NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Updated 2014 Analysis Before Thursday Night Football

Although there is still a lot of football to be played, the quarter mark of the NFL season is one of the first chances to really evaluate teams.

We are now able to get a better perspective on teams that got off to a poor start but have turned things around (Indianapolis Colts) or squads that started hot but have cooled off (Buffalo Bills). In every case, it is still important to evaluate each win or loss separately to truly get a sense of what to expect going forward.

Records are certainly important, but a loss to a good team on the road might not be an issue this early, while a win at home against a poor team could be meaningless. 

While it is still unclear how each team stacks up against one another, it seems like there is some separation between the best and the worst in the league. Here is a look at how each squad fits into each tier heading into Week 5. 

Looking Toward Next Year (Or Maybe the Year After That)

32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-4)

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Are the Jaguars really worse than the team that just fired its head coach after Week 4? Yes, and by a wide margin.

Not only is this squad 0-4, but it has been outscored by 94 points in those games. Take away the 17-0 start in the first half of the first game and the Jags have been beaten 152-41 over the past 14 quarters.

Andrew Siciliano of NFL Network notes how bad the defense has been:

Blake Bortles might represent the future, but it will be a long time before he sees much team success in the NFL.

31. Oakland Raiders (0-4)

The Raiders fired head coach Dennis Allen, ending his awful run that included an 8-28 record. Of course, things were not much better before he got there, so it is clear the problems run deep within the organization.

While it will be interesting to see where Oakland goes next, fans should not hold their breath for much more success in 2014.

Talent Is There, but Wins Aren't

30. Tennessee Titans (1-3)

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While the Raiders and Jaguars are clearly a step below the rest of the league, plenty of other teams are on their way toward losing seasons based on what they have shown so far.

The Titans are on this list thanks to some poor performances with and without starting quarterback Jake Locker.

Even Titans head coach Ken Whisenhunt admits his team has had problems this season, via Jim Wyatt of The Tennessean:

Time is running out for Locker to prove he can be a capable starting quarterback. If he cannot return to the field and provide at least some bright spots in the next few weeks, Tennessee will have to move in another direction.

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-3)

The win over the Pittsburgh Steelers proved the Buccaneers are better than what they showed in their 56-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. With a healthy Doug Martin, the offense will have some balance to go with a defense filled with talented young players.

Still, the question is whether Mike Glennon can lead this team to more success going forward.

28. Washington Redskins (1-3)

Kirk Cousins is probably not as good as he was against the Philadelphia Eagles (427 passing yards and three touchdowns) or as bad as he was against the New York Giants (five total turnovers). He will get more opportunities to show who he really is, but the reality is there are more problems in Washington.

With one of the worst secondaries in the NFL, the Redskins will not win too many games regardless of who is under center.

27. St. Louis Rams (1-2)

The Rams knew the offense would be a problem when Sam Bradford went down with a torn ACL, but the defense was supposed to pick up the slack. Unfortunately, neither one has been especially impressive in what is likely going to be another long year in St. Louis. 

Ready to Surprise

26. New York Jets (1-3)

These teams might not make the playoffs, but they have a chance to win a bunch of games against better opponents. With some good breaks, a winning record is certainly possible.

Of course, it is interesting that almost the entire AFC East is in this group. Damien Woody of ESPN provided his opinion on the division:

Dan Hanzus of NFL.com joked about this possibility:

The Jets might not be the worst of the group talent-wise, but they have the hardest time earning wins and have more holes than anyone else. While the division is a crapshoot, New York could be headed toward last place.

25. Buffalo Bills (2-2)

After two quality wins to start the year, the Bills are who we thought they were with consecutive losses to the San Diego Chargers and Houston Texans. As a result, head coach Doug Marrone decided to bench EJ Manuel for Kyle Orton.

While fans should not expect a huge turnaround with Orton in charge, he could do enough to win a wide-open AFC East.

24. Miami Dolphins (2-2)

The Dolphins have looked impressive in their wins this season but completely lost in their losses. Ryan Tannehill has struggled to find consistency in the pocket, although the run game is finally coming around with Lamar Miller filling in for Knowshon Moreno.

If the squad can start to rely on the rushing attack, the Dolphins could end up having a lot more success going forward.

23. Cleveland Browns (1-2)

Cleveland is stuck in an AFC North that appears much tougher than we thought, but it is not a good idea to overlook this team on the schedule. With a good defense and a strong offensive line, the Browns can surprise people with wins throughout the year.

