NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Latest 2014 Standings and Reaction for All 32 Teams

With one-quarter of the NFL season in the books, the playoff picture is still quite fuzzy, but it's fairly safe to say which teams will be in contention by the end of the year. There is plenty of parity in the NFL, but there's also a fairly clear demarcation between the haves and have-nots, with a few mixed bags in between.

Several top-tier teams had a bye in Week 4, preserving their rankings in what's proving to be another topsy-turvy, unpredictable NFL season.

Here are the latest NFL standings, followed by power rankings and reactions for all 32 teams after the first quarter of the season.

AFC
NFC
East	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Buffalo Bills	2	2	.500	79	75
Miami Dolphins	2	2	.500	96	97
New England Patriots	2	2	.500	80	90
New York Jets	1	3	.250	79	96
North	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Cincinnati Bengals	3	0	1.000	80	33
Baltimore Ravens	3	1	.750	103	60
Pittsburgh Steelers	2	2	.500	97	99
Cleveland Browns	1	2	.333	74	77
West	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
San Diego Chargers	3	1	.750	102	63
Denver Broncos	2	1	.667	75	67
Kansas City Chiefs	2	2	.500	102	79
Oakland Raiders	0	4	.000	51	103
South	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Houston Texans	3	1	.750	87	67
Indianapolis Colts	2	2	.500	136	95
Tennessee Titans	1	3	.250	60	110
Jacksonville Jaguars	0	4	.000	58	152
South	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Atlanta Falcons	2	2	.500	131	113
Carolina Panthers	2	2	.500	73	96
New Orleans Saints	1	3	.250	95	110
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1	3	.250	72	119
North	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Detroit Lions	3	1	.750	85	62
Green Bay Packers	2	2	.500	92	96
Minnesota Vikings	2	2	.500	91	84
Chicago Bears	2	2	.500	92	100
East	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Philadelphia Eagles	3	1	.750	122	104
Dallas Cowboys	3	1	.750	115	86
New York Giants	2	2	.500	103	91
Washington Redskins	1	3	.250	95	109
West	W	L	PCT	PF	PA
Arizona Cardinals	3	0	1.000	66	45
Seattle Seahawks	2	1	.667	83	66
San Francisco 49ers	2	2	.500	88	89
St. Louis Rams	1	2	.333	56	85

32. Oakland Raiders

The Oakland Raiders' long, sad, strange history in this new millennium shows little sign of letting up after their putrid 38-14 loss to the Miami Dolphins. The offense lacks weapons, and the defense is completely out of sorts, once again.

Oh, and they are also without a head coach. Again. According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the Raiders fired Dennis Allen after an 0-4 start and an 8-28 record since the beginning of his tenure. They have yet to name an interim coach.

Rookie linebacker Khalil Mack looks like a gem, but even his bright talent cannot escape the event horizon of the Black Hole. Four weeks in, and it's "wait until next year" status for this collection of Raiders.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles looked competent in the Jaguars' 33-14 loss to the San Diego Chargers. This is a great sign for 2015 and beyond but not necessarily 2014.

As NFL on ESPN noted, he completed a record percentage of his passes in his first career start:

The running game, led by Toby Gerhart, has been atrocious, which will mitigate some of Bortles' success this year, as opponents can focus on preventing him from stringing passes together. Still, the long-term future is bright, which is much more than can be said for the Raiders at this point.

30. Tennessee Titans

Charlie Whitehurst is great player to have as a backup, but he's never proved his worth as a starter in the NFL. He wasn't the only issue for the team, as the Titans were outplayed in every aspect of the game against the Indianapolis Colts in Week 4.

Head coach Ken Whisenhunt, who crafted the Chargers' offensive resurgence as the team's coordinator in 2013, isn't happy with the performance of wide receivers Justin Hunter and Kendall Wright, per Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean:

Delanie Walker looks like a solid starting tight end, and the team has a wealth of running backs at its disposal. The pass defense is clearly missing the impact of cornerback Alterraun Verner, which will hurt the team going forward.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A win is a win is a win, even against a team that has quite a few question marks in the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lovie Smith is a fantastic coach—he deserves a MacArthur genius grant for taking Rex Grossman to the Super Bowl—but he just doesn't have much talent to work with in Florida.

