NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Not even electrical substations can stop 49ers right now

We have finally reached the October portion of the NFL calendar. That means folks across the country are breaking out pumpkin spice lattes and turtlenecks to enjoy in crisp weather (well, maybe not in the Western United States right now. Woof). It also means we’re starting to get a better inkling of who is and isn’t serious during the 2026 NFL season. A common denominator for the serious teams is quality coaching. 

They may already be ravaged by injuries, but the San Francisco 49ers sure feel like one of those serious teams, thanks to Kyle Shanahan. So do the Chicago Bears, who have now won three games with three different quarterbacks, thanks to Ben Johnson. Let’s not forget Andy Reid reinventing the Kansas City Chiefs’ offense of the last decade

on the fly or Liam Coen finally unlocking the MVP-caliber version of Trevor Lawrence for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Meanwhile, teams like the Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, New York Jets, and Houston Texans are all suffering, at least in part, because of poor coaching. That's not a coincidence.

As we dive headfirst into a proper autumn, let’s unpack everything we’ve learned about the 2026 NFL season through four weeks in the latest edition of For The Win’s NFL Power Rankings. 

32. Miami Dolphins

Last week: 32

Is Ollie Gordon II a bright spot for the rebuilding Dolphins in the wake of De'Von Achane's season-ending injury? Uh, maybe. The second-year running back had a good game against the Vikings on Sunday, but most of his sterling production literally came on two touches. The lowly Dolphins have nothing to lose by giving him more opportunities moving forward because, well, what else do they have to look forward to? — Robert Zeglinski

31. Tennessee Titans

Last week: 31

Carnell Tate is starting to fulfill his potential, which is nice. Cam Ward is not. He has yet to throw multiple touchdown passes in a game. Wan'Dale Robinson's muted impact isn't helping (and it's frustrating to see him used as a short-range target again after fleshing out his route tree in 2025). At least the defense is merely below average! — Christian D'Andrea

30. Los Angeles Chargers

Last week: 30

We just reached October and the Chargers' season is already off the rails. Only one team in NFL history has ever made the playoffs after starting 0-4. Ironically, that was the 1992 Chargers, albeit the San Diego version of one of the NFL's most cursed franchises. Jim Harbaugh will probably need a similar rally from his team if he wants to coach in Los Angeles beyond this season. — RZ

29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Last week: 28

Baker Mayfield likely isn't coming back until at least November. All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. broke a rib and will now also miss a few weeks, at a minimum. The Buccaneers are winless and have upcoming games with Dallas, Pittsburgh, and Carolina. Woof. The most likely season outcome in Tampa Bay is now a trade-deadline fire sale before Todd Bowles is eventually jettisoned from his increasingly warmer hot seat. — RZ

28. New York Jets

Last week: 27

Well, the haters are gonna be writing Geno Smith again after a day in which he gained seven total first downs while producing negative net yards on third down (zero conversions in seven tries). But New York finally got an interception under Aaron Glenn. It only needed to face Chicago's backup quarterback to get there. Progress! — CD

27. Arizona Cardinals

It's not a great sign when the most memorable takeaway from your week is an encounter with a very rude side judge. Jacoby Brissett showcased again why he's only a stopgap option (a good one, but still) after throwing a pick-six in what could have been a game-winning situation in the final seconds. — CD

26. Houston Texans

Last week: 23

What's puzzling about the Texans is that it's not C.J. Stroud and an inconsistent offense that is letting them down amid a disaster 0-4 start. At least, not entirely. It's DeMeco Ryans' defense that was supposed to be elite but has instead merely treaded water through a month of play. Is it a struggling pass rush? Has the team's defensive speed dipped at the worst time? Whatever the problem is, the Texans have no remaining margin for error to fix it. — RZ

25. New York Giants

Last week: 26

Against all odds, the Giants, yes, the Jaxson Dart-less Giants, are 3-1 and sitting in first place in the NFC East. Sure, no one will give them too much credit for beating the lowly Titans and Cardinals. But it's still something noteworthy that John Harbaugh's team hasn't given up on its season without its quarterback. If the Giants are playing relevant football into December, which means hanging around the playoff picture, that is a massive culture win. — RZ

24. Washington Commanders

Last week: 24

An embattled defense held the Colts to only 257 total yards — 3.9 per play — in London. The Commanders still lost 30-13 because they needed a backup plan for their backup plan. Athan Kaliakmanis threw a touchdown pass and was the first Rutgers quarterback to take a snap in the regular season in four decades … and that's about all the nice things you can say about his relief appearance for an injured Marcus Mariota. — CD

23. Indianapolis Colts

Last week: 18

Kudos to the Colts for beating up on a Commanders team playing with its third-string quarterback after Marcus Mariota got hurt. A middling Indy team needs all the layups it can get ahead of a schedule that will soon feature road dates with the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars. I'm still not sure what this team does well or what its identity is beyond leaning on star running back Jonathan Taylor. That is bad. — RZ

