NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Initial Standings Post Thursday Night Football

Heading into Week 6 of the 2014 NFL season, not a single undefeated team remains. While it's been a rather turbulent season for many squads, tight divisional races through five weeks indicate a very balanced and highly competitive league—perhaps more so than in years past.

We received another example of this, as the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Houston Texans on Thursday Night Football to kick off Week 6. With the victory, the Colts take sole possession of first place in the AFC South; however, the race remains tight in a division once thought to be easily dominated by Indianapolis.

Now comes the burning question: Of all the league's teams, which are the most powerful?

The answer to that question must combine several factors. Team records, quality wins, hot streaks and the overall product put on the field all weigh heavily when determining which franchises are the NFL's elite—for this week, anyway.

Taking all of that into consideration, here are your Week 6 power rankings following Thursday Night Football.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars

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The Jaguars looked a bit better in Week 5, holding the Pittsburgh Steelers to just 10 points of offense. However, a stagnant offense led to the only 0-5 record in the league and a negative-102 point margin—the largest in the NFL by far—this year.

This young team has plenty of potential talent, and Bleacher Report's Michael Tanier tweeted some praise:

Nevertheless, Jacksonville is still a couple of years away before it's able to compete.

31. Oakland Raiders

After being trounced by a shaky Miami Dolphins team in Week 4, the Raiders were afforded a bye. That may be the team's only chance of getting through a week without a loss this season. Derek Carr needs lots of time to develop into a viable quarterback, and the team's switch at head coach probably won't produce any immediate positive results. Get ready for a long season in Oakland.

30. Washington Redskins

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Kirk Cousins looked a bit better in Week 5 against a very good Seattle Seahawks defense. He's developed a nice chemistry with wide receiver DeSean Jackson, and the team's passing game looked more polished as a result. It's a completely different story on the defensive side of the ball.

While Seattle put up 27 points, three separate Percy Harvin touchdowns were called back by offensive penalties. The game wasn't a rout, but it could have been, due to a secondary that's playing some pretty bad football this season.

29. Tennessee Titans

Week 5 was a tale of two halves for the Titans. At one point, Tennessee was up by 25 points on the Cleveland Browns and then lost by a score of 29-28. The team completely imploded, losing its fourth consecutive game and quarterback Jake Locker with a thumb injury in the process. Things aren't looking up in Tennessee right now.

28. New York Jets

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In Week 5, we learned that the Jets have two quarterbacks who are incapable of leading their offense. Both Geno Smith and Michael Vick looked horrid during the 31-0 shutout loss to the San Diego Chargers. Pete Prisco of CBS Sports tweeted one of the reasons for the team's stagnant passing attack:

Even a once-stout run defense was torched by Branden Oliver and Co. during the contest. This team is beginning to look worse by the week.

27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Despite holding a 1-4 record, the Buccaneers have made some progress in recent weeks. Quarterback Mike Glennon led the team to a last-minute victory over the Steelers in Week 4 and into overtime against the New Orleans Saints in Week 5. Tampa Bay still has some holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball, but there's clear improvement from what we saw earlier in the season.

26. St. Louis Rams

Austin Davis has been a revelation for this team. He kept the Rams in the mix against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 5, throwing for 375 yards and three touchdowns. On the defensive side of the ball, St. Louis has a decent secondary, but until it can control the line of scrimmage and stop the run, it will be a very tough climb to the top.

25. New Orleans Saints

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The Saints may hold the title of being the most disappointing team through five weeks this season. New Orleans isn't out of contention with a 2-3 record, but the Saints have failed to live up to expectations in every game this year. Getting blown out by the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 and being taken into overtime by the Buccaneers in Week 5 doesn't exactly instill confidence going forward.

24. Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons are another team that didn't live up to expectations so far this season; however, an unfortunate rash of injuries—most notably along the offensive line—can be considered the root cause. Unfortunately, if Matt Ryan isn't given time to get the ball in the air and put points on the board, this team won't rack up many wins due to a poor pass rush and secondary. 

23. Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota looked like a completely different team with rookie quarterback Teddy Bridgewater at the helm. He was very impressive in the Vikings' Week 4 contest against the Falcons, but without him, the rest of the team faltered and was crushed by the Green Bay Packers in Week 5. Luckily, we'll see the rookie back in action on Sunday, according to Lions beat writer Tim Twentyman:

If Bridgewater can prove he is capable of consistently playing at a high level, Minnesota could shoot up the rankings.