The quarterback job belongs to Mike Glennon after his 300-yard day against the Steelers, and his capable presence might allow the team to inch up the rankings in the coming weeks.

28. Washington Redskins

The Redskins will live and die with Kirk Cousins' performances this season. After throwing for three touchdowns in a close loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, he tossed four interceptions against the New York Giants on Thursday Night Football.

Cousins is still a rookie in terms of actual in-game experience. The third-year quarterback has appeared in just 11 games in his career. He will have to get better in a hurry if the Redskins want to salvage their 2014 season, as the defense has given up 27.3 points per game so far.

27. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams were left for dead when they lost quarterback Sam Bradford for the season, but at least Austin Davis has mitigated some of that pain with his sturdy play.

The team's inability to find a way to use the talents of wideout Tavon Austin is a shame, considering his obvious speed and athleticism. It's tough to say whether it's the player or the system, but it will be a tough pill for Rams fans to swallow if he ends up as a token option on offense, similar to the way Devin Hester never fully made use of his talents for the Chicago Bears offense.

The Rams rush defense has been particularly disappointing in the early going, especially for a team that features defensive ends as strong as Robert Quinn and Chris Long. They've given up 155 yards per game, a number that would preclude success for just about any NFL team.

26. Miami Dolphins

Lamar Miller has stepped up in the absence of Knowshon Moreno, which goes to show the real issue with this offense is the uneven play of quarterback Ryan Tannehill. At least the Dolphins showed they can take care of lesser squads like the Oakland Raiders with relative ease.

There is still plenty of hope for this young Dolphins squad, but they run into two very capable teams in the Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears immediately following their Week 5 bye.

25. Buffalo Bills

After starting the season 2-0, it looks like the real Buffalo Bills have finally shown up. Then again, maybe a veteran quarterback will give them a shot of life.

According to the team's official Twitter account, Kyle Orton will get the nod over EJ Manuel in Week 5:

Manuel has five touchdowns and three interceptions on the season but has struggled throwing the ball downfield with any semblance of consistency. He completed just 11 of 28 passes thrown beyond 11 yards after the first three weeks of the season.

The Bills have a solid core of offensive weapons in C.J. Spiller, Fred Jackson and promising rookie wideout Sammy Watkins. What they need is someone to put the pieces together. Orton has had varying degrees of success in the NFL and owns a 79.9 career QB rating, but fans will be wary of returning to a stopgap solution after years of treading water with Ryan Fitzpatrick at the helm.

24. Cleveland Browns

The Browns have a lowly ranking after a 1-2 start, but they could very well rise up the ranks in the coming weeks. They lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers by three, beat the New Orleans Saints by two and then lost to the Ravens by a deuce. 

Brian Hoyer has performed well to start the season, likely delaying the appearance of Johnny Manziel—as a full-time quarterback, not trick-play wide receiver—until 2015, unless the Browns find themselves eliminated from playoff contention early. They have a very good opportunity against the Titans coming up in Week 5 and will put the AFC North on notice should they win that contest.

23. New York Jets

Quarterback Geno Smith is holding this team back, but it's a shame if the Jets brass doesn't give him a chance to develop. However, failing to put up points in the red zone will lead to a short leash the majority of the time. ESPN Stats & Info has the key statistic:

Smith has trouble scanning the whole field and seems to lock in on his targets at times. Perhaps this explains his struggles in the red zone, as defenses have less ground to cover and can pounce on players if they can track the QB's eyes.

This defense appears to be the real deal. The Jets are allowing just 63.3 yards per game on the ground, and Muhammad Wilkerson has been dominating the opposition with three sacks thus far. Linebacker Demario Davis is also having a fine season, with 19 total tackles and 2.5 sacks. 

22. New York Giants

The Giants have definitely put their early-season woes behind them. Eli Manning appears to have his head on straight after throwing for four touchdowns against the Washington Redskins, and Larry Donnell simultaneously broke and repaired millions of fantasy-football hearts by latching onto three of those scoring tosses.

