NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

NFL Power Rankings Week 5. The fifth weekend of the NFL is over and things are starting to pan out. Things that looked like they might be temporary situations look like they might be something to watch this year, like the Saints collapse and the Cowboys resurgence. It is now time for the fifth week of NFL Power Rankings on AC. The NFL Power Rankings are:

There was not too much movement in the rankings this weekend as the status quo seemed to be held in check very well with the results.

The Patriots remain at the top of the polls followed once again by the Colts and the Cowboys. The Steelers move back up to number 4 and the Packers move down to number 5 after their loss.

The Titans move all the way up to sixth after their win, the Jaguars move up to number 8 and the Chargers and Redskins round out the top 10.

The Lions, Bengals and Saints took a big drop while the Rams end up in last place for the second straight week.

The 49ers also see themselves drop into the ow 20's because of their lack of offense.

The AFC South is shaping up to be the best division in the NFL, with three teams in the top 10. The AFC East is one of the worst divisions in the NFL, with three teams in the low-20's and just 1, the Patriots, higher than 25.

Previous Rankings:

Preseason
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4

Without further adieu, here are the NFL Power Rankings:

1. New England Patriots

The Patriots just keep on winning by considerable margins. This week the Patriots put up 34 points on the Browns bringing their season average to 36 ppg. There is no question that the Patriots are the team to beat early in the season.

Next Up: at Cowboys

2. Indianapolis Colts

The Colts beat the surprising Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the RCA Dome on Sunday, but that was no the impressive thing. The impressive thing was that the Bucs could not manage any yardage on the ground. If Indy truly has found a defense to go with their offense they could be a big challenge to the Patriots.

Next Up: Bye

3. Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys narrowly escaped Buffalo on Monday night. They pulled out some serious magic in the fourth quarter but they pulled off the win. Buffalo appears to be an underrated team as they have played most of the best teams in the NFL, so Dallas's trouble is not that surprising.

Next Up: Patriots

4. Pittsburgh Steelers

After a very unsuccessful trip to the desert last weekend, Mike Tomlin and the Steelers won in a big way this weekend by winning their Super Bowl XL rematch with the Seahawks 21-0. The Steelers loss looks like a fluke, this team is for real.

Next Up: Bye

5. Green Bay Packers

The Packers lost to the Bears on Sunday for their first loss of the season. If you are looking for a reason, look no further than Brett Favre's terrible decision and turnover in the third quarter. The Packers are still one of the teams to beat in the NFC.

Next Up: Redskins

6. Tennessee Titans

The Titans fought a battle with the Atlanta Falcons, but they came out on the winning end. Vince Young has this team on a roll, and if not for a lack of time at the end of the Colts game they could very well be in first place. The Titans seem for real.

Next Up: at Buccaneers

7. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks were embarrassed at Pittsburgh this weekend in their Super Bowl rematch with the Steelers. While they didn't show much on the offensive end, they showed enough with the defense to show that their defense is good enough. Even with the loss, the Seahawks are one of the best teams in the NFC.

Next Up: Bye

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

The Jaguars need some more offense if they plan to be one of the elite teams in the AFC. They managed only 17 points off of the Chiefs, but they did get the win. The Jaguars defense is good, but the offense needs some improvement.

Next Up: Texans

9. San Diego Chargers

The Chargers utterly destroyed their division rival this weekend 44-3. The question is, are the Chargers really back, or are the Broncos that bad? The answer is a bit of both. The Broncos have no run defense, which helped the 200 yards on the ground, but the Chargers seemed to have their swagger back, which could mean good things for the team. Despite their horrible start, they are right in the mix in the AFC West.

Next Up: Raiders

10. Washington Redskins

The Redskins defense was very impressive against the Lions offense, holding them to only 3 total points. The Redskins pass defense was incredible. The Redskins also managed to put up 34 points. While the Lions defense is not one of the best, the Redskins offense is showing some good signs of growth.

Next Up: at Packers

11. Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens still can't put any points on the board but they continue to squeak out a win every now and then. The Ravens only managed three field goals this weekend, but their defense really came around, holding the 49ers to only 7 points. While the defense looked good, the 49ers, without Alex Smith and Vernon Davis were hardly great opponents, but a win is a win.

Next Up: Rams

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The Buccaneers still haven't convinced me that they are one of the contenders in the NFL. Without Cadillac Williams they rushed for only a handful of yards, with new starter Earnest Graham only getting 11 yards. Now that they have lost Michael Pittman as well the Bucs offense looks in trouble.

Next Up: Titans

13. Denver Broncos

The Broncos were embarrassed at home by their division rival, the San Diego Chargers. The run defense of the Bronco is non-existent right now and if they do not correct this problem soon they will see their season going in the opposite direction of where they want it.

Next Up: Bye

14. Chicago Bears

The Bears earned a big win this weekend over the Packers. Not only does this bring them one step closer in the division, but beating the Packers will always be an emotional boost for the Bears. If they can build off of this win, maybe their season isn't lost just yet.

Next Up: Vikings

15. New York Giants

The Giants put together another win this weekend, albeit against the lowly Jets, and they increased their record to 3-2. Now they are just 2 games off of the pace, but better yet they are right in the mix of teams for a wild card berth. The Giants defense has been better, but the offense still has some work to do.

