Week 5 of the 2024-25 NFL season brought upsets, narrative-confirming wins, potentially playoff race-changing results, and plenty of overall action.

Read on for my Post-Week 5 NFL Power Rankings as I rank all 32 teams. If you’d like to debate or discuss any rankings, or want to follow for more NFL content including Picks and Power Rankings, be sure to connect with Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook!

New Team at the Top

Both the Kansas City Chiefs and Minnesota Vikings are 5-0, but Minnesota has been more dominant on both sides of the ball. (NBC Sports Bay Area)

While the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs haven’t lost a game yet, neither have the Minnesota Vikings: both teams are 5-0. And while the Chiefs have Patrick Mahomes and the fact that they’ve won back-to-back Super Bowls on their side, this year’s Kansas City team might not be the most dominant team in the league right now. That title likely belongs to Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings, who have outscored opponents by 63 points this year, an average margin of victory of 12.6 points. The Chiefs, as impressive as it is that they’re undefeated at this point, are growingly undermanned at the wide receiver position, and don’t currently have the tools to bury teams the way they used to. Kansas City has outscored their opponents by 33 points this season, an average margin of 6.6 points per game.

Other Week 5 Results

Don’t look now, but the Denver Broncos have won three straight games over the Buccaneers, Jets, and Raiders. (Geneva Heffman/Associated Press)

Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens outlasted Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals 41-38 in an overtime thriller to improve to 3-2 on the season. The Bengals offense was firing on all cylinders, as Burrow threw five touchdown passes, but the defense couldn’t hold, allowing 17 points in the fourth quarter as Baltimore forced overtime. The Bengals have already proven they can keep up with the best teams in the AFC (Ravens, Chiefs) despite their ugly 1-4 record.

Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders continued their hot start, cruising to a 34-13 win at home to improve to 4-1, defeating a Cleveland Browns team that seems to lack any identity as they fall to 1-4.

Last week’s Sak Sports Blog Game of the Week lived up to the hype, as C.J. Stroud and the Houston Texans outdueled Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills 23-20 on a last-second field goal in a battle of AFC powerhouses.

Bo Nix, Pat Surtain II, and the Denver Broncos turned some heads with their third straight win, a 34-18 victory over now-benched quarterback Gardner Minshew and the Las Vegas Raiders.

Finally, on Sunday Night Football, Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys continued to right the ship from a shaky start to the season, with a gritty 20-17 win over Justin Fields and the Pittsburgh Steelers on the road, evening both teams records at 3-2.

Post-Week 5 Power Rankings

The Houston Texans are 4-1, 1st Place in the AFC South, and just a game behind the Chiefs for the best record in the AFC. (Photo: ABC13)
  1. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) [Last Week: 2] *New Team at #1*
  2. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) [Last Week: 1]
  3. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) [Last Week: 3]
  4. Houston Texans (4-1) [Last Week: 6]
  5. Buffalo Bills (3-2) [Last Week: 4]
  6. Detroit Lions (3-1) [Last Week: 5]
  7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) [Last Week: 7]
  8. Washington Commanders (4-1) [Last Week: 12]
  9. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) [Last Week: 17]
  10. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) [Last Week: 8]
  11. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) [Last Week: 9]
  12. Green Bay Packers (3-2) [Last Week: 13]
  13. Atlanta Falcons (3-2) [Last Week: 15]
  14. New Orleans Saints (2-3) [Last Week: 10]
  15. Seattle Seahawks (3-2) [Last Week: 11]
  16. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) [Last Week: 19]
  17. Arizona Cardinals (2-3) [Last Week: 20]
  18. San Francisco 49ers (2-3) [Last Week: 14]
  19. Denver Broncos (3-2) [Last Week: 21]
  20. New York Jets (2-3) [Last Week: 16]
  21. Chicago Bears (3-2) [Last Week: 22]
  22. Los Angeles Rams (1-4) [Last Week: 23]
  23. New York Giants (2-3) [Last Week: 26]
  24. Indianapolis Colts (2-3) [Last Week: 18]
  25. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) [Last Week: 24]
  26. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) [Last Week: 29]
  27. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3) [Last Week: 25]
  28. Carolina Panthers (1-4) [Last Week: 27]
  29. Cleveland Browns (1-4) [Last Week: 28]
  30. Tennessee Titans (1-3) [Last Week: 30]
  31. Miami Dolphins (2-3) [Last Week: 31]
  32. New England Patriots (1-4) [Last Week: 32]
SEE ALSO: Week 6 Picks

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