Which teams are trending in the right direction heading into Week 6?
Written by: Greg Lehr | @greglehr3
Power Rankings by: The Blitz Team
In a week that saw two of the previous top five teams lose (Chiefs, Cowboys), there was bound to be a shake-up near the top of our Week 6 NFL Power Rankings. This past week included statement wins by the Colts, 49ers, Packers, and Seahawks to name a few. Even so, as we now head into mid-October, it remains a challenge trying to figure out some of the more polarizing teams in the league. The Browns and Chargers, for instance, each came into the year as expected playoff contenders, but both sit at 2-3 heading into week six. On the other hand, the Raiders (3-2) deserve credit for pulling out a victory across the pond against a tough Chicago team, albeit playing without their starting signal-caller.
Check out who the big movers are in this week’s Blitzalytics Power Rankings below.
Week 6 Risers
Green Bay Packers (+4)
Current Ranking: 6
Last Week: 10
After sitting on their agonizing loss to the Eagles for ten days, the Packers were eager to get back on track against another NFC contender. Green Bay wasted no time in making a statement, jumping out to a 17-0 halftime lead that soon inflated to 31-3 in the third quarter, en route to a 34-24 road win. Without Davante Adams or Jamaal Williams to help shoulder the offensive load, Aaron Jones paced the Packers with a career-best 182 total yards from scrimmage and four rushing touchdowns, dicing up the Cowboys' highly-regarded front seven with ease. The defense also continued their early-season success, keeping Dallas out of the endzone until late in the third quarter when the Cowboys were in desperation mode. Green Bay has shown multiple times already this season that they're capable of winning without having to depend on heroics from Aaron Rodgers, a very positive sign compared to recent years.
Indianapolis Colts (+8)
Current Ranking: 13
Last Week: 21
The Colts had arguably the most impressive win of the season so far as they went into Arrowhead and beat Patrick Mahomes and the previously undefeated Chiefs, 19-13. Holding the Chiefs' high-flying offense to just 13 points, especially when missing All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard and safeties Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers, was nothing short of astonishing. Offensively for the Colts, Marlon Mack's ankle was clearly feeling better as he pounded 29 carries for 132 yards, while Jordan Wilkins added 28 more, behind a dominant performance from the offensive line. The 3-2 Colts are built to win these types of hard-nosed games, a style that bodes well for their postseason aspirations as the season goes on.
Week 6 Fallers
Dallas Cowboys (-7)
Current Ranking: 11
Last Week: 4
A lot of questions are being asked this week in regards to which Dallas team are the real 2019 Cowboys. Are they the 3-0 Cowboys that were putting up top-3 offensive numbers the first three games of the year (against the lowly Giants, Redskins, and Dolphins)? Or are they the 0-2 Cowboys that were pushed around all over the field by legitimate contenders in the Saints and Packers? Like most extreme cases, the answer is probably somewhere in the middle. One area that has particularly hurt them so far is the turnover battle. Dallas is currently tied for the 4th-worst turnover differential in the league through five games. Amari Cooper's drop on their opening drive, despite his 226 yards on the day, was truly indicative of the offense holding themselves back in overall efficiency and execution.
Cleveland Browns (-7)
Current Ranking: 20
Last Week: 13
It's been a roller coaster start to the season for a promising Browns team that fell to 2-3 on the season in humiliating fashion on Monday night. Baker Mayfield struggled mightily (8/22, 100 yards, 2 INT), as the Browns offensive line was completely overwhelmed by the 49ers' strong defensive front all night long. Cleveland has lacked discipline (second-most penalties in NFL through five weeks) and consistency on both sides of the ball. It will be an uphill battle to get back to .500 with consecutive matchups against the Seahawks and Patriots next couple of weeks.
Full NFL Power Rankings: Week 6
Rankings by: The Blitz Team
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
Kansas City Chiefs
San Francisco 49ers
Seattle Seahawks
Green Bay Packers
Philadelphia Eagles
Los Angeles Rams
Buffalo Bills
Detroit Lions
Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans
Indianapolis Colts
Minnesota Vikings
Baltimore Ravens
Chicago Bears
Carolina Panthers
Oakland Raiders
Los Angeles Chargers
Cleveland Browns
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tennessee Titans
Jacksonville Jaguars
New York Giants
Atlanta Falcons
Pittsburgh Steelers
Arizona Cardinals
Denver Broncos
Cincinnati Bengals
Washington Redskins
New York Jets
Miami Dolphins