2019 NFL power rankings, Week 5: Browns impress, Falcons regress
15. . 3-1. Previous: . New Orleans Saints. 2. team
Recap: It was back to the Big Easy after a very impressive win at Seattle last Sunday. Sean Payton’s Saints clashed with the 3-0 Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night at the Superdome. The first half would turn into a battle of field goals as Wil Lutz connected three times in the game’s first 30 minutes. And by game’s end, the Saints never did reach the end zone.
But New Orleans’ under-appreciated defensive unit cooled off Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and his team’s attack, limiting the NFC East leaders to 257 total yards. Vonn Bell finished with 10 tackles and two fumble recoveries while Marshon Lattimore helped keep Cowboys wide receiver Amari Cooper under wraps.
Next Week: Payton’s club is home for the second straight week and face their first divisional rival of the season when they take on the Bucs. The clubs have split their two-game series each of the past four years. In 2018, New Orleans fell at home, 48-40, in Week 1 and rebounded for a 28-14 win at Tampa three months later (Week 14).
Playoff hopes: While the rival Panthers and Buccaneers came up with road wins on Sunday, the Saints remained atop the NFC South and is the lone team in the division with a winning record. The club’s three victories have come by a total of 10 points. And the triumph over the Cowboys was more evidence of New Orleans’ overall balance.
1. team. 47. . 4-0. Previous: . New England Patriots
Recap: Dating back to 2002 and the league’s realignment to eight divisions, no team in the league possesses a better divisional record than the New England Patriots. Over that span, they have owned the Buffalo Bills and entered Sunday’s affair at Orchard Park having won the last five meetings between the clubs.
In the first quarter, Bill Belichick’s club picked off Josh Allen twice and also blocked a punt for a touchdown. Tom Brady finished the afternoon hitting on just 18-of-39 throws and the New England offense finished with 224 yards, 76 in the second half. However, there would be five sacks and four interceptions of Bills quarterbacks Josh Allen and Matt Barkley.
Next Week: The defending Super Bowl champions head down to Landover for the first time since 2011 and face their first NFC East foe of the season in the struggling Washington Redskins. The Patriots have won the last three meetings in this interconference series, including a 27-10 win in 2015 at New England in the clubs’ last meeting.
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Playoff hopes: The NFL’s reigning dynasty came up with quite the ugly win at Orchard Park. And not only are the Patriots sporting a 4-0 record, three of their victories are at the expense of each of their divisional rivals, including wins at Miami and at Buffalo. It’s quite the start for a team whose defense really had to carry the load on Sunday.