NFL Power Rankings, Week 6: Steelers and Seahawks humbled again, Commanders roll on

NFL Week 5 followed suit from a truly chaotic Saturday in the college football world with upsets and surprising results galore. The New York Giants toppled the Seattle Seahawks as huge underdogs, the Arizona Cardinals clipped the San Francisco 49ers in upset fashion, the Dallas Cowboys killed the dreams of Pittsburgh Steelers fans everywhere, the Jacksonville Jaguars finally won a game, and the Washington Commanders and Minnesota Vikings maintained their leads in their respective divisions. So yeah, putting together the Week 6 NFL Power Rankings was not the easiest task.

But we've done it. From No. 32 to No. 1, we have ranked the teams in the NFL and, with the help of the FanSided NFL Network, we have analysis both of these teams and, as if we'd have it any other way, some pushback on how I'm seeing the league!

We start, unsurprisingly, in Foxborough.

Tier 5: It Might Just Be All Downhill

32. New England Patriots (31)

It's still kind of hard to believe that the Patriots beat the Bengals in Week 1 and it only gets more difficult to comprehend with each game that Jerod Mayo's team played. Reports of a locker room mutiny were exaggerated but how bad this offense is could not possibly be subject to hyperbole.

With off-field issues now piling on top of the on-field product being abysmal, the Patriots and the fan base should already be getting a jump on scouting for the 2025 NFL Draft.

31. Carolina Panthers (27)

Andy Dalton’s honeymoon period is over. The Carolina Panthers have reverted to type over the last fortnight, losing games and displaying a lack of cohesion in all phases. There is a lot of hard work ahead for head coach Dave Canales, who looked visibly dejected after their beatdown by the Chicago Bears amid more injury complications. 

This is not a good football team. Now teams have some film on Dalton to examine how he runs Carolina’s offensive operation, the production is diminishing. Couple this with a defense that couldn’t stop a nosebleed, and it’s not hard to see why the Panthers are struggling to make the strides needed. — Dean Jones, Panthers Expert, Site Expert at Cat Crave

30. Cleveland Browns (26)

What are we even doing at this point? Even if Deshaun Watson didn't actually quit on his team as was posited during the Browns' blowout loss to the Commanders (which does appear to be the case), that doesn't excuse the fact that he's continued playing extremely poorly while the offensive line and defense have regressed massively.

At this point, you won't convince me that starting Jameis Winston wouldn't be better off for Cleveland.

29. Jacksonville Jaguars (32)

The Jaguars showed life in their first win of the season, beating the Indianapolis Colts with a last-minute field goal by kicker Cam Little. Trevor Lawrence had his best game of the season, and that was partly because he got optimal protection.

But as impressive as Lawrence was, he wasn’t the only Jaguar who came through. Brian Thomas Jr. had an 85-yard reception for a touchdown, the team’s longest play since 2015. Tank Bigsby, for his part, showed RB1 capabilities, toting the rock 13 times for 101 yards with two touchdowns.

On defense, Travon Walker had a monster game, but the rest of the unit will have to tighten things up if Jacksonville wants to start a winning streak. — Carlos Sanchez, Jaguars Expert, Site Expert at Black and Teal

28. Las Vegas Raiders (21)

For a brief moment, it looked like the Raiders offense was starting to click against the Denver Broncos. They scored on their first two drives and made it to the one-yard line on the third when Gardner Minshew made a game-changing mistake.

The quarterback threw a pick-six to Patrick Surtain and the Raiders completely fell apart. Instead of taking a 17-3 lead, they allowed the Broncos to score 34 unanswered points. It’s easy to see this game having a different outcome if it weren’t for the pic-six but it’s clear that this team isn’t good.

The Raiders aren’t going to do anything without a capable quarterback at the helm. While Las Vegas will likely win some games we don’t expect them to throughout the season, this year should be all about positioning themselves to get a quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft. — Austin Boyd, Raiders Expert, Site Expert at Just Blog Baby

27. Miami Dolphins (29)

At no point was it attractive watching how the Miami Dolphins beat the rival Patriots on Sunday and I'd venture to say that no fan of this team enjoyed the three hours they spent watching this game. But after the woes that the Phins have endured post-Tua Tagovailoa injury, getting a two in the win column was sorely needed. We still don't know if or when the quarterback will return this season but they will get a bye in Week 6 to potentially further sort things out.

Tier 4: Y'all are Making It Hard to Believe

26. Tennessee Titans (28)

The Tennessee Titans have an opportunity to move into second place in the AFC South when they face their divisional rival Indianapolis Colts in Week 6.

