2026 NFL Power Rankings, Week 5

Record: 0-4
Last Game: L 15-10 at Minnesota
Next Game: vs. Cincinnati
Previous week’s ranking: 32
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
It wasn’t too long ago that the Dolphins had one of the top WR rooms in the NFL, with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle leading the way. That is not the case these days as new QB Malik Willis’ primary targets will be 2022 third round pick Jalen Tolbert and 2026 third round pick Caleb Douglas.

Record: 0-4
Last Game: L 24-18 at Baltimore
Next Game: vs. Houston
Previous week’s ranking: 31
Super Bowl Odds: +100000
The Robert Saleh era in Tennessee got off to a brutal start as the Titans were dumped by Saleh’s former team, the Jets, and then lost close ones to Philly the Giants, and Baltimore. More of a concern: 2025 first overall pick Cam Ward has regressed in season two. But at least Carnell Tate, the fourth overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, appears to have turned it around following a slow start.

Record: 1-3
Last Game: L 36-24 at New York Giants
Next Game: vs. Detroit
Previous week’s ranking: 30
Super Bowl Odds: +50000
The Cardinals had the biggest upset of Week 1 as they took down the heavily-favored Chargers. But the subsequent games are closer to the truth of what the Cards actually are: a rebuilding team with some young talent in search of a franchise quarterback.

Record: 1-3
Last Game: L 23-12 at Chicago
Next Game: vs. Cleveland
Previous week’s ranking: 28
Super Bowl Odds: +30000
The Jets actually looked like a competent football team in Week 1, beating the Titans and former head coach Robert Saleh, 23-10. But they have since reverted to being the Same Ole’ Jets. The team finally got an interception, ending a 21 game streak without a pick, but the offense has been inconsistent and they’ve suffered injuries at key positions.

Record: 3-1
Last Game: W 27-24 vs. Pittsburgh
Next Game: at New York Jets
Previous week’s ranking: 29
Super Bowl Odds: +18000
Deshaun Watson’s NFL career isn’t over just yet. The much-criticized veteran has outperformed Baker Mayfield, Bryce Young, and Aaron Rodgers in successive weeks to lead Tampa to an impressive start. With the entire preseason discourse centered on the quarterback competition, one important thing went under the radar: The Browns have a ton of young talent on both sides of the ball.

Record: 0-4
Last Game: L 17-14 vs. Green Bay
Next Game: at Dallas (10/8)
Previous week’s ranking: 24
Super Bowl Odds: +15000
Todd Bowles is on the hottest of seats entering his fifth season as head coach. The team faded during the stretch in 2025 and have gotten off to a listless start in 2026. They’ll have to turn it around without Baker Mayfield. The veteran QB, whose resurgence plateaued last season, is on the shelf for approximately a month after injuring his thumb.

Record: 3-1
Last Game: W 36-24 vs. Arizona
Next Game: at Washington
Previous week’s ranking: 25
Super Bowl Odds: +15000
The Giants looked great, on paper, entering the season with Jaxson Dart at QB, Cam Skattebo at RB, and Malik Nabers at WR. For one week, at least, that trio stayed healthy and looked tremendous as the Giants rolled over the Cowboys, 28-20. But they came back down to Earth in Week 2 and lost Dart for the season with a knee injury. John Harbaugh’s team isn’t punting on the season though. Jameis Winston is one of the 10 best backup QBs in the NFL, and they’ve bolstered their quarterback room acquiring former top ten pick J.J. McCarthy from Minnesota for a third-day draft pick.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: L 27-24 at Cleveland
Next Game: vs. Indianapolis
Previous week’s ranking: 23
Super Bowl Odds: +12000
Aaron Rodgers seemed to no longer be a difference-maker. Aside from a Week 3 explosion against division-rival Cincinnati, the Steelers have played uninspired football so far in 2026. The team is aging and expensive and the Rodgers-Mike McCarthy reunion is going as well as expected. If Pittsburgh doesn’t turn it around soon, they should be a seller at the trade deadline

Record: 0-4
Last Game: L 30-23 at Seattle
Next Game: vs. Denver
Previous week’s ranking: 21
Super Bowl Odds: +10000
The Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh after going 5-12 in the 2023-24 season. Harbaugh has brought stability to the franchise as the team has gone 11-6 the past two seasons. Justin Herbert and company are now looking to take the next step and new offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel will look to help them get there. The results have not been encouraging. Take solace in this, however: the 1992 Chargers are the only NFL to make the playoffs following an 0-4 start.