22. Green Bay Packers

Last week: 25

Everyone is hurt. The run game is abysmal. Jordan Love continues to struggle as defenses adjust to his offense in the second half, and head coach Matt LaFleur can't keep up. A date against Tyson Bagent and the Bears looms. A loss will elicit groans so loud across the Badger State's townie bars that they'll be heard in Canada. — CD

21. Pittsburgh Steelers

Last week: 17

Every now and then, we still get glimpses of magic from Aaron Rodgers. A dazzling throw off-platform for a touchdown. A laser with a flick of the wrist over the middle of the field. A sure sack turned into a broken-play completion to move the chains. Much to the Steelers' chagrin, I'm sure, they don't get this version of Rodgers enough. More often, they get the Rodgers flustered by basic pressure who throws telegraphed picks, just like he did against Cleveland. In other words, Rodgers remains pretty washed, and it's hard to take the Steelers too seriously because of that. — RZ

20. Philadelphia Eagles

Last week: 13

The Los Angeles Rams were missing Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. The Eagles were playing at home. This should've been a golden opportunity for Nick Sirianni to show he has a grasp of his broken offense. Philadelphia responded with 172 yards of offense, blew a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter to lose, and watched Saquon Barkley injure his hamstring in the process. Bleh. The Eagles are rudderless, one of the worst-coached teams in the league, and Sirianni is almost certainly fighting for his job if they don't turn it around in short order. — RZ

19. New Orleans Saints

Last week: 14

A showdown with Bijan Robinson was the worst case scenario for a truly awful New Orleans run defense. It doesn't quite explain getting gashed by Brian Robinson Jr. as well, but at that point Atlanta had a whole "in for a penny, in for a pound" philosophy RE: ruining their rival's night on the 20th anniversary of the Saints post-Katrina return to the Superdome. Still, the NFC South is a mess. This team's pride took a bigger beating than its playoff odds Monday night.— CD

18. Detroit Lions

Last week: 11

If you're reading this, there's a decent chance you might play defensive back for the Lions this season. That is a joke, but it does describe the miserable state of things on defense in Detroit. After getting diced up by Bryce Young on Sunday night, the Lions are now firmly at or near the bottom of most relevant defensive metrics. It doesn't matter how productive the talented offense can be (which seems to curiously sputter at the worst times) if the sport's worst defense can't even be bothered to somewhat hold its water. — RZ

17. Atlanta Falcons

Last week: 22

Michael Penix Jr. has been a stabilizing force against flawed opponents. Fortunately for him, flawed opponents are in never ending supply when you play in the NFC South. His prodigious arm strength was on full display, and though he benefited from an absurd performance from his running backs, he still made enough good decisions downfield to make the Falcons at least consider beefing up his receiving corps and running it back in 2027. — CD

16. Cleveland Browns

Last week: 21

Deshaun Watson, formerly accused of more than 20 counts of sexual misconduct and what an NFL investigation described as "predatory behavior," is playing his way into a contract extension with a Browns team that has added so many void years to his contract they may have no other choice. This won't be a problem if he continues to play like he has the last three weeks. History suggests that's a losing bet. — CD

15. Dallas Cowboys

Last week: 16

Joey Porter Jr. can't get into the lineup fast enough. The Cowboys survived their date in Houston despite allowing C.J. Stroud to throw for 347 yards on only 31 attempts. He was neutralized because CeeDee Lamb demanded blood from his hometown team, finishing with 21 targets, 17 catches, 189 yards, and a touchdown. I'm not sure whether Dallas is good — that kind of production certainly isn't sustainable — but this offense remains fun as hell. — CD

14. Carolina Panthers

Last week: 19

Huh. Turns out Bryce Young might actually be pretty good! The biggest difference for the fourth-year quarterback so far is that he's now taking the intermediate-to-middle-of-the-field throws he ignored for far too long to start his career. (Also, Tetairoa McMillan is absolutely incredible.) Carolina's defense remains a question mark, but there's no reason this resurgent version of Young can't take Carolina to a second consecutive NFC South division title. — RZ

13. New England Patriots

Last week: 20

It's too soon to declare Drake Maye fixed, but he stopped forcing bad decisions against the Buffalo Bills and used his legs to either extend plays or run for first downs. More importantly, he showed a genuine connection with Romeo Doubs, who wasn't perfect but helped carry the passing offense as A.J. Brown works his way back following his Week 1 ankle injury. Figuring out how the defense slowed Josh Allen juuuuuust enough without Christians Gonzalez and Barmore (no relation; they both spell and pronounce their last names differently) is gonna take more film study. — CD

12. Cincinnati Bengals

Last week: 8

The Bengals' season got off to a promising 2-0 start. Then they lost back-to-back games in heartbreaking fashion while also potentially losing both Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins for a good while. Welp. Cincinnati is now confronting its first real crisis of the 2026 season. There's plenty of time for the Bengals to handle this adversity the right way and reestablish themselves as a contender. They're used to this sort of thing in the Joe Burrow era. But if they don't, this might be one of the last crises head coach Zac Taylor has to worry about again in Cincinnati. — RZ

