- For the first time in the 2025 season, Philadelphia doesn’t check in at No. 1.
- One new team entered the top five this week with two more right on the fringe.
- Another squad is occupying last place for the first time.
NFL power rankings entering Week 6 of the 2025 season (previous rank in parentheses):
2. Buffalo Bills (2): Perhaps they haven’t beaten anyone of note aside from a fully healthy Ravens squad on opening night. But Sunday night’s loss was uncharacteristic, insomuch as Buffalo’s three giveaways cost them the turnover battle for the first time since the 2023 regular-season finale. A two-game road swing (Atlanta, Carolina) through the NFC South should be therapeutic.
3. Philadelphia Eagles (1): My esteemed colleague Chris Bumbaca wrote it best − Philly can’t (or won’t) feed Saquon Barkley, the best running back on the planet five minutes ago. Currently? Try 53.4 rushing yards per game and 3.2 per carry. And the A.J. Brown issues continues to persist. But let’s not forget this team didn’t truly take flight until October a year ago.
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6): They’ve scored at least 20 points in 20 consecutive games, the league’s longest streak. They nearly scored 20 two times over in Sunday’s 38-35 shootout win at Seattle, the Bucs’ latest harrowing, last-minute escape … and one that will further burnish QB Baker Mayfield’s early MVP credentials.
5. Green Bay Packers (4): Beaten up in the trenches and coming off a 40-40 loss − yes, that’s what it was − to Dallas, they needed the week off.
6. Jacksonville Jaguars (14): Liam Coen, Coach of the Year? Devin Lloyd, Defensive Player of the Year? Trevor Lawrence, Comeback Player of the Year? This all seems quite lofty, but give the 4-1 Jags their props, especially after breaking the Chiefs’ 23-game streak of burying opponents they’d led by 14+ points.
10. Denver Broncos (12): Tempting to move them much higher after two impressive wins, including Sunday’s victory in Philly, allayed concerns about their uneven start. Coming off a six-sack performance, the league’s best D continues to shine.
11. Washington Commanders (13): QB Jayden Daniels returned to action and summarily became the first player with at least 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards in his first 20 NFL games. Good thing he’s right given Washington will play in prime time three of the next four weeks.
14. Kansas City Chiefs (8): Social media informs us that they are winless since Taylor Swift’s new album dropped. Seems like the extent of their problem(s).
15. New England Patriots (22): Their next three opponents have a combined three wins. Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye seem on the cusp of resurrecting this franchise from its recent dormancy.
19. Chicago Bears (18): And now a return to Washington’s Northwest Stadium, scene of the Hail Mary crime that sent this club into a 10-game tailspin a year ago.
22. Arizona Cardinals (19): Third-string running backs are bound to do third-rate things − and for a team that isn’t fortunate enough to be in third place after three straight losses coming on the final play.
26. Cleveland Browns (28): New QB1 Dillon Gabriel could stand to cut it loose a little more next week but did enough to earn a win in his debut.
27. New Orleans Saints (31): WR Rashid Shaheed has scored 15 NFL touchdowns. Their average length covered? How about 50.1 yards. (Hat tip:NFL Network.)
