Week 5 of the 2026 NFL season gave us a lot of helpful clarity and context.
Where do we even begin?
The Green Bay Packers? Probably not as dead in the water as we thought. The Chicago Bears? Their temporary and short Cinderella run without Caleb Williams had to end eventually. The NFC East? It’s the league’s latest uninspiring monument to mediocrity. Drake Maye? He kind of, sort of seems like he’s ALL the way back, even with a small sample size. Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn? Well, someone has to take some accountability for the worst end-of-game mistake we’ve seen in the league in quite some time. We're waiting, gentlemen!
Ahead of another big upcoming week, let’s talk about teams on the rise (the Minnesota Vikings), teams who are probably hopeless (looking at you, Los Angeles Chargers), and so much more in For The Win’s Week 6 NFL Power Rankings.
32. Tennessee Titans
Last week: 31
Over five full-length games this season, the Titans have scored 58 points. Total. It's understandable that they're in a rebuild, but you'd hope they'd show quite literally any sign of positive progress by mid-October. Instead, Cam Ward's and Brian Daboll's offense is stuck in the mud, and Tennessee has a good chance at securing its second No. 1 overall pick in three seasons. — Robert Zeglinski
31. Miami Dolphins
Last week: 32
The Dolphins are executing a masterclass in disassembling a quarterback's confidence. Malik Willis is so predictable that a Bengals safety can figure out his pre-throw tell, inform reporters all about it, then still pick him off twice. With limited returns from skill players and a high pressure rate, Willis is doing too much. It might crush his value as a starting quarterback beyond 2026. — Christian D'Andrea
30. Los Angeles Chargers
Last week: 30
The still-winless Chargers started four rookies (!) on their offensive line against Denver. Predictably, they got the same exact miserable results as Justin Herbert continues to struggle in Mike McDaniel's offense. At this point, it feels like a matter of when, not if, that L.A. pulls the plug on both the Herbert and Jim Harbaugh experiments at the end of this season. — RZ
29. Arizona Cardinals
Last week: 27
Well, at least the Marvin Harrison Jr. trade netted a top-50 (and maybe even top-40) draft pick for a player who was effectively just taking up space on the 53-man roster. — CD
28. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Last week: 29
Shoutout to Jalon Daniels, of all people, for finding a way to embarrass Dallas in the funniest possible way. In what might be a long season for Tampa Bay, that'll be a highlight worth remembering for a long time. — RZ
27. Washington Commanders
Last week: 24
If this season were a George Clooney movie, it would be The Perfect Storm, only instead of hurricanes and nor'easters it's awful playcalling and an offense that, to a man, had no idea what to do with 25 seconds left and no timeouts in overtime. If it were a Mark Wahlberg movie, it would NOT be The Perfect Storm, because Marky Mark was in The Happening, and that film was about as inexplicable and goofy as whatever the Commanders have going on in any given game. — CD
26. New York Jets
Last week: 28
Thank you, Aaron Glenn, for at least temporarily stopping the NFL's grossest comeback story. New York made Deshaun Watson, formerly accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what an NFL investigation deemed "predatory behavior," look like his 2023-2025 self and escaped with its second win of the season, even without Breece Hall in the lineup. — CD
25. New Orleans Saints
Last week: 17
It appears Tyler Shough's Mickey Mouse run (read: fake, smoke and mirrors, not real, etc.) might be over. Against Atlanta and Minnesota teams that flipped the game script on the Saints, Shough could do nothing but pad his stats in garbage time. Actually, against Brian Flores's defense, he couldn't even do that because he might have been the worst quarterback of Week 5! The Saints, suffice it to say, remain a huge work in progress. — RZ
24. Philadelphia Eagles
Last week: 20
Comparing Philadelphia's 2024 offense to the 2026 version is like comparing a filet mignon to an old Good n' Plenty wedged between outdoor couch cushions. Sean Mannion, shockingly, looks overwhelmed after being hired as offensive coordinator after only two years as a coach. Injuries aren't helping, but ignoring Eagles games is an act of self-care now. — CD
23. Houston Texans
Last week: 26
All the Texans needed to get off the schneid was DeMeco Ryans taking over the defensive play-calling (and playing the NFL's worst team, pound for pound). This team still has major issues across the board. There's no logical reason to believe an expensive trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. will fix any of them in a meaningful way fast enough to save Houston's season. — RZ
22. New York Giants
Last week: 25
The middling Giants lost their starting quarterback for the season and still might bumble their way all the way to a division title because the NFC East has become the NFL's red-headed stepchild this season. Oh, well, they don't hand out style points for wins, I guess. It's more of a "so long as you get them" kind of thing. — RZ
21. Indianapolis Colts
Last week: 23
If Wins Above Replacement (WAR) ever catches on as a team stat in the NFL, this is the team that will be replaced. What a forgettable start to 2026 (and end to the Chris Ballard/Shane Steichen era, should it continue). — CD
