Week 5 NFL Power Rankings (2020)

It was another week that left the middle and bottom tiers of the power rankings in turmoil. While the best teams in the league have been doing what they’re supposed to, some teams just can’t figure out what they want to be. These are teams such as the Panthers, Cardinals, Chargers, Raiders, Bengals, and Bears. Meanwhile, other teams may just be a lot worse than expected coming into the season. I have two teams for this category: the Falcons and the Cowboys. Here is where the teams stand heading ingot Week 5.

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32) New York Jets (Prev: 32)

If the Jets can’t win a home Thursday night game against the Brett Rypien-led Broncos, then what game can the Jets win this season? I don’t believe in putting the blame solely on the quarterback, but in his third season, Sam Darnold has shown no signs that can he be one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL. On the other side of the ball, the defense intercepted Rypien three times, including a pick-six, yet the Jets still gave up 37 points to an offense whose previous high this season was 21.

31) New York Giants (Prev: 31)

The Giants’ defense actually played incredibly well against the Rams, as they held LA to just 17 points and 240 yards. The offense was a different story, however. The Giants failed to score a touchdown for the second consecutive game and have now scored nine points in each of their games without Saquon Barkley. Next week, the offense will have a chance to wake up against a terrible Cowboys’ defense.

30) Atlanta Falcons (Prev: 30)

At least the Falcons didn’t suffer a heartbreak this week. Instead, they were dominated from start to finish by the Packers as they dropped to 0-4. Julio Jones didn’t play in the second half because of his hamstring injury, and Calvin Ridley failed to record a catch despite no health issues. Todd Gurley finished with 57 yards rushing and two touchdowns in the loss.

29) Jacksonville Jaguars (Prev: 26)

Weeks 1 and 2 were flukes. The Jaguars are not a good football team. Despite knocking off the Colts and very nearly beating the Titans, Jacksonville is on their way to a top-five pick in next year’s NFL Draft. Against the Bengals, the Jaguars led at halftime but were outscored 17-0 in the third quarter, then played the rest of the game down at least two possessions. D.J. Chark Jr. had eight catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

28) Denver Broncos (Prev: 29)

With Brett Rypien under center, the Broncos are a bad football team. Luckily, they ran into an even worse one on Thursday night when they had the privilege of playing the New York Jets. Rypien showed some flashes of great play, but he forced way too many throws, which led to three interceptions. Melvin Gordon picked up the offensive slack, rushing for 107 yards and two touchdowns in the win.

27) Washington Football Team (Prev: 23)

Washington lost the least exciting game of the week to the Baltimore Ravens by 31-17. The final score does not indicate how much of a blowout this game really was, with the Ravens electing to go with RGIII up by three touchdowns late. Rookie Antonio Gibson continues to shine in his first season. He totaled 128 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown in the loss.

26) Houston Texans (Prev: 21)

The wheels are officially coming off in Houston. On Monday, the Texans fired head coach Bill O’Brien in a move that was not in any way shocking. The Texans just lost a home game to the 0-3 Minnesota Vikings and never once led, trailing for the game’s final 50 minutes. Life must improve without O’Brien because, at 0-4, it can’t get much worse.

25) Miami Dolphins (Prev: 22)

The Dolphins were a popular ATS pick against the Seahawks, and while they kept it close, they fell apart in the second half as they dropped to 1-3. Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for 315 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. He also led the team in rushing with 47 yards and one touchdown. After a solid game in Week 3, Myles Gaskin ran for just 40 yards on 10 carries.

24) Detroit Lions (Prev: 20)

The Lions jumped out to a 14-0 lead before giving up five straight touchdowns and dropping to 1-3. Detroit has now lost six straight games in which they led by double-digits, the longest such streak in league history. The Lions were outgained by 111 yards and gained 11 fewer first downs than the Saints.

23) Cincinnati Bengals (Prev: 27)

Joe Burrow got his first win as an NFL quarterback with a 33-25 victory over the Jaguars. Burrow threw for 300 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in the win, but it was Joe Mixon who stole the day. The running back rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns and added 30 yards and one touchdown receiving. The defense gave up a season-low 89 yards rushing in the victory.

