NFL Week 5 Power Rankings: Chiefs, Rams, Steelers Rise after Week 4

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NFL Week 5 Power Rankings: Chiefs, Rams, Steelers Rise after Week 4

NFL Week 5 Power Rankings — Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Matt Johnson · Sportsnaut

Mon, Sep 29, 2025 ·

16 min read

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Every week of the 2025 NFL season thus far has delivered a stunner and Sunday's action was no different. With the previously undefeated Los Angeles Chargers losing to the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers pulling off a surprise win over the Minnesota Vikings , there are plenty of things to learn from Sunday.

Let's dive into our NFL Week 5 power rankings, evaluating how every team performed this weekend. We'll have updates on the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys following Sunday Night Football and post-game analysis following the Monday Night Football doubleheader.

32. Miami Dolphins (32)

As more time passes, the more it feels like Mike McDaniel will be made out to be the scapegoat for the Miami Dolphins' organization. He maximized an offense as much as possible that had Tua Tagovailoa at quarterback. However, as Miami's offensive line and run game deteriorated, the bottom fell out. The real culprit for Miami's issues, beyond Stephen ROss, is general manager Chris Grier. Until he's gone, the Dolphins are dead in the water as a franchise.

31. Tennessee Titans (30)

It's probably time for the Tennessee Titans to make a coaching change. Cam Ward just doesn't stand a chance at being successful in this current ecosystem, and play-calling has just as much to do with it as surrounding talent and the offensive line. Looking at the Titans' schedule, it's difficult to see when that first win of the season might come.

30. New Orleans Saints (31)

As Sunday's loss in Buffalo demonstrated, the New Orleans Saints are at least being a bit competitive in games. Kendre Miller even showed some positive signs, as did rookie safety Jonas Sanker , so there are positives on both sides of the ball. With that said, now at 0-4, it's fair to wonder when the Saints might finally start taking calls on an Alvin Kamara trade.

Related: NFL Trade Candidates 2025

29. Las Vegas Raiders (25)

Well, at least Ashton Jeanty (138 rushing yards and 3 total touchdowns) finally broke free for a big game. That's the lone positive for the Las Vegas Raiders. Geno Smith , hand-picked by Tom Brady after the Matthew Stafford trade fell through, now has a pair of three-interception games in September. If that's not bad enough, the 1-3 Raiders just lost left tackle Kolton Miller to an injury. It really might get even worse in Las Vegas on offense.

28. New York Jets (28)

The New York Jets were always going to be one of the worst NFL teams in 2025. Aaron GLenn's first season always needed to be about the team showing signs of promise to the future. We saw them in Week 1 (Tanner Engstrand's offense and this offensive line's impressive performance) and Week 3 (fourth-quarter rally). On Monday Night Football, against a Dolphins team that is down in the dumps, Glenn has a shot at his first win as a head coach.

27. Carolina Panthers (23)

After rallying to fight back against Arizona and then shutting out the Falcons, it seemed like the Carolina Panthers were starting to find a bit of an early stride before October. That came to a screeching halt on Sunday in Foxborough. Falling behind big in the second quarter, Carolina had to abandon the ground game, and Bryce Young was ill-equipped to put this offense all on his shoulders. Fortunately for the Panthers, they will have an opportunity to rebound next week against the Dolphins.

26. Cleveland Browns (22)

The Cleveland Browns defense is good enough to win a handful of games this season, just not on the road against a Super Bowl challenger when Joe Flacco can't protect the football. One thing Sunday proved: Cleveland might as well give Dillon Gabriel a shot because the team isn't gaining anything from starting Flacco at this point.

25. New York Giants (29)

As good as that stunning win over the Chargers must've felt for Jaxson Dart and the New York Giants, it came at a devastating cost. Malik Nabers ' injury certainly felt season-ending, and it was evident how ineffective this passing game was without him on the field. Maybe New York's defense can lead it to a win over the Saints, but it's going to be painful to watch this offense.

24. Cincinnati Bengals (24)

Unless Joe Burrow returns, six wins feels like the realistic outcome for the Cincinnati Bengals. Jake Browning is a career backup quarterback playing behind a bottom-10 offensive line with a below-average defense supporting him. Cincinnati also isn't a well-coached team as Joe Burrow has long been masking Zac Taylor's shortcoming in game management. On the bright side, a poor record means a higher draft pick that can be reinvested into the trenches.

23. Houston Texans (27)

C.J. Stroud still got hit a lot on Sunday, but the Houston Texans got that elusive first win that evaded them until the end of September. What DeMeco Ryans and Co. have to feel great about is this offense putting up 20 points in the fourth quarter and running back Woody Marks seemingly emerging as the RB1. Unfortunately for Houston, it now faces a Ravens team that is extremely talented and desperate for a win

22. New England Patriots (26)

After turnovers kept them from beating Pittsburgh last Sunday, the New England Patriots protected the football in Week 4 and won in emphatic fashion. There were bright spots in all three phases of the game, starting with Marcus Jones ' punt-return touchdown that brought some life to Gillette Stadium. From there, the return of Christian Gonzalez helped the Patriots' pass defense improve, and all of that helped set up shorter drives for Drake Maye and the offense. It's also great to see Stefon Diggs starting to get it going as the No. 1 receiver. New England moves to 2-2 on the season, but a Sunday Night Football bout against the Bills in Week 5 could be a bit of a buzzsaw for this momentum.

