PurplePTSD: Week 5 NFL Power Rankings

Press release from the PurplePTSD:

Josh Frey

2021-10-05

Week 4 brought some crazy upsets, including the pair of New York teams breaking into the win column for the first time this season. The biggest mover of the week also  comes at the result of a shockingly dominant upset in week four, bolstering a new team into the top-five of this week’s rankings. In case you missed it, check out last week’s rankings for reference. 

1. Buffalo Bills

        Last Week: 40-0 win vs HOU

        Trending: —

        This Week: 10/10 @ KC

After a weird week one loss against Pittsburgh, the Bills have rolled over their last three opponents. They’ve outscored the three teams by a ridiculous 118-21 margin, including two shutouts. This absolute dominance allows them to maintain the top spot going into week five. They can prove the run is legitimate with a victory at Arrowhead this weekend.

2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

        Last Week: 19-17 win @ NE

        Trending: +2

        This Week: 10/10 vs MIA

In his long-anticipated return to New England, Tom Brady did just enough to help the Bucs come out on top. Rob Gronkowski being out for an extended period of time definitely hurts Tampa Bay, but they still have a ton of weapons in the passing game. The defensive front owned the line of scrimmage, and essentially forced New England to rely on Mac Jones to lead the offense. 

3. Arizona Cardinals

        Last Week: 37-20 win @ LAR

        Trending: +6

        This Week: 10/10 vs SF

To begin the year, the Rams were looking like the top team in the NFC. Arizona may have debunked that theory with a massive win in LA where frankly, the Cardinals embarrassed the Rams on their home field. Kyler Murray has to be the favorite to win MVP right now, and the Cardinals look like a real contender. 

4. Green Bay Packers 

        Last Week: 27-17 vs PIT

        Trending: +1

        This Week: 10/10 @ CIN

An interesting development in this game was that AJ Dillon and Aaron Jones split carries, at 15 apiece. If Green Bay can continue to find success with both backs moving forward, it bodes very well for their running game. Randall Cobb had a great showing as well with two TDs, and the defense halted the stuttering Pittsburgh offense. However, a potentially serious injury to Jaire Alexander could temper hopes moving forward.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

        Last Week: 42-30 win @ PHI

        Trending: +1

        This Week: 10/10 vs BUF

The Kansas City defense still seems like a major weakness, and they allowed Philadelphia to make this a game for most of the day. However, when Patrick Mahomes is on the roster, he is able to cover up a lot of mistakes. The entire team will need to step up if they want a chance against the Buffalo Bills. 

6. Cleveland Browns

        Last Week: 14-7 win @ MIN

        Trending: -3

        This Week: 10/10 @ LAC

This was anything but a pretty win for the Browns, but at least they ended up on top. Baker Mayfield was under pressure for much of the game, but he was carried by the fact that Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb totaled over 150 yards on the ground once again. The defense was suffocating as well.

7. Baltimore Ravens

        Last Week: 23-7 win @ DEN

        Trending: —

        This Week: 10/11 vs IND

Baltimore did exactly what was expected of them this week and extended their win streak to three. The Ravens defense shut down Denver’s offense, especially after Teddy Bridgewater left the game with a concussion. Their own offense had some struggles, but Latavius Murray looks like he is the team’s RB1 moving forward.

8. Los Angeles Rams

        Last Week: 20-37 loss vs ARI

        Trending: -6

        This Week: 10/7 @ SEA

It’s not panic time in Los Angeles, but this game should have been a serious wake up call. After coming out of the gates hot, Matthew Stafford struggled to find his receivers against Arizona’s secondary. The Rams are not going to run through every opponent, but they probably won’t score 10 points in three quarters very often, either. They have a chance to get back on track in Seattle.

9. Los Angeles Chargers

  Last Week: 28-14 win vs LV

Trending: +2

This Week: 10/10 vs CLE

The Chargers did their best to, well, Charger and blow a 21-0 lead. However, this era of Chargers football just seems different. Justin Herbert was great for the majority of the night, and Austin Ekeler had his way against the Raiders defense. This Los Angeles team is poised for a great run.

10. Seattle Seahawks

        Last Week: 28-21 win @ SF

        Trending: —

        This Week: 10/7 vs LAR

After a very disappointing loss in Minnesota, this week had ‘must-win’ vibes against a division rival. Luckily, Russell Wilson and Co. did just that in San Francisco. However, the Seahawks offense has continued to be shockingly bad on third down. Luckily, the Niners offense was even worse, though. In order for Seattle to prove they belong in the NFC West discussion, they need another big win against the Rams.

