NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Initial Standings Ahead of Sunday's Slate of Games

With no Thursday night game this week, fans have to wait until Sunday for the next round of NFL action. This means we have a few extra days to soak in what occurred in Week 5.

One of the most significant occurrences of last week was the Las Vegas Raiders' shocking upset of the Kansas City Chiefs. It showed that the defending Super Bowl champions are vulnerable, not just in general but also within their own division.

While Kansas City still has a one-game lead over the Raiders in the AFC West, winning the division cannot be seen as a foregone conclusion.

The Tennessee Titans' total domination of the Buffalo Bills was also a telling development. Tennessee was widely viewed as a run-heavy and run-first team. However, quarterback Ryan Tannehill carved up the Bills defense with a 21-of-28, 195-yard, three-touchdown performance.

The Titans are a complete team and deserve to be considered among the league's legitimate 2020 title contenders.

How does the league stack up heading into Sunday's slate of games? Let's take a look.

NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. Kansas City Chiefs

3. Tennessee Titans

4. Seattle Seahawks

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Buffalo Bills

7. Pittsburgh Steelers

8. Los Angeles Rams

9. New Orleans Saints

10. Cleveland Browns

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

12. Chicago Bears

13. New England Patriots

14. Las Vegas Raiders

15. Arizona Cardinals

16. Indianapolis Colts

17. Carolina Panthers

18. Miami Dolphins

19. Philadelphia Eagles

20. Los Angeles Chargers

21. San Francisco 49ers

22. Dallas Cowboys

23. Minnesota Vikings

24. Denver Broncos

25. Detroit Lions

26. Cincinnati Bengals

27. Houston Texans

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Washington Football Team

30. Atlanta Falcons

31. New York Giants

32. New York Jets

1. Green Bay Packers

Mike Roemer/Associated Press

With the Chiefs taking a loss, the Green Bay Packers capture the top spot in a bye week. The Packers have been running over opponents even without star wide receiver Davante Adams. This is thanks to an opportunistic defense, an Offensive Player of the Year campaign by running back Aaron Jones and an MVP-caliber campaign by quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Rodgers has passed for 1,214 yards with 13 touchdowns and no interceptions through four games.

The Packers have a tough matchup in Week 6 against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but it sounds like they are expecting to get both Adams and tight end Marcedes Lewis back.

"Just getting those guys back in the fold is really, really important for us because they infuse our squad with a lot of confidence and allows other guys, I think, to play a little more free knowing we've got '17' and '89' back," Rodgers said, via the team's official website.

If Green Bay notches another quality win by beating the Buccaneers on Sunday, it'll be hard to deny their place at the top of the rankings.

11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Kamil Krzaczynski/Associated Press

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have an opportunity to prove they're one of the best teams in the NFL. They were widely viewed as Super Bowl contenders from the moment Brady made his free-agency decision this offseason, but injuries—they've dealt with a depleted receiving corps much of the season—and a few missteps have Tampa at 3-2.

A win over the 4-0 Packers would be huge. It would help establish Tampa as a top-10 team and give them a boost in the NFC South standings.

The state of the NFC South is one of the biggest factors working against the Buccaneers right now.

Thanks to some fast rebuilding and fantastic strategizing from new head coach Matt Rhule, the Carolina Panthers are contenders in the division. They and the New Orleans Saints also sit at 3-2 and could jump the Buccaneers if Tampa falls to Green Bay on Sunday.

Winning the division is far from a guarantee for Brady and Co., and emerging from the ranks of the wild-card teams could be a massive challenge.

23. Minnesota Vikings

Ted S. Warren/Associated Press

At 1-4, the Minnesota Vikings are in a tough spot. They don't flat-out stink like the New York Giants and New York Jets. They're also a long shot to overtake the Packers and the 4-1 Chicago Bears in the NFC North.

Even if Minnesota winds up in the running for a high draft pick and a new quarterback prospect, it's saddled with Kirk Cousins' contract for at least another year—he'll have $41 million in dead money remaining after this season, per Spotrac.

This is a make-or-break week for the Vikings because a loss to the Atlanta Falcons likely means they are staring down a lost season. A win would at least keep them alive in the wild-card race—and technically, in the NFC North.

Unfortunately, star running back Dalvin Cook is dealing with a groin injury and could miss Sunday's game.

If the Vikings are going to win, they'll likely have to do so with backup running back Alexander Mattison leading the charge.