NFL Power Rankings: Post-Week 5

Ranking these teams gets harder and harder as each week of the season goes on, as the reality is there's really not that much separating the good teams in the NFL from the mediocre ones. The top and bottom teams are more certain than ever, but right now the middle of the pecking order could be arranged in about twenty different ways. And there would almost be no way to argue with any of those arrangements. That closeness created some weird shifting in the power rankings this week, as some teams moved up simply for looking less bad in defeat. Style points aren't supposed to count in the NFL but right now that's all you can use to differentiate some teams right now.

1. Denver Broncos: 5-0 (2)
One thing not in dispute in the Bronco's place on these rankings until they drop a game. Denver has been the most dominant team in the NFL this season, and pulling off that win in Dallas was huge for this team's momentum going forward. Denver has now been pushed to the brink and still found the resilience to come out on top, and it's tough to imagine anyone else getting as close to a win as Dallas did. The defense was almost nonexistent during the Dallas game, but now the only thing standing between the Broncos and the return of Von Miller is the Jaguars. Looks likes the Broncos are going to make it out of that suspension ok.

2. New Orleans Saints: 5-0 (3)
The Saints comeback story this year has been nothing short to remarkable, as almost every week they've made victory look easy by playing well on both sides of the ball. The team has two strong MVP candidates in Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham, and if not for some guy named Peyton Manning and his targets those two would be the most hyped combo in the NFL. The Saints now already hold at least a four game lead on every other team in their division, so it looks like their short vacation from division dominance is now over.

3. Kansas City Chiefs: 5-0 (5)
Speaking of great turnarounds, the Chiefs are now the first team to start 5-0 after winning only two games the previous season. This team has not dominated opponents like the Broncos or the Saints have, but Andy Reid's squad has been able to find a way to win each week of the season thus far, and that's what puts them above all other teams not named the Broncos in the AFC. The main test still to come for the Chiefs will be how they respond if teams start scoring on their defense, as Alex Smith has got to prove he can keep up with opposing offenses if need be.

4. Seattle Seahawks: 4-1 (1)
The Seahawks lost their first game of the season to the team that seems to be the NFC West's kryptonite, the Indianapolis Colts. The Seahawks just aren't the same team on the road as they are at home, and if they can't secure the top seed in the playoffs that will be a small concern come January. This time it was not the offense that had a poor outing on the road, but the team's secondary, who didn't nearly play up to their reputation. The power of the 12th man still keeps the Seahawks ahead of their opponents this week, as there's no question that the Seahawks could dominate any of the below teams at home, but they have yet to find that same spark away from home.

5. Indianapolis Colts: 4-1 (7)
Even though they were the ones to blemish the Seahawks' perfect record, the Colts stay behind the Seahawks simply because the power of the 12th man still looms in Seattle, and I don't think the Colts would have won if the game was away from Lucas Oil Stadium. That being said, the Colts were extremely impressive knocking off the Seahawks from the top spot of these rankings, as Andrew Luck led his ninth game winning drive of his career. At this point, he'll hold the record for game winning drives before he's even halfway through with his career. Luck was able to produce big plays out of what most people consider the best secondary in the NFL, and at home the Colts' own secondary was the one that played like the "Legion of Boom." The trade for Trent Richardson was a big factor as well, as Trent was able to help the Colts close out the game with a big third down run that led to a Colt field goal that put the team up by six late. The Colts may already be back to being an AFC power, and this team still has plenty of room to grow.

6. Green Bay Packers: 2-2 (6)
While not a totally impressive showing, the Packers were able to hand the Detroit Lions their first in-division loss, which should serve as a signal to the rest of the NFC North that the road to the division crown still goes through Lambeau. The Packers are not without flaws, however, as the loss of Clay Matthews for a month is going to hard to overcome, especially since Aaron Rodgers and the passing game aren't quite clicking on the level they were last year, especially when it comes to the red zone. Eddie Lacy looks like he's finally going to give this offense balance, but now Mike McCarthy needs to turn that balance into six points.

7. San Francisco 49ers: 3-2 (8)
The 49ers are now ironically in the position they were almost a year ago: a great defense and running game, with no dynamic passing game or quarterback play to speak of. Frank Gore has been leading the charge for this offense, Colin Kaepernick only completed six of 15 passes Sunday night, and if not for a long strike to Vernon Davis after a Texan defeat was all but certain, Kaepernick would have passed for under 50 yards on the night. That's a sobering statistic for a quarterback who was so highly touted coming into this year, as the explosive element Kaepernick brought to this offense is no longer there. Somewhere in Kansas City, Alex Smith is laughing right about now.

