2023 NFL Power Rankings: Week 5

Week 4 of the 2023 NFL season is officially in the books! The Buffalo Bills cemented their position on top of our NFL Power Rankings -- which come via numberFire's nERD metric -- while the Denver Broncos moved down one spot and now sit at the bottom.

The Houston Texans rise up the ranks continues after their 30-6 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Houston jumps up nine places, landing in 19th. Pittsburgh drops five spots to 24th.

After their disappointing 27-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans, the Cincinnati Bengals resumed their decline and now sit in 22nd, down eight spots from last week.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers jump three spots after their 26-6 blowout win over the New Orleans Saints and now reside in 14th.

The team with the largest increase in Super Bowl odds -- per numberFire's model -- after Week 4? The Kansas City Chiefs -- up 5.7 percentage points.

The team with the largest decrease in Super Bowl odds after Week 4? The Miami Dolphins -- down 8.1 percentage points.

These Power Rankings will continue to shift weekly as the story of the season is written.

Here's where things stand heading into Week 5.

NFL Power Rankings (Week 5)

Teams Ranked 32nd to 23rd

The Carolina Panthers rebuild under Bryce Young continued its rocky start in Week 4. Their 21-13 loss to the previously winless Minnesota Vikings was highlighted by another unimpressive day on offense. The Panthers' defense ranks 22nd by numberFire's opponent-adjusted model, but their offense ranks 29th. Their rushing offense ranks a respectable 17th, but their passing offense ranks 29th. That's a troubling sign for a team that gave up significant draft capital to select their signal caller of the future with the first overall pick in April's draft. Juxtaposed against the success the Houston Texans' are seeing with C.J. Stroud under center, the Panthers' draft-day decision will remain firmly under the microscope.

Look out below! After their 34-20 loss to the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers fell 16 spots, the largest drop of the week, moving from the first tier all the way down to 27th. Their ranking is a touch harsh; there is a large tier break in nERD between them and the New York Giants, who sit in 28th. That said, after overachieving to start the season, the Packers were handed a reality check by Detroit in Week 4. The Packers' primary issue is their defense. Their offense ranks 16th, per numberFire, but their defense ranks 28th. The Packers will have an excellent chance to correct that with games against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 and the Broncos in Week 6.

Joining the Packers in free-fall after Week 4 is the Atlanta Falcons, who dropped 13 spots and now sit in 26th. For the second week in a row, Atlanta failed to score more than seven points. Their early-season success was hiding a team that is flawed on offense. They rank 24th overall, per numberFire, anchored to the bottom by a passing offense that ranks 25th. Their defense ranks a respectable 18th, but they are averaging just 12.3 points per game. In Week 5, they will face a Texans team that is enjoying a positive start to the season thanks to their decision to draft a signal caller and utilize their pass-catching weapons. Another sub-eight-point performance for Atlanta and a quarterback change may be on the horizon.

The Tennessee Titans continued their up-and-down start to the season with an impressive 27-3 win over a reeling Bengals team. Rotating between disappointing losses and impressive wins, the Titans sit in 23rd, five spots above where they began the season.

Teams Ranked 22nd to 13th

What is going on in Cincinnati? The most surprising development of the season took another turn in Week 4, with the Bengals getting soundly defeated by Tennessee. They were held to three points by a Titans' defense that had just been shredded by Deshaun Watson in Week 3. Their offense ranks 23rd, per numberFire, and their defense ranks 27th. There is almost nothing to point to as a positive so far for the Bengals, which is shocking for a team that entered the season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Joe Burrow's calf injury has something to do with it, but Cincinnati's struggles go beyond that at the moment. There is still time to turn it around, but the Bengals' schedule will not make it easy on them. Over the next four weeks, they face the Cardinals, Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Buffalo Bills.

