NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Falcons Soar, 49ers in Freefall, Who's No. 1?
Another week in the books, and we're breaking down all of the teams with this week's power ranks.
Some teams shot to the top while others have started to tumble. It's a fluid situation, and it was no more evident than this week.
Do you agree with my picks, or would you have it differently? Leave it in the comments and air it out.
Nos. 21-32: Bottom of The Barrel
1 of 21
32: Buffalo—There's just not much that can be said; the Bills are just awful.
31: Oakland—Close, but yet again, not enough for Raider Nation.
30: Carolina—If I'm Steve Smith, I'm in no hurry to get back to the lineup.
29: San Francisco—The 49ers find fun, new ways to lose each week.
28: Detroit—Scrappy team, but just not enough talent right now.
27: Cleveland—I'm not sure if that win spoke more about the Browns or the Bengals.
26: Arizona—The Cardinals just did not show up to play at all on Sunday.
25: Tampa Bay—Didn't play anyone, but I'm not impressed so far.
24: Seattle—They can't win on the road, but are world-beaters at home.
23: St. Louis—Don't look now, but the Rams are .500 and in first place.
22: Washington—Solid, but unimpressive win against the Eagles this week.
21: Denver—Good win against Tennessee, but it was gift-wrapped.
No. 20: Jacksonville
2 of 21
While beating the Colts is an impressive feat, the Jaguars have looked awful at times this season and historically give Indianapolis trouble. I'd be more willing to bet on this as a fluke than anything else.
No. 19: NY Giants
3 of 21
The Giants won on Sunday, but it wasn't pretty as they slowly wore down the Bears to an unimpressive victory.
There's still plenty to worry about if I'm a Giants fan. Don't think the G-Men are back, because they're not.
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No. 18: Minnesota
4 of 21
Brett Favre is already struggling with interceptions.
I don't think the ball-hawking Jets defense is going to help any. It's going to be a long night for the Vikes.
No. 17: Dallas
5 of 21
The Cowboys got in the win column with a big win against Houston.
It will be another tough test against Tennessee on Sunday. The offensive line will be tested early and often against the Titans' swarming linemen.
No. 16: Cincinnati
6 of 21
The Bengals just lost to the Browns. If that isn't humiliating, I don't know what is.
I think it's time to forget about those Super Bowl aspirations in Cincinnati if I'm a Bengals fan, and start worrying about finding a new quarterback.
No. 15: Philadelphia
7 of 21
Philly suffered an ugly loss to Washington, who really shouldn't have won on Sunday.
We've seen Kevin Kolb under center in Philly, and it wasn't pretty. These could be a long two weeks without Michael Vick.
No. 14: Tennessee
8 of 21
The Titans gave a winnable game away against Denver this week, and you have to start to wonder about Jeff Fisher.
Fisher has done a shaky job over the past year, and good faith doesn't last very long in the NFL. Maybe it's time for a change.
No. 13: San Diego
9 of 21
The Chargers ran all over Arizona on Sunday, but keep in mind that it was the Cardinals who were being quarterbacked by Max Hall.
Color me unimpressed with the victory. I like San Diego, but not enough to shoot them up the rankings.
No. 12: Miami
10 of 21
A poor performance from Chad Henne and an even worse showing from the Miami special teams doomed the Dolphins against New England last night.
Miami has fired its special teams coach, so we'll see if that helps at all.
It can't be worse.
No. 11: Chicago
11 of 21
Jay Cutler has a concussion, and that's the least of his worries seeing as he holds on to the ball entirely too long and his line isn't giving him much help, either.
The Bears had been escaping for a few weeks, but it looks like the air might be out of the sails.
No. 10: Kansas City
12 of 21
The Kansas City Chiefs are the only undefeated team in football. Let that sink in for a minute.
You can't knock an undefeated record, but the resume isn't good enough for a higher showing in the rankings. A win over the Colts this week, and we're talking.
No. 9: Houston
13 of 21
Houston squeaked out a win against the Raiders this week.
I'm not sold on the Texans yet, and this performance helped further that belief. Andre Johnson is still dinged up, and that's going to hinder Matt Schaub's numbers a bit until he's 100 percent healthy.
However, the Texans are the AFC South leaders.
No. 8: New England
14 of 21
An impressive showing for the Patriots' defense and special teams this week.
The special teams blocked two kicks, running one back for a touchdown and a kick return for a touchdown.
New England won without Randy Moss making a single catch. There's something to be said for that.
No. 7: NY Jets
15 of 21
A well-deserved week off for the Jets leads into a Monday night matchup against Brett Favre.
Expect plenty of big plays from Gang Green in primetime with Favre under center. I'm calling at least two picks.
No. 6: Indianapolis
16 of 21
A really tough loss for the Colt,s but Indy is playing pretty banged up, especially at safety and wideout.
Peyton Manning will stabilize the team and keep the production rolling for the Colts. He's just too good not to.
No. 5: Atlanta
17 of 21
The Falcons just keep finding ways to win, even if it's not pretty.
Roddy White deserves more than a game ball for his effort toward the end of the game against the 49ers. Those plays turn teams into champions.
No. 4: Green Bay
18 of 21
The Packers had issues putting the Lions away on Sunday, but I don't forget that Detroit is a scrappy team and will be in plenty of games this year.
Green Bay still needs to work on protection and penalty issues to be successful.
No. 3: New Orleans
19 of 21
The Saints just haven't looked like the Saints, and I'd be a little worried if I'm them. There just isn't the same explosiveness or drive that we saw last year.
Championships do that to a team.
No. 2: Pittsburgh
20 of 21
Had Pittsburgh gone 4-0 without Ben Roethlisberger, it would have been one of the more amazing feats in some time.
However, 3-1 isn't half bad, either. With Big Ben back, the AFC needs to be on high-alert.
No. 1: Baltimore
21 of 21
Wins over the Jets and the Steelers make the Ravens the team to beat in the AFC, regardless of how ugly the wins are.
A win is a win, and that's how the Ravens win ballgames. Things are clicking now in Baltimore.
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