If Manning can put up similar numbers against the Atlanta Falcons' leaky defense, the Giants could take a quantum leap forward in the power rankings.

21. Houston Texans

Scott Halleran/Getty Images

The Houston Texans are 3-1 and in first place in their division; it just so happens to be the weakest in football.

J.J. Watt continued his run of superhuman feats of footballing excellence with his long pick-six against the Buffalo Bills. He also racked up nine quarterback hits, according to ESPN.com's Tania Gangull. He might be more responsible for Manuel's benching than anyone else in the league.

"I’d always watch him on tape and knew he was a good player,” said teammate Ryan Pickett, via Dale Robertson of the Houston Chronicle. “But to play alongside him...I mean, he’s amazing. He’s probably the best defensive lineman I’ve ever played with."

The Texans will also likely rely on the emerging DeAndre Hopkins at wide receiver. He's already reeled in 18 catches for 291 yards and three touchdowns and should thrive opposite Andre Johnson. Ryan Fitzpatrick limits this team's upside, but the Texans will gladly take a 3-1 record at this point.

20. New England Patriots

When was the last time the Patriots looked so putrid? Their 41-14 demolition at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs was a beatdown in just about every aspect of the game. Tom Brady was awful; he threw two costly interceptions, one of which was a scintillating pick-six by safety Husain Abdullah.

ESPN analyst Trent Dilfer was unequivocal in his assessment of the team, via SportsCenter: 

They may be 2-2, but the Patriots have yet to put together one solid, well-rounded effort thus far. Their offense was dreadful in a 30-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings that was fueled by a four-interception night from Matt Cassel. It's tough to count this team out completely, but head coach Bill Belichick needs to do some major damage control in the coming weeks.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Steelers' gut-punch loss to the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers, at home, is pretty much inexcusable for a team with this much talent.

Antonio Brown is one of the most dangerous wide receivers in the league, and the team features two very strong running backs in Le'Veon Bell and LeGarrette Blount. As long as Dick LeBeau's defense can hold up its end of the bargain, the Steelers should sort things out. They just can't play down to their competition any longer.

The Steelers have another trap game against the Jaguars in Week 5, who are surely tired of getting beaten up at this point and have some semblance of hope with Bortles running the show. The Steelers should take care of business and win that game handily, hopefully getting their season back on track after a disappointing 2-2 start.

18. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings got a bit of a scare at the end of Week 4, when Teddy Bridgewater exited the team's 41-28 win over the Atlanta Falcons with an apparent ankle injury. Head coach Mike Zimmer believes he could play on Thursday, per ESPN.com's Ben Goessling:

"

An MRI on Bridgewater's sprained left ankle showed no significant damage, coach Mike Zimmer said Monday. He added that Bridgewater was feeling "a lot better" a day after he was injured in a 41-28 win against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday and said he's hopeful Bridgewater will play at Lambeau Field on Thursday.

"

Bridgewater didn't throw for a touchdown, but he still racked up more than 300 yards passing and hustled for a 13-yard rushing score to help the Vikings defeat the Falcons.

The Vikings might have a strong thunder-and-lightning duo at running back in the form of Matt Asiata and Jerick McKinnon, which bodes well for Bridgewater's continued development.

17. New Orleans Saints

Tom Pennington/Getty Images

Tony Romo and the rest of the Dallas Cowboys offense shredded the Saints defense on Sunday night. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan will have to go back to the drawing board to figure out what is ailing this defense. 

Drew Brees is still one of the top quarterbacks in the league but will have to put up superhuman numbers like he did in the 2011 and 2012 seasons to make up for the lackluster play from his teammates on the other side of the ball.

16. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers appear to have landed a gem in wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who is quickly establishing himself as one of the bigger red-zone threats in the league. The rookie out of Florida State has 21 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns in four games.

Quarterback Cam Newton has started off slowly in recovering from his preseason rib injury, and the Panthers have already suffered numerous injuries to their skill players. It's been tough for the team as a whole to weather this early storm, and they have a tough schedule coming up with the Bears, Bengals and Packers on the slate for the next three weeks.

