desperately missed, and if the offense continues humming along, they'll shoot up the power rankings in coming weeks.
No. 7 Chicago Bears
No. 8 Carolina Panthers
You could technically call the Chicago Bears winners of Week 5 even though they were on a bye. Mitchell Trubisky and company carried their 3-1 record into the off week and there was a very real chance the Green Bay Packers could have jumped to 3-1-1. The Detroit Lions made sure that didn't happen, though, knocking off the Packers at home.
The Bears defense makes them one of the more intriguing and dangerous teams in the NFL. If the offense comes along the way many expect it to, then Chicago may be a force coming out of the NFC for many years to come. Their decision to swing a trade for 2016 Defensive Player of the Year Khalil Mack this offseason was a huge one.
As Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune revealed, Bears linebackers coach Brandon Staley raved about what Mack brings to the defense.
"As far as our outside linebackers, he’s just a steady guy. On the field. In drills. In between series, whether it’s a practice or a game. And that affects people in a positive way. He has so much confidence in himself. And that can’t help but spread to his teammates. Like, hey, this is going to turn out OK." Staley said in an interview.
Panthers Need Wild Finish but Get It Done
I'll admit that if not for Panthers kicker Graham Gano's incredible 63-yard field goal to defeat the New York Giants, Carolina wouldn't be on this list. But in the NFL, a win is a win and they're never easy to come by.
Through the madness that was Gano's near-record-breaking kick, it's easy to forget that Cam Newton and company have defeated the Bengals and Cowboys – two good football teams. They lost a road game to the rival Falcons in a close 31-24 finish, but the Panthers deserve a tip of the cap.
The main reason I placed them ahead of the two other teams in the top-10 is that at this moment, Carolina would defeat both. Kudos to Gano for keeping the dream alive and most importantly, pushing the Panthers into my power rankings. After all, the kicker said he "felt like Cam [Newton] a little bit" after his clutch win, as ESPN's David Newton quoted.
"I'm happy that we got a kicker like that," Newton said of Gano. "A wise man once told me a great quarterback is only as good as his kicker. Graham put the whole team on his back. Well, on his toe."
No. 9 Baltimore Ravens
No. 10 Tennessee Titans
Ravens fans have to be disappointed after how Week 5 played out. They went into Cleveland to play a Browns team who is far better than in recent years, but it was widely expected they'd come out with a victory. Instead, Baltimore's offense was stopped in its tracks, scoring just nine points and losing on a field goal in overtime during Baker Mayfield's second NFL start.
There were a few concerning aspects here, including the fact that Joe Flacco hit on just 29-of-56 passes with an average of 5.3 yards per attempt. Beyond that, Mayfield throwing for 342 yards and one touchdown on 25 completions isn't a good look.
It was one game against a division rival who's still underrated, so we can't chalk this up as the worst loss in history. The Ravens sit at 3-2 currently and the other loss came against a top-five team in the Bengals. And for what it's worth, wide receiver Michael Crabtree even admitted that he dropped a game-winner which could have led to a very different result, as ESPN's Jamison Hensley detailed.
"I had a game-winner I could have caught. I put that on me," Crabtree said. "I'm going to have to get back in the lab and get back to the basics. You know what I'm saying? That's just what's going on."
Trouble in Titan Town, or One Misstep?
The Tennessee Titans are a tough team to figure out. But I will say that even after a 13-12 loss to the Buffalo Bills, they deserve to hold the No. 10 spot above the multiple other teams who were in consideration.
When looking beyond the ugly offensive performance against the Bills, this is a team who took down the Texans, Jaguars and Eagles prior to this. They're capable of getting it done on both sides of the ball, and while Marcus Mariota took a step back after a monster Week 4 showing, the young signal-caller didn't hold back his thoughts.
“We left one out there today,” Mariota said. “We can’t turn the ball over as an offense. The defense played great – they’ve played outstanding through the year. We have to do a better job of playing complimentary football.
“It is the nature of the beast, man. This is the business we play. If you are not ready to play, it doesn’t matter who you are playing, you are not going to be able to put forth your best effort and (you) ultimately lose the game.” he told the Titans' official website.
Mariota threw for 344 yards and two scores against the defending Super Bowl champions last week, but the Bills showcased an improved defense this week. He was held to just 129 passing yards against Buffalo, and the Titans as a whole totaled 221 yards of offense. Tennessee will right the ship, but they need to do it soon with matchups against the Ravens, Chargers, Cowboys and Patriots ahead.
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