It’s incredible to think that we are five weeks into the NFL season already. In the blink of an eye, we’ve hit the middle of October and the chance for contenders to start showing themselves early and often on gameday.
Some divisions are fortunate to have one true title contender sitting at the top of their ranks. Others struggle to stay over .500 as a group. Perhaps no division has seen a greater rise in the ranks than the NFC East.
Just a few years removed from sending a 6-10 team to the playoffs, the NFL’s once fiercest division has come back to lay claim to its throne.
How many NFC East teams have cracked the top 10 in our power rankings though? Let’s take a look.
32. Carolina Panthers (1-4).
The Panthers have just fired Matt Rhule and the quarterback position is, once again, a major concern. Everything is looking bleak in Carolina.
31. Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4)
No one expected the Pittsburgh Steelers to walk into Buffalo and win a game with a quarterback making his first start. I don’t think anyone expected a Mike Tomlin team to get embarrassed like that. TJ Watt’s absence is hurting the entire locker room right now.
30. Detroit Lions (1-4)
The Lions are a fun team to follow. But they have to start winning. Being shut out by the Patriots shows the cracks are starting to show for Dan Campbell.
29. Washington Commanders (1-4)
Ron Rivera threw his quarterback under the bus after their loss to Tennessee which was perplexing considering he was the only reason the game was even close. Still, Wentz’s interception shows the typical mistakes he usually makes.
28. Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1)
I don’t want to bring too much attention to the most embarrassing display of football last Thursday. The Colts stink, and they are one of the worst in the NFL.
T-28 Denver Broncos (2-3)
What. Was. That?! Denver is just such a horrific offensive team that they might sue Seattle for stealing. I refuse out of principle to put Denver or Indy ahead of each other. They both deserve this shame.
26 Atlanta Falcons (2-3)
The Falcons got completely hosed. The NFL no longer knows what roughing the passer is. Can’t just score an abundance of points when the game is late though.
25 Seattle Seahawks (2-3)
It’s really easy to get behind Geno Smith with the way he’s playing. Seattle is low on defensive talent, but at least they have Denver’s first-round pick for eternity.
24. New Orleans Saints (2-3)
Taysom Hill went super-sayan and the Saints stayed alive with a tough win against Seattle. There are long-term concerns still in New Orleans, but they can certainly sneak up on a few teams.
23. Houston Texans (1-3-1)
What an impressive job Lovie Smith is doing in Houston. There’s minimal talent, but the Texans out-punched the Jaguars and could easily be over .500 to this point.
22. Chicago Bears (2-3)
Analysts can argue about the lack of production from Justin Fields, but the Bears need to start trusting their young quarterback more. He almost pulled off an incredible comeback in Minnesota.
21. Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
The Raiders were victims of the NFL not knowing what roughing the passer is anymore. That doesn’t take away from the fact that Josh McDaniels has now lost two games for his team because of bad decisions. They are about to be without Davante Adams for a little bit as well.
20. Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3)
It’s hard to take these guys seriously when they can’t move the ball against a bad Texans team. I still like their chances in the AFC South, but they need to start rattling off big wins and fast.
19. New England Patriots (2-3)
The Zappe era got off to a great start on Sunday thanks to Bill Belichik giving war flashbacks to Jared Goff. I mean that was ridiculous.
18. Cleveland Browns (2-3)
The Browns lost a heart-breaker to LA at home, but they shouldn’t have even made it that close. The Chargers are so poorly coached right now. Still, the Browns are in the thick of the AFC North chase as the weeks move closer to Deshaun Watson.
17. Tennessee Titans (3-2)
Tennessee is back to its winning ways. Strong defense and good rushing abilities have been a staple of Mike Vrabel’s team and it showed on Sunday. There are still a ton of questions to answer though and they are running out of pass catchers.
16. New York Jets (3-2)
Don’t look now, but the Jets are over .500. Who cares if they beat a third-string quarterback to do it? All the complaints about Robert Saleh being in over his head look inaccurate. This team plays hard, smart, and is getting solid quarterback play.
15. Arizona Cardinals (2-3)
The Cardinals got the worst game Philadelphia played all year and STILL couldn’t win. Mental mistakes by Kyler, a rookie kicker missing wide right, and really questionable coaching all are the reason for Arizona’s 2-3 start.
14. LA Rams (2-3)
The Rams are in a boatload of trouble. They can’t protect Matt Stafford, and the defense was completely shellacked on the ground. This isn’t going to get any better either. This team might be in danger of being the most disappointing in the NFL.
13. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
At what point are we going to start questioning Joe Burrow? The guy has Jamarr Chase and Hayden Hurst going off on Sunday night and posted a horrific QBR (30). The offensive line is an issue, but if it wasn’t an issue last year, what is Burrow missing this year?
12. Miami Dolphins (3-2)
Do the Dolphins win on Sunday with Tua? Of course. Do they win with Teddy Bridgewater? Maybe? The Dolphins have one of the most talented rosters in the NFL which saves them from a bigger drop in the rankings. They need their QB back though.
11. Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
I still think Lamar Jackson is one of three favorites to win NFL MVP at this point. There’s little talent around him and he keeps finding ways to win offensively. The Ravens are in the driver’s seat in the AFC North.
10. LA Chargers (3-2)
Boy, the Chargers are maddingly inconsistent. It’s honestly hard to see them going anywhere in the NFL playoffs with Brandon Staley leading the way. Analytics shouldn’t be the be-all-end-all for decisions.
9. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
The Packers laid a dud across the pond, but they don’t go out of the top 10 for a few reasons. 1. Aaron Rodgers. 2. London games are always weird. 3. They have one of the NFL’s best rushing attacks. It’s about time they used it though.
8. New York Giants (4-1)
For the first time since 2011, the Giants are in the top 10 in power rankings. No longer can people say they have wins against bad teams. Daniel Jones was one of the more impressive players on the field on Sunday and willed his team to win. A very encouraging sign.
7. Minnesota Vikings (4-1)
The Vikings continue to sleepwalk their way to a 4-1 record. They have dominated their division though which is worthy of a top 10 spot. You just don’t know which Kirk Cousins is going to show up on Sunday.
6. San Francisco 49ers (3-2)
San Fran is one of the more complete teams in the NFL this year and they seem to be hitting their stride as of late. Two straight blowout wins has this team thinking Super Bowl once again.
5. Tampa Bay Bucs (3-2)
Let’s be very blunt. The Bucs had Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Leonard Fournette, and still needed the refs to save them in the last few minutes. Something is seriously off about this team, but they keep winning.
4. Dallas Cowboys (4-1)
Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the most dangerous team in the NFL. The Cowboys are becoming potential Super Bowl favorites thanks to a defense that hasn’t allowed over 20 points in a game yet. A heavyweight fight with Philly on Sunday awaits.
3. Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
The Chiefs scrapped by on Monday night thanks to timely ref ball, and the Raiders running into each other on the sideline. Kansas City’s offense is still extremely dangerous and makes them a viable, and serious threat in the NFL.
2. Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
The Eagles are 5-0 but are severely banged up going into their biggest game of the year against the Cowboys. These arguments are getting more and more laughable with Jalen Hurts though. Who the heck cares how this team scores if they do it constantly? This is one of the more complete teams in the NFL.
1. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
Sunday was the first time I felt Buffalo flex their muscle in a way that scares the rest of the NFL. Josh Allen is the favorite for league MVP now after what he did to a very good Steelers defense.