21. Minnesota Vikings (13)

It's the injuries to this Minnesota Vikings offensive line that are the most concerning moving forward. Four starters have been sidelined, and Carson Wentz has continued to demonstrate that his awful decision-making is never going away. It's a recipe for disaster, specifically more turnovers, which cost Minnesota a win in Dublin on Sunday. It won't get any easier with the Browns' defensive line facing Minnesota's offense in Week 5. An 0-2 international trip is very much on the table.

20. Dallas Cowboys (22)

On the one hand, Jerry Jones can claim that his team took a perceived Super Bowl contender to the wire and pulled off a tie. On the other, it's also not hard to imagine this Dallas Cowboys defense faring a bit better if it had Micah Parsons . Ultimately, the Cowboys get to walk off the feel on Sunday Night Football feeling great about a playoff-caliber offense that doesn't even need a healthy CeeDee Lamb or its customary offensive line to put up 40 points.

19. Atlanta Falcons (20)

What a rebound performance from Michael Penix Jr. and the Atlanta Falcons . While there aren't necessarily must-win games in Week 4, this victory felt necessary for a team that has playoff aspirations but didn't seem to have the quarterback play to make it happen. The stars in this offense ( Drake London and Bijan Robninson) were put in a position for success and they delivered in a big way. All things considered, a 2-2 record with the offense on the upswing and the defense playing well is a good spot for Atlanta to be in.

18. Chicago Bears (19)

The Chicago Bears don't win that game a year ago. Either Caleb Williams throws a game-sealing interception or the special-teams unit doesn't block the field goal. It wasn't a pretty showing by this Bears' offense, but Ben Johnson's team found a way to steal a victory from the jaws of defeat on the road. Chicago is now 2-2 heading into its bye week, and while this rushing attack is non-existent, there's at least hope in the Bears' passing game. Now, we'd advise the front office to go trade for a starting-caliber running back.

17. Arizona Cardinals (15)

The good news for the Arizona Cardinals is that their two losses against division opponents with winning records have been decided by 4 total points. Arizona also has to feel a bit better about that confidence-building fourth quarter that Marvin Harrison Jr. had on Thursday Night Football. Even with those positives, it's evident that Arizona is still multiple pieces away on both sides of the ball from reaching that next tier in the NFC West. Fortunately, the Cards get a nice rebound matchup versus Tennessee in Week 5.

16. Denver Broncos (17)

Bo Nix determines the Denver Broncos' ceiling. What he's shown through the first three games is a quarterback who has regressed, getting sloppy with his footwork and making far too many off-platform throws after making improvements in that area late in his rookie season. Denver's defense, while still great, also isn't quite as strong as expected. Fortunately, with Joe Burrow out, a clean game from Nix and a strong performance from Denver's defense should be enough for the win on Monday Night Football.

15. Baltimore Ravens (9)

It feels like the Baltimore Ravens' Super Bowl window is slamming shut. The defense under coordinator Zach Orr, both due to on-field mistakes and bad coaching, has been awful against non-Browns teams this season. As for the Ravens' offense, the absence of a true No. 1 receiver that defenses have to fear and poor play from the offensive line suggest this unit won't be reaching the heights it did a year ago. If it's not going to happen this season, which seems increasingly likely at 1-3, then when would it?

14. Washington Commanders (11)

Without Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin , the Washington Commanders needed this defense to deliver a strong performance. Instead, Dan Quinn's group had its worst showing of the season. It drops the Commanders to 2-2, which, given the injuries, isn't all that bad of a spot to be in. Daniels is also expected back in Week 5, and it's a much-needed return for a matchup against the Chargers.

13. San Francisco 49ers (8)

Nick Bosa 's absence was certainly felt on Sunday by the San Francisco 49ers, who finished without a quarterback hit or sack on Trevor Lawrence . With so much inexperience in the trenches, the Jaguars ' ground game also ate San Francisco's defense alive. However, even that wasn't enough for the 49ers to lose this one. It was Brock Purdy 's four turnovers and then a game-sealing punt return touchdown that doomed San Francisco. The 3-1 record is nice, but this certainly looks like a team that is moving backward fast, and injuries only play a moderate role in that.

12. Indianapolis Colts (7)

There's the Daniel Jones we've all seen prior to the 2025 NFL season. The Rams had the pass rush to make the Indianapolis Colts quarterback uncomfortable, and his history in those situations is why he didn't have many options in free agency. Defensively, the Colts' cornerbacks outside of Charvarius Ward were also really exposed in this one. Indianapolis is still 3-1 in a very winnable division, and 4-1 is on the table with a Week 5 home draw against the Raiders.

