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The NFL season is underway with Week 5 officially in the books. The week featured plenty of wild storylines, close games, and surprising results. Although it’s a small sample size at this point, here’s how all 32 teams stack up against one another.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-4)
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Sunday was a rude reminder of what the Panthers could have had. As Andy Dalton took the field for the Panthers, former star wideout D.J. Moore scored two touchdowns for the Bears — both of which came off passes from Caleb Williams…the No. 1 overall pick that could have been in Carolina if not for the trade that netted the team Bryce Young. The Panthers scored the first points of the game but then surrendered 30 unanswered points to the upstart Bears.
31. New England Patriots (1-4)
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The Patriots may be making a big change heading into Week 6. Losers of four in a row, the Pats once again struggled offensively in their loss to the Dolphins. Jacoby Brissett threw for 160 yards and zero touchdowns — a near-miss in the closing seconds of the game would have been the winning score — and calls for rookie Drake Maye have become deafening. Making his debut against Houston would be tough, but it appears to be time to welcome the rookie to the NFL.
30. Cleveland Browns (1-4)
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While New England appears to be headed for a change at quarterback, the Cleveland Browns are sticking with their below-average passer. The vibes in Cleveland have been off all season and Sunday’s 21-point loss to Washington represented a new low. Deshaun Watson threw for just 125 yards against a defense that had allowed 33 points or more in two of its first four games. It is clear that Watson is holding the offense back. How much longer can the Browns stick with the former star?
29. Miami Dolphins (2-3)
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Despite all of their issues through five weeks, the Dolphins are just one game back of Buffalo in the AFC East. Losers of three in a row entering the week, Miami barely avoided a fourth consecutive loss in New England. De’Von Achane left the game with a concussion after three carries, resulting in Jaylen Wright (86 yards) and Raheem Mostert (80 yards) leading offensively. Jason Sanders hit three field goals through three quarters to keep Miami in the game, and Alec Ingold’s touchdown with 4:24 remaining gave the Dolphins the win. Following this week’s bye, the Dolphins will face the Colts in Indianapolis.
28. Tennessee Titans (1-3)
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Tennessee picked up its first win of the season in an easy victory over the lifeless Miami Dolphins before last week’s bye. After throwing an interception on the opening drive of the game, Will Levis injured his shoulder on Tennessee’s second possession and was replaced by Mason Rudolph. Rudolph wasn’t good on the night — 9-of-17 for 85 yards — but the defense did more than enough to earn the victory. The Titans held Miami to 184 total yards and kept the Dolphins out of the end zone until less than four minutes remained.
27. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4)
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Jacksonville entered Week 5 as the only winless team in the NFL. Thanks to their best offensive performance of the season, the Jaguars will enter Week 6 with a ‘1’ in the win column. Trevor Lawrence played one of the best games of his career (28-of-34 for 371 yards and two TDs) and Tank Bigsby continued his good work on the ground with 101 yards and two scores on 13 carries. The Jags entered the fourth quarter with a 20-10 lead, only to surrender 24 points in 12 minutes and see the game tied at 34 with 2:40 to play. A 49-yard field goal from Cam Little with 17 seconds remaining saved the game for the Jags.
26. Las Vegas Raiders (2-3)
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No Davante Adams, no victory for the Raiders. Vegas’ up-and-down season continued with a blowout loss to the rival Denver Broncos on Sunday afternoon. The first 15 minutes couldn’t have gone much better for the Raiders. Gardner Minshew found rookie tight end Brock Bowers for a 57-yard touchdown and Vegas led 10-0 entering the second quarter. However, the wheels fell off after that. Minshew threw a 100-yard pick-six resulting in Denver evening the score and was eventually replaced by Aidan O’Connell. The two QBs combined to throw three interceptions and one touchdown. Vegas was outscored 34-8 over the final 45 minutes.
25. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4)
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The look on Ja’Marr Chase’s face says it all. For the second time in three weeks, Cincinnati lost a game because its defense couldn’t hold up its end of the bargain. Joe Burrow threw for 392 yards and five touchdowns. Chase caught 10 passes for 193 yards and two scores. Tee Higgins hauled in two TDs of his own. However, the team faltered when it mattered most. Burrow threw a costly interception that led to Baltimore tying the game at 38 at the end of regulation. Following a gift-turnover in overtime from Lamar Jackson, a botched hold on a field goal attempt resulted in a miss. Two plays later, Baltimore won the game.
