NFL Power Rankings after Week Five

That's right everybody, already five weeks down in the National Football League. Already we have found out who is for real and which teams are fading into the cluster of humiliation.

For the first time all year I'm going to give my Power Rankings.

1. Tennessee Titans (5-0)

Unless you're a die hard Titans fan I can pretty much guarantee that you didn't expect the Titans to be 5-0, let alone leading the division. With their smash mouth defense the Titans are winning ball games every week. Kerry Collins has stepped in nicely for Vince Young. Rookie Chris Johnson has proved to be the star of the 2008 draft.

2. New York Giants (4-0)

Once again, the Giants are leading the NFC. Despite so many losses such as Michael Strahan (retired), Osi Umenyiora (out for season), Gibril Wilson (free agent), Kawika Mitchell (free agent), Reggie Torbor (free agent), and Jeremy Shockey (trade), Eli Manning has been very impressive thus far as well as Brandon Jacobs.

3. Washington Redskins (4-1)

Washington was expected by most to be last in the NFC East division. Lo and behold, the Redskins are tied for second with the Dallas Cowboys. Second year starter Jason Campbell has over 1,000 yards along with six touchdowns. Possibly the comeback player of the year, Santana Moss has 421 receiving yards with three touchdowns.

4. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)

Already three NFC East teams in the top five. As expected Dallas is one of the better teams in the league. Led by Tony Romo, the Cowboys are 4-1. Marion Barber has 395 yards on the ground. Rookie Felix Jones has 244 yards rushing with three touchdowns not to mention 412 return yards.

5. Carolina Panthers (4-1)

The No. 5 spot was tough for me but I give the nod to Carolina. A surprise team who leads the NFC South. Jake Delhomme, who missed most of last year, has impressed so far. The defense has only given up 70 points in five games.

6. Pittsburgh Steelers (4-1)

Pittsburgh has edged out three games so far which is why they aren't at the No. 5 spot. Even with that fact, the Steelers are a better team than last year. Ben Roethlisberger has played with injuries throughout the year and the Steelers must get healthy quickly. Willie Parker can't afford to miss any more games.

7. Denver Broncos (7-1)

Another surprise in the AFC. Denver has scored a league high 149 points this year. They also have given up the third most, though. Denver's defense was impressive against Tampa Bay. Jay Cutler is my MVP this year. Hopefully Denver maintains their offensive dominance.

8. Buffalo Bills (4-1)

Buffalo suffered their first loss of the year on Sunday. Trent Edwards left the game with a concussion and was replaced by J.P. Losman. I rank Buffalo at eight because if Losman is the quarterback, the Bills will struggle to win ball games at the rate they have.

9. New England Patriots (3-1)

It is shocking to some that New England is still winning ball games. When Tom Brady was diagnosed with a torn ACL and announced out for the year I can quote myself as saying, "They're done." To my surprise they are in no way done. Matt Cassel hasn't been very consistent, but if he can pick it up a little more New England will be scary once again.

10. Chicago Bears (3-2)

The leaders of the NFC North are back and hungry. Back to their 2006 smash mouth defensive ways. Kyle Orton is no doubt the future quarterback for the Bears. Matt Forte is a top candidate for Rookie of the Year with his play so far. If the defense can maintain its play, look for Chicago to continue to win.

11. Arizona Cardinals (3-2)

Kurt Warner at the helm equals success for the Cardinals. Anquan Boldin should be back this week which means trouble for opposing defenses. Arizona ended Buffalo's undefeated season on Sunday and Adrian Wilson was the man responsible for decking Trent Edwards. Arizona plays physical and this is why they win.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)

Time for Jeff Garcia, anyone? Brian Griese left Sunday's ballgame with a shoulder injury against the Broncos. Tampa doesn't win with offense they win with defense. Hopefully Tampa can keep up their terrific run and pass defense all year long.

13. Indianapolis Colts (2-2)

The Colts edged out a victory over the Texans on Sunday. Indianapolis is struggling but they won't be for long. Peyton Manning will pull the troops together and tell them to shape it up. Joseph Addai will soon step it up and find his way down the field like he did last year.

14. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)

Philadelphia is in major trouble if they are without Brian Westbrook. He is the star player for the entire team. Westbrook can return kicks, catch the ball, and run. McNabb must pick the pace up a little more if they want to remain in the pack. Asante Samuel was a great signing by the way.

15. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)

They have already matched last year's win total. Way to go Atlanta! Although they are 3-2, I believe the Falcons are vastly overrated. Quote me on this: The Falcons will not make the playoffs. Their team is young and full of up-and-comers, but they can't compete with the great teams of the league.

16. San Diego Chargers (2-3)

How do you lose to the Dolphins? I'll tell you how—be the slumping San Diego Chargers.  Along with the majority of others, I expected the Chargers to be on the top of the AFC, but under 500 is simply terrible (Charles Barkley). San Diego needs to pick up their talented offense. The absence of Shawne Merriman has proven to be the reason the defense allows too many points.