Record: 1-3
Last Game: L 30-13 vs. Indianapolis (at London, England)
Next Game: vs. New York Giants
Previous week’s ranking: 20
Super Bowl Odds: +10000
A year ago at this time, the Commanders were seen by many as an up-and-coming team. Jayden Daniels was injured for much of the 2025-26 campaign, however, and Washington finished the season with a 5-12 record. David Blough takes over for Kliff Kingsbury as the Commanders’ OC. Daniels is hurt again, and now so is Marcos Mariota, one of the 10 best backup QBs in the NFL. Is Athan Kaliakmanis, a.k. the Baklava Bomber, the answer?

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 32-26 vs. Detroit
Next Game: Bye
Previous week’s ranking: 26
Super Bowl Odds: +10000
It was difficult to understand what kind of a team the Panthers are after they lost 59-37 to the Bears in what was the highest-scoring season-opening game in NFL history. It’s quite possible the Chicago offense is THAT good and that the Carolina defense just ran into a juggernaut. It’s also quite possible that the Bears defense is THAT bad, and that was the reason Bryce Young threw for 361 yards and 3 TDs. Young then backed it up with an impressive performance against Atlanta before a disappointing outing against Cleveland.

Record: 1-3
Last Game: L 45-24 vs. Atlanta
Next Game: vs. Minnesota
Previous week’s ranking: 18
Super Bowl Odds: +8000
Kellen Moore didn’t exactly have a Mike Vrabel-esque impact on the Saints organization in his first season, but New Orleans did improve. Moore worked wonders with 2025 second round pick Tyler Shough, as Shough had a 10:6 TD:INT ratio in 11 games played.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 45-24 at New Orleans
Next Game: vs. Baltimore
Previous week’s ranking: 27
Super Bowl Odds: +8000
Kevin Stefanski takes over as head coach in Atlanta, but he found himself with a less-than-ideal quarterback situation to start the season. Tua Tagovailoa won the job in training camp but suffered an oblique injury and Michael Penix was still recovering from his third ACL surgery. Third-stringer Cooper Rush started and was ineffective in Week 1 and Week 2 but the offense looks revitalized following Penix’s return. With Bijan Robinson leading the way, the Falcons might be the most dangerous team in the weak NFC South.

Record: 3-1
Last Game: L 30-27 vs. Kansas City
Next Game: at New England
Previous week’s ranking: 22
Super Bowl Odds: +7500
Klint Kubiak turned Sam Darnold into a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. No small feat. Now, Kubiak reunites with Kirk Cousins in Las Vegas, as No. 1 overall draft pick Fernando Mendoza is waiting in the wings. Overall, though, the roster has holes and Las Vegas faces a rugged schedule. All signs seemed to point to another long season in Sin City, yet the Raiders are for real. They’ve equaled their 2025 win total and played the Chiefs tight in a Week 4 loss.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 30-13 vs. Washington (at London, England)
Next Game: at Pittsburgh
Previous week’s ranking: 19
Super Bowl Odds: +6500
The Colts played for a tie in overtime against the Chiefs and wound up getting burned. Daniel Jones, who revived his career with the Colts early in the 2025 season, has been mediocre thus far in 2026. But Indy saved their season in Week 3 and have now consecutive games.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 17-14 at Tampa Bay
Next Game: vs. Chicago
Previous week’s ranking: 17
Super Bowl Odds: +6500
The Packers hadn’t won a football game since Dec. 7, 2025 but in Week 2 they luckily ran into a Jets team that still doesn’t know how to close games. The Packers haven’t played good football all season and the vibes on the sidelines are not good. But they haven’t bottomed out. Desperately missing running back Josh Jacobs, who is under league investigation for a domestic violence incident, and injured pass rusher Micah Parsons, both of whom haven’t played a snap this season.

