Bengals Crack The Top 10 After Strong Start
Week 5 of the NFL season can best be summed at as history making and history breaking.
Drew Brees broke Peyton Manning’s all-time passing yards record on Monday night vs the Washington Redskins. The prolific quarterback did it in with a 62-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith, who just may be yet another weapon for this high-scoring offense.
Tom Brady would join a exclusive club as he tossed his 500th career touchdown to Josh Gordon of all people on a prayer to the endzone as Gordon out positioned two Colts defensive backs on a ball slightly under thrown.
For the first time in NFL history, four rookie quarterbacks won in the same week. There’s also Adam Thielen’s record five consecutive 100-yard games, single game rushing records and more that were set in a memorable Week 5.
With that said, here are my NFL Week 6 power rankings.
1. Los Angeles Rams (5-0)
The Los Angeles Rams are probably disappointed in their offensive performance in Week 5. The Rams turned the ball over two times, went 3-for-9 on 3rd down, but it wasn’t all bad for Los Angeles who piled up 468 total yards of offense and 33 points.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
Kansas City’s much maligned defense stepped up to the challenge vs the Jacksonville Jaguars, shutting them down. While the offense wasn’t as explosive, they still reeled off 23 points and yards in the victory to remain unbeaten.
3. New Orleans Saints (4-1)
The New Orleans Saints Week 5 victory will be overshadowed by Drew Brees’ record breaking night, but give some credit to the defense, who held the Washington Redskins to 289 total yards in their best performance of the season.
4. New England Patriots (3-2)
Rob Gronkowski has been awfully quiet since Week 1. Ever since going for 123 receiving yards and 1 TD vs the Texans, Gronkowski has 16 receptions for 185 receiving yards and no touchdowns. It’s tied for the second longest drought for Gronkowski in his career in terms of games without a touchdown reception.
5. Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)
Blake Bortles through five games has been either really good, really average, and last Sunday as we saw really awful as he turned the ball over five times vs a Chiefs defense that ranked near last in the NFL in a ugly 30-14 loss.
6. Chicago Bears (3-1)
It was a bye week for the first place Chicago Bears, who will come out of their bye week to face a suddenly reeling Miami Dolphins team that has lost their last two games by a combined 48 points.
7. Carolina Panthers (3-1)
The Carolina Panthers survived a real scare at home coming off a bye week as their defense surrendered 31 points to a struggling Giants offense.
The Panthers 31 points allowed at home are the most they’ve allowed since a 34-13 loss at home to the New Orleans Saints in Week 3 last season.
8. Cincinnati Bengals (4-1)
The Cincinnati Bengals sure do know how to score in the fourth quarter.
Marvin Lewis’ team would outscore the Miami Dolphins 24-0 in the fourth quarter last Sunday in a 27-17 win. Cincinnati has scored 56 points in the fourth quarter this season.
9. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
Baltimore’s offense had a miserable day vs the Cleveland Browns last Sunday. The Ravens 4-for-16 performance on third down figured heavily into a 12-9 overtime loss for the Ravens last Sunday in Cleveland.
10. Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
The Los Angeles Chargers turned in their best performance of the season to this point with a 26-10 win over the Oakland Raiders last Sunday.
The defense would hold Oakland to 289 total yards and 41 rushing yards as defensive end Melvin Ingram got to Derek Carr for one of three sacks for Los Angeles.
11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-3)
Philadelphia lost their first game at home with Carson Wentz under center for the first time since December 11th, 2016. The quarterback for that game? The same one who beat them last Sunday, Kirk Cousins.
12. Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2-1)
Antonio Brown recorded his first 100-yard receiving game of the season to go along with 2 TDs in the Steelers 41-17 rout, but it was James Connor who stole the show.
Connor would total 185 yards from scrimmage with 2 TDs in the Steelers victory, giving him his second such game this season doing such.
13. Minnesota Vikings (2-2-1)
The Minnesota Vikings defense had looked unrecognizable since Week 2, but they returned to form in a stellar victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in a NFC Championship Rematch.
Minnesota’s defense would hold the Eagles to 2-for-9 on third down and score a defensive touchdown vs Philadelphia.
14. Green Bay Packers (2-2-1)
The Green Bay Packers turned the ball over three times offensively in a 31-23 loss, but five missed kicks by Mason Crosby were the story for Mike McCarthy’s team. Mason Crosby is the first kicker since 1997 to miss four field goals and a extra point in attempt in the same game.
15. Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Tennessee’s propensity to play in close games caught up with them in a last-second lost to the Buffalo Bills. The offense was stagnated by an anemic performance from Marcus Mariota, who finished with 129 passing yards and 1 INT.
16. Washington Redskins (2-2)
The Washington Redskins looked like a team that had a little too much fun during their bye week … Or they just aren’t very good. Having allowed the second fewest points in the NFL coming into Week 5 at 14.7 PPG, Jay Gruden’s team was exposed on national television in their first true test.
17. Miami Dolphins (3-2)
The Miami Dolphins are not explosive enough or productive enough to have Ryan Tannehill go out and turn the ball over like he did in the fourth quarter of Miami’s 27-17 loss. A 3-0 start looks like it happened years ago after losing their last two games by a combined 48 points.
18. Cleveland Browns (2-2-1)
The Cleveland Browns offense did just enough to squeak out a victory over the Baltimore Ravens last week. Baker Mayfield’s 342 passing yards vs the Baltimore Ravens are the most ever by a Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback.
19. Dallas Cowboys (2-3)
Dallas’ offense looked lost without a less than Ezekiel Elliot (20 carries, 54 rushing yards) like performance vs the Houston Texans last Sunday. Dak Prescott leading receiver in a OT loss to Houston was tight-end Geoff Swaim with 3 catches for 55 receiving yards, not a recipe for success
20. Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
The Seattle Seahawks impressed many with their strong effort vs the Los Angeles Rams last Sunday, but it’s still a loss for Pete Carroll’s team. Russell Wilson won’t complain about 21 pass attempts if Seattle is running for 190 rushing yards every game.
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2)
The Buccaneers had a bye week and will face a 1-4 Atlanta Falcons in Week 6 — buoyed by injuries — that has completely fallen apart on the defensive side of the ball.
22. Detroit Lions (2-3)
The Detroit Lions are playing good football since their 48-17 Week 1 shellacking at the hands of the New York Jets. Matthew Stafford has thrown 9 TDs to only 1 INT since throwing four of them in Week 1.
23. Atlanta Falcons (1-4)
Atlanta’s offense was held in check vs the Pittsburgh Steelers and Julio Jones continues his strange hiatus from the endzone. Since November 13th, 2016, Jones has four touchdown receptions and has zero to begin the 2018 season.
24. Houston Texans (2-3)
The Houston Texans two victories have come in overtime this season. DeAndre Hopkins has 594 receiving yards through five games as he’s on pace to top his career-high set back in his third season of 1,512 receiving yards.
25. New York Jets (2-3)
When the New York Jets win, they dominate. The New York Jets are outscoring their opponents 82-33.
That’ll continue if they keep getting 200 rushing yards from Isaiah Crowell, who rushed for a New York Jets franchise-record 219 rushing yards last Sunday in a 34-16 win vs the Denver Broncos.
26. Denver Broncos (2-3)
Denver’s defense is no longer elite despite having two rocks along their defense in Von Miller and Chris Harris Jr. still in the fold. Speaking of Von Miller, the star outside linebacker has zero sacks over his last three games.
27. Buffalo Bills (2-3)
The Buffalo Bills defense since the second half of Week 2 has come to life after giving up 75 points over their first six quarters. Buffalo has surrendered only 40 points over their last 14 quarters of play.
28. Oakland Raiders (1-4)
The Oakland Raiders offense is strange. Despite their quarterback Derek Carr completing 71.3 percent of his passes, Carr has an NFL-high 8 interceptions this season.
29. New York Giants (1-4)
The New York Giants offense finally broke through in a game they needed to win to avoid a 1-4 start. Unfortunately, they have bad luck when it comes to losing on improbable field goals.
Graham Gano’s 63-yard field goal is the second time in as many years New York has lost on a 60+ yard field goal as Jake Elliot hit a 61-yard field goal last season to beat New York.
30. Indianapolis Colts (1-4)
The Indianapolis Colts have been within seven points in the fourth quarter in each of their four losses this season but they were mostly dominated vs a New England Patriots team that gifted them two second half turnovers.
31. San Francisco 49ers (1-4)
A 28-18 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at home changes the positive environment around the team following a close loss vs the Los Angeles Chargers. It’s hard to win a game when the offense turns the ball over five times.
32. Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
Arizona’s defense has played well enough to win each of their last three games, but they’ll take a win over the 49ers. Josh Rosen threw the first of what Cardinals fans hope is the start of many touchdown passes in his career.
What are your thoughts on this Week’s power rankings? Leave your comments below!