Zak Drapeau's Week 5 NFL Power Rankings and Tier List
by Zak Drapeau
Sportz Nation - 10/6/2026
Super Bowl or Bust
1. Kansas City Chiefs
4-0 /\ 1
The distance between #1 and #2 on this list is very short but I have the Chiefs in my top spot. Mahomes is looking elite again after his 3-year hiatus and the leadership and veterans on the roster assure that they can win any game.
2. San Francisco 49ers
4-0 /\ 1
The 49ers just keep on winning even despite their injuries. Brock Purdy and CMC are dealing and their defense looks renewed with Dre Greenlaw back in town.
3. Denver Broncos
3-1 /\ 1
The Broncos have had one of the toughest schedules in the league so far and have dispatched all except for the Chiefs... in Kansas City... in Week 1. The team is battle tested, good everywhere and under the helm of one of the best coaches ever.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
3-1 /\ 3
The Jaguars are right there from a team standpoint with anyone in the league. We've answered the question that Lawrence wasn't a fluke last season and now the defense is coming around too.
Not Elite but Close
5. Los Angeles Rams
2-2 --
The Rams are obviously one of if not the best rosters in the sport but Matthew Stafford is FAR from his 2025-form. They are starting to get healthier after a few key injuries early on in the season so maybe they'll get back to the Super Bowl favorites they started the season as, but for now they look lost.
6. New England Patriots
2-2 /\ 9
What a win for the Patriots last week in Buffalo for the 2nd straight year. Drake Maye looked 10x better this week than he had to start the season but the team's defense is the real reason they're back up this high on this list.
7. Buffalo Bills
3-1 \/ 6
The Bills had been an offensive team to start the year and I said that as long as Josh Allen does his thing they'll stay #1. Well, he ran into a wall in thr Patriots defense and the team showed their weakness.
8. Seattle Seahawks
3-1 /\ 1
The Seahawks beat the Chargers which on paper this season isn't all that great but they showed their run game and defense are getting sured up. The Seahawks have a ceiling this year for sure, but their consistent and well-coached so they get bumped up a spot.
9. Baltimore Ravens
2-2 \/ 3
So the Ravens are a troubling team this year, who haven't had a complete game where their defense and offense both play well. Now we need to monitor the Jackson-Ankle injury for the next few days and he's up in the air for Week 5.
10. Minnesota Vikings
4-0 --
The Vikings defense is probably the best in the league right now but their offense is still a work in rpogress. The team is focused on possession and tempo along with a dominant defense but if Kyler Murray can get this offesne going this team will shoot up a lot higher.
11. Chicago Bears
3-1 --
The Bears are still dealing even without Caleb Williams and I don't know what else I could say to compliment Ben Johnson. Their defense is pretty okay but their run game with Monangai and Swift may end up being the very best in the league.
Looking to the Playoffs
12. Cincinnati Bengals
2-2 /\ 1
So the Bengals have now lost a tough divisional road game in Pittsburgh and to the Jaguars. Joe Burrow is having a very good season to start the year and the team ranks 5th in passing to start the season but we're definitely seeing their defense regress from the first two weeks of the season.
13. Philadelphia Eagles
2-2 \/ 1
The fact that Jalen Hurts has gotten off to such a bad start to the season and Saquon Barkley can't even stay on the field... and this team is still 2-2 is actually remarkable. The Eagles could still be a force if their backfield duo get their stuiff together.
14. Detroit Lions
2-2 \/ 6
The Lions have a defense problem and we need to face that. They're letting up 423 yards (#32) and 31.8 points (#31) per game. Their offense and Jared Goff are also off to a hot start but there's only so much Detroit can do when teams are throwing for over 300 yards a game on them.
15. Dallas Cowboys
2-2 \/ 1
The Cowboys have a slightly less awful defense than the Lions but also a worse offense. The Cowboys have a very similar style to last year where they'll need to be in shoot outs all season but at least Ceedee Lamb looks BACK in a big way.
16. Las Vegas Raiders
3-1 --
The craziest thing about the Raiders at 3-1 and #16 on this list is I'm really not to sure they shouldn't be higher. Kirk Cousins looks the best we've seen him in 5 years and this defense is miles better than last season as they were about 3 minutes away from beating the Chiefs this week.
