2017 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5
The NFL is a weird world. As teams continue to figure out their identities, unexpected upsets occur much more frequently than one would expect. This is exactly what we saw in Week 4, as some top teams toppled to unsuspecting opponents. Meanwhile, other teams continue to make under the radar moves that are setting them up nicely as we enter the 2nd quarter of the season. After quite a bit of shakeup throughout much of the power rankings, where do your teams stand?
32. Cleveland Browns (0-4, Previous Ranking: 32)
Last Week: L, 31-7, vs. Bengals
Next Week: vs. Jets (2-2)
Every time we think that the Browns are primed to be on the winning side of a game, they suffer a frustrating loss. Each week, DeShone Kizer shows that he has long-term potential and that means you have to put up with the growing pains. But it isn’t all his fault, though: there is very little star power on this offense except for Duke Johnson Jr., and even then, star power would be a stretch in this case.
31. San Francisco 49ers (0-4, Previous Ranking: 31)
Last Week: L, 18-15 (OT), at 49ers
Next Week: at Colts (1-3)
Another week, another game the 49ers almost pull off the win but come up short. This was expected to be a rebuilding team in 2017 but after playing some competitive football this season, it is frustrating to see these games slip away from the 49ers. I think this could be a competitive team in the very near future in 2018.
30. Los Angeles Chargers (0-4, Previous Ranking: 27)
Last Week: L, 26-24, vs. Eagles
Next Week: at Giants (0-4)
So far this year, the Chargers have lost three of their four games by 3 or less points. This has become a routine occurrence for the Chargers in recent years, which only adds insult to injury for the team and fans. Phillip Rivers is playing on limited time left in his career and unless the Chargers can figure out a way to close out games, it’ll be another disappointing season for one Los Angeles team.
29. Indianapolis Colts (1-3, Previous Ranking: 30)
Last Week: L, 46-18, at Seahawks
Next Week: vs. 49ers (0-4)
The score would indicate that the Colts were blown out of the water against the Seahawks, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Until two untimely turnovers by Jacoby Brissett, this game was an unexpected cage match in a game that not many people expected the Colts to compete. The Colts are trying to get by until Andrew Luck returns but who knows when that will be. Until then, the Colts will continue to try to be a football team and upset some teams. Oh, and rookie safety Malik Hooker is very good. Watch him.
28. New York Giants (0-4, Previous Ranking: 28)
Last Week: L, 25-23, at Buccaneers
Next Week: vs. Chargers (0-4)
Starting 0-3 isn’t favorable but when the rest of the division isn’t playing well, there is still some light. When you go 0-4 and are firmly in the basement of the division, you can begin to start panicking every so slightly. The Giants had an opportunity to close out their first win of the season against the Buccaneers but were unable to do so and now head into a pseudo-toilet bowl matchup with the Chargers in Week 5.
27. Chicago Bears (1-3, Previous Ranking: 24)
Last Week: L, 35-14, at Packers
Next Week: vs. Vikings (2-2)
After much waiting, the Bears are finally going to throw Mitchell Trubisky into the ring to see what he is capable of doing as a starting quarterback. The only issue is that he has little talent to throw to. The Bears’ leading receiver is Kendall Wright, who has 154 yards on 11 receptions. Number 2 on the team? Running back Tarik Cohen, who has 24 receptions (team high) and 150 yards. It’s still early to be thinking about this, but the Bears desperately need to add some weapons in the passing game in the offseason if they ever want to be competitive. This just might be the worst receiving group in the NFL.
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26. Miami Dolphins (1-2, Previous Ranking: 25)
Last Week: L, 20-0, vs. Saints
Next Week: vs. Titans (2-2)
The Dolphins have 6 points total over the last two weeks and they all came during garbage time against the Jets in Week 3. What’s disturbing is that on paper, this is an offense that has young talent on it. So why are they performing in such an embarrassing manner? Well, look no further than Jay Cutler, who has done little to get this offense going over the last two weeks.