Next Up: at Falcons

16. Detroit Lions

The Lions look like contenders at some times and pretenders at others. The fact that their vaunted offense could not get a touchdown verse the Redskins says a lot, and points more towards the Lions being pretenders. The big question for the Lions is, can Jon Kitna last the whole season?

Next Up: Bye

17. Houston Texans

The Texans started off the year looking like a big surprise team, but since then they have looked more like the Texans we know. This week they had a little too much trouble with the Dolphins, but a win is a win. The Texans will need to show more offense if they want to compete this season.

Next Up: at Jaguars

18. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers kept the Saints winless with a last second field goal and they also kept their streak of inconsistent play alive. One week they look like contenders, while the next week they look like jokes. They still have a shot at the division, but David Carr needs to step up.

Next Up: at Cardinals

19. Arizona Cardinals

Matt Leinart is lost for the season, but that may not be bad news for Cardinals fans. Kurt Warner has shown a better grasp of the offense so far this season and he will be at the helm full time now. This could mean an offensive improvement for the Cardinals.

Next Up: Panthers

20. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs played very well against the Chargers two weeks ago, but they could not muster any offense against the Jaguars this weekend. Larry Johnson only managed to gain 15 total yards. This is not a recipe for success for any team.

Next Up: Bengals

21. Cleveland Browns

The Browns put up a valiant fight against the New England Patriots and became the first team this season to not lose to them by over 20 points. The Browns offense really has turned around since Derek Anderson took over.

Next Up: Dolphins

22. Oakland Raiders

The Raiders seem to have found two different quarterbacks who can perform at a much higher level than last season. They have a decent defense and a decent running back and now they might have an air game. While they might not make the playoffs, they certainly won't have the first pick in next year's draft.

Next Up: at Chargers

23. Philadelphia Eagles

The Eagles were idle this week on their bye week but that was probably for the best. If Westbrook can come back healthy after a two-week layoff, the Eagles offense will be much improved. The Eagles are in last place right now and they will have a tough time climbing out of their rather large hole.

Next Up: at Jets

24. Cincinnati Bengals

The Bengals defense is nowhere to be found. For a defensive genius, Marvin Lewis has only gone backwards and the defense is the weakest point for the Bengals. Without a terrible goalline decision by Kyle Boller they Bengals could be 0-4. The Bengals seriously need to turn things around because they are already 3 games back in the AFC North.

Next Up: at Chiefs

25. Buffalo Bills

The Bills might be one of the best 1-4 teams in recent memory. Don't forget that in their four losses they lost to the Patriots, Broncos, Cowboys and Steelers and they held their own in those games. The Bills could make a strong push now that the hard part of their schedule is over.

Next Up: Bye

26. San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are in a world of trouble right now. Without Alex Smith, who will be gone for the season, and Vernon Davis they could only get 7 points against the Ravens. The 49ers season is going down the drain very quickly.

Next Up: Bye

27. New Orleans Saints

The Saints are now 0-4. After a bye week to help compose themselves they let the Panthers beat them on a last-second field goal. It does not appear that the Saints have any chance to get back to the NFC Championship game.

Next Up: at Seahawks

28. Atlanta Falcons

It looks like the Falcons will be staying with Joey Harrington at quarterback. He has shown some promise and the Falcons have gotten a little better, but they still do not have more than a win to show for it.

Next Up: Giants

29. Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings better have spent their off week trying to find a solution at quarterback. They have a good defense, and a very good running back, but their quarterback and receivers just aren't good enough. The Vikings have no shot if they don't make an improvement in their air game.

Next Up: at Bears

30. New York Jets

The Jets lost their intra-stadium rivalry with the Giants this weekend and put themselves further away from the playoffs. The Jets have almost no shot at winning the division and have a lot of work to do on offense and defense to make a wild card spot.

Next Up: Eagles

31. Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins blew a chance at their first win of the season when they let the Texans beat them on a last second field goal. To make matters worse for the Dolphins, quarterback Trent Green will be out for an extended period of time, and he may not be back at all, leaving Cleo Lemon as the starter in Miami.

Next Up: Browns

32. St. Louis Rams

The Rams squandered a golden opportunity to win their first game of the season when Matt Leinart was having a sub-par game and the Cardinals defense could not stop them. The Rams are still winless and there is no end to that in sight.

Next Up: at Ravens

Recap:

1. New England Patriots

2. Indianapolis Colts

3. Dallas Cowboys

4. Pittsburgh Steelers5. Green Bay Packers

6. Tennessee Titans

7. Seattle Seahawks

8. Jacksonville Jaguars

9. San Diego Chargers

10. Washington Redskins

11. Baltimore Ravens

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

13. Denver Broncos

14. Chicago Bears

15. New York Giants

16. Detroit Lions

17. Houston Texans

18. Carolina Panthers

19. Arizona Cardinals

20. Kansas City Chiefs

21. Cleveland Browns

22. Oakland Raiders

23. Philadelphia Eagles

24. Cincinnati Bengals

25. Buffalo Bills

26. San Francisco 49ers

27. New Orleans Saints

28. Atlanta Falcons

29. Minnesota Vikings

30. New York Jets

31. Miami Dolphins

32. St. Louis Rams