NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Predicting Post-Monday Night Football Standings

The fifth week of the 2014 NFL season was filled with marquee matchups, and the power rankings heading into Week 6 have been shifted after several surprising outcomes.

With an exciting matchup between the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins scheduled to close the week on Monday Night Football, this is how the power rankings should look following the final game of Week 5.

Here is where every team stands heading into the sixth week of the season.

Ben Margot/Associated Press

32. Oakland Raiders

After having Week 5 off for the bye, the Oakland Raiders return with a home game against the San Diego Chargers. With a new interim head coach in Tony Sparano, it could get ugly in Oakland before it ever gets better.

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

Despite challenging Pittsburgh Sunday and almost winning the game, rookie quarterback Blake Bortles and the Jacksonville Jaguars have a long way to go before they start pulling out close wins over veteran teams.

30. St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams continue to prove they have fight, but injuries have decimated the depth chart. Even with their best effort against Philadelphia Sunday, the Rams were unable to win and continue the fall down the power rankings.

29. Minnesota Vikings

Without rookie Teddy Bridgewater under center, the Minnesota Vikings are arguably the worst team in the NFL. The hope is that Bridgewater’s eventual return will be a spark for the team, but the lack of elite talent around him is alarming.

28. Tennessee Titans

Many fans considered the Tennessee Titans one of the worst teams in the league after three lackluster performances in a row, but the one-point loss to Cleveland Sunday could be the worst defeat this season. If the team doesn’t focus on the winnable Week 6 matchup against Jacksonville, the Titans could be mentally broken by such a heart-wrenching defeat.

27. New York Jets

Nothing says New York City like turmoil and controversy. With starter Geno Smith getting benched in the second half against San Diego, the Jets have created a quarterback controversy. Unfortunately for backup Michael Vick, he was unable to find much success, and the team was subsequently shut out.

26. Washington Redskins

After taking a blowout loss to the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins need a bounce-back performance to maintain the team’s confidence. Washington plays Seattle Monday night. Uh oh.

25. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Slowly but surely, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Lovie Smith is installing his game plans and team mentality. There is always a transitional period for a new coach, and Sunday’s overtime loss to New Orleans proves the franchise is moving in the right direction.

24. Cleveland Browns

It’s hard to tell what kind of team the Cleveland Browns really have. On one hand, they came back and earned a late victory over Tennessee. On the other hand, the team has struggled with consistency all season. The only certainty with Cleveland is that the team has the talent to be an outside postseason contender, especially when suspended wide receiver Josh Gordon returns.

23. Miami Dolphins

The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Miami Dolphins. With a Week 6 matchup against the Green Bay Packers, Miami’s coaching staff needed the extra week to prepare for a team playing as well as it has all season. The Dolphins are in trouble regardless of how much preparation they do, though.

22. Houston Texans

The Houston Texans are a tale of two teams. The defensive unit led by J.J. Watt keeps opposing offensive units awake at night with its ability, but the offense has been nothing special. If Arian Foster could stay healthy and Ryan Fitzpatrick could find any rhythm at all, Houston would be much higher in the rankings.

21. Atlanta Falcons

Who are the Atlanta Falcons? One week Atlanta is blowing out Tampa Bay, and then it is losing back-to-back games to the Vikings and Giants. The lack of consistency on offense is a major concern, but the inability to rush the passer on defense is the team’s biggest issue.

20. New York Giants

The New York Giants started the season as arguably the worst team in the league, but head coach Tom Coughlin has righted the ship and got his team moving together. Add in the debut of rookie wide receiver Odell Beckham, and New York once again climbs in the rankings.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

An ugly win over Jacksonville isn’t what the Pittsburgh Steelers needed while trying to build defensive chemistry and offensive composure, but the team will take it. If the Steelers perform the same way against Cleveland next week, though, Pittsburgh will lose the game.

18. Chicago Bears

Just like Atlanta, the Chicago Bears can’t decide if they’re a championship contender or a team that will miss the playoffs altogether. Fittingly, the two teams play in Week 6. Let’s see where each franchise stands when the dust settles.