8. Cincinnati Bengals: 3-2 (10)
Well, the Bengals look just about unbeatable at home, where they're 3-0 to start the season, as their defense absolutely crushed Tom Brady and caused the man to have one of the worst games of his career. Mike Zimmer had all the answers to the future Hall of Famer, doing what no defensive coordinator could do for 52 consecutive games: stop Brady from throwing a touchdown pass. Andy Dalton and this offense still have work to do, which is sad, because with the way the defense is playing these games shouldn't even be close.

9. New England Patriots: 4-1 (4)
Just when you think Tom Brady and his receivers are starting to come together, it all comes crashing down again. It may just be that Atlanta's defense is bad enough that it can hide the flaws in opposing offenses, as Geno Smith looked like a good MVP candidate with the way he played against that defense. It sounds like Rob Gronkowski is now very close to finally making his first appearance on the field, which should hopefully put this offense back together again.

10. Baltimore Ravens: 3-2 (12)
The Ravens' defense is really starting to look scary, as Terrelle Suggs seems all the way back to defensive player of the year form, sacking Ryan Tanehill three times Sunday afternoon. New tackle Eugene Monroe will probably be seen this week, which will be good, because right now the Ravens are still struggling to run the ball.  Ray Rice had a hard time finding room to run against the Dolphins, averaging less than three yards a carry even though he was fed the ball 27 times. Torrey Smith has quietly become the man in this offense, as he already has over 550 yards on the season and is averaging over 20 yards a catch.

11. Chicago Bears: 3-2 (9)
The winds of momentum have died down in the Windy City, as two straight losses has sent the Bears from a great comeback story like the Saints to just another mid-level NFL team, who is going to need to fight hard to have a shot at making the playoffs. The defense has not been forcing turnovers these past two games, and when they don't their age shows and they get marched all over. Alshon Jeffery had a big day against the Saints, and if he can force teams to not always double cover Brandon Marshall then options are going to open up for Marc Trestman's offense and the Bears might get back in business.

12. Dallas Cowboys: 2-3 (16)
The Cowboys do move up this week, even though their team only achieved a "moral victory," mainly because there weren't many moral victories to speak of for some of the teams ranked close to them. Despite Romo's bad pick this offense still looked great in the loss to Denver, and if rookie Terrance Williams can produce like he did Sunday the Cowboys won't be missing Miles Austin anytime soon. The defense was embarrassed by Peyton, but Peyton does that to a lot of team, and he was familiar with Monte Kiffin's system from his days under Tony Dungy with the Colts. Point being, even in defeat there were plenty of positives for the offense and the defense won't look that bad every week, so the Cowboys are still top dog in their division (even though that may not be saying much).

13. Miami Dolphins: 3-2 (11)
Ryan Tannehill's protection has gone from a flaw to a glaring weakness, as he was sacked six times Sudnay, and this team will struggle if he keeps taking hits. Of course, it was hard to decide whether Tannehill was more annoyed by his lack of protection of the drops by his receivers against the Ravens, as he put plenty of throws on the money that wound up on the turf. Tannehill is part of the problem too, as he holds onto the ball too long sometimes which means he's asking his lineman to hold their blocks for too long. Something needs to be devised on offense to keep Tannehill upright, no matter what it is, because right now Tannehill is spending too much time of the ground.

14. Detroit Lions: 3-2 (13)
With Calvin Johnson out and Reggie Bush limited, the Lion's offense was given a big test to show whether they can keep moving even without their two biggest names. The results were not promising. The Lions only put up nine points, never finding the end zone, on a mediocre defense, and their offensive performance was just thoroughly underwhelming. The defense tried to give this offense a chance by only allowing the Packers to reach the end zone once, but without his best receiver Matthew Stafford just didn't know who to throw the football to.

15. Tennessee Titans: 3-2 (18)
Like the Cowboys, the Titans move up despite a loss because they at least looked good in defeat, and overall they fought hard against a good Chiefs team, even without their starting quarterback. The Titans still look like a team no one should underestimate, but things aren't quite the same with Ryan Fitzpatrick under center. These Titans have plenty of spirit, and they're going to need all of it if they want to keep their season afloat while Locker tries to rehab his hip.

