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Yahoo Sports·United States·Sunday, October 4, 2026 at 11:46 PM UTC

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings: 49ers, Chiefs, Browns, Bears, Patriots Ascend after Week 4

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Matt Johnson

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings: 49ers, Chiefs, Browns, Bears, Patriots Ascend after Week 4

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, San Francisco 49ers

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Kansas City Chiefs

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, CHicago Bears

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Buffalo Bills

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Seattle Seahawks

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Los Angeles Rams

Week 5 NFL Power rankings, Minnesota Vikings

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Jacksonville Jaguars

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Baltimore Ravens

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Las Vegas Raiders

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Denver Broncos

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, New England Patriots

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Cincinnati Bengals

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Detroit Lions

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Dallas Cowboys

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Philadelphia Eagles

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, New Orleans Saints

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Cleveland Browns

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, New York Giants

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Indianapolis Colts

Week 4 NFL Power Rankings, Pittsburgh Steelers

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Carolina Panthers

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Atlanta Falcons

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Green Bay Packers

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Washington Commanders

Week 5 NFL Power rankings, Houston Texans

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings New York Jets

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Arizona Cardinals

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Los Angeles Chargers

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Tennessee Titans

Week 5 NFL Power Rankings, Miami Dolphins

The 2026 NFL season continues to deliver some big surprises, including the 3-1 Cleveland Browns and a winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers team. While Week 4 went more like we expected than last Sunday there’s still plenty of movement in our latest NFL power rankings.

Let’s dive into our evaluations of all 32 teams from Week 4. As always, our Week 5 NFL power rankings will be updated for teams playing on Sunday Night Football (Detroit Lions vs Carolina Panthers) and Monday Night Football (Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints).
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect)

The San Francisco 49ers just keep finding ways to win. Nick Bosa remains sidelined, Christian McCaffrey got shut down in this one and Brock Purdy didn’t put up gaudy numbers. None of it mattered. San Francisco’s defense kept the Broncos out of the red zone until late in the game and Kyle Shanahan got some big plays from Mike Evans and Deebo Samuel. It’s an impressive 4-0 start for San Francisco and now the mark gets put to the test in Seattle next Sunday afternoon.

The Kansas City Chiefs are all the way back. A trip to Las Vegas absolutely put Patrick Mahomes, Andy Reid, and this Chiefs offense with its back against the wall in the fourth quarter. Kansas City trailed 13-10 entering the fourth quarter and 19-17 with under 4 minutes remaining. Mahomes made the big throw to Tyquan Thornton, Kenneth Walker punched in the go-ahead score, and then a fumbled kickoff let Walker make it a two-score game. It’s a testament to the Raiders that the Chiefs needed one final stop to win it. Kansas City is a perfect 4-0, but there is a bit of worry now regarding this passing game after the injuries to Thornton and Rashee Rice.
(Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

In two games without Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson still found a way to scheme up 867 total yards and 58 first downs for this Chicago Bears offense. What should be equally worrying for the rest of the NFL is the fact that Chicago’s defense appears far better than anyone expected it to be coming into the season. Rivalry games can bring chaos, but we have a sneaking belief that Williams returns in Week 5 and Johnson puts up 40-plus points and 500 total yards in a blowout victory at Lambeau Field.
(Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images)

The Buffalo Bills‘ slim hopes of an undefeated season came crashing down at home on Sunday. Losing to the Patriots is painful, especially because a victory would’ve provided huge breathing room for Josh Allen and Co. atop the AFC East. With that said, Week 4 also served as a great reminder of how wide-open the 2026 season is because the best NFL teams all have some clear flaws. Buffalo will get its chance to rebound and make a statement on Monday Night Football in Week 5 at SoFi Stadium.

