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The past weekend brought a little more normalcy in the NFL. With roughly one fourth of the 2018 season in the books, we now have a little more clarity on what teams are significantly better than others.
There are some good and bad surprises as usual. Some consistent contenders are finding their way back from rough starts, but others are going back to pretending.
Here’s a look at our updated NFL power rankings going into Week 5.
NFL power rankings
1. Los Angeles Rams 4-0 (last week: 1)
With Jared Goff going off and Todd Gurley as the exceptional afterthought, it really doesn’t matter if they’re a little shorthanded defensively.
2. Kansas City Chiefs 3-0 (last week: 2)
Patrick Mahomes is bound to cool off a little, or so we think. Wouldn't it be super nice if we got a little more out of the Chiefs’ running game and defense soon?
3. New Orleans Saints 3-1 (last week: 3)
Drew Brees and the passing game had a tough game against the Giants, but then came the running game and the defense to the rescue, just like last season. That’s a great sign going forward.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars 3-1 (last week: 7)
Blake Bortles needed that strong game with Leonard Fournette going down again. The scary thing is, the full wrath of the defense has yet to be unleashed.
5. Cincinnati Bengals 3-1 (last week: 8)
Andy Dalton is dealing, and they haven’t missed a beat in the running game with Giovani Bernard stepping in for Joe Mixon. But that offense will need to keep lifting a struggling defense.
6. Baltimore Ravens 2-1 (last week: 9)
Joe Flacco and the remixed passing game is working well, as they’ve become hard to defend. Their defense will only get better with Jimmy Smith back.
7. New England Patriots 2-2 (last week: 11)
The Patriots kept it simple with running game and defense, and it worked, combining to also assist in getting Tom Brady going again.
8. Carolina Panthers 2-1 (last week: 4)
They went into the bye with good feelings about Cam Newton and Christian McCaffrey in Norv Turner’s offense. They should come out of it with steadier defense.
9. Green Bay Packers 2-1-1 (last week: 13)
Aaron Rodgers isn’t thrilled with their offense yet, but they finally did more with the running game and defense. They should still take a rather complete win over the Bills and run with it.
10. Philadelphia Eagles 2-2 (last week: 5)
Carson Wentz is looking healthy, and the offense is mostly loaded. But the Eagles’ weakened defense is putting a lot of pressure on the QB early upon his return.
11. Chicago Bears 3-1 (last week: 16)
The Bears got their breakout game from Mitchell Trubisky and it made it even easier for the defense to dominate. Matt Nagy has them legitimately in the NFC hunt, one quarter away from being perfect.
12. Tennessee Titans 3-1 (last week: 21)
The Titans keep getting it done in a mentally and physically tough way under Mike Vrabel. If Marcus Mariota keeps it up in their offense, they will become a complete team.
13. Denver Broncos 2-1 (last week: 20)
The Broncos are doing a lot of good things, but the consistency of big plays is missing. A run-heavy approach is still their best bet to keep winning.
14. Washington Redskins 2-1 (last week: 17))
The Redskins need to find a little more passing offense after the bye to go with their baseline rushing strength. Their early NFC East lead is impressive, but sustaining it requires big-time defense.
15. Minnesota Vikings 1-2-1 (last week: 12)
Kirk Cousins is trying to prop them up in a one-dimensional offense while under heavy pressure to produce. The high expectations need to be curbed.
16. Miami Dolphins 3-1 (last week: 6)
The Dolphins saw their undefeated run end quickly in New England. We’re back to more head-scratching with Adam Gase.
17. Los Angeles Chargers 2-2 (last week: 18)
The Chargers are trying to generate enough offense with the defense missing some key pieces. This team will be different with Corey Liuget back now and Joey Bosa back later.
18. Atlanta Falcons 1-3 (last week: 10)
The Falcons did lose two close ones with a lot of explosive offense, but now the worry is a decimate defense that can’t stop much of anything.
19. Pittsburgh Steelers 1-2-1 (last week: 14)
They can’t play defense or run the ball well, so this is nothing like the old-school Steelers. The clock is ticking for Big Ben and Mike Tomlin.
