NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Latest Outlook and 2014-15 Super Bowl Odds
Heading into the Week 4 edition of Monday Night Football, the league's power rankings and Super Bowl odds have already changed dramatically. Several of Sunday's contests didn't exactly go as many expected, as upset wins and injuries ran rampant around the league.
While looking past current team records is an integral part of assessing the big picture and creating the NFL's pecking order, recent performances must be taken into consideration, as many teams appear to look better—or worse—on paper than the product they put on the field.
Only a quarter of the 2014 season is in the books, but it's never too early to speculate on the future. Let's take a look at the updated Super Bowl odds and rank each NFL team from worst to first.
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| Seattle Seahawks | 9-2 |
| Denver Broncos | 11-2 |
| Cincinnati Bengals | 12-1 |
| New England Patriots | 12-1 |
| San Diego Chargers | 14-1 |
| Green Bay Packers | 15-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 15-1 |
| Dallas Cowboys | 20-1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 22-1 |
| Detroit Lions | 22-1 |
| Philadelphia Eagles | 22-1 |
| Baltimore Ravens | 25-1 |
| Indianapolis Colts | 25-1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 30-1 |
| Chicago Bears | 38-1 |
| New York Giants | 38-1 |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | 50-1 |
| Houston Texans | 55-1 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 65-1 |
| Carolina Panthers | 65-1 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 80-1 |
| Buffalo Bills | 100-1 |
| Cleveland Browns | 100-1 |
| Miami Dolphins | 100-1 |
| Kansas City Chiefs | 125-1 |
| New York Jets | 200-1 |
| Washington Redskins | 200-1 |
| St. Louis Rams | 350-1 |
| Tampa Bay Buccanneers | 350-1 |
| Tennessee Titans | 400-1 |
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 2,000-1 |
| Oakland Raiders | 2,000-1 |
Super Bowl odds via Vegas Insider.
Power Rankings
32. Jacksonville Jaguars
Early on Sunday, it looked as though rookie quarterback Blake Bortles would begin to propel the Jaguars up the rankings. Well, due to the poor performances by practically everyone else on the team, Jacksonville remains dead last.
NFL Network's Jeff Darlington noted Bortles' efficiency:
Bortles did look good in his first career start, and after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday, perhaps the Jaguars will do the same in Week 5.
31. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are just plain bad. On Sunday, the team was blown out of the water by a Miami Dolphins team that was in complete turmoil. There was some talk about Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill being benched after Week 3, but he looked like an elite signal-caller against Oakland's porous defense.
30. Tennessee Titans
Tennessee is getting worse by the week. After a solid week to kick off the season, the Titans have lost their last three games by a combined 66 points. With the Cleveland Browns, Jaguars and Washington Redskins coming up next, Tennessee has a chance to right the ship, but don't hold your breath.
29. Washington Redskins
Many NFL analysts and fans thought Kirk Cousins would prove to be the savior in Washington after two big performances. However, his true colors showed up when he was actually tested against a respectable defensive secondary. A huge home loss and four interceptions later, the Redskins are near the bottom of the league's pecking order.
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Not only did the Buccaneers obtain their first win of the season on Sunday, but they did it on the road against a Steelers team that blew out the Carolina Panthers one week prior. The return of Mike Glennon and Doug Martin to the starting lineup didn't exactly allow the team to light up the scoreboard, but a win is a win. SportsCenter tweeted the game's dramatic conclusion:
Now, it's time to notch another.
27. New Orleans Saints
What on earth happened to the Saints this year? After the team's defense was one of the league's best in 2013, and Drew Brees being, well, Drew Brees, New Orleans appeared to be one of the favorites entering 2014. However, getting blown out by the Dallas Cowboys on prime time proved otherwise.
This team not only needs to figure its defense out, but it really needs to find a way to win on the road.
26. New York Jets
The Jets may be 1-3, but they lost several close contests against good teams. Still, a lack of depth in the secondary and questions surrounding the quarterback position will prevent this team from rising up the league's ranks any time soon.
