NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

24. player. 16. If you bench your young quarterback for Kyle Orton, you know your team has some big troubles. The Bills went from 2-0 to 2-2. With most of the Houston game much in hand, they let it slip away and could not get themselves out of that hole. There’s young, talented receivers and a defense that is underrated, but they can’t seem to put it all together right now. The pieces to the puzzle are there, but when you give up on your quarterback, you lose a big one.. 2-2. AFC East. Buffalo Bills

Remember when everyone thought this team’s offense was never going to do anything? After two positive weeks, the Giants are finally getting into a rhythm. Tom Coughlin is overlooked when it comes to coaches, but he has the ability to fix a sinking ship fast. They’re gelling, which is great as they have some tough games ahead of them.  Those will test Eli Manning and company in their effort to show how real this team can be.. 2-2. NFC East. New York Giants. 23. player. 31

NFC South. Atlanta Falcons. 22. player. 44. Who is this team? Yes, they lost their right tackle in the fourth quarter, but the team played bad all game. They only have three sacks on the season and they don’t strike fear defensively. They were completely torn apart by the Vikings and embarrassed consequently. With the New York Giants coming to play, the Falcons can start to right their ship with a win there. If the Falcons lose, you have to wonder how long Mike Smith’s leash is.. 2-2

1-3. NFC South. New Orleans Saints. 21. player. 15. An early Super Bowl favorite has gone down the drain. This team has no identity on offense or defense. Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham are still good, but there’s no running game since Mark Ingram got hurt. No other receiver is establishing himself as a consistent weapon, and that defense has struggled all year. Many thought the safety position would be the best in the NFL, but it looks to be one of the biggest struggles on the team.

player. 59. They got a huge win on a national stage, but it was against the Oakland Raiders. That win against the Patriots looks less and less impressive as time goes on. This team needs to continue to keep Ryan Tannehill upright if they are going to give themselves a shot at success. They have a strong defense that can get to the quarterback and stop the run. The real question is whether Tannehill can continue to operate and be consistent throughout the year?. 2-2. AFC East. Miami Dolphins. 20

player. 87. A huge drop for this team as they looked abysmal in all facets of the game these past two weeks. The secondary is getting beat and they struggled mightily to stop agile running backs. Cam Newton has been getting thrown around lately and people may question the weapons around him.  Seeing Steve Smith explode in Baltimore, you have to question what the team was thinking when they let him go. They need to fix this, quickly.. 2-2. NFC South. Carolina Panthers. 19

The most inconsistent team in the NFL by far. They narrowly escape the Browns, get dominated by the Ravens, dominate the Panthers, and then lose to the Buccaneers. The defense isn’t what it used to be and the offensive line has been a huge problem all year. The Steelers have arguably the best backfield duo in the NFL and Ben Roethlisberger continues to make plays, but the offensive line has been this offense’s downfall.. 2-2. AFC North. Pittsburgh Steelers. 18. player. 55

Minnesota Vikings. 17. player. 60. Teddy Bridgewater has breathed life into this team. With the loss of Adrian Peterson, many thought the Vikings would be lucky to win another game. They decimated the Falcons while Bridgewater showed great pocket awareness. No, he does not possess the best arm, but he’s deadly accurate and shows good poise. Mike Zimmer has a lot going for this team.. 2-2. NFC North

10. Yes, they have more wins now than they did all year last year, but their quarterback play is keeping them back. Their competition hasn’t been all that great, so they are viewed as pretenders for the time being. We will have to wait and see how good this team is against quality opponents. There’s no denying this defense can win games, but can you really trust Ryan Fitzpatrick to make the plays they need to win big games?. 3-1. AFC South. Houston Texans. 16. player