Record: 0-4
Last Game: L 34-30 vs. Dallas
Next Game: at Tennessee
Previous week’s ranking: 16
Super Bowl Odds: +4500
The Texans already had arguably the best defense in the NFL. Houston doubled-down on that side of the ball this offseason, signing safety Reed Blankenship and bringing back defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. They also drafted defensive tackle Kayden McDonald. The big question with the Texans is whether or not CJ Stroud can bounce back from a horrific playoff performance against New England. But the problems go beyond Stroud: a struggling defense, a beat up receiver corps, and trouble closing tight games.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 29-26 at Buffalo
Next Game: vs. Las Vegas
Previous week’s ranking: 15
Super Bowl Odds: +2500
The Patriots won an ugly one against the Steelers in Week 2, taking a 20-3 victory. New England’s defense looked legit, but gave up 35 points against Jacksonville in Week 3. Drake Maye continues to strugglee. Through three games he has thrown just 1 TD pass and has 6 INTs. But he played his best game of the season in a must-win against division rival Buffalo.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: L 24-20 vs. Los Angeles Rams
Next Game: vs. Jacksonville (in London)
Previous week’s ranking: 8
Super Bowl Odds: +2400
The Eagles are once again in the Super Bowl conversation. They added on defense this offseason, signing former Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen to a one-year deal. Philly should have one of the better secondaries in the NFL this season with Woolen, Quinyon Mitchell, and Cooper DeJean in the fold. But the unit has regressed and the offense is still confounding and ineffective.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: L 32-26 at Carolina
Next Game: at Arizona
Previous week’s ranking: 9
Super Bowl Odds: +2400
The Lions are getting plenty of “bounceback year” buzz after going 9-8 last season. Detroit dealt with plenty of injuries last season and was just 2-5 in games decided by 7 points or fewer. Former Arizona Cardinals OC Drew Petzing takes over as offensive coordinator after John Morton did not work out last season.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 34-30 at Houston
Next Game: vs. Tampa Bay (10/8)
Previous week’s ranking: 14
Super Bowl Odds: +2200
The Cowboys have been as advertised: a high-powered offense led by the Dak Prescott-CeeDee Lamb combination, a listless defense that can’t stop the run, and a coaching staff that still struggles with game management at the ends of halves and games.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: L 24-14 at San Francisco
Next Game: at Los Angeles Chargers
Previous week’s ranking: 10
Super Bowl Odds: +2200
Had Bo Nix not fractured his ankle in the closing moments of the Broncos’ Divisional Round win over the Bills this past January, we are likely talking about Denver as the defending AFC champions—and possibly even the defending Super Bowl champions. Nix is back, and he will have help in the form of new WR Jaylen Waddle.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: L 22-17 vs. Jacksonville
Next Game: at Miami
Previous week’s ranking: 7
Super Bowl Odds: +2200
The Bengals have been stuck in neutral for several seasons now. In fact, you could make the case that last season they went in reverse. Zac Taylor’s seat is extremely hot entering the season after producing a 9-8 record in 2023-24, another 9-8 record in 2024-25, and a 6-11 record last season. Having Joe Burrow healthy for once would go a long way in righting the ship.

Record: 4-0
Last Game: W 15-10 vs. Miami
Next Game: at New Orleans
Previous week’s ranking: 13
Super Bowl Odds: +2200
The Vikings were a complete wild card heading into the season. The thinking was, If Kyler Murray worked out at QB, the Vikes could find themselves in the playoffs and potentially win a postseason game or two. Well, Murray and the Vikings offense has struggled this season. How are the Vikings winning? Brian Flores is the best defensive coordinator in the NFL and has the Vikings defense shutting down opponents.

