The power rankings roller coaster brings enticing matchups to NFL's Week 5 schedule
Shortly after the NFL released its 2023 schedule, many football fans had circled Sunday night's Week 5 match up between the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers.
With the one blemish of a Week 3 upset, the one-loss Cowboys and undefeated 49ers are both back in the top five of Paste BN's power rankings. The Cowboys bounced back last week with 35-point win over the New England Patriots.
While Sunday night will be appointment TV for many, a handful of other games are intriguing when viewed through the lens of the teams' power rankings.
Week 5 games and odds with diverging rankings
The week's first two games feature teams that opened the year with similar expectations but have since diverged. On the flip side are two featured games that haven't lost their luster. How these eight teams' power rankings have fluctuated (or not) in the last four weeks:
32. Chicago Bears at 15. Washington Commanders: The Chicago Bears opened the season a few spots above the Washington Commanders. Since then, the Commanders have vaulted into the middle of the pack while the Bears, well, at least they can't fall any farther in the power rankings.
14. Jacksonville Jaguars at 2. Buffalo Bills: Last week's 23-7 win over the Atlanta Falcons pulled the Jaguars out of their nose dive, but that could be short-lived as they travel to Tottenham, London, to play the 3-1 Bills. On the Jaguars' side: They're .500 (5-5) all time in London and 72 games below state-side.
Teams with converging NFL power rankings
Among Sunday afternoon's games are four where the teams fortunes have converged to similar power rankings. How these eight teams' rankings have fluctuated in the last four weeks:
26. Cincinnati Bengals vs. 27. Arizona Cardinals: These teams entered the season with very different expectations, but they now sit side by side at 1-3 largely because of their franchise quarterbacks. The Bengals Joe Burrow, the league's highest-paid player, has the lowest passer rating (69.1) among non-rookie quarterbacks. The Cardinals Kyler Murray is recovering from ACL reconstruction, although he's no longer on the PUP list.
3. Philadelphia Eagles vs. 9. Los Angeles Rams: The Rams jumped into the top 10 this week after their second-ranked passing attack led them to an overtime win. The Eagles also survived an overtime scare in Week 4, which dropped them a notch – even though they remain perfect. They are the sixth team since 2000 to go 4-0 in successive seasons.
AFC South jumbled in the middle with 2-win teams
Just 10 spots separate the teams in the AFC South. With the .500 Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans squaring of Sunday afternoon that bit of parity could be short-lived. The Houston Texans also face a 2-2 opponent this week but from the NFC South: Atlanta Falcons.
How the 16 AFC teams' rankings have fluctuated in their conferences during last three weeks:
Where NFC teams rank in their divisions
How the 16 NFC teams' rankings have fluctuated in their conferences during last three weeks:
NFL Week 5 games and TV schedule
The searchable list below shows each upcoming scheduled and unscheduled matchup. For example, if you just want to see the Kansas City Chiefs' remaining schedule, just type "Chiefs" into the search bar. Or, if you'd like to see the Week 9 games, just type WK 9.
Compare NFL power rankings for Week 5 and rest of 2023 season
Click on a logo below to see the changes in a single team's power ranking this season. Click on additional logos to see how they compare.
Contributing: Nate Davis