Week 5 has come and gone. Here are all 32 teams ranked worst to first.
With only four teams having one or less losses through five weeks, the NFL is incredibly bunched together. It’s hard to parse through each and every team when many of the league’s teams are difficult to separate.
Without further ado, here are all 32 teams ranked from worst to first heading into Week 6.
32. New England Patriots (1-4)
Losing to the lowly Dolphins at home can only mean that the Patriots find themselves at the bottom. It seems like Drake Maye’s first career start could be coming this weekend. Maybe that will inject some life into the team.
31. Cleveland Browns (1-4)
Last Week: 34-13 (L vs. Commanders)
This Week: vs. Eagles
There is no fan base in the league with less hope than the Cleveland Browns. It appears the disastrous Deshaun Watson trade is going to ruin the best core the team has put together since its reintroduction in 1999. Things are bleak once again on the shores of Lake Erie.
30. Miami Dolphins (2-3)
Last Week: 15-10 (W vs. Patriots)
This Week: BYE
The Miami Dolphins are really bad, and that will be the case unless/until Tua Tagovailoa comes back. But, that ugly win over the Patriots could loom large if he can make it back soon and they can make a run. There’s a big difference between 2-3 and 1-4.
29. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Last Week: 36-10 (L @ Bears)
This Week: vs. Falcons
The Carolina Panthers regressed to the mean in Week 5 after two consecutive competitive outings. It just goes to show just how far this rebuild has to go for first-year head coach Dave Canales.
28. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
Last Week: 37-34 (W vs. Colts)
This Week: @ Bears
Despite trying a few times to lose the game, the Jaguars got their first win of the season after a few near-misses early in the year. Running back Tank Bigsby is running the ball as well as anyone in the league this year, and his huge game took some pressure off of Trevor Lawrence. There’s enough talent here to turn things around, but they can’t afford many more losses.
27. Tennessee Titans (1-3)
Last Week: BYE
This Week: vs. Colts
The Titans were off in Week 5. A win over the Colts coming off the bye could maybe, just maybe, save their season after their 0-3 start.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)
Last Week: 34-18 (L @ Broncos)
This Week: @ Steelers
A choice between Gardner Minshew and Aidan O’Connell has to be made after O’Connell relieved a struggling Minshew. They better get it right, because the season could start to slip away.
25. New York Giants (2-3)
Last Week: 29-20 (W vs. Seahawks)
This Week: @ Bengals
The New York Giants had their best win in the last two seasons by going on the road and beating the Seahawks. A pass rush that has a lot of money invested in it has emerged as one of the league’s best, with Dexter Lawrence creating pressure up the middle while Brian Burns and Kayvon Thibodeaux wreak havoc from the outside.
24. Los Angeles Rams (1-4)
Last Week: 24-19 (L @ Packers)
This Week: BYE
Yes, they’ve been impacted by injuries arguably more than any team. But, 1-4 is 1-4, and they’re a miracle comeback against the 49ers from being 0-5. Ultimately, there may not be enough talent throughout the roster for this team to recover from that start.
23. Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
Last Week: 37-34 (L @ Jaguars)
This Week: @ Titans
Joe Flacco looked great, and is the better option between him and Anthony Richardson. But, the defense giving up a ton of points to a Jacksonville offense that had been struggling mightily is a huge red flag. The game against the Titans is as much of a must-win game as you can find at this point during the season.
22. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
Last Week: 24-23 (W @ 49ers)
This Week: @ Packers
The 49ers have been gettable early this season. But, it was a fantastic win by the Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray continues to play solid football, and a porous defense made plays when it needed to, forcing two huge turnovers. Beat Green Bay this weekend, and they will shoot up the rankings.
21. Denver Broncos
Last Week: 34-18 (W vs. Raiders)
This Week: vs. Chargers
It looked like another lost season after Week 2 when the Broncos fell to 0-2. Since, they’ve won 3 in a row, and it’s a resurgent defense leading the charge. A Patrick Surtain 100-yard pick six put an exclamation point on their defensive efforts. It’s a lot of progress for a defense that gave up 70 points to the Dolphins last season.
20. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4)
Last Week: 41-38 (L vs. Ravens)
This Week: vs. Giants
Joe Burrow may legitimately be the best quarterback in the league this year. But, they’re 1-4, and the season could be all-but-over with a loss this weekend. Simply put, the defense is horrid, they make critical mistakes at critical times, and no one is underachieving like the Bengals are.
19. New Orleans Saints (2-3)
Last Week: 26-13 (L @ Chiefs)
This Week: vs. Buccaneers
The good vibes from the 2-0 start all but gone after they were dominated by the Chiefs for a third-straight loss. Don’t let the respectable score fool you. They were outgained by over a 2:1 margin. Now, Derek Carr may miss serious time after leaving Monday’s game, and this team has officially regressed to the mean.
18. New York Jets (2-3)
Last Week: 23-17 (L vs. Vikings)
This Week: vs. Bills
Is there a worse head coach-offensive coordinator combo in the league than Robert Saleh and Nathaniel Hackett? It’s hard to think of one. Until those two move on, it’s going to be tough for Aaron Rodgers and a stacked roster otherwise to be successful. A 2-4 start awaits if they can’t upset Buffalo.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
Last Week: Bye
This Week: @ Denver
The Chargers should come out of the bye much healthier than they entered it. A golden opportunity for a win against Denver awaits.
16. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Last Week: 29-20 (L @ Giants)
This Week: vs. 49ers
I actually felt better about the Seahawks for the way they played the Lions in a loss after their 3-0 start than I did while they were in their win streak. But, letting Daniel Jones and a Giants offense without Malik Nabers have an efficient day means that I’m not a believer in this team, now matter how well Geno Smith is playing.
15. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Last Week: 20-17 (L @ Cowboys)
This Week: vs. Raiders
The first three weeks of the season showed how this version of the Pittsburgh Steelers could win if thing went right. The last two weeks have shown how things went wrong. On Sunday night, Justin Fields struggled, the offense wasn’t explosive at all, and the defense regressed to their 2023 form of needing big plays while giving up a ton of yards. If they can’t beat the Raiders, the natives will start to get restless.
14. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
Last Week: BYE
This Week: vs. Browns
Like the Chargers, the Eagles needed to get healthy during the bye week. They should come out strong against the lowly Browns, with a loaded group of weapons fully at Jalen Hurts’ disposal. The big question is if the pass rush improved during the bye week.
13. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Last Week: 36-10 (W vs. Panthers)
This Week: vs. Jaguars
The Chicago offense has found something after a rough start to the season. It starts with the fact that they’re running the ball significantly better during their two-game win streak. That’s making things easier for Caleb Williams, and also setting up a very good defense for success, as well. Slowly but surely, they’re turning into the team many thought they could be.
12. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
Last Week: 20-17 (W vs. Steelers)
This Week: vs. Lions
Sunday night’s win over the Steelers featured a comedy of errors from Dallas, both from players and from Head Coach Mike McCarthy. But, to go on the road and beat a solid team without Micah Parsons, Demarcus Lawrence, and their backups is a really impressive feat. And, it’s great to see Dak Prescott come through in the clutch. Given that a matchup against the Lions awaits, 3-2 was a record they had to get to through five games.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Last Week: 36-30 (L @ Falcons)
This Week: @ Saints
The Buccaneers just got a tad too conservative with an offense that was going up and down the field on the Falcons, ultimately giving up the game-tying and game-winning drives.
10. Washington Commanders (4-1)
Last Week: 34-13 (W @ Browns)
This Week: @ Ravens
Yes, the Browns are bad, especially on offense. But, it was still a huge step forward from a Commanders defense that had been carried by Jayden Daniels and the offense through the first four games. Speaking of Jayden Daniels, the MVP hype is real. What he’s doing as a rookie quarterback is simply phenomenal.
9. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
Last Week: 36-30 (W vs. Buccaneers)
This Week: vs. Panthers
When the Falcons get Kyle Pitts and Drake London involved in the passing game, they can be mighty tough to stop. That’s what happened, and it helped free things up for Darnell Mooney, Khadarel Hodge, and Ray Ray McCloud. In fact, all five of those players had over 66 yards receving as Kirk Cousins threw for over 500 yards. The defense is still a work in progress, but they got a few clutch stops during the comeback. The offense, if clicking, can score with anyone.
8. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)
Last Week: 24-23 (L vs. Cardinals)
This Week: @ Seahawks
There’s no reason to think that the 49ers can’t make a deep run. At worst, they’re the second most-talented team in the NFC and the team with the most playoff pedigree in the conference. But, the fact that they simply cannot find ways to win close games so far this year is a cause for concern. They’re probably good enough to limp their way to the playoffs, but they’d prefer not to.
7. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Last Week: 24-19 (W vs. Rams)
This Week: vs. Cardinals
Jordan Love isn’t quite back to where he needs to be after returning from his knee and ankle injury. But, he’s showing flashes. The thing that makes this team especially dangerous is that they can beat you in a variety of ways. In Week 5, it was the defense, who overcame a terrible Love pick-six and held the Rams to just 12 points.
6. Buffalo Bills (3-2)
Last Week: 23-20 (L @ Texans)
This Week: @ Jets
There isn’t much to say about the Bills loss to the Texans, other than the fact that ridiculous clock management and game management decisions by Sean McDermott keep losing this team games. Yes, Josh Allen was not good, and that’s a big part of the loss. But, at what point do they realize that Sean McDermott is not a good head coach in this league.
5. Houston Texans (4-1)
Last Week: 23-20 (W vs. Bills)
This Week: vs. Patriots
The Texans were looking like they were going to blow out the Bills until superstar wideout Nico Collins went down with a hamstring injury. He is considered week-to-week. There should be enough offensive firepower to keep the offense aflaot. After a few shaky outings earlier in the year, the defense can really take pride into harassing Josh Allen into completing less than one-third of his passes.
4. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Last Week: 41-38 (W @ Bengals)
This Week: vs. Commanders
The pass defense is absolutely an issue for the Ravens, and the Bengals exploited that. But, this offense is clicking, and Lamar Jackson is throwing the ball at a level that he may not have reached at any point in his career. That 0-2 start seems like it didn’t even happen at this point. That pass defense is going to be put to the test against Jayden Daniels and the Commanders.
3. Detroit Lions (3-1)
Last Week: BYE
This Week: @ Cowboys
The Bye Week probably came a bit too early for the Lions, who will look to pick up where they left off against Dallas.
2. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Last Week: 23-17 (W @ Jets)
This Week: BYE
The biggest question regarding the Vikings’ hot start was what would happen if Sam Darnold didn’t play well. He didn’t play well on Sunday in London, but it didn’t matter. The Vikings found a way to win anyways, even after losing Aaron Jones to injury. The pass rush harassed Aaron Rodgers all night, battering the quarterback. Doubt this team at your own risk. There’s no reason they can’t win the NFC.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
Last Week: 26-13 (W vs. Saints)
This Week: BYE
The Chiefs had dominated the Saints, but looked up at the scoreboard early in the 4th quarter to see they were only leading 16-13 after a red zone turnover, a missed field goal, and various other missed opportunities. But, they closed with a mighty strong 4th quarter, and outgained the Saints 460-220. Travis Kelce is still good, the defense is elite, and Kareem Hunt still has gas left in the tank. The defending champs are undefeated, and that keeps them on top.