The 5th week of the NFL season was filled with good games, incredible performances, and a couple upsets that shook up the power rankings.

I had the Kansas City Chiefs as the #1 team in the NFL after Week 4, but after a Sunday Night Football loss to the Indianapolis Colts, they may have lost their grip on the top spot. The Colts appropriately rose up in the rankings, proving they can play with the NFL’s elite teams and even steal a road win in Arrowhead Stadium.

The Seattle Seahawks were among the biggest winners of Week 5, with an electrifying Thursday Night Football win over the rival Los Angeles Rams. It was the second loss in five days for Jared Goff and the Rams, but they don’t lose too much ground, as there were in it until the very end.

With the Seahawks, Green Bay Packers, and Colts making the biggest leaps in my power rankings, other teams stayed relatively stagnant even with some impressive wins. The Houston Texans had a field day in a 53-32 win over the Atlanta Falcons, who slide even further towards the bottom. The Carolina Panthers made a statement with their third straight win, hopping in to second place in the NFC South.

Of course, for every inspiring team performance, there were teams that underwhelmed with their performance on the field in Week 5. Daniel Jones and the New York Giants couldn’t get their third straight win, stalling offensively in a 28-10 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. The Los Angeles Chargers were upset at home by Joe Flacco and the Denver Broncos. This Chargers team has a ways to go to get back to the level they were playing on last year.

Plow ahead for my full rankings, and don’t bite your tongue: to debate my list, interact with me on Twitter.

Power Rankings After Week 5

1. New England Patriots (5-0) [Last Week: 2]
2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) [Last Week: 1]
3. New Orleans Saints (4-1) [Last Week: 3]
4. Green Bay Packers (4-1) [Last Week: 6]
5. Seattle Seahawks (4-1) [Last Week: 11]
6. San Francisco 49ers (4-0) [Last Week: 7]
7. Los Angeles Rams (3-2) [Last Week: 4]
8. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [Last Week: 5]
9. Buffalo Bills (4-1) [Last Week: 12]
10. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [Last Week: 9]
11. Detroit Lions (2-1-1) [Last Week: 10]
12. Philadelphia Eagles (3-2) [Last Week: 12]
13. Houston Texans (3-2) [Last Week: 15]
14. Indianapolis Colts (3-2) [Last Week: 20]
15. Chicago Bears (3-2) [Last Week: 8]
16. Carolina Panthers (3-2) [Last Week: 17]
17. Minnesota Vikings (3-2) [Last Week: 19]
18. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3) [Last Week: 16]
19. Oakland Raiders (3-2) [Last Week: 24]
20. Los Angeles Chargers (2-3) [Last Week: 14]
21. Cleveland Browns (2-3) [Last Week: 18]
22. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3) [Last Week: 22]
23. Tennessee Titans (2-3) [Last Week: 21]
24. New York Giants (2-3) [Last Week: 23]
25. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4) [Last Week: 25]
26. Denver Broncos (1-4) [Last Week: 28]
27. Arizona Cardinals (1-3-1) [Last Week: 27]
28. Atlanta Falcons (1-4) [Last Week: 26]
29. Cincinnatti Bengals (0-5) [Last Week: 30]
30. New York Jets (0-4) [Last Week: 29]
31. Washington Redskins (0-5) [Last Week: 31]
32. Miami Dolphins (0-4) [Last Week: 32]

Patriots Grab #1 Ranking, Chiefs Fall to #2

The New England Patriots finished Week 4 as undefeated, defending Super Bowl Champions, but I still saw the Kansas City Chiefs as the superior team. Even after the Chiefs primetime loss to the Colts, they were still in consideration for the top spot. At the end of the day, I went with Tom Brady and the Patriots regaining their spot atop the NFL’s totem pole.

The Patriots hardly had to do anything in Week 5 to earn this spot: handily dispatching a putrid Washington Redskins team in Colt McCoy’s first NFL action this year. The Chiefs may have held the top spot even at 4-1 if they put up their usual offensive showcase against the Colts.

But the Chiefs offense was only able to accumulate 13 points, with the last three coming in the game’s final minutes. The Chiefs defense gave up less than 26 points for the first time this season, but the offense hit a rare road block.

All things considered, it proves the Chiefs are beatable. It was the first time Kansas City was held to less than 28 points this season.

These two teams will likely jockey for position at the top of my rankings throughout the season. Their schedules are on course for collision on December 8, in what could be the most highly-anticipated game of the year.

Seattle Seahawks a Real NFC Threat

Last week, I had the Seattle Seahawks ranked #11 in the NFL. They held a 3-1 record at the time, but their wins were weak and their schedule wasn’t very challenging.

They didn’t do much to help their point differential on the season, winning by just one, but the way they did it against the Los Angeles Rams showed they deserve a spot in the conversation among the NFC’s best.

Of course, the Seahawks aren’t even in first place in their division yet: that’d be the undefeated San Francisco 49ers. But with two head-to-head matchups remaining, they’ll have every chance to win the NFC West, and even the NFC.

Daniel Jones Hot Start Has Been Over

The New York Giants bounced back from an 0-2 start to win back-to-back games under rookie signal-caller Daniel Jones. But the last two weeks have shown that if anything, there will be a learning curve for the young quarterback.

Statistically, Jones has regressed in quarterback rating, yards per attempt, and passing yards per game in each of his first three starts.

While he completed his highest percentage of passes (74%) in Week 4 against the Washington Redskins, it was hardly an inspiring performance against a defense that made Mitch Trubisky look elite.

This is hardly a call for the Giants to turn back to Eli Manning, as that wouldn’t make any sense. But it’s a sign that despite his 2-0 start, Jones may struggle to get the Giants above 8-8 on the season.

New York travels to New England on Thursday Night for a quick turn-around: an absolute recipe for disaster. It would be an incredible story if Jones could beat the undefeated, defending Super Bowl champions in primetime. The upset would all but assure he’s compared to Eli Manning indefinitely.

After the tough Thursday night matchup, the Giants host the Cardinals, travel to Detroit, and host the Cowboys for their second meeting of the year.

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Header photo: Scott Taetsch/Getty Images

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