It was a productive bye week for the Titans, who watched the Colts fall to the previously winless Jacksonville Jaguars. — Justin Melo, Titans Expert, Site Expert at Titan Sized

25. Los Angeles Rams (25)

The Los Angeles Rams are a mixed bag of promising future NFL stars and diminishing NFL veterans. But overall, this team is 1-4, and showing little evidence of turning their season around anytime soon. The team has a tough schedule, but nobody could have expected this team to fall to a 0-3 record in the NFC North division while standing at 1-1 in the NFC West.

While we can lament the early-season injuries, the team has been guilty of creating its own adversity as well. From poor game-planning, suspect execution, poor communication, missed tackles, mental lapses, and a penchant for making things harder than they need to be, this team seems intent on struggling early. Can the team turn things around in 2024? Well, right now the LA Rams are looking at making a Top-5 selection in the 2025 NFL Draft.

So the team is very much in a hole that only a long and respectable winning streak can fix. — Bret Stuter, Rams Expert, Site Expert at Ramblin' Fan

24. Indianapolis Colts (19)

Your guess is as good as mine as to how Joe Flacco keeps doing this but, by golly, the veteran looks far better than Anthony Richardson did at any point prior to his injury within this Colts offense.

And yet, Indianapolis still lost to the lowly Jaguars, which Colts fans will surely tell you has become an infuriating norm over the years. The defense is a complete and total mess right now but, if there's one thing that could help them get back to .500, it might just be a matchup against Will Levis next week.

23. New York Giants (30)

Goodness, talk about a needed victory for the Giants. Other than the 101-yard fumble return for a touchdown that was allowed, Big Blue looked fantastic in the upset 29-20 win in Seattle. Daniel Jones was impressive and Brian Daboll’s play-calling was terrific. With Malik Nabers out, Darius Slayton looked like a stud catching the ball. On defense, you can’t say enough good things about Dexter Lawrence, who finished with a three-sack day. — Braulio Perez, Giants Expert, Site Editor at GMEN HQ

22. New York Jets (22)

Aaron Rodgers, to this point, really hasn't done all that much to elevate the Jets offense. While New York is surely fortunate that he didn't suffer a serious injury against the Vikings in London, the simple truth of the matter is that this team that was supposed to take a massive leap with A-Rod coming to town has not shown anything of the sort to this point.

Tier 3: Imperfect But There are Moments...

21. Cincinnati Bengals (18)

There's a damn good chance that the Bengals are better than the 21st-best team in the NFL. But a 1-4 record is what it is and this team just hasn't gotten it done, including the Bengals choking away a late 10-point lead against the rival Ravens to lose in overtime.

Joe Burrow and the offense have started to find their stride, without question, but the defense remains an issue that this club has to get fixed if they want to have a chance to climb out of this early-season hole.

20. Denver Broncos (24)

The Broncos are still figuring some things out offensively, but it should be noted that they scored 26 points against the Bucs two weeks ago before scoring 27 against the Raiders on Sunday. Pat Surtain added the rest. The Broncos should be higher than 20th with arguably the best defense in the entire NFL so far this season and three straight wins against teams with .500 or better records in each win. — Sayre Bedinger, Broncos Expert, Site Expert at Predominantly Orange

19. Arizona Cardinals (23)

There is not a team with more variance in the NFL right now than the Arizona Cardinals. Kyler Murray is electric and can put this team in position to win any game whenever he's on. The problem, of course, is that he's not always on. However, the simple truth of the matter is that we saw their upside in beating the 49ers (albeit without a kicker) and the Cards continue to look the part of a team that can cause some real havoc from here on out.

18. Los Angeles Chargers (17)

Jim Harbaugh and his Chargers got the early bye to get a bit healthier, something that this LA club needed already (a common sentiment over recent years). This team has upside and the ability to win any game it plays but the overall ceiling might be limited. That said, and no offense to Sayre here with his thoughts on my ranking of the Broncos at 20, I think the Bolts can deliver a reality check to Sean Payton's team in Week 6 coming off of the bye.

Tier 2: Might Not Be All the Way There (Yet)

17. Philadelphia Eagles (15)

It was a week off for the Eagles and perhaps that's what this team needed. Philadelphia is among the many uneven groups in the league that we've seen so far this season and the offense and defense appeared to both have issues. Playing in Week 6 against the mightily struggling Browns, however, could be a nice dose of medicine that this team needs to shift the vibes in their favor.

16. Seattle Seahawks (10)

Week 5’s loss to the New York Giants was as ugly of a loss as Seattle has had since they were blown out by the Baltimore Ravens last season. Losing to the Detroit Lions in Week 4 was acceptable as Seattle was missing so many key defensive personnel. In Week 5, New York was the team to be missing key players and Seattle’s defense still gave up over 400 total yards.

