NFL Week 5 delivered some fantastic matchups, including a short-handed San Francisco 49ers team winning on a short week in
NFL Week 5 delivered some fantastic matchups, including a short-handed San Francisco 49ers team winning on a short week in Los Angeles and the Denver Broncos rallying for a fourth-quarter comeback to beat the Philadelphia Eagles. It delivers plenty of shake-ups when stacking up the worst and best NFL teams right now.
Let’s dive intou our latest NFL power rankings after Week 5, evaluating how all 32 teams performed.
1. Buffalo Bills (2)
The Buffalo Bills look unquestionably like the best AFC team right now entering Sunday Night Football. While that season-opening comeback win over Baltimore doesn’t look quite as impressive nearly a month later, what matters is the 3-0 record with both Josh Allen and James Cook playing at All-Pro levels. As long as the Bills’ defense can holds its own, this team shouldn’t be upset by New England on Sunday night.
2. Detroit Lions (3)
The Detroit Lions are the best team in the NFC. Since that wake-up call in Week 1 at Lambeau Field, Detroit has been taking out its frustrations on every opponent in its wrath. Cincinnati was the latest to experience that on Sunday, witnessing this Lions’ machine fire on all cylinders without even a hiccup. Now heading to Arrowhead Stadium, Detroit can make another statement on national television.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)
Baker Mayfield’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers just find ways to win. Defeating the Seattle Seahawks seemed improbable given all the injuries this team is dealing with. Yet, against a top-five defense in Seattle, Baker Mayfield put on a masterclass through the air (11.5 ypa, 2-0 TD-INT, 379 passing yards) and then the ball bounced Lavonte David’s way for an interception that set up the game-winning kick. Tampa Bay remains a Super Bowl contender, even if it isn’t getting a ton of national attention.
4. Philadelphia Eagles (1)
Well, A.J. Brown will have even more to voice his frustration about now. The Philadelphia Eagles‘ got DeVonta Smith more involved on Sunday, but the end result was still a woefully bad third-down offense (2-for-11) and this team choking away a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Once again, the finger has to be pointed at an offense that totaled just 48 yards on its last five scoreless drives and much of that came in the closing seconds against a prevent defense.
5. Kansas City Chiefs (6)
The Kansas City Chiefs have some semblance of a passing game now. Xavier Worthy’s return helped that and the looming arrival of Rashee Rice will bring the No. 1 receiver, who can move the chains and deliver yards after catch. Kansas City should be favored on Monday night over the Jaguars, especially if the defense maintains how it’s been performing in recent weeks.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (9)
The Jacksonville Jaguars have an opportunity to put the NFL on notice if they can get a Monday Night Football win over Kansas City. Liam Coen has completely transformed the Jaguars’ ground game, and the defense is night-and-day compared to when it was the league’s worst unit in 2024. If Jacksonville’s wide receivers can just hang onto the football, Trevor Lawrence and company can come away with a monumental win.
7. San Francisco 49ers (12)
The resiliency of this San Francisco 49ers team is remarkable. With Brock Purdy, Jauan Jennings, George Kittle, and Ricky Pearsall out, Kyle Shanahan’s offense still found a way to put up 407 total yards and beat the Rams in Los Angeles. Coming out of that game with a victory and the possibility of all four returning in Week 6 should give San Francisco a lot of hope for what’s to come.
8. Denver Broncos (14)
This can be a season-changing win for the Denver Broncos. Trailing 17-3 in the fourth quarter on the road, Bo Nix and Sean Payton were in real danger of falling to 2-3, with their only wins coming against the Titans and the Jake Browning-led Bengals. Instead, Denver came back decisively. The Broncos’ defense was lights out in the second half, allowing Nix to lead 18 unanswered points, stunning the crowd in Philadelphia and thrusting this team back into the thick of the AFC’s field of contenders.
9. Washington Commanders (15)
Jayden Daniels returned on Sunday, but the real story is the breakout game from running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt. Bill did it all. He delivered his first 100-yard game, scored a pair of touchdowns, and eclipsed 150 scrimmage yards on the day. Washington has found its featured running back, and this team is still waiting to get back Terry McLaurin, giving Daniels that No. 1 receiver he needs.
10. Seattle Seahawks (8)
Sam Darnold got the football back with 68 seconds left in a tie game, an opportunity to lead the Seattle Seahawks to another last-second win. Fate wasn’t on his side this time. Darnold’s throw bounced off a defender’s helmet and landed in the arms of Lavonte David at Seattle’s 38-yard line. The Seahawks’ defense, on a rare off day, couldn’t get a stop and Tampa Bay hit the game-winning field goal. It’s a painful loss for Seattle, but they took one of the best NFL teams right now to the final whistle. Another big challenge is looming, with a cross-country trip to face the Jaguars.
