Four weeks of NFL football are done and dusted. Through it all, we've seen a lot of good, bad, and ugly, and we'll detail them in our Week 5 NFL Power Rankings.
We've also seen a surprising level of parity across the conferences and divisions.
As such, we currently have just one unbeaten team, just one winless team, seven teams at 3-1, and seven more at 1-3. Of course, we also have a crazy 15 teams at 2-2. Now that's a long list of .500 teams that includes both Super Bowl finalists from last season.
That makes doing these NFL Power Rankings challenging but in a very good way. Let's get down to it.
Here are our Week 5 NFL Power Rankings after four weeks in the 2022 NFL season.
32. Houston Texans
Give the Texans credit for still continuing to battle out there. However, victory remains elusive. If they're tanking for a shot at the top pick in 2023, though, then they are surely on the right track. Still winless after four and bringing up the rear of our Week 5 NFL Power Rankings.
31. Carolina Panthers
The Panthers' offense is just a complete shambles with Baker Mayfield. They have squandered a lot of chances on offense, and their occasionally shut-down defense has been pretty awful. Matt Rhule's watch on the sidelines might see an end soon, too.
30. Washington Commanders
The Cowboys carved up the Commanders good, 25-10. Yes, Washington defeated the Jaguars, 28-22, to start the season, but it's been a rough road since. Three straight defeats are tough to swallow.
29. Chicago Bears
The Bears are awful at two things — they cannot throw the ball for their lives or even protect their quarterback. That severely limits their options, and this appears to be a season-long issue.
28. Indianapolis Colts
The Colts can't blame Matt Ryan (or even former quarterback Carson Wentz) for their poor start. Their running game has been stalled as well. Right now, Indy is just painful to watch.
27. Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers had had enough of Mitchell Trubisky's offense and finally made the switch to rookie Kenny Pickett. In Week 5, they face a near-must-win game at Buffalo, and Pickett will likely be in a world of hurt.
26. New York Jets
The Jets beat the Steelers, 24-20, in Week 4. Zach Wilson returned for the Jets and guided them to a big victory on the road. That's a good sign for them moving forward. They're also unbeaten on the road so far.
25. New England Patriots
The Patriots fought hard against the Packers despite having to play Bailey Zappe as quarterback due to injury. Of course, they remain very limited in a variety of ways. Things not looking up at all.
24. Seattle Seahawks
Let Geno Smith lead, man. The Seahawks are overachieving offensively, with Smith distributing the ball effectively and Rashaad Penny providing more big-play burst in the running game.
23. Detroit Lions
Even though Jared Goff is missing many weapons, the Lions have shown they can still score. The offensive line provides a strong foundation for Goff while also allowing Jamaal Williams and others to run. Unfortunately, the defense is powerless even with Aidan Hutchinson.
22. New Orleans Saints
They lost to the Vikings in Week 4. The Saints, however, were inches away from forcing overtime with a long field goal try. This team has lost three straight games and has been severely hampered by injuries.
21. Cleveland Browns
Their defense has been ravaged by injuries, but they had their opportunities against the Falcons. They're 2-2 and haven't looked like a playoff club yet, but they could have easily been 4-0 as well. Cleveland is sliding down our Week 5 NFL Power Rankings.
20. Atlanta Falcons
Second-year coach Arthur Smith continued to show indications of growth with a tight victory over the Browns. His squad rushed for more than 200 yards for the second time in four weeks. However, Cordarrelle Patterson's absence will increase the strain on inconsistent quarterback Marcus Mariota.
19. Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jaguars were run over by the Eagles for 210 yards after allowing an NFL-best 55 running yards per game during the previous three weeks. It's back to the drawing board for them as they prep to face the Texans next.
18. New York Giants
The Giants' victories versus lesser opponents haven't really impressed anyone. Still, their defense has been excellent, and they've gotten huge rushes from Saquon Barkley and Daniel Jones.
17. Arizona Cardinals
The Cardinals beat the Panthers, 26-16, but they looked terrible in the first half. In the second half, they appeared to be an entirely different team. Should be interesting which side shows up against the unbeaten Eagles in Week 5.
