With week five in the books, we are starting to see who are the true contenders, who the pretenders are, and who are right in the middle as a hit or miss. The season still isn’t over for a lot of teams who lost nailbiters, but some things need to change with teams in the middle of the pack in order for them to earn the right to be called a true contender in the NFL!
Here are the grades for all 32 teams after week 5:
Arizona Cardinals: D+ (Last week D)
The Cardinals took another step back as they fell to the Cincinnati Bengals 34-20. Joshua Dobbs played all right, although he threw a couple of costly interceptions that hurt the Cardinals. The team does have talent but has not utilized that talent’s true potential since their week three upset victory over the Cowboys. The Cardinals are not the worst team in the league despite their recent losses. They will earn a few more wins this season.
Atlanta Falcons: B (Last week C)
After dropping their week four game to the Jaguars across the pond in London, the Falcons returned home and won a nailbiter against a good and rebuilding Houston Texans squad. Desmond Ridder looks promising as he led the Falcons from behind to sink the Texans’ chances of obtaining their third straight win. On top of that, Bijan Robinson had an amazing behind-the-pass catch in the game and helped the Falcons earn the win. The NFC South is still wide open and it could be anyone’s division.
Baltimore Ravens: D+ (Last week B+)
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The Raven’s offense looked like it went to sleep in certain moments of the game. Rashod Bateman dropped a costly pass that would’ve been a touchdown to help seal the deal for the Ravens. The only touchdown the Ravens got was a touchdown from Justice Hill. Baltimore’s defense played solid as usual led by Patrick Queen, Kyle Hamilton, and Roquan Smith. Lamar Jackson and company will bounce back from this ugly offensive performance, but to be fair, the Steelers didn’t look that better offensively either.
Buffalo Bills: C- (Last week B+)
Football teams traveling to London either have great games or end up falling behind due to the time zone difference in Buffalo’s case. The Bill’s offense was nonexistent during the first half but they did attempt to come back in the second half only to fall short to a well-prepared Jacksonville Jaguars team that played in London for a second straight week. Josh Allen played a good game but a Stefon Diggs dropped hurt their chances of storming down the field and possibly winning the game sealed the deal for Buffalo. The Bills will bounce back quickly and regain their momentum in the AFC East.
Carolina Panthers: F (Last week F+)
Despite a scary neck injury to rookie guard Chandler Zavala in the first quarter (we wish him a speedy recovery), the Panther’s offense was nonexistent against the Lion’s ferocious defense that chewed them up. Adam Theilen had a good game scoring a touchdown for Carolina, but Bryce Young threw two costly interceptions to Aidan Hutchinson and Jerry Jacobs that hurt the Panthers throughout the game. If any team can possibly go 0-17, the Panthers can be that team if they don’t find a way to turn things around after their week eight bye week.
Chicago Bears: C- (Last week F)
Congratulations Chicago Bears, you finally earned your first win of the 2023 season as well as your first win since Oct. 2022. The Bears recently traded away Chase Claypool to the Miami Dolphins after he grew frustrated with the team. Either way, Justin Fields looked good as he threw four touchdown passes, and three of those were caught by DJ Moore against the Commander’s defense that looked like it went to sleep all game. Only time will tell if the Bears find the momentum to fix their season.
Cincinnati Bengals: B (Last week F)
The Bengals truly made a 180-degree turnaround against the Arizona Cardinals after getting dropped 27-3 against the Tennessee Titans last week. Joe Burrow played a good game throwing three touchdowns against one interception while Ja’Marr Chase finally scored his first three touchdowns of the season reigniting that connection with Burrow. Defensively, Cam Taylor-Britt hauled in a Joshua Dobbs’ interception for a touchdown also giving the Bengal’s defense a good boost of confidence coming into week six. Will this be the game that helps get the Bengals back on track to compete for the AFC North crown? They still have a good ways to go, but this past game against the Cardinals was a great start.
Cleveland Browns: Bye Week (Last week D+)
The Browns were on a bye week, but will be back in action on week seven against the San Francisco 49ers.
Dallas Cowboys: D- (Last week B)
Dak Prescott and the ‘Boys’ dropped another big primetime game against the more talented 49ers team. The Cowboys have great talent on both offense and defense, but couldn’t utilize it as they only were able to muster 10 points all night in their primetime loss. Prescott threw three costly interceptions that really stung the hearts of Cowboys fans everywhere. The Cowboys do have a tough two-game challenge after their week seven bye week against the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams respectively, but will they rebound from this loss? Everyone will just have to wait and see.
