This is the time of the NFL season where I ask the same question each season:
Is any team really that good?
The Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs are the top two teams in my Power Rankings for the second consecutive week, as well as the two remaining undefeated teams in the league, but both have defensive flaws. The rest of the league's supposed elite have even more issues.
That's why it's so hard to get a real gauge on the first five weeks of the season and simply say it will be the Chiefs and Rams in the Super Bowl.
Didn't some say that last year about the Chiefs after they opened 5-0? I love watching the Rams and Chiefs play because I love creativity on offense as well as outstanding quarterback play.
But neither team is Super Bowl-good on defense just yet.
That's why we won't have a real gauge on the season until late November as the pretenders fall off and the real contenders emerge.
I would imagine both the Chiefs and Rams would be contenders at that time, but who else? Are the New England Patriots now back on track? Will Aaron Rodgers get the Green Bay Packers going again? Can Blake Bortles rebound and keep the Jaguars a contender? Are the Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals for real?
There's a lot of time left before the picture truly begins to crystallize. Like I always say at this time of the year: Is anybody any good? We don't know for sure.
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Can they be stopped on offense? It sure doesn't look like it. Jared Goff is an MVP candidate. | -- | 5-6-0 |
| 2 |  | They face the toughest challenge of the season against the Patriots in Foxboro. Can that defense slow Tom Brady? | -- | 8-3-0 |
| 3 |  | They come off their bye with a road game against Miami. That won't be easy. | 2 | 4-8-0 |
| 4 |  | As long as Drew Brees is slinging it and Sean Payton is calling plays, they will be a contender. The defense is showing improvement. | 2 | 5-6-0 |
| 5 |  | At 4-1, they face a big game this week against the Steelers. Is it time to consider Marvin Lewis for early coach of the year consideration? | 4 | 5-6-0 |
| 6 |  | They almost blew the Giants game, but managed to steal one late. They face a tough road game against the Redskins this week. | 2 | 1-10-0 |
| 7 |  | They have righted things the past two weeks, but now comes a real proving game against the Chiefs. | 4 | 2-9-0 |
| 8 |  | What the heck happened in Buffalo? That was an awful offensive showing. | 5 | 4-7-0 |
| 9 |  | Blake Bortles can't play like he did in Kansas City or they won't be a playoff team - no matter what. | 5 | 8-3-0 |
| 10 |  | The offense has to score more than the nine points it scored against the Browns. Now they play a third consecutive road game, this time at Tennessee. | -- | 9-3-0 |
| 11 |  | At 3-2, the Chargers are coming off a nice victory over the Raiders. Their trip to play the Browns won't be easy. | 6 | 4-7-0 |
| 12 |  | They found a defense against the Falcons. Now they face a big-time game against the Bengals. | 7 | 7-4-0 |
| 13 |  | Was that a season saving victory against the Eagles? It might have been. Kirk Cousins is playing good football. | 7 | 6-6-0 |
| 14 |  | At 2-2, that wasn't a good look coming off the bye against the Saints. Alex Smith needs to pick it up. | 7 | 4-8-0 |
| 15 |  | They should be 4-1, but blew a 17-point second-half lead against the Bengals. Now here come the Bears. | 3 | 8-3-0 |
| 16 |  | At 2-3, they hardly look like the champs of last season. The offensive line is holding this team back. | 3 | 10-1-0 |
| 17 |  | They have won two straight to turn their season around. Deshaun Watson is playing well. | 8 | 6-5-0 |
| 18 |  | They head to their bye off an impressive victory over the Packers. They've been woefully inconsistent in their first five games. | 4 | 8-3-0 |
| 19 |  | They haven't looked good yet this season. Can Monday night's game with the 49ers be the one that gets them going? | 5 | 5-6-0 |
| 20 |  | At 2-2-1, they've been in every game. That defense is impressive. | 8 | 7-4-0 |
| 21 |  | With all that's going on, Jason Garrett is in trouble. They need to start winning games. | 5 | 8-3-0 |
| 22 |  | They have improved on offense in recent weeks, but the defense remains a problem. They have to tighten up on that side. | 4 | 6-5-0 |
| 23 |  | Jameis Winston is now the quarterback, which is the way it should be. His first start is on the road at Atlanta. | 2 | 4-7-0 |
| 24 |  | They are 1-4 and looking up at the rest of the division. At least Andrew Luck looked like himself against the Patriots. | 2 | 6-5-0 |
| 25 |  | Sean McDermott has this team with two victories with a rookie quarterback. That's impressive. | 4 | 6-6-0 |
| 26 |  | They ran right through the Broncos defense to get the upset last Sunday. It was a nice rebound after losing to the Jaguars. | 4 | 4-7-0 |
| 27 |  | In a span of a week, they lost two games and looked terrible against the Jets. They don't look right on either side of the ball. | 12 | 6-5-0 |
| 28 |  | The defense just can't compete with so many players injured. At 1-4, their playoff chances are going bye-bye. | 5 | 5-6-0 |
| 29 |  | It hasn't been a pretty start to the Jon Gruden era in Oakland. That wasn't a good showing against the Chargers. | 2 | 5-7-0 |
| 30 |  | At 1-4, they have a must-win against the Eagles Thursday. Lose that one, and any hope of the playoffs is likely gone. | 6 | 4-8-0 |
| 31 |  | Josh Rosen got his first victory last week, which is something they can build on going forward. | 1 | 2-10-0 |
| 32 |  | They just don't have enough talent right now. This is about 2019. | 1 | 8-3-0 |
