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NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

  1. Green Bay Packers 4-0 +3 

So, the Packers jumped from 4 to 1 and didn’t even have to play? Well, yes. This has more to do with the other top teams playing their ways out of the top spots but through five weeks, the Packers have consistently proven that they should claim the top spot. They have their biggest test of the year at Tampa Bay week six, but the Packers offense has looked every part of elite without their best playmaker in Davante Adams for most of the season.

Next: @ TB

  1. Kansas City Chiefs 4-1 -1 

This seemed like it was bound to happen at some point, but it’s still pretty shocking the Chiefs fell to the Raiders on Sunday. The Chiefs haven’t lost to the Raiders since 2017. Mahomes was 4-0 in his career vs the Raiders winning by an average margin of 22 points. Mahomes seemed to be escaping a lot of trouble through the first four weeks and it caught up to him. The Chiefs will look to bounce back in a huge game for playoff seeding purposes against Buffalo next Monday.

Next: @ BUF

  1. Baltimore Ravens 4-1 -1 

Yes, they dominated the Bengals but something still looks wrong on offense for the Ravens. Whether offensive coordinator Greg Roman is viewing this as a trial run, it seems like this team is really forcing the issue passing the ball when they need to go back to being a run first operation. LB Patrick Queen continues to look like a future superstar with 9 total tackles and a fumble return for a TD.

Next: @ PHI

  1. Seattle Seahawks 5-0 -1 

QB Russell Wilson continues to prove that he’s the frontrunner for the 2020 NFL MVP award. Despite not even converting a third down all night, Wilson somehow pulled it off executing a 94-yard game-winning drive to outlast the Minnesota Vikings. Similar to the Chiefs, the Seahawks just have that feel that they’re never out of a game. They were completely flat in the first half, but managed to explode for 21 points in just under two minutes to start the second half. However, the construction of the Seahawks roster is still dysfunctional at the moment. They were outgained by 135 yards and only possessed the ball for a little over 20 minutes. The Vikings ran 83 plays to Seattle’s 52. This team lives and dies by Russell Wilson.

Next: BYE

  1. Tennessee Titans 4-0 +3 

If you hadn’t known the circumstances going into last night’s game, you’d think it was Buffalo, not Tennessee who hardly had practiced for the past two weeks. The difference that WR AJ Brown makes for this offense could not be understated. Brown had dealt with a bone bruise week one and had missed their second and third games in the season. In his return, all he did was have seven catches for 82 yards and a score. The Titans are now only one of four teams still undefeated in the NFL. 

Next: vs. HOU

  1. Pittsburgh Steelers 4-0 —  

GM Kevin Colbert is an absolute wizard when it comes to finding wide receivers. Rookie second rounder Chase Claypool was one of two players in NFL combine history to run a sub-4.45 40 while weighing more than 235 pounds. The other? Calvin Johnson. However, this Notre Dame standout didn’t only show off his athleticism but it was the craftiness and precision as a route runner that helped him secure one of the more memorable games for a rookie in NFL history. After his four TD performance, he now has 261 receiving yards and will continue to see more work as the season progresses.

Next: vs. CLE

  1. New England Patriots 2-2 —  

In a week full of chaos and tension, the Patriots-Broncos was moved from week 5 to week 6 as both teams got their bye week a little earlier than expected. The Patriots should have QB Cam Newton back in the mix after coming down with COVID before their week 4 showdown with the Chiefs. 

Next: vs. DEN

  1. Buffalo Bills 4-1 -3  

The Bills just didn’t look ready to play. From Andre Roberts dropped-pass turned interception on the first drive to their surprising undisciplined play, the Bills didn’t look like the team we saw in the first four weeks. QB Josh Allen had his moments of brilliance but generally had his toughest start of the 2020 season. The Bills announced before kickoff that they’d be without CB Tre’Davious White, WR John Brown, and RB Zack Moss. All of these were crucial hits, but none bigger than White where the Bills secondary just could not contain QB Ryan Tannehill or WR AJ Brown. The Bills will look to bounce back against Kansas City next Monday night.

