2025 NFL Power Rankings

Another week of NFL chaos is in the books. The last two unbeaten teams go down (congratulations again to the 1972 Miami Dolphins), Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield delivered arguably the best game of the year

so far, the Arizona Cardinals found the most hilarious way possible to lose, and Trevor Lawrence stumbled and tumbled his way into one of the biggest wins Jacksonville’s had in years.

Going into week six, the Minnesota Vikings and Houston Texans have the week off, and we have some heavy hitters on the docket, where we will get some real, pivotal answers. Can the Kansas City Chiefs still hang with the big boys? Are the Jaguars for real? Was the Patriots’ loss just a crazy divisional game, or are there actual dents in the Bills’ armor? And plenty more…let’s get into the power rankings, which were written before Thursday Night Football.

1) Detroit Lions (4-1) (+2)

The only team that is top-three in both EPA/play generated on offense and EPA/play allowed on defense, the Lions are the most complete team right now. And they have the chance to prove it further in week six, against a vulnerable Chiefs team.

2) Buffalo Bills (4-1) (-1)

I’m going to attribute Sunday Night Football’s loss to Drake Maye and the Patriots punching above their weight class in a divisional game, where anything can happen. The Bills are still in the conversation for best team in the NFL, and most of the reason why is the play of reigning MVP Josh Allen.

3) Philadelphia Eagles (4-1) (-1)

There are some true things to worry about with the Philadelphia Eagles, but that’s what we said last season. We see how that turned out. This is still probably the most talented roster from top to bottom, and it’s going to take more than one loss against a fringe top-ten team in the league to move me off the Eagles being one of the top teams in the NFC.

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-1) (+1)

Just. Keep. Winning. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are the most frustrating team because they are both competent and explosive. The Buccaneers have the 2nd-most pass plays that have gained 20 or more yards, and have accounted for six of their 10 passing touchdowns on the year. Mix that with the fact that they have only two turnovers on the year, and the Bucs offense has, so far, successfully mitigated risk while maximizing the explosiveness of this offense.

5) Indianapolis Colts (4-1) (+3)

There’s no more denying it. The Colts are 4-1, and since 2017, 31 of 35 teams (88.6%) that have started 4-1 have made their way into the playoffs. The last team that missed was the 2021 Los Angeles Chargers, who lost an overtime thriller to the Las Vegas Raiders, where if they tied, both teams could walked into the playoffs in the final game of the regular season. So, it feels only right that we take the Colts and their top-ten offense and defense seriously.

6) Green Bay Packers (3-1) (+1)

The Packers got a boost in the rankings on their day off as the chaos ensued around them. Now, they have a chance to make a bigger statement against a bumbling Bengals team.

7) Los Angeles Rams (3-2) (-1)

Divisional games are crazy. Divisional games in the NFC West are downright gnarly. While the loss against the San Francisco 49ers surely hurts, I’m still confident this is one of the better teams in the NFL. Or they could fall to a battered Ravens team this week and make me look like an idiot. I’m open to either scenario.

8) Denver Broncos (3-2) (+4)

If you want an ideal version of this Broncos team, you probably saw a glimpse of it in their win against the formerly unbeaten Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. The Broncos were able to heat up Hurts on a third of his dropbacks, with over 70% of those pressures generated when Denver sent four or fewer rushers. Bo Nix wasn’t pressured and was able to keep the offense on schedule. Denver looks to have their formula right now.

9) Seattle Seahawks (3-2) (+2)

Sure, it was in a losing effort, but this Seahawks team is looking really good. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is turning into a star and his mind-meld with Sam Darnold looks like something they can build off of, they just have to get more out of their boom-or-bust running game with Kenneth Walker.

10) Kansas City Chiefs (2-3) (-6)

This is Kansas City’s last chance. I want to push them down lower, but they’ve earned a bit more emotional equity over the years to where it still feels a bit disrespectful to knock them out of the top ten. But another loss, especially if it’s a dismal showing against the Lions, will be enough to push them where their record says they need to go.

11) San Francisco 49ers (4-1) (+6)

I’m seeing that I was a bit late on the 49ers, but that’s okay. San Francisco continues to impress despite their horrible injury luck. Mac Jones has been pretty good, leading the 49ers to the most passing yards per game through five weeks. Now, they get probably their toughest test going against a Bucs team that has continuously found a way to win this season.

12) Washington Commanders (3-2) (+1)

That’s what the Washington Commanders are supposed to look like. Jayden Daniels returns and puts up one of the best games in terms of EPA/dropback that we’ve had this season, generating 0.46 EPA/DB, the 16th-best mark (10th percentile) so far. The defense came at the Chargers fast and furious, generating nine quick pressures on Justin Herbert that contributed to his 166-yard day.

13) Houston Texans (2-3) (+1)

The Houston Texans had an incredible day against a vulnerable Baltimore Ravens, and they took care of business. Now, they get a chance to rest up and hopefully utilize some of that momentum from their 34-point win next week. By the way, they lead the league in points allowed with 12.2 points allowed, tied for second-least since 2014.

14) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2) (-5)

The Chargers have now dropped two in a row after starting 3-2. Over the past two weeks, the Chargers have been sixth-worst in EPA/play and 2nd-worst in EPA/dropback. Over that time, only five quarterbacks have a worse adjusted EPA/play, according to rbsdm.com: Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward, Geno Smith, Cooper Rush, and Joe Flacco. The good news is that they have a chance to get back on track against the Miami Dolphins.

15) Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1) (+1)

The Jaguars continue to find ways to force turnovers, including four interceptions by linebacker Devin Lloyd. On a down-to-down basis, the Jaguars are 16th in success rate, which is fine, but likely not sustainable. It will be interesting to see how the Jags play against a Seahawks offense that seems to be ascending.

16) Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1) (-1)

After a nice rest, the Steelers find themselves against a vulnerable Browns team, led by rookie Dillon Gabriel. The Steelers defense should be able to feast on this Browns offense, but Pittsburgh’s defense hasn’t been what it usually is; they have actually let up the fifth-most yards in the league. But the battle of the Browns defense against the Aaron Rodgers-led offense may actually be fun to watch.

17) Baltimore Ravens (1-4) (-7)

Since 2000, only 10 teams out of the 143 (6.99%) that have started 1-4 have ended up making the playoffs. That’s including that 2020 Washington team that won the NFC East with a 7-9 record. This Ravens team may have dug themselves into too deep a hole to climb out of, especially with the Los Angeles Rams coming into town.

18) Dallas Cowboys (2-2-1) (even)

Yes, the Cowboys took care of business against the New York Jets, and the Cowboys have one of the more productive offenses in the league. But, they also have one of the more porous defenses in the league, as well. So, who knows which will prevail in their matchup against the Panthers?

19) Atlanta Falcons (2-2) (even)

The Falcons got to rest up this last week and get to play one of the best teams in the NFL. The Falcons have to find a way to contain James Cook and heat up Josh Allen behind an offensive line, allowing the lowest pressure rate in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. Let’s see if Bijan Robinson can continue his historic pace for another week.

20) Minnesota Vikings (3-2) (even)

The Vikings did enough to beat the Cleveland Browns in London. It wasn’t pretty, but it was enough for Carson Wentz and company to get through. So now, after back-to-back international games, Minnesota gets to rest off that jet lag.

21) Chicago Bears (2-2) (even)

After a week of rest, the Bears find themselves on Monday night against the Commanders. Caleb Williams vs. Jayden Daniels. The matchup that is supposed to define a generation. Last time, a Hail Mary gave the Commanders a last-second win. What will this installment have in store?

22) New England Patriots (3-2) (+1)

I just need one more week. Drake Maye and the Patriots are doing great work on the offensive side of the ball. I just need one more week before I buy all the way in on the offense as a whole. There was a lot that went into their upset of the Bills last week, Stefon Diggs’ revenge, divisional game environment, etc. Even though they have the not-so-talented Saints in front of them, this is still an opportunity to make a statement that the Patriot way is still the way to success.

23) Carolina Panthers (2-3) (+3)

A win is a win. No matter how ugly it looked, nor how ugly it got for Carolina, they found a way to pull it out in the end. Is it merely incompetence from the Dolphins? That could be a part of it. But, a game against one of the best offenses, as well as the worst defenses, should give us a better look at what this young Panthers team actually is in 2025.

24) Arizona Cardinals (2-3) (-2)

Not many words need to be said. Just do better, Arizona.

25) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3) (even)

Trading for Joe Flacco does add a floor to this Bengals team that Jake Browning certainly could not give, but this is still not a good team. It’s not a good defense, and it’s an inconsistent offense at best without Burrow under center. Oh, and you get a Packers team coming off a bye…hooray.

26) Las Vegas Raiders (1-4) (-2)

We can go ahead and chalk this year up for the Las Vegas Raiders. The Raiders were unable to get any pressure on Daniel Jones, pressuring him on eight of his 29 dropbacks without a sack. Outside of Ashton Jeanty, there is nothing this offense can hang its hat on. The offensive line is horrendous; it’s just time to call it.

27) New Orleans Saints (1-4) (+4)

Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints for their first win of the year! New Orleans has looked much more competent than they have any business being, especially on offense. Spencer Rattler looks like he potentially has the chops to keep the ship afloat while they search for their true franchise quarterback.

28) Tennessee Titans (1-4) (+4)

I mean…sure, man. Congratulations. Let’s see if Cam Ward and company can find a way to keep this magic going against another bottom-tier team in the Raiders.

29) New York Giants (1-4) (-2)

Losing to the Saints would usually get you booted to the very bottom, but there were plenty of disappointing performances that eclipsed New York’s performance with a rookie quarterback making his second start.

30) Miami Dolphins (1-4) (-2)

When a team allows 200 yards to a single rusher, they are 10-154. The last loss was when Tom Brady had to outgun Knowshon Moreno and that 2013 Denver Broncos offense. Needless to say, the Dolphins don’t have Tom Brady, and they have dropped to 1-4, with a Chargers team that is looking for a rebound game.