Head coach Mike Macdonald is only five games into his head coaching career, but he is already being tested. He was supposed to fix things defensively, such as stopping the run and having his players tackle better, but that has not happened. Now he needs to correct a team going in the wrong direction and no one knows if Macdonald can do it. — Lee Vowell, Seahawks Expert, Site Expert a 12th Man Rising

15. Chicago Bears (20)

Granted, the Panthers post-honeymoon period aren't the greatest test but the Chicago Bears appear to be improving, as is Caleb Williams, with each passing week. This was the best passing performance we've seen yet from the rookie No. 1 pick but I overall think this team has good bones that are gelling together.

If the offensive line can maintain, the Bears are a threat to make a real run come the second half of the season, if not even sooner than that.

14. San Francisco 49ers (9)

Neither the heat nor the injuries should be the excuse for the Niners, who snatched defeat from the jaws of victory for the second time already this season in an NFC West showdown. How many double-digit leads has San Francisco blown this year to divisional rivals? Three?

Sure, the 49ers lost kicker Jake Moody to a serious ankle sprain, changing how they had to approach their fourth-down offense. But that doesn’t explain how Brock Purdy and Co. were completely shut out by a bad Cardinals defense after halftime. That’s an ugly look, as were the multiple turnovers the Niners lost to a clearly inferior Arizona team.

No rest for the weary, and San Francisco has to forget about its second divisional loss of the year in short matter when it visits the Seahawks on Thursday night. — Peter Panacy, 49ers Expert, Site Editor at Niner Noise

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (8)

Oh, how the mighty have fallen! The once 3-0 Steelers dropped back-to-back games in Weeks 4 and 5. Just when it looked like their offense was about to show signs of life, Pittsburgh put up a dud performance against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. 

Justin Fields, who flashed early in the season and last week against the Colts, isn’t guaranteed to be this team’s starting quarterback when Russell Wilson is deemed healthy enough to play. Reverting to a soon-to-be 36-year-old QB dealing with a calf injury would zap all hope fans have in this team.

The Steelers still have a 3-2 record and they are in the thick of things in the AFC North, but Mike Tomlin’s team is trending in the wrong direction, and the head coach’s philosophy of playing mistake-free football and relying on the defense hasn’t been getting it done the past two weeks. — Tommy Jaggi, Steelers Expert, Site Editor at Still Curtain

12. New Orleans Saints (12 - Still to Play on MNF)

Who even are the New Orleans Saints? It's only been four games but those contests have all looked wildly different. Beating the pants off the Panthers and Cowboys was followed up by narrow, much-lower-scoring losses to the Eagles and Falcons. Now they get Monday Night Football against the Chiefs and I'd be lying to you if I told you I knew what the hell was going to happen. If nothing else, though, maybe we'll learn a bit more about who Dennis Allen's team actually is this year.

11. Dallas Cowboys (14)

Had you been told that Dak Prescott would throw two ugly, ugly interceptions in primetime at Pittsburgh and that those wouldn't be the only turnovers in a game wherein the Cowboys were missing Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence and eventually Marshawn Kneeland, you'd probably guess that Dallas got mollywhopped on Sunday Night Football.

So imagine the surprise that a last-minute connection to Jalen Tolbert gave the Cowboys the gritty win. This definitely isn't a pretty iteration of Mike McCarthy's team but for a group that you could rightly question the make-up of before this week, this could be a turning-point win.

10. Green Bay Packers (16)

It wasn't always pretty against the Rams and it seems pretty obvious that the absence of Romeo Doubs, Jordan Love's favorite target, was felt throughout Sunday's matchup. At the end of the day, though, the Packers were able to come out and get a win in a game that they could've just as easily lost.

Even with LA's offense being an infirmary ward at this point, Green Bay's defense coming up clutch in big moments was a sight for sore eyes in this one and, if that continues as Love gets healthier and things being to normalize on that side of the ball, the Packers could still be a very real playoff threat.

Tier 1: Rollin' Along with Vibes High

9. Washington Commanders (13)

The Washington Commanders aren’t just beating teams, they are demolishing them. Dan Quinn’s men turned in a professional performance to easily dispose of the Cleveland Browns. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels looked human for the first time despite going over 300 total yards once again, but the defensive improvements over the last two contests make this franchise a dangerous proposition moving forward. 

Things are coming together much sooner than anticipated. Not even the brightest optimist envisaged the Commanders to be 4-1 atop the NFC East at this juncture. If they can keep this positive momentum going at the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, the hype train in D.C. will reach warp speed. — Dean Jones, Commanders Expert, Site Expert at Riggo's Rag

8. Atlanta Falcons (11)

Primetime Kirk has arrived in Atlanta... but this ain't your older brother's primetime Kirk Cousins. 500 yards, a stellar effort and a win over the division rival Buccaneers is a huge step in the right direction for the Falcons. Who would've thought that a quarterback returning from an Achilles injury while also adapting to a new team might need a grace period?

