10. Washington Commanders (3-2)
In Jayden Daniels’ first game back in the lineup, the Washington Commanders go on the road and get a huge win over the Los Angeles Chargers, and with the Philadelphia Eagles losing in Week 5 to the Denver Broncos, the Commanders effectively closed the entire gap in the NFC East.
I do think the Eagles could end up winning this division, but the Commanders are not going to go quietly. Washington does have an old roster, but that age does bring experience, and this was a perfect example of that - going into a hostile environment against a good team and coming out of the other side with a huge win.
This franchise has done a complete 180 since Dan Quinn and Jayden Daniels entered the mix back in the 2024 NFL Offseason. They rise a bit in our NFL power rankings and get over .500. They were able to survive just fine without Daniels and are surely now going to look to break this thing open in the coming weeks, perhaps taking a lead in the division on the way.
9. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
The Pittsburgh Steelers lost during the bye week! I am only kidding, but the Steelers are 3-1 on the season and did not play in Week 5 due to the bye. All of a sudden, they look like the runaway favorite in the AFC North this year. The Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, and Cleveland Browns all lost in Week 5, so the Steelers gained even more ground without having to lift a finger. Veteran QB Aaron Rodgers has also played quite well this year, so we have to give him credit for that. I do wonder if this defense can actually get a bit more consistent and not have the ‘boom or bust’ mentality that this defense has thrived on for years.
Furthermore, the ceiling with this offense remains to be seen, but winning three of their first four games is impressive and indicative of the well-oiled machine this team and franchise is. Without taking the QB position more seriously, though, Pittsburgh is never going to ascend to atop the NFL, and they won’t win playoff games.
Aaron Rodgers is a fun solution, but this team is going to be in another bad position next offseason when the four-time MVP decides to hang it up.