JOHN McCLAIN’S
NFL POWER RANKINGS WEEK 5
1
Kansas City 4-0 (ranked No. 1 last week): The Chiefs beat the Patriots without quarterback Cam Newton.
2
Green Bay 4-0 (2): After establishing themselves as the best team in the NFC and a bonafide Super Bowl favorite, the Packers are idle.
3
Seattle 4-0 (3): Russell Wilson has thrown 16 TD passes in four games. He should throw a lot more against Minnesota’s porous defense.
4
Baltimore 3-1 (4): The Ravens recovered from the Kansas City loss to beat Washington. The defense gets a shot at Bengals QB Joe Burrow.
5
Buffalo 4-0 (7): The Bills beat the Rams and Raiders in their last two games, and they travel to Tennessee to play the unbeaten Titans.
6
Pittsburgh 3-0 (5): The Steelers were forced to take their open date, and they come back against the Eagles.
7
Tennessee 3-0 (6): After taking their open date because of the COVID-19 outbreak, the Titans return to entertain the undefeated Bills.
8
Tampa Bay 3-1 (9): Tom Brady is coming off a game in which he threw five touchdown passes. The Bucs play at Chicago on Thursday night.
9
L.A. Rams 3-1 (12): The Rams should have no problems increasing their record to 4-1 because their next game is against Washington.
10
Indianapolis 3-1 (15): The Colts have won three consecutive games, and they have the league’s best defense.
11
Cleveland 3-1 (18): The Browns have a threegame winning streak entering their game with the Colts, who also have won three straight.
12
New England 2-2 (8): When Cam Newton returns, the Patriots appear to be capable of beating any team.
13
New Orleans 2-2 (16): The Saints escaped Detroit with a six-point win. They should be 3-2 after defeating the Chargers on Monday night.
14
Chicago 3-1 (10): The Bears lost at home to the Colts, who ruined Nick Foles’ first start. They host Tampa Bay in a Thursday night game.
15
Carolina 2-2 (19): In his first season, Matt Rhule has guided the surprising Panthers to back-to-back victories going into Atlanta.
16
Las Vegas 2-2 (13) By losing a home game to Buffalo, the Raiders blew an opportunity to remain one game behind K.C. in the AFC West.
17
San Francisco 2-2 (14): The 49ers have more injuries than any team in the league. They’re trying to stay close to Seattle in the NFC West.
18
Arizona 2-2 (11): After their 2-0 start, the Cardinals have suffered back-to-back losses. They play the Jets in what should be a get-well game.
19
Dallas 1-3 (17): The Cowboys are surrendering a league-high 36.5 points a game. They should be able to win at home against the Giants.
20
Philadelphia 1-2-1 (25): The Eagles beat the 49ers for their first victory. Now they’re in first place in the NFC East, the NFL’s worst division.
21
Cincinnati 1-2-1 (26): Quarterback Joe Burrow is the first rookie in NFL history to throw for at least 300 yards in three consecutive games.
22
Minnesota 1-3 (24): The Vikings beat the Texans and got Bill O’Brien fired. Their schedule gets a lot tougher against Seattle.
23
L.A. Chargers 1-3 (20): The offense has shown some life with rookie QB Justin Herbert. He can impress the nation Monday at New Orleans.
24
Detroit 1-3 (21): The woeful Lions blew a lead and lost to New Orleans. Matt Patricia’s job should be in jeopardy. They’re off this weekend.
25
Miami 1-3 (22): The Dolphins’ victory was over Jacksonville. They were respectable losing to Seattle. They travel to San Francisco.
26
Houston 0-4 (23): Bill O’Brien is gone. Romeo Crennel is the interim coach. The Texans are desperate to beat Jacksonville for their first win.
27
Denver 1-3 (30): The Broncos beat the Jets for their first victory. They’ll have a hard time making it two in a row playing at New England.
28
Washington 1-3 (28): This team is going backward, and Ron Rivera is battling cancer and trying to coach at the same time.
29
Jacksonville 1-3 (29): The Jaguars have lost three in a row. They’re the first team to test the Texans without Bill O’Brien.
30
Atlanta 0-4 (27): Dan Quinn’s seat is so hot he can’t sit. Nobody anticipated a winless record at this point. The Falcons host the Panthers.
31
N.Y. Giants 0-4 (31): The Giants have been a huge disappointment. They can’t score, a problemin the NFL, right?
32
N.Y. Jets 0-4 (32): After finishing 7-9 last year, the Jets thought they’d compete for the playoffs, but they’re going in the wrong direction.