2020 Week 6 Power Rankings
Well Week 5 has been and gone and we have a new name in the number one spot in our Weekly Power Rankings. With the Kansas City Chiefs stumbling, it left an opportunity for someone jump above them. However, Power Rankings are about more than just the best team, so let’s take at how the NFL teams shape up entering Week 6 of the 2020 season.
32. New York Jets - 0-5
Previously 32
The Jets just can’t get anything going at all this year. The first four drives in this one finished punt, punt, punt and a turnover on downs. Even former Super Bowl winning quarterback Joe Flacco couldn’t get this offense moving. He hooked up well with Jamison Crowder who had his third-straight game with over 100 receiving yards, but short of that there was nothing happening for the Jets.
Le’Veon Bell returned from injury in this one but he still struggles to perform in this Adam Gase team, before being released Tuesday. The Jets have a divisional matchup against the Dolphins in Week 6 but to be honest they don’t even look like they have a chance in that one.
31. New York Giants - 0-5
Previously 31
The Giants offense actually has a bit of fight in them. In a game against the high flying Dallas offense, Daniel Jones needed to put up points and attempt to keep up with the likes of Amari Cooper, Michael Gallup and Ceedee Lamb. Somehow he actually managed to do it. The rushing attack in New York started to look a bit better with Devonta Freeman and Wayne Gallman going for 84 yards and a score and wide receiver Darius Slayton had his best game this season with 129 yards on eight receptions. Yet still the offense is sloppy at times with Daniel Jones holding onto the ball for far too long and giving up the ball to the Cowboys on a costly fumble that resulted in a Dallas touchdown.
The inability of the Giants defense to stop the Cowboys on their final drive cost the Giants the opportunity of their first win of the season. If they continue to allow receivers to make tip toe catches on the sideline at the end of games they may continue to keep losing.
30. Atlanta Falcons - 0-5
Previously 28
This game ended up costing Dan Quinn his job and now Atlanta have joined the Houston Texans in the hunt for a new head coach. On their opening drive of the game Todd Gurley accounted for 59 of the Falcons 87 yards and capped the drive off with a 35 yard TD run. So surely Atlanta would keep handing him the rock and let him pound it against the Panthers defense. Gurley wouldn’t get the ball back until the start of the second half when the Falcons were down 20-7. If you want to win Atlanta do what works!
The passing game isn’t working right now and you didn’t have Julio Jones on the field. Gurley finished with over 100 yards and a score on a day when he looked back to his best. The Falcons slip to 0-5 and make a trip to the cold north in Week 6 to take on Mike Zimmers Vikings.
29. Washington Football Team - 1-4
Previously 30
All that really matters in this one is that Alex Smith made his return to football. After missing football for just shy of two years with a broken leg, nobody was sure if Smith would ever walk again, let alone suit up and take to the gridiron. It was however about the only positive in this game for Washington. Another game without getting anyone above 60 rush yards and another game where they have conceded 30 plus points. The Redskins with their one win are staying off the bottom in the worst division of football and next week against the Giants they have a chance at getting their second win. Who cares about that though…..Alex Smith is back, what a story.
28. Denver Broncos - 1-3
Previously 27
Unfortunately for Denver they couldn’t build on their Week 4 win against the New York Jets after more positive tests in New England meant this game was postponed. Another week for Drew Lock to get back to match fitness and perhaps more importantly another week to prepare for Belichick and the Patriots.
27. Detroit Lions - 1-3
Previously 26
After blowing double digits leads in three games already this season Matt Patricia will be glad he made it to the bye still with a job. The Lions are falling away in their division and face another season with a losing record. The bye week has come at a great time for them to take a look at themselves and come back stronger in Week 6 with a game against the very beatable Jacksonville Jaguars.
26. Jacksonville Jaguars - 1-4
Previously 25
The Jaguars have been dominated by the Texans in recent years, losing the last four and 10 out of the last 12. The Texans had a week of turmoil and the Jaguars had a great shot at getting one over on their divisional rivals. The Jaguars were up 7-3 early in the second quarter but they would not stay in the lead for long, or get another lead. After two missed field goals and a terrible fumble on a fourth and one play the Jaguars were beating themselves in this one. In a fight for third spot in the division the Jaguars lost out and now go back to Jacksonville for a visit from the Detroit Lions.