25. Arizona Cardinals (2-2, Previous Ranking: 23)
Last Week: W, 18-15 (OT), vs. 49ers
Next Week: at Eagles (3-1)
Sure, the Cardinals are 2-2 and tied for 2nd place in the NFC West and I’ll be the first to admit that a win is a win. But the Cardinals two victories so far this season have been overtime wins against far superior opponents (at least on paper). This is a team that could very easily be 0-4 right now. Sure, losing David Johnson in Week 1 hasn’t helped at all, but at some point, they need to rally. Otherwise, upcoming matchups with the Eagles, Buccaneers, Rams, 49ers rematch, and Seahawks could easily sink the Cardinals.
24. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-2, Previous Ranking: 18)
Last Week: L, 23-20, at Jets
Next Week: at Steelers (3-1)
Maybe I was too quick to jump on the Jaguars bandwagon. But honestly, there is only one problem with this team: Blake Bortles. After looking like a quarterback possessed in Week 3, Bortles regressed to one of the usual meh performances we are accustomed to seeing (13/35, 140 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT). This is still a roster loaded with young talent on both sides of the ball, but they will only go as far as Bortles can take them and if that is with inconsistent play, that means they won’t be going very far.
23. Cincinnati Bengals (1-3, Previous Ranking: 29)
Last Week: W, 31-7, at Browns
Next Week: vs. Bills (3-1)
Yes, it was the Browns. Yes, this is a Bengals roster that still has questions about how dangerous they could or should be. But after entering Week 4 winless, this is the type of win that can give a team confidence moving forward in an attempt to turn things around. After making a change at offensive coordinator, the Bengals have played an extremely competitive overtime game against the Packers and a dominant performance over a division rival on the road. Could things be looking up in Cincinnati?
22. New York Jets (2-2, Previous Ranking: 28)
Last Week: W, 23-20, vs. Jaguars
Next Week: at Browns (0-4)
Don’t look now, but the Jets are on a two-game win streak. For a team that many thought could go winless this season, the Jets have tremendously stepped up their game on defense and have shut down opposing offenses for the most part during this small streak (even though the quarterbacks have been Jay Cutler and Blake Bortles, I’ll still give the Jets some credit). Josh McCown is still a liability at quarterback and hasn’t done a lot for them in these winning efforts, but wins are wins and the Jets have now found a way to make it to .500 a quarter of the way through the season.
21. Baltimore Ravens (2-2, Previous Ranking: 16)
Last Week: L, 26-9, vs. Steelers
Next Week: at Raiders (2-2)
There isn’t really any other way to put this: this offense is a mess. And truth be told, the defense isn’t doing much to instill confidence in anyone, either. The Ravens have now lost two games in a row by a combined score of 70-16 after outscoring their opponents 44-10 in the first two weeks of the season. Week 5 brings on a west coast matchup with the Raiders, which is a game the Ravens can’t afford to give up if they want to stay ahead of the Bengals and keep pace with the Steelers.
20. Tennessee Titans (2-2, Previous Ranking: 11)
Last Week: L, 57-14, at Texans
Next Week: at Dolphins (1-2)
I’m not surprised the Titans lost this game. The Texans should’ve been favored if history was any indication of the outcome. But 57-14? This was one of the more painful games to watch in recent memory in the NFL. After pulling off a solid win against the Seahawks in Week 3, I at least expected to see the Titans come in and show us something. Was I too generous having them at 11 last week? Maybe. But this is not the type of game that you accept and move on. For a team that hopes to make the playoffs, getting blown out by a rookie quarterback in this type of fashion paired with the hamstring injury to Marcus Mariota could throw off the mojo of the Titans for the near future. For their sake, I hope I’m wrong. Playing the iffy Dolphins in Week 5 should help some.
19. New Orleans Saints (2-2, Previous Ranking: 21)
Last Week: W, 20-0, vs. Dolphins
Next Week: Bye
After starting out 0-2 and looking like all hope was lost, the Saints young defense has stepped up in a big way over the last two weeks. The Dolphins, even with Jay Cutler, have talent on their roster so pitching a shutout was impressive nonetheless. Offensively, Michael Thomas and Alvin Kamara are blossoming in their roles in the passing game, with Thomas a solid #1 receiver and Kamara turning into a promising receiving back with exciting playmaking ability.