The Seattle Seahawks came out looking sharp early on Sunday afternoon, taking an early 20-3 lead well before halftime and holding a 21-point advantage midway through the third quarter. Inexplicably, the Seahawks took their foot off the gas and allowed the Chargers to make it a one-score game. It’s still a win and a 3-1 record for the Seahawks, but there are plenty of things that must be corrected in order to beat the 49ers next Sunday.
(Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

The Los Angeles Rams trailed 20-10 in the fourth quarter, getting the football back at the 2-yard line with 7:26 left in the game. A stalled drive almost certainly would’ve meant the Super Bowl favorites coming into the season would be 1-3 after Week 4. Instead, Los Angeles dug in and found a resolve that could be the turning point in its season with 14 unanswered points to win in Philadelphia. It’s exactly the kind of performance that could carry over into a must-see Monday Night Football matchup against the Bills.
(Gary A.)

We understand the Minnesota Vikings are on the very shortlist of undefeated NFL teams after Week 4. However, Sunday raised more worries about whether this offense with Kyler Murray is good enough for this hot start to be maintained. Minnesota’s defense is certainly good enough to win at New Orleans next week, and a 5-0 record heading into the Week 6 bye would be an absurd start considering what the preseason expectations were.
(Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

The Jacksonville Jaguars are 3-1, going on the road and taking out the Bengals to really give themselves some breathing room in the AFC South. Jacksonville’s strength of victories (Browns, Patriots and Bengals) also looks pretty impressive a month into the season. So, why isn’t Jacksonville ascending higher in our NFL power rankings? The Jaguars did nearly allow Joe Burrow to come back and win this one with backup receivers, in part because Jacksonville’s offense started having problems in the second half. The team now heads to London and it should feel good about its chance of coming back home in a few weeks with a 5-1 record.
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The Baltimore Ravens handled their business on Sunday, taking advantage of a clearly inferior opponent at home and comfortably coming out of Week 4 with a 3-1 record. Dominating in winnable games wasn’t always a given with the last Ravens coaching staff, so Sunday’s result could be seen as progress. We’re far more intrigued to see how Baltimore fares in Atlanta next week on Sunday Night Football. Although, that’s only if Lamar Jackson and Zay Flowers are playing in it.

The Las Vegas Raiders‘ loss at home on Sunday was a statement to the entire National Football League. This team is way ahead of schedule and it truly seems ready to challenge for a playoff spot in the first year with head coach Klint Kubiak. Kirk Cousins is playing well enough that Fernando Mendoza might get an entire season to develop behind the scenes, following the pathway to success we saw with Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs.
(Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images)

There was no fourth-quarter comeback this time for the Denver Broncos, who drop to 2-2 after giving up 21 second-half points in San Francisco. More painful than the loss is losing Pat Surtain, whose absence was clearly felt in the second half. Even marginal regression from Denver defensively means asking more of Bo Nix and this ground game. As we’ve seen this season, that’s not often a recipe for success for the Broncos. Denver will have a chance to recover next week in Los Angeles, facing a Chargers team that seems directionless.
(Isaiah J.)

A loss to Buffalo in Week 4 certainly felt like it could’ve derailed the 2026 season for the New England Patriots. Things seemed to be headed in that direction in the second quarter, when the Bills scored 17 points. Credit to Drake Maye, who overcame a first-half interception to lead a pair of touchdown drives in the second half, including the go-ahead score late in the fourth. The faith is restored in Foxborough with the Raiders coming to town next Sunday.

From 2-0 to .500, with Joe Burrow now dealing with the fact that his interceptions are just as responsible for Sunday’s loss as the injuries to Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. Cincinnati’s defense played respectably in this one, allowing just two red-zone trips, but Burrow could only put up 17 points on nine drives. The Bengals will certainly rebound from this next weekend against a rebuilding Dolphins squad, but the hopes of this team potentially returning to its status from years ago as a Super Bowl contender feels like a thing of the past.

The Detroit Lions shouldn’t have any trouble putting up points on Sunday Night Football. After all, Carolina is missing its top cornerbacks and is also infamous for having the league’s worst run defense. Jared Goff, Jahmyr Gibbs and Co. should cook in this one. Of course, what still separates Detroit from the best NFL teams right now is it is stuck with an abysmal secondary.

