Week 6 NFL Power Rankings 2026: Patriots, Packers Make Massive Jumps Up the Order

Week 5 of the 2026-27 NFL regular season is officially in the books.

With Week 5 in the rearview mirror, how do all 32 teams stack up against each other? These are Pro Football Network’s power rankings of every single team heading into Week 6 of the 2026-27 NFL season.

On Sunday, the Miami Dolphins were able to put together a strong performance in the run game, tallying 217 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Bengals while averaging 6.4 yards per carry. However, their passing attack was weak, and their defense couldn’t shut Joe Burrow down, so the Dolphins lost 31-24.

With their Week 5 loss, the Dolphins are now 0-5 to start off the 2026-27 NFL season. It’s clear that this roster isn’t ready to compete, and that was a pretty agreed-upon opinion going into the season. Committing to a true rebuild was absolutely necessary, but these are the growing pains that taking that approach ultimately leads to in the short term.

Going into Sunday, one of two winless teams was going to pick up their first win of the season. Unfortunately for the Tennessee Titans, they weren’t that team. They dropped to 0-5 with their loss against the Texans, losing the divisional matchup 26-3 in yet another anemic performance.

Cam Ward failed to reach 200 passing yards for the fourth time in five games this year, throwing no touchdowns and adding an interception. The Titans’ offense was utterly outmatched by Houston’s defense, and their defense got bullied by the Texans. It’s truly been a nightmarish start from Robert Saleh’s team this season.

Few anticipated that the Arizona Cardinals would be a serious competitor at the top of the NFL in 2026, so it’s not much of a surprise that they’re off to a rough start to the season. They fell to 1-4 with their 45-21 loss to the Lions on Sunday, marking their fourth loss in a row after their victory over the Chargers in Week 1.

Jacoby Brissett is a valuable fantasy asset, as the Cardinals’ pass-heavy approach leads to high yardage totals for both him and his receivers. That said, it’s clear this roster still has several holes on both sides of the ball. Trading Marvin Harrison Jr. to the Texans for a 2027 second-round pick should help accelerate Arizona’s rebuild.

Another week, another loss for the Los Angeles Chargers. Their nightmarish start to the new NFL season continued on Sunday, when they lost to the Broncos 23-17 to drop to an 0-5 record for the season. Each of their last three losses have been by only one possession against top contenders, but that doesn’t change the end result of those matchups.

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It’s a shame to see the Chargers petering out like this, because we’ve seen they can perform at a high level. They also aren’t getting dominated in these losses, as they’ve been competitive against the likes of the Bills, Seahawks, and Broncos. That said, it’s becoming clear that something needs to change if this team is to ever be a playoff contender again, and that change will likely need to start on offense.

With their loss to the Vikings on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints are now off to a 1-4 start to the 2026-27 NFL season. Their defense has been shaky throughout the season, and that continued in Week 5, but their usually strong offense couldn’t get anything going against a dominant Minnesota defense.

The Saints only had slightly more than 20 minutes of possession over the course of the game on Sunday, and their offense only 142 total yards against the Vikings. They’ve shown plenty of encouraging flashes over the course of the season, but they’ll need the offense to bounce back if they’re going to get out of this slump.

Though the Washington Commanders didn’t lose in Week 5, their tie with the Giants on Sunday feels like a game that they should’ve won. Their offense failed to get set in time to spike the ball and stop the clock, which would have set them up for an easy field goal in the final seconds of overtime. As a result, the Commanders now have a “one” in the tie column.

The Commanders now sit at 1-3-1 through the first five weeks of the 2026-27 NFL season. A win felt like it was right within their grasp, and a 2-3 start would’ve been enough to keep them competitive in a weak NFC East. This early in the season, no team is truly out of the running, especially in a bad division. But Sunday’s finish felt like a major missed opportunity for Washington.

After the retirement of Lane Johnson and the trade of Cam Jurgens to the Ravens, the Philadelphia Eagles entered Week 5 with a lot of negative buzz. They actually kept things competitive against the Jaguars in their London matchup on Sunday, but a massive kick return allowed in the final seconds of the game set Jacksonville in field goal range to defeat the Eagles.

With a 2-3 record to start the year, the Eagles have certainly fallen short of expectations thus far. Their defense looked better on Sunday than what we’ve seen in other matchups, but their offense remains an issue. Philadelphia’s inability to run the ball doomed it against the Jaguars; it only averaged 1.2 yards per carry on 18 rushing attempts all day.

