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Power Rankings – Week Five

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The first quarter of the season is complete and surprisingly enough, the Chiefs are the league’s only team still standing with an unblemished record. That runs counter to what we’ve seen in years past, but it definitely bodes well for the NFL as a whole, with parity ruling the day instead of a few juggernauts.

Once again, I’ve put together my power rankings for your reading pleasure, taking in everything that’s happened over the past week to determine where each team stands comparison to the other 31 in the league.

As always, feel free to leave any thoughts you have in the comment section.

Top of the Heap

1. New Orleans (3-1) – It’s hard to move the Saints down a rung, even if they haven’t been playing all that well as of late, as they found a way to win once again last week. We’ll see if they can keep it up on the road against Arizona this week.

2. New York Jets (3-1) – Dominating is the one word that comes to mind in describing the way the Jets have been playing as of late, crushing their opponents big and small. Their Monday night showdown at home against the Vikings would have been unbelievably huge even without the addition of Randy Moss.

3. Atlanta (3-1) – The Falcons were once again victorious last week, but it took a last second miracle to make it happen, and they’ll have to be better as the season progresses to be seen as a true contender for the Super Bowl this year. Next up is a road game in Cleveland.

4. Green Bay (3-1) – The Packers clearly have issues that will very likely preclude them from making a deep run into the playoffs if they don’t address them in a hurry, and tough match on Sunday against the Redskins won’t be the easiest place to do it.

5. Pittsburgh (3-1) - The Steelers lost a tough game at home to their division rivals from Baltimore last week, but they’ll get a giant boost this week with the return of two time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger, who has a second week to get ready to play with their BYE on the schedule.

6. New England (3-1) – New England’s second half performance in Miami last Monday was nothing short of amazing as the Patriots crushed the Dolphins with defense and special teams. Having a BYE this week will give them the time they need to be ready for the rest of the year.

7. Baltimore (3-1) – The Ravens did well in getting out of Pittsburgh with a win last week, but they didn’t exactly earn any style points in doing so, and there’s still a fair amount of questions surrounding the club headed into home game against the Broncos on Sunday.

8. Houston (3-1) – The Texans continued their solid play against the Raiders last week, showing their ability to run the ball and lock down on defense, two characteristics that will serve them well in their division down the stretch. Beating the Giants on Sunday will be the next step.

9. Indianapolis (2-2) – Even though the Jaguars always seems to play the Colts tough at home, losing to them has to be a bitter taste for Indianapolis, as they’re now looking up from the bottom of their division with an 0-2 record. Playing well and winning against the Chiefs will be a must this week.

10. Kansas City (3-0) – They still haven’t received much in the way of credit on a national scale, but the Chiefs clearly have something working right for them this season, with a suffocating defense and a dominating rushing attack. They’ll have to bring all of that and more this Sunday on the road in Indianapolis.

Middle of the pack

11. San Diego (2-2)

12. Minnesota (1-2)

13. New York Giants (2-2)

15. Washington (2-2)

16. Philadelphia (2-2)

17. Dallas (1-2)

18. Miami (2-2)

19. Chicago (3-1)

20. Denver (2-2)

21. Tennessee (2-2)

23. Cincinnati (2-2)