The question remains how long Brian Hoyer can keep his job with Johnny Manziel looming on the sidelines. 

22. Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

Teddy Bridgewater was about as good as fans could have hoped for in his first career start, while the rushing attack was surprisingly impressive despite missing Adrian Peterson.

Things will not be this easy every week, but at least the signs of promise are encouraging for the squad. 

Who Are You?

21. New Orleans Saints (1-3)

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We know the Saints are usually bad away from home, but we did not think they would be this bad. Marc Sessler of NFL.com points out one stat to show how bad the defense has been:

Whenever you are compared to the Jaguars, it is not a good thing. The Dallas Cowboys did whatever they wanted offensively against the New Orleans defense, which was supposed to be a strength after a strong 2013 and a few key pickups in the offseason.

The Saints will return home Sunday for a favorable matchup against the Buccaneers, and it would not be surprising to see them earn a blowout victory. However, we still cannot trust them until they find a way to win on the road.

Like the rest of the teams in this tier, there is a lot of uncertainty going forward.

20. Carolina Panthers (2-2)

We were all impressed in the Panthers' play over the first two weeks of the season, but the last two weeks have been nothing short of embarrassing. The offense was going to be an issue all year behind a patchwork offensive line, but the defense has been the real disappointment, allowing 75 points over the past two games.

Until this issue is solved, Carolina is heading toward a lot more losses in 2014 than it had last year. 

19. New York Giants (2-2)

We still do not know how good the Giants are, but they have at least been impressive over the past two weeks. The key is the play of Eli Manning, who has generally avoided turnovers while consistently hitting his targets. 

He is finally making everyone around him better, which could lead to a much better season than many expected a few weeks ago.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2)

After earning an impressive road win over the Panthers, the Steelers followed it up with a home loss to the Buccaneers. While it came on a last-second touchdown, a loss is still a loss.

The Steelers are dealing with some injuries on the defensive side of the ball, but the next set of players on the depth chart better pick things up to avoid an extended slide. 

Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

17. New England Patriots (2-2)

There were questions about the Patriots going into the Week 4 game against the Kansas City Chiefs. Tom Brady was not throwing accurately down the field, while the rushing attack was hit-or-miss.

After beating bad teams the previous two weeks, these problems were on full display on Monday Night Football. While the Patriots remain favorites in a bad AFC East, they better figure out how to turn things around in a hurry.

16. Atlanta Falcons (2-2)

There were plenty of good feelings after the dominant win over the Buccaneers in Week 3, but the Falcons came back to earth with a loss to the Vikings in Week 4. The squad's two wins are against teams who are worse than previously anticipated, while the losses are both on the road.

Adding in a defense that ranks in the bottom five of the NFL against both the run and the pass, and it is hard to trust the Falcons at this point.

15. Kansas City Chiefs (2-2)

A healthy Jamaal Charles makes a difference for this offense, as he and Knile Davis have created one of the best backfield duos in the league. The less Alex Smith has to do, the better this team will be.

Unfortunately, upcoming road games against the Chargers and San Francisco 49ers could end up sending the Chiefs back down in the standings. 

14. Houston Texans (3-1)

Although the Texans can be happy about their 3-1 record, their opponents have combined for just a 5-11 mark through four weeks. They will be able to continue taking advantage of a last-place schedule this year, but we still do not know how good this team is at this point.

One thing that is certain is Ryan Fitzpatrick will not survive too long throwing five interceptions in a two-game stretch like he has in Week 3 and 4. 

13. Chicago Bears (2-2)

The Bears have not looked good in four games, but there is too much talent to count out just yet. Giving Jay Cutler weapons like Brandon Marshall, Alshon Jeffery and Matt Forte makes this offense a serious threat in every game.

If the defense can hold its weight even a little bit, Chicago should remain in the playoff hunt throughout the season. 

12. Dallas Cowboys (3-1)

After three wins in a row, Dallas is on the brink of the playoff crowd. While America might not enjoy it, Tony Romo actually deserves a lot of credit for his play as of late, completing 77 percent of his passes with five touchdowns in the past two games.

Although we still haven't seen this team fare well against a real contender, Dallas is headed in the right direction. 

Playoff Bound?

11. San Francisco 49ers (2-2)

There have been rumors throughout the season about whether Jim Harbaugh is losing the locker room, with Deion Sanders recently saying the players "want him out" on NFL GameDay Final. 

