NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Initial Standings Post Thursday Night Football

Week 6 already has a major shift in the power rankings thanks to the New Orleans Saints' triumph against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.

There, the New Orleans defense used home-field advantage to sack Matt Ryan five times. Thanks to a pair of rushing scores from Mark Ingram, the Saints were able to pull off the 31-21 win and suggest this might be the week of the underdog looking to climb the rankings.

A full slate of weekend action with a Monday finale remains, but let's take a moment to reevaluate the power rankings going into the rest of the schedule.

Week 6 Post-Thursday NFL Power Rankings

Rank	Team
1	New England Patriots
2	Green Bay Packers
3	Cincinnati Bengals
4	Arizona Cardinals
5	Carolina Panthers
6	New York Jets
7	Dallas Cowboys
8	Denver Broncos
9	Atlanta Falcons
10	Buffalo Bills
11	Indianapolis Colts
12	Seattle Seahawks
13	Pittsburgh Steelers
14	Minnesota Vikings
15	San Diego Chargers
16	Philadelphia Eagles
17	New York Giants
18	St. Louis Rams
19	Miami Dolphins
20	Kansas City Chiefs
21	Chicago Bears
22	New Orleans Saints
23	Oakland Raiders
24	Cleveland Browns
25	Baltimore Ravens
26	Houston Texans
27	Tennessee Titans
28	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
29	Jacksonville Jaguars
30	San Francisco 49ers
31	Washington
32	Detroit Lions

Updated Odds Analysis

The Sleeper Top-10 Team: New York Jets

The New York Jets are coming off their bye week, but it sure doesn't mean one can't stop and admire what the team has accomplished in four games.

Believe it or not, the Jets sit at 3-1 and second in the AFC East behind the New England Patriots. The team has notable road wins already against the Indianapolis Colts and Miami Dolphins, with the team's lone loss a seven-point affair against the Philadelphia Eagles.

What's the secret to the under-the-radar team? The Jets defense resembles a powerhouse again, having held three opponents to 14 points or less.

Under center, Ryan Fitzpatrick has thrown seven scores to six picks while spreading the ball out to Eric Decker and a rejuvenated Brandon Marshall. Both players have three touchdowns on the year. 

"We're excited about being part of helping our team to 3-1, but the cool thing about Fitz and also myself, we feel like we've left a lot of meat on the bone," Marshall said, per Rich Cimini of ESPN.com. "We're definitely not where we want to be."

A Week 7 showdown in New England with the Patriots will say a lot about this Jets team, but right now they're quite difficult to ignore.

One Win Restores Faith Team: Seattle Seahawks

There's something wrong with this Seattle Seahawks team, right?

Maybe not. Russell Wilson and Co. might be 2-3, but is it so surprising? The team lost a tough divisional matchup in St. Louis to start the season. But it also lost there last season, and things turned out all right, no?

Really, the Seahawks are just fine. A loss at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers isn't anything to go nuclear over, nor is a loss in Cincinnati to the Bengals while without Marshawn Lynch.

Would it be nice if the defense stopped giving up so many points late? Of course. But it's five games into the season. Lynch will return. An offensive line that has allowed 22 sacks will adjust. Wilson, who has completed 70.7 percent of his passes, will improve further with Lynch behind him and find a better way to get tight end Jimmy Graham (third on the team in receiving) involved.

Slow starts almost seem like a yearly thing now with the Seahawks. Last season they started 3-2 and went on to the Super Bowl. Seattle's falling in the rankings, but give it time.

Rebuilding Reputation Team: New York Giants

Many power rankings came close to sticking a fork in the New York Giants after the first two weeks of the season. 

It was an interesting situation, as the Giants went to Dallas and lost to a healthy Cowboys team by one point, then turned around and lost to the Atlanta Falcons 24-20, who were undefeated before Thursday night's matchup against the Saints.

Not so bad, right? Eli Manning and the Giants are on a 3-0 tear since, taking care of business in rather impressive fashion. Manning has 1,417 yards with 10 touchdowns to two interceptions already, while Odell Beckham has 428 yards and three scores to pace the team's receivers.

The Giants don't even have Victor Cruz in the fold yet, nor has the defense been fully healthy. This week's iteration of Monday Night Football that pits New York on the road in Philadelphia will say a lot about these Giants, especially if they can pull out a win without key defensive pieces.

Regardless, the Giants look better than most could have predicted, which is what happens when a somewhat overlooked quarterback continues to churn away at an elite level.

Stats courtesy of NFL.com and are accurate as of October 16. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.