The Dallas Cowboys returned to Texas and this time came out on the other side of the last-second comeback, keeping themselves at the .500 line and within reach of first place in the NFC East. It was once again the Cowboys offense that did the heavy lifting in this one, as the Joey Porter Jr. acquisition didn’t make a lick of difference for Dallas defensively. The Cowboys do have a quick turnaround, facing Tampa Bay on Thursday Night Football, but it would be a massive indictment on the coaching staff if Dallas loses at home to a UDFA quarterback.
(Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)

Taking a 10-point lead into the midway point of the fourth quarter against the Rams is impressive, especially with Saquon Barkley exiting with an injury. However, the version of the Philadelphia Eagles team that barely squeaked by Washington and Tennessee then showed up and Los Angeles took full advantage. The Eagles made a big bet this offseason on sticking with the same offensive line and putting all their proverbial eggs in the basket of an offensive play-caller who only became an offensive assistant two years ago. There’s nothing coming out of Philadelphia right now that would suggest they can beat the Jaguars in Week 5.
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Here’s the New Orleans Saints‘ opportunity to not only rebound from last week’s fourth-quarter collapse against Las Vegas, but take some control in the NFC South entering Week 5. It certainly doesn’t help that the Saints offensive line is banged up and running back Travis Etienne is on injured reserve, but we have seen enough to believe second-year quarterback Tyler Shough is capable of delivering a win on the primetime stage.
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The Cleveland Browns are 3-1, somehow. We’re certainly not convinced that Deshaun Watson is playing ‘good’ football right now, largely because of some wildly off-target throws and his turnovers, but the record speaks for itself. Cleveland is riding a three-game win streak with the rookie receiver tandem of Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion really starting to settle in. Unfortunately for the Browns, they did lose standout defensive tackle Mason Graham to an MCL injury and that’s a big blow before an unexpectedly tough matchup in Week 5 versus the Jets.
Related: Browns Might Brign Deshaun Watson Back in 2027
(Scott Galvin-Imagn Images)

Sunday’s victory over Arizona was certainly much more heart-racing for New York Giants fans than the 36-24 score would indicate, but all that matters is that crisp 3-1 record. Are the Giants as good as their record indicates? Certainly not with Brian Burns and Jaxson Dart out for the season. With that said, John Harbaugh and this Giants coaching staff keep winning games that the old regime never would have, and that is the true source of hope.

On the one hand, the Indianapolis Colts did go to London and get the 30-13 win to improve to 2-2. Shane Steichen and Co. dug themselves out of their 0-2 hole from the start of the season, staying in the mix for the AFC South heading into a Week 5 matchup in Pittsburgh. However, this passing game does not look good right now and Steichen seems too willing to let Daniel Jones shoulder the load for this offense. There are real vulnerabilities on both sides of the ball that could make the next losing streak right around the corner.
(Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images)

The vibes don’t look great right now for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Aaron Rodgers is getting into it with Mike McCarthy, veteran leaders Cameron Heyward and T.J. Watt are expressing their frustration and all of the emotions are valid. Pittsburgh looked like the inferior team after its hot start on Thursday Night Football. It’s just a 2-2 record, but the Steelers haven’t exactly inspired confidence with their play this year.
(Scott Galvin-Imagn Images)

Unfortunately for Bryce Young, even more will be put on his shoulders moving forward. The Carolina Panthers don’t have the bodies defensively to put this team in a position for competitive, low-scoring games. That means Young and this Panthers’ receiving corps will need to be on its game nearly every Sunday and that includes tonight in a potential shootout against Detroit.
(Ken Blaze-Imagn Images)

The Saints vs. Atlanta Falcons rivalry itself makes this Monday Night Football matchup interesting. The added layer is seeing if last Thursday’s explosion from the Falcons offense is a sign of what’s coming with Michael Penix Jr. under center moving forward, or if we return to more of the player we saw in 2025. If Penix can win in New Orleans, a season that just two weeks ago seemed like a race for the No. 1 pick suddenly becomes a legitimate battle for the NFC South.
(Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)