11. Indianapolis Colts (12)
That’s how you get back on track after a tough loss in Los Angeles. Returning home, the Indianapolis Colts offense feasted, with Daniel Jones delivering another passing clinic. Shane Steichen and the Colts coaching staff rightfully feel like this team should be 5-1, and this team proved on Sunday it can put its mistakes in the rearview mirror and move on quickly. Now 4-1 on the season, the Colts have a week to prepare for a Cardinals team that has proven feisty this year.
12. Green Bay Packers (10)
The Green Bay Packers offensive line needs to get healthy. That is paramount coming out of the Week 5 bye, which proved more timely than this team likely imagined entering the season. Green Bay’s ceiling, with this offense and a pass rush led by Micah Parsons and Rashan Gary, can win on any given week. Returning from the bye, Green Bay immediately faces a get-right game against a woeful Bengals team.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (11)
The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ recipe for success right now probably isn’t sustainable. Pittsburgh had a -2 point differential in its first four games, putting them in company with the Ravens and Falcons. Takeaways (10) have been a big part of the team’s success as of late, but efficiency isn’t exactly this team’s thing. Currently allowing the seventh-highest yards-per-play average (5.7) while ranking 24th in that same category, Pittsburgh needs to win its next two winnable games (vs. Browns and at Bengals) before its schedule gets a lot tougher.
14. Los Angeles Rams (5)
A missed field goal, blocked extra-point attempt, and two fumbles all proved costly in Week 5 for the Los Angeles Rams. The bigger problem, though, is this Rams’ secondary keeps demonstrating that it can’t be trusted even against backup receivers. Fortunately for Los Angeles, it should be able to rebound in Week 6 against the Ravens, the league’s worst defense and a team that appears to be in peril of further collapse.
15. Los Angeles Chargers (7)
Two turnovers inside the Commanders’ 25-yard line, including an unfortunate Justin Herbert interception at the 1-yard line, proved devastating for the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday. Turnovers can be a bit fluky, but the Chargers’ porous offensive line without Joe Alt and Rashawn Slater is a problem that isn’t going away. Fortunately, Los Angeles gets to face a bottom-three Miami defense in Week 6.
16. Dallas Cowboys (21)
Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP-caliber level again, and this Dallas Cowboys offense is cooking, even without CeeDee Lamb. We’re not going to put a ton of stock in the Cowboys’ performance defensively, given everything that happened in September, but running back Javonte Williams continues to deserve his flowers. He looks healthy for the first time in years, and Brian Schottenheimer is drawing up an incredible offense, even with starters missing on the offensive line. The wins are coming for the Cowboys.
17. Atlanta Falcons (19)
Can the Atlanta Falcons get even league-average quarterback play out of Michael Penix Jr? It doesn’t necessarily have to be consistent, but more highs than lows would mean everything for this team moving forward. Entering the Week 5 bye, Atlanta’s defense ranked 11th in EPA per Play (-0.033) and BIjan Robinson leads the seventh-best rushing attack in the NFL (136.5 rush ypg). If Penix can sustain more of the flashes he demonstrated vs Washington, the Falcons can beat teams like the 49ers (Oct. 19), Patriots (Nov. 2) and Colts (Nov. 9) and really be in a position to be a potential buyer at the NFL trade deadline.
18. Minnesota Vikings (21)
Justin Jefferson came up clutch for the Minnesota Vikings once again, proving instrumental in a victory this team desperately needed before its Week 6 bye. The team certainly has several flaws—run defense, pass protection, and pass defense—but the hope is that two weeks of rest will be enough for Minnesota’s offensive line to recover. If all goes well, Aaron Jones and J.J. McCarthy will also rejoin this unit soon.
19. Houston Texans (23)
Since the fourth quarter last week, this Houston Texans offense has resembled something close to what we saw two seasons ago when C.J. Stroud looked like a superstar. That at least provides hope, as does the two-game win streak. The real question is just how legitimate this mini-turnaround is, given that the success has come versus two of the league’s worst defenses. We’ll get that answer in Week 6 against the Seahawks, but a true turnaround would dramatically alter the playoff picture in the AFC.
20. Chicago Bears (18)
Coming out of the Week 5 bye, there is plenty for the Chicago Bears to feel good about right now. Most importantly, quarterback Caleb Williams (7-2 TD-INT, 102.0 QB rating, and 8.07 adjusted yards per attempt) has already shown strides in Ben Johnson’s offense over the last three games. The bye week also bought some time for Colston Loveland, Kyler Gordon, Darnell Wright, and T.J. Edwards to get healthy. All of this positions Chicago to be a threat to beat the Commanders in Monday Night Football in Week 6, but teams that can’t run the football and struggle to defend the run don’t tend to fare well long-term.