However, the coach responded at a press conference Monday. "Personally, I think that's a bunch of a crap. If someone has a good story to tell, they want to put their name to it. If I had a good story to tell, I'd want to put my name to it, so I don't put a lot of credibility to the unnamed source."

The thing that solves all problems in sports is winning, and the 49ers got a big victory in Week 4 over the Philadelphia Eagles. They went back to their roots of power running with a good defense to earn the win, which is the formula that got them to the NFC Championship Game three years in a row.

Colin Kaepernick is still a question mark at quarterback, but this team looks better than it did a week ago.

10. Baltimore Ravens (3-1)

The Ravens could not do much offensively last season, but that seems to no longer be a problem behind the resurgence of Steve Smith Sr. and the recent play of running backs Justin Forsett and Lorenzo Taliaferro. If this can continue, Baltimore should once again be a top contender in the AFC.

After the way the season started with all the off-field drama, this has to be a positive turn of events.

9. Green Bay Packers (2-2)

You cannot keep Aaron Rodgers down for too long. After a disappointing showing against the Lions, he came back with a four-touchdown effort against the Bears, earning a QBR of 99 out of 100 for the game.

While there are still questions about the rushing attack as well as the defense, Rodgers will still lead this group to a lot of wins this season. 

8. Detroit Lions (3-1)

Although we came into the year expecting to talk about Detroit's offense, it is the defense that has truly stood out. The unit ranks first in the NFL with just 267.3 total yards allowed per game, faring well against both the run and the pass.

Once Calvin Johnson is completely healthy, the offense should once again be difficult to stop, and the Lions will become one of the best teams in the league. 

7. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)

Two close losses to good teams were followed by two dominant wins over bad teams. While this does not necessarily tell us much about whether the Colts can contend for a Super Bowl, we know they can take care of business when needed.

Andrew Luck is playing as well as any quarterback in the league right now and appears ready to at least carry Indianapolis to the playoffs for the third year in a row.

6. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1)

The Eagles did not look especially impressive in the first three wins and were fortunate to keep things close against the 49ers thanks to multiple scores on special teams. However, this is still an offense that will be difficult for most opponents to stop.

At this point, Philadelphia needs to hope it can hold on until offensive linemen Jason Kelce and Evan Mathis get healthy. When that happens, the rest of the league needs to watch out. 

5. San Diego Chargers (3-1)

Philip Rivers might have had an up-and-down career, but he is on the upswing at the moment. He currently leads the NFL with a 114.5 quarterback rating thanks to his nine touchdowns to only one interception.

With running backs Ryan Mathews and Danny Woodhead currently out with injuries, Rivers is putting his name in the MVP conversation early in the year.

4. Arizona Cardinals (3-0)

Considering how well the Cardinals have played with Drew Stanton at quarterback, the possibilities are endless when starter Carson Palmer returns from his shoulder injury. Although that might not be this week, he should come back before too long and take advantage of the various weapons on offense.

Arizona's defense has proved to be one of the best in the league, especially against the run, which means this squad will be a tough matchup no matter who is playing quarterback.

Best of the Best

3. Cincinnati Bengals (3-0)

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Although the top three teams in the league were all on bye in Week 4, it seems clear there is a decent gap between this group and the rest of the NFL.

At 3-0 with impressive performances on both sides of the ball, the Bengals are capable of becoming the top team in the league. Jason Smith of Fox Sports Radio believes they are at that point already:

However, the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks have proved themselves in the past and, despite early losses, still appear to be as good as they were last season. Meanwhile, the Bengals still have to consistently prove they can win on the road.

While the matchup against the Patriots is not as intimidating as it seemed a few weeks ago, this road game and the one in Indianapolis Week 7 will be very telling for Cincinnati.

2. Denver Broncos (2-1)

The schedule remains difficult for Denver coming out of the bye with a matchup against the Cardinals. However, these tough battles could actually help the Broncos as they prepare for the postseason.

After blowing out most opponents in 2013, Peyton Manning and company had no idea how to respond to adversity in the Super Bowl. This year will hopefully be different as the veteran quarterback looks to add to his resume. 

1. Seattle Seahawks (2-1)

The defense is still elite. Russell Wilson continues to improve, and Marshawn Lynch remains one of the toughest players to tackle in the league.

At this point, the biggest question is if going on the road will continue to be a problem. With three of the next four matchups away from CenturyLink Field, we are going to learn a lot about the reigning Super Bowl champions. 

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