20. Dallas Cowboys
Last week: 15
Only the Cowboys could lose to an undrafted free agent rookie quarterback at home in primetime. Only an overrated Cowboys quarterback could pick a petty fight with a stadium employee because he couldn't do his job on the field. Yes, only the Cowboys could faceplant like this in such glorious, chaotic, disastrous fashion. — RZ
19. Cleveland Browns
Last week: 16
All it took for the Browns to fail was for people to start believing in them again. — CD
18. Pittsburgh Steelers
Last week: 21
Jaylen Warren was special on Sunday. The all-purpose tailback almost had the rare 100-yard rushing and 100-yard receiving game while finding space all over against the sad Colts defense. Warren doesn't have the reputation of a top back (and, honestly, doesn't deserve to), but he's still certainly one of the NFL's more underrated tailbacks right now. — RZ
17. Atlanta Falcons
Last week: 19
Michael Penix Jr. looks great from a clean pocket and abysmal from a crowded one. It's tough to imagine that will change for the better if he has to play through the kind of rib injury that will make coughing an exercise in agony, let alone getting hit. But hey, the defense is better than expected even whilst missing key young pieces. — CD
16. Carolina Panthers
Last week: 14
A bye week came at the perfect time for us to appreciate the Panthers' new, high-powered offense while most of the rest of the NFC South stepped on painful rakes. Carolina is sitting pretty, as it stands, and should enjoy it. — RZ
15. Green Bay Packers
Last week: 22
The Packers have a chance to go on a run with two awful defenses (Dallas, Detroit) looming over the next two weeks. Wins there won't be enough to convince people this team can avoid the late-season (and late-game) slides endemic to the Matt LaFleur era, but it will make the 2027 first-round draft pick the Cowboys are owed thanks to the Micah Parsons trade a little bit easier to give up. — CD
14. Detroit Lions
Last week: 18
The Lions emptied the tank on their early-season frustrations against the Cardinals. They scored 45 points and amassed over 400 yards of offense despite starting the game with three straight 3-and-outs. That's the sort of course correction that builds momentum to buoy a team's season. We'll see if the Lions can maintain this for a tough two-game homestand against Green Bay and Minnesota after their upcoming bye week. — RZ
13. Las Vegas Raiders
Last week: 11
Last year, the Patriots glitched out against the Raiders in an outlier game in a strong season. This year, Las Vegas returned the favor. New England was missing both starting cornerbacks and was without Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson in the second half. Kirk Cousins' team still lost 45-17 because everything fell apart all at once for Klint Kubiak. — CD
12. Cincinnati Bengals
Last week: 12
Joe Burrow threw for fewer than 200 yards on Sunday but still had four touchdown passes. Part of that was a woeful Miami offense that kept giving Cincinnati short fields. Part of it was the much more talented Bengals dominating while in cruise control. Even still, this was a much-needed victory for Cincy to get back on track. — RZ
11. Denver Broncos
Last week: 10
Sean Payton taking back the play-calling reins changed nothing. Bo Nix still refused to throw downfield and still showcased some of the worst pocket presence in football. Denver only won because its defense slowly suffocated Justin Herbert and the Chargers' offense like a boa constrictor. That's good enough to beat the Chargers. It probably won't be enough for the Seahawks this Thursday night, whose defense is likely salivating at the mere thought of playing a quarterback afraid to throw the ball. — RZ
10. Chicago Bears
Last week: 7
The Bears' admirable job of staying afloat with their backup quarterbacks always had an expiration date. It's a shame for Chicago that date came against the rival Packers, who exposed Tyson Bagent for the pumpkin he really is, but it changes nothing about the Bears' big-picture status as an NFC contender. Frankly, it's a win for the Bears that they managed to go 2-1 with their backups in the first place. Now, Caleb Williams' likely return this coming Sunday could not come at a better time. — RZ
9. New England Patriots
Last week: 13
Drake Maye's small sample size doesn't mean he's fixed yet, but his ability to elevate unheralded receivers is reminiscent of last year's meteoric rise; one that ended with a second-place finish in MVP votes. He's begun to regain his footing under pressure, which is important after losing Will Campbell to a knee injury as the Patriots likely turn left tackle duties over to rookie Caleb Lomu. — CD
8. Los Angeles Rams
Last week: 9
The Rams' late game discombobulation turned out to be perfect clock management. But with five seconds to play in a 34-33 game, Sean McVay eschewed a two-point conversion that almost certainly would have won the game in order to play for overtime. They still had an opportunity to win after a James Cook fumble bailed them out, but giving the ball back to an offense that's been thoroughly shredding you -- setting up a situation where you'd likely need another touchdown drive AND two-point conversion to win -- is the kind of decision making that could lead to more playoff frustration.
