Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

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NFL Power Rankings (10/9/18)

I wonder if Socrates was talking about the NFL when he said, "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." Or maybe he was just talking about sportswriters...

Two big underdogs won their games, the World Champs are on the ropes, and the Browns aren't...well, the Browns anymore...

1) Los Angeles Rams (5-0)
Last Week Ranking: 1
Last Game: beat Seattle 33-31
Next Game: at Denver
Hard to nitpick anything with the Rams, but the defense was shaky at times especially in the secondary. But when you're the Greatest Show on Surf and average 34.6 points a game for 468.4 yards in offense, it doesn't really matter...yet.

2) Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
Last Week Ranking: 2
Last Game: beat Jacksonville 30-14
Next Game: at New England
The Chiefs are 5-0 for just the fourth time in franchise history and third time in six seasons under coach Andy Reid. But none of those seasons ended with a playoff win.

3) New Orleans Saints (4-1)
Last Week Ranking: 4
Last Game: beat Washington 43-19
Next Game: Bye Week
Right after throwing the 62yd touchdown to set the all time passing mark, Drew Brees found his family, held his boys and told them, "You can accomplish anything in life if you're willing to work for it." Brees is an incredibly underrated player, a great ambassador for the NFL, and a class act.

4) New England Patriots (3-2)
Last Week Ranking: 5
Last Game: beat Indianapolis 38-24
Next Game: vs. Kansas City
Patriots get their biggest test of the season against the red hot Chiefs. I'm curious to see what Bill Belichick and his defensive staff have to defend Patrick Mahomes II.

5) Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)
Last Week Ranking: 9
Last Game: beat Miami 27-17
Next Game: vs. Pittsburgh
Bengals scored 24 points in the fourth quarter, 14 on defensive touchdowns. There's a lot to like with this team.

6) Carolina Panthers (3-1)
Last Week Ranking: 7
Last Game: beat N.Y. Giants 33-31
Next Game: at Washington
Graham Gano's 63yd field goal is tied for the longest game winner in NFL history (Tom Dempsey.)

7) Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)
Last Week Ranking: 3
Last Game: lost to Kansas City 30-14
Next Game: at Dallas
In an up and down season, I guess this was Blake Bortles' week to be down. The Jaguars came up empty on three entries into the red zone with two Bortles picks. Worse yet, in two of those possessions, they got inside the Chiefs five yard line.

8) Chicago Bears (3-1)
Last Week Ranking: 8
Last Game: Bye Week
Next Game: at Miami
After a bye week, the Bears will play the Dolphins and a strangely tough Bills team on the road and host the Patriots, Jets, Lions, and Vikings.

9) Minnesota Vikings (2-2-1)
Last Week Ranking: 13
Last Game: beat Philadelphia 23-21
Next Game: vs. Arizona
Kirk Cousins went 30 of 37 for 301 yards for one touchdown pass despite getting hit hit 11 times during the game.

10) Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2-1)
Last Week Ranking: 22
Last Game: beat Atlanta 41-17
Next Game: at Cincinnati
The Steel Curtain returned to Pittsburgh...at least for one week: six sacks, eleven tackles for loss.

11) Green Bay Packers (2-2-1)
Last Week Ranking: 6
Last Game: lost to Detroit 31-23
Next Game: vs. San Francisco (MNF)
I don't think I've ever seen a player have as nightmarish a game as Mason Crosby had at Ford Field: four missed field goals and a missed PAT. His career worst for missed FGs in a game was two.

12) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
Last Week Ranking: 14
Last Game: beat Oakland 26-10
Next Game: at Cleveland
Who knew Phillip Rivers could roll out of the pocket like he did against the Raiders? Rivers finished the game 22 of 27 for 339 yards and two 2 TDs in a masterful performance. He's even got good hands.

13) Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Last Week Ranking: 10
Last Game: lost to Cleveland 12-9 in OT
Next Game: at Tennessee
Offensive woes have doomed the Ravens. Their last 24 possessions: 12 punts, one blocked punt, four field goals, one blocked punt, zero touchdowns.

14) Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Last Week Ranking: 11
Last Game: lost to Buffalo 13-12
Next Game: vs. Baltimore
Titans desperately need offensive help, especially if their receivers are going to drop easy touchdown passes like this one.

15) Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 12
Last Game: lost to Minnesota 23-21
Next Game: at N.Y. Giants (TNF)
The cohesiveness that the Eagles had last year seems to be slipping. Their offensive line has allowed 17 sacks (2nd in NFC) and the team has committed 43 penalties (3rd in NFL.)

16) Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 15
Last Game: lost to L.A. Rams 33-31
Next Game: at Oakland
Chris Carson and Mike Davis carried the ball 31 for 184 yards and a touchdown against a tough Rams defense. But the climb through the division is a daunting task.

17) Cleveland Browns (2-2-1)
Last Week Ranking: 25
Last Game: beat Baltimore 12-9 in OT
Next Game: vs. L.A. Chargers
Browns' defensive lineman Chris Smith said, "We're supposed to be 5-0 right now. We know that." As crazy as it may sound, he's absolutely right. Of their five games, three of them have gone into overtime. The average margin of victory in all their games is 3.5 points.

