Last week started out about as ugly as it could get, but it ended with some great football. While fans are now even more confused as to what constitutes roughing the passer, it admittedly makes for great content. With plenty of head-scratching moments from the past week of football, we have our updated NFL Power Rankings for Week 6.
NFL Power Rankings for Week 6
1) Philadelphia Eagles (5-0) (Last Week: 1)
The Philadelphia Eagles are still the only undefeated team remaining, after a sloppy 20-17 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Quite simply, this game should’ve been over much earlier than it was, as a late field goal miss by the Cardinals was needed to win. The Eagles did a good job holding Kyler Murray and the Cardinals offense in check, though. Add in the fact that this test came on the road and, and the Eagles remain as the top team in the Week 6 NFL Power Rankings.
2) Buffalo Bills (4-1) (2)
The Buffalo Bills vs Pittsburgh Steelers game looked like it would be a bloodbath, and somehow the actual outcome was even worse. The Bills jumped on Pittsburgh immediately and never let up on their way to a 38-3 drubbing. Josh Allen looked like the MVP of the league while the defense had no problem stopping the Steelers offense. It served as a nice tune-up game with the Kansas City Chiefs waiting for them in Week 6 at Arrowhead Stadium.
3) Kansas City Chiefs (4-1) (3)
This may have been the most impressive win of the season for the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only did they come back from a 17-0 deficit, but a horrible roughing the passer call led to at least a three-point swing (if not more) in Las Vegas’ favor. The offense and defense had plenty of breakdowns early but when it mattered, they answered the call. They won’t be able to afford such missteps next week against the Buffalo Bills.
4) Baltimore Ravens (3-2) (4)
It wasn’t pretty, but the AFC North divisional games rarely are. Thanks to the beautiful right leg of kicker Justin Tucker, the Baltimore Ravens stay above .500 and, more importantly, now hold a game lead in the AFC North. Lamar Jackson was solid overall, but he missed some pretty bad throws that could’ve helped the Ravens pull away. Hopefully for Baltimore, this will be more of a hiccup than a sign of things to come. For now, they stay at fourth in our NFL Power Rankings.
5) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) (5)
It was a tough loss for the Cincinnati Bengals in a game that they probably should have won. The poor playcalling of Zac Taylor was on full display, as his decisions in goal-to-go situations were questionable at best. The offensive line is getting battered and somehow they’re still competing. If they can just shore up some problems on the blocking side of things, they should be able to make the playoffs. With that in mind, they need to do better to scheme receiver Ja’Marr Chase open to have a chance to contend.
6) San Francisco 49ers (3-2) (9)
They say defense wins championships, and that was on full display against the Carolina Panthers. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise that the San Francisco 49ers dominated, but their defense still was able to exceed expectations. Arguably the most impressive part of the game was how efficient the offense was as they racked up 397 total yards and put up 30 offensive points.
7) Arizona Cardinals (2-3) (10)
It was a tough loss for the Arizona Cardinals, but they showed the league that they can stack up against anyone. Yet again, the offense let the team down as they were held short of 20 points. The Cardinals have scored 25 or more points in regulation just once in their first five games. Seeing that’s what this team’s success rides on and it’s almost time to start to sound the alarm bells.
8) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) (8)
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Tom Brady got bailed out by the referees. Although the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would’ve likely held on to beat the Atlanta Falcons anyways, a horrible roughing the passer call gave Tampa Bay the edge, 21-15. After getting out to a 21-0 lead, Tampa Bay couldn’t get anything done against a below-average Falcons team. This team rides on their defense, but if they can only score 21 at home against the Falcons, their defense will need to be much better if they want to truly contend again..
9) Dallas Cowboys (4-1) (13)
It’s hard to tell if the Dallas Cowboys are actually this good or if their competition is this bad. While they haven’t lost since a Week 1 to Tampa Bay, their next four wins have come against either average teams or teams with horrible offensive lines. A win over the Los Angeles Rams where Dallas passed for just over 100 yards is more of an indictment on the Rams than a compliment to Dallas. If Dak Prescott can return in Week 6 against the Eagles, we’ll be able to get a good read on just how good this team is.
10) New York Giants (4-1) (15)
The New York Giants looked dead to rights early on, but they showed the Green Bay Packers why you don’t play with your food. After falling behind 17-3, the Giants outscored Green Bay 24-3 until the Giants decided to take a safety to play it safe with the game already effectively over. The Giants gashed the Packers on the ground and showed the ability to make stops when needed. They’ll be tested next week against the Ravens. For now, they jump into the top 10 of our NFL Power Rankings for Week 6.