21. Arizona Cardinals (17)
The Arizona Cardinals can’t get out of their own way. Arizona led this game 21-1, then collapsed just like it did against Carolina. Ordinarily, there would be one lowlight. Instead, the Cardinals had Emari Demercado slow down on a 72-yard touchdown run and drop the football short of the goal line for a touchback, and then Dadrion Taylor-Demerson fumbled an interception that Tennessee recovered for a touchdown. If this loss isn’t a wake-up call for the Cardinals, that’s a reflection on quarterback Kyler Murray, head coach Jonathan Gannon and the entirety of this organization.
22. New England Patriots (22)
The New England Patriots got in their own way against Pittsburgh, robbing themselves of a 3-1 record. They rebounded last Sunday and at least have a path to stun the Bills on Sunday Night Football. Drake Maye has elevated his game to the next level, and the supporting cast is starting to round into form. So, even if the Patriots fall short on Sunday night, this team still has a real shot at a winning record.
23. Carolina Panthers (27)
No matter what happens to the Carolina Panthers for the rest of the season, head coach Dave Canales needs to stick around. After two turnovers by Bryce Young put Carolina into an early hole, Canales dialed up a run game centered around Rico Pollard. The former 1,000-yard rusher erupted for 234 scrimmage yards on only 26 touches. Dowdle proved instrumental in the comeback, and Young chipped in late, engineering a game-winning drive to push Carolina to 2-3.
24. New Orleans Saints (31)
Spencer Rattler is beginning to take the New Orleans Saints out of the early mix for a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. At the very least, his play should ensure that rookie Tyler Shough doesn’t see the field for a while. Shough’s numbers might not jump off the stat sheet, but he’s playing well within Kellen Moore’s offense, and this young Saints offensive line is really starting to stand out.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (24)
This is the new normal for the Cincinnati Bengals, at least for a while. Cincinnati has three blowout losses under Jake Browning and it’s hard to see things getting any better next week at Lambeau Field against the Packers. It’ll be a 2-4 hole and the Bengals schedule offers minimal relief after that.
26. New York Giants (25)
The scripted first two drives worked out great for Jaxson Dart and this New York Giants offense, as evidenced by the 14 points and 129 total yards. After that, Brian Daboll’s play-calling resulted in zero points and five turnovers. This came against a below-average Saints defense. We don’t want to imagine how poorly things could go for Dart and company in the weeks to come versus better defenses.
Related: New York Giants Coaching Candidates
27. Miami Dolphins (28)
The Miami Dolphins are one of the worst NFL teams in 2025, but at least this offense is starting to show some signs of life. Tua Tagovailoa played really well; unfortunately, Miami’s defense remains an anchor that continues to drag this team deeper and deeper into the abyss. It won’t get any easier in Week 6 against the Chargers and Omarion Hampton.
Related: Miami Dolphins Coaching Candidates
28. Cleveland Browns (26)
Quinshon Judkins was easily the Cleveland Browns‘ most impressive rookie in Week 5, quickly proving he can be a building block for this team moving forward. As for Dillon Gabriel, he was fine taking all the short and easy throws, but his limited attempts 10-plus yards downfield left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t a particularly impressive first NFL start, but Gabriel protected the football better than Joe Flacco did.
29. Tennessee Titans (32)
Cam Ward is that guy. The Tennessee Titans caught a ton of breaks in Sunday’s thrilling comeback, with most of them self-inflicted by Arizona. Still, the Titans’ rookie quarterback had to take advantage of it all on the road. He did just that, and Tennessee got Calvin Ridley (5-131) back on track in this game. Wins will be few and far between for the Titans, but this game offered a glimpse into what Ward can do once he gets even more help around him.
Related: Tennessee Titans Coaching Candidates to Replace Brian Callahan
30. Las Vegas Raiders (29)
It feels appropriate that just when it seemed like the Las Vegas Raiders finally found a quality starting quarterback, Geno Smith flips the script and has a career-worst season. He’s not entirely to blame, as the Raiders’ offensive line is an eyesore, but many of his interceptions this season are of his own doing. Las Vegas will be in the quarterback market again this offseason, and they still don’t have the infrastructure (offensive line and receivers) to effectively support one.
31. Baltimore Ravens (16)
That’s a wrap for the 2025 Baltimore Ravens. Injuries were certainly an accessory in the death of the Ravens’ Super Bowl window, but the collapse really started all the way back in the fourth quarter versus Buffalo. John Harbaugh’s team enver really recovered from it. With Lamar Jackson expected to miss Week 6, beating the Rams is unimaginable. That would drop Baltimore to 1-5 entering the bye and it’s not unfair to wonder if this team eventually has to start contemplating if it should be a seller at the NFL trade deadline in November.
32. New York Jets (30)
There is very little good to say about this New York Jets performance, outside of running back Breece Hall. We’ve tried to exercise some patience with this Jets defense since a new scheme is being implemented, but nothing shown five games into the season suggests defensive coordinator Steve Wilks should be around for much longer.
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