18) Houston Texans (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 24
Last Game: beat Dallas 19-16 in OT
Next Game: vs. Buffalo
Deshaun Watson's quote after the game: "When we're down by the goal line, my mentality is to fight my ass to get into the end zone. I'm built to take those hits."

I get that Watson's a gamer. It's one the reasons I'm a fan of his. But he's dead wrong. He's not built to take those hits. He missed almost all of his rookie season because of injuries. Guys like Tom Brady and Drew Brees are still playing because they know how to avoid the hits. There's plenty of rules implemented to protect the quarterback. Watson should take advantage of all of them.

19) Detroit Lions (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 26
Last Game: beat Green Bay 31-23
Next Game: Bye Week
This is a weird league. Detroit has lost games to Sam Darnold, Jimmy Garappolo, and Dak Prescott, but won games against Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers.

20) Miami Dolphins (3-2)
Last Week Ranking: 10
Last Game: lost to Cincinnati 27-17
Next Game: vs. Chicago
After losing Laremy Tunsil to a concussion, Sam Young had a horrible game at left tackle. One of the Bengals’ two defensive touchdowns came while the Dolphins were in eight-man protection.

21) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)
Last Week Ranking: 16
Last Game: Bye Week
Next Game: at Atlanta
The Bucs have had two great weeks to start the season and two stinkers in the next. Now after the bye week, what team will show up against a talented and desperate Falcons team?

22) Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 19
Last Game: lost to Houston 19-16 in OT
Next Game: vs. Jacksonville
The weekly Jerry Jones quote report: Jones said he wasn't second guessing his coach when the Cowboys punted on 4th and 1 in overtime, but offered this: "We were being outplayed. It’s time for risks at that particular time." Um, Jer, that IS second guessing.

23) Atlanta Falcons (1-4)
Last Week Ranking: 14
Last Game: lost to Pittsburgh 41-17
Next Game: vs. Tampa Bay
The Falcons defensive woes continue. The team registered zero sacks and only one tackle for a loss against the Steelers.

24) New York Jets (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 32
Last Game: beat Denver 34-16
Next Game: vs. Indianapolis
The Jets offensive line kept Sam Darnold pretty clean (one sack, three hits) and sprung big holes for the running game (38 carries, 323 yards, TD.)

25) Denver Broncos (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 20
Last Game: lost to N.Y. Jets 34-16
Next Game: vs. L.A. Rams
Well, I guess the hot seat underneath Broncos coach Vance Joseph is lava hot.

26) Washington Redskins (2-2)
Last Week Ranking: 18
Last Game: lost to New Orleans 43-19
Next Game: vs. Carolina
An extra week of preparation resulted in dumb penalties, blown coverages, and Washington giving up the most points since 2015.

27) Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Last Week Ranking: 31
Last Game: beat San Francisco 28-18
Next Game: at Minnesota
Of all the quarterbacks of this rookie class, I liked Josh Rosen the most. I like his poise, his smarts, and his arm is impressive. I'm curious to see how he handles a tough Minnesota defense next.

28) Buffalo Bills (2-3)
Last Week Ranking: 30
Last Game: beat Tennessee 13-12
Next Game: at Houston
How are they doing this? The Bills were 4 of 13 on third down and had just 223 yards of total offense. Josh Allen passed for 85 yards.

29) Indianapolis Colts (1-4)
Last Week Ranking: 27
Last Game: lost to New England 38-24
Next Game: at N.Y. Jets
Andrew Luck's shoulder appears to be sound. Can't say the same for the rest of his offense.

30) New York Giants (1-4)
Last Week Ranking: 29
Last Game: lost to Carolina 33-31
Next Game: vs. Philadelphia (TNF)
Odell Beckham Jr. is a talented player, but what he considers him being passionate is actually just him being a jackass. How many of these other grown men on the Giants would like getting called out in an interview? I guarantee if a teammate called him out like that, he would be livid. And to for him to take credit for galvanizing the team with those kind of comments is just mind boggling.

I've said it before about Terrell Owens and I'll say it here about Beckham. He's a talented player, but I wouldn't want him on my team. I'll take a few "B" receivers instead of one "A." Less headaches, less salary cap problems.

31) Oakland Raiders (1-4)
Last Week Ranking: 31
Last Game: lost to L.A. Chargers 26-10
Next Game: vs. Seattle
Jon Gruden's team is completely out of sync. Even after going down 20-3 in the fourth quarter to the Chargers, there was no sense of urgency on the field. None.

32) San Francisco 49ers (1-4)
Last Week Ranking: 28
Last Game: lost to Arizona 28-18
Next Game: at Green Bay (MNF)
The 49ers have lost Jimmy Garoppolo, running backs Jerick McKinnon and Matt Breida, and their best receiver, Marquise Goodwin to injuries. But they do have the worst turnover differential (-8) and are second in total turnovers with 11, so there's that...