1. Buffalo Bills (4-1) +1

The Bills may not have the best record in the NFL but excluding week one, they have been by far the best team in the NFL. The defense has regained its 2019 glory in the re-emergence of linebacker Matt Milano and cornerback Tre’Davious White, and Josh Allen is showing no signs of declining in this white hot Buffalo offense. The only worry to have, if any, is that the only competent defense the Bills have played brought them their only loss.

2. Arizona Cardinals (5-0) -1

If you put Jimmy Garoppolo in place of Trey Lance in Sunday’s matchup, there is a decent chance that Arizona comes out of week five with a 4-1 record. This is the second lackluster offensive performance that has been saved by luck and defensive victories for the Cardinals, but the overwhelming evidence suggests that Arizona is a completely viable Super Bowl contender.

3. Dallas Cowboys (4-1) +1

For the first time in a few decades, Dallas looks locked and loaded on both sides of the field. Scarce is the offense that has a package of players as good as Dak Prescott, Ezekiel Elliott, Tony Pollard, Amari Cooper, CeeDee Lamb, Tyron Smith, and Zack Martin. On the defensive side, no young defensive talent seems to be evolving as quickly as cornerback Trevon Diggs and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons.

4. Los Angeles Chargers (4-1) +1

The Chargers showed that they have overcome one of their most prevalent franchise issues. Justin Herbert and co. can decisively close out games against tough opponents. Towards the end of the fourth quarter in their matchup with Cleveland, Herbert’s football performance was nothing short of flawless and cements Herbert in the franchise spot for the long term future. Is it too early to have Super Bowl expectations for the Chargers?

5. Los Angeles Rams (4-1) -1

Had the Rams fallen to a Geno Smith led Seahawks team, you can rest assured that they would fall outside the top ten. Nevertheless, Los Angeles proves that they can take care of business when opportunities to close out games present themselves. Perhaps it will be an uphill climb for the Rams to face off against a powerhouse in the Cowboys or Cardinals, but they have proven themselves to be in the conversation.

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1) +3

Just as soon as the Buccaneers were giving people reason to question their skill and relevance in a loaded NFC, Tom Brady threw five touchdowns and the Buccaneers scored 45 points against the depressing Miami Dolphins. 

7. Cleveland Browns (3-2) +1

The Browns could not keep up with the strong offense of the Los Angeles Chargers, and this traditionally strong defense started to show signs of weakness as Justin Herbert passed circles around them. This does not change the data we have been given from the first four weeks of the season, but it does throw the Browns’ consistency into question.

8. Baltimore Ravens (4-1) +5

The Ravens absolutely deserved to win their game against Indianapolis on Monday. Lamar Jackson finally disproved quiet woes concerning his “inability to perform in the passing game”. Naysayers will have to deal with Jackson’s latest passing performance, featuring 442 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions.

9. Green Bay Packers (4-1) +2

Packers’ fans will have to be content with the fact that they only won after Mason Crosby managed to miss three field goals and one extra point in this game. Putting it simply, Mason Crosby was the Davis Mills of week five. Even despite this incredible stroke of luck, the Packers are managing to pull together a dominant offense and a solid defense that will likely result in a playoff run.

10. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)

Two missed field goals from rookie Evan McPherson ruined what would have been a red letter win for the Cincinnati Bengals, a team positively glowing with the recent success of quarterback Joe Burrow, running back Joe Mixon, and wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins in the passing game. Despite this loss, an excellent Bengals season is playing out before our eyes.

11. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2) -5

Seemingly, everything that can be going wrong is going wrong for the Las Vegas Raiders. The secondary looks lost in space, the offense is not humming with the same intense energy that it had been towards the beginning of the season, and head coach Job Gruden resigned from his position after emails featuring Gruden using slurs were released to the general public. That said, the Raiders are still a team with more than enough potential to beat tough opponents.

12. Tennessee Titans (3-2) +2

The Titans are looming dangerously on the precipice between stardom and mediocrity. On one hand injuries seem to be ravaging their season, the offense has lost the likes of Julio Jones and A.J. Brown in various spots, and the defense has been without arguably its two best players in linebacker Jayon Brown and defensive end Bud Dupree. That said, this offense could not keep up with the New York Jets and the defense is among the worst in the NFL. Overwhelmingly strong performances from Ryan Tannehill and Derrick Henry are keeping this team afloat, but that will prove futile once the Titans have to face a real opponent in the Buffalo Bills.

13. Carolina Panthers (3-2) +2

Unfortunately, Sam Darnold is starting to look much more like the Sam Darnold we saw in New York. This would be no reason to panic, except for the fact that Darnold threw three interceptions against one of the most horrible defenses in the NFL in the Philadelphia Eagles. 

14. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) -7

In the past, the Chiefs have been able to blame their failures on bad offensive line play and a bottom five defensive performance across the board. Now, the Chiefs seem unable to conjure an offensive spark against strong defenses, whereas in the past Patrick Mahomes has been immaculate in summoning a fourth quarterback comeback. Being down in the second half is nor officially a cause for concern.

15. Chicago Bears (3-2) +6

Justin Fields has upgraded from bad to serviceable. A win against a broken Las Vegas Raiders team that is quickly falling from grace and permanently ousted head coach is promising, but ultimately not significant. Nevertheless, the Bears will continue to power forward and be the Packers’ only annoyance in a dirt poor NFC North division.

16. New Orleans Saints (3-2) +6

Until the New Orleans Saints break their streak of playing well one game and playing abysmally the very next, I will be putting the Saints at exactly sixteenth on the power rankings. True NFL teams should win games because of skill, not just chance.

17. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)

The 49ers showed that they can stay in contention against their toughest of division rivals. Although these injury ridden 49ers eventually fall far out of contention, they will play against the rough and tumble NFC West with a vicious ferocity that will be tough for these powerhouses to subdue.

18. Denver Broncos (3-2) +1

The Broncos are getting rid of their good karma by losing two straight after an impressive 3-0 start. The offense has clearly been playing on the energy of facing three teams that had a total of zero wins to start out the season.

19. Minnesota Vikings (2-3) -1

A strong offensive start to the season seems to be one of the many things disappearing rapidly as the Vikings continue in their ill fated season. A weak defense and a quarterback that absolutely refuses to close out games, and play competently on national television is slowly killing the Vikings. No matter how many skill position players they manage to amass, it will not be enough with those two glaring issues.

20. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) +3

The Eagles may have one of the worst defenses in the NFL but Jalen Hurts has shown visible improvement every week and the Eagles should start winning more games because of it. Imagine how powerful the Eagles would be with even a serviceable defense.

21. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3) +6

With T.J. Watt back, the Steelers have come one step closer to their famed Steel Curtain defense of last year, and their strength of schedule should certainly help them get back on their feet. Three matchups against the Bears, Lions, and a Geno Smith led Seahawks team should be rejuvenating for Pittsburgh.

22. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) -10

Any team that is starting Geno Smith will not win football games. I would pick any of the other 31 backup quarterbacks in the NFL before I would pick Geno Smith to start for my team.

23. Washington Football Team (2-3) -7

Obviously Washington has strong aspects to their team, but overall every major aspect has been a massive disappointment. This team will be a wild card team at best, and a four win team at worst.

24. Atlanta Falcons (2-3) +2

The offense is moving far quicker than it was at the beginning of the season, and even without Calvin Ridley they were still energetic, and remarkably mistake free. Atlanta may actually be on the cusp of a Wild Card spot if everything keeps breaking right for the Dirty Birds.

25. New England Patriots (2-3) -5

Imagine if the Patriots were going into week 6 with a loss to the Houston Texans fresh on their minds. The absence of Damien Harris is going to be devastating as Mac Jones attempts to lead an ineffective passing game with weeks to come, especially with two division matchups against the Buffalo Bills looming on their schedule.

26. Indianapolis Colts (1-4) -1

The Colts did not deserve to win their matchup against the Baltimore Ravens, even after scoring 25 points on Monday Night football. Any team that gives up that amount of points in the fourth quarter has no business playing in close games, and the Colts should absolutely be 1-4 after this embarrassing showing.

27. New York Jets (1-4) +2

Zach Wilson has been slowly but surely improving as the season has gone along, and a mashup against the struggling Patriots defense would be a God send for this struggling Jets’ operation. Is it within possibility? That remains to be seen.

28. New York Giants (1-4)

The New York Giants lost three offensive starters in Daniel Jones, Saquon Barkley, and Kenny Golladay on Sunday. So yes, I would say that the Giants are one of the worst teams in the NFL through no fault of their own.

29. Houston Texans (1-4) +3

Davis Mills came back from one of the worst starts of the last five years with a surprisingly strong performance to almost win against the New England Patriots. However, my argument stands. The Texans have no business winning a game that they were decisively leading for the majority of regulation.

30. Miami Dolphins (1-4) -6

The Dolphins cannot put it together on any level since Tua Tagovailoa’s absence. Even against a struggling Colts operation, the Dolphins’ defense has let opposing offenses walk all over them, and even with Tua back in the offense I fear this could be a lost season for the AFC East team.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-5) -1

The Jaguars are not a bad 0-5 team in the same way that the Lions are a bad 0-5 team. Their schedule has been tougher, their roster is better, and frankly they have been playing far better football over the past three weeks. If their offense could score just a little more, then they could be a feisty team.

32. Detroit Lions (0-5) -1

The Lions deserve to lose each and every one of the games they have lost. Jared Goff is not working on any level, despite what the stats say, and this team is by far the most poorly built operation in football.