NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Initial Post-Sunday Breakdown

Nothing comes easy in the NFL, with the notion certainly an apt one for power rankings. 

Just when things seem to be settling down and rankings are finally taking digestible form, Week 4 happens.

There, expected blowouts such as Pittsburgh over Tampa Bay were anything but. Expected close games such as Baltimore-Carolina, Dallas-New Orleans and Green Bay-Chicago proved to be blowouts that once again see last week's rankings go in the wastebasket.

Six teams may have been on bye, but the new-look rankings with Week 5 on the horizon are certainly worth a glance. Let's take a look.

32. Oakland Raiders (0-4)

Things went from bad to worse for Oakland Sunday in an eventual blowout at the hands of Miami.

NFL on ESPN sums it up nicely:

Conversely, the defense gave up 435 total yards, 157 of which came on the ground. The Raiders have the least-talented roster in the NFL, and it continues to show each week. Now injuries are starting to pile up.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4)

A 33-14 loss in San Diego is not as bad as it seems for a young Jacksonville team.

In fact, the Jaguars were down just three points at the half before an implosion in the final two frames. But the play of rookie quarterback Blake Bortles was encouraging, as a 29-of-37 line for 253 yards and one touchdown to two interceptions bodes well for his development.

Bortles has a bright future, but to expect a major win against a surefire AFC contender on the road in his first start was a bit much.

30. Tennessee Titans (1-3)

Do not stick the proverbial fork in the Tennessee Titans.

Yet.

A Week 4, 41-17 loss to the Indianapolis Colts was ugly, as is the fact it extended the losing streak to three games. Ditto for a opening-week win that does not look all that impressive now that Kansas City has been mediocre.

But quarterback Jake Locker will be back sooner or later. The next three weeks are cupcakes against Cleveland, Jacksonville and Washington. Let's see how it goes before this rank sticks for good.

29. St. Louis Rams (1-2)

It is not all that difficult to discern what the St. Louis Rams spent the bye week focusing on, as one can figure out via numbers provided by Pete Damilatis of Pro Football Focus:

To be fair, the offense has not exactly been great under the guidance of quarterback Austin Davis, but a team usually known for its defense is now without a true identity in what is slowly looking like a lost season.

28. Washington (1-3)

The feel-good vibes birthed from a strong Kirk Cousins showing last week in place of Robert Griffin III ended quickly Thursday as the backup threw four interceptions in an NFC East clash with the New York Giants.

All is not lost in Washington, but defensive injuries and inconsistent play from quarterbacks is slowly turning this into another wasted effort.

Things do not exactly get any easier, either, as coach Jay Gruden and his injured squad must now welcome the defending champs to town on Monday Night Football next week.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)

In a somewhat predictable turn of events, Tampa Bay is better off with Mike Glennon under center. 

More than anything else, that speaks to coach Lovie Smith's gross misjudgment to not even hold a quarterback competition this past offseason.

For fun, here is a look at how the Buccaneers traveled toward a last-second win, courtesy of ESPN Stats and Info:

If Glennon can continue to play at a high level (302 yards and two touchdowns to one interception on the road), things may continue on an upward trajectory.

26. New York Jets (1-3)

Slowly, Rex Ryan's team has proved to be one of the bigger frauds of the season.

A win against Oakland in hindsight is nothing to speak of now, especially now that the New York Jets have lost three in a row. The wheels have come off, as if they needed any help. Look at the upcoming schedule, courtesy of NFL Network's Andrew Siciliano:

Does anyone else smell a quarterback controversy?

25. Kansas City Chiefs (1-2)

Andy Reid's Kansas City Chiefs got their much-needed first win of the season last week against Miami, but it is Monday Night Football against New England that will set the tone in regards to the rest of the season.

After the trip to Foxborough to take on Tom Brady, the Chiefs travel to San Francisco and San Diego to round out a brutal stretch.

As is always the case whether the coaching staff wants to act like it or not, the team's chances Monday come down to the health and usage of star back Jamaal Charles.

24. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

As the weeks progress, the resume of the Atlanta Falcons continues to get worse. 

A win over New Orleans seems mediocre in hindsight, and a 56-14 drubbing of Tampa Bay still means little. 

Sunday, quarterback Matt Ryan went out and threw three touchdowns to two interceptions while getting outdueled by rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in an eventual 41-28 loss.

Until the defense can stop the run (it allowed 241 rushing yards Sunday), it means little that Ryan is surrounded by elite receivers.

23. Cleveland Browns (1-2)

The Cleveland Browns are quite difficult to figure out.

Sandwiched between two close losses to AFC North foes is a win against the New Orleans Saints, an overall string of close games that suggests the team is close to being a serious threat.

Just not yet.

Cleveland sat this weekend out on a bye, but little needs changed so far—the Browns tout a top-10 rushing attack thanks to the duo of Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell. A dash of luck along with it would be nice.

22. Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

Like the Jaguars, the Minnesota Vikings got an encouraging first start from a rookie quarterback Sunday.

