1. Buffalo Bills (4-1) Last Week: 1
The Bills continue to dominate. Buffalo has the 4th highest point differential through the first 5 games of a season since 2000. They’re point differential this far through the season is +108; and remember, that's with a loss in their first game.
2. Arizona Cardinals (5-0) Last Week: 2
Arizona continues to sit as the only undefeated team left in the NFL. Deandre Hopkins was able to get back on track this week with 87 yards and a touchdown; and the Cardinals defense shut down the 49ers offense, only allowing them to put up 10 points.
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1)
Last Week: 4
Tom Brady once again proved he is ageless in a spectacular performance in a blowout win against the Dolphins. Brady threw for 400+ yards and 5+ touchdowns for the first time in his career. Antonio Brown is also starting to really heat up as he went for 124 receiving yards and found the endzone twice against Miami.
4. Los Angeles Rams (4-1) Last Week: 3
The Rams looked in trouble for a while in Seattle this weekend but were able to take advantage of the Russell Wilson finger injury and escape with a 26-17 win. It definitely wasn’t the best game we’ve seen LA play this season, but it was enough to get a win and stay in the top-5.
5. Los Angeles Chargers (4-1)
Last Week: 10
Another impressive win-this time against the chargers-pushes the other team in LA into the top-5 as well. The Chargers have been a couple touch calls against Dallas away from being an undefeated team this season; and they have a true MVP candidate at the helm. Justin Herbert is the only player in NFL history to have more than 10 games with 300+ passing yards in his first two seasons.
6. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
Last Week: 9
The Cowboys were able to get another dominant win against another bad NFC East team on Sunday, bolstering them to a 4-1 record. Dak continues to look exceptional, with 302 yards and 3 touchdowns, and Zeke still looks to be back, with 110 yards and a trip to the endzone.
7. Cleveland Browns (3-2) Last Week: 5
This Browns team flip-flopped last week. So far into the season, they looked like a team with a dominant defense and a slow offense. This week, Cleveland became the first team in NFL history to lose a game when scoring 40+ points and having no turnovers.
8. Green Bay Packers (4-1) Last Week: 7
The Cincinnati Bengals are better than they have been over the last few seasons, but this game shouldn’t have been as much of a nail-bitter as it was for the Packers. Crosby had 3 missed field goals before hitting the game winner, so all's well that ends well. That being said, Green Bay is going to have to face a lot tougher matchups throughout the season.
9. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
Last Week: 8
Lamar Jackson once again led the Ravens in passing and rushing yards, but that’s nothing new for him. Jackson has more total yards so far this season than 18 entire football teams. As phenomenal and potentially historic this season has been for Lamar, he’s going to need more help from the rest of this squad.
10. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
Last Week: 6
I still expect the Chiefs to turn it around this season, but right now this team looks dead in the water. They’re last in the AFC West, their defense is on pace to be the worst defense in NFL history, and Patrick Mahomes is not looking like himself. Last year, Mahomes had 6 INTs throughout his 15-game season. This year, he has 6 INTs in his first 5 games.
11. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
Last Week 15
The Bengals are clearly a much-improved team this year compared to previous. Ja’Marr Chase scored another touchdown and the defense contained Aaron Rodgers and the Packers pretty well. Cincinnati still has offense line issues, though, and they make everyone wince when they see Joe Burrow drop back.
12. Carolina Panthers (3-2) Last Week: 12
The Panthers took a touch loss at home against the Eagles in a game where they were the better team. An even tougher loss is news that Christian McCaffrey has been placed on IR and won’t play until at least week 9. That being said, with the Vikings, Giants, and Falcons next on the schedule, at least two of those games should be winnable without CMC.
13. San Francisco 49ers (2-3) Last Week: 13
This week in Arizona was the first time we saw Trey Lance and it definitely wasn’t perfect, but they were able to hang with an undefeated Cardinals team. The bigger issue is Lance and Garoppolo are now both injured and the lingering question of who gets the starting job when they’re both healthy still looms.
14. Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Last Week: 17
Tennessee got the opportunity to rebound against a terrible Jacksonville team and they did just that, winning 37-19. Since Derrick Henry’s first game where he struggled against the Cardinals, he hasn’t had a game with less than 100 yards, and has two games where he’s found the endzone three times.
15. Minnesota Vikings (2-3) Last Week: 16
The Vikings came away with a win against the Lions this week, but it didn’t come pretty. Despite Alex Mattison putting up 113 yards and Kirk Cousins playing an efficient game, it came down to a last second 54-yard field goal to put away a winless Lions team.
16. New Orleans Saints (3-2)
Last Week: 19
Even though the Saints have leveled off since their spectacular start to the season against the Packers, Alvin Kamara is still one of the best backs in the league and Jameis Winston can still find the endzone. Kamara went for 71 yards and Winston scored 4 touchdowns in Washington to pick up a 33-22 win.
