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

The NFL waters continue to be muddied this week as the best teams in the league became more obvious while potential breakout teams faltered, losing games that were winnable.

The Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers rose to the top of the NFC, joining the Atlanta Falcons as the elite in that conference. The tops in the AFC are less obvious, thanks to an unconvincing victory by the New England Patriots Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Steelers suffering an ugly loss to Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets earning a third straight victory.

Did any team do enough to unseat the Kansas City Chiefs as the undisputed best team in the league and if so, who?

These ratings reflect only the games played through Sunday night, October 8.

Power Rankings

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)

2. Philadelphia Eagles (4-1)

3. Green Bay Packers (4-1)

4. Atlanta Falcons (3-1)

5. Denver Broncos (3-1)

6. Carolina Panthers (4-1)

7. New England Patriots (3-2)

8. Detroit Lions (3-2)

9. Buffalo Bills (3-2)

10. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)

11. Los Angeles Rams (3-2)

12. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)

13. Washington Redskins (2-2)

14. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)

16. Minnesota Vikings (2-2)

17. New Orleans Saints (2-2)

18. New York Jets (3-2)

19. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)

20. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)

21. Houston Texans (2-3)

22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)

23. Miami Dolphins (2-2)

24. Oakland Raiders (2-3)

25. Tennessee Titans (2-3)

26. Arizona Cardinals (2-3) 

27. Indianapolis Colts (2-3)

28. Los Angeles Chargers (1-4)

29. Chicago Bears (1-3)

30. New York Giants (0-5)

31. San Francisco 49ers (0-5)

32. Cleveland Browns (0-5)

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What's Going On With The Steelers?

The week began with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger calling out star wideout Antonio Brown for being what he called a "distraction" while speaking to radio 93.7 The Fan (h/t CBS Pittsburgh). It ended Sunday afternoon with Roethlisberger tossing five interceptions in a 30-9 thumping at the hands of the Jacksonville Jaguars and the two-time Super Bowl champion questioning whether he has it anymore, per NFL.com.

"Maybe I don't have it anymore. I'm not playing well enough," he told reporters in response to questions about his play.

Public shots dealt at the expense of a star wide receiver and wavering confidence on the part of Big Ben are hardly synonymous with the Steelers brand of football. Though the team is still 3-2 and leading the AFC North, one has to wonder if they can sustain that spot atop the division given the way Roethlisberger has played to this point.

The leader of the offense has a 6:7 touchdown-to-interception ratio and has averaged under seven yards a play. He has topped 300 yards passing just once, ironically enough in Sunday's loss, and has a disappointing, cumulative QB rating of 75.8, all per NFL.com.

Those are not numbers that will win Roethlisberger and his team many games going forward, especially as defenses find their footing and other teams catch up to the black and gold.

A team with such promise, and an offense some expected to be the most dynamic and explosive in the NFL, now limps into a Week 6 showdown with the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. If Roethlisberger does not rediscover his confidence and get back on the same page with Brown, a team that once started red-hot with a 3-1 record could find itself sitting at .500 as the heart of the NFL season approaches.

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Fly, Eagles, Fly

The Philadelphia Eagles are rolling, thanks to a young quarterback coming into his own and a running game that is effective.

Ranked fifth in the league with just over 130 yards a game, the LeGarrette Blount-led ground attack has been key in establishing a balanced offense. The 30-year-old running back averaged 5.3 yards per carry during Sunday's Week 5 win over Arizona. Blount, the ninth-ranked running back in the NFL, has brought a physicality and toughness to the team it did not have before.

Carson Wentz threw for four touchdowns in a dominant, one-sided victory over the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5 but will face a hotter, more confident team in the Carolina Panthers Thursday night.

If Wentz can approach the game in Carolina with the precision and confidence he showed Sunday in Philadelphia, he may not only upset the Panthers in their home stadium, he may catapult himself into the MVP discussion.

It will be of the utmost importance that Wentz continues to use his feet to bide himself time in the face of a pass rush, survey the field and find receivers open 20, 30 or even 40 yards downfield. If he can do that, while utilizing the likes of tight ends Brent Celek and Zack Ertz in the middle of the field, the Eagles could find themselves at 5-1 and dominate the NFC East.

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Are The Jets For Real?

Do not look now, but the New York Jets, once laughed off and left for dead as the potential worst team in football, find themselves at 3-2 and leading the AFC East.

Yes, the same AFC East that houses the New England Patriots.

On first glance, there is nothing magical, explosive or exciting about the Jets. Their numbers are hardly impressive, and the team is not getting much help from the passing game, which is averaging just 189.4 yards per game, according to NFL.com.

What the Jets are doing, though, is running the ball to the tune of 111.4 yards per game, good enough for 12th in the league.

Their defense is mediocre, to say the least, and their offense is as bare bones as it gets. Here they are, though, tied for the top of the AFC East.

A team that was once considered the worst in football on paper, with a quarterback situation that would have made Jacksonville cringe, has rallied around the players they have and their talented head coach Todd Bowles.

Whether they make it to the playoffs or even finish the regular season with a winning record is in doubt.