Getty Derek Carr #4 of the Oakland Raiders.
Week 5 of the NFL season showed us a potential knick in the armor of the reigning Super Bowl Champions. Simultaneously, the Las Vegas Raiders officially announced their arrival as a legitimate threat to the Kansas City Chiefs’ throne in the AFC West.
The Pittsburgh Steelers turned a nine-point victory over the Philadelphia Eagles into their first 4-0 start in four decades. They may have also stumbled upon the NFL’s next mismatch nightmare in the midst, as wideout Chase Claypool exploded for a Steelers rookie record four touchdowns.
The Dallas Cowboys knocked off the New York Giants. Yet, the victory didn’t come without a price, as quarterback Dak Prescott went down with a devastating ankle injury. While the NFC East remains wide open, negating one of the league’s top signal-callers from an offense so reliant on the passing game likely limits Dallas’ ceiling moving forward.
Below, we highlight some of the most impressive and least impressive teams of Week 5, plus a first look at our updated NFL power rankings heading into Week 6.
*We will continue to update this list as more Week 5 games are completed.
Raiders Upset Chiefs, Climb Ranks
Typically written off as nothing more than a “game manager,” Derek Carr went toe-to-toe with the reigning Super MVP and came away victorious. Carr and the Raiders exploited and exposed a Chiefs defense on Sunday to the tune of 347 passing yards and three touchdowns. This against a unit that had allowed fewer than 200 passing yards per game over the first four weeks of play.
Josh Jacobs continues to struggle to find much rushing room, averaging fewer than 3.8 ypc in all but one game this year. However, Las Vegas’ unwillingness to waver from their run-heavy offense helps them control the clock, evident by their 11-plus minute time of possession advantage over Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
Henry Ruggs III returned to the Raiders lineup after a two-week absence and immediately made his presence felt. Ruggs flexed his big-play ability, racking up 118 yards and a touchdown on just two receptions.
Vegas heads into a bye riding high, now just one game behind the Chiefs in the AFC West. Their next game will take place in Week 7 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who are fresh off their first loss since opening weekend.
In terms of Kansas City, the loss showed some concerning flaws, namely defensive struggles and an inability to move the football on the ground. After a brilliant NFL debut in Week 1 for Clyde Edwards-Helaire, the rookie running back has failed to eclipse 64 rushing yards in any game since.
With that said, let’s not overreact to one loss, their first loss since lost November at that. Especially when they still have Patrick Mahomes under center.
NFL Power Rankings: Heading into Week 6
| RANKING | TEAM |
| 1 | Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) |
| 2 | Baltimore Ravens (4-1) |
| 3 | Seattle Seahawks (5-0) |
| 4 | Green Bay Packers (4-0) |
| 5 | Pittsburgh Steelers (4-0) |
| 6 | Tennessee Titans (4-0) |
| 7 | Los Angeles Rams (4-1) |
| 8 | Buffalo Bills (4-1) |
| 9 | New England Patriots (2-2) |
| 10 | Cleveland Browns (4-1) |
| 11 | New Orleans Saints (2-2) |
| 12 | Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) |
| 13 | Chicago Bears (4-1) |
| 14 | San Francisco 49ers (2-3) |
| 15 | Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) |
| 16 | Arizona Cardinals (3-2) |
| 17 | Carolina Panthers (3-2) |
| 18 | Indianapolis Colts (3-2) |
| 19 | Dallas Cowboys (2-3) |
| 20 | Miami Dolphins (2-3) |
| 21 | Los Angeles Chargers (1-4) |
| 22 | Minnesota Vikings (1-4) |
| 23 | Detroit Lions (1-3) |
| 24 | Cincinnati Bengals (1-3-1) |
| 25 | Houston Texans (1-4) |
| 26 | Philadelphia Eagles (1-3-1) |
| 27 | Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) |
| 28 | New York Giants (0-5) |
| 29 | Washington Football (1-4) |
| 30 | Atlanta Falcons (0-5) |
| 31 | Denver Broncos (1-3) |
| 32 | New York Jets (0-5) |