NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Post-Thursday Night Football Standings, Review

Week 5 of the NFL season is off to a perfect start if you are a fan of aging veterans.

Quarterback Matt Hasselbeck—who is 40 years old—threw two touchdowns in relief of an injured Andrew Luck and led the Indianapolis Colts to a 27-20 victory over the Houston Texans. Both of those touchdown passes went to 34-year-old receiver Andre Johnson, and 32-year-old running back Frank Gore added 98 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Just for good measure, 42-year-old kicker Adam Vinatieri made two field goals and three extra points. 

Johnson’s 77 receiving yards and two scores were particularly difficult for Houston to deal with since the Texans released the receiver and former face of the franchise after 12 seasons with the team. ESPN’s Skip Bayless discussed the playmaker’s performance:

As for the Texans, the defense failed to make critical stops against the veteran-laden Indianapolis offense. What’s more, there may be a quarterback controversy on hand since Brian Hoyer took over for Ryan Mallett and threw for 312 yards and two touchdowns. Both scores went to rookie Jaelen Strong, although DeAndre Hopkins tallied 169 receiving yards.

Despite the solid numbers, Hoyer threw a backbreaking interception on his team’s final drive with an opportunity to tie the score.

The Colts have now won 16 straight AFC South games and reasserted their dominance in the division. Indianapolis is clearly atop its division, but here is a look at where they stand relative to the rest of the league in the latest power rankings: 

Rank	Team	Record
1	New England Patriots	3-0
2	Green Bay Packers	4-0
3	Denver Broncos	4-0
4	Cincinnati Bengals	4-0
5	Atlanta Falcons	4-0
6	Carolina Panthers	4-0
7	Arizona Cardinals	3-1
8	Seattle Seahawks	2-2
9	New York Jets	3-1
10	St. Louis Rams	2-2
11	Indianapolis Colts	3-2
12	New York Giants	2-2
13	Minnesota Vikings	2-2
14	Pittsburgh Steelers	2-2
15	Dallas Cowboys	2-2
16	Buffalo Bills	2-2
17	San Diego Chargers	2-2
18	Baltimore Ravens	1-3
19	Oakland Raiders	2-2
20	Kansas City Chiefs	1-3
21	Washington	2-2
22	Philadelphia Eagles	1-3
23	New Orleans Saints	1-3
24	Chicago Bears	1-3
25	San Francisco 49ers	1-3
26	Jacksonville Jaguars	1-3
27	Cleveland Browns	1-3
28	Tennessee Titans	1-2
29	Miami Dolphins	1-3
30	Detroit Lions	0-4
31	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	1-3
32	Houston Texans	1-4

Week 5 Game to Watch: Seattle Seahawks at Cincinnati Bengals

Frank Victores/Associated Press

The Cincinnati Bengals have flirted with entering elite territory over the past few years, and this year is their best chance to do just that.

The undefeated Bengals host the Seattle Seahawks Sunday, which will pit one of the most explosive offenses in the league against one of the stoutest defenses. Cincinnati is fourth in the NFL in points per game, while Seattle is third in the league in points allowed per game.

The Seahawks are defined by their defense and the Legion of Boom, but they will be tested by Andy Dalton, Jeremy Hill, Giovani Bernard, A.J. Green, Mohamed Sanu, Marvin Jones and Tyler Eifert Sunday.

While Dalton is often criticized for his lackluster playoff showings, he has been the model of consistency this season and has nine touchdown passes to only one interception. He also topped 300 passing yards in each of the last two contests with a dangerous receiving corps that forces opposing defenses to pick their poison.

If defenses double-team Green, Eifert makes plays over the middle or Sanu breaks plays with his speed. If opponents focus too much on that aerial attack, Hill picks up tough yardage between the tackles and the shifty Bernard makes defenders miss in space.

If there is any defense in the league that is geared to stop the explosive Cincinnati attack, it is Seattle’s, but it won’t have the 12th Man behind it on the road.

The Seahawks may be limited on the other side of the ball as well if superstar running back Marshawn Lynch is forced to miss his second straight game with a hamstring injury.

Coach Pete Carroll addressed Lynch’s status during his press conference, per Seahawks.com's Tony Drovetto: "We’re going day to day on this thing and it will take us all the way until the end of the week before we know. He did make a lot of progress last week and was able to run around some and all that. He’s worked really hard at it, so we’ll see if we can get it done.”

Veteran backup Fred Jackson suffered a high ankle sprain in the team’s last contest and may miss the showdown with the Bengals.

Seattle’s offense appeared vulnerable during a 13-10 victory over the Detroit Lions with three turnovers. Quarterback Russell Wilson was also sacked six times, and Lynch’s absence made it easier for the defensive line to focus more of its attention on the signal-caller.

That is a problem for the Seahawks because the Bengals are sixth in the league with 11 sacks and ninth in the league in points allowed per game. Cincinnati also hasn’t allowed more than 24 points in a single contest this year, and that 24-point outing came from a Baltimore Ravens team that needed a defensive touchdown to reach that total.

If the Bengals defense plays like it has all year against a potentially limited Seattle offense, Dalton and company won’t have to put up too many points against the stout Seahawks.

The Cincinnati crowd will also prove to be a factor. The Bengals have lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the last four seasons and settled into a role as one of the better teams in the league—but below the elite Super Bowl contenders.

That may not be the case this season with their extensive list of playmakers and a strong defense, and the crowd will sense an opportunity to move to 5-0 and make a profound statement against the two-time defending NFC champions. Expect Cincinnati supporters to be raucous from the opening kickoff as the Bengals weapons prove to be the ultimate difference against the Legion of Boom.

Prediction: Bengals 24, Seahawks 20