25. St. Louis Rams
St. Louis didn't play in Week 4, but the team did put up a valiant effort against the Cowboys in Week 3. Austin Davis played well at quarterback, and while the Rams defense has plenty of room for improvement, a well-timed bye week could be quite beneficial. We'll see how St. Louis emerges from its time off against a reeling Philadelphia Eagles team in Week 5.
24. Carolina Panthers
Talk about a tale of two halves—of the first quarter of the season. Through two weeks, the Panthers appeared to be one of the most complete teams in football. Although, the team's defense has completely fallen apart since, sustaining blowout losses to the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Will the real Panthers please stand up?
23. Pittsburgh Steelers
When the Steelers beat the Panthers in Week 3, it looked as though the team had finally figured it out on both sides of the ball. Well, one bad loss to the previously winless Buccaneers later, that theory was quickly proved false. This team is in severe need of consistency before climbing back up the standings.
22. Miami Dolphins
After a terrible effort in Week 3, the Dolphins bounced back in Week 4—albeit, against one of the league's worst teams. Tannehill looked better, and Miami's defense held the Raiders to 14 points. Darlington tweeted some impressive Tannehill stats:
That's a good start, but like the Steelers, consistency is necessary to warrant a better ranking.
21. Buffalo Bills
Buffalo has taken quite a tumble over the past two weeks. After starting the season with a defense that looked like one of the NFL's elite, the team gave up 45 points over its last two losses. Getting an edge back on the defensive side of the ball is important for this team going forward, as quarterback EJ Manuel continues his development.
20. Cleveland Browns
The Browns may be one of the league's best one-win teams. Cleveland lost two close contests to Pittsburgh and Baltimore in tough divisional contests and defeated the Saints. Brian Hoyer has been efficient at quarterback, and head coach Mike Pettine is doing a great job with the franchise. This team has the tools to rise up the ranks with a couple more wins.
19. Kansas City Chiefs
This standing will dramatically change after the Chiefs' Monday night contest against the New England Patriots. Kansas City appears to be getting better each week, and if that trend continues, this will be a team ranked in the top half of the league. However, a bad home loss will kill the team's momentum and standing in these power rankings.
18. Chicago Bears
The red-hot Jay Cutler cooled off in the second half of Sunday's game, throwing two interceptions in a big loss to the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, a secondary that looked solid—despite injuries—gave up over 300 yards and four touchdowns to Aaron Rodgers. Gil Brandt of NFL.com updated Cutler's miserable record against Green Bay:
Bouncing back in Week 5 will be crucial for this team.
17. Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta still has one of the most talented quarterbacks and wide receiver duos in the league. However, without any kind of stability along the offensive line, and a secondary that was torched by a rookie quarterback making his first start on Sunday, many improvements are needed to consider the Falcons a contender.
16. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco took a step in the right direction on Sunday, holding a prolific Eagles offense to zero points. Although, Colin Kaepernick has been average, at best, this season, and allowing two special teams touchdowns isn't exactly comforting. On a positive note, running back Frank Gore looked as youthful as ever. This team needs to get back to leaning on its ground game.
15. Minnesota Vikings
What a revelation Teddy Bridgewater was for the Vikings on Sunday. He looked poised, accurate and efficient—he even showed some wheels on a scrambling touchdown. Unfortunately, he was sidelined with an ankle injury. Hopefully, he won't miss much time, because another performance like that will boost Minnesota up the standings.
14. New York Giants
Don't look now, but Eli Manning suddenly appears to be a very efficient quarterback. The veteran has seemingly grasped the Giants' new offensive scheme, and he's flourishing in it. Here's a summary of Manning's evening in Week 4, via NFL:
After completely shutting down the Redskins on Thursday, New York jumped up in the rankings nicely.