24. Los Angeles Rams (1-4)
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The Rams are playing without multiple stars and their season is now on the brink. At 1-4, Los Angeles is at the bottom of the NFC West. The undermanned Rams took a 13-7 lead over Green Bay late in the first half thanks to a Jaylen McCollough pick-six (on a miserable play from Jordan Love), but the offense was held to just six points the rest of the way. Back-to-back turnovers to start the third quarter resulted in 14 points for Green Bay and a late comeback attempt came up short when Stafford threw an incomplete pass on 4th & 5 in Packers territory with 1:05 remaining.
23. New York Giants (2-3)
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The most surprising win of the week belongs to the New York Giants. New York traveled across the country and upset the Seattle Seahawks thanks to a relentless pass rush and a blocked field goal. Led by Dexter Lawrence II (3.0 sacks) and D.J. Davidson (2.0 sacks), New York sacked Geno Smith seven times and registered 10 QB hits. Daniel Jones had a great day — 257 yards and two TDs — and Tyrone Tracy Jr. gashed the Seahawks for 129 yards on 18 carries. With Seattle on the verge of erasing a 10-point deficit to force overtime, New York blocked a 45-yard field goal attempt in the final minute and Bryce Ford-Wheaton returned the ball for a game-clinching TD.
22. Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
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With Jonathan Taylor and Anthony Richardson inactive, Sunday’s game rested on the arm of veteran QB Joe Flacco — and Flacco did everything in his power to lead Indianapolis to victory. However, the defense didn’t do its part. Flacco went 33-of-44 for 359 yards and three touchdowns and led the Colts to 24 points in the fourth quarter. Defensively, the Colts allowed 497 total yards and couldn’t stop the Jaguars through the air or on the ground. Next up is a trip to Tennessee.
21. New York Jets (2-3)
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Well, we haven’t seen a performance like that from Aaron Rodgers too often. The future Hall of Famer had a miserable start to the game. Following two three-and-outs in a row, Rodgers threw back-to-back interceptions — the first of which was returned for a touchdown — and New York fell into a 10-0 hole. Rodgers would go on to throw two touchdowns and had an opportunity to win the game in the final seconds…but his third interception of the game cemented Minnesota’s 23-17 win.
20. Denver Broncos (3-2)
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Three wins in a row for Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos. Denver returned home following two road victories and donned some beautiful throwback uniforms (please, make this the permanent look). After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Denver rattled off 34 straight points to seize control of the game. Nix tossed a pair of touchdowns and rushed for a score, as well. Defensively, the Broncos intercepted three passes — highlighted by Pat Surtain II’s 100-yard pick-six.
19. Chicago Bears (3-2)
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The Bears may have played the worst team in football, but they put together a very strong game on both sides of the ball. The defense continued its strong start to the season by limiting Carolina to three points over the final 50+ minutes of the game. Caleb Williams and Co. had their best showing of the season thus far. Williams threw for 304 yards and two scores. D’Andre Swift rushed for 73 yards and one TD and had 47 receiving yards. Former Carolina star D.J. Moore finished with 105 yards and two TDs. Chicago has won two in a row and will now travel to London to take on the Jaguars.
18. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2)
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The bye week could not have come sooner for the Philadelphia Eagles. After pulling out a late victory versus the Saints, things seemed to fall into place for the Eagles. Week 4 was another wake-up call. The Eagles found a 24-0 deficit just halfway through the second quarter against the Buccaneers. They cut the lead to 10 early in the third, but Jalen Hurts’ fumble ended a potential scoring drive. Hurts has turned the ball over in every game this season. The team hopes they’ll have WR A.J. Brown back when they return to play in Week 6 for a home date with the Cleveland Browns.
17. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
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Close but no cigar. Before their week off the Chargers had an opportunity to hand Kansas City its first loss of the season and pull even in the AFC West, but instead, they squandered a 10-0 lead and fell to 2-2. The defense forced turnovers on the first two possessions of the game and the offense capitalized by scoring 10 points. While the defense played a good game overall, the offense failed to score after the first quarter — and turned the ball over on downs at Kansas City’s 3-yard line with the game tied in the fourth quarter.
16. San Francisco 49ers (2-3)
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What’s going on in San Francisco? The 49ers ran the ball well (5.9 YPC), Brandon Aiyuk had his best game of the season (8 receptions, 147 yards), and Nick Bosa snagged the second interception of his career. And yet, the 49ers were held scoreless after halftime and squandered a two-touchdown lead at home in a loss to a division rival. Brock Purdy threw two interceptions (both were tipped at the line) and RB Jordan Mason coughed up a crucial fumble late. An injury to kicker Jake Moody ended up being crushing. Punter Mitch Wishnowsky chipped in a short field goal of 26 yards, but it was clear the team didn’t have much trust in him. The 49ers went for it on 4th & 23 from Arizona’s 27-yard line in the third quarter and did not convert. A field goal would have pushed the lead back to 13 points. Arizona scored on its next possession to cut the lead to two and eventually won the game by one point.
15. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
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Cardinals fans will be referencing this win if they reach the postseason. Coming off an embarrassing 42-14 defeat to the Commanders, it seemed like the Arizona was on its way to a crushing defeat in San Francisco. The heavily favored 49ers led 23-10 heading into halftime. In a shocking turn of events, the Cardinals’ defense pitched a second-half shutout as they put together a furious comeback. They forced a fumble on 1st & Goal and Kyler Murray proceeded to march the offense 75 yards downfield to set up a field goal to take the lead. San Francisco got the ball with 1:37 remaining, but the Cardinals picked off 49ers QB Brock Purdy for the second time to clinch a pivotal road win. With Seattle also losing, the Cardinals are just one game out of the NFC West lead.
14. New Orleans Saints (2-3)
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The Saints started the year with two dominant victories but have now dropped three games in a row. On Monday night, New Orleans was thoroughly outplayed by the Chiefs. Despite trailing by just three points early in the fourth quarter, New Orleans was lucky to not lose by 20+ points. The Saints were outgained by 240 yards and forced just one punt. Derek Carr left the game in the fourth quarter with an oblique injury and his status for Sunday’s game is unknown.
13. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
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After starting 3-0, the Steelers have lost back-to-back games by three points. Pittsburgh’s defense gave up a ton of yards but made a handful of big plays. They forced Cowboys QB Dak Prescott into three turnovers and blocked a Brandon Aubrey field goal attempt. They nearly ended the game on Dallas’ final drive when linebacker Elandon Roberts forced a fumble on the goal line. It wasn’t enough. Fields was better in the second half (2 TD passes), but backup Russell Wilson will reportedly be available next week. Could the Steelers turn to Wilson heading into Week 6?
12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
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A brutal loss for Tampa Bay who fell to 3-2 on Thursday. The Bucs were nearly perfect offensively in the overtime loss. Baker Mayfield completed 19-of-24 passes for 3 TDs. Mike Evans scored twice and the run game averaged 6.2 YPC. Rookie RB Bucky Irving lost a fumble in the fourth, but it didn’t result in points for the Falcons. On Tampa Bay’s final drive, Baker Mayfield missed Evans for what would have been a game-ending touchdown. Atlanta kicked a field goal on its next possession to tie it and the Bucs did not touch the ball in overtime as the Falcons scored a touchdown on their opening drive.
11. Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
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A defensive struggle in Pittsburgh ended with Dak Prescott connecting on a late touchdown to seal a Cowboys victory. The game started late following a weather delay on Sunday night. Both offenses struggled out of the gates, but the second half had plenty of exciting moments. Prescott led two long touchdown drives in the final frame. On 4th & Goal, Prescott linked up with WR Jalen Tolbert to take a late lead. This was a vital win for a Dallas team missing its top two pass rushers (Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence). The Cowboys will have another tough test with the Lions coming to Dallas next week.
10. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
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It seemed like Mike MacDonald’s Seahawks did not come to play on Sunday. Blown coverages, missed tackles, and puzzling decision-making put Seattle in catch-up mode early in the contest. Daniel Jones dissected MacDonald’s defense, routinely connecting on deep passes despite missing his top wideout Malik Nabers. Seattle abandoned the rushing attack early (Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet carried the ball seven times for 30 yards total), allowing the Giants’ pass rush to bully a leaky offensive line. Geno Smith was sacked seven times but held tough to the end. Seattle’s game-tying 45-yard field goal attempt was blocked and returned for a touchdown, sinking the Seahawks to 3-2 on the season.
9. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
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The Falcons only play in close games. All five of their matchups thus far were decided on the last possession. Atlanta’s three wins have been by a combined total of 9 points. Thursday’s win over the Buccaneers featured their biggest margin of victory, and it took overtime to get there. Kirk Cousins had a historic day, throwing for a franchise-record 509 yards. Drake London and Darnell Mooney went over the century mark. But, it was journeyman WR KhaDarel Hodge who made the decisive play. Hodge scored on a 45-yard catch-and-run in overtime to clinch a dramatic win in front of the home crowd. The Falcons are now 2-0 over their biggest NFC South rivals (Bucs and Saints) and have the easiest remaining schedule in the NFL.
