NFL Power Rankings: Initial Post-Sunday Breakdown Ahead of Week 6

After the Cincinnati Bengals were crushed on Sunday night by the New England Patriots 43-17, there's a new team atop the power rankings. It's not the Pats, though it wouldn't be preposterous to think that Tom Brady could lead his team to the top of the mountain by season's end.

Another AFC squad that has been as dominant all season as the Pats were on Sunday is the new No. 1. Take a look at the fresh power rankings.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars, 0-5

After Week 1, the Jags looked like a team ready to improve after years of futility. Since a near upset of the Philadelphia Eagles to start the season, the Jaguars have gotten progressively worse.

They are still winless after a 17-9 loss on Sunday to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

31. Oakland Raiders, 0-4

The best thing about Week 5 for the Raiders is that the team had a bye. That may be the only way Oakland can avoid what seems like a weekly loss. 

30. New York Jets, 1-4

Denis Poroy/Associated Press

On Sunday, quarterback Geno Smith was benched during the team's 31-0 loss to the San Diego Chargers in favor of Michael Vick. We don't know yet if the change will be long-term, but there's no question the Jets need a shakeup. 

Since the team's 24-point output in Week 2, it has seen its point totals decrease every week. Is Sunday's shutout rock bottom?

29. Tennessee Titans, 1-4

The Titans nearly got their second win of the season on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, but a scoreless second half led to another defeat. 

Tennessee simply can't put points on the board consistently. The fangless passing game was ranked 28th in the NFL coming into Week 5. Quarterback Jake Locker was injured during the game, per Paul Kuharsky of ESPN.com. Charlie Whitehurst did OK in relief, but the Titans still couldn't score in the final 30 minutes.

Things aren't looking good.

28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1-4

Lovie Smith's guys are making strides but still not finding the win column as often as they would like. On Sunday, the team dropped an overtime decision to the New Orleans Saints.

Placing Mike Glennon in at starting quarterback was seemingly the right decision. The Bucs offense has scored 27.5 points per game with Glennon as the starter. If the defense could play more consistently, Tampa Bay might start grabbing a few more wins.

27. St. Louis Rams, 1-3

Injuries have torn the Rams apart. Because the team has managed to stick close in each of its last two losses, there's some hope.

Head coach Jeff Fisher does a great job getting the most out of less. He'll have his hands full trying to keep the Rams respectable this season.

26. Washington, 1-3

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On Monday night, Washington has an opportunity to prove its worth. The Seattle Seahawks come into FedEx Field and the champion's defense should really test Kirk Cousins and Co. 

Cousins is coming off a horrendous performance against the New York Giants. He tossed four interceptions in that one, and he needs to come back strong if Washington is going to get by Seattle.

25. Minnesota Vikings, 2-3

The injury to Teddy Bridgewater knocked the wind out of the Vikings' sails. The rookie could have given the team a spark, but with Christian Ponder under center against the Green Bay Packers on Thursday night, Minnesota was smashed 42-10.

Though the Vikings and Bears are both 2-3, there's no doubt Minnesota is the worst team in the NFC North.

24. Atlanta Falcons, 2-3

In five games, the Falcons have a total of four sacks. Because Atlanta is devoid of a pass rush, there's incredible pressure on the team's offense to score 30 points per game to win.

Atlanta has only held one opponent under 20 points all season. Unless the defense wakes up, the team will remain near the bottom of most power rankings.

23. Kansas City Chiefs, 2-3

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Alex Smith almost stuck it to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, but the team fell short in a close 22-17 loss. In 2013, the Chiefs defense was one of its biggest strengths. The team had 36 takeaways last season. So far this year the Chiefs have just three through five games.

Smith needs the support of his defense if the Chiefs hope to make a push at one of the AFC wild-card spots.

22. New Orleans Saints, 2-3

The Saints avoided the dreaded 1-4 start with a win over the Bucs on Sunday, but the team is still struggling to slow down opposing passing games.