13. Houston Texans
The Texans hung on to defeat the Bills in Week 4. The team's defense looked solid, and J.J. Watt continues to be a big disruption. However, Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to make some poor throws, and the Texans don't have much of a running game to speak of without a fully healthy Arian Foster in the fold.
12. New England Patriots
Here's another ranking that could change after Monday Night Football. The Patriots may be 2-1; however, the team's offense hasn't been impressive due to poor offensive line play. Luckily, New England's defense has been playing well enough to earn the team wins. A better showing from Tom Brady on Monday against the Chiefs is necessary to climb the standings.
11. Indianapolis Colts
Here come the Colts. While the team's last two wins haven't been against solid teams, Andrew Luck has played out of his mind. This offense looks as prolific as ever, and the Colts defense has been playing well enough to speculate this team notching a quality win in a shootout. We'll find out in Week 5 when Luck and Co. take on the Ravens.
10. Green Bay Packers
The real Aaron Rodgers finally returned on Sunday, tossing four touchdowns against the Bears. Green Bay still has plenty to work on defensively—Matt Forte ran all over the Packers on Sunday—but at least the team's offense is back on track. The team's Twitter account relayed a short message from its signal-caller:
9. Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia traveled to San Francisco and delivered one of the ugliest showings of the week. The team's heralded offense couldn't do much of anything against the 49ers, as Nick Foles and LeSean McCoy couldn't find any breathing room. It's unfortunate, but the way it looks right now, Philadelphia's offensive line could hinder the success of this team going forward.
8. Detroit Lions
Even without a big game from Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford still put up a big performance against the Jets defense on Sunday. Golden Tate has been a great addition to this team, and Eric Ebron has begun to make his presence felt. The only concern here is the team's running game. Reggie Bush hasn't been very effective, and Joique Bell is currently dealing with a concussion.
7. Dallas Cowboys
Not only did the Cowboys defeat the Saints on Sunday night, but they won in very decisive fashion. Head coach Jason Garrett appears ready to dedicate himself to DeMarco Murray and the running game. While Murray rips it up on the ground, Tony Romo becomes more efficient through the air. Even the team's defense has been surprisingly good lately. This is most definitely a team to keep an eye on.
6. Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning and Co. weren't in action in Week 4, and while they still sit on the heels of a loss to the Seattle Seahawks, some teams that performed well on Sunday leapfrogged them in the standings. Still, don't fret, as a win against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 will surely put Denver back in the driver's seat.
5. Seattle Seahawks
Like Denver, the Seahawks didn't take the field in Week 4. This team is still tremendously talented, but a roller-coaster start to its season has Russell Wilson and Co. right on the edge of the top five. However, all this team needs to do is string together a few consistent wins to rise to the top once again.
4. San Diego Chargers
San Diego just continues to steamroll its competition. After a tough last-second loss to Arizona in Week 1, the Chargers earned decisive victories against the Seahawks, Bills and Jaguars. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport tweeted one big reason for the success of Philip Rivers:
This is a team on a tear, and that winning streak is likely to continue with the Jets up next in Week 5.
3. Baltimore Ravens
Since losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, the Ravens have been on fire. The team decimated the Steelers in Week 2, beat the Browns in Week 3 and capped it off with a huge victory over the Panthers on Sunday. Steve Smith has been a revelation for this team, and Joe Flacco's performance is a testament to that.
2. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals are one of the last two undefeated teams in the NFL right now. After a big win over San Diego in Week 1, Arizona notched two impressive victories against quality teams with Drew Stanton at the helm. That fact speaks volumes to the immense amount of talent residing on this team. An upcoming Week 5 contest against Denver should produce fireworks.
1. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals may be the most complete team in football right now. Cincinnati's defense has been stifling opponents this year, and Andy Dalton appears to be worth every penny of his new contract. With weapons all over the place, this team appears poised to do some damage this season. The team's quarterback is ready to get back to work, according to Joe Danneman of Fox19 in Cincinnati:
After a Week 4 bye, the Bengals will be back in action against the Patriots in Week 5.
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