It may have taken them a while, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally picked up their first win of the season on Thursday. They improved to 1-4 with a 24-16 victory over the Cowboys, led by a solid performance from rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels and a phenomenal outing by Bucky Irving.

The Buccaneers’ defense held up quite well against a loaded Dallas offense, and their offense did more than enough to secure the victory. With the start they’ve had to the season, a playoff appearance seems quite unlikely. Still, it’s nice to finally get one in the win column.

The Houston Texans’ nightmare is finally over. With their resounding 26-3 victory over the Titans on Sunday, they’ve ended their losing streak to begin the 2026-27 NFL season. Though their 1-4 record still gives them a steep hill to climb to get back into the playoff picture, it’s certainly better than 0-5.

After the game, Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans announced that the team has traded for Marvin Harrison Jr., reuniting the wide receiver with his former collegiate teammate, C.J. Stroud. Harrison has been inconsistent in his NFL career, but reuniting him with Stroud in Houston could give the Texans some more explosive capabilities on offense.

It wasn’t the prettiest win, but the New York Jets were able to pick up the victory against the Browns on Sunday, which is something worth celebrating if you’re a fan of the team. Now 2-3 for the season, the Jets limited Cleveland to just 198 yards on offense over the course of the afternoon and sacked Deshaun Watson a whopping eight times, with three of them coming from rookie David Bailey.

Now that they’ve broken the three-game losing streak that they had going into Sunday, the Jets surely have to be feeling better about the course of their season. They haven’t been able to put together strong performances on both offense and defense in the same game much this year, but neither unit has been particularly bad in 2026.

It felt like the Cleveland Browns’ 3-1 start to the season was too good to be true. Though their 3-2 record still has them sitting over the .500 mark for the year, their 17-12 loss to the Jets on Sunday certainly put a damper on the momentum they had picked up during their three-game winning streak.

The Browns’ offensive line allowed eight sacks on Sunday, and while their defense put together a respectable outing against Geno Smith and the rest of New York’s offense, it wasn’t enough to make up for their offense’s struggles. Time will tell exactly how Cleveland rebounds after the disappointing loss.

The Indianapolis Colts were unable to extend their winning streak to three games on Sunday, as they fell to 2-3 after their 34-22 loss to the Steelers. Their offense was only able to average 2.8 rushing yards per attempt, and their defense struggled with shutting down Pittsburgh’s passing attack over the course of the afternoon.

Daniel Jones put together some impressive big plays, but his 54.5% completion percentage ultimately hindered the Colts’ ability to sustain enough successful drives. That said, Indianapolis’ defense remains more of an issue at this point of the NFL season, as the unit has allowed at least 30 points in three of its last five games.

All told, the New York Giants should be grateful that they only tied in their game against the Commanders, because they gave Washington the perfect opportunity to pick up a game-winning field goal in overtime. The Giants missed a field goal and fumbled the ball on each of their offensive drives in overtime, which the coaching staff surely can’t be happy about.

Luckily for the Giants, they’re still in first place in the NFC East with a 3-1-1 record so far this season. The rest of the division seems to be collapsing around them, so while there’s still a lot of football left to play this year, it feels like they could still have a chance to make the playoffs, even with Jameis Winston at quarterback.

Though they started the season with a 3-0 record, the Las Vegas Raiders have now lost two games in a row. Their loss to the Patriots on Sunday was particularly embarrassing, as the 45-17 defeat saw them get utterly outperformed on both sides of the ball. They now sit at 3-2 this season.

Fernando Mendoza made his NFL debut in garbage time, completing six of his eight passing attempts for 48 yards. All told, though, there’s little positive to be taken from the Raiders’ performance this week, especially with their defense. The group went from a top-ten unit in PFN Defense Impact grading through the first four games of the year to a group that got dominated against New England.

In an NFC East where the Eagles are falling apart, the Commanders remain inconsistent, and the Giants have Jameis Winston as their starting quarterback, the Dallas Cowboys had a great opportunity to defeat the winless Buccaneers and gain ground in a weak division. Instead, the Cowboys lost 24-16 on Thursday night.

Dallas’ offense is usually a juggernaut, but the unit was pretty underwhelming against Tampa Bay in Week 5. Combine that with a defense whose performance has remained questionable at best, and the Cowboys will need a lot more soul-searching before they can be taken seriously as a contender.