18. Minnesota Vikings (2-2, Previous Ranking: 12)
Last Week: L, 14-7, vs. Lions
Next Week: at Bears (1-3)
Here’s hoping rookie running back Dalvin Cook has a speedy recovery after suffering a non-contact knee injury that turned out to be a torn ACL. Cook was turning into the do-it-all back that this offense needs and with him out and Case Keenum still under center, this offense all of a sudden seems to be a lot less threatening. The Vikings have to be hoping to see Sam Bradford return soon before any more losses pile on and the season is lost, especially in the competitive NFC North.
17. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-1, Previous Ranking: 17)
Last Week: W, 25-23, vs. Giants
Next Week: vs. Patriots (2-2)
Going into the season, the Buccaneers appeared poised to make a splash this season with the talent they added onto the roster. While the score was unexpectedly close against the Giants in Week 4, seeing Jameis Winston continue to grow is a bright spot that has fans excited. What stood out to me, though, was the fact that the Buccaneers defense was unable to get to Eli Manning at all during the game, even with their awful offensive line. That, paired with a missed extra point and two missed field goal attempts by Nick Folk, created a close contest. Regardless, the Buccaneers are a promising team in arguably the best division in the NFL.
16. Washington Redskins (2-2, Previous Ranking: 13)
Last Week: L, 29-20, at Chiefs
Next Week: Bye
Is it just me, or does it seem like the Redskins are starting to turn a corner? Traveling to the Chiefs and competing is no small task, but coming to a dropped touchdown away from pulling off the win? That’s some real stuff. The Redskins are sitting at 2-2 in a 2nd place tie with the Cowboys so even with a loss against an elite team, they are still in a good position.
15. Dallas Cowboys (2-2, Previous Ranking: 9)
Last Week: L, 35-30, vs. Rams
Next Week: vs. Packers (3-1)
Two weeks, two losses. The Cowboys seemed like they were on their way to a potential at victory but after losing Sean Lee to injury, the defense absolutely imploded. In the event that this happens, the offense needs to be as flawless as they can be. While Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott had solid games, it wasn’t enough to secure a victory. At 2-2, the defending NFC East champions are looking up at the Eagles and with a Week 5 matchup with the Packers, the Cowboys can’t afford to lose two straight.
14. Seattle Seahawks (2-2, Previous Ranking: 14)
Last Week: W, 46-18, vs. Colts
Next Week: at Rams (3-1)
Don’t let the score fool you: this game was not the runaway that it would seem. Tied late in the 3rd quarter, it took two untimely turnovers by the Colts for the Seahawks to spring into action and really take over this game. I will admit, though. The Seahawks that we saw at the end of the game is what we expected to see consistently this season. If they can play like that on a weekly basis, this is a dangerous team. With the Rams playing excellent football right now and always being a team that can give Seattle headaches, the Seahawks need to be elite more now than ever moving forward.
13. Houston Texans (2-2, Previous Ranking: 22)
Last Week: W, 57-14, vs. Titans
Next Week: vs. Chiefs (4-0)
Talk about an offensive explosion. Talk about Deshaun Watson. The Texans took some criticism from teams when they moved up to select the Clemson quarterback and it appeared that he was destined to sit behind Tom Savage and learn for a season. Fast forward to Week 5, and you have a quarterback that just tied the rookie QB record for the most touchdowns in a game (5; 4 passing, 1 rushing). It is still early so I’m not going to go too far praising him, but if he continues down this path, you’re going to see a Texans team that will be among the elite in the league.
12. Oakland Raiders (2-2, Previous Ranking: 6)
Last Week: L, 16-10, at Broncos
Next Week: vs. Ravens (2-2)
The Raiders offense has been nothing less than disappointing over the past two weeks. Marshawn Lynch rushed for just 12 yards on 9 carries against the Broncos and losing Derek Carr for the next few weeks will definitely hurt any progression this offense was looking to make. This is a team that had and still has plenty of promise for a playoff run, but consistency continues to be an issue on both sides of the ball. If they can’t level out, it might begin to create slight panic for the team late in the season. But for now, the talent is still there.