17. Seattle Seahawks (2-3) Last Week: 11
Russell Wilson going down in Seattle is crushing for this team. Without him, and without a defense good enough to carry the team through games, I don’t see how Seattle makes the playoffs when having to face the toughest teams in the league in the NFC West.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3) Last Week: 21
The Eagles completed a big second-half comeback in Carolina to hopefully get this team back on track. The Philly defense looked the best it has all season and while Hurts hasn’t looked phenomenal, he’s proven that he’s good enough to get this team to wins.
19. Indianapolis Colts (1-4)
Last Week: 20
After finally picking up their first win in Miami last week, the Colts lost a heartbreaker on Monday Night Football in Baltimore. Even though it’s very disappointing they lost to the Ravens after being up huge in the 3rd quarter, hopefully it proves that they’re back on track in Indy.
20. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3)
Last Week: 23
After a rough 3-game stretch, the Steelers were finally able to pick up a big win at home against the Broncos. Pittsburgh was finally able to get Big Ben's pass count down to just 25 passes with Najee Harris breaking through for 122 yards and a touchdown.
21. Chicago Bears (3-2) Last Week: 24
After voices around the NFL started calling for Matt Nagy to lose his job as head coach, the Bears have completely turned it around, this time without their top running back in the backfield. Is it because the defense has miraculously come together and Justin Fields has picked up his play? Possibly. Is it because Nagy gave up play calling? Probably.
22. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)
Last Week: 14
A steep fall for the Raiders this week. An ugly loss to the Bears where they were held to only 9 points and Jon Gruden resigning after news of his racist, homophobic, and misogynistic emails. In his second stint with the Raiders, Gruden had the team sitting 24th in offense and 32nd in defense since he signed.
23. Denver Broncos (3-2) Last Week: 18
It seems to be official that the Broncos small undefeated streak only existed because they played bad teams. After losing against a good Ravens team, they lost again against a mediocre Steelers team. We’ll see how they fare next week against the distracted Raiders.
24. New England Patriots (2-3) Last Week: 22
A week after keeping up with Tom Brady and the Bucs, the Patriots almost dropped a game against Davis Mills and the Texans. The defense didn’t look as stifling as they have in the past this season and Mac Jones proves that he is a game manager and only a game manager.
25. Washington Football Team (2-3) Last Week: 26
The Taylor Heinicke magic has officially worn off as Heinicke threw two picks and had a QBR of 25.2 on Sunday against the Saints. The Washington defense once again looked bad, giving up 33 points against a bipolar New Orleans offense.
26. Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
Last Week: 27
The Falcons were finally able to pick up a win in London, but I wouldn’t call it a big win as it came against the Jets and was only a 7-point victory. Even though a win is a win in the NFL, only being able to get close wins against bad teams shows where the Falcons sit in the league.
27. Miami Dolphins (1-4) Last Week: 25
After the loss on Sunday, Dolphins head coach Brian Flores said, “I’m concerned, we’re out of sync in a lot of ways.” Uh...yeah. Miami, whose defense has been bad all year, gave up 45 points against the Buccaneers. The only possible bright side in Miami is that Tua returns next week.
28. New York Giants (1-4) Last Week: 28
After a big win in New Orleans, the Giants go right back to losing in Dallas. But it’s not entirely their fault as Saquon and Daniel Jones both went down. Since the start of the season, the Giants starting quarterback, running back, three wide receivers, and three offensive linemen have gotten hurt.
29. New York Jets (1-4) Last Week: 29
Dear New York, it’s time to hope the Knicks are good. With basketball season starting up on Tuesday, it might be all New York, unless you’re a Bills fan, has to look forward to. Zach Wilson had a QBR of 17.7 on Sunday and Michael Carter ran for only 38 yards.
30. Detroit Lions (0-5)
Last Week: 30
The Lions continue to lose heartbreaking games, this time in Minnesota by a last second field goal. The second game winning field goal to put the Lions away. Jared Goff didn’t look good, their run game was just okay, and Detroit continues to lose.
31. Houston Texans (1-4)
Last Week: 31
The Texans were up 22-9 against the Patriots at home in the 3rd quarter. They then go for a pointless trick play on 4th and 2. They lineup as if they’re going to go for it, back up, and go to punt it out of the same formation. The punt is blocked, the Patriots get the ball in Houston territory, and the rest is history.
32. Jacksonville Jaguars (0-5) Last Week: 32
Another Sunday, another loss in Jacksonville. The Jags are now second in all-time losing streaks, sitting at 20 losses in a row and only trailing the 1976-77 Buccaneers who snapped their streak at 26.