NFL Top 10 After Week 5: Patriots Surge, Bears Drop Out
A week ago, Chicago was fourth in these rankings. New England was outside the top 10.
Then Green Bay took the ball away from the Bears five times, and Drake Maye accounted for five touchdowns against Las Vegas. The Patriots followed their win in Buffalo by beating another team we had ranked above them, this time by 28 points.
There is only so long a ranking can make a team wait.
Jacksonville needed a 53-yard kickoff return and a 57-yard field goal to rescue a game with eight seconds left. Buffalo fumbled away its first overtime possession, blocked the Rams’ attempt to win it and somehow left Los Angeles 4-1. Baltimore won with Tyler Huntley. San Francisco survived Seattle.
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Kansas City picked a good week to stay home.
The unbeaten teams remain at the top, but the order behind them has changed considerably. These are Sports Fountain’s rankings through Monday night, based on the five weeks played: the wins, the opposition and how the games actually unfolded.
1. San Francisco 49ers (5-0)
Last week: 1 | Beat Seattle 32-29
Seattle finally got to Brock Purdy. After four games without allowing a sack, San Francisco gave up three and spent the fourth quarter trying to win a game it had led at halftime.
The answer was a 74-yard touchdown drive, a successful two-point conversion and, after Seattle tied it again, another possession that ended with the winning field goal. Mike Evans played through a rib injury and contributed a 28-yard catch on the touchdown drive. He finished with 113 receiving yards.
The 49ers have now won in several different ways. Their defense created four takeaways Sunday. When Seattle fought back anyway, the offense still had enough left to take the lead twice.
That keeps San Francisco first. Winning at Seattle adds more to its season than anything the other unbeaten teams did this week. The Seahawks made the 49ers uncomfortable, punished mistakes and took away the easy afternoon. San Francisco left with the division win.
The gap at the top is small. The 49ers have done the most to keep themselves there.
2. Kansas City Chiefs (4-0)
Last week: 2 | Bye
Kansas City had no game to win this weekend. Its earlier opponents did give us a little more to think about.
Denver won again, strengthening the value of the Chiefs’ 31-10 opening victory. Las Vegas went the other way, taking a heavy defeat in New England a week after pushing Kansas City to the finish. Those results belong in the assessment, even during a bye.
The Chiefs stay second because their four games have supplied enough convincing offense to keep them ahead of Minnesota. Kenneth Walker III has rushed for 537 yards, with big performances against Denver, Indianapolis and Las Vegas. Mahomes has had help that can carry an afternoon when the passing game is uneven.
San Francisco has now added a win in Seattle to its own unbeaten start. Kansas City has yet to give us a reason to move it above the 49ers.
The Chiefs return against the Chargers. Their position here rests on what they have already done, and four wins remain a good place to start.
3. Minnesota Vikings (5-0)
Last week: 3 | Beat New Orleans 23-13
Minnesota supporters have spent enough time watching Will Reichard supply the points. Sunday offered something more satisfying: Aaron Jones carrying a defender toward the end zone and refusing to stop short.
His touchdown early in the fourth quarter broke a 13-13 tie. He finished with 113 rushing yards and later helped Minnesota run out the game. Murray completed his first 12 passes. The Vikings had the ball for almost 39 minutes.
That is an encouraging afternoon for an offense that had been making its defense work too hard.
The defense continued doing its part, holding New Orleans scoreless in the fourth quarter. Minnesota has allowed 64 points in five games. Opponents are having difficulty finding enough possessions, let alone enough points, to make the Vikings pay for their quieter offensive stretches.
The schedule still gives Minnesota something to prove against stronger opposition. But the wins over Green Bay and Chicago count, and five consecutive victories deserve more respect than an argument about how attractive each one looked.
The Vikings go into their bye unbeaten, with an offense beginning to give them more.
4. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)
Last week: 5 | Beat Philadelphia 19-17
Eight seconds left. Philadelphia had just taken the lead. Jacksonville needed almost everything to go right.
Ameer Abdullah returned the kickoff 53 yards, leaving one second for Cam Little to attempt a 57-yard field goal. Little made it. And the player delivering the snap was defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton, filling in after Ross Matiscik’s first-quarter injury.
