Cowboys, Patriots Climb in Week 5 NFL Rankings as 4-0 Vikings Fall Out of Top 10
Updated
Updated · NFL.com · Oct 6
Cowboys, Patriots Climb in Week 5 NFL Rankings as 4-0 Vikings Fall Out of Top 10
3 articles · Updated · NFL.com · Oct 6
Summary
Week 5 rankings elevated Dallas and New England after statement Week 4 wins, while unbeaten Minnesota dropped out of the top 10 despite improving to 4-0.
Week 4 tilted toward defense—nine teams scored under 20 points and 11 of 16 games were decided by one score—pushing evaluators to reward resilience over record alone.
San Francisco stayed atop the hierarchy after a second-half surge beat Denver, with Kansas City, Seattle and Baltimore also holding premium spots after surviving tougher tests.
Dallas rose on a last-minute win over Houston and New England jumped after beating Buffalo on the road, while the Vikings were downgraded for an offense described as unsustainably poor.
The reshuffle underscored a month-old theme across the league: several contenders remain flawed, with injuries, uneven quarterback play and shaky defenses clouding the early pecking order.
With heavy preseason favorites crashing, are these early NFL struggles a permanent collapse or just a temporary illusion masking true playoff contenders?
Can surprise risers like the Jaguars and Patriots sustain their shocking momentum, or will reality crush their unexpected championship dreams?
Will the undefeated Vikings' bizarre reliance on field goals and defense survive their mounting offensive line injuries and procedural chaos?