Next: vs. KC

  1. Los Angeles Rams 4-1 — 

The Rams have now swept the NFC East after beating down on the Washington Football Team. Superstar Aaron Donald tied a career high with four sacks; he now leads the NFL with 7.5 sacks through five weeks. The Rams will look to keep it rolling against the struggling 49ers on Sunday night football in week six.

Next: @ SF

  1. Cleveland Browns 4-1 +4

The Cleveland Browns absolutely steamrolled past the Colts. In what appeared to be a potential rock fight on paper, it was QB Baker Mayfield who shined for the Browns. Their run game which has been absolutely ridiculous through four weeks was pretty pedestrian against the Colts stellar front. Mayfield threw for 247 yards and 2 touchdowns and are now 4-1 for the first time since 1994 when Bill Belichick was the head coach.

Next: @ PITT

  1. New Orleans Saints 3-2 — 

The Saints looked done for when they dug themselves into a 20-3 first half deficit. QB Drew Brees threw an inexcusable interception and looked every bit of a 41-year old aging signal caller. Nevertheless, he slowly mounted a steady comeback with Emmanuel Sanders leading the receiving corps. Thanks to a miss from Chargers K Mike Badgley, the Saints were able to edge LA in overtime. These aren’t the same, dominant Saints were use to seeing but they’ll be sure to get a huge boost in their offense when WR Michael Thomas makes a return week 7 after their bye.

Next: BYE

  1. Indianapolis Colts 3-2 — 

This is still a good team. This is still a top tier defense. They still have a very good OL. But Philip Rivers seems to be a clear problem for this team. He had two turnovers including a costly pick six. His lack of arm strength is really evident and if this team is behind, they really aren’t fit to come back. They probably won’t have to worry about that going up against Cincinnati next week.

Next: vs. CIN

  1. Las Vegas Raiders 3-2 +5     

Derek Carr had one of the best games of his career in week 5 after getting his first career win over Patrick Mahomes. He outplayed the 2019 Super Bowl MVP throwing for 347 yards and 3 touchdowns. The best part about Carr’s performance? His ability to throw the ball down the field. He’s a highly efficient quarterback but almost to a fault where Carr has been highly criticized for being uber-conservative and not taking shots down the field. On Sunday, per NFL Next Gen Stats, he was 4 for 6 for 219 yards on pass attempts over 20 air yards per attempt. He did this all against the #1 DVOA pass defense in the league. Last week we talked about how this Raiders offense continuously has gained a lot of yardage, but doesn’t necessarily have the point output that you would think. With Ruggs back in the mix, the complexion and dynamics of this offense can go from good to great.  

Next: BYE

  1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-2 -4 

That was the roughest the Bucs offense has looked since their dud against New Orleans in their season opener. Ronald Jones continues to impress in the backfield but 11 penalties for 109 yards is too much to overcome if these guys want to compete in the NFC. Over the course of the game, Tom Brady did not look comfortable in the pocket and missed some key throws down the stretch. Oh, and he forgot what down it was in their last drive. Breakout stud DT Vita Vea suffered a season-ending broken ankle; Vea has been a key cog to their front seven’s success and it’ll be difficult moving forward trying to replicate his impact.

Next: vs. GB

  1. Arizona Cardinals 3-2 — 

What’s the key to getting out of a rut? For the Cards, it might just be pushing the ball down the field. That and playing the Jets. After an almost remarkable 5.5 yards per completion in their week 4 defeat against Carolina, Kyler Murray quickly corrected that by throwing for 380 yards in week 5. Kenyan Drake is still having a tough time getting it going on the ground as he averaged a dismal 3.3 yard per carry; things should continue to open up for Arizona as they’ll take on the Cowboys next Monday night.

Next: @ DAL

  1. Chicago Bears 4-1 +3 

It’s 2020 and Khalil Mack is still good at the game of American football. Going into Thursday night he had 1.5 sacks, but was in the backfield all night. He finished with two sacks including one where he flipped 340 lb. OT Tristan Wirfs:

This Bears offense is still a huge work in progress. Nick Foles was extremely shaky to start but got better as the game went along. But with this defense, you’re never completely out of the game.