Try drawing that finish up beforehand.
Jacksonville should never have needed quite so much drama. Twice it reached inside Philadelphia’s 5-yard line and came away without points. Those empty possessions nearly cost the Jaguars a game they had enough offense to win.
Their place at fourth also owes something to New England. Jacksonville beat the Patriots 35-6. Since then, New England has beaten Buffalo and dismantled Las Vegas. That earlier result looks better every week.
The Jaguars have three straight wins and a defense that has generally kept games manageable. Denver still owns the head-to-head victory, but Jacksonville has done considerably more around that meeting.
Fourth reflects the whole month. Sunday’s escape is part of it, along with the opportunities Jacksonville wasted before needing a small miracle.
5. New England Patriots (3-2)
Last week: Outside the top 10 | Beat Las Vegas 45-17
We made New England wait after the Buffalo win. The Patriots have supplied their answer.
Maye threw for 374 yards and four touchdowns against Las Vegas, then added a rushing touchdown. New England scored 45 despite missing several important starters, including A.J. Brown and both leading outside cornerbacks. The team that had needed a late touchdown to win in Buffalo gave the Raiders very little chance to make this close.
Fifth is a large jump. Look at the wins.
Pittsburgh, Buffalo and Las Vegas are all above .500. New England beat the Steelers 20-3, won on the Bills’ field and just handled the Raiders by four touchdowns. Few teams have put together a better collection of victories.
Jacksonville’s 35-6 win over the Patriots remains a firm reason to keep the Jaguars ahead. Seattle’s opening victory also belongs in the record. But New England has done far more since that opener, particularly over the past two weeks.
Maye is giving this offense opportunities downfield, and the Patriots are converting them into touchdowns. They have earned a place above Buffalo. Leaving them behind the Bills immediately after these two performances would be difficult to defend.
6. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
Last week: 8 | Beat the Los Angeles Rams 37-34 in overtime
James Cook lost the ball in overtime with Buffalo already in scoring range. The Rams moved into position to win. Greg Rousseau blocked the field goal.
By then, Bills supporters had been through enough for one Monday night.
Allen still had work to do. His scrambles helped set up Tyler Bass’ winning kick, completing a night in which Allen and Cook combined for 232 rushing yards. Buffalo kept finding offense even when throwing the ball was difficult.
There is plenty to admire in that recovery. It also feels familiar. The Bills keep requiring another intervention after a turnover or a defensive breakdown threatens to undo their work.
They have allowed at least 29 points in four of five games. Allen has helped them win three of those, but the defense is leaving an exhausting amount for the offense to handle.
Buffalo moves up because winning at the Rams adds to its season while Chicago and Las Vegas fall away. New England stays above it because the Patriots won their meeting and followed it with a much cleaner performance.
The Bills are 4-1. They have earned credit for getting there, even if very little about the journey has been relaxing.
7. Baltimore Ravens (4-1)
Last week: 9 | Beat Atlanta 30-23 in overtime
Baltimore trailed by eight in the closing minutes, with Lamar Jackson unavailable because of his ankle injury. Huntley had to take the offense down the field, produce a touchdown and help get the game into overtime.
Then he had to do it again.
His touchdown pass to Devontez Walker and Derrick Henry’s two-point conversion tied the score. Huntley finished the overtime drive with a quarterback sneak, and Kyle Hamilton’s interception ended Atlanta’s reply.
The Ravens also ran for 208 yards against a defense that had been allowing very little on the ground. Henry supplied 102. Baltimore could keep asking its backs for help while Huntley handled the late possessions.
That is a substantial road win under difficult circumstances. Atlanta entered the game after consecutive convincing victories, and Baltimore had to recover from a late deficit without its starting quarterback.
The Ravens move up two places. Their season has included enough uneven football to keep them below the teams ahead, but Sunday gave them a win they can be proud of without needing to explain away who was missing.
Huntley had a game to finish. He finished it.
8. Seattle Seahawks (3-2)
Last week: 7 | Lost to San Francisco 32-29
Seattle gave San Francisco 21 first-half points off turnovers and still had a chance to win.
