We’re on to Week 6, and the competition is heating up. Think you’ve got this season figured out? Think again. @AaronLemingNFL’s Power Rankings here.
You think you’ve got the league figured out heading into Week 6? Think again! Unpredictability and league-wide parity remain at an all-time high. Heading into a new week, five new teams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today. Plenty of teams are in the mix, but the gap between the best and worst is widening. That makes my life easier, but most of the league is still separated by a game or two. This week, we’ll look at general thoughts on each team.
1. San Francisco 49ers (5-0)
Injuries may continue to mount, but so are the wins. The 49ers have been on fire to start the season, and no matter who goes down (or who they play), new players are stepping up weekly. This is a well-rounded team and a true Super Bowl contender. If they can get healthy, watch out.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
One year after missing the playoffs with their first bad season in forever, the Chiefs look back. I’m not sure I’m ready to say that they are “better than ever,” but they have the experience and talent to keep this thing going. The big question right now is receiver depth, and with Tyreek Hill expected to sign somewhere soon, keep an eye on Kansas City.
3. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
By the skin of their teeth, the Bills pulled out a win on the road Monday night against the Rams. It was a good rebound after losing to the Patriots in Week 4. The defense still leaves a lot to be desired, but this offense can hang with anyone. Frankly, it’s just more of the same from the Bills. Their ceiling will depend on how much their defense improves throughout the season.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)
Ever since Liam Coen took over as head coach, all the Jaguars have done is win. They’ve won 12 of their last 13 regular season games, to be exact. Quarterback Trevor Lawrence continues to look like a new man, and with their defensive talent, they’re one of the league’s more well-rounded teams. They could use another top-end receiver, but all in all, this is a very good team that simply needs to prove it in the playoffs.
5. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
It might not be pretty on offense, but the Vikings keep finding a way to win. They’ll head into an early Week 6 bye, and the hope is that coming out of it, they can find a way to be more efficient on offense. The defense is elite, and nobody should be surprised, but they need to find more explosives in the passing game.
6. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Don’t be fooled by their record– the Seahawks are still a very good football team, despite being just one game over .500. Fresh off their knock-down drag-out fight with the 49ers, they simply need more consistency at the quarterback position with Sam Darnold. If they can get that and stay healthy, they are still my favorites to win the NFC again with the Rams not looking quite right.
7. New England Patriots (3-2)
The Patriots were one of the league’s top regression candidates, and in the early going, that appeared to be playing out exactly like many had predicted. Then Drake Maye figured it back out, and they are on a two-game winning streak and starting to look like the team that made last year’s Super Bowl. Keeping Maye on track is key, and with A.J. Brown expected back soon, that feels like a good bet.
8. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
No Lamar Jackson? No problem. Well, kind of. The Ravens defense still has a long way to go, but the offense is plenty explosive under new offensive coordinator Declan Doyle. The AFC North is wide open, and on paper, the Ravens might have the best roster. That said, until they can show some consistency, this is anybody’s division.
9. Cincinnati Bengals (3-2)
On paper, the Bengals should be a lot better than they’ve been. Yet, like we’ve seen since their improbable Super Bowl run a few years ago, they just haven’t found a way to string together a truly healthy or consistent campaign. The defense looks improved, but I’d like to see a little more down the stretch. The talent is there; the question is if they can unlock it all.
10. Detroit Lions (3-2)
Who are the Detroit Lions? The team we saw dominate the Cardinals on Sunday, or the inconsistent team that has had three of their five games decided by one score? The offense is still clearly elite, but the defense has plenty of issues beyond injuries. The talent is there, but the consistency isn’t. We’ll see if their easier strength of schedule continues to help them in their quest to get back into the playoffs.
11. Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
The Rams might be below .500, but I’m not sure anybody believes that they’ll stay there. Myles Garrett should be back soon, and this team is far too talented to finish out of the playoff chase. For now, their record doesn’t look great, but their ranking reflects who they will be versus who they are right now.
12. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Despite a nightmare start to the season, the Packers are a game above .500, close to getting Micah Parsons back, and have an offensive line that appears to be figuring things out. Plenty of questions remain throughout this roster, but they’ve shown they can still be a good team. We’ll see what things look like once Parsons returns.
13. Chicago Bears (3-2)
Going 2-1 (so far) without Caleb Williams is something all Bears fans would have taken when he went down with what appeared to be a potential season-ending injury. That said, recency bias exists, and a 31-7 blowout loss to the Packers is still fresh in everyone’s mind. They’ve shown that they can dominate quality teams; now they must show more consistency.
14. Denver Broncos (3-2)
Head coach Sean Payton has taken back play-calling, and through one game, the results didn’t look much different. There’s no questioning their defense, but quarterback Bo Nix has been less than stellar, outside of the 4th quarter… again. They are above .500, but they still haven’t found their stride. Now we’ll see if they can or if this is who they are in 2026.
15. Cleveland Browns (3-2)
The Browns have been one of the league’s better stories through five games, and if things went slightly differently at the end of last Sunday’s game, maybe we are looking at them in the Top 10 with a 4-1 record. Quarterback Deshaun Watson has been better than expected, but this is a young team with plenty of warts that they might work through. Either way, they are ahead of schedule so far.
16. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
Who are the Steelers? In their three wins, the offense has looked good, and Aaron Rodgers hasn’t looked 43. In their two losses, things have looked disjointed and somewhat ugly. Pittsburgh remains in a tough spot, but they look like a borderline playoff team with a small ceiling if they can get there.
17. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
Something is “off” in Philadelphia, and it’s been that way since the midpoint of last season. Quarterback Jalen Hurts hasn’t looked the same, and despite the vast amount of talent on both sides of the ball, they aren’t playing nearly as well as they should be. Week 5’s loss in London was a tough one, and it’s fair to wonder if the wheels are close to falling off for Nick Sirianni and company.
18. Las Vegas Raiders (3-2)
After a 3-0 start, many, including myself, asked if this team was for real. A close loss to the Chiefs offered optimism, but after a blowout loss to the Patriots, it’s fair to wonder if the wheels are finally coming off. They are in the midst of a tough stretch, so we’ll see what things look like at the end of November.
19. Carolina Panthers (2-2)
Offensively, things couldn’t be going much better for Bryce Young and company. Tetairoa McMillan is a monster, and Jalen Coker might be one of the best WR2s in the league. Right now, the bigger questions are on the defensive side of the ball, despite their high-dollar offseason investments. The NFC South is there for the taking.
20. Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
What a difference one player can make, huh? Without Michael Penix, the offense failed to reach the red zone over the first two games of the season. With him, they’ve been one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league over the last three games. Even at 2-3, the division is well within reach, but the health and consistency of Penix will be key over the final 12 games of the season.
21. New York Giants (3-1-1)
The season-ending injury to quarterback Jaxson Dart hasn’t derailed the year as most had expected. John Harbaugh has this group playing at the highest level we’ve seen in quite a while, but it’s fair to wonder what the end goal is for the season. The NFC East is wide open, and Sunday’s tie doesn’t hurt them (yet). We’ll see if they can hold on over the last 12 games.
22. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
Each season, the Cowboys come in with playoff expectations, and lately, they haven’t delivered. The assumption was that with plenty of big investments and a new defensive coordinator, the defense would take a big step forward. So far, that has not been the case. The offense is producing, but without better defense, this is a .500 team at best, even in a struggling division.
23. Houston Texans (1-4)
After five games, the Texans are finally in the win column! It’s been a disappointing start to the season, and barring a collapse in Jacksonville, the AFC South is all but out of reach. That said, we’ve seen this team overcome slow starts before, so maybe a Wild Card spot is still possible. Now, with Marvin Harrison Jr. in the mix, the passing offense can take another step forward.
24. Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
Despite being just one game under.500, it’s fair to describe the Colts’ start as disappointing. Sure, they’ve overcome a 0-2 start, but quarterback Daniel Jones doesn’t look like the same player, and the defense is an overpaid disaster thus far. Jobs are on the line in Indianapolis, and barring a surprise turnaround, it’s hard to see this as a playoff team.
25. New York Jets (2-3)
After winning Week 1 and playing two close games against the Packers and Lions, it felt like the Jets were finally turning the corner. Then they lost to the Bears and looked like the 2025 version of themselves. If not for Sunday’s victory, the narrative with this group is probably different, but David Bailey helped lead the Jets to a surprise win against Cleveland. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes, but it’s clear they are a better team than they were a year ago.
26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-4)
Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels has played better than expected through two games, but the Bucs will gladly welcome Baker Mayfield back once healthy. Even in a bad division, Tampa Bay is well on the outside looking in. Barring a big run over the next few weeks, don’t be surprised to see them as sellers.
27. New Orleans Saints (1-4)
The Saints were a “surprise” team for many, including me. That said, they haven’t looked like a good team through the first five weeks of the season, despite second-year quarterback Tyler Shough primarily looking the part. Even if the NFC South is wide open, the Saints need to be much better than they have been.
28. Washington Commanders (1-3-1)
The Commanders are a better team with Jayden Daniels on the field. What should have been a Week 5 win turned into a tie and put their season in a tough spot. This group has holes, but in my evaluation, they are poorly coached. There’s still a chance for them to jump back into the mix, but it’s going to take a big stretch starting Week 6 against an undefeated 49ers squad. Good luck, Washington.
29. Los Angeles Chargers (0-5)
Things keep going from bad to worse for the Chargers. What looked like their first win of the season quickly turned into another Nix-led fourth-quarter comeback. More concerning, quarterback Justin Herbert has looked worse than at any point in his career this season. This team should be sellers, but with high expectations, it might take a few more losses before they finally wave the white flag.
30. Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
In the moment, their Week 1 victory against the Chargers felt like an early-season statement. A month later, it’s clear the Chargers are bad, and the Cardinals might be worse. Nobody should be overly surprised by their struggles. Still, it does call general manager Monti Ossenfort’s job into question, especially after trading Harrison Jr. to the Texans after just over two seasons. Simply put- you can’t miss on a No. 3 overall pick like that.
31. Tennessee Titans (0-5)
Any time a team with a young, highly-drafted quarterback hires a defensive-minded coach, I tend to question the decision seriously. The Titans have been no different so far. Quarterback Cam Ward has some serious questions, and maybe in a vacuum, Robert Saleh isn’t a bad hire. The issue is that their marriage couldn’t have started much worse, and the future for the Titans couldn’t look any more bleak. If this doesn’t turn around, it might be smart to clean house, including drafting a new quarterback.
32. Miami Dolphins (0-5)
This is going about as expected so far. The only disappointing part of their 0-5 start is that quarterback Malik Willis has been uneven at best. Then again, could you expect anything more with how bad their pass-catching options looked heading into the season? This will be a long process, but the Dolphins are in a great spot to have a top-2 pick if things keep trending this way.