Week 5 Power Rankings

If the NFL season ended right now, the Vikings, Eagles, Rams, and Falcons would win the NFC divisions. Just like everyone expected right? The first four weeks of the nFL season have been filled with excitement, disappointment, injuries, failures, and triumphs. That’s the best part though – football is unpredictable. With that, here are your Week 5 NFL Power Rankings:

1) Denver Broncos (4-0) – Trevor Siemian going down finally justified the Broncos drafting Paxton Lynch. His first taste of the NFL was enough to get them the win. He wasn’t great by any means, but he wasn’t terrible. Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders were silent to start the season and have hit the ground running as of recent. Another challenge for one of the best defenses in the NFL as they face the Falcons’ offense coming off their best performance in franchise history.

2) Minnesota Vikings (4-0) – Beat the Packers without AP and Teddy: Check. Beat the Panthers without AP and Teddy: Check. Beat the Giants on Primetime without AP and Teddy: Check. The Vikings have battled a tough schedule to start the season. They still have two more tough matchups coming up against the Texans and Eagles to continue the season. It hasn’t been easy, it won’t be easy, but the Vikings can clearly handle the tough.

3) Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) – Chip Kelly leaving may have been the best thing to happen to Philadelphia. I hadn’t really bought in with wins over the Browns or Bears – which you’ll find toward the bottom of this list. Then, the Eagles made a statement by handing the Steelers their worst loss under Tomlin. This week was a bye and after traveling to the Motor City, the birds will more than likely improve to 4-0.

4) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) – The Eagles shut down the triple threat, but the Steelers pounced on the Chiefs and looked like the team that they are. Big Ben and Antonio Brown looked like themselves and Le-Veon Bell’s return just adds another piece to this puzzle of dominance. They could easily move to 5-1 before they host the Patriots in Week 7.

5) New England Patriots (3-1) – He’s back. Patriots’ fans were fine starting the season 1-3, but some rookie talent and the best coaching n the NFL allowed them to come out of the Brady lock-up 3-1. Brady will be fired up on Sunday as he takes on the Browns. Watch out NFL, Brady is coming.

6) Atlanta Falcons (3-1) – Matt Ryan and Julio Jones set Falcons records on Sunday and even put their name toward the top of the list in NFL single-game records – all against the past NFC Champions and their division rival. Throw in their dynamic run game and it doesn’t even matter that you can’t name one player on their defense. This week poses a real question: Will that superstar offense be able to recreate the magic facing the best defense in the AFC?

7) Los Angeles Rams (3-1) – Talk about a turnaround. After the Monday Night smashing the 49ers put on them, the Rams have turned it around. This week they proved they are a team to watch by taking down the Cardinals on the road. Their defense has been making plays and putting on the pressure while the offense puts the ball in Gurley’s hands as they establish their passing game. Next week they face the Bills – which is a game that will show their true colors.

8) Dallas Cowboys (3-1) – Everyone falls, but the Cowboys got back up and came back to defeat the Niners on Sunday. A team that was pushed to the bottom of their list when Tony Romo was injured has climbed back up. Rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott have been a winning tandem that is going to be tough to stop as they get more experience. If Terrance Williams went out of bounds, the young stars would be 4-0. This week a challenge comes their way as they host the Bengals. This one will likely be a shootout.

9) Seattle Seahawks (3-1) – I’m still not convinced this Seahawk team is as good as their record shows. Most of that is attributed to the first two weeks with a weak win over the Dolphins and a shabby offensive showing against the Rams. However, Russell Wilson is a trooper. He had a high possibility of missing the game and turned around and put on a show. That seems to be their theme this year: Injuries can’t stop us. They performed well defensively, but the real test comes after their bye when they cross paths with the rolling Falcons offense.

10) Oakland Raiders (3-1) – I think the way the Raiders have started the season has been long awaited. They’ve pulled out the close and exciting victories their team needs especially at a time with all the controversy surrounding them. Derek Carr is a very deserving athlete that might finally get some recognition for helping build a team in Oakland.

And the rest:

11) Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

12) Huston Texans (3-1)

13) Cincinnati Bengals (2-2)

14) Green Bay Packers (2-1)

15) New York Giants (2-2)

16) Buffalo Bills (2-2)

17) Washington Redskins (2-2)

18) Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)

19) Carolina Panthers (1-3)

20) Arizona Cardinals (1-3)

21) Jacksonville Jaguars (1-3)

22) Indianapolis Colts (1-3)

23) New York Jets (1-3)

24) Chicago Bears (1-3)

25) Detroit Lions (1-3)

26) San Francisco 49ers (1-3)

27) New Orleans Saints (1-3)

28) Tennessee Titans (1-3)

29) Miami Dolphins (1-3)

30) San Diego Chargers (1-3)

31) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)

32) Cleveland Browns (0-4)