16. Las Vegas Raiders
The Raiders won a must-win game against the Denver Broncos. Maybe it is the game that gets this squad rolling and moving up the NFL Power Rankings. We'll see, but it's not going to be easy. They next face the Chiefs on the road.
15. Denver Broncos
The Broncos are barely average. The good news is that Russell Wilson is beginning to resemble his former self. Everything else, on the other hand, appears to be a disaster.
14. Los Angeles Chargers
The Chargers are having as bad a season as they didn't want. Can a battered Justin Herbert continue to lead and carry them? Tough call, but they did get Austin Ekeler rolling, which relieved some pressure on Herbert and the injured defense.
13. Tennessee Titans
With Derrick Henry rolling hard and the defense beginning to live up to expectations, the Titans had a good Week 4. They are also regaining their physical selves up front. The Titans are right back in the race atop the AFC South.
12. Los Angeles Rams
The Rams lost the Battle of California to the 49ers. They are currently tied for first place in the NFC West with four other teams. The champions simply do not look good right now. Matt Stafford is struggling behind a shaky offensive line, and the team lacks playmakers other than Cooper Kupp.
11. Dallas Cowboys
When Dak Prescott suffered a thumb injury that required surgery in Week 1, it appeared like the Cowboys were doomed. Instead, Cooper Rush has performed admirably in his absence as the Cowboys have won three consecutive games. How long will it last, though?
10. Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins lost for the first time this season against the Bengals, but Tua Tagovailoa's injury was the big news after the game. He was promptly discharged from the hospital and returned to Miami with the squad, but doubts remain. Will this push them down the NFL Power Rankings?
9. Minnesota Vikings
The Saints chose to isolate Marshon Lattimore against Justin Jefferson. It was a tragedy. Jefferson seems to have found his stride again, and he will face the Bears' porous secondary next. It's still quite early, but the Vikings should be pleased with the early results.
8. Baltimore Ravens
The Ravens' defense did everything it could to stop Josh Allen, but they once again lost a lead against the Bills. That's also what they did against the Dolphins in Week 2. Lamar Jackson is still carrying the majority of the load, but it was encouraging to see a healthy J.K. Dobbins.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs lost to the Chiefs in Week 4. They have lost two straight games after an impressive 2-0 start. However, they have a chance to go on a run with games against the Falcons, Steelers, and Panthers coming up.
6. Cincinnati Bengals
The Bengals evened their record by defeating Miami, but they now face a crucial division game against Baltimore. They don't appear to be clicking offensively just yet, but we'll know for sure after their game against the Ravens.
5. San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco took advantage of the Monday Night Football limelight to plaster the reigning champions. That win gave the Niners the same win-loss record as all the other teams in their division. Jimmy G looking pretty good, too.
4. Green Bay Packers
The Packers needed five quarters to defeat sub QB Bailey Zappe. However, they are now the second-best team in the NFC. There's still stuff to work on, though. The defense, in fact, was still weak against the run against the Patriots. At least they're still among the elite in our Week 5 NFL Power Rankings.
3. Kansas City Chiefs
Following their shock loss to the Colts, the Chiefs offense came out with guns blazing to shred the Buccaneers. Kansas City looked mighty fine with its highly diversified passing and rushing repertoire.
2. Buffalo Bills
The Bills pulled one out of their bag of tricks. That was a huge comeback victory on the road against the Ravens. Does that mean that the Bills are the best team in the AFC? Maybe. They look the part, and they've played like it as well.
1. Philadelphia Eagles
After a poor start against the Jaguars, the Eagles showed their ability to rally. Quarterback Jalen Hurts was not spectacular so Miles Sanders carried the ball 27 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns. The Eagles are the NFL's only unbeaten team, and they are looking to extend their run against the struggling Cardinals.
"Rain, sleet, or snow, the Eagles train to go." – @JalenHurts #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/6ufbMA6Ija
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 4, 2022
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