17. Kansas City Chiefs

It hurts when a team can’t pull out a close victory, but with injuries taking their toll, the Kansas City Chiefs’ performance against San Francisco Sunday was commendable. Don’t count Kansas City out just yet.

16. Detroit Lions

A loss to the Buffalo Bills killed any momentum the Detroit Lions had built, but the biggest issue could be wide receiver Calvin Johnson’s injured ankle, according to Kyle Meinke of MLive.com. Lions fans are collectively holding their breath.

15. Buffalo Bills

The move to backup quarterback Kyle Orton was rough to make for the Buffalo Bills coaching staff, but the win over Detroit was the vindication the team was looking for. Buffalo is still far from contention, but the win was a mental boost for the franchise.

14. Carolina Panthers

After two straight losses, the Carolina Panthers bounced back with a solid win over Chicago. The lack of a rushing attack is cause for serious concern, but the Panthers will always stay on the edge of contention with a defense as dangerous as Carolina’s.

13. Baltimore Ravens

One of the most inconsistent teams this season has been the Baltimore Ravens. Despite having the raw talent to be one of the top teams in the AFC, the inability to put it all together in key moments bit the team once again in Week 5 against Indianapolis.

12. New Orleans Saints

There are few football fans who question the talent the New Orleans Saints have on the roster, but the losses have piled up for the team. With some true tenacity, New Orleans pulled out the overtime win Sunday and proved it still has enough gas in the tank for a postseason run.

11. Dallas Cowboys

Led by the elite running of DeMarco Murray, the Dallas Cowboys have continued to climb back into the postseason conversation. As long as Tony Romo limits the turnovers and the defense continues to exceed expectations, the Cowboys will be a threat in the NFC East.

10. Arizona Cardinals

A loss to the Denver Broncos is not a huge deal for Arizona, but the offensive unit must do a better job through the air and on the ground if the Cardinals want to make a postseason run. The eventual return of quarterback Carson Palmer from a shoulder injury should alleviate the pressure.

9. San Francisco 49ers

After a rough start to the season, the San Francisco 49ers have gotten back to basics, running the ball more and depending heavily on their elite defensive unit. If the team can get several injured players back and develop a rhythm, the 49ers will be Super Bowl contenders again.

8. New England Patriots

Everyone wrote the New England Patriots off as pretenders after a blowout loss to Kansas City, but the team came back with a vengeance against Cincinnati and dominated the AFC foe. The team successfully sent the message that it was still a major threat.

7. Green Bay Packers

When the Green Bay Packers offensive unit gets rolling, it’s one of the most entertaining groups in the NFL. After blowing out Minnesota, the team travels to Miami for a favorable matchup against a very beatable Dolphins team.

Matt Rourke/Associated Press

6. Philadelphia Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles continue to win ugly, but a win is a win in the NFL. With an offensive unit that has yet to find its stride, the Eagles will be extremely dangerous and a legitimate Super Bowl contender when the pass and rushing attacks begin playing better.

5. Cincinnati Bengals

To be fair to the Cincinnati Bengals, New England was given all the bulletin board material it could handle by the media during the week leading up to the Week 5 game. The Bengals ran into a buzz saw, but it will be how they bounce back against Carolina that depicts how successful they are for the remainder of the season.

4. Indianapolis Colts

With Andrew Luck under center, there is always a chance the Indianapolis Colts pull out the victory, no matter how bleak the outlook. Even when not performing well, like he did against Baltimore, Luck digs down and finds enough to give his team an edge.

3. San Diego Chargers

The San Diego Chargers continue to fight through injuries and win games. With running back Ryan Mathews returning in a few weeks from a knee injury, the Chargers should be even better when the postseason hunt officially begins.

2. Denver Broncos

Another huge offensive performance and another win for the Denver Broncos. Now if only the franchise could score at will on the Seattle Seahawks like it did against Arizona Sunday.

1. Seattle Seahawks

The Washington Redskins don’t pose much of a threat to the Seattle Seahawks Monday night. As long as the team beats Washington in convincing fashion, Seattle will hold onto its spot as the top team in the league.

*Stats via NFL.com.

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