The context surrounding their losses thus far makes their 2-3 record more understandable, but the Los Angeles Rams now find themselves in a situation that very few anticipated going into the season. Their 37-34 overtime loss to the Bills on Monday night might have been their most heartbreaking loss yet, as they had a game-winning field goal attempt blocked.

So far this year, the Rams’ losses have come against the 49ers, Broncos, and Bills. The latter two of those losses have been by a combined seven points. Those are good teams and close losses, so it feels pretty clear that this is still a very good team. But for a team that was widely considered the Super Bowl favorite, the Rams’ inability to finish the job in big games is a major concern.

It went down to the wire, but the Atlanta Falcons were unable to get the job done in overtime against the Ravens. Their loss on Sunday night saw them drop to 2-3 for the season, preventing their winning streak from reaching three games. Though quarterback Michael Penix Jr. got hurt in the game, it’s not anticipated to be a serious injury.

When Penix is healthy, the Falcons are better than their current record indicates. They won two games in a row and took a Super Bowl contender in Baltimore down to the wire. Even though they lost this game, they should still be considered a strong contender to win the NFC South in 2026.

After their victory over the Chargers on Sunday, the Denver Broncos improved their record to 3-2 and were able to pick up their first road victory of the season. They won off the backs of three made field goals from Will Lutz and a strong defensive performance, as they sacked Justin Herbert five times and intercepted him once.

The Broncos still have a lot to clear up on offense, especially in the passing game. Bo Nix threw for just 123 yards on Sunday, and his chemistry with Jaylen Waddle remains shaky, at best. That said, their defense seems to have bounced back, which is a good sign for their ability to remain competitive near the top of the AFC.

Going into the Detroit Lions’ matchup against the Cardinals on Sunday, it felt like whichever offense would perform the best against the other team’s disappointing defense would win the game. The Lions proved to be that better offense, as they scored 45 points in their victory in Week 5.

Jared Goff threw for 271 yards and three touchdowns on Sunday, and Jahmyr Gibbs ran for 151 yards with two rushing touchdowns in the Lions’ victory. Their defense still needs a lot of work, but the unit showed some encouraging flashes against Arizona, sacking Jacoby Brissett five times in the win.

The Green Bay Packers haven’t had the prettiest start to the 2026-27 NFL season, but Week 5 was probably their best performance yet. They utterly outclassed the Bears on Sunday, picking up the 31-7 win at home to improve their record to 3-2 for the year. As the score would indicate, they dominated on both sides of the ball.

Jordan Love threw for 367 yards, and the Packers’ defense intercepted Chicago’s quarterbacks three times on Sunday. Green Bay had its most decisive victory of the season, and it did so against its biggest rival. If the Packers can look like this every week, the narrative around them is going to do a total 180.

Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock on Sunday, and the result was an emphatic victory for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The four-time NFL MVP threw for 235 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions in the Steelers’ 34-22 victory over the Colts, bringing his team up to a 3-2 record. Not bad for a 42-year-old quarterback.

Jaylen Warren also helped the Steelers’ offense put together a strong outing, as he tallied 101 rushing yards, 87 receiving yards, and touchdowns both on the ground and through the air. Pittsburgh showed in Week 5 that its offense can perform at a high level in the right circumstances, and its 3-2 start has the team firmly in the playoff mix.

The Carolina Panthers had their bye week in Week 5, and they currently sit with a 2-2 record at this stage in the NFL season. They still have some things to clean up, but their offense looks a lot better than it did in 2025, and the defense has shown some encouraging flashes. The Panthers look like a legitimate threat to repeat as NFC South champions.

The Cincinnati Bengals avoided extending their losing streak to three games on Sunday, as they picked up the 31-24 win over the Dolphins to improve to 3-2. Joe Burrow threw for four touchdowns in the victory, and safety Jordan Battle had two interceptions against Malik Willis, just a few days after telling the media that Willis has a tell that makes it easier for defensive backs to read his progressions.

Sure, the Bengals likely would’ve wanted to hold a weak Dolphins offense to fewer than 24 points, but they picked up a key win to get them back over .500. Their offense looked like its typical efficient self, and even with the concerns around Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins’ injury status going into the matchup, Cincinnati’s passing attack was still very effective.

Are the New England Patriots back? After a rough start to the season, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, they’ve looked a lot better these last two weeks. Sunday was a bounce back to Drake Maye performing at an All-Pro caliber, and the Patriots throttled the Raiders 45-17 to improve to 3-2.