We’ll start with the good news for the Green Bay Packers. The offensive line at least looked functional on Sunday and the team finished with a season-high 86 rushing yards. Unfortunately, Green Bay’s defense also lost standout linebacker Edgerrin Cooper to a season-ending Achilles injury and this team collectively still shoots itself in the foot far too much for all the playoff-tested players on this roster. Green Bay (2-2) could pull off the surprise next Sunday at home against the Bears, but we’d consider it a major upset.
Related: Green Bay Packers Coaching Candidates to Replace Matt LaFleur
(Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images)

Already without Terry McLaurin and Jayden Daniels the Washington Commanders offense was thrust into a hole it couldn’t dig out of in Week 4 when Marcus Mariota aggravated his MCL injury. The only fortunate news for Washington is that Daniels could return in Week 5 against the New York Giants. That’s a winnable game for the Commanders, but the coaching and thin talent on this roster almost guarantee a 3-game losing streak follows it with matchups against the 49ers, Eagles and Rams.
(Geoff Burke-Imagn Images)

For the second time this season, C.J. Stroud delivered a performance deserving of a win and the Houston Texans defense inexplicably didn’t show up. DeMeco Ryans hasn’t been great with his decision-making in critical moments this season, which seems appropriate given how inconsistent the Texans have been. The Texans are the best winless team in the NFL, clearly, but 0-4 means the odds of making the playoffs are next to nil.

That’s much closer to the version of the New York Jets we’re used to seeing. While it was only an 11-point loss on Sunday in Chicago, the Jets were outgained by 335 total yards and Frank Reich’s offense went 0-for-7 on its third-down attempts. That season-opening win feels so long ago, and it now appears New York is back on the trail toward landing a top-five pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The Browns should help them cover more ground toward that in Week 5.

Jacoby Brissett only has eyes for Trey McBride and Michael Wilson. Even if the defense is taking them away or watching the veteran quarterback’s eyes, he’s pretty much always going to target them. It’s one of the biggest problems with this Arizona Cardinals offense and why they aren’t 2-2 right now after having first-and-goal at the 4-yard line with 22 seconds left and a chance to win the game. On the bright side for Arizona, Brissett did a great job putting this club in better position for a quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft.
(Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images)

Stick a fork in the 0-4 Los Angeles Chargers. Mike McDaniel’s offense showed zero signs it was anywhere close to turning a corner, and it’s fairly evident at this point that the Chargers defense has fallen off quite a bit from its excellence in 2025. Despite all the talent and the big names on the coaching staff, it’s an inescapable fact that the Chargers are one of the worst NFL teams right now.
(Mark Konezny-Imagn Images)

It’s nice that UDFA Jalon Daniels earned a roster spot and even got to make his first NFL start in Week 4. However, Baker Mayfield’s multi-week absence just drives the nail further into Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ coffin and the performance from Daniels on Sunday highlights all the reason why. Tampa Bay won’t have Mayfield for its Week 5 matchup against the Cowboys and we can’t fathom a scenario in which the Buccaneers avoid an 0-5 start. Todd Bowles is guaranteed to get fired this season.
(Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images)

The Tennessee Titans are an awful football team and it’s a worse look for them because they should be ahead of Miami in terms of their rebuild and returning to relevancy. The Cam Ward-Carnell Tate connection certainly showed out on Sunday, but this was an ugly game and those are becoming all too common for Tennessee.

We have to keep tipping our cap each week to the Miami Dolphins. With DeVon Achane sidelined for the year, it would’ve been totally understandable if the Dolphins got smoked in Minnesota. Instead, it was only a 15-10 defeat. What Jeff Hafley is doing in Miami is clearly working and we can’t wait to see what this team looks like two years from now when its draft capital and cap space are used to reload the roster.
(Sam Navarro-Imagn Images)

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