Denver Broncos: D- (Last week D-)
The Broncos’ offense looked very sloppy against another very sloppy offense in the New York Jets. Russell Wilson didn’t play his best, but he played slightly better than Zach Wilson by scoring two touchdown passes in the game against Wilson’s interception. The Broncos’ defense still looked nonexistent against a lowly Jets team with nothing to lose at this point other than waiting for Rodgers to recover for a possible playoff run next season. On top of that, head coach Sean Payton ran his mouth against Nathaniel Hackett (who is the Jet’s offensive coordinator) before the game only to see his team lose to the Jets. Choose your words more carefully next time Sean.
Detroit Lions: A (Last week B)
If there is any award for the most improved team, that award would be won by the Detroit Lions. Head Coach Dan Campbell continues to help turn things around in the Motor City as the Lions steamrolled the Panthers with Jared Goff leading the way on offense as well as the Lion’s defense making things very difficult for the Panthers offense to make plays happen. The Lions’ next two games will have some challenges, but if any team can handle challenges, it’s the Lions!
Green Bay Packers: D (Last week B-)
The Packers came into this week with some good energy. They’re a young and upcoming team who can be a surprise playoff team, but Jordan Love did not look good offensively as he threw three costly interceptions including the game ending int to the Raiders in Sin City. The Packers did get a rushing touchdown from AJ Dillion, the only touchdown the Pack scored all game. It shows that Green Bay has some things to clean up in order to make a possible surprise run for the playoffs.
Houston Texans: C- (Last week C+)
The Texans played well in their week five contest against Atlanta, but couldn’t finish the game with a victory. C.J. Stroud and head coach DeMeco Ryans are still the guys who are truly helping change the culture of the Texans in a great way. They just couldn’t score enough points in their loss to the Falcons. Houston will rebound and get things back on track for their next games.
Indianapolis Colts: C+ (Last week C+)
Indy lost rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson to an AC joint sprain which will keep him out of action for a while. However, Gardner Minshew is playing very well in place as one of the best backup quarterbacks in the league. Zack Moss had a great rushing game on the ground scoring two touchdowns against a struggling Titans team. Even the Colt’s defense played a strong game against the Titan’s offense. The Colts look more and more like a playoff team that can potentially cause some noise come Wildcard Weekend.
Jacksonville Jaguars: B (Last week C)
Playing in their second home in London for a consecutive week, the Jaguars looked well rested and ready to go against a surging Bills team wanting to win their third straight AFC East crown. The Jags did give up a few sacks in the game, but still got the win thanks to the performance of Trevor Lawrence, Calvin Ridley, Zay Jones (who scored a receiving touchdown), Travis Etienne Jr. (who scored two rushing touchdowns) in their victory. The AFC South is a questionable conference on who will be the clear winner. But from the looks of things, Jacksonville still looks favored to repeat as AFC South Champs.
Kansas City Chiefs: B (Last week A-)
The Chiefs as a whole are favored to win it all once more since they are the defending Super Bowl Championships. Travis Kelce looked like he had an Achilles injury in the second quarter, but was able to come back to the game and finish the game with a touchdown for the Chiefs. Mahomes rebounded from his performance last week by throwing two touchdown passes and no interceptions. Don’t be surprised if second-year running back Isiah Pacheco makes a Pro Bowl appearance on his performance so far all season. The Chiefs will keep on getting better as usual and potentially make it back to the Super Bowl.
Las Vegas Raiders: (Last week D)
The Raiders played with a chip on their shoulder this week while being doubted at home. Jimmy Garoppolo and Jakobi Meyers played like they were playing for a Bill Bellichick coached Patriots team as they helped get the Raiders on the board. Defensively Robert Spillane and Amik Robertson snagged themselves interceptions from Jordan Love and of course Maxx Crosby played lights out getting himself a sack on the night. This was a statement win for the silver and black telling the league, they’re still in it to succeed as underdogs.
Los Angeles Chargers: Bye Week (Last week C)
The Chargers were well rested and return to action in week seven against the Dallas Cowboys on Monday Night Football.
Los Angeles Rams: C (Last week C+)
The Rams took a slight step back against the Philadelphia Eagles in their week five performance. Matthew Stafford and rookie Puka Nacua both played great in the game and helped the Rams score touchdowns despite the loss. The game came down to field goals scored by Eagles placekicker Jake Elliot. This blemish will be wiped clean for the Rams as they can easily rebound from this game in their week six matchup.
Miami Dolphins: B+ (Last week B)
The Dolphins rebounded from their AFC East loss to the divisional rival Buffalo Bills by taking all of their aggression out on the New York Giants who desperately need to hit the reset button. Tua Tangovailoa threw two touchdowns, and two interceptions, and had a pass deflection recovered by Jason Pinnock for a pick-six. After that, the Dolphins’ defense kept the G-Men out of the endzone in the second half and limited them to field goals as they swam away to victory!