17. Green Bay Packers (2-3)

A three-game skid for such a good team is unacceptable. Green Bay has slipped to under .500. I bet you wish you had that guy who threw six touchdowns in one game this year. What is his name? Brett Favre or something? Oh, yeah, that's him! Al Harris and Atari Bigby hopefully will return to the team very soon.

18. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)

Yet another disappointment! Jacksonville is falling back in the division and is on the outside looking in. David Garrard is not the quarterback I expected him to be. The Jags can't get the running game going either. Thank goodness the "D" is looking decent.

19. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)

A two-game skid has hurt to the Ravens. I still believe they are overrated but have a legitimate chance to be a playoff team. Joe Flacco is a pleasant surprise. Le'Ron McClain—ever heard of him? I hadn't before this season. McClain is now the Ravens' starter with the injury to Willis McGahee.

20. Minnesota Vikings (2-3)

Is No. 20 too early for the Vikings? Maybe, maybe not. Minnesota has had one of the toughest schedules in the league this year. Minnesota has a tremendous chance to make the playoffs considering how terrible the NFC North has been this season. Bernard Berrian finally has a touchdown and Visanthe Shiancoe isn't dropping catches. YES!

21. New Orleans Saints (2-3)

When healthy, New Orleans is one of the better teams in all of football. Marques Colston, David Patten, Sedrick Ellis, Jeremy Shockey, and Mark Simoneau have all missed games which hurts both sides of the ball. Still, New Orleans has one of the top offenses in the league with Drew Brees at QB.

22. New York Jets (2-2)

Brett Favre was a great addition. New York has been a great turn-around compared to last season. Both sides of the ball are vastly improved. Jerricho Cotchery and Laveranues are a good 1-2 receiving core. Thomas Jones is still looking sharp. The defense, on the other hand, has room for improvement.

23. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)

San Fran is only one game back in their division. It's pathetic to know that the winner of that division could only have to win nine games. San Francisco's offense is better off with O'Sullivan at the helm. Isaac Bruce is a key addition. Patrick Willis and the defense is looking decent once again.

24. Miami Dolphins (2-2)

Great against the good teams, but terrible against the bad teams. Defeating both New England and San Diego is huge to the Dolphins. Miami has already doubled their win total from last year which is always a good thing. Chad Pennington has proved to be the reason the behind offense's improvement. Ronnie Brown hasn't been too shabby either.

25. Seattle Seahawks (1-3)

If I may quote Chris Berman, "Come on, Seattle!" What has happened to the team that was in the Super Bowl three years ago? Injuries at wide receiver hurt, but it's hardly an excuse. Deion Branch is out indefinitely once again. Time to hang it up, bro. The defense is a huge disappointment.

26. Oakland Raiders (1-3)

Oakland is a failure, once again. Sure, a win against the Chiefs is good, but wins need to come more often. Oakland brought in DeAngelo Hall and Gibril Wilson for a reason but they still haven't shown up to fully make an impact. JaMarcus Russell has looked terrible this year. Starting to look like Brady Quinn should have been the choice.

27. Cleveland Browns (1-3)

A 10-win team last year, the Browns have only one win through four games. Derek Anderson is no where near the quarterback he was last year. Braylon Edwards is dropping passes left and right. A win over Cincinnati was crucial to their season. In the offseason Cleveland needs defensive help.

28. Houston Texans (0-4)

I still believe Houston has a ton of potential. Giving up 21 points in two minutes to the Colts was a shame. Houston's defense is still fairly physical, but it must improve and soon. Steve Slaton could be the answer at running back for the time being. Matt Schaub must find his targets and get the ball there.

29. Kansas City Chiefs (1-3)

No points on Sunday. Pathetic. Kansas City was lucky to win over Denver. The Chiefs' defense gets obliterated every single week. The offense can't do much better. Larry Johnson is currently the only thing working for the Chiefs. They need offensive line help as soon as they can get it.

30. Cincinnati Bengals (0-5)

Where is the offense? Carson Palmer is no place to be found. Chad Johnson is not getting the ball like he should. It's a messed up time in Ohio. The Bengals need to find their rhythm. They have plenty of talent but they must find a way to use it all in one game, not throughout a series of games.

31. Detroit Lions (0-4)

Seven points to the Bears. Honestly, that's it? I personally expected Detroit's offense to be one of the better ones in the NFC. Kevin Smith was supposed to be the answer to the running problems, but clearly he isn't. Detroit's defense has also been run over all year long.

32. St. Louis Rams (0-4)

Marc Bulger, Torry Holt, and Steven Jackson. How are the Rams so terrible? The Rams fired Scott Linehan already and are now handing the clipboard over to Jim Haslett. St. Louis is the worst team in the NFL. Chris Long does not deserve to be on such a waste of a team. I hope for the Rams' sake they can get a win this year.