25. Cincinnati Bengals - 1-3-1
Previously 24
After a big win in Week 4 for Joe Burrow and his Bengals, he was brought back down to earth with a bang in this one. Two fumbles and an interception put this game to bed and other than a field goal in garbage time the Bengals could do nothing on offense. If the Bengals want Burrow to be their QB1 of the future then they need to invest heavily in their offensive line. Burrow was sacked another seven times in this game and it seemed like he spent as much time on the ground as he did on his feet. Sort that line Bengals and who knows what glory Joe Burrow could lead you to.
24. Houston Texans - 1-4
Previously 29
In their first game after sacking Bill O’Brien the Houston Texans finally get a win. It wasn’t pretty at times but Deshaun Watson finished the game with three touchdowns and 359 yards. The majority of those yards went to Brandin Cooks who finished with 161 yards and a score. The Texans finally had a strong outing on offense and the defense managed to back that up and hold on to the win. A divisional matchup in Tennessee up next and could the Texans mount a comeback in the AFC South?
23. Philadelphia Eagles - 1-3-1
Previously 22
Carson Wentz cannot stop giving the ball away. Another two interceptions in this one, bringing his total to nine for the season. If it wasn’t for a surprisingly poor performance from the Steelers secondary this game could have been embarrassing for the Eagles. A big game from receiver Travis Fulgham and the Eagles will be hoping he can keep that up all season. Luckily for Philadelphia, the NFC East is atrocious and they will only be one game back at the very worst.
22. Miami Dolphins - 2-3
Previously 23
Holy Toledo Miami has an offense. Ryan Fitzpatrick is out there having the time of his life and the Dolphins are loving it. Travelling to the defending NFC Champions home turf on the other side of the country could have proved daunting to a Miami team that had only managed one win to this point, but with Fitzpatrick at the helm is anything daunting?
He is spectacular to watch when he is in this mood. After scoring touchdowns on three of his opening five drives, the Dolphins found themselves with 30 points at the half. They had only managed 30 points in an entire game once this season, let alone in a half and let alone against the Super Bowl runners up. Fitzpatrick is playing on borrowed time but whilst he is playing like this let’s just enjoy the ride.
21. Minnesota Vikings - 1-4
Previously 21
The Vikings should have won this game. They held the Seahawks to 0 points in the first half and if they had converted on a fourth and inches then they would have handed the Seahawks their first loss of the 2020 season. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be and the Vikings had to sit back and watch Russell Wilson carve them apart on a game winning drive. Dalvin Cook went off injured in this one and the Vikings will be hoping he is able to return quickly. Adam Thielen continues to shine in this offense with another two scores and 90 yards. The Vikings defense needs to step up as the offense is doing all they can.
20. San Francisco 49ers - 2-3
Previously 14
The Super Bowl hangover is real and the 49ers can’t shift it. A first half to forget for Jimmy Garoppolo and his 49ers that finished with the QB throwing two interceptions and finding himself at the bottom of a 30-7 hole. Garoppolo was benched for backup C.J. Beathard at half time. Unfortunately he couldn’t do much better and the 49ers slipped to their third defeat of the season.
The schedule gets tough for the 49ers in the coming weeks with games against the Rams, Packers, Saints, Patriots and Seahawks. The 49ers are losing touch in the NFC West and if things don’t change in California they could find themselves out of the race by the time they reach their bye
19. Dallas Cowboys - 2-3
Previously 20
First and foremost, thoughts go to Dak Prescott and his family. In what has already been a tough year for the QB he now has to recover from a dislocated and broken ankle. One of the genuinely good men in football and everyone is hoping for a speedy return for #4. The Cowboys made this game a lot closer than it should have been against a Giants team that has done nothing this year.