11. Las Vegas Raiders

Last Week: 14-28 loss @ LAC

Trending: -3

This Week: 10/10 vs CHI

The Raiders offensive line struggled throughout the first half against LA’s pass rush, and it halted their ability to move the ball. Vegas went three-and-out on their first four drives, and by that time, LA had put two touchdowns on the board. They came roaring back in the second half, but an untimely interception ruined their chances at completing the comeback.

12. Dallas Cowboys

        Last Week: 36-28 win vs CAR

        Trending: —

        This Week: 10/10 vs NYG

The Cowboys offense continues to be one of the most high-powered units in the league. Despite the Panthers losing Jaycee Horn, this has still been a surprisingly good defense to start the year, and Dallas still totaled 400+ yards of offense for the third time. A big part of that has been the re-emergence of Ezekiel Elliott, who is already well over a third of the way to his rushing total from 2020. 10 turnovers forced by the defense has helped as well. 

13. San Francisco 49ers

        Last Week: 21-28 loss vs SEA

        Trending: -1

        This Week: 10/10 @ ARI

Trey Lance got his opportunity in this game following an injury to Jimmy Garoppolo. He looked a bit overwhelmed at times, but still totaled over 150 yards passing and two touchdowns. We’ve already seen the added wrinkle of Lance’s running abilities, and he rushed seven times for 41 yards in this one. Should he have to start against Arizona though, it may be a tough day for the rookie.

14. New England Patriots

        Last Week: 17-19 loss vs TB

        Trending: +2

        This Week: 10/10 @ HOU

Bill Belichick did an impressive job of holding Tom Brady in check, but it ultimately just wasn’t enough. The offense got virtually nothing out of the run, and Nick Folk’s potentially game-winning field goal bounced off the upright. This game is ends up in the loss column, but it showed a lot of hope for the future.

 15. Minnesota Vikings

        Last Week: 7-14 loss vs CLE

        Trending: +2

        This Week: 10/10 vs DET

The Vikings may have lost an ugly game, but the amount of pressure that Minnesota was able to generate against Cleveland’s offfensive line was extremely impressive. In particular, Everson Griffen had a great day off the edge. In the end though, the offense could not get anything going following their opening drive touchdown.

16. Denver Broncos

        Last Week: 7-23 loss vs BAL

        Trending: -1

        This Week: 10/10 @ PIT

If anything is certain after this week, the Broncos offense is much better with Teddy Bridgewater than they are with Drew Lock. After Bridgewater left with a concussion, the offense completely stalled. The defense has been elite to start the year, but they could not quite slow down the former MVP, Lamar Jackson. 

17. New Orleans Saints

        Last Week: 21-27 loss vs NYG

        Trending: -3

        This Week: 10/10 @ WSH

There is very little positive to take away from this Saints loss. The defense did virtually nothing to stop Daniel Jones all afternoon, and Saquon Barkley had a few back-breaking plays down the stretch. Meanwhile, New Orleans seems very hesitant to fully commit to Jameis Winston, and that may hold them back. 

18. Washington Football Team

        Last Week: 34-30 win @ ATL

        Trending: +4

        This Week: 10/10 vs NO

Taylor Heinicke had a great day against an admittedly bad Atlanta defense. The duo of Antonio Gibson and J.D. McKissic looked as good as it has all season as well. However, the defense remains a big concern moving forward, so we’ll see how this team fares against New Orleans.

19. Pittsburgh Steelers

        Last Week: 17-27 loss @ GB

        Trending: -1

        This Week: 10/10 vs DEN

For the third consecutive week, the Steelers have been held under 20 points. Green Bay went all out on containing their one real weapon, Najee Harris, and it worked to perfection. With the amount of injuries on defense, the offense needs to get it together if Pittsburgh is going to salvage the season. 

20. Cincinnati Bengals

        Last Week: 24-21 win vs JAX

        Trending: +3

        This Week: 10/10 vs GB

The Jaguars aren’t the most impressive team in the league, but Cincinnati coming back from a 14-0 deficit makes this an impressive win for an equally young team. Don’t look now, but Joe Burrow’s Bengals are on top of the AFC North through four weeks. We’ll see if they can keep it up against Aaron Rodgers.