11. New England Patriots (2-2, Previous Ranking: 3)
Last Week: L, 33-30, vs. Panthers
Next Week: at Buccaneers (2-1)
I really don’t think there has been a team more disappointing this season than the Patriots. Just like the people predicted the Jets to go 0-16, many teams expected the Patriots to go 16-0. Now a quarter of the way through the season, the Patriots and Jets are tied for 2nd place in the AFC East. Tom Brady is the only reason this isn’t a 1-3 football team right now. He has been able to keep this offense ticking with little legitimate help around him. Defensively, however, this might be the worst group in the NFL. Through the first four games, the Patriots have given up 456.8 yards per game, which is 60.5 more yards per game than the next worse team. In comparison, the Broncos #1 ranked defense has given up just 260.8 yards per game… almost a 200 yard difference. At one point, the Patriots were invincible at home. Now they’ve given up two home games and nearly lost a 3rd to a rookie quarterback. The Patriots always find a way to solve these problems, but this defense is almost seemingly beyond repair right now.
10. Carolina Panthers (3-1, Previous Ranking: 20)
Last Week: W, 33-30, at Patriots
Next Week: at Lions (3-1)
Welcome back, Cam Newton. After some average performances over the past year, this was the standout game that the former MVP needed to regain his form. For a team that had so many questions, especially on offense, seeing this type of win against a team like the Patriots on the road sends a message to the remainder of the league that when they’re on, the Panthers are on. As we’ve already seen this season, stronger defenses could create some concern for the Panthers, but for now, they’re 3-1 and tied for 1st place in the NFC South.
9. Los Angeles Rams (3-1, Previous Ranking: 15)
Last Week: W, 35-30, at Cowboys
Next Week: vs. Seahawks (2-2)
Don’t look now, but the Rams might be recreating the “Greatest Show on Turf” in Los Angeles. Averaging 35.5 points per game, the Rams seem to be embodying the new philosophies of Sean McVay. Jared Goff is lightyears better than he was as a rookie and Todd Gurley has reasserted himself as one of the top backs in the league right now. With 596 yards and 7 total touchdowns, Gurley is leading the team in both rushing and receiving yards and doesn’t appear to be slowing down. The defense has been weak at times, especially against the run, but as long as this offense can keep scoring, they’ll be winning games in 2017. While the Rams roster might not be as talented as the Seattle Seahawks from top to bottom, I don’t think it is too much to think that the Rams might be the best team in the NFC West right now. We’ll get a glimpse at this in Week 5 when the two teams face off.
8. Philadelphia Eagles (3-1, Previous Ranking: 8)
Last Week: W, 26-24, at Chargers
Next Week: vs. Cardinals (2-2)
The Chargers aren’t good, but playing a west coast game as an east coast team is never easy for anyone. While the score was close, the Eagles flexed their muscles and showed that they can be legit NFC East contenders this season. After confusingly not utilizing the run earlier in the season, Doug Pederson finally unleashed LeGarrette Blount to the tune of 16 carries for 136 yards. If the can continue to use this ground game to their advantage and Carson Wentz continues his growth, this is a team that could very well maintain it’s spot atop of the division.
7. Denver Broncos (3-1, Previous Ranking: 10)
Last Week: W, 16-10, vs. Raiders
Next Week: Bye
Heading into their bye, the Broncos have to be pretty happy with their 3-1 record. Their defense has shown signs of regaining their former dominance with awesome shutdown performances against two AFC West rivals and the defending NFC East division champion Cowboys. The question still remains how well this team can perform outside of Denver. The Broncos’ lone road game this season was a dud in Buffalo, but the Bills are proving to be no joke so we’ll let them off this time. Either way, if this defense continues playing at this high level, the Broncos could find themselves back in the Super Bowl mix at the end of the season.