Record: 3-1
Last Game: W 23-12 vs. New York Jets
Next Game: at Green Bay
Previous week’s ranking: 12
Super Bowl Odds: +1800
Bears head coach Ben Johnson said prior to the start of the season that his team’s goal was not only to win the Super Bowl but to also break the Denver Broncos’ 2013 record for most points in an NFL season. Johnson’s squad got off a great start in accomplishing both goals in Week 1 as they beat the Panthers in Charlotte, 59-37. Dodged a bullet in Week 2 with Caleb Williams’ injury not looking serious and have since won games with both their backup QB (Tyson Bagent) and their third-stringer (Case Keenum).

Record: 3-1
Last Game: W 22-17 at Cincinnati
Next Game: vs. Philadelphia (in London)
Previous week’s ranking: 11
Super Bowl Odds: +1500
Thus far, the Liam Coen-Trevor Lawrence marriage is going swimmingly. Coen helped Lawrence post a 4,000-plus yard, 29 TD season this past season, and the Jags recorded their most wins in a regular season (13) since the Bill Clinton administration. Jacksonville did lose starting RB Travis Etienne and linebacker Devin Lloyd in free agency this offseason, however.

Record: 4-0
Last Game: W 30-27 at Las Vegas
Next Game: Bye
Previous week’s ranking: 5
Super Bowl Odds: +950
The Chiefs got a vintage Patrick Mahomes performance in Week 2 against Indy, as the QB threw for 382 yards and 3 TDs in a 33-30 overtime victory. Kenneth Walker III continued his hot start to the season in Week 3 as he ran for 70 yards and a touchdown. Mahomes magic returned in Week 4 against the Raiders. They head into a bye week looking like one of the best teams in the NFL.

Record: 4-0
Last Game: W 24-14 vs. Denver
Next Game: at Seattle
Previous week’s ranking: 3
Super Bowl Odds: +950
The 49ers quickly put an end to the Rams’ “superteam” status as they coasted to a 27-7 win in Australia over their NFC West rival. And then backed it up with wins over Miami, Arizona, and Denver.

Record: 3-1
Last Game: W 30-23 vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Next Game: vs. San Francisco
Previous week’s ranking: 6
Super Bowl Odds: +900
The defending champs lucked out when Sam Darnold avoided major injury in the opener against New England. The defense carried them for two games but they couldn’t get a stop in the final minutes of their shocking loss in the nation’s capital. Darnold looked much better against the Chargers in Week 4.

Record: 3-1
Last Game: W 24-18 vs. Tennessee
Next Game: at Atlanta
Previous week’s ranking: 4
Super Bowl Odds: +900
The Ravens also have a new head coach as former Chargers defensive coordinator Jesse Minter takes over. Baltimore, which underwhelmed last season with an 8-9 record, added two leaders on defense in veterans Trey Hendrickson and Calais Campbell.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: L 29-26 vs. New England
Next Game: at Los Angeles Rams (10/12)
Previous week’s ranking: 1
Super Bowl Odds: +750
Is this the year the Bills finally kick down the door? Josh Allen and friends have been knocking at the door of a Super Bowl for years now but have still never reached the Big Game. Former offensive coordinator Joe Brady takes over as head coach after owner Terry Pegula sent the defensive-minded Sean McDermott packing after nine seasons.

Record: 2-2
Last Game: W 24-20 at Philadelphia
Next Game: vs. Buffalo (10/12)
Previous week’s ranking: 2
Super Bowl Odds: +650
The Rams’ team travel director could be on the unemployment line soon as LA’s decision to arrive in Melbourne, Australia just 28 hours before kickoff against the 49ers proved to be costly. New acquisition Myles Garrett is set to miss at least four games as he is undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery and Puka Nacua missed his second straight game with a groin/soft-tissue injury. Hope that a close win against Philly righted the ship.