NFL Power Rankings: Denver Broncos and 3 Teams Sure to Build on Moral Victories

Real wins are always preferable to moral victories in the NFL, but sometimes you just can't have both.

These three teams learned that the hard way in Week 5 but appear poised to turn those lessons into W's sooner rather than later.

Denver Broncos

It took a few weeks, but the Broncos have finally resigned themselves to the fact that they won't win much of anything this season.

With that admission out of the way and Denver down 26-10 to the Chargers at home, John Fox was free to pull Kyle Orton and see what, if anything, Tim Tebow can bring to the table.

And though Tebow wasn't able to lead the Broncos to victory, he didn't disappoint entirely, putting together two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter to make the game interesting. Tebow's plays weren't always pretty, but they were surprisingly effective. He brought a palpable energy to Denver's offense, something Captain Neckbeard could hardly muster by the hair on his chinny chin chin.

The Broncos will have the week off to figure out how to turn the "Tebow thing" into a "winning thing" before traveling to Miami to take on the winless Dolphins.

Carolina Panthers

There are many things that could be finer than to be in Carolina, though the Panthers are undoubtedly on the upswing.

Granted, their 1-4 record doesn't exactly reflect that, but to focus only on the wins and losses would overlook just how well the Panthers have played under Ron Rivera. All of Carolina's games have been decided by seven points or fewer, including losses to the Green Bay Packers and, on Sunday, to the New Orleans Saints.

Cam Newton once again looked like anything but a rookie against New Orleans, accounting for three total touchdowns while nearly leading the Panthers to a huge upset. Let's not forget about DeAngelo Williams, though, who acquitted himself quite well with 115 yards and a touchdown on just nine carries.

The Panthers will seek out Win No. 2 in Atlanta on Sunday against the NFC South-rival Falcons.

Indianapolis Colts

As for teams seeking win No. 1, the Colts have shown steady improvement since the beginning of the season, though their record has yet to reflect their on-field results. Curtis Painter enjoyed his most efficient game as a starting quarterback, throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns without a pick on 15-of-27 passing.

Indy owned a commanding 24-7 lead just before halftime, but the offense sputtered in the second half while the defense surrendered 21 unanswered points.

One of these days, the Colts will hang on to a lead long enough to take home a victory. Their next opportunity to do so will come in Cincinnati against the surprising Bengals.

Josh Martin's Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

1. Green Bay Packers

2. New Orleans Saints

3. Detroit Lions

4. New England Patriots

5. Baltimore Ravens

6. Buffalo Bills

7. San Diego Chargers

8. Pittsburgh Steelers

9. San Francisco 49ers

10. Washington Redskins

11. Houston Texans

12. New York Giants

13. Dallas Cowboys

14. Oakland Raiders

15. Tennessee Titans

16. Cincinnati Bengals

17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

18. Atlanta Falcons

19. Cleveland Browns

20. Chicago Bears

21. Carolina Panthers

22. Seattle Seahawks

23. New York Jets

24. Kansas City Chiefs

25. Minnesota Vikings

26. Philadelphia Eagles

27. Denver Broncos

28. Jacksonville Jaguars

29. Arizona Cardinals

30. Miami Dolphins

31. St. Louis Rams

32. Indianapolis Colts