Unlike the Jaguars, the Vikings were good enough to get a win out of the debut.

Bridgewater managed 317 passing yards and rushed for a touchdown in the victory, perhaps most impressively averaging 10.6 yards per completion.

With a solid team around him, Bridgewater is in an ideal situation to blossom into a great player with time. Minnesota might not make a postseason push, but the franchise as a whole seems headed in the right direction if the upward trajectory at the most important position continues.

21. Buffalo Bills (2-2)

For a few weeks, the Buffalo Bills were arguably the season's top surprise. 

The wheels have fallen off a bit now that the team has lost two straight, the most recent being a miserable outing in Houston. Much of the blame can fall on the shoulders of quarterback EJ Manuel, who completed less than 50 percent of his 44 attempts and threw a pair of touchdowns and interceptions.

As Joe Buscaglia of WGR hints, though, some of the blame certainly goes to his wideouts:

Until Manuel and his top targets can get out of this slump, the Bills are not moving much from the spot.

20. Houston Texans (3-1)

Houston does not have a stud quarterback. The ground game is hobbled and those standing are not recognizable.

What the 3-1 Texans are doing is playing superb defense, led by J.J. Watt, of course. Perhaps the scariest part of what might be the league's most underrated defense? They are not even fully healthy, as Tim Graham of the Buffalo News illustrates:

In what has the look of a miserable division, a team that lost 14 games in a row last season is very much a threat. Watch closely.

19. Miami Dolphins (2-2)

Miami seems back on track after a pair of losses to very beatable opponents, although most can do so against an Oakland team that even lost its starting quarterback Sunday.

Still, it is encouraging that Ryan Tannehill wound up not sacked by day's end and that Lamar Miller continues to look good in place of the injured Knowshon Moreno, going for 64 yards and two scores on all of 12 totes.

The Dolphins have plenty to prove going into a bye week, and an easy matchup to build confidence sure does not hurt.

18. New York Giants (2-2)

Do not look now, but that New York Giants offense that most figured would take some time to click is firing on all cylinders.

Thursday against Washington, Eli Manning threw for 300 yards and four scores in the 45-14 rout, which was no isolated incident after a 30-17 win against Houston the week prior.

Now that Manning looks comfortable in a new offense, the Giants stand a strong chance in what appears to be a wide-open division.

17. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)

Pittsburgh's erratic play cost itself a game against an inferior opponent Sunday.

Against formerly winless Tampa Bay, the Steelers allowed themselves to get flagged 13 times for 125 yards and eventually gave up the game-losing touchdown pass in the waning moments of the game to fall to .500.

For a team that flashes explosiveness on offense but continually shoots itself in the foot, it seems a rather fitting mark until the team can improve enough to string multiple wins together.

16. Chicago Bears (2-2)

A win streak always has to end at some point, but coach Marc Trestman can surely not be amused at an NFC North debacle Sunday that will go down in the record books, as explained by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune:

Offense continues to be the strength in the Windy City, but the team will continue to give up stat lines such as 302 yards and four touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers if the defense continues to get minimal pressure and a hobbled secondary misses assignments and tackles. 

For now, it is back to the drawing board.

15. New Orleans Saints (1-3)

Things were bad Sunday night when a Drew Brees offense posted all of zero points in the first half against a mediocre Dallas defense.

In fact, things are as worse as they have been for Sean Payton's team—by a long shot.

A three-point loss in Atlanta, a divisional opponent? Fine. A two-point loss to Cleveland? It happens. A blowout at the hands of Dallas?

Something is off in New Orleans. If Brees, Payton and the rest do not figure it out soon, the NFC South will be well out of reach.

14. Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

It seems quite a long time ago that the Dallas Cowboys allowed San Francisco to roll into their house and score a rather simple win.

Since then, the Cowboys have found the necessary rhythm on offense and have scored 26 or more points in three straight wins. The most recent was a 38-17 drubbing of New Orleans, with the true surprise being the strong play of the defense.

If Dallas can continue to run the ball in a strong manner—DeMarco Murray went for 149 yards and two scores on 24 carries—the team will continue to be a tough out for any of the other 31 franchises.

13. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)

Forget the fact the Philadelphia Eagles are no longer undefeated—there are much bigger issues at play.

For one, quarterback Nick Foles folded under the pressure of a road contest in San Francisco, completing less than 50 percent of his throws on 43 attempts for all of 195 yards and two interceptions.

Two, coach Chip Kelly decided to ignore the run, rushing the ball all of 12 times on the day for 22 yards.

The Eagles are far from a bad team, but when a staff lets its offense get one dimensional, it exposes a shaky defense more than usual. Case in point, the five-point loss to San Francisco.

12. Green Bay Packers (2-2)

A season-long lack of consistency is perfectly reflected in Green Bay's record at the moment.

As noted, Rodgers had a big game on the road in Chicago, but it came against a weak defense and was one week removed from a 19-7 loss to Detroit.