New Orleans came into Week 5 ranked 28th against the pass. Glennon only threw for 249 yards, but the Bucs aren't exactly "The Greatest Show on Turf."

The Saints aren't dead at 2-3, but they need to step it up defensively to stay alive.

21. Cleveland Browns, 2-2

A 2-2 start is actually a win for the Browns. If you had told Browns fans before the season that the team would be 2-2 after four games and Johnny Manziel wouldn't have started yet, most would have said you were crazy.

Yet, that is the reality, and the Browns have a shot to stay near the .500 mark all season. It may not be good enough for a playoff spot, but it will be a move in the right direction for the franchise.

20. Miami Dolphins, 2-2

The formula for the Dolphins seems pretty simple. Protect Ryan Tannehill and win, or let him get pummeled and lose.

In Miami's two wins, Tannehill has been sacked just once. In the two losses, he's gone down eight times. Last season, Tannehill was the league's most-sacked quarterback and Miami finished 8-8 and out of the playoffs. If the Fins want to remain in the picture in the AFC East, they have to keep Tannehill upright.

19. Chicago Bears, 2-3

It's obvious the Bears don't have the personnel for a dominant defense. The team is currently built around its talented and explosive offense. It hurts that Chicago's second-half scoring output has been dreadful thanks to ill-advised decisions by Jay Cutler at quarterback and mind-boggling strategy from head coach Marc Trestman.

If you subtract the win against the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears have scored a total of 16 points in the second half of four games.

Cutler throwing two more interceptions against the Carolina Panthers on Sunday and Trestman's clock management in the Week 4 loss to the Packers stick out as examples of why Chicago is sitting at 2-3 instead of 4-1.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers, 3-2

Who are the real Steelers? The team has alternated wins and losses and its defense appears to be the main culprit for the inconsistency. The pass and run defense came into the Week 5 matchup near the middle of the pack, and that's not going to be good enough to make noise in the AFC North.

Perhaps the Week 6 handling of the Jaguars was the medicine it needed, but Pittsburgh has a huge game coming up against Cleveland in Week 6.

17. Detroit Lions, 3-2

The Lions gave up ground to the Packers on Sunday by losing at home to the Buffalo Bills. What's worse, Calvin Johnson re-injured his ankle, and per Kyle Meinke of MLive.com, his timetable for return is unknown.

Things couldn't be setting up any nicer for Green Bay in the NFC North.

16. Buffalo Bills, 3-2

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Just when we were ready to write off the Bills, they come up with a huge road win over the Lions. Dan Carpenter's game-winning 58-yard field goal could have saved the Bills' season.

That may sound like a premature statement, but there's a big difference between 2-3 and 3-2 if you're a team that hasn't made the playoffs in 14 years.

The psychological impact of a losing record after a strong start would have been tough.

15. Houston Texans, 3-2

The Texans battled but ultimately succumbed in overtime to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. Despite the loss, Bill O'Brien's team continues to prove it will be competitive in most every game.

Once it gets top pick Jadeveon Clowney back, Houston might be even more dangerous.

14. San Francisco 49ers, 3-2

Things are looking up for the Niners. After dropping its home opener and then getting stifled by the Arizona Cardinals the week after, panic was about to set in.

Suddenly, the Niners have won two games in a row, including handing the Philadelphia Eagles their first loss. The closer this team gets to being healthy and off the suspension list on defense, the better it'll look late in the season.

13. Carolina Panthers, 3-2

The Panthers were fortunate to only be down by seven points at the half against the Bears on Sunday. Chicago opened the door and the Panthers kicked it down by outscoring the Bears 17-3 in the second half.

Carolina deserves credit for taking advantage of the opportunities afforded to them by a generous Bears offense.

It wasn't a bad showing from a less-than-100-percent quarterback with all of his major weapons in the backfield out of the lineup.

12. New England Patriots, 3-2

Winning solves just about everything. Reports of dissension, per Chris Mortensen of ESPN.com, between Tom Brady and members of the Patriots coaching staff are likely to quiet down after the team easily beat the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night.