That should make the Seahawks furious.
The defense held the 49ers to 269 yards, recorded the first three sacks Purdy had taken all season and repeatedly kept the game within reach. Seattle’s final possession ended with Cooper Kupp stopped just short of the first-down marker on fourth down.
The last yard will get remembered. The four turnovers created the problem.
We raised the same concern after Seattle lost in Washington. It is getting harder to discuss these mistakes as something separate from the team’s quality. They are part of how the Seahawks are playing, and they have now helped decide two defeats.
Seattle stays in because there was enough good football against the top-ranked team to justify it, alongside three wins that include New England. The Patriots have since overtaken the Seahawks with victories over Buffalo and Las Vegas.
One place down feels right. Seattle can compete with the best team on this list. It keeps making the task unnecessarily difficult.
9. Denver Broncos (3-2)
Last week: Outside the top 10 | Beat the Los Angeles Chargers 23-17
Denver gets back in largely because of the wins it already had.
Beating Jacksonville and the Rams remains a stronger pair of results than several teams around this spot can offer. The Jaguars keep winning. The Rams just took Buffalo into overtime. Denver’s only defeats came against Kansas City and San Francisco, our top two.
Sunday added a division win, although the Broncos needed their defense to retrieve it after the Chargers went ahead 17-10.
Stopping a fourth-down quarterback sneak gave Denver a short field for the tying touchdown. Two fourth-quarter takeaways helped finish the comeback. The offense had done little to make the afternoon comfortable; the defense kept handing it another opportunity.
Nobody should use a six-point win over the winless Chargers to argue that Denver has suddenly become convincing. Ninth is about the five-game record, especially those two earlier victories.
Last week, Cleveland narrowly got this place. The Browns’ defeat at the Jets reopens it, and Denver has the better case among the teams waiting.
10. Green Bay Packers (3-2)
Last week: Outside the top 10 | Beat Chicago 31-7
Green Bay kept throwing deep, and Chicago kept failing to stop it.
Christian Watson caught touchdowns of 42 and 53 yards. Matthew Golden added receptions of 50 and 36. Love finished with 367 passing yards and only six incompletions. The defense took the ball away five times, including on four consecutive Chicago possessions.
This was a convincing dismantling of the team we ranked fourth.
Chicago was dealing with absences, including Kyle Monangai, and still relying on reserve quarterbacks. We gave the Bears credit when they won under those circumstances. Green Bay deserves credit for making them look as vulnerable as they did Sunday.
The Packers get the final spot ahead of Detroit because this is the stronger win against a team with a winning record. Detroit’s three victories have come against New Orleans, the Jets and Arizona. Denver stays above both because it has beaten Jacksonville and the Rams.
Green Bay’s heavy defeats to Minnesota and Atlanta keep this ranking modest. Sunday was nevertheless good enough to get the Packers through the door. They made a division opponent look thoroughly overmatched.
Who missed out?
Detroit Lions: The 45-21 win at Arizona was the response Detroit needed. After allowing an opening touchdown, the defense forced five first-half three-and-outs, giving the offense time to recover from three early punts. That was real help for Goff and company. Green Bay narrowly gets the final spot for beating stronger opposition. Detroit is close.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Beating Indianapolis 34-22 puts Pittsburgh at 3-2, with wins over Atlanta and Cincinnati as well. The Steelers have a reasonable argument for tenth. Their 20-3 defeat at New England and subsequent loss at Cleveland leave them just outside this week.
Chicago Bears: Fourth was based on consecutive convincing wins over Philadelphia and the Jets. A 31-7 loss with five turnovers demands a substantial drop. The injuries deserve consideration, but Sunday gave us too little to keep Chicago above the teams entering.
Las Vegas Raiders: We kept the Raiders high after their close loss to Kansas City. New England was a different experience altogether. Losing 45-17 moves Las Vegas out, and next comes Buffalo.
Cleveland Browns: Tenth last week, out after a 17-12 defeat to the Jets. Cleveland had been surviving on late responses; Sunday ended without another one.
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