Maye threw for 374 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions in Week 5, putting together what was easily his best game of 2026 thus far. His dominant outing was complemented by a well-rounded Patriots rushing attack, with Rhamondre Stevenson and Corey Kiner stepping up once TreVeyon Henderson got injured.

It was about as rough a performance as the Chicago Bears could’ve imagined on Sunday. Losing in decisive fashion in the NFL is never an easy thing to stomach, but losing 31-7 to the Packers, their biggest rivals? That certainly can’t feel good, especially given the fact that the game got out of reach quickly in the second half.

The Bears might get Caleb Williams back in Week 6, which would obviously be a welcomed addition. Both Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum struggled at quarterback on Sunday, and the loss dropped Chicago to 3-2. Perhaps worse, the team is now 0-2 in divisional play against its NFC North rivals to start the year.

There were plenty of encouraging things to come from the Seattle Seahawks’ matchup against the 49ers. Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 102 receiving yards and a touchdown on Sunday, and Byron Murphy II had two sacks and three tackles for a loss. But all told, they still lost 32-29, dropping them to a 3-2 record.

All things considered, the Seahawks should still be mentioned in the conversation of the NFL’s top teams. Their loss to the 49ers was a close battle against an elite team, and Seattle doesn’t come out much worse for wear after the defeat. There’s a stronger chance that the Seahawks will have to make their playoff run as a Wild Card team instead of a divisional winner, but there’s still plenty of talent on this roster.

In one of the wildest games you’ll see in the NFL this year, the Buffalo Bills managed to come away with the 37-34 overtime victory over the Rams on Monday night. It was a true shootout in every sense, but in the end, it was the Bills who picked up the win, improving their record to 4-1.

Josh Allen threw for 210 yards and a touchdown, but it was really his 121 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown that made the biggest impact for the Bills in this matchup. James Cook also contributed 111 rushing yards and two touchdowns, further showing that Buffalo has the offensive firepower to match up against any team in the NFL.

The Kansas City Chiefs had their bye week in Week 5, so they remain undefeated with a 4-0 record. They have an extra week to prepare for their upcoming matchup against the Chargers, and given how good the Chiefs have looked to start the season, it’s one they should be the heavy favorites in.

The Baltimore Ravens are now winners of three straight games, having defeated the Falcons in overtime on Sunday night. Even without Lamar Jackson at quarterback, their Tyler Huntley-led offense fared well against an Atlanta defense that has been strong to start the year, improving their record to 4-1 in the process.

For the most part, the Ravens have been as advertised this year. Their offense remains one of the NFL’s most dynamic, and their defense has shown encouraging flashes, like their game-clinching interception of Tua Tagovailoa in Week 5. If they can get the defense to be a little more consistent, this team could make a serious push for the Super Bowl.

Don’t look now, but the Minnesota Vikings are now 5-0. They continued their hot start to the season with yet another win on Sunday, defeating the Saints 23-13 in New Orleans. Strong performances from Aaron Jones and Justin Jefferson helped propel Minnesota to its fifth win of the year.

The Vikings’ defense remains the best in the NFL, as they held Tyler Shough to just 96 passing yards and intercepted him twice. It’s been very difficult for any team to score points against Minnesota this season, and as the team’s offense begins to heat up, one can’t help but wonder how long this undefeated streak can keep going.

The finish to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ win over the Eagles on Sunday was nothing short of incredible. After surrounding a field goal in the late stages of the fourth quarter, a massive kick return by Ameer Abdullah set the Jaguars up in field goal range with one second left to play. From there, Cam Little hit the 57-yard field goal to give them the 19-17 victory.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Jaguars found a way to pick up the win and improve to 4-1 for the season. In a weak AFC South, Jacksonville’s start to the season has set the team up tremendously to potentially win the division this year.

Having now started the year with a 5-0 record, the San Francisco 49ers are looking like a legitimate Super Bowl favorite to start the season. They picked up yet another key win on Sunday, as their 32-29 road victory over the Seahawks gives them another divisional win, as well as bragging rights over the defending Super Bowl champions.

The 49ers’ defense picked Sam Darnold off twice and sacked him five times, and Brock Purdy connected with Mike Evans through the air seven times for 113 yards and a touchdown. San Francisco made big plays on both sides of the ball, and the team’s ability to defeat some of the NFL’s best makes them a serious threat for the Lombardi Trophy.

This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.