15. Kansas City Chiefs

Well, that's one way to get back to .500. The Chiefs dismantled the Patriots on a wet field at Arrowhead Stadium and showed there is plenty of life in their 2014 campaign.

Alex Smith has tossed six touchdowns without an interception in the past two games, and Dwayne Bowe had a fine night pillaging Revis Island. Jamaal Charles came back from an ankle injury to score three touchdowns, and fellow halfback Knile Davis still managed to rack up 100 yards on the ground. 

The Chiefs just might be putting all the pieces together. We will know more about this squad after it faces the 49ers and Chargers in Weeks 5 and 6.

14. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers possibly saved their season by defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 26-21 at Levi's Stadium on Sunday. Had they lost the game and dropped to 1-3, they would have been hard-pressed to keep up with the Arizona Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks in the ultra-tough NFC West.

Instead, they are 2-2 and can take heart in knowing that running the offense through Frank Gore is likely the best way to go. He carried the ball 24 times for 119 yards and scored a receiving touchdown after a nifty bit of improvisation from quarterback Colin Kaepernick.

Those five-receiver sets may go the way of the dinosaur if Gore continues to defy Father Time and carry the rock with authority.

Kaepernick would do well to look wide receiver Stevie Johnson's way more often. He put up multiple 1,000-yard seasons with the Buffalo Bills and displayed fine body control and awareness on his touchdown catch.

13. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons' season is shaping up as a series of duels between quarterback Matt Ryan and whichever opposing signal-caller has the honor of lighting up the team's defense that week. The Falcons are averaging 444.0 yards on offense but giving up 429.8 to opposing teams. Expect fireworks, although it's tough to say whether the Falcons will get burned more often this season.

There are also questions in the running game. Antone Smith has shown flashes of brilliance, while Steven Jackson looks like a serviceable workhorse but not much more than that. Rookie Devonta Freeman has yet to make his mark in the league, but he could become a valuable piece if given time. The resurgence of wide receiver Devin Hester has been a welcome surprise.

12. Chicago Bears

Rookie cornerback Kyle Fuller looks like a Pro Bowler in waiting, but he took his fair share of lumps trying to cover Jordy Nelson in the Bears' Week 4 loss to the Green Bay Packers. He does have three interceptions on the season, and his development in coverage will be crucial to papering over weaknesses in the Bears' injury-ravaged secondary.

Still, Jay Cutler has been productive even with a hobbled Brandon Marshall, and tight end Martellus Bennett looks to be having a breakout season. If the Bears defense, especially the secondary, can get healthy, this team has a definite chance of making the playoffs.

11. Dallas Cowboys

Look at what Tony Romo can do with a bevy of weapons at his disposal. Dez Bryant is superb, and the scoring exploits of Terrance Williams—four touchdowns in four games—are a welcome addition to this offense.

And then, of course, there's running back DeMarco Murray. He's rushed for at least 100 yards and one touchdown in every game this season, and there is no end to his dominance in sight so long as the passing game keeps humming along.

The defense has suffered more than its fair share of injuries this season, dating back to the summer injury to linebacker Sean Lee. However, the Dallas D performed admirably against the New Orleans Saints and should be good enough to win with this offense.

10. Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers was masterful against an admittedly depleted Bears secondary, completing 22 of 28 passes for 302 yards and four touchdowns.

Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are a dynamic duo that will create headaches for opposing defensive coordinators all season long and will ensure another successful campaign for the Packers, who will battle the Lions for the NFC North crown.

9. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens running back corps appears to have no issues. Lorenzo Taliaferro and Justin Forsett have both looked great while sharing carries this season, providing much-needed balance to the team's attack and allowing quarterback Joe Flacco to operate against honest defenses.

Steve Smith is 35 years old and refuses to disappear. The Ravens are reaping the rewards from his insatiable desire to prove the Panthers wrong for letting him go after the 2013 season. He already has 25 receptions for 429 yards and two touchdowns and is one of the biggest reasons for the Ravens' early success in 2014.