But we might be on the right side of that now as the Falcons are starting to look like a real, real problem for an NFC that has a power void at the bottom of the upper tier.

7. Buffalo Bills (5)

Even though the Bills played solid football in the second half against the Texans, their first-half woes were too much to overcome. They were lucky to only be down 17-3 going into halftime. While they did make the comeback to almost force overtime, Josh Allen looked horrendous out there only completing 30% of his passes. 

Head coach Sean McDermott will face the bad music this week regarding Buffalo’s final drive. Instead of wasting time off the clock to get Houston to use their timeouts to force overtime, Buffalo essentially gave the Texans an extra chance to win it in regulation because of poor game management. 

Buffalo finds themselves at 3-2 and now they will once again travel on the road to take on the Jets next Monday night. — Brandon Ray, Bills Expert, Site Expert at BuffaLowDown

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)

Yes, it was a hot run for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that came to a close on Thursday Night Football. That's not a pill that any of the fans on the big, bad pirate ship wanted to swallow. At the same time, the Falcons are also a good football team and the Bucs went to overtime with. That's not a loss to hang your head about, nor is it a loss that should have anyone writing this team off.

Todd Bowles still has the goods to get that defense shored up quickly and Baker Mayfield's Tampa resurgence continues. I'd still be quite shocked if we don't see this Bucs team in the postseason based on what we've seen from them to this point.

5. Houston Texans (7)

Sunday was a huge win for the Houston Texans as they knocked off a legitimate contender in Buffalo. Their ground game has held up without Joe Mixon but they could be dangerous when he returns. 

One thing worth noting is how much the offense was impacted by the loss of Nico Collins following his long touchdown. He’s remained their No. 1 wideout even with the arrival of Stefon Diggs.C.J. Stroud depend heavily on him and as long as he’s back quick, they’ll be able to contend with anyone. — Randy Gurzi, Texans Expert, Site Expert at Toro Times

4. Baltimore Ravens (5)

The Ravens vs. Bengals matchup was the game of the year. A 41-38 overtime victory over the Bengals keeps the Ravens’ winning streak alive. They overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to force OT then won it late on a Justin Tucker field goal. That’s now three wins in a row for a team starting to put it all together.

Baltimore’s passing defense is atrocious and Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow annihilated them through the air all game. They could hardly stop him. However, even with Burrow playing near-perfectly, when it mattered most, the Ravens stepped up and made plays when they had to.

Lamar Jackson continues to amaze and do the impossible. His late fourth-quarter touchdown pass to tight end Isaiah Likely broke play-by-play caller Kevin Harlan and subsequently the internet. Derrick Henry continues to run over anything and everything. Zay Flowers and Mark Andrews are finally starting to find their groove in the offense as well. Things are coming together.

This is the team many thought they were coming into the season. It just took them a bit of time to get there. — Matt Sidney, Ravens Expert, Site Expert at Ebony Bird

3. Minnesota Vikings (3)

After five weeks, the Vikings still haven’t suffered a loss, and over in London, England, on Sunday, they forced future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers to have one of the worst performances of his career.

In their win over the Jets and Rodgers, Minnesota’s aggressive defense generated 20 pressures, three sacks, and three interceptions. With Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold not throwing a touchdown pass for the first time this season, the team needed a top-notch performance from their defense on Sunday, and that’s exactly what they got.

Now, Minnesota will get some much-needed extra rest during its bye in Week 6 before returning in Week 7 for a huge matchup inside their home building against the rival Detroit Lions. — Adam Patrick, Vikings Expert, Site Editor at The Viking Age

2. Detroit Lions (2)

The Lions went into their Week 5 bye at  3-1, but it’s fair to say they haven’t quite gotten it all together at the same time just yet. The week off will ideally allow key players Frank Ragnow and Brian Branch to get healthy after both missed Week 4.

A trip to Dallas to take on the Cowboys looms in Week 6, and the Lions are eligible to fully assert themselves as the best team in the NFC in the coming weeks. — Brad Berreman, Lions Expert, Site Expert at SideLion Report

1. Kansas City Chiefs (1 - Still to Play on MNF)

Still one of just two undefeated teams in the NFL before they welcome the Saints to Arrowhead on Monday night, the Kansas City Chiefs might already be held together by past success and vibes. That might sound derogatory but when you have Patrick Mahomes and a Steve Spagnuolo defense armed with legit talent, that's more than enough.