Next: @ CAR

  1. Los Angeles Chargers 1-4 — 

QB Justin Herbert has shown that he has all the tools to be a superstar in this league in such a short amount of time. Without Austin Ekeler, Bryan Bulaga, Trai Turner, and Keenan Allen (injured in the beginning of the game), Herbert went out and had four touchdown passes on his Monday Night debut. With some of those guys expected to come back in the coming weeks, this team could be a scary group in the near future. However, the Chargers continue to lose close games. Head coach Anthony Lynn has now lost 13 one-score games since the start of the 2019 season, the most in the NFL during that timespan.

Next: vs. NYJ

  1. San Francisco 49ers 2-3 -5  

The key for the 9ers has always been Jimmy G. Ever since his arrival, in his starts, the 49ers were 22-7 and 5-21 with any other starter at the helm. QB Nick Mullens added on to that narrative in his lackluster performance against the Eagles on Sunday night. However, Jimmy G came out and had an atrocious 15.0 passer rating in the first half leading to him being benched for the second half. He had a completion percentage under 50% with two interceptions and just 77 yards. RB Raheem Mostert looked good in his return but it didn’t matter because they were trailing the entire game. This defense is severely depleted on the DL and at CB and things don’t get any easier against the Rams next Sunday.

Next: vs. LAR

  1. Dallas Cowboys 2-3 -3  

Well, it goes without saying but the loss of QB Dak Prescott may just be insurmountable for the Cowboys. A really tough loss; Prescott was on pace for a historic year throwing the ball and the Cowboys were still just 1-3 in those starts. Although Andy Dalton is a fine backup, the prowess of this passing attack goes from elite to subpar and the OL is really struggling without Frederick or their two starting OTs. This defense continues to be one of the worst units in all of football surrendering 27 points to Giants who had averaged just 11 points per game going into week 5.

Next: vs. ARI

  1. Minnesota Vikings 1-4 — 

An absolute heartbreaker for the Vikings. Besides a rough two minutes in the third quarter where the Seahawks had scored three touchdowns, the Vikings completely outplayed the Seahawks the entire game. They possessed the ball for nearly 40 minutes, kept Russell Wilson off the field, and dominated the trenches on each side of the ball. In the play of the game, up 5, head coach Mike Zimmer elected to go for a 4th and inches to seal the deal. RB Alexander Mattison filled in admirably for Dalvin Cook after he left the game with an apparent groin injury, but fell just short of the first down. The Vikings have now lost two heartbreakers in the last three weeks. This team does not have the look of a 1-4 team and will look to reverse their luck against Atlanta next week.

Next: vs. ATL

  1. Miami Dolphins 2-3 +3 

Besides the Chiefs-Raiders outcome, the Dolphins game was possibly the most surprising result from week five. Coming into the game as 9-point underdogs, the Dolphins absolutely dominated for 60 minutes. There were questions of rookie QB Tua Tagovailoa potentially replacing Ryan Fitzpatrick. So, Fitzmagic just goes out and throws for 350 and 3 TDs on their way to a dismantling of the 49ers. The defense has made exceptional strides since last year, Fitzpatrick has been stellar, but the biggest change from a year ago? The OL. They drafted Austin Jackson and Robert Hunt in the first three rounds having already reaped rewards from their play, but it has been RG rookie 4th rounder Solomon Kindley who’s looked like the best rookie on that OL. An absolute road grader, the guy just hits anything that moves and already looks like one of the best day 3 picks in the early part of 2020.

Next: @ DEN

  1. Carolina Panthers 3-2 — 

Known for his turnarounds at the collegiate level, head coach Matt Rhule seems to be steering the ship in the right direction in Carolina already. After an 0-2 start, I thought this team looked like it would be in the conversation for a top 5 pick with eyes on QBs Justin Fields and Trey Lance. Since then, Carolina has only gone 3-0 completely revamping their offense and having Teddy Bridgewater look like an early candidate for NFL Comeback Player of the Year. For the time being, the Panthers are in the thick of things in the NFC South title race but their upcoming game versus Chicago could have huge wildcard implications down the line.