11. Las Vegas Raiders

Last week: 15

Turns out the Raiders' early-season success wasn't all smoke and mirrors. That Las Vegas was this close to pulling off an upset over the division-rival Chiefs, the class of the NFL over the last decade, is indicative of the strong program first-year coach Klint Kubiak has already built. Kirk Cousins is playing like he's five years younger. Ashton Jeanty has been unlocked as a star running back. Maxx Crosby is at the forefront of a defense holding its own. The Raiders should eventually come back to earth. But not before they make what might be a serious playoff push. — RZ

10. Denver Broncos

Last week: 7

It took a couple years, but Bo Nix has regressed to his Oregon roots. His average completion this year clocks in at 4.1 yards downfield. Even a steady lineup of rollouts and the space they've created have failed to spark him as the downfield bomb-lobber we saw in his rookie year. This all seems like a very concerning waste of Jaylen Waddle and Courtland Sutton. — CD

9. Los Angeles Rams

Last week: 9

It's tough to criticize the Rams too much for their uninspiring 2-2 start because they're still missing most of their best players. Myles Garrett hasn't played since Week 1 because of knee surgery. Puka Nacua just came back. Meanwhile, team legend Aaron Donald is clearly working his way back into football shape. Outside of Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams, that is arguably three of the Rams' five best players injured or having already sat out. These Rams will be judged by what they look like in November, December, and January. For now, it's important they stay afloat. — RZ

8. Minnesota Vikings

Last week: 12

Kyler Murray threw 37 passes in Week 4, and only seven went farther than nine yards downfield. Justin Jefferson's absence played a part there — as did a steady lead over a hapless Dolphins team — but he's failed to instill confidence in his limited run as the team's starter. Minnesota's defense will give him a proper runway, but postseason success will be fleeting if he can't level up. — CD

7. Chicago Bears

Last week: 10

Above all things, Ben Johnson is unapologetically himself. He's the petty man who trolls a quarterback "controversy" by putting both players on the field for the first play of the game. He's the offensive mind who runs a well-oiled Bears offensive machine that never punts and which generated more first downs (34) than the Jets had total offensive plays (32) on Sunday. He's the coach who has now won three games with three separate quarterbacks in convincing fashion. We shouldn't beat around the bush. In Johnson, we might be looking at one of the small handful of big-name coaches in pro football for the foreseeable future. The Bears should count themselves very, very lucky to have him. — RZ

6. Baltimore Ravens

Last week: 4

We saw how nagging injuries sank Lamar Jackson and, as a result, the Ravens' season in 2025. Now, he's nursing an ankle injury, though there wasn't much pressure to return to a game Baltimore led comfortably across the second half (barring a late Cam Ward touchdown). Tyler Huntley is familiar with this grind and can keep his team afloat should Jackson miss time. But a limited Jackson pushes the Ravens from "AFC North favorites" to "potential Wild Card participants." — CD

5. Jacksonville Jaguars

Last week: 6

Cincinnati limited Trevor Lawrence's top three wideouts. No matter. Liam Coen's offense is stacked with guys ready to mess you up. On Sunday, that was tight end Brenton Strange and the tailback platoon of Bhayshul Tuten and Chris Rodriguez. If that's not frustrating enough for AFC South teams, Jacksonville is also getting Travis Hunter in top form, who is rounding into a Pro Bowl-caliber lockdown corner. — CD

4. Buffalo Bills

Last week: 1

Buffalo was stunned by the Patriots on a day when Keon Coleman took advantage of the absences of D.J. Moore and Christian Gonzalez and finally looked like the almost-first-round pick he once was rather than the scapegoat he became in 2025. If he can emerge as a viable WR2, Josh Allen could play his way into another MVP award and battle back should his secondary glitch out, as it did in the backdrop to Drake Maye's surprising revival in Orchard Park. — CD

3. Kansas City Chiefs

Last week: 5

At this point, we can safely say Kansas City's power-based rushing offense is extremely real because Kenneth Walker III is the best tailback in football right now. Andy Reid has reinvented the undefeated Chiefs' offense again. He really did it. He'll have to get inventive moving forward if Rashee Rice misses extended time with a hamstring injury, after Tyquan Thornton also got hurt, because this Chiefs offense now desperately lacks real downfield weapons. It didn't cost them against the Raiders. It just might against better defenses. — RZ

2. Seattle Seahawks

Last week: 3

Seattle responded to a letdown against the Commanders by pantsing the Chargers. While L.A. would almost rally late, a 27-6 lead in the third quarter told the story of a passionate Seahawks team eager to vent out its frustrations on an overwhelmed Justin Herbert. Glass half-empty: Sam Darnold's last two games are concerning. Glass half-full: The reigning champs don't need their starting quarterback to play well to win most weeks. — RZ

1. San Francisco 49ers

Last week: 2

The Niners keep getting hurt. The Niners keep winning regardless. This is woven into their fabric as a team under Kyle Shanahan, and it's remarkable, even if it has yet to end with a Super Bowl ring despite years of regular-season success. But how much more attrition can San Francisco take before an aging corps of offensive stars finally falls apart? And will Brock Purdy be able to duct-tape things back together on the fly? — CD

This article originally appeared on For The Win: NFL Power Rankings Week 5: Not even electrical substations can stop 49ers right now