NFL Power Rankings Week 6: Undefeated teams pacing the league

The NFL’s Week 5 schedule is complete, which brings us back to our weekly NFL Power Rankings 2018. At the top of the rankings, we still find two teams pacing the field, while everyone else is jockeying for position behind them. This week had some big swings in the rankings as teams started moving up after early season struggles, or began tumbling.

Here are this week’s rankings and some thoughts on the teams.

Top Teams

The league right now is being dominated by the Los Angeles Rams and the Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams remain undefeated through five games and they do not appear to be slowing down. Just behind them the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots climb into the next two slots, putting slow starts to the season behind them and starting to look like the teams they were expected to be this year. The Jacksonville Jaguars round out the top five, dropping two spots after a loss to the Chiefs.

Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins fall three more positions this week, into the 15th spot in the rankings, after a loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The Dolphins had a hot start to the year, but have fallen off the last two weeks. They are still tied for the lead in the AFC East, behind the Patriots based on the head-to-head tie break, and can still turn around this season, but they have to fix a lot of things - starting with the now broken offensive line - and they have to fix it quickly.

Biggest Gain

The Bengals and New York Jets both jumped up six spots this week. The Bengals are up to number 12 after beating Miami and the Jets are up to 25 after beating the Denver Broncos. Both teams are worthy of the jumps, as much as a win over the Dolphins and anything good by the Jets pains me.

Biggest Fall

The Broncos, thanks to the loss to the Jets, fall seven spots this week, just edging out a six position loss by the Dallas Cowboys. Denver was simply beaten by the Jets, who came away with a 34-16 win. These seven positions now put the Broncos behind the Jets in the rankings, 25th for New York and 26th for Denver. Seemed appropriate after that Week 5 result.

The Cellar

Thanks to their first win of the season, the Arizona Cardinals jumped up five spots to 27th, out of the 32nd position. That leaves the bottom open for two NFC East teams, with the New York Giants currently holding the last spot and the Cowboys in the 31st position. The Raiders, who had been in the bottom position earlier this year, are flirting with it again, now down to 30th. The Indianapolis Colts are now 29th, a two position drop after losing the the Patriots, while the San Francisco 49ers are 28th, rounding out the bottom five.