21. Indianapolis Colts

        Last Week: 27-17 win @ MIA

        Trending: +3

        This Week: 10/10 @ BAL

Indy finally found themselves in the win column this week, and the key was the defense. They finally stepped up to help Carson Wentz, holding the Dolphins to 17 points and containing their rushing attack. It was the first game in which the Colts have allowed fewer than 100 rushing yards, and they will need an equally great performance to keep up with Baltimore.

22. Carolina Panthers

        Last Week: 28-36 loss @ DAL

        Trending: -1

        This Week: 10/10 vs PHI

The Panthers defense has been surprisingly good to start the year, but that definitely faltered against an uber-talented Cowboys squad. The Jaycee Horn injury may have something to do with that, and it’s hard to hold it against them when Dallas has done something similar to every opponent this far.

23. Miami Dolphins

        Last Week: 17-27 loss vs IND

        Trending: -2

        This Week: 10/10 @ TB

The Dolphins offensive struggles have continued, and the defense hasn’t been much better in recent weeks. Following an impressive week one win against New England, they’ve gone on a three-game skid where they have been held under 20 points twice, including a shutout against Buffalo. 

24. Tennessee Titans

        Last Week: 24-27 loss @ NYJ

        Trending: -5

        This Week: 10/10 @ JAX

The fact that A.J. Brown and Julio Jones were out for this game has to be taken into account. However, the inability to hold down a Jets offense that hadn’t scored a touchdown since week one is a problem. Assuming their star receivers come back, they probably won’t lose to Jacksonville, but this isn’t a great look for a team with playoff aspirations.

25. Chicago Bears

        Last Week: 24-14 win vs DET

        Trending: +1

        This Week: 10/10 @ LV

The Bears were dominant against the Lions, but that’s exactly what they should have been. As long as David Montgomery is good to go, this team is certainly talented enough to be a mid-tier team. We’ll see if the coaching can hold up, though. 

26. Philadelphia Eagles

        Last Week: 30-42 loss vs KC

        Trending: -1

        This Week: 10/10 @ CAR

In a game where there really shouldn’t have been any expectations for the Eagles, they made this a competitive game. Jalen Hurts made a few very nice throws, and Devonta Smith may be a legitimate WR1. Philly is a feisty young team, but the defense ultimately isn’t good enough to be a serious threat.

27. New York Giants

        Last Week: 27-21 win @ NO

        Trending: +2

        This Week: 10/10 @ DAL

This may have been the best game Daniel Jones has played in his career, and it came under very hostile circumstances. The Saints defense has been very good this year, and it was their first game in the Superdome with a packed stadium since January 2020. They need to do more to prove this is real, and they can do it against a division rival in Dallas. 

28. Atlanta Falcons

        Last Week: 30-34 loss vs WSH

        Trending: —

        This Week: 10/10 vs NYJ

The Falcons offense finally got something going in this game, but the defense could not do anything to stop Taylor Heinicke. If Mike Davis and Cordarrelle Patterson can recreate this performance, they have a good shot at beating the Jets, but that doesn’t say a ton.

29. Detroit Lions

        Last Week: 14-24 loss @ CHI

        Trending: -2

        This Week: 10/10 @ MIN

The Lions continue to stumble over the themselves on offense, and after losing CB Jeff Okudah earlier this year, LB Romeo Okwara tore his Achilles, ending his season. Even with the Vikings bad luck to start the year, there is little chance that Detroit goes into Minneapolis and beats them. 

30. New York Jets

        Last Week: 27-24 win vs TEN

        Trending: +2

        This Week: 10/10 @ ATL

The offense didn’t look like much for a good part of this game, but they exploded in the fourth quarter for a pair of touchdowns. Zach Wilson is a little too erratic with his passing, but the talent keeps showing up on different instances. A little winning streak could be in store for the young squad. 

31. Jacksonville Jaguars

        Last Week: 21-24 loss @ CIN

        Trending: —

        This Week: 10/10 vs TEN

Despite Trevor Lawrence’s best performance as a professional, the Jags fell to Cincy on a last second field goal. The team just isn’t good enough to compete this year, but Lawrence has all the talent in the world. 

32. Houston Texans

        Last Week: 0-40 loss @ BUF

        Trending: -2

        This Week: 10/10 vs NE

There is very little good to say about this Houston game. The defense showed no resistance, but it wasn’t helped by four interceptions by Davis Mills. Tyrod Taylor cannot come off the IR until week six, so until he comes back, this team likely won’t be beating anyone.

This press release was produced by the PurplePTSD. The views expressed here are the author’s own.