The AFC is a pretty mediocre conference. Let's power rank it after some wild Week 5 action. It is truly anyone's game in the AFC. With the Buffalo Bills losing to the New England Patriots in Week 5, every team in the conference has at least one loss.
There is also the New York Jets, the lone winless team in the NFL. As we approach midseason, things might begin to sort itself out more in the conference, but even the Kansas City Chiefs have looked rough at times this year.
We power ranked the AFC following some wild Week 5 action. Let's get into it here.
Power ranking the week AFC following Week 5 action
16. New York Jets (0-5)
The lone winless team in the NFL, the New York Jets have put up a ton of garbage-time stats that inflate what might look like an efficient offense. This team is terrible from top to bottom and can't do much of anything right.
15. Cincinnati Bengals (2-3)
The 2-3 Cincinnati Bengals have traded for Joe Flacco, and that is an upgrade over Jake Browning, but to me, Jameis Winston was the correct answer here, but I can see their reasoning for going for Flacco. This team is still among the worst in the conference for obvious reasons, though.
14. Miami Dolphins (1-4)
The Miami Dolphins could have easily been 2-3 had they closed the door shut on the Carolina Panthers, but this does feel like the beginning of the end for this current regime. A ton of changes are on the horizon, and it would not shock me if the QB, Tua Tagovailoa, was on a new team in the 2026 NFL Season.
The Dolphins need a major reset.
13. Las Vegas Raiders (1-4)
The Las Vegas Raiders have lost four games in a row, and it's not a surprise. This team was poorly built from the start, and now that they are actually playing games and not being pumped up in the offseason by others, we see the truth. Geno Smith has been a bottom-3 QB this year and has already thrown nine interceptions.
Nothing is working in Vegas besides losing.
12. Cleveland Browns (1-4)
Dillon Gabriel did give the Cleveland Browns a pretty strong start in their Week 5 international loss at the hands of the Minnesota Vikings. Overall, the Browns are clearly building for 2026 and beyond, but they do have a playoff-caliber defense and might barely be good enough to play spoiler here and there. Cleveland is 12th in our AFC power rankings.
11. Tennessee Titans (1-4)
Winning their first game of the season thanks to the Arizona Cardinals being undisciplined, the Tennessee Titans move to 1-4 on the season and up to 11th in our power rankings. This team still needs a ton of change to get on the right track, but they have 'slayed the dragon' if you will and won a game. I do not expect many more wins for this team in the 2025 NFL Season.
And I am not sure Brian Callahan will be with the team in 2026, either.
10. Baltimore Ravens (1-4)
Getting blown out at home without Lamar Jackson, the Baltimore Ravens fall all the way down to 10th in our latest AFC power rankings approaching Week 6. The Ravens are a mess, but it's primarily due to injuries. If this team can get healthy, and that is a bit if, they could go on a run and perhaps scrape together nine wins, which should be enough in the AFC in 2025 to make the postseason.
The Ravens would have to go 8-5 across their final 13 games to make the postseason, and that really does not seem all that crazy, does it?
9. Houston Texans (2-3)
Coming in at ninth and riding a two-game winning streak, the Houston Texans have taken care of business against two bad teams and are trying to claw their way back into the mix in the AFC. With the Colts and Jaguars both being 4-1, it's going to take a lot of work for the Texans to win the division for the third year in a row, but there is a reason why they have done it in 2023 and 2024...
8. Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)
The Kansas City Chiefs are and average football team, and let's not overthink this. This team has lost three of their first five games for a reason, and we are seeing the Chiefs' razor-thin margins disappear and go in the other direction, something I warned you about in the offseason.
Sure, the Chiefs still have time to turn things around, but unless they make multiple major trade deadline moves, they aren't going to go far in the playoffs, and I am not sure this team is playoff-caliber at this point. KC is eighth in our AFC power rankings and have a ton of questions to answer.
7. Los Angeles Chargers (3-2)
With two losses in a row, the LA Chargers have seen their two-game lead in the AFC West disappear just like that. Sure, they have already beaten the Chiefs and Denver Broncos, but this team is becoming concerningly injured. Omarion Hampton is now on IR, and they don't have Najee Harris.
The run game is not going to be efficient, and it's not like they have the offensive line to win at the point of attack, either.
6. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-1)
On their bye in Week 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers all of a sudden find themselves atop the AFC North and probably with the best chance to win the division in the 2025 NFL Season. I don't believe Aaron Rodgers has to do anything special for them to win it this year, either.
The Ravens, Browns, and Bengals all seem to bad that a modest 10-win season might be enough. What a world we live in.
5. New England Patriots (3-2)
After a statement win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football, the New England Patriots rise to fifth in our AFC power rankings. This team is good enough to make the playoffs, and second-year QB Drake Maye has been excellent this year.
Mike Vrabel being the head coach also helps a ton, too. Good for the Patriots.
4. Denver Broncos (3-2)
Something has to be said about the Denver Broncos after their win over the Eagles. Not only did they beat Philly at some, which is something few teams have done, but they beat them while down by multiple touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
This was the type of win that can change the direction of an NFL franchise, as Denver was searching for that signature win in the early stages of the Bo Nix era. the Broncos improve to 3-2 and do genuinely feel like the most dangerous team in the AFC West and perhaps one of the most dangerous three-win teams in the NFL.
3. Jacksonville Jaguars (4-1)
A huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday Night Football has the Jacksonville Jaguars sitting pretty at 4-1. I don't know about you, but I am so excited to see the AFC South battle down the stretch. Both Jacksonville and Indianapolis are plenty good enough to win the division in my eyes.
The Jags are shockingly 4-1 and no. 3 in our AFC power rankings.
2. Indianapolis Colts (4-1)
A blowout win over the Las Vegas Raiders was an example of a good team taking care of business against a bad team. There isn't much more to say about the Colts regarding their most recent win, but they have now won four of their first five games and feel more 'legit' with each passing week. Indy is no. 2 in our power rankings.
1. Buffalo Bills (4-1)
The loss against the New England Patriots at home was bad, but the Buffalo Bills are probably still the best team in the AFC right now, but you could convince me that another team is deserving of that title. Buffalo does have an easier schedule this year and should be able to win 13 or 14 games, perhaps locking up the top seed in the AFC playoffs.
Buffalo is trying to get over the hump in the postseason, something they have not done in the Josh Allen era. Could 2025 finally be the year?