NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Ranking All 32 Teams

Surprises abound in the NFL every week, and there's nothing surprising about it. "Every given Sunday" is a cliche because it's true. When one bounce or tipped ball can make the difference between a win or a loss, no team is safe from a loss.

On that note, let's see who redeemed themselves, who benefited from a bit of luck (or a well-timed bye week) and who is in serious trouble with a little help from my power rankings.

Last week's ranks are in parentheses, for your convenience.

No. 1: Green Bay Packers (1)

The undefeated Packers struggled in the first half of their Week 5 game against the Atlanta Falcons but rebounded mightily, defeating them 25-14. That's the hallmark of a great team.

No. 2: Detroit Lions (3)

The only other undefeated team, the Lions have shown they can take on all comers with consistently dominant play on both sides of the ball. Hosting the 49ers this Sunday should tell us plenty about both teams.

No. 3: New Orleans Saints (2)

Dropping one spot because they're not undefeated, and because they surprisingly struggled against the one-win Carolina Panthers, they've got all the weapons to be one of the NFL's best throughout the season. I'd like to see more consistency, but the record still speaks for itself.

No. 4: New England Patriots (4)

There's been no change in the team, and thus no change in the rankings for the Patriots this week. Still dominant on offense while shaky on defense, they nonetheless impressed in Week 5, sending the New York Jets further down the hole they've spent this season digging for themselves.

No. 5: San Francisco 49ers (16)

A huge jump for the best team in a terrible division. The Niners' 48-3 destruction of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers means they're not just the best of the worst, they're the real deal.

No. 6: Oakland Raiders (10)

They responded to losing owner and driving force, Al Davis, by traveling to Houston and defeating one of the AFC's most successful teams. Out of seemingly nowhere, the Raiders have built a solid team.

No. 7: Baltimore Ravens (7)

There's no reason that this dominant team deserves to rise or fall after a Week 5 bye.

No. 8: Buffalo Bills (8)

The Bills maintain their position despite a return to their winning ways against the Philadelphia Eagles, only because the Bills' cheerleaders could have likely defeated them, too.

No. 9: San Diego Chargers (5)

They nearly lost their lead over the Denver Broncos in the second half when Tim Tebow took the field, replacing the dismal Kyle Orton. They have too many questions that need answering before they can return to the top 5.

No. 10: Pittsburgh Steelers (14)

While one dominant win doesn't exactly mean the Steelers have returned to form, defeating the Tennessee Titans, 38-17, in Week 5 is a major step in the right direction.

No. 11: Houston Texans (6)

The loss to the Raiders, and the manner by which they did so, dropped the Texans five spots this week. Lucky for them, no other team in their division won in Week 5, either.

No. 12: Tennessee Titans (9)

The Titans' full sails have lost some air after their big loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Back to the drawing board.

No. 13: Washington Redskins (13)

Again, no change after a bye week, though some argument can be made for moving them up a spot just based on what's going on in their NFC East division.

No. 14: Cincinnati Bengals (22)

The Bengals are quietly winning games while everyone keeps dismissing them for having a rookie quarterback and rookie wide receiver leading their offense. The AFC North might be a three-team division for the first time in years.

No. 15: Atlanta Falcons (17)

Rising two spots for hanging with the Packers through the first half of their Week 5 game, which saw Green Bay trailing by 14 points for the first time in two seasons. But, in the second half, they looked exposed. I have the Carolina Panthers defeating them this week; if that happens, the Falcons will be in rankings free fall.

No. 16: New York Jets (12)

Their powerful defense is being rendered meaningless by their out-of-control offense. A return to the run will help, but it's not clear how much. They face the Miami Dolphins this week after losing their last three games.

No. 17: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (11)

Tampa dropped significantly after being blown out by the 49ers in Week 5. I didn't think they'd win that game, but I didn't think they'd lose that badly, either.

No. 18: New York Giants (15)

Major mistakes led to their Week 5 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, and it's going to take a lot for them to rebound from it. This team is in trouble.

No. 19: Chicago Bears (18)

The Bears are bad, but they're not horrible. Losing to the Lions comes as no surprise, and the fact that they're still struggling isn't a shock either. Yes, the only positive thing to say about the Bears is that there are worse teams.

No. 20: Dallas Cowboys (19)

Other movement in the rankings had the Cowboys slipping a spot, despite being on the bye in Week 5. Dallas is the embodiment of the NFC East: inconsistent, overhyped and riddled with problems. How they respond to the Patriots this week will say a lot about the team.

No. 21: Cleveland Browns (23)

The Browns were also on the bye in Week 5, but there were worse teams I needed to make room for at the bottom. Worse than the Browns is entirely possible.

No. 22: Kansas City Chiefs (26)

Two wins in a row moves them up; that those two wins were against winless teams keeps them low.

No. 23: Philadelphia Eagles (20)

The dream is a nightmare, but the Eagles aren't sleeping. They're living this mess. Their problems are many and just one change won't help them. Burn it down and start over.

No. 24: Seattle Seahawks (30)

They hung in there against Atlanta in Week 4 and defeated the Giants in Week 5. This says a lot more about those two teams than it does the Seahawks, but a win's a win, and they earned a little jump in my rankings.

No. 25: Carolina Panthers (25)

They continue to lose close games, and it doesn't look like they yet know why. They need a win, badly, because quarterback Cam Newton is a revelation.

No. 26: Denver Broncos (25)

Yes, they lost, and they are a poor team, but I dropped them just one spot on the strength of quarterback Tim Tebow's attempt to lead the team in a comeback win. Demoting Kyle Orton is at least a proactive attempt at a turnaround.

No. 27: Jacksonville Jaguars (27)

More losing, and it doesn't surprise me. This changes not a thing: terrible is still terrible.

No. 28: Arizona Cardinals (24)

Everything about the Cardinals says they should be better than this. But they're not; maybe it's time to rethink that perception.

No. 29: Minnesota Vikings (28)

One sign the Cardinals never were as good as we all thought: being blown out by the previousl winless Minnesota Vikings. I'm not convinced that their Week 5 performance was anything but a freak occurrence.

No. 30: Indianapolis Colts (31)

The Colts should have won at least one of their close games, but alas they didn't. They rise one spot because they can certainly hang in there, but Indy stays in the basement because they can't finish what they've started.

No. 31: Miami Dolphins (29)

Already in panic mode, the Dolphins get to watch their season get flushed down the toilet's toilet, now that quarterback Chad Henne is out for the season with an injury and Matt Moore takes over.

No. 32: St. Louis Rams (32)

A bye week can't make the terrible Rams any more palatable. With the Green Bay Packers ahead, it's going to be a long season at the bottom of the rankings for this extremely disappointing team.