8. Indianapolis Colts

Andrew Luck has emerged as one of the top five quarterbacks in the league this year, with 13 touchdowns, four interceptions and more than 1,300 yards in just four games. In a pass-driven league, the Colts are sitting pretty with their 25-year-old star.

They still don't have much of a solution in the running game. Trent Richardson is averaging just 3.3 yards per carry this season and seems to lack the patience or vision to take some of his inside runs to the next level of defenders. 

7. Philadelphia Eagles

Who knows where the Eagles could be with a healthy offensive line? They lost a close game to a desperate San Francisco 49ers squad in Week 4 and didn't even get so much as a field goal-worthy drive out of their offense.

"We just got whooped up front," coach Chip Kelly said, via USA Today's Lindsay H. Jones. "We're not very good up front right now. We've got a lot of guys banged up, and that's not an excuse; it's just the reality of it."

They're 3-1 on the year and have already put up 122 points. LeSean McCoy has struggled to start the season, averaging just 2.7 yards per carry behind the makeshift front. Kelly's offense is predicated on space and breaking plays in the open field, but this season is a reminder that an offensive line can derail even the flashiest of offensive schemes.

6. Detroit Lions

The Lions defense has been remarkable this season, giving up just 267.3 yards per game. Ndamukong Suh is a beast at the point of attack and is elevating the play of those around him.

Quarterback Matthew Stafford is surrounded by a host of dangerous weapons. Calvin Johnson, Golden Tate, Reggie Bush and Joique Bell should continue to create mismatches for Stafford to exploit.

5. Arizona Cardinals

Any team that can win two games with Drew Stanton at quarterback pretty much deserves to be in the top five. Prior to this season, Stanton hadn't started a game since 2010. He shook of the rust and has thrown for more than 400 yards and has yet to turn the ball over.

Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie will face a tough test in Week 5 against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. Their performance will be the key to a Cardinals victory, but the outlook is bleak for that game, especially if Carson Palmer isn't fit to play.

4. San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers have already beaten the defending champion Seattle Seahawks and are one point away from being undefeated at this point.

Quarterback Philip Rivers is second in the league with an 82.5 Total QBR, per ESPN.com, and is an early-season MVP candidate.

Injuries have hit the Chargers hard in the early goings. Danny Woodhead is out for the season. Ryan Mathews and Manti Te'o are set to miss multiple weeks, and 2014 first-round draft pick Jason Verrett has struggled to stay fully fit. 

The Chargers face the Jets, Raiders and Chiefs in the coming weeks. If they can overcome the lack of a potent rushing attack, the Bolts could very well be 6-1 heading into their bye week.

3. Denver Broncos

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

The Denver Broncos have the best quarterback in the league in Manning, and the argument pretty much begins and ends there. The high-powered offense grew into the game against the Seahawks, so fans will hope that the Broncos can avoid any big-game jitters from here on out.

They would like more production from Montee Ball, who has just 165 yards and one rushing touchdown on the young season, but the passing game will thrive regardless and carry them through most contests.

2. Cincinnati Bengals

Nobody likes the earliest of early bye weeks, but at least Week 4 couldn't hurt the Bengals' standing in the eyes of the rest of the league.

Wide receiver and trick-play extraordinaire Mohamed Sanu has done well to pick up the slack with the injuries to wide receiver corps. Giovani Bernard is bouncing around defenses like a greased-up pinball, and the Bengals defense looks as stingy as ever. Quarterbacks have mustered a measly 56.9 quarterback rating against the Bengals this year, the lowest mark in the league.

This ranking may seem a bit lofty, but just wait until superstar wide receiver A.J. Green comes back. 

1. Seattle Seahawks

Elaine Thompson/Associated Press

Sure, the Seahawks lost to the Chargers and nearly let the Broncos best them in a nervy overtime battle, but those opponents happen to be two of the best teams in the league thus far. The Seahawks deserve the No. 1 spot until the next time they lose or begin to struggle against inferior competition. Don't expect Richard Sherman and the Legion of Boom to take it easy on the mostly suspect Panthers wide receiver corps in Week 5.

All stats courtesy of ESPN.com unless otherwise noted.