Next: vs. CHI

  1. Philadelphia Eagles 1-3-1 — 

The Eagles had their best offensive output of the season against one of the league’s top defenses in Pittsburgh. QB Carson Wentz looked like the Wentz of old with 258 yards for 2 TDs. Better yet, he seemed to find a new favorite WR of his in the form of Travis Fulgham. Fulgham caught 10 passes for 152 yards and 1 touchdown. He is the first Eagles receiver to have caught for 100+ yards in a game since week 1 of 2019 when DeSean Jackson exploded for 154 yards. Time will tell if Fulgham will become the Eagles new #1 option but with DeSean, Alshon Jeffery, and Dallas Goedert slated to be back in the mix in the upcoming weeks, things are looking up for this once dismal offense.

Next: vs. BAL

  1. Houston Texans 1-4 -3

It seems harsh to move the Texans down three spots after their first win but the holes on this roster may just be too much to overcome. Deshaun Watson had his best game through the air with 359 yards but turnovers continue to be an issue and this OL gave up four sacks to a struggling Jags DL. The score does not indicate how close this game really was. It’s good to see interim coach Romeo Crennel lead them to their first victory but they have Tennessee, Green Bay, Cleveland, and New England in four of the next five weeks.

Next: @ TENN

  1. Detroit Lions 1-3 — 

After seeing Falcons coach Dan Quinn bite the dust this week, you have to wonder if the clock is ticking for Matt Patricia. In a playoff or bust year, if the Lions don’t make considerable strides in the next few weeks where they play Jacksonville, Atlanta, Minnesota, and Washington, you have to think Patricia may be the next to go.

Next: @ JAX

  1. Atlanta Falcons 0-5 —

Longtime Falcons head coach Dan Quinn along with GM Thomas Dimitroff were both axed after taking another defeat to the Panthers to fall to 0-5. This is a team that has talent but it’s aging and overpaid. QB Matt Ryan and WR Julio Jones who carried them to a Super Bowl berth in 2017 have a combined cap hit of $63 million in 2021. The cap is always fluid but this team may be stuck in purgatory through 2021.

Next: @ MINN

  1. Cincinnati Bengals 1-3-1 — 

QB Joe Burrow had the worst start of his young career. He was sacked seven times by a relentless Baltimore Ravens defense. Besides Pittsburgh, you’d be hard pressed to find a team that brings more pressure than Baltimore. Burrow has already shown flashes of brilliance in his young career but you have to wonder if this OL is gonna “David Carr” Burrow. You really hope not, but in his division chalk full of elite defensive lines, you can’t help but feel a little uneasy for the young QB.

Next: @ IND

  1. Washington Football Team 1-4 — 

In a year of utter chaos and tragedy, it’s good to see someone like QB Alex Smith make his first appearance back on the field since his devastating injury in November of 2018. This team just has too many flaws to overcome on the offensive side of the football, but Smith has been one of the best storylines to follow in his unbelievable comeback.

Next: @ NYG

  1. Jacksonville Jaguars 1-4 — 

The Jags have now lost four straight after winning in their season opener. This team is more competitive than we thought they’d be but they’re awfully young and limited at certain spots. They’ll look to turn their fortunes against Detroit in week six.

Next: vs. DET

  1. Denver Broncos 1-3 —

The Broncos will have to wait a week before their showdown with the Patriots. In all likelihood, they will still have to probably roll with QB Brett Rypien. 

Next: @ NE

  1. New York Giants 0-5 — 

This was the offense’s best output through five weeks but it still wasn’t enough against Dallas. They saw some strides from Daniel Jones but he still gifted Dallas with a strip-sack touchdown. Turnovers continue to be the biggest ailment in Jones’ young career. The Giants will look to get their first win of the season against Washington next week.

Next: vs. WASH

  1. New York Jets 0-5 —

The Jets got RB Lev Bell back into the lineup in week five but it didn’t matter as he was released last night:

With their selection and the Seahawks first rounder from the Jamal Adams trade, you can’t help but look ahead on how GM Joe Douglas will attempt to retool this offense. For now, the Jets have the Chargers, Bills, Chiefs, Patriots, and Dolphins (2x) in their next six weeks. 

Next: @ LAC

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