2021 NFL power rankings after Week 5: Bills return to top five, undefeated Cardinals remain on top … for now
previous rank in parentheses):
1. Cardinals (1): The last time they were 5-0 was 1974, which is also the last time the Cards were the league’s lone unbeaten team. Also noteworthy of this century-old franchise? It’s broken from the gate 5-0 on four previous occasions, but those hot starts have never been followed by a postseason victory. Could that happen again? Arizona is currently clean, but this team hardly feels head and shoulders above the competition and has to prove it won’t spiral into yet another second-half fade under coach Kliff Kingsbury.
2. Rams (2): Their next three opponents (Giants, Detroit, Houston) are a combined 2-13. Golden opportunity to keep pace with Cardinals, the only team to beat Los Angeles this season, while padding their cushion on the rest of the NFC field.
Dak Prescott and Co. can put a lot of that negative history to bed Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium by improving to 5-1 for the first time since 2016, Prescott’s rookie year.exacting retribution in Kansas City, surging Buffalo can get more of the same Sunday in Nashville, where they got blown out 42-16 by the Titans last year during a game played on a Tuesday night due to Tennessee’s COVID-19 outbreak.
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6. Chargers (8): WR Mike Williams has impeccable timing. His salary ballooned to $15.7 million this year after the Bolts picked up his fifth-year option, but the NFL’s leader in TD catches (6) should really cash in following the season, when he’s scheduled to reach free agency.
7. Ravens (7): Credit Baltimore’s resolve – and QB Lamar Jackson’s – as it stole a game it probably didn’t deserve to win. Credit the football gods for withholding the record for consecutive 100-yard rushing games, which John Harbaugh’s team definitely didn’t deserve to claim.
8. Browns (4): In his four NFL seasons, QB Baker Mayfield has been on the losing side three times despite Cleveland scoring at least 42 points – including Sunday’s 47-42 barnburner against the Chargers. No other quarterback in league history has suffered such a defeat multiple times.
9. Packers (10): Sunday was a reminder that sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good … though Green Bay may need a few more four-leaf clovers over the next five weeks, when the Pack will face four 2020 playoff teams and the undefeated Cardinals.
10. Chiefs (9): It’s not often when Kansas City is on par with Jacksonville, but this has been a strange season – and the clubs share the NFL lead with 11 turnovers. K.C. QB Patrick Mahomes’ six INTs match his total from 2020 and are halfway to his career high of 12 (2018).
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21. Eagles (25): DT Javon Hargrave has six sacks in five games, best among the league’s interior linemen. He averaged 3.8 sacks over his first five seasons and has never had more than 6½ in any of them.
22. Washington (20): An overhyped defense continues to be a massive disappointment, allowing an NFC-worst 31 points per game. The WFT has already allowed at least 29 points in four games, something it did just five times in the entire 2020 regular season.
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24. Colts (23): Injured second-year K Rodrigo Blankenship tried to gut it out Monday night but ended up gutting his team, two missed field goals and a wayward PAT proving fatal in Indianapolis’ overtime loss at Baltimore.
25. Falcons (27): If only they could play a New York team every week. But fear not, Atlanta fans, your team gets to go to Buffalo in Week 17.
26. Patriots (21): They were wholly unimpressive Sunday against downtrodden Houston, a performance at least partially explained by New England missing 80% of its starting offensive line. But that doesn’t explain Texans rookie QB Davis Mills carving up Belichick’s defense.
27. Dolphins (26): Say what you want about injured QB Tua Tagovailoa, but Miami has been outscored by 19 points per game without him.
28. Texans (31): Their season was pretty well summed up by Cameron Johnston’s 0-yard punt Sunday, which ricocheted off teammate Terrence Brooks.
29. Jets (29): Surely playing second-year WR Denzel Mims, who’s averaged 24.3 yards on his three catches, more extensively could help open up the league’s lowest-scoring offense. Injured LT Mekhi Becton, Mims’ 2020 draftmate, agrees.
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31. Giants (28): Who’s left to play for Big Blue after QB Daniel Jones, RB Saquon Barkley and WR Kenny Golladay all went down Sunday? Start with first-round rookie WR Kadarius Toney, whose 189 receiving yards at Dallas broke Odell Beckham’s single-game team record (185) for rookies.
32. Jaguars (32): Urban Meyer said Sunday that rookie Trevor Lawrence was “not quite comfortable with” quarterback sneaks. Lawrence said otherwise. Discuss amongst yourselves.
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Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Nate Davis on Twitter @ByNateDavis.