22. Miami Dolphins

It will be interesting to see which Dolphins team—and which version of Ryan Tannehill—shows up in Week 6. Miami looked terrible in Weeks 2 and 3 but appeared to right the ship against the Raiders in Week 4. Now, the team runs into a hot Packers team after its bye. This is a very pivotal matchup for a Dolphins squad that is looking to establish some kind of confidence and momentum.

21. Chicago Bears

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For as good as Chicago's offense can be, turnovers and the defense's inability to get off the field have been big issues. The Bears have suffered total meltdowns over the past two weeks, and interceptions are becoming a problem for quarterback Jay Cutler once again. Adjustments are necessary to avoid another free fall down these rankings.

20. Cleveland Browns

The Browns have a big chance to jump up the power rankings over the next several weeks. This team has been quietly playing well thanks to a good running game and an efficient Brian Hoyer. With upcoming contests against Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Oakland and Tampa Bay, Cleveland has a big opportunity to accumulate some wins. However, falling behind by 25 points through two quarters simply cannot be a trend for a franchise with nice potential.

19. Kansas City Chiefs

Kansas City continues to improve. After a rough start to the season, the Chiefs looked great against the Dolphins and New England Patriots, rattling off two strong wins. Alex Smith and Co. hung tough with the San Francisco 49ers, losing by five points in Week 5, but the limited usage of star running back Jamaal Charles remains a concern.

18. Pittsburgh Steelers

Pittsburgh's 3-2 record looks better than the team has actually performed of late. Aside from a big win over the Carolina Panthers, the Steelers have played mediocre football to this point in the season. After losing to the Buccaneers in Week 4 and edging out a close win over the Jaguars in Week 5, this team needs to make a big statement to warrant a move up the rankings.

Getting back rookie linebacker Ryan Shazier will be a big boost for this team, and according to Aditi Kinkhabwala of NFL Network, that's a possibility for Week 6:

17. Houston Texans

After falling behind by 24 points on Thursday night, the Texans rallied and made a game of it. The defense started in sluggish fashion, but thanks to J.J. Watt, it became a force late in the contest. On the offensive side of the ball, Arian Foster looked great on the ground, but there is a deficiency at the quarterback position.

While Ryan Fitzpatrick finished with an efficient stat line and accumulated a passer rating of 109.3, he just doesn't have the ability to keep pace with a high-octane offense like that of the Colts. Houston must begin to rely on the run and tighten back up on the defensive side for a full 60 minutes to generate wins.

16. Carolina Panthers

After suffering two embarrassing blowout losses to the Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, the Panthers fought back in Week 5, defeating the Bears by a touchdown. While Cam Newton has played well this season, the team's lack of a running game and suddenly soft defense raise some questions over how well Carolina will fare against well-rounded opponents. We'll find out this week as the Panthers travel north to face the Cincinnati Bengals.

15. Detroit Lions

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Detroit looked like one of the league's better teams through four weeks; however, a loss to the Buffalo Bills in Week 5 changed that. The Lions defense gave up more than 300 passing yards to Kyle Orton, and a vastly talented offense couldn't muster any more than 14 points. A Week 6 contest against the Vikings will provide the Lions a good chance for a rebound.

14. Buffalo Bills

Buffalo's defense earned a big win against Detroit in Week 5. Orton was decent under center, relying heavily on Sammy Watkins and Fred Jackson to do his dirty work, but he'll need to get better in Week 6 to contend with a surging Patriots team. A decisive victory here could send Buffalo soaring back up the standings, but a big loss will do the opposite. This is a very important week for the Bills.

13. San Francisco 49ers

For the second consecutive week, the 49ers outlasted their opponent, winning a close one against the Chiefs. San Francisco is wildly better when involving Frank Gore and the running game more often to pair with a solid defense. If head coach Jim Harbaugh can stick to that strategy, this team will win plenty of games and catapult up the power rankings as a result.

12. Green Bay Packers

Aaron Rodgers is in midseason form, and the NFL is officially on notice. He has torched the Bears and Vikings secondaries in two consecutive weeks. NFL Network's Jeff Darlington summed up the quarterback's last two weeks:

Aside from the team's offensive resurgence, even Green Bay's defense is starting to show signs of improvement. Continuing that trend and earning a Week 6 victory over the Dolphins should be enough for this team to break into the top 10.