Brady doesn't take losing well, and that's part of the reason why he's so great.

New England's defense was excellent against the Bengals, and the Pats offense scored more points in one game against Marvin Lewis' defense than three opponents had managed combined against Cincy all year.

11. Green Bay Packers, 3-2

"R-E-L-A-X." Aaron Rodgers' advice to panicky Packers fans is getting easier to follow by the week. Green Bay has won two in a row while the Bears, Lions and Vikings all lost in Week 5. 

Once again, Green Bay looks to be the class of the division.

10. New York Giants, 3-2

All of a sudden, the Giants look like a good football team. The season began with Eli Manning tossing footballs into the clutches of opposing teams just like last year, but he and the Giants have rebounded with a three-game win streak.

He had four picks in the first two games—both losses—and he's thrown just one interception during the streak.

9. Baltimore Ravens, 3-2

Baltimore lost a tough one to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday, but make no mistake, the Ravens will be heard from late in the season.

With back-to-back games against the Bucs and Falcons, the Ravens are in position to carry a strong record into their Week 8 clash with the Bengals.

8. Dallas Cowboys, 4-1

Why is the praise for Tony Romo never as loud as the criticism?

Quietly, Romo has completed 69 percent of his passes this season and the Cowboys are 4-1, having won their last four games.

Tied for the NFC East lead, Dallas heads into a huge battle with Seattle in Week 6. Can they keep it going?

7. Arizona Cardinals, 3-1

Despite the loss on Sunday, the Cardinals are still one of the better teams in the NFL.

The team still hasn't gotten injured quarterback Carson Palmer back since he was injured in Week 1, yet it was just handed its first loss at the hands of the Denver Broncos on the road.

Once Palmer gets back, we'll really find out how good Arizona can be.

6. Indianapolis Colts, 3-2

Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

After a rough start and a tough schedule, the Colts have rebounded with a vengeance. Andrew Luck led the team to its third straight win on Sunday.

Luck is still throwing too many picks, but his leadership and toughness is infectious. If the Colts can stay afloat heading into the last six games of the season, it could finish extremely strong.

Only one of the team's last six opponents are currently ranked higher than 15th on this list.

5. Philadelphia Eagles, 4-1

The Eagles have great talent and a good record, but there's some vulnerability. Philadelphia hasn't played a full game of solid football yet this season.

Most recently, a late collapse allowed the Rams to close within six points before falling. Against the best teams, the Eagles might have issues later in the season and in the playoffs.

4. Cincinnati Bengals, 3-1

The Bengals were humbled in a major way on Sunday night. Three turnovers contributed to the lopsided 43-17 loss, but the Patriots had a great plan of attack. They established the run game early with Stevan Ridley to take pressure off Brady.

This helped free up tight end Rob Gronkowski, who had his first 100-yard receiving game of the season.

As bad as it was, it's just one loss on the road against a very good team with a legendary quarterback. The Bengals will be alright.

3. Denver Broncos, 3-1

The Broncos should be feeling pretty good about themselves right now. Not only did they just hand the Cardinals their first loss, but the team improved to 3-0 at home. It's only loss was an overtime defeat on the road against the Super Bowl champions.

By season's end, Denver could be the league's best team.

2. Seattle Seahawks, 2-1

With the Monday night matchup with Washington looming, Seattle needs a strong win to create some momentum. It won its last game in overtime against Denver, but the aura of invincibility seems to have worn off since the team's impressive Week 1 win over the Packers.

Taking down Washington before it takes on Dallas in Week 6 is just what the Seahawks need to get their swagger back.

1. San Diego Chargers, 4-1

DENIS POROY/Associated Press

The Bolts are the new No. 1 after dominating the Jets 31-0 and the Bengals' loss. Philip Rivers is looking like a man possessed. He's completed just over 70 percent of his passes, and the Chargers have outscored opponents by 70 points.

All stats per Pro-Football Reference.