We're through five weeks of the 2023 NFL season, and the league is beginning to come into shape with the contenders and the pretenders. The good and great teams are beginning to reveal themselves, and the bad an awful teams are doing the exact same. Week 5 was filled with more exciting games, and because of that, there's been more movement in the power rankings.
Teams like the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers seem to have bottomed out. Teams like the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles are continuing to cement themselves as the cream of the crop. The current NFL hierarchy does feel like it'll stay about the same that it is when we get into the latter parts of the 2023 NFL season.
Let's dive into the Week 5 power rankings!
Note: These power rankings were typed during Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers game
NFL Week 5 Power Rankings: The league is coming into shape after Week 5 games
32. Carolina Panthers (0-5)
The Carolina Panthers are stuck with Bryce Young; they do not have a first round pick in 2024, and that pick that they traded to acquire Young is the #1 overall selection. It's looking pretty gloomy for the Panthers, who need to pull out all the stops to make sure their QB develops.
31. Chicago Bears (1-4)
Justin Fields has looked pretty good over the last two weeks, but let's not get it twisted; the Chicago Bears are still a pretty bad football team, and they are very much in the Caleb Williams sweepstakes.
30. New England Patriots (1-4)
The New England Patriots are in need of a reboot. They've scored three points over the last two weeks and have been outscored by 69 total points over that same span. It's time for a new era in New England. Bill Belichick has overstayed his welcome at this point.
29. Denver Broncos (1-4)
My Denver Broncos are no good. Russell Wilson is still on pace for over 4,000 yards and 37 touchdown passes, but they are an undisciplined team with a really, really bad defense. Russell Wilson is not the primary issue at all. Sean Payton has a ton to fix on the defensive side of the ball, though.