11. Baltimore Ravens

After Baltimore's offense teed off on the Panthers in Week 4, it was completely held in check by a Colts defense that couldn't stop much of anyone in prior weeks. Joe Flacco proved to be a very inconsistent quarterback once again, but he'll have a good chance to rebound in Week 6 against a very bad Tampa Bay secondary.

10. New York Giants

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The Giants are on an absolute tear right now. Huge wins over the Texans and Redskins, followed by a big comeback against the Falcons, suddenly give New York a top-10 ranking. Eli Manning has performed very well in his new offensive system, and the Giants have been solid in the trenches on both sides of the ball. A big contest against the Eagles in Week 6 could shift the balance of power in the NFC East.

9. Arizona Cardinals

Arizona suffered its first loss in Week 5, allowing Peyton Manning to throw for a career-high 479 yards in the process. It will be difficult for the Cardinals to compete with better teams without quarterback Carson Palmer in the fold. With Logan Thomas set to receive his first career start in Week 6, a win is not set in stone—even against the Redskins.

8. Indianapolis Colts

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The Colts continued to roll on Thursday night. Andrew Luck continued his MVP-like pace, throwing for 370 yards and three scores. T.Y. Hilton went off for 223 receiving yards, and the defense looked sharp for the most part, allowing 21 points to Houston's offense. This team looks more dangerous by the week, and thanks to the early game, Indianapolis now gets a full 10 days to prepare for its Week 7 contest against Cincinnati.

7. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles notched their fourth win of the season in Week 5 against the Rams—albeit, another ugly one. LeSean McCoy is still struggling to get going, and Nick Foles has lost his high level of efficiency. Additionally, this team's defense is still full of holes. We'll see what Philadelphia is truly made of in a pivotal Week 6 contest against the Giants.

6. Cincinnati Bengals

Cincinnati showed the nation what a team-wide meltdown looks like on Sunday Night Football against the Patriots. After being considered as arguably the league's most dominant team, the Bengals faltered under the bright lights of prime-time football once again.

Still, this team is talented, and that contest may be more of an outlier than anything; however, Cincinnati will have to prove that against Carolina in Week 6. That won't be easy without one of the team's most talented players, via NFL Network's Ian Rapoport:

5. New England Patriots

New England looked back in form in Week 5 against the Bengals. The team was firing on all cylinders in all phases of the game, and that resulted in a big 43-17 victory. Tom Brady and Co. were fired up in front of their home crowd, but keeping that momentum going in a hostile environment will be a task. A Week 6 road contest against the Bills will determine if this team is really back on track.

4. Dallas Cowboys

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In Week 2, the Cowboys discovered a winning formula: Taking the weight off Tony Romo's shoulders by running DeMarco Murray heavily wins football games. Not only has that offensive strategy resulted in four consecutive victories, but the Dallas defense is playing surprisingly well. A Week 6 contest against the Seahawks will determine if this team is truly worthy of a top-five ranking.

3. Denver Broncos

Manning continues to look ageless at the quarterback position, and Denver's aerial attack looks as solid as ever. The Broncos played well in most phases of the game against the Cardinals in Week 5; however, an inconsistent running game combined with a groin injury to Montee Ball doesn't bode well for a balanced scheme going forward. Still, if any offense works without balance, it's Manning's.

2. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks earned a 10-point victory on Monday Night Football, looking mostly impressive in a prime-time road contest. However, self-inflicted errors became a big issue, wiping out several would-be touchdowns. Also, allowing a 102.0 passer rating to Cousins doesn't look good for a once-heralded secondary that now ranks just 22nd in the league against the pass. A big matchup against Dallas in Week 6 will determine if Seattle is truly the NFC's best.

1. San Diego Chargers

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Don't look now, but the Chargers are the NFL's most powerful team heading into Week 6. After losing by a last-second score in Week 1, San Diego has steamrolled four straight opponents—most recently crushing the Jets 31-0. This team is clicking in all phases of the game. Philip Rivers is playing lights out, and Branden Oliver looks like a revelation in the backfield. Furthermore, the defense is giving up a league-best 12.6 points per game.

According to Michael Gehlkin of U-T San Diego, the Chargers may be getting a boost to the offensive line in Week 6:

Expect the Chargers to remain on top for at least another week, as they face Oakland on Sunday.