22) Arizona Cardinals (Prev: 16)

The Cardinals have dropped back-to-back games to the Lions and Panthers, and they’re now tied for last in the NFC West. While the Lions game was close, the contest against the Panthers was far from it. Carolina led by three touchdowns in the third quarter in a game where the Cardinals were favored. Kyler Murray managed just 133 yards through the air, but he did throw three touchdowns. He also rushed for 78 yards on six carries, which led the team. Kenyan Drake left with an injury that is not thought to be serious.

21) Carolina Panthers (Prev: 28)

The Panthers have rattled off back-to-back wins after losing Christian McCaffrey, and they have looked good in both games. Against Arizona, they led by as many as three touchdowns and never gave Kyler Murray and the offense a chance. The Panthers’ offense gained 444 yards while giving up only 262. The Panthers continue to keep pace with the Saints as they both look up at the Bucs in the NFC South.

20) Dallas Cowboys (Prev: 15)

Maybe Jason Garrett wasn’t the problem in Dallas. Dak Prescott leads the league in passing yards and is the first player in NFL history to throw for 450 yards or more in three consecutive games. But it all means nothing — the Cowboys are 1-3 and have the worst defense in the league, and they’re giving up 36.5 points per game. Most of Prescott’s yards against the Browns came when the game was already well out of reach. With all the talent on their roster, this was not the start that the Cowboys were hoping for under Mike McCarthy.

19) Minnesota Vikings (Prev: 24)

The Vikings finally picked up their first win of the 2019 season. Dalvin Cook led the way with 130 yards rushing and two touchdowns as the offense showed some life for the first time this season. Kirk Cousins threw for 260 yards and one touchdown, and the offense didn’t turn the ball over once all game.

18) Philadelphia Eagles (Prev: 25)

The Eagles finally got their first win of the season on Sunday night, and because of it, they’re now in first place all by themselves in the dreadful NFC East. Despite the win, the Eagles still struggled on both sides of the ball. They managed just 267 yards of offense, and had it not been for a defensive pick-six, they may have fallen to 0-3-1 on the season. Philadelphia now takes on the Steelers and the Ravens before three-straight against divisional foes.

17) Los Angeles Chargers (Prev: 19)

Austin Ekeler is expected to miss four to six weeks, which will be a huge loss for an offense that has actually looked pretty good with Justin Herbert at quarterback. Herbert was 20-25 for 290 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in his third consecutive start. The problem for the Chargers was their lack of run game with Ekeler injured. Herbert led the way on the ground with just 14 yards.

16) Las Vegas Raiders (Prev: 17)

The Raiders gave the Bills a game, but they gave up two touchdowns in under four minutes in the fourth quarter to dig themselves a hole that they couldn’t climb out of. Derek Carr threw for 311 yards and two touchdowns in the loss. The rushing attack failed to get any momentum against the Bills’ defense. Josh Jacobs led the way with 15 carries for 48 yards. That’s back-to-back losses against teams that will be in the playoff picture come December, which does not bode well for Las Vegas’ chances.

15) Chicago Bears (Prev: 11)

Maybe Nick Foles isn’t the answer for the Bears. The former Super Bowl MVP got the start in Week 4 but showed that he is a much better playoff quarterback than he is in the regular season. Heading into their final drive, the Bears had barely amassed 150 yards and had scored just three points. The defense did all they could to keep them in it, but until the offense starts clicking, the Bears are going to be seen more like a pretender than a contender.

14) Cleveland Browns (Prev: 18)

Odell Beckham Jr had his best game as a Cleveland Brown, scoring three touchdowns — two receiving and one rushing — as the Browns outscored the Cowboys 49-38 to move to 3-1. Nick Chubb was injured in the victory, but that didn’t stop the Browns from rushing for 307 yards. It was actually D’Ernest Johnson who led the way with 13 carries for 95 yards.

13) New Orleans Saints (Prev: 14)

The Saints fell behind 14-0 but rattled off five straight touchdowns as they held off the Lions 35-29. Michael Thomas missed his third game of the year, but that didn’t stop the passing attack from clicking. Drew Brees threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, both of which were to Tre’Quan Smith, who has seen his role grow in Thomas’s absence.

