NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Arizona Cardinals and 3 Bottom Feeders That Will Rise

Four weeks into the season, we have a pretty good idea which teams represent the cream of the crop in the NFL. On the flip side, we also have a pretty good idea which teams are going to occupy the bottom of the barrel all season long.

Generally speaking, these are the teams that are either 1-3 or 0-4 after four games. There are more than enough to choose from, and each of them have done everything in their power to earn their rotten records.

Yes, that includes the Philadelphia Eagles.

But it's not all bad. The only way for these teams to go is up, and there are three in particular that I think will move in that direction in Week 5.

Arizona Cardinals (No. 24)

Had the refs reached a different conclusion on Victor Cruz's catch late in the fourth quarter, the Cardinals would probably heading into Week 5 with a 2-2 record. Instead, they're 1-3.

Lucky for them, the Cardinals get to face one of the few teams in the league with a record worse than their own, as they will travel to Minnesota to take on the 0-4 Vikings.

The Cardinals have problems, but the Vikings are an absolute mess. One of their biggest problems is defending the pass, as they are 28th in the league in opponents' passing yards with 286.3 per game.

That's an advantage for Kevin Kolb and the Cardinals, which should be enough for them to come away with a win.

Jacksonville Jaguars (No. 25)

The Jaguars have gotten off to a tough 1-3 start, but I think that has a lot to do with their schedule. They've played at the New York Jets, played the Carolina Panthers at home in a monsoon and were last seen hosting Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.

The Jags are a bad team, but the point is that they may not be as bad as their record would indicate. What they need more than anything is a relatively easy matchup.

The Jags are going to get one this weekend, as the Cincinnati Bengals are due to come calling. The Bengals are fresh off a win against the mighty Buffalo Bills, but they're still a team with plenty of problems. I'd call their matchup with the Jags a toss-up, and I give the Jags the edge because the game will be in their neck of the woods.

Indianapolis Colts (No. 31)

The Colts may be 0-4, but they deserve style points for playing the Pittsburgh Steelers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers tough in back-to-back weeks. Moreover, this Curtis Painter guy doesn't look so bad to me.

On Sunday, the Colts will finally get a team they can handle in the 1-3 Kansas City Chiefs. They're just as bad as their record would indicate. In fact, they're probably worse.

I would like the Chiefs against the Colts if they had Jamaal Charles to unleash on Indy's decimated front seven, but they don't. The Colts should be able to beat them for their first win of the season.

Which, of course, will cost them in the Andrew Luck sweepstakes. Oh well.

Zachary D. Rymer's Week 5 Power Rankings

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