11. Pittsburgh Steelers (18)

Some questionable decisions from Mike Tomlin nearly proved costly for the Pittsburgh Steelers in Dublin, but they still came out of Week 4 with a win. Pittsburgh's defense still has some real issues defending the pass, but this pass rush has 11 sacks in the last two games and that has correlated to one of the highest takeaway rates in the NFL. It's also become a more balanced team, with Kenneth Gainwell running well and Aaron Rodgers playing efficient football. Riding a two-game win streak into the bye, the Steelers are starting to look like a playoff-caliber team again.

10. Green Bay Packers (5)

The Green Bay Packers' problems start in the trenches. Missing two starters on the trenches has further exposed both the lack of depth Green Bay has and how poorly Elgton Jenkins is handling the move to center. On the defensive side, injuries have left the cupboard empty at defensive tackle and that's led to consistently losing the battles in the trenches.

Green Bay also deserves crticism over its handling of the cornerback position this offseason. Nate Hobbs has been a disastrous signing and depth was always an issue behind Keisean Nixon . One thing is for certain, the 2-1-1 Packers desperately need this Week 5 bye to get healthier and figure out some of their issues.

9. Jacksonville Jaguars (16)

The Jacksonville Jaguars are some red-zone drops away from being 4-0. Plenty went right for Duval on Sunday—four takeaways and a punt return touchdown—but there's something to be said about this team's ability to find different paths to victory on Monday. It's really the evolution of this Jaguars' rushing attack, with Liam Coen unlocking Travis Etienne , that is standing out right now. Well, that and a Jaguars' defense that creates takeaways like they are third-down stops. The Jaguars could surprise the Chiefs next week on Monday Night Football in Jacksonville.

8. Seattle Sehawks (14)

It might not have been decisive of a Thursday Night Football win as the Seattle Seahawks expected entering the fourth quarter, but all that matters now is the 3-1 record. Seattle can also feel extremely confident about the rapport Sam Darnold has with Jaxon Smith-Njogba, especially in September. Darnold also desevers credit for his two big fourth-quarter throws against a stout Arizona defense. Now at 3-1, Seattle has provided itself a little margin for error ahead of a tough Week 5 home battle against Tampa Bay .

7. Los Angeles Chargers (3)

It felt like the Los Angeles Chargers ' electricity got cut out after the Joe Alt injury. This offense found a way to survive after losing Rashawn Slater , but Alt's departure in Week 4 dealt a catastrophic blow to this offense. Maybe the injury won't keep him out for months, but starting two backup tackles against Washington next week could certainly result in Los Angeles going from 3-2 to 3-3.

6. Kansas City Chiefs (10)

In a must-win game, the better quarterback delivered. Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs haven't gotten Rashee Rice back yet, but that statement win over Baltimore inspired new confidence in the offense. Xavier Worthy 's return resulted in a 100-yard day, and his presence played an obvious role in Mahomes' four-touchdown game. Kansas City seems to be returning to its championship-caliber form.

5. Los Angeles Rams (12)

The Los Angeles Rams made sure not to let another victory slip in Week 4 after stealing defeat from the jaws of victory last Sunday against the Eagles. Puka Nacua feasted and paired with Kyren Williams ; the two centerpieces of this offense combined for 264 scrimmage yards. Add to that a strong Rams' pass rush pressuring Daniel Jones into mistakes, and you get a very impressive win by the Rams. Up next is a Thursday Night Football matchup against a 49ers team that just lost to Jacksonville.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4)

Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin return, only for Mike Evans to go down. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ' offense came out sluggish early, resulting in a 21-point deficit late in the first half. Once again, though, Baker Mayfield rallied this team and took the Eagles to the wire. Tampa Bay's turnovers and red-zone issues are ultimately what cost them in a 31-25 loss, but the team has to feel like it still has what it takes to beat the Eagles if there is a rematch in the playoffs.

3. Detroit Lions (6)

The Detroit Lions did what the Packers couldn't versus Cleveland: protect the quarterback. It made all the difference and allowed the Lions' offense to get into a bit more of a rhythm, especially with the short fields created by takeaways. While the Lions have two upcoming road games—versus Cincinnati and Kansas City—both are very winnable, and the organization has to feel so much more confident in this team as a Super Bowl contender than it did a few weeks ago.

2. Buffalo Bills (2)

The Saints kept it close for a little while, at one point making it look like one of the best NFL teams in 2025 would become the next to lose to an undefeated club. Unlike the Packers and Chargers, though, Buffalo overcame some early missed opportunities by putting it away in the fourth quarter. The Bills are the unquestioned top team in the AFC right now, and their schedule provides a path to keep piling up victories.

1. Philadelphie Eagles (1)

The Philadelphia Eagles have gotten their offense back on track a little bit since trailing the Rams by multiple scores last week, but its the special-teams and defensive stops that swung Sunday's game against Tampa Bay. While the Buccaneers outgained the Eagles by a wide margin, Vic Fangio's group locked things down in the red zone. Philadelphia improves to 8-0 and it has to feel confident about how its defense will fare versus Bo Nix.

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