16. New York Jets: 3-2 (24)
Geno Smith showed some great signs of improvement Monday night against the Falcons, pushing himself into the discussion for rookie of the year, and removing any discussion on whether he should be his team's starter moving forward. Geno confidently threw the ball up and down the field, and he out iced Matty Ice for a big game winning drive that ended with a field goal as time expired. Rex Ryan's defense had a little bit of trouble taking down the Falcon offense, but a key turnover in the game led to a Jets score and the defense was able to prevent points by stuffing the Falcons on 4th and one as time expired in the first half. If either one of those things doesn't happen, the Jets probably are out of this game.

17. Cleveland Browns: 3-2 (20)
Cleveland will get to enjoy their brief moment in the sun here, as starting next week things are going ot get hairy for the average Browns' fan. Brian Hoyer is out for the year, and Brandon Weeden is back in at starter even though most people thought he may never see the field again for this team. There's going to be a lot more pressure of Weeden now that his running back is gone, but with his chemistry with receiver Josh Gordon looking still intact, it's possible he can still guide this team to an average record the rest of the season.

18. Arizona Cardinals: 3-2 (23)
Through five games, the Arizona Cardinals have a winning record and are tied for second place in their division. That's something you don't expect to hear every day. This defense has continued to be outstanding even without defensive coordinator Ray Horton, dismantling Cam Newton and the Carolina attack Sunday. Offensive problems continue to persist though, as Carson Palmer has thrown an interception in every regular season game so far. Palmer is looking how plenty of us thought he would look: like a veteran stopgag who is in no way Arizona's future at the position.

19. San Diego Chargers: 2-3 (14)
The Chargers played late Sunday night because of baseball playoffs, but while you were sleeping they managed to lose on the road to the Raiders. Philip Rivers had another prolific passing day, going for over 400 yards, but this time those yards were accompanied by turnovers, as Rivers was picked three different times. The game also featured some curious decision making by the coaches, as they tried running on the goal line with Danny Woodhead, but predictably the small back got nowhere near the end zone. Don't over think it next time, Mike McCoy.

20. Houston Texans: 2-3 (17)
The Texans suffered a full on offensive meltdown Sunday night, courtesy of quarterback Matt Schaub's lack of confidence in himself, which is causing him to over think the simplest of routes. The Texans' defense is still a powerful unit, but the quarterback play clearly brought the rest of the team down as the team didn't show much faith in Schaub's abilities. Whether Schaub will remain the starter on this team for very long remains to be seen, but if he doesn't bounce back someone should be able to take hold of his job. The talent on this team is too good to not be able to.

21. Atlanta Falcons: 1-4 (15)
It's been a rough year at the Georgia Dome already, and the fun has only started. Dates with the Packers, Saints, 49ers and Seahawks still loom for this team, and the playoffs are starting to look like a pipe dream. Julio Jones is now lost for the season, and Roddy White is going to start missing time for injuries too, meaning Tony Gonzalez is the only one of the four big pieces around Matt Ryan that remain intact (the other being Steven Jackson). Without those guys, this offense isn't bad, but it isn't any great shakes either. The defense, on the other hand, has been atrocious so far this season, as teams have been having no problem moving down the field. Before the season started you would take the Falcons in a shootout over just about any team. Now they're in a shootout every week but lack the firepower to deal a winning blow.

22. Oakland Raiders: 2-3 (31)
Just when you thought the Terrelle Pryor train might be hitting the brakes in Oakland, the guy goes out and lights it up, and Josh Freeman goes to look for work somewhere else. The difference in ability from Pryor to Matt Flynn was paramount Sunday night, as this team knows which guy gives them a better chance to win. Future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson was out showing why he chose to return to Oakland during the offseason, scoring the 13th defensive touchdown of his career and leading a unit that has been very underrated through the first weeks of the season. It's nothing great, but the Raiders are far from the dumpster fire many people (like me) were expecting.

23. Philadelphia Eagles: 2-3 (27)
Michael Vick out, Nick Foles in, at least for now. Foles obviously doesn't bring the legs Vick does to the equation, but if Foles can make quick decisions and avoid turnovers this offense is going to like having him under center, just like they seemed to when he was in the Giants' game. Despite all of this team's struggles they are now at the top of this division with Dallas, and if Chip Kelly can figure out a way to go Peyton on Big D's defense with his offense the Eagles may still have a shot at pulling in front of the NFC East. Chip Kelly might stick around this league yet.

