2013 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5
Updated: October 1, 2013, 4:24 PM ET
ESPN.com
Week:
Whose 4-0 start has been more impressive? When it comes to the Broncos and Seahawks, our voters (John Clayton, Ashley Fox, Dan Graziano, Jamison Hensley, Mike Sando and Kevin Seifert) choose the former.
Buoyed by four first-place votes, Peyton Manning & Co. have gained the No. 1 spot for the first time this season. Seattle falls to No. 2, ahead of the unbeaten Saints, Patriots and Chiefs.
Even though the Seahawks beat a 2012 playoff team (Houston) on the road in Week 4, the Broncos' season-long dominance is ringing more loudly. After a 52-20 pasting of Philadelphia, Denver is now averaging an amazing 44.8 points per game with a 22-point average margin of victory.
Does that mean the Broncos' reign is built to last? Most of the signs say yes, but the schedule will soon get tougher. Seattle likely isn't going anywhere, either. Right now, though, it just doesn't have the style points to stay on top.
Note: The comments below are provided by ESPN Stats & Information.
• Reporters' analysis | Defense leads rise of Chiefs, Titans | Rank 'Em | Mike & Mike 
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Team Power Rankings charts since 2002
| 2013 Power Rankings: Week 5 | ||||
| RANK | TEAM / RECORD | TRENDING | COMMENTS | |
| 1 |  | 1 Last Week: 2 | Peyton Manning has missed (over or underthrown) on 14 throws this season. Since the start of 2008, QBs have missed at least 14 throws in a single game 36 times. | |
| 2 |  | 1 Last Week: 1 | A bad Matt Schaub interception helped the Seahawks leave Houston with a two-game cushion on the 49ers. It doesn't get easier, though, with a trip to Indianapolis up next. | |
| 3 |  | -- Last Week: 3 | On throws deeper than 10 yards downfield, nobody has more catches (14), yards (346) or touchdowns (four) than Jimmy Graham. Chicago gets the next shot at stopping him. Good luck. | |
| 4 |  | 1 Last Week: 5 | How do the Patriots replace Vince Wilfork? Since 2009 without Wilfork, the Pats' averages in yards per rush allowed and yards before contact per rush allowed would rank last. | |
| 5 |  | 3 Last Week: 8 | This offense can be effective running to set up play-action, as it was Sunday. After play-action fakes, Alex Smith finished 6-of-10 for 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns. | |
| 6 |  | 3 Last Week: 9 | The Colts are feeling good after beating the 49ers and Jaguars by a combined score of 64-10. Indy hosts Seattle in one of Week 5's most interesting matchups. | |
| 7 |  | -- Last Week: 7 | Tough night for Ryan Tannehill. Three interceptions, four sacks and the fifth-worst Total QBR of his career. Playing the Ravens' inconsistent defense could help -- or make it worse. | |
| 8 |  | 2 Last Week: 10 | Frank Gore had 115 rushing yards between the tackles on Thursday after totaling 88 in his first three games. Repeating that against the Texans is no small task. | |
| 9 |  | 5 Last Week: 4 | The Bears were 1-of-13 converting third downs Sunday, with their lone first down on the last opportunity. Chicago's average distance to go on third down was a staggering 8.9 yards. | |
| 10 |  | 6 Last Week: 16 | Reggie Bush is averaging 5.7 yards per rush between the tackles this year, fourth-best among running backs. Bush had 13 interior rushes for 121 yards and a touchdown Sunday. | |
| 11 |  | 5 Last Week: 6 | A couple steps forward, then a step back for Andy Dalton. He finished 23-of-42 for 206 yards and an interception Sunday, posting the third-worst yards-per-attempt average of his career. | |
| 12 |  | -- Last Week: 12 | Green Bay has to avoid a 1-3 start. A four-point loss followed by a bye should have the Packers pretty fired up to host the division-leading Lions this weekend. | |
| 13 |  | 4 Last Week: 17 | Three of the Titans' six first-half possessions started in Jets territory Sunday, all of which resulted in touchdowns. The 3-1 Titans just keep finding ways to win. | |