8. Buffalo Bills (3-2)
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Two weeks ago, the Bills looked like the best team in the NFL. After two straight losses, Buffalo might need to make a personnel move. Josh Allen had one of his worst games as a pro, completing just 9-of-30 pass attempts for 131 yards. Rookie Keon Coleman scored on a 49-yard pass, but that was his only reception on five targets. 2023 first-round pick Dalton Kincaid caught 2-of-6 targets for 34 yards. Free agent signings Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Curtis Samuel combined for zero receiving yards on seven targets. With all of that considered, the Bills still had a chance to win this game late, but failed to convert. Could they be a potential Davante Adams suitor?
7. Washington Commanders (4-1)
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Are the Commanders good? It certainly appears so. Washington has now won four in a row led by its rookie QB. Jayden Daniels wasn’t perfect on Sunday, but didn’t need to be. And, he still made a couple of jaw-dropping throws – including a 66-yard hook-up with Terry McLaurin and a 41-yard TD pass to Dyami Brown. Daniels gashed the Browns on the ground, rushing for 82 yards on 11 carries. The defense was in Cleveland’s backfield all game long. Browns QB Deshaun Watson was sacked seven times and converted just 1-of-13 third-down attempts. Washington will look to keep its streak going against its toughest test yet – a road date with the Baltimore Ravens.
6. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
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The Packers were outplayed in several areas in their Week 5 matchup versus the Rams. Green Bay had fewer first downs, fewer yards, more penalties, less time of possession, and went just 1-for-8 on third-down conversions. Still, the Packers secured a much-needed road victory over an NFC foe. Jordan Love threw an awful pick-six that should have never been attempted. Dating back to last year’s playoff loss to the 49ers, Love has now thrown seven interceptions in his last four outings (he had just one INT in the previous eight starts). Packers TE Tucker Kraft was the hero of the game, scoring two TDs including a 66-yard catch-and-run for the biggest play of the day.
5. Houston Texans (4-1)
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Houston hasn’t played its best ball and is still 4-1. That’s a testament to the talent on this team. The Texans hosted the Buffalo Bills this week, in what amounted to a “revenge” game for former Bills wideout Stefon Diggs. It seemed like the Texans were on their way to a blowout win after a 20-3 start, but the Bills did not go down quietly. Buffalo scored 17 unanswered to tie the game late. After a couple of botched drives, the Texans got the ball with just :07 seconds remaining in Buffalo territory. A short pass set up a 59-yard attempt for Houston kicker Ka’imi Fairbairn, which the veteran converted as time expired. The Texans boast a negative point-differential (-12) through five games but are currently the No. 2 seed in the AFC.
4. Detroit Lions (3-1)
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Detroit faces a daunting test coming out of its bye week. The Lions will be on the road for four of their next five games — a stretch that includes three playoff teams from last year (Dallas, Green Bay, and Houston), and a team currently undefeated (Minnesota). If they can successfully navigate the next few weeks, the Lions will be in a great position for the NFC playoff race.
3. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
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Baltimore outlasted Cincinnati in a dramatic AFC North showdown to improve to 3-2 on the season. After a dominant performance last week against the Bills, the Ravens defense took a step back as Bengals QB Joe Burrow had his way for much of the afternoon. However, Lamar Jackson and the offense scored on all four of its second-half possessions to keep the game close. Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey picked off a Burrow pass that led to Justin Tucker’s game-tying field goal. Jackson fumbled in overtime, but Evan McPherson’s missed field goal opened the door. Derrick Henry broke off a 51-yard run on the ensuing play, and Justin Tucker sunk a 24-yard field goal to seal a crucial win.
2. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
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A 5-0 start for a Minnesota team that will now enter its bye week. The flight to London didn’t slow down the Vikings’ vaunted defense. New York’s running game was nonexistent, as Minnesota held Breece Hall and Braelon Allen to just 36 yards on 14 carries. Aaron Rodgers was picked off three times, including the game-sealing interception by veteran Stephon Gilmore on New York’s final drive. Sam Darnold came back down to Earth with two turnovers, but the defense and Justin Jefferson (6 receptions, 92 yards) were able to carry the Vikings to another win.
1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0)
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What year is it? Kareem Hunt rushed for 102 yards and one touchdown and JuJu Smith-Schuster caught seven passes for 130 yards. For Kansas City, the wins keep coming despite losing multiple stars. Travis Kelce was targeted often in the first half en route to a season-high nine catches. An interception in the end zone, a missed field goal and an overall lack of execution in the red zone kept the game close, but the Chiefs still won by 13.
