We’re on to Week 6 of the regular season and its’ a great time to update our NFL power rankings — where do the New Orleans Saints slot in among their peers? Demolishing the New England Patriots has to help their standing, but some changes at the top leads to a lot of intrigue.
Here are how we’re stacking up all 32 teams ahead of Monday night’s matchup between the Green Bay Packers and Las Vegas Raiders:
32
Carolina Panthers (0-5)
The Panthers opened their season with five straight losses and their reward for weathering that storm is a road game with the red-hot Miami Dolphins. Good luck!
31
Denver Broncos (1-3)
Sean Payton didn’t sign up for this. His preseason comments on Nathaniel Hackett came back to haunt him and he’s somehow fallen into another historically-poor defense for the second or third time in his coaching career. How does this keep happening to him?
30
Chicago Bears (1-4)
The Bears finally managed to score some points, ending a 14-game losing streak. Fans have to hope they didn’t score all of their points for the season in this 40-20 win over Washington. Maybe save some for next week just to be safe.
29
Las Vegas Raiders (1-3)
We’re waiting to see how the Raiders perform on Monday night to finalize their ranking.
28
New England Patriots (1-4)
It’s looking like spooky season in New England; this was the worst loss of Bill Belichick’s coaching career, and you have to wonder when the decades of goodwill he earned expires. They need to kick off an organizational reset sooner or later.
27
Washington Commanders (2-3)
The wheels came off the Commanders quickly. Their offensive line has gotten ground down into a fine paste, and Sam Howell is next. A once-respected defense can no longer be called that after allowing 40 points to the Bears.
26
New York Giants (1-4)
The Giants’ indignities are ever increasing. This week they were overwhelmed by a Dolphins offense that dropped 31 points on their heads in three quarters and cruised to an easy finish down the stretch. At least the Tyrod Taylor enthusiasts were able to enjoy some time in the sun.
25
Arizona Cardinals (1-3)
The Cardinals surprised some people with their effort to open the season, and they kept this one competitive with the Cincinnati Bengals until late in the fourth quarter. But this team simply isn’t talented enough yet to maintain that level of play.
24
Tennessee Titans (2-3)
This is not a good Titans team. Their defense is looking funny in the light after letting the Indianapolis Colts run all over them to the tune of 193 rushing yards and a pair of touchdown runs, and their offense hasn’t shown anything special — though DeAndre Hopkins is seeing plenty of targets as their lone credible receiving threat.
23
Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
Is Joe Burrow’s calf muscle finally healed up? He finally looked like himself on Sunday against the Cardinals, and it couldn’t come at a better time. The AFC North is in disarray and there’s plenty of time for the Bengals to reenter the mix after an ugly start to their season.
22
Minnesota Vikings (1-4)
The Vikings are in a weird spot where they aren’t as bad as their record suggests, but they’re absolutely worthy of derision after overachieving so wildly last year. They don’t belong in the playoff picture but they’ll frustrate some good teams this season (as well as their own fans).
21
Green Bay Packers (2-2)
We’re waiting to see how the Packers perform on Monday night to finalize their ranking.
20
Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2)
An incredible defensive effort propelled the Steelers to a much-needed win, but second-year wide receiver George Pickens deserves a shoutout for a career-high 130 receiving yards. He’s developing into a talent who can elevate an inconsistent quarterback like Kenny Pickett.
19
New Orleans Saints (3-2)
The Saints didn’t just upset the Patriots — they dismantled them in New England with Bill Belichick seeking his 300th career win as head coach. This is the version of the team we need to see each week, playing complimentary football with the offense making the most of every opportunity the defense can give them.
18
Atlanta Falcons (3-2)
The Falcons beat the Texans with a last-second field goal, and Desmond Ridder finally looked like an NFL quarterback. But he put up a ton of empty yards (329 of them) while putting just 21 points on the board. They can be beaten.
17
Jacksonville Jaguars (3-2)
The Jaguars rallied late to upset the Bills, and they have enough star power between Travis Etienne, Trevor Lawrence, and Calvin Ridley to threaten a fourth-quarter comeback each week. Ideally they’ll stop getting so far behind in the first place.
16
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-1)
The Buccaneers were on bye this week.
15
Los Angeles Chargers (2-2)
The Chargers were on bye this week.
14
Cleveland Browns (2-2)
The Browns were on bye this week.
13
Houston Texans (2-3)
This Texans team is going to force you to play hard to the final seconds. They’re well-coached on defense under DeMeco Ryans and they got the best rookie quarterback in this year’s draft with CJ Stroud. They’re going to give the Saints a lot of trouble next Sunday.
12
Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
Anthony Richardson’s injured throwing shoulder feels ominous, but they pulled out a win over the division-rival Titans in spite of it. And the Colts have welcomed Jonathan Taylor back to the team after coming to their senses and paying him what he’s owed as an elite running back in today’s league.
11
New York Jets (2-3)
It had to feel cathartic for the Jets to slap the Broncos around all afternoon, even if Zach Wilson was batted around by a Denver defense which hasn’t been able to put hands on anyone. They’ve got to upgrade at quarterback if they want to compete, and Aaron Rodgers isn’t coming through that door without a pair of crutches.
10
Los Angeles Rams (2-3)
Credit where it’s due: Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford have taken a roster of misfit undrafted free agents and past-their-prime Pro Bowlers and they’re competing hard each week. They weren’t able to hang with the Philadelphia Eagles in a scoreless second half, but they’re punching above their weight class anyway and ought to feel proud of the effort.
9
Baltimore Ravens (3-2)
The Steelers offense is finally beginning to wake up, which is awful news for a Ravens defense that was once the strength of this team. Lamar Jackson is in full control of the offense but he was sacked four times, intercepted once, and lost a fumble in a close game. Baltimore’s defense is not what it once was.
8
Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
The Seahawks were on bye this week.
7
Dallas Cowboys (3-2)
The Cowboys got exposed early this year, so we don’t have to keep pretending like they’re a real Super Bowl contender for the next three to four months. That’s not going to stop the number of former Cowboys players and executives Jerry Jones has strategically placed in NFL media stations from doing so.
6
Buffalo Bills (3-2)
The Bills can’t afford to let games like this get away from them, especially in such a competitive division. Odds are they’ll rebound once they’re back in a comfortable time zone. But what happens when they’re stuck playing a series of tough road games in the postseason? How badly will they miss star linebacker Matt Milano?
5
Detroit Lions (3-1)
The Lions are accomplishing things their fans haven’t seen in generations by aggressively bludgeoning opponents into submission each week. Dan Campbell has built a dynamite coaching staff who has their roster performing at a very high level.
4
Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
The Eagles have some flaws, but their record doesn’t reflect that, and they have plenty of time to figure things out after letting some outmatched opponents hang around too long to start the season. They’ll be a very tough out in January.
3
Miami Dolphins (4-1)
The Dolphins put Terron Armstead on injured reserve this week and didn’t seem to miss a beat without the All-Pro left tackle. They’re going to be well and battle-tested when the playoffs get here.
2
Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
An injury scare for Travis Kelce didn’t stop him from leading the Chiefs in targets (11), receptions (10), and receiving yards (67) with a touchdown catch. Kansas City just might be unstoppable.
1
San Francisco 49ers (5-0)
Brock Purdy stepped up and made some difficult throws against an admittedly-stout Cowboys defense. The 49ers can go the distance if he can play like this in January.