Matthew Stafford's pretty good, though. — CD
7. Minnesota Vikings
Last week: 8
Sunday in New Orleans was the first time Kyler Murray looked like a functional quarterback while wearing a Vikings uniform. That's huge, since Minnesota clearly has the kind of defense that can win a Lombardi Trophy, PROVIDED its offense isn't dead weight. The good news for Murray is that Brian Flores and Co. should give him enough time to find his sea legs in the Vikings' offense over the course of a long season. It helps that Minnesota already has a two-game NFC North division lead in mid-October. — RZ
6. Baltimore Ravens
Last week: 6
Pulling off a win over the red-hot Falcons in Atlanta in primetime without your MVP quarterback was the definition of a culture win. I suppose that's what should happen when the Ravens rush for over 200 yards as a team and generally make every important play (not you, Mark Andrews). Baltimore is now set up perfectly for Lamar Jackson's return ahead of a pivotal two-game AFC North slate against the Browns and Bengals. — RZ
5. Buffalo Bills
Last week: 4
The Bills battled back to beat the one them that could derail them; the Bills. Buffalo suffered from a litany of mistakes, but the most concerning ones came from a defense that somehow lost Davante Adams, a man with roughly 300 touchdown catches as a Ram, inside the red zone while trying to protect a late lead. This didn't matter because Los Angeles was also courteous in offering its opponent a win, but it's laying a blueprint for January heartache once more. — CD
4. Jacksonville Jaguars
Last week: 5
Was it ugly? Oh, friends, was it ever. Losing his long snapper appeared to introduce a virus into head coach Liam Coen's thought process, but he was bailed out by Parker Washington (expected) and Ameer Abdullah (much less so!) en route to the Jaguars' fourth win of the season. The Jaguars have an explosive offense and a stout defense, and 2026 could be the year their Super Bowl drought finally ends. — CD
3. Seattle Seahawks
Last week: 2
Two losses in three games should mean nothing in the grand scheme of things to the reigning champions. Seattle also started 3-2 last season before winning 14 of 15 games en route to the second Super Bowl in franchise history. That doesn't mean the Seahawks are without concerns, however. Their offensive backfield is decimated by injuries, their great defense is justttttt worse enough on the margins to be notably vulnerable, and Sam Darnold now has five picks in his last three games. It's too soon to worry about the Seahawks' repeat bona fides, but they better start turning it around in short order. — RZ
2. Kansas City Chiefs
Last week: 3
A bye week left us to lament a bit longer about how the Chiefs bounced back to AFC contenders. It also allowed the details from Tyreek Hill's ongoing divorce case and domestic abuse allegations to settle. Is adding another wideout with legal issues really what Kansas City needs right now? — CD
1. San Francisco 49ers
Last week: 1
They're held together by duct tape, and Brock Purdy has floated back to earth, but you can't argue with success. Beating the defending Super Bowl champions on the road without a key linebacker (because Dre Greenlaw is a bit of a doofus) was a statement. Can San Francisco stay healthy enough to back it up? — CD
This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Unfortunately, Sean Payton can’t make Bo Nix unafraid to throw ball