In the last minute of the first half the Cowboys could have easily ended up down 24-17 after the Giants scored on a fake punt before it was called back. Instead, the Cowboys marched down the field themselves for 64 yards in 34 seconds and scored a TD on a trick play where Dak Prescott caught a touchdown pass. The Cowboys now have Andy Dalton at the helm, and as back-ups go they could do a lot worse.
18. Los Angeles Chargers - 1-4
Previously 18
Justin Herbert looks like a star in the making. Heading into the daunting Superdome and playing against one of the dominant forces in the NF, for the first 28 minutes he did not look fazed in the slightest, in fact he looked like he was absolutely loving it. He was showing he could read what the defense was doing and showed great touch on the deep ball. To go with that he had composure in the red zone when he found Hunter Henry for a three-yard score and real composure under pressure when he found Keenan Allen for a 17-yard score. He looks like the real deal and once he gets his first win, the Chiefs could have real pressure not just from the team wearing black and silver.
Speaking of his first win, he has a bye week up next and then a four game stretch that includes the Dolphins, Raiders, Broncos and Jaguars. He may get more than just that first win.
17. Chicago Bears - 4-1
Previously 19
As Khalil Mack said after the game “Big Nick did his thing”. Nick Foles went out and got his first win as a starter for the Chicago Bears and moved the team’s record to 4-1. In typical Foles fashion it wasn’t always pretty but he got the job done and put up more points than Tom Brady again. Brady will be sick of the Nick Foles nightmares. After this one though it will be Khalil Mack and that Bears defense that will be giving offensive coordinators around the league nightmares. The Bears defense pressured Brady all night and on the final drive of the game prevented Brady from mounting a comeback.
The Bears offense is far from good just now, with only 35 rushing yards, it was all on Foles to get the job done and he did just that, just. A good win for the Bears here as they now face a stretch of difficult games, with tough divisional matches and dangerous matchups with the Rams, Saints and Panthers. Big Nick better keep doing his thing.
16. Carolina Panthers - 3-2
Previously 16
When Christian McCaffrey went out injured, most people, myself included, thought that the Panthers would be done and would struggle to get anything going on offense. They have now won three on the bounce and have found another stud running back in Mike Davis. 89 yards on the ground and a further 60 through the air with a score and the Panthers haven’t missed a step. Robby Anderson had himself another game with over 100 receiving yards and he has stepped up in the number one role just when the Panthers needed him to. The Panthers are sitting second in their division currently and have a very winnable matchup against the Chicago Bears in Week 6.
15. Arizona Cardinals - 3-2
Previously 15
Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins look like they have been playing together for years. Hopkins had six catches on seven targets for 113 yards and a score. Hopkins is loving life in the desert and the Cardinals are loving having him. Murray scored another touchdown through the air and one on the ground, once again showing how difficult he is to defend. The defense finished with three sacks and four tackles for a loss in a dominant win against the hapless Jets. Next up for the Cardinals is a Monday Night Football game against the Cowboys and a chance for Murray and Hopkins to link up again against an underperforming defense.
14. Indianapolis Colts - 3-2
Previously 13
Well Old Man Rivers is looking just like that…..old. Playing behind one of the best offensive lines in football and he still can’t protect the ball. Another two interceptions on his record and if it wasn’t for a kickoff return in this one then the Browns would have ran away with it. With the Texans and Jags both struggling and the Titans just getting back to playing football after a long break, the Colts have a real shot at this division if they can prevent turnovers and find a way to get T.Y. Hilton more involved. A Week 6 game against the Bengals gives the Colts a chance to get back to winning ways and keep the pressure on in their division.
13. Las Vegas Raiders - 3-2
Previously 17
Patrick Mahomes owns the AFC West, the Raiders have no chance in this one. Wait a minute! The Raiders won this one and they did it by going toe to toe with the Chiefs offense and outplaying them. Derek Carr put up three yards shy of 350 passing yards on 22 completions and added three touchdown passes to that. The Raiders handed Mahomes his first interception of the season on a vital fourth quarter play and they would go on to hand Mahomes his first defeat of the season. The Raiders keep the fight in the AFC West interesting, but they will need more games with this sort of offensive power if they hope to keep up with the Chiefs over the course of a season.