Make no mistake, a divisional win is a critical element to any season, but the defense is going to need to perform better against the run (it ranks bottom five) and the offensive line will not meet a miserable defense each week.

11. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

An opening-week humiliation at the hands of Cincinnati sure seems like a thing of the past now that the Baltimore Ravens have rattled off three consecutive wins. 

The team has veteran wideout Steve Smith to thank for the latest win, as this time around he caught seven passes for 139 yards and a pair of scores—against his former team, which he had some choice words for after, as recorded by NFL.com's Chris Wesseling:

Smith might just be the top addition to any team last offseason in hindsight, a notion that shows no signs of slowing.

10. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

On the brink of what could have been a season-crippling loss to make it three in a row, Frank Gore hoisted the San Francisco 49ers on his back to take down the Eagles Sunday.

Gore caught one pass that went the distance for 55 yards and a score. He also took 24 handoffs and averaged five yards per carry, giving him 119 more on the ground.

As hinted, it helps that Philadelphia got away from what makes it successful, but it was the type of performance the team needed before a somewhat easy stretch against Kansas City and St. Louis.

It seems safe to presume the strong ground game is not going to up and disappear for the 49ers, so they will remain a threat the rest of the way.

9. Carolina Panthers (2-2)

When a strength turns into a weakness, there is no bigger red flag.

Such is the current course for the Carolina Panthers, a team that gave up 37 points two weeks ago to Pittsburgh and then allowed 454 yards of total offense to Baltimore in a 38-10 beatdown Sunday.

A lack of a ground game (26 carries for 67 yards), which forced Cam Newton into a one-dimensional attack, certainly does not help things. But when two teams not known for offensive prowess light up the scoreboard, it may be time to panic.

8. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)

Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts got a gift Sunday in the form of Charlie Whitehurst starting under center for Tennessee.

That and an early lead that forced the Titans to run the ball just 16 times, five of which were quarterback scrambles. 

Luck was his usual self with 393 yards and four touchdowns. As is the case against inferior opposition, he can do it all on his own. Should his elite play continue, a division crown seems a sure thing. 

7. New England Patriots (2-1)

Brady and Co. hit the Monday Night Football stage with a minuscule sense of momentum after beating up on two lackluster opponents in Minnesota and Oakland.

There, the offense will need to prove formidable after struggling to generate more than 16 points at home against the Raiders. Many, including Around The NFL, have doubts about the unit:

Against a Kansas City rush led by Tamba Hali, expect Brady and his unit to come out gunning early and often.

6. Detroit Lions (3-1)

Detroit took advantage of a miserable Jets team Sunday behind the arm of Matthew Stafford, who threw for 293 yards and a pair of scores.

The Lions are quietly one of the league's best after holding Green Bay to all of seven points in Week 3. A road win against the Jets is certainly nothing to write home about, but placed into context it is easy to see why Detroit gets a high rank.

An elite quarterback, flanked by elite weapons (Golden Tate caught eight balls for 116 yards with Calvin Johnson hobbled) and one of the NFL's top run defenses is set to go places this season.

5. San Diego Chargers (3-1)

Few can stop Philip Rivers now that he is on a roll.

His latest victim was Jacksonville, a team he surgically destroyed with 377 yards and three scores despite the presence of a strong running game thanks to a number of injuries.

ESPN's Eric Williams has one take on the matter, and while a bit biased, it is difficult to argue at this juncture:

Until further notice, the Chargers are serious title contenders.

4. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)

The first of many great teams saddled with a Week 4 bye, Arizona perhaps needs it the most.

Bruce Arians' team continues to look like one of the league's top forces—with Carson Palmer under center or not.

The team most recently took down San Francisco with Drew Stanton at the helm, a sound signal that last year's 10-win season was no fluke. Now the team just needs Palmer to get back to 100 percent.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0)

Some of the NFL's best teams kicked back on a bye in Week 4.

That most certainly includes the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cincinnati has not skipped a beat this season despite the loss of coordinators on both sides of the football. The defense remains a force, and the offense under Andy Dalton looks better than ever.

Until further notice, Cincinnati has the look of a title contender.

2. Denver Broncos (2-1)

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Denver also had Week 4 off, a break surely of the much-needed variety after a crushing overtime loss in the Seattle last week. 

The loss was the first of the season, and there is little to suggest that Peyton Manning and his prolific offense—a carryover from last season with new names such as Montee Ball and Emmanuel Sanders—should drop in the rankings.

John Fox and his staff surely spent the extra week stressing necessary improvements in regards to pass defense, what has easily been the weakest link for the Super Bowl hopefuls this season.

1. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)

Outside of a forgivable blemish on the road in San Diego, Seattle has easily been the best team in the NFL in a continuance of last year's successful run. 

Last week the team stormed to a 26-20 overtime win against Denver, a triumph that corner Richard Sherman says should have been better, as noted by NFL Media PR:

Russell Wilson and Co. were on a bye this week like many of the top teams, so little changes at the top.

For once.

Statistics courtesy of NFL.com. Advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus (subscription required).