Minnesota Vikings: D- (Last week D+)
The Vikings may go down as one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season. From winning the NFC North and making the playoffs a season ago to not being able to finish strong in close and low-scored games. Each of the Viking’s losses so far this season has been in games with scores lower than 10 points. The Vikings have playmakers, unfortunately, Justin Jefferson left week five’s game against the Chiefs with a hamstring injury. Minnesota may salvage a few more wins this season but don’t count on them making a push for the playoffs.
New England Patriots: F (Last week C+)
The Patriots’ struggles continued as Mac Jones couldn’t throw a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints as threw two interceptions (one of them being an int by Tyrann Mathieu who scored a defensive TD) and was benched for Bailey Zappe. It may be time to move on from Jones after this season if the Patriots want to return to relevancy in the AFC East that is being controlled by the Buffalo Bills and potentially the Miami Dolphins.
New Orleans Saints: A- (Last week C-)
The Saints marched into New England with frustration on their minds after their week four loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and dominated the struggling Patriots on all fronts. Derek Carr looked great, Alvin Kamara scored his first touchdown of the season, and Tyrann Mathieu scored a pick-six against a woeful Patriots offense. The NFC South is still wide open and the Saints have the power and strength to win the division depending on how they finish the rest of the season.
New York Giants: F+ (Last week F)
The Giants continue to have one of the worst offensive lines in all of football. The reason why they have an F+ instead of a regular F is Jason Pinnock was able to recover a fumble and score the Giant’s first points in the first half of a game this season. Other than that, the Giants are pretty painful to watch as they constantly deal with the injury bug plaguing their team which will potentially keep them in last place of the NFC East.
New York Jets: C- (Last week D+)
Zach Wilson did not play his best football in the team’s week five victory over Denver. The performance of Breece Hall on offense as he scored a touchdown and Bryce Hall on defense who also scored a touchdown. C.J. Mosley continues to be a shining light on defense which is keeping the Jets afloat in the AFC East. The Jets will improve once Aaron Rodgers returns next season. If they miss the playoffs, the Jets need to secure a high draft pick in order to help the team succeed in the years to come!
Philadelphia Eagles: B+ (Last week A)
The Eagles continue to play like one of the best teams in the league despite Jalen Hurts throwing an interception in their week five victory over the Rams. The Eagles continue to be a force on offense with receivers and tight ends like A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert leading the way. Defensively, the Eagles continued to be steady and fierce but didn’t force any interceptions against Matthew Stafford. From the looks of things, the Eagles are looking like they can repeat as NFC East champions once again!
Pittsburgh Steelers: C+ (Last week C-)
The Steelers may have gotten the win in a defensive battle against their main division rival Baltimore Ravens but their offense didn’t look good. They played a tiny bit better than Baltimore’s offense with Kenny Pickett throwing a touchdown to George Pickens, but the real star of the game is T.J. Watt who continues to be the face of the Steelers this season. The Steelers may win the AFC North crown or not depending on how they finish, but their defense will only continue getting better under Watt’s leadership.
San Francisco 49ers: A+ (Last week A+)
Brock Purdy and the 49ers offense continue to look incredible as they make the case for being one of the best teams in the NFL. Defensively, the 49ers silenced the Cowboys offense and forced three interceptions out of Dak Prescott. If the 49ers continue to play the way they did in week five, they can potentially make it to the Super Bowl. The big matchup to watch out for this season is when the 49ers square off against the Philadelphia Eagles which won’t be until the beginning of December. Only then will we truly know who the best team in the NFL is!
Seattle Seahawks: Bye Week (Last week B)
The Seahawks were on a bye week and return to action on week seven against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Bye week (Last week B)
The Buccaneers were on a bye week and return to action on week seven against the Detroit Lions.
Tennessee Titans: C- (Last week C-)
The Titans are looking like they are no longer the same team we saw them as in 2019 when they made a surprise run to the AFC Championship game. Ryan Tannehill is not playing his best football, and his good days may be behind him and Derrick Henry isn’t getting the rushing yards we’re used to seeing him put up. It may be time for the Titans to seriously focus on rebuilding and regrouping in order to compete for the AFC South with newly drafted Will Levis.
Washington Commanders: F (Last week C)
The Commanders showed promise in their week four overtime loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. That all came crashing down in their week five matchup against the Chicago Bears who made the Commander’s defense look like fools. Sam Howell played well despite throwing an interception and looks to potentially be the guy to lead Washington for years to come. They just need to wake up on defense for their next matchups in order to stay afloat in the NFC East.