12. New England Patriots - 2-2
Previously 12
An unexpected bye week could be ideal for the New England Patriots, it may have even been orchestrated? After seeing how poorly their offense was without Cam Newton would Belichick stoop to coming up with positive tests to get out of a game? I highly doubt it but who knows what the greatest coach of all time might do. With Cam Newton and Stephon Gilmore out the Patriots will be glad at getting time to recoup and prepare for the rest of the season.
11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 3-2
Previously 7
The Buccaneers slip to 3-2 and a big reason for that is the ill-discipline of the team. On Thursday night the Buccaneers gifted the Bears 109 yards in penalty yards. This is something Tom Brady never had to deal with in a Bill Belichick team, and he certainly made his annoyance known on the sideline. The Buccaneers were dealing with a few injuries but this is a game that they would be expected to win given their high aspirations. A lot still to figure out on the offense but Ronald Jones is a bright spark who had his second straight game with over 100 rushing yards and should have had a score as well.
Mike Evans is perhaps the best red-zone threat with yet another Touchdown catch of under 5 yards. The Bucs need to work on their discipline and hopefully get some of their injured players for the coming weeks as tough matchups with the Packers and Raiders await.
10. New Orleans Saints - 3-2
Previously 11
Things have started strangely in New Orleans in the 2020 football season. Drew Brees can’t throw the deep ball, a couple of losses already and Michael Thomas is fighting with his own teammates. Firstly, apparently the fight was all because someone called Thomas “Slant Boy”….Just own it Thomas, you are very good at running the slant route. Who cares if they call you that you are the best at it?
Secondly, it doesn’t particularly matter if Brees can’t throw the deep ball (although he has now proved that he still can and he will even more when “Slant Boy” is back) when he has Alvin Kamara coming out the backfield like a bat out of hell. Finally, they only have two losses and they both came against teams that are well and truly in the hunt for the playoffs.
The Saints now have a bye week and then games against the Panthers, Bears, Buccaneers (who they have already beaten) and the 49ers. These are all winnable and could have the Saints sitting pretty with a record of 7-2 and atop the NFC South.
9. Cleveland Browns - 4-1
Previously 9
For the first time since 2009 the Cleveland Browns have won four games in a row. In a game where both teams were coming off three straight wins the Browns never looked like they were going to lose this one. Baker Mayfield and Odell Beckham continued to link up and even without Nick Chubb the Browns managed to pile on 124 rushing yards. A strong defensive performance that had two interceptions and another Myles Garrett sack sets the Browns up nicely for a Week 6 trip to Heinz Field.
8. Los Angeles Rams - 3-2
Previously 10
Playing against a team in the worst division in football when you are in the best division in football should be an easy win right? Well the Rams didn’t disappoint. Jared Goff had his fourth straight game with a passer rating over 100 and he had another two touchdown passes. With the 49ers struggling, the Rams are keeping the pressure on the Seattle Seahawks and with Aaron Donald playing like the defensive player of the year they could be making another run at the division and beyond.
7. Tennessee Titans – 4-0
Previously 8
Who would have thought that after five weeks of the new season the only two undefeated teams in the AFC would be the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans? After 17 days with no games and very little practice the Titans had to face a dominant Bills team that had racked up four wins already. The Titans came out and showed that even though they can’t defend against COVID they can certainly defend against the Buffalo Bills. On only the third play of the night, the Titans defense picked off Josh Allen and were set up very nicely for a touchdown to A.J. Brown for an early lead, a lead that they would have for almost the full 60 minutes.