12) San Francisco 49ers (Prev: 6)

C.J. Beathard very nearly led the 49ers back from down 11, but he ultimately ran out of time as the 49ers dropped to 2-2 and last place in the NFC West. San Francisco should get healthier in the coming weeks, and they’ll need Jimmy Garoppolo back under center if they want to defend their NFC crown. George Kittle returned with an excellent 15-catch, 183-yard, and one-score performance.

11) New England Patriots (Prev: 9)

Without Cam Newton, the Patriots’ offense looked lost on Monday night, and their success moving forward will depend on how quickly Newton can get off the COVID-19 list. Brian Hoyer was ineffective, throwing for just 130 yards and one interception, while Jarrett Stidham was worse, throwing for 60 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions. Damien Harris had 100 yards rushing in the loss.

10) Indianapolis Colts (Prev: 13)

The Colts’ defense was stifling against the Bears, as they played old school football to hold Chicago to just 11 points. Indianapolis didn’t turn the ball over and scored in every quarter of the game. The Colts are now 3-1 and gained one-half game on the Titans who were off this week. 

9) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Prev: 12)

Tom Brady turned back the clock. He threw for 369 yards, five touchdowns, and one interception as he outdueled Justin Herbert and pushed the Bucs to 3-1. The Bucs outgained the Chargers 484-324 and had nearly double the first downs of LA. Ronald Jones II carried the ball 20 times for 111 yards in the victory.

8) Los Angeles Rams (Prev: 10)

It feels weird moving the Rams up two spots despite how bad they looked against the Giants, but they’re 3-1 and could easily be 4-0. They deserve to be treated as one of the league’s best, even if their offense showed serious signs of weakness against New York this past week. Jared Goff and the offense managed just 240 yards and were outgained by the Giants despite the final score. 

7) Tennessee Titans (Prev: 8)

The good news is that the Titans did not report any additional positive COVID-19 tests on Monday, which makes it seem as though their Week 5 matchup against the Bills is no longer in jeopardy. The bad news is that the Titans reminded fans of the harsh reality of this 2020 NFL season. The Titans will now have to play 13 straight weeks.

6) Pittsburgh Steelers (Prev: 7)

Due to positive COVID-19 tests from the Titans, the Steelers bye week came a few weeks early this year. Like the Titans, the Steelers will now have to play 13 straight weeks. During their bye, every single other AFC North team won.

5) Baltimore Ravens (Prev: 5)

The Ravens got back on track by taking care of Washington in dominant fashion. Lamar Jackson rushed for his first touchdown of the season, a 50-yard scamper that looked reminiscent of some of his most exciting plays of 2019. The Ravens will get their first look at Joe Burrow and the Bengals this week.

4) Green Bay Packers (Prev: 4)

Aaron Rodgers continued to put up video game numbers. This week, he threw for 327 yards and four touchdowns. The Packers have scored at least 30 points in all of their games on their way to a 4-0 start. Along with the Seahawks, the Packers are distancing themselves from the rest of the NFC, and they now sit alone atop the NFC North. The Packers are on bye this week, then will travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Bucs.

3) Buffalo Bills (Prev: 3)

The Bills are 4-0 for the first time since 2008, and many around Buffalo are hoping for better results than that season, as they failed to make the playoffs all those years ago. Josh Allen threw for 288 yards and two touchdowns as the Bills took care of the Raiders. Because of the Patriots’ loss to the Chiefs, the Bills are now two games up in the AFC East. They will be tested in their next two games when they take on two other AFC division leaders in the Titans and the Chiefs.

2) Seattle Seahawks (Prev: 2)

The Seahawks won again, but this time, they did so without making it nearly as dramatic as in the last two weeks. Chris Carson’s status heading into the game was unknown, but he had his best game of the season. He rushed for 80 yards and two touchdowns in the win. Russell Wilson continued his MVP-caliber season with 360 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

1) Kansas City Chiefs (Prev: 1)

The Chiefs had no problem knocking off the Cam Newton-less Patriots 26-10 on Monday night. The defense forced four turnovers including an interception return for a touchdown by Tyrann Mathieu. The offense struggled to punch the ball into the end zone though they did move the ball with relative ease early. In the win, Patrick Mahomes threw for 236 yards and two touchdowns.

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