Week 5 of the NFL season had shocking upsets, dominant blowouts, and an entertaining shootout. At this point of the season, some teams are plummeting to the bottom of the NFL while others are making a statement that they are true contenders.
It is still early in the season, but some teams are already running out of time when it comes to the playoff picture. Take a look at how the postseason bracket looks after Week 5.
Week 5 NFL Standings and Playoff Picture
AFC Playoff Picture
1. Indianapolis Colts, 4-1 (beat Raiders on Sunday)
2. Buffalo Bills, 4-1 (lost to Patriots on SNF)
3. Pittsburgh Steelers, 3-1 (bye week)
4. Los Angeles Chargers, 3-2 (lost to Commanders on Sunday)
5. Jacksonville Jaguars, 4-1 (beat Chiefs on MNF)
6. Denver Broncos, 3-2 (beat Eagles on Sunday)
7. New England Patriots, 3-2 (beat Bills on SNF)
In the Hunt
8. Cincinnati Bengals, 2-3 (lost to Lions on Sunday)
9. Houston Texans, 2-3 (beat Ravens on Sunday)
10. Kansas City Chiefs, 2-3 (lost to Jaguars on MNF)
11. Las Vegas Raiders, 1-4 (lost to Colts on Sunday)
12. Baltimore Ravens, 1-4 (lost to Texans on Sunday)
13. Miami Dolphins, 1-4 (lost to Panthers on Sunday)
14. Cleveland Browns, 1-4 (lost to Vikings on Sunday in London)
15. Tennessee Titans, 1-4 (beat Cardinals on Sunday)
16. New York Jets, 0-5 (lost to Cowboys on Sunday)
NFC Playoff Picture
1. Philadelphia Eagles, 4-1 (lost to Broncos on Sunday)
2. San Francisco 49ers, 4-1 (beat Rams on Thursday)
3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-1 (beat Seahawks on Sunday)
4. Detroit Lions, 4-1 (beat Bengals on Sunday)
5. Green Bay Packers, 2-1-1 (bye week)
6. Seattle Seahawks, 3-2 (lost to Buccaneers on Sunday)
7. Minnesota Vikings, 3-2 (beat Browns on Sunday in London)
In the Hunt
8. Washington Commanders, 3-2 (beat Chargers on Sunday)
9. Los Angeles Rams, 3-2 (lost to 49ers on Thursday)
10. Atlanta Falcons, 2-2 (bye week)
11. Chicago Bears, 2-2 (bye week)
12. Dallas Cowboys, 2-2-1 (beat Jets on Sunday)
13. Arizona Cardinals, 2-3 (lost to Titans on Sunday)
14. Carolina Panthers, 2-3 (beat Dolphins on Sunday)
15. New Orleans Saints, 1-4 (beat Giants on Sunday)
16. New York Giants, 1-4 (lost to Saints on Sunday)
NFL Teams on the Rise
New England Patriots
The Patriots went into Orchard Park, New York, and shocked the NFL by knocking off the only remaining undefeated team, the Bills. Patriots HC Mike Vrabel put together a master defensive game plan to contain the Bills’ offense, especially their rushing attack. In fact, the Patriots’ defense held RB James Cook to just 49 yards, and Josh Allen was the leading rusher with 53 yards.
Drake Maye took the next step on the National stage, throwing for 273 yards. But the spotlight was also on Stefon Diggs, who returned to Buffalo with 10 receptions for 146 yards.
The Patriots might be building something special here, and this win increased their playoff odds by 23.4 percentage points. New England now has a 67.9% chance of making the postseason.
Washington Commanders
Jayden Daniels returned to the field on Sunday, giving the Commanders a spark in his first game back from injury. His presence helped catapult his team into the win column, as they marched into Los Angeles to defeat the Chargers 27-10 handily.
At the start of the year, when the Commanders have been inconsistent, picking up a key win on the road against a team that made the playoffs last year is a big deal.
After the victory, the Commanders have a 61% chance to make the playoffs and a 35.6% chance to win the NFC East, according to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. They are set to take on the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 6.
Indianapolis Colts
Sitting pretty with a 4-1 record, the Colts continue to climb up PFSN’s NFL power rankings with their incredible start to the year. Their 40-6 win on Sunday over the Raiders was a dominant showing on both sides of the ball.
Daniel Jones distributed the ball well, Jonathan Taylor ran for three touchdowns against the Raiders, and the Colts’ defense had four sacks and two interceptions. It’s been a difficult task for anyone to stop Indianapolis so far this season.
The win helped their playoff odds jump up to 92% and their chances of winning their division are now 65.1%, per PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. The Colts have the Cardinals next, who just suffered a terrible defeat to the Titans.
Teams on the Decline
Philadelphia Eagles
Undefeated no more, the Eagles still sit near the top of the NFL with a 4-1 record going into Week 6. But given the 14-point lead they held over the Broncos before eventually losing the game, this loss stings just slightly more.
The Broncos are a very good team, and they deserve a lot of credit for how they fought on Sunday. Still, the Eagles failed to establish the run, and the defense fell apart with a big deal entering the fourth quarter. They’re obviously still a powerhouse, but they showed in Week 5 that they can be their own worst enemy at times.
The Eagles have a quick turnaround against the Giants on Thursday Night Football. The Eagles’ playoff odds aren’t in jeopardy yet, as they still have a 79.5% chance to make the playoffs and a 57.7% chance to take the NFC East again, per PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor.
Baltimore Ravens
Playing without Lamar Jackson was expected to hurt the Ravens, but few could have anticipated they’d be blown out by 34 points by the Texans on Sunday. Now, the Ravens have a 1-4 record this season.
In addition to Jackson, injuries to key contributors on both sides of the ball have plagued Baltimore recently. They have the raw talent to pick themselves up once their guys get healthy, but 1-4 is a tough hole to get out of if they are to make the playoffs this season.
The Ravens’ playoff odds took a big hit as they nearly halved. The Ravens have a 21.5% chance to make the playoffs and only a 15.2% chance to win the division, according to PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. They are hoping Jackson will be back next week as they take on a tough Rams team, who are also looking to bounce back from a tough loss.
Los Angeles Rams
A loss to the 49ers on Thursday sends the Rams out of the top five of PFSN’s power rankings. But they’re still rated pretty highly, considering the difficulty of their schedule and how well they’ve performed against top-level competition.
The Rams are the highest two-loss team slated in these rankings. Obviously, they’ll need to keep stacking wins to compete in a loaded NFC West. To start the year, they’ve shown they can stick with any team in the NFL. It’s just a matter of proving they can win those games.
With their loss on Thursday, the Rams’ playoff odds sit at 54.4%, and their odds to win the NFC West are 24.9%, per PFSN’s NFL Playoff Predictor. The Rams have the struggling, shorthanded Ravens in Baltimore in Week 6, and will be looking to prove that Week 5 was a fluke.