Despite being held to 57 rushing yards, Derrick Henry still found a way to have a huge impact on a game. With the Titans up 14-7 and driving again, Tannehill handed the ball off to his monstrous running back who threw Josh Norman into the air in a play that deflated the Bills defense and galvanized the Titans. The Titans would then go on and dominate the Bills for the entire game. Six red-zone trips and six touchdowns scored. That’s efficient and the Titans look like they have got over the COVID debacle and are ready for another run at the postseason.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers - 4-0
Previously 6
What a game for rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool. Four touchdowns and he had his way with the Eagles secondary. The Pittsburgh defense had an unusually poor game, but with the offense looking like the Steelers from a few years ago, the defense are allowed a poor game. We all know that this defense is an elite unit and will not have many games like this, but they need to move on quickly from it and get back to shutting down teams quickly. Steelers fans everywhere will be delighted to go 4-0 and more importantly that they are doing it with their offense. The last time the Steelers went 4-0 was 1979. What happened at the end of the year? Super Bowl champions.
5. Buffalo Bills - 4-1
Previously 5
The Bills suffered their first loss of the season and it was mainly down to their inability to stop the Titans in the red zone. The Titans reached the red zone six times and scored six touchdowns. The Bills defense have been rightly hyped as one of the best in football but any more showings like this and they will struggle to do well in the playoffs and might not even get there. The Bills missed having John Brown out there as all the attention of the defense was drawn to Stefon Diggs. Diggs still managed 106 yards from 10 carries but he was targeted a whopping 16 times. The partnership there is great for the Bills offense, but variety is the spice of life and Josh Allen will be hoping that Brown is back soon.
The one positive for the Bills defense is that they managed to hold Derrick Henry to only 57 rushing yards. However, they were unable to stop him at the crucial moments and he ran in two touchdowns. They still only have one loss and are top of their division, but have a tough matchup with the Chiefs next and it will be interesting to see how Allen bounces back from his worst game of the season so far.
4. Baltimore Ravens - 4-1
Previously 3
The Ravens did what the Ravens do best and dominated an inferior opponent. Baltimore gave the Bengals 12 drives to try and put points on the board. It took them until the very last one and all they managed was a field goal. The Ravens piled on another 161 rushing yards and their dominant defense stifled anything that Joe Burrow tried to do in this one. The reigning champions in the AFC North once again showed how dominant they have been against divisional rivals in recent years and ran out to a big win. A matchup against the Eagles awaits Lamar Jackson and his flock in Week 6, with a chance to get their third win on the bounce.
3. Green Bay Packers - 4-0
Previously 2
It doesn’t matter when the bye week comes it’s always good to go into it undefeated. The Packers have got off to a flyer and have done it without star wide receiver Davante Adams for almost three games. Aaron Rodgers is playing at MVP level and the emergence of younger talent for him offensively has turned the Packers into one of the best teams in the league when they have the ball. Green Bay’s defense is getting better each week and the emergence of Jaire Alexander is a welcome sight in their secondary. A chance now for the Packers to rest up and get Adams back to match fitness for a big game against another future hall of fame number 12 in Week 6.
2. Kansas City Chiefs - 4-1
Previously 1
They are human, the Kansas City Chiefs are actually human. It’s a bit like when you first saw that Superman can actually bleed. Tipped to go the entire season undefeated, the few people who didn’t think it could happen certainly didn’t think the Raiders would be their first loss. Their high flying offense were held to a measly eight second half points and their defense may as well have stayed at home for this one. The secondary gave up two touchdowns of fifty plus yards and they couldn’t get any pressure against that strong Raider offensive line. The Chiefs now go to Buffalo for a tough matchup against a real contender for their AFC crown.
1. Seattle Seahawks - 5-0
Previously 4
For 30 minutes of football the Vikings looked like they had found the secret to stopping Russell Wilson and his unbelievable deep ball. Unfortunately for Vikings fans and fans for all the other 31 National Football Teams football is a 60 minute game and Wilson will play for every single one of them. Down five with under two minutes left on the clock, Wilson stepped up and led his merry band on perhaps the best drive of the season so far that culminated with a fourth down pass to D.K. Metcalf for the game winning score.
The connection between Metcalf and Wilson looks like the connection that Patrick Mahomes has with Tyreek Hill. Seattle are looking like the best football team in the NFL as each week passes and are a real contender for the Chiefs crown.
