NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

After 5 weeks in the books, there are only three undefeated left at 5-0: the Denver Broncos, the New Orleans Saints, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Three others are 4-1 and two are 0-5 and two are 0-4. There continues to be some shuffling among the top teams and each week big matchups continue to provide potential playoff previews. Denver and Dallas put on possibly the best game this year and one of the best games in the last few years in a shootout that featured 99 combined points. Playoff contenders like the Falcons and Texans continue to struggle as the Browns continue their mini-surge. As the quarter mark of the season moves closer to the half way point, each win will be important for top dozen or so teams looking to improve their odds of getting homefield advantage. The major game this week pits the Saints and Patriots in a top 10 faceoff while the Ravens and Packers should be another good one that will impact the rankings. The Broncos remain at the top and with a game against Jacksonville this week, that will likely not change next week.

With all that said, time to get ready for another week and here are Week 6's power rankings:

1)(1) Broncos- They weathered a storm of offense by Dallas but QB Peyton Manning was too good again as they look like not much will stop them.
2)(4) Saints- They showed a lot of toughness on the road and continue to look very complete on both sides of the ball.
3)(5) Chiefs- Their defense is very underrated as is their efficiency on offense as they limit bad plays.
4)(6) Colts- Don't look now, but they have quietly emerged as a legit title contender behind the play of QB Andrew Luck.
5)(2) Seahawks- They might have suffered their first loss, but they were simply outplayed. However, two weeks in row they've shown the weaknesses they might have if they need to win on the road in the playoffs.
6)(3) Patriots- Their lack of weapons and offensive potency finally caught up to them as QB Tom Brady's streak of 52 games with a touchdown was snapped.
7)(8) 49ers- Back to back dominant wins having them feeling a lot better and with Seattle losing they see a wide open NFC West again.
8)(10) Bengals- They got a big statement win over New England despite not playing especially sharp and them not either but they will take an important win especially with Cleveland surging.
9)(14) Ravens- They look like they might have their running game going as HB Ray Rice was the big key to their win and they will need more of that to mold into playoff form.
10)(9) Bears- Two tough losses in a row but they can quickly get right again with a visit from a staggering Giants' team.
11)(7) Dolphins- After a fast start to the year, they have fallen to two of the last four Super Bowl champs and get a week off to quickly regroup as the AFC East tightens.
12)(13) Packers- They returned from a bye and got a needed win but might be without their best defender for a few games.
13)(11) Titans- They did not miss too much of a beat with a backup quarterback and that should be promising as their defense can keep them in games.
14)(12) Lions- If WR Calvin Johnson misses many more games, it will likely put a dent in their playoff hopes as he was sorely missed this past week.
15)(18) Cowboys- QB Tony Romo did about everything you could ask minus that late pick that was the ultimate difference and continues to beg the question if they can get over the hump when it matters most.
16)(16) Texans- QB Matt Schaub continues to get a touchdown to the other team with a string of pick sixes and has Houston worrying about a major problem that could halt their recent surge the last two years.
17)(21) Browns- They unfortunately loss their quarterback but continue to win and their persistence this past week might allow them to not take too much of a step back.
18)(22) Jets- 3-2 QB Geno Smith might have had his best game of his young career as they continued their back and forth play of the year with a good performance.
19)(19) Cardinals- They took advantage of mistakes by Carolina and their confidence especially on defense continues to grow.
20)(17) Chargers- They allowed themselves to play sloppy in the first half and just could not overcome that as QB Phillip Rivers reverted his play a bit.
21)(15) Falcons- They really need this week bye cause they are piling up injuries of key players and their season is on life support unexpectedly.
22)(26) Eagles- They need to still work on locking down more on defense, but their offense was more than enough to get them a much needed win.
23)(27) Rams- It may not have been the strongest opponent, but they might be showing signs of a little bit of balance on offense.
24)(20) Bills- Without their rising rookie quarterback, they might lack much on offense as they could quickly become one dimensional.
25)(28) Raiders- They continue to play hard and it paid off this week and if they can force turnovers they have a shot against a lot of teams.
26)(23) Panthers- After their offense exploded one week, they returned to play completely opposite.
27)(24) Redskins- They are coming off a bye which hopefully means QB Robert Griffin III is that much more healthier.
28)(25) Vikings- They got a good game out of QB Matt Cassel and hope to duplicate that again this week.
29)(29) Steelers- It is hard to see them falling to 0-5 and an off might have been what the doctor ordered to prevent that.
30)(31) Buccaneers- They return from a bye without their former starting quarterback but still lots of question of what type of team they are.
31)(30) Giants- They continue to struggle to prevent turnovers as QB Eli Manning is having a career year in the wrong way with a dozen INTs already.
32)(32) Jaguars- Getting back WR Justin Blackmon gave them a small bit of hope but came with losing their rookie tackle as they look like they can't catch any breaks this year.

As the schedule moves to Week 6 and the second quarter of the season progresses; some teams hope to establish themselves as contenders while others hope to salvage their season fast before it ends at this early stage. Will the three unbeaten teams continue their winning ways? Will any of the four winless teams finally break through? At the moment, Denver looks to be the clear cut favorite in the AFC while there are a couple solid teams on the NFC side. Another week ahead and the rankings will likely continue to create a better picture of what the playoff teams might look like.