17. Carolina Panthers
2-2 /\ 5
BOY OH BOY Bryce Young has arrived. Tet McMillan was apparently all he needed because Young is balling this season along with the whole offense who ranks 4th in points. Their run defense ranks 32nd through 4 games though so until that's cleared up they can't get too much higher.
18. Atlanta Falcons
2-2 /\ 9
Alright... The Falcons may be the best team in the league over the last two weeks. I get they only played the Packers and Saints but they were on the road both games won by 3 touchdowns. Not to mention Bijan averaging 180 yards and 2 TDs.
19. Indianapolis Colts
2-2 \/ 1
The Colts are on a 2-game win streak that includes the division rival Texans but also the Commanders on their 3rd string QB. The team's Front-7 look great and Jonathan Taylor is on OPOY watch but the Secondary and passing game are very much a work in progress.
20. Cleveland Browns
3-1 --
The Browns may be 3-1 and on a 3-game streak but I'm still waiting for the shoe to drop. Deshaun Watson has had flashes of brilliance so far this season but he also played poor in the 2nd half last week. The Browns are still the Browns but just maybe, their an improved version of them with Todd Monken leading the charge.
Need a Major Turnaround
21. New York Giants
3-1 \/ 4
The Giants are 3-1 but they're not a good 3-1, they've only beaten the Titans and Cardinals since Dart went out. JJ McCarthy could... give them hope? But realistically how much?
22. Houston Texans
0-4 \/ 3
I still believe the 0-4 Texans are victims of their schedule and this week in Tennessee will show us the team we expected this season. Their defense is definitely worse than last year but CJ Stroud has also shown us that he might be better.
23. New Orleans Saints
1-3 \/ 2
The Saints defense is now 32nd in points and 29th against the run. It's a shame too because Tyler Shough is really balling out this season. The Saints have close losses to the Lions and Raiders and beat the Ravens though so there's definitely something there.
24. Los Angeles Chargers
0-4 /\ 1
There has to be a flip switch at some point this season because this team is way too good to be 0-4. Justin Herbert is off to his worst start ever but the offensive line is where the real problem lies. Sure them up and this team will win.
25. Washington Commanders
1-3 /\ 1
Jayden Daniels may be coming back next week and if he does this team could easily shoot up into the Top-20 but if not, Athan Kaliakmanis will get the start and this team is basically a CFL team even if their defense and pass rush look really good.
26. Pittsburgh Steelers
1-3 \/ 2
So much is wrong with this team it's actually a credit to them that they've kept most of their games close and to the last drive. Their defense has fallen off from the Mike Tomlin years and Aaron Rodgers COULD be serviceable if their O-line wasn't tied for 2nd most sacks allowed.
27. Arizona Cardinals
1-3 /\ 3
The Cardinals are really weird because they're in almost every game they play and are even scoring 22 points per game but their defense is too inconsistent and their coaching has proven they can't win in close games or when it matters.
28. Green Bay Packers
2-2 --
The Packers are not a good team this year... they're just not. Their o-line is in shambles and they can't run the ball without Josh Jacobs which was the catalyst to their offense all along. The teams they've eaten this season rank 29th and 30th on this list and they beat them by a combined 6 points.
29. New York Jets
1-3 --
Speaking of one of the teams the Packers beat, the Jets have regressed every week so far this season. Starting off, Geno Smith looked actually good and their defense was lights out, but now they can't put a drive together and their defense is allowing 180 rush yards per game the last 2 games.
30. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
0-4 \/ 7
The Buccaneers were already not doing great this season but now that Baker is expected to be out for 2-5 weeks I don't see how they can even score 20 points in a game. Not to mention the defense this team usually hangs their hat on has allowed 24 points per game so far this season.
Tanking
31. Tennessee Titans
0-4 --
The Titans made the Ravens game close last week but Lamar didn't play the 2nd half and they scored in garbage time. The defense isn't terrible on this team but the Cam Ward experiment is getting dangerously close to making his team ready to move on.
32. Miami Dolphins
0-4 --
The Dolphins stink, but at least they kept their game with the Vikings interesting and didn't allow a touchdown all game. Ollie Gordon looks good in place of the injured Achane as well but certainly not good enough to do anything about the rest of this poor roster.
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Power Rankings every Tuesday.
-Z.D.
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