| 14 |  | 3 Last Week: 11 | Joe Flacco dropped back to pass on a career-high 85.8 percent of snaps and threw as many interceptions (five) as Ray Rice had rushes Sunday. Maybe they should run more? | |
| 15 |  | 2 Last Week: 13 | Both of Matt Schaub's interceptions came on third down Sunday, including the crucial Richard Sherman pick-six. Sunday was Schaub's first career game with multiple third-down interceptions. | |
| 16 |  | 2 Last Week: 14 | Atlanta scored a touchdown on one of six red zone possessions Sunday night. Even with all those weapons, the Falcons have the fourth-lowest red zone TD percentage in the league. | |
| 17 |  | 2 Last Week: 19 | Philip Rivers connected on nine of 11 throws deeper than 10 yards downfield for three touchdowns Sunday. Four Chargers had multiple catches on those throws, something the team never did last year. | |
| 18 |  | 3 Last Week: 15 | Dez Bryant caught six of nine targets for 81 yards and two touchdowns, his seventh career game with multiple TD catches. What's weird is the Cowboys are 1-6 in those seven games. | |
| 19 |  | 3 Last Week: 22 | Larry Fitzgerald hasn't gained more than 80 receiving yards in a game this year. Fitz has two 100-yard games since the start of last year. Thirty-nine players have more. | |
| 20 |  | 5 Last Week: 25 | Undefeated starter Brian Hoyer (stop laughing!) was 8-of-11 for 64 yards and a touchdown on play-action, an area of major improvement since the Trent Richardson trade (and Brandon Weeden injury). | |
| 21 |  | -- Last Week: 21 | Coming off the bye, will the real Panthers please stand up? Is Carolina the team that dominated the Giants, or the last-second loser in Buffalo in Week 2? | |
| 22 |  | 4 Last Week: 18 | Geno Smith was sacked, lost a fumble, or threw an interception on eight of 40 drop-backs Sunday. Only the Giants (16) have more turnovers as a team than Smith (11) has this season. | |
| 23 |  | 1 Last Week: 24 | The Bills are averaging 152 rushing yards per game so far, second-most in the league, but have twice as many fumbles as anyone else (six). Cleveland is next on Thursday. | |
| 24 |  | 2 Last Week: 26 | Against at least eight defenders in the box, Matt Cassel was 7-of-10 for 77 yards and a touchdown on Sunday. Continuing to produce against front-loaded defenses could change everything for the Vikings. | |
| 25 |  | 2 Last Week: 27 | The Redskins finally ran the ball, which opened up Robert Griffin III's play-action game. Griffin posted season highs in completions and yards after play fakes in Sunday's win. | |
| 26 |  | 6 Last Week: 20 | Beware the trap game. At 1-3 already, the Rams (and Sam Bradford especially) can't afford to look past Jacksonville to their Week 6 game in Houston. | |
| 27 |  | 4 Last Week: 23 | In each game after Week 1, Michael Vick's completion percentage on throws 5 yards or fewer has gone down. Short throws are a staple of Chip Kelly's offense. | |
| 28 |  | 2 Last Week: 30 | Matt Flynn took seven sacks Sunday, as many as Terrelle Pryor had all season. Flynn was sacked on 18 percent of drop-backs, second-highest of anyone in a game this season. | |
| 29 |  | 1 Last Week: 28 | The Steelers allowed 96 rushing yards after contact Sunday, their second-most since the start of 2009. There's a lot to think about in Pittsburgh during the bye week. | |
| 30 |  | 1 Last Week: 29 | Don't blame Victor Cruz. On Sunday, he continued a solid season amid the tumult, catching three times as many passes for first downs (six) as all the other Giants combined. | |
| 31 |  | -- Last Week: 31 | Vincent Jackson caught two of 11 targets Sunday, an 18.2 catch percentage that was a career-worst among 33 games with at least eight targets. Both Mike Glennon picks were on Jackson targets. | |
| 32 |  | -- Last Week: 32 | Jacksonville has been outscored by 98 points, twice as many as all but two teams. Better beat the Rams, because going to Denver in Week 6 may be the year's worst game. | |
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| Glossary |
| The rankings were determined by ESPN's Power Panel, a group of more than 80 writers, editors and television personalities. |
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