NFL Power Rankings Week 6
By Liam McKeone
Your NFL Power Rankings heading into Week 6 of the football season.
32. Washington Redskins (0-5)
Their head coach was fired. Their interim head coach doesn't know who will start at quarterback, either. Dwayne Haskins will not save them anytime soon. Everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. Jonathan Allen and Terry McLaurin are bright spots! But that's it.
31. Miami Dolphins (0-4)
The Dolphins get their first win of the season by moving up these rankings, virtue of a bye week. The battle for the label of "Worst Team in the NFL" will come later this week as Washington comes to town.
30. New York Jets (0-4)
We all knew the offense wouldn't be good without Sam Darnold, but it's legitimately painful to watch Le'Veon Bell struggle against the tide like he did this week. Adam Gase is making a solid case to get fired after only five weeks on the job.
29. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)
The defense has woken up, but they're now down to their third-string QB. They'll have a very hard time beating anyone without Mason Rudolph, and what a sentence that is.
28. Cincinnati Bengals (0-5)
Their matchup against Arizona was the best chance they've had so far for a win, and they just missed out. At least A.J. Green comes back soon. Right?
27. Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1)
First dub of the career for Kyler Murray! The offense finally found the end zone after getting very close but kicking field goals all season long. The win count might not go much higher this season, but optimism exists with good reason!
26. Denver Broncos (1-4)
First win of the season is great, but there's still not a lot of room for optimism. Their defensive performance this week remains the outlier, not the norm. Philip Lindsay is a bright spot, though.
25. New York Giants (2-3)
Danny Dimes has predictably fallen back to Earth, but Saquon Barkley should be back soon, and the tandem that will lead Big Blue into a new era will finally take the field together.
24. Tennessee Titans (2-3)
This team is just... boring. Marcus Mariota is running out of time to prove himself worthy of the No. 2 overall pick. Their offensive line talks trash on the internet after losing. A below-average team, and that doesn't appear to be set to change.
23. Atlanta Falcons (1-4)
Dan Quinn is now the not-so-proud owner of the hottest seat in America after Jay Gruden's canning. Matt Ryan had his best game of the year and was foiled by the defense giving up an astounding 53 points. It might be time for a change for things to get better.
22. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
Jameis Winston finished the first half with eight passes attempted and zero turnovers, which seems impossible, but here we are. The Bucs' defense let Teddy Bridgewater walk all over them. The offense has to be elite to give this team a weekly chance, and they aren't anywhere close to that.
21. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
Gardner Minshew's magic ran out at the end of last week's game, and the defense should've played better against Kyle Allen. The Jalen Ramsey situation will continue to eat away at this team until it's resolved. But there's still... hope? The Minshew Effect, they're calling it.
20. Oakland Raiders (3-2)
The Raiders took one from Chicago in London, and it no longer seems appropriate to say they steal games. Derek Carr has been efficient despite having Tyrell Williams and a bunch of no-names to throw to. They still won't hold up against the upper echelon of the league, but it's a better product than they put on the field last season with even more off-field turmoil.
19. Cleveland Browns (2-3)
Baker Mayfield just looks like he's trying to do too much. The offense continues to be bafflingly unproductive. The concerns with the defense have only gotten worse after getting picked apart by Kyle Shanahan on Monday Night Football. It doesn't look like any of the preseason hype was warranted.
18. Los Angeles Chargers (2-3)
Giving the Broncos their first win of the season isn't ideal. This should've been an easy win, and instead they're under .500 before they even play Kansas City. The outlook is grim.
17. Carolina Panthers (3-2)
Another win for Kyle Allen, and Carolina keeps rolling. If Christian McCaffrey can keep playing near this level, the Panthers will continue to be dangerous.
16. Detroit Lions (2-1-1)
A bye week for the Lions to get healthy and figure out their running game. A crucial matchup comes this week in the form of the Packers at Lambeau.
15. Minnesota Vikings (3-2)
The offense opened up again, but the Giants aren't stiff competition in that regard. Kirk Cousins just needs to prove he can do more than pick on the weaker secondaries in this league.
14. San Francisco 49ers (4-0)
The offense was efficient and the defensive line is every bit as advertised, in Baker Mayfield's lap all day. Jimmy Garoppolo can still be better, but for now, San Fran is competitive, and that's all it'll ask for after two years of cellar-dwelling.
13. Indianapolis Colts (3-2)
Indy grit and grind its way to a victory over the second-best team in the league. The Colts were all over Patrick Mahomes after struggling to generate pressure in the previous two contests, and this proves they can hang with anybody.
12. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Lamar Jackson is finally looking like a second-year QB, but it took longer than expected. The Ravens won, but given Pittsburgh had to turn to its third-string QB, it shouldn't have been that close.
11. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
The once-vaunted Cowboys offensive line was dominated for the second week in a row, and Dak Prescott's discomfort showed. Even a career day from Amari Cooper couldn't help it, and it's clear Dallas still has issues to figure out.
10. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Yeesh. The defense didn't have their greatest day, but this proves they can't rely on the offense in any capacity if the defense isn't on top of their game. Not terribly encouraging, even with Mitch Trubisky under center later in the year.
9. New Orleans Saints (4-1)
Teddy Bridgewater led his team to a tough win over the Bucs on the strength of the home crowd and Michael Thomas. The defense looked good again, although giving up that much to Chris Godwin isn't easy to swallow.
8. Houston Texans (3-2)
Deshaun Watson's career day led to the first 50-burger of the season in Houston. He won't play that well every week, but when he, DeAndre Hopkins, and Will Fuller are in sync like that, it's a nightmare for defenses everywhere.
7. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
A classic Bills win that featured turnovers and another suffocating defensive performance. The offense remains a concern, but the D is legit.
6. Los Angeles Rams (3-2)
It wasn't as bad as their loss to Tampa, but Thursday night's loss to the Seahawks stung more. Hard to lose a divisional game on the road on a last-second missed field goal.
5. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)
They did what good teams do at home -- beat a bad team without a shred of doubt. Carson Wentz is rounding into form, and the receivers are getting healthier.
4. Seattle Seahawks (4-1)
Russell Wilson was majestic against the Rams and led his team to a big early-season divisional win. When the run game gets going, this offense is very effective, and the pass-rush is only getting better.
3. Green Bay Packers (4-1)
The Packers cruised on offense all game, and while the defense had their lapses (mostly against Cooper), they were in Prescott's face all day and picked off three passes. If Aaron Jones can continue to be a weapon, the offense has room to get better.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
If the Chiefs can't protect Patrick Mahomes, they aren't gonna have a good time. This was a tough game to drop in a race for home-field advantage in the playoffs, but the problems are correctible.
1. New England Patriots (5-0)
Another easy win for Tom Brady and the Patriots. The defense remains a turnover machine, a true rarity in the latter stages of the Belichick era, and the run game came together in the second half. Still another few weeks before they face a real challenge, too.