Week Five of the NFL season has been wild. The Denver Broncos and New England Patriots game was called off because of more positive tests within the Patriots facility, forcing each team to take an unplanned bye week. The Kansas City Chiefs lost to the Las Vegas Raiders for the first time in three years and Russell Wilson continues to shine this season after another comeback victory on Sunday night.
Alex Smith returned to the field after the gruesome leg injury that almost cost him his life a couple of years ago. His return was bittersweet but was also met with five-plus sacks for the day. Nonetheless it was awesome seeing AS11 return to the gridiron.
Speaking of gruesome injuries, Dak Prescott’s season came to an end on Sunday after breaking his ankle. He was having a phenomenal year throwing the ball — so for his season to be cut short due to this type of injury is truly heartbreaking. He will be set to hit free agency next offseason since he was franchised tagged by the Dallas Cowboys. He could sign the franchise tag again, but will most likely be looking for a long term contract. Now the question is, will that be in Dallas or somewhere else in 2021?
There is plenty of movement in this week’s NFL Power Rankings, but notice any teams that were on bye or had a forced bye did not change in rankings.
32. NEW YORK JETS (0-5) — LAST WEEK 32
Well, at least we know the problem isn’t Sam Darnold. It’s Adam Gase, it’s the front office and it’s the owner. This team stinks — from top to bottom. At this point, I hope they trade Darnold just so he has a chance at having a winning season in his career. Move the team back to New York and see what happens there because it sure as hell isn’t working in New Jersey. They deserve to be ranked as the worst team in the NFL.
31. NEW YORK GIANTS (0-5) — LAST WEEK 31
They were oh so close to sneaking out a win in Dallas this week, but the Cowboys had more to play for after the injury to Dak Prescott. Daniel Jones found ways to get the ball downfield and keep plays alive for the New York Giants, but it just wasn’t enough as the game went on. It’s hard to play quarterback in the NFL when you don’t get more than a second to throw. Hopefully, the Giants can find a way to keep Jones alive this season because he isn’t the issue for them.
30. WASHINGTON FOOTBALL TEAM (1-4) — LAST WEEK 30
The only highlight this week for the Washington Football team was getting to see Alex Smith run back onto the field and play football. Yet, they almost got him killed, as he was sacked over five times. Put Dwayne Haskins back in if you are planning to lose games. It’s too stressful watching Alex Smith’s health be at risk behind this offensive line.
29. ATLANTA FALCONS (0-5) — LAST WEEK 22
The Dan Quinn era in Atlanta is finally over. The Falcons are sitting at 0-5 and don’t have much hope left for this season. The defense has yet to stop an opposing offense this year and it is hard to consistently put points on the board in the NFL. Matt Ryan can only do so much, so hopefully, the Falcons can find some excitement to play football as they prepare for Minnesota next week.
28. JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-4) — LAST WEEK 29
Nobody expected the Jacksonville Jaguars to win on Sunday, especially with the Texans finding a reason to play at a higher level after Bill O’Brien was fired. The remainder of this season will be spent preparing for the future as the tanking for Trevor Lawrence is very real in Jacksonville.
27. CINCINNATI BENGALS (1-3-1) — LAST WEEK 22
The Cincinnati Bengals could not get anything moving on offense and the defense struggled to slow down Lamar Jackson. The offensive line is their biggest weakness and there isn’t much they can do about it until the season is over. It’s going to be a long year for Joe Burrow. He will have to learn to get the ball out of his hand quickly if he wants to make it through this season alive.
26. DETROIT LIONS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 26
The bye week will not change their rankings.
25. DENVER BRONCOS (1-3) — LAST WEEK 25
Were forced to have a bye week due to positive COVID tests. It will not change place in rankings.
24. MIAMI DOLPHINS (2-3) — LAST WEEK 27
FITZMAGIC IS BACK! The man, the myth, the legend, Ryan Fitzpatrick destroyed the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The Dolphins beat them in nearly every aspect of the game. They played well against Seattle last week and carried that over into Sunday in San Francisco. The defense did their part as well in creating turnovers which resulted in Jimmy Garoppolo being benched. The Dolphins are figuring it out!
23. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (2-3) — LAST WEEK 16
Woah. Well, it looks like the Jimmy Garoppolo era is over in San Francisco. The 49ers got their ass whooped on Sunday — on both sides of the ball. The offense couldn’t get anything going and the problem at quarterback is evident. Nick Mullens was benched last week in the loss to Philidelphia and now Jimmy G is riding the pine. This is a storyline to keep an eye on moving forward.