24. St. Louis Rams: 2-3 (25)
The Rams move up one spot this week for beating the Jaguars, not exactly flashy, but a win's a win. The defense for this team is still underperforming expectations though, as teams have been able to run right up the middle on this front for good chunks of yards. Tavon Austin has not looked worth of the 8th overall pick so far either, as he's finding it difficult to separate from defenders at the NFL level. It's tough to say what exactly happened over in St. Louis, but plenty of the talent has just not developed as expected, and changes to the coaching staff may have to come soon.

25. Minnesota Vikings: 1-3 (22)
The Vikings drop a few spots even though they were on a bye week, simply because some teams below them had some great games and the teams that fell didn't fall hard enough to land behind them. The big question for this team going forward is how Josh Freeman is going to end up falling into the organization's plans, whether he ends up being just a one year rental or the long term guy at the position. Of course, how he plays this year might not even matter because of how porous the defense has been, but if Leslie Fraizer was able to rally the troops during the bye the Vikings should be able to go on a run coming up on an easy part of their schedule.

26. Washington Redskins: 1-3 (26)
The Redskins also had some time off this past week, and now they're going to be pressed back into action just in time for a match-up with their big rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Redskins' fans have to be hoping that a week of extra rest has helped out RGIII's knee, as he's going to need to be on top of his game if he wants to go point for point with Tony Romo. The Redskins' secondary hasn't stopped anyone so far this year, but they're going to need to step it up if Washington wants to take back this division. If only they could intercept the Cowboys near the end of the game...but like that ever happens.

27. Buffalo Bills: 2-3 (21)
The Bills take a pretty steep drop in the rankings because of the injury to their young quarterback, EJ Manuel, who now may be out six to eight weeks of the regular season. Behind him, the Bills have almost no depth, and they may be forced to start a guy who was on their practice squad for almost half of the season. Optimism was once so high for a team that had been stuck in a rut for over a decade, but this latest setback could lead to another lost season up in Buffalo.

28. Carolina Panthers: 1-3 (19)
The Panthers used to be near the bottom of these rankings, but then they came alive against the Giants. After that, they took their bye, and this offense lost all of the momentum it had gained from the win. Cam Newton has been inaccurate and mistake prone, but he's also been under pretty heavy pressure and has few weapons to work with. There's little to like about this offense, plain and simple. The defense is still pretty good, except in the secondary, but Ron Rivera might actually be relieved to be forced out of a job here, because it doesn't look like this team is going anywhere soon.

29. Pittsburgh Steelers: 0-4 (28)
The Steelers took their week off after their voyage to London, and with the age on that defense, some of their players may have already needed a break. Rest should help key pieces of the offense like Heath Miller and Leveon Bell heal up, but in the end, you can't heal bad talent, and that's exactly what the Steelers have on their offensive line. The defense still has no takeaways, and at this point that entire side of the ball might need an overhaul, or at least a few young bodies to liven things up.

30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 0-4 (30)
Well Greg Schiano, you got your wish, Josh Freeman has flown the coup. So now what? Well, I guess Mike Glennon is going to start, but if I'm in that locker room I have no idea what he does that we didn't already have in Freeman, you know, that guy you ran out of town. I have a good feeling Schiano's going to be back in college before Freeman loses a starting job in the NFL. Karma hurts sometimes.

31. New York Giants: 0-5 (29)
Hey, remember that team that won the Super Bowl two years ago? How did they disappear so fast! The coaching staff is the same, almost all of the key players are the same, so how did everything nosedive so fast? The pass rush, once the pride of the organization, can't get to anybody anymore, as they have only five sacks the entire season. Osi Umenyiora, the guy they let go in free agency, has four already by himself with the Falcons. This offensive line and running game are still doing nothing, and Eli is taking it upon himself to be the hero and go big with deep passes....that just wind up in the hands of the other team. By next offseason, I have a feeling "fix Eli Manning," is going to be the new catchphrase.

32. Jacksonville Jaguars: 0-5 (32)
Can you really be mad at Denver for putting up stats on twitter, Jaguars? The Broncos post wasn't the classiest move, but it was accurate. If you want to complain, first take a look at the mess of an organization you've got running right now, and then try to tell the record breaking Denver Broncos that you demand their respect. Go on, try it!