A telling sign of how poorly things are going for the Bengals right now is the fact that the New England Patriots sit one spot ahead of them in these rankings. Absolutely everything went wrong for the Patriots in their 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Their overall offense now ranks last, per numberFire, thanks to a rushing offense that ranks 28th and a passing offense that ranks 27th. If not for a defense that ranks fourth, New England would be ranked much lower. That outcome could be coming shortly, after the Patriots lost two star defenders, Christian Gonzalez and Matt Judon, to long-term injuries in Week 4.

Houston, we have a....solution? What a start to the season it has been for C.J. Stroud and the Texans. After their 30-6 win over Pittsburgh, they moved up nine spots and now sit in 19th, 13 spots above their position after Week 2. They have the look of a team that can continue to ascend. Stroud looks like the real deal. Houston's passing offense ranks second, per numberFire, behind only the Miami Dolphins. Despite several injuries to their offensive line, Houston has averaged 24.0 points per game this season. Their defense, which ranks 24th, is still a weakness, but this is a team that is well ahead of schedule in their rebuild already. The Texans' odds of making the playoffs sit at 39.2% -- well above where they began the season with the worst odds in the league (13.7%).

The Vikings earned their first win of the season with a 21-13 victory over the Panthers. They move up 7 spots and have the second-highest ranking of the one-win teams. While their win over a struggling Carolina side was far from convincing, it was desperately needed. At the moment, the Vikings are a perfectly middle-of-the-road team, their offense ranks 18th, per numberFire, and their defense ranks 19th. Both will need to improve if they want to salvage their season. The problem? They face the Chiefs and 49ers in two of their next three games.

Teams Ranked 12th to 1st

A lifeline in London? The Jacksonville Jaguars secured a much-needed bounce-back 23-7 win over the Falcons in Week 4. They jumped up 11 spots and rejoined the first tier. Jacksonville's defense ranks seventh, per numberFire, while their offense ranks 20th. The Jaguars' offense was supposed to be a strength but has started the season slowly. If their offense can start to put it together, their defense provides them with the opportunity to be a legitimate contender. A Week 5 test against the Bills in London will provide the Jaguars with an excellent idea of how close to that goal they actually are. Is London falling? We shall see.

New York, New York! Joining the Jaguars with an 11-spot jump this week is the New York Jets, who ascend the ranks despite a 23-20 loss to the Chiefs. Entering as large underdogs, the Jets hung with the defending champions right to the end, providing a glimmer of hope for the rest of their season. Despite sitting in 10th, their odds of making the playoffs (10.1%) still rank 25th. The good news? A Week 5 meeting with the Broncos gives them an opportunity to build on their Week 4 performance.

Welcome to the top six, Detroit! The Lions moved up three spots after their win over the Packers. Entering the season with high hopes, Detroit is on track through four weeks. Their offense ranks seventh, per numberFire, and their defense ranks sixth. They have been great at stopping the run (fifth) and pass (sixth) and excellent at moving the ball through the air (fourth). With a favorable schedule the rest of the way, Detroit is well-positioned to meet the high expectations they had entering the season.

Let's welcome the Baltimore Ravens to the top three! Baltimore moves up four spots after their win over Cleveland and has now picked up road wins over two division opponents. In Week 5, they will have a chance to complete the trifecta on the road against Pittsburgh. The Ravens have performed well in both phases of the game on both sides of the ball. Their rushing offense ranks 7th, per numberFire, and their passing offense ranks 11th for an overall ranking of 11th. Their rush defense ranks 13th, and their pass defense ranks 2nd for an overall ranking of second. If their offense continues to improve in their first year in Todd Monken's system, Baltimore has the look of a true Super Bowl contender.

In a battle of teams ranked first and second in our Power Rankings, the Bills secured a dominant 48-20 win over the Dolphins. Miami drops two spots to fourth while Buffalo opens up a gap of 2.56 nERD between them and second place. After their Week 1 loss to the Jets, Buffalo has been nothing short of perfect. They scored at will against Miami and, more impressively, slowed down their electric offense. The Bills' offense ranks fourth, per numberFire, and their defense ranks first. Life is good in Buffalo.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.