22. LOS ANGELES CHARGERS (1-4) — LAST WEEK 21
They lost another heart breaker but Justin Herbert is playing lights out. The kid had four passing touchdowns and a perfectly placed deep ball late in the game that set them up for a game-winning field goal. The field goal was missed and the Chargers ended up losing in overtime. The Chargers have lost four straight but still, have plenty to be excited about with Herbert being the guy moving forward. They will find ways to win games eventually.
21. HOUSTON TEXANS (1-4) — LAST WEEK 24
The Houston Texans finally pick up their first win of the 2020 campaign. They looked excited to be playing football again and did so in a dominating fashion. Deshaun Watson and Brandin Cooks were clicking all day and the Jacksonville Jaguars didn’t have an answer for them. The Texans will need to keep up this level of play if they want to flip their season around.
20. MINNESOTA VIKINGS (1-4) — LAST WEEK 17
The run game for Minnesota was going great on Sunday night until that last fourth-down attempt. The Seattle Seahawks just continued to make plays with their backs against the wall and the Vikings didn’t have an answer. The defense struggled late in the game, but so will a lot of defense when they are facing Russell Wilson. The Vikings have to find a way to grow off their positive plays and fix the mistakes they continue to make late in games.
19. PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (1-3-1) — LAST WEEK 21
The Philadelphia Eagles lost a close game this week, even though the score might say otherwise. They were penalized with some tacky defensive pass interference calls that put the Pittsburgh Steelers inside the five-yard line. The offense looks to have found their guys at wide receiver with Travis Fulgham and Greg Ward. Ward continues to be the reliable target for Carson Wentz when need be and is gaining his trust. The Eagles are close to figuring it out and once they do, look out, because they will be winning the NFC East.
18. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (3-2) — LAST WEEK 13
The Colts shot themselves in the foot this game. Several mistakes led to the loss this week, but the mistakes are ones that can be fixed. You remove the pick-six and the safety due to intentional grounding and the Colts probably walk out with a win, but that’s like saying if my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle. The Colts went away from the running game and kept launching the ball downfield. It worked at times, but the run game opens up the deep shots for Phillip Rivers which makes it’s confusing as to why they went away from it this game. The Colts will look forward to getting back on track next week against the Cincinnati Bengals.
17. CAROLINA PANTHERS (3-2) — LAST WEEK 23
The Carolina Panthers continue their winning streak and picked up a division victory on Sunday. It’s crazy to think the Panthers are winning without Christian McCaffrey, but he could be returning next week if he feels like he is good to play. Joe Brady has this offense running like a fine-tuned machine — you add in CMC now — good luck everybody else.
16. DALLAS COWBOYS (2-3) — LAST WEEK 15
The loss of Dak Prescott will be huge for this offense moving forward. The man was fighting tooth and nail to keep them in games and is now out for the year. Their defense is struggling to slow down any type of attack from opposing offenses this season and it showed once again on Sunday. The Dallas Cowboys are in trouble and on the brink of kissing this season goodbye. They beat the New York Giants by three. The Cowboys are not winning the NFC East.
15. CHICAGO BEARS (4-1) — LAST WEEK 19
Oh my God. What are the Chicago Bears this season? They have only lost one game and just beat Tom Brady on Thursday night. Kahlil Mack is playing on another level and the defense is creating consistent pressure week after week. Matt Nagy has this offense clicking and the Bears are looking to compete for the NFC North. Their next game is against the Carolina Panthers and believe it or not, I think it will be an exciting game.
14. LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (3-2) — LAST WEEK 18
The Las Vegas Raiders got themselves back on track after picking up a huge win in Kansas City on Sunday. They finished their trip to Kansas City with a victory lap around Arrowhead Stadium and will hope to continue this level of play moving forward. Derek Carr played a near-flawless game against the Chiefs and tore apart their secondary while Maxx Crosby and the defense was consistently in the face of Patrick Mahomes. The Raiders will head into their bye week celebrating this huge win before preparing for Tampa. If they win another game they will be finding themselves in the top 10. It’s just hard to justify it right now because the Raiders celebrated this win like it was their super bowl.
13. ARIZONA CARDINALS (3-2) — LAST WEEK 14
Well, Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins are pretty good. Yes, they played the New York Jets, but boy were they connecting often on Sunday for 131 yards. The Jets didn’t have an answer for the passing attack of the Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys won’t either next week. The Cardinals are starting to heat up before they get Seattle at home.
12. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-2) — LAST WEEK 12
The game was put to a bye week due to positive COVID tests. Will not change their rankings.
11. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-2) — LAST WEEK 8
Is it third or fourth down? That is the question that will haunt Tom Brady after this loss. Several mistakes led to the loss for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night, but they will view this as a learning opportunity. Once this entire team is on the same page and they work out the undisciplined mistakes, lookout. Mike Evans is a touchdown machine right now and the run game is improving each week. The Buc’s fall this week, but expect them to bounce back soon.
10. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (3-2) — LAST WEEK 10
The New Orleans Saints got lucky on Monday night with the Los Angeles Chargers kicker missing the game-winning field goal in regulation. Drew Brees continues to struggle to get the ball downfield but the Saints are still finding ways to win and ultimately that’s all that matters in the NFL. Michael Thomas is set to return now and at the perfect time as they prepare for the rest of their season after the bye week.
9. CLEVELAND BROWNS (4-1) — LAST WEEK 11
Baker Mayfield and the Cleveland Browns pick up another win this week and go 4-1 on the season. This is the first time they have started 4-1 in like, forever. A huge thanks goes to Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Laundry. They continue to shine for this offense and are the reasons for the explosive plays each week. The AFC North might come down to the wire because the Browns are starting to put it all together as they find themselves in the top 10.
8. BUFFALO BILLS (4-1) — LAST WEEK 6
So the Buffalo Bills defense doesn’t appear to be as good as we all thought they were. It was a different week in terms of preparing for this game, but with the Tennessee Titans, it’s pretty obvious they are going to be running the ball. In which they did. A lot. All over the Bills defense. The turnovers ultimately ended their hopes at coming back on Tuesday night and they ended the game with their backup quarterback, Matt Barkley. The Bills will face the Kansas City Chiefs next Monday night and both teams have something to prove after losing this week. That matchup could possibly be the game of the year.
7. TENNESSEE TITANS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 9
The Tennessee Titans played lights out on Tuesday night. They were able to do whatever they wanted on offense and Derrick Henry added another disgusting stiff arm to his highlight reel. Ryan Tannehill added three passing touchdowns and got the job done with his legs too throughout the game.The Titans are 4-0 for the first time since 2008 and look pretty damn good. No one would have guessed they just went through a brutal 16 day stretch of multiple COVID cases inside their facility with how well they played. The Titans are looking like the real deal.
6. LOS ANGELES RAMS (4-1) — LAST WEEK 7
When will Aaron Donald slow down? He is looking to win another defensive player of the year award if he keeps this up. The man had four sacks alone on Sunday and destroyed the Washington Football Teams’ offensive line. Robert Woods was back in the mix on offense as the Los Angeles Rams scored early and often this week. The Rams continue to impress on both sides of the ball and are looking to make another run for the super bowl.
5. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 5
The Pittsburgh Steelers welcome another receiving weapon to the NFL with Chase Claypool. The kid should have had five touchdowns, but four was enough to showcase his dominance against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Steelers did whatever they wanted on offense and the defense shined in the win on Sunday as they continue to build on their impressive young season. I think the Steelers win the AFC North, but time will tell on this prediction. (Fingers crossed)
4. GREEN BAY PACKERS (4-0) — LAST WEEK 4
The bye week will not change their rankings.
3. BALTIMORE RAVENS (4-1) — LAST WEEK 3
The Baltimore Ravens win another game against a weak opponent. I thought the Cincinnati Bengals would make this game closer but boy was I wrong. The Ravens defense showed up this week and wrecked all kinds of havoc on Joe Burrow and the Bengals offensive line. The Ravens continue to build on their momentum after a devastating loss two weeks ago.
2. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (4-1) — LAST WEEK 1
Ouch. Talk about a wake-up game. The Las Vegas Raiders straight up dominated the Kansas City Chiefs defense. The offense struggled to find a rhythm and keep the pass rush away from Patrick Mahomes. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was not a big proponent in the run game, but how could he be when the Chiefs are losing by double digits. It’s the NFL, its hard to go undefeated and that’s why it has only been done one time. No need to panic if you are a Chiefs fan. The Chiefs will make the correct adjustments and be prepared for the Buffalo Bills next Monday night.
1. SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (5-0) — LAST WEEK 2
Rusell Wilson is a bad man ladies and gentlemen. He cannot and will not be stopped. The Seahawks did not convert a third-down one time Sunday night, but boy did they on fourth down. That final drive by Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks was beautiful. The connection between Wilson and D.K. Metcalf is scary. I can’t wait for that Seahawks vs Green Bay Packers NFC matchup!