6. Atlanta Falcons (3-1, Previous Ranking: 2)
Last Week: L, 23-17, vs. Bills
Next Week: Bye
I’m not one to get excited about losses like this early on in the season, but this is now two games this season that the elite Falcons defense has been absolutely shut down. It is still early, as we’ve seen with teams like the Steelers that have struggled to get consistency on offense. But the Falcons struggled mightily and statistically speaking, Matt Ryan is nowhere near the level he was playing a year ago during his MVP campaign. The Falcons are still one of the best teams in the NFL, but losses like this at home should raise some red flags.
5. Buffalo Bills (3-1, Previous Ranking: 19)
Last Week: W, 23-17, at Falcons
Next Week: at Bengals (1-3)
Congrats, Buffalo. In a year that many believed that you would just tank the season for one of the prized 2018 quarterback draft picks, you have found yourself in 1st place in the AFC East. And honestly, it isn’t a fluke. This Bills defense has been downright nasty so far this year and if it weren’t for one bad play in Carolina, the Bills could easily be undefeated right now. Wins against teams like the Broncos are great, but nothing compares to beating Atlanta on the road and holding their offense to just 17 points. The Bills offense still isn’t spectacular by any means, but as long as Tyrod Taylor and LeSean McCoy can keep it afloat, this is a surprisingly solid football team.
4. Detroit Lions (3-1, Previous Ranking: 5)
Last Week: W, 14-7, at Vikings
Next Week: vs. Panthers (3-1)
Just like the Bills, the Lions are one single play away from being undefeated right now. And while the 14-7 score would indicate a snooze-fest of a football game, the Lions quietly made a statement by beating a division foe with a great defense on the road. That is the sign of an excellent football team. Matthew Stafford was unspectacular in this game, but that didn’t matter. Great teams find ways to win and that’s just what the Lions did against the Vikings. With the defense coming together and Stafford proving he is among the best in the league, the Lions are one of the teams to beat in the NFC.
3. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1, Previous Ranking: 7)
Last Week: W, 26-9, at Ravens
Next Week: vs. Jaguars (2-2)
The Steelers pulled a concept out of their 2016 playbook: give Le’Veon Bell the ball… and keep giving him the ball. After his not so surprisingly slow start, Bell had the 2017 breakout performance we have been waiting for. Ben Roethlisberger has been uncharacteristically off so far this season, missing out on a lot of open down the field throws that he should have no problem making. Whether that’s because of sitting out during the preseason or his age (or a combination of both), I believe that Roethlisberger will get into midseason form soon. With Bell, Ben, and Antonio Brown clicking, Martavis Bryant showing signs of life, and the emergence of JuJu Smith-Schuster as a reliable option for Big Ben, and this is so close to being the explosive offense we expect. Oh, and this defense is turning into a standout unit. They are 2nd in the NFL in sacks with 15 and with them finally getting healthy, this could be an extremely well-rounded roster.
2. Green Bay Packers (3-1, Previous Ranking: 4)
Last Week: W, 35-14, vs. Bears
Next Week: at Cowboys (2-2)
Aaron Rodgers is the truth as if there was ever any doubt. But after getting off to slow starts in recent seasons, it is refreshing to see Rodgers get off to such a hot start in 2017. Losing Davante Adams and Ty Montgomery are tough blows, especially with the scary nature of Adams’ concussion. But in reality, this team has enough power on offense to compete as long as Rodgers is running the show. Defensively, the team is doing enough to get the job done. The Packers started 3-1 last season as well before plummeting to 4-6, but this team feels a lot different than in 2016.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0, Previous Ranking: 1)
Last Week: W, 29-20, vs. Redskins
Next Week: at Texans (2-2)
After a closely contested game, the Chiefs managed to come away with a victory and remain as the only undefeated team left in the NFL. The Chiefs don’t seem to be slowing down, as players like Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce find ways to expose opposing defenses. With other teams around the league falling, the Chiefs remain in the top position and will continue to do so as long as they keep winning. They have been nothing short of impressive and have legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
