NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Which Teams Are Separating from the Pack?

We're through four weeks of the 2011 NFL season and two teams have established themselves as superior to the rest of the league. The Green Bay Packers and New Orleans Saints faced off to open the season and showed there was very little difference between them, as the Packers prevailed 42-34. Since then, both teams have rolled, showing just how good they are.

The Packers smoked the Denver Broncos 49-23 on Sunday, improving to 4-0. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers may have proven himself to be the best quarterback in the NFL thus far in 2011. His league-best quarterback rating of 124.6 serves to illustrate that, as he is 13.3 points higher than second place (Tom Brady at 111.3). 

Green Bay's offense has been phenomenal so far this year. The Packers are averaging 429.3 yards per game (fifth in the NFL), and a league-high 37 points per game. While their defense has allowed 335.8 yards per game (31st in the NFL) most of that has come because they have been ahead in games and teams have almost exclusively thrown on them. Green Bay does have the league's second-best run defense, allowing just 71 yards per game.

Right now Rodgers is running the best offense in the NFL and has been so efficient he has made the Packers look unbeatable. 

While the Packers have raced to the top of the league, the Saints aren't far behind. New Orleans has reeled off three straight wins since dropping the opener in Green Bay, and have looked increasingly impressive each week. 

Quarterback Drew Brees leads the NFL's second-best offense (454 yards per game), but what has surprised about the Saints attack is its balance. New Orleans has the second-best passing attack in the league (335 yards per game) and the 10th-best rushing attack (119 yards per game). The fact that the Saints are running the ball so well this early in the season makes them even more dangerous.

New Orleans has also been relatively stout defensively, allowing 348 yards per game (15th in the NFL). With how good Brees and the Saints are offensively, they only need a middle-of-the-pack defense to be successful. 

With wins over the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans has established itself as one of the top two teams in the NFL. Unfortunately, after an extremely close loss to the Packers in Week 1, the Saints may have to wait until the playoffs to prove they deserve the top spot.

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