My Top 5 NFL teams after Week 6

Dave Carney 10/21/2020

1. Kansas City Chiefs (up from 3)

The Chiefs are back in the “poll position” after a Monday Night game that saw them dispatch the (at the time) 4-1 Bills. The Chiefs beat the Bills by, get ready, the RUN game! Andy Reid had only run the ball as much as the Chiefs did on Monday once in his career as a head coach. 46 times the Chiefs ran the ball, and rookie Clyde Edwards-Helaire got 161 of those yards himself. Add into the mix a subdued, but excellent Patrick Mahomes (21-26) and the Chiefs got an easier than it looked 26-17 win and move up from my 3rd spot last week back to Number 1.

2. Seattle Seahawks (same position)

The Seahawks at 5-0 literally had to do nothing to retain this placement in my rankings. Russell Wilson was still the best QB in the league even though he didn’t play, and the bye-week just gave Seattle time to hopeful heal up from a few nagging injuries (Jamal Adams) and get the team ready for road tilt against division rival and rising star Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals (a team fresh of a MNF embarrassment of the Dallas Cowboys)

3. Pittsburgh Steelers (NEW to the Top 5)

The Steelers come into the view in my Top 5 for the first time this year after hovering JUST outside for the past two weeks. The Steelers wins, before the Sunday massacre of the Browns, had come against sub-par opponents, but that can’t take away from the fact that Mike Tomlin’s team is looking like one of, if not THE, most complete teams in the NFL. Offense (Big Ben looks good) Chase Claypool was a steal in the 2nd round, James Connor keeps reminding Steelers fans why it was smart to let Bell leave, and Ju Ju is still a monster. Then you have the Pittsburgh defense, only giving up 94 points through five games, the fewest by far in the league. This Sunday will be another huge test for the Steelers however as they’ll be facing another team on the rise in my Top 5, the Tennessee Titans who are also 5-0.

4. Tennessee Titans (Up from 5)

Yea, the Titans are for real. If there were doubters still lingering about Ryan Tannehill’s ability to win a game, and not just manage it, those doubts should be silenced after the performance Tannehill delivered on Sunday. Throwing for over 300 yards, 4TD’s and just 1INT while engineering a late game drive to force OT, Tannehill did it all on Sunday. That Tannehill is lucky enough to have Derrick Henry running the ball down the throat of the D, to the tune of 212 rushing yards against Houston only complicates matters for opposing teams. If the Titans win Sunday against the Steelers it’s going to be very difficult to keep Tennessee out of my Top spot overall.

5. Baltimore Ravens (Down from 4)

I don’t know if Baltimore could have done anything to affect their drop considering how the Steelers and Titans both showed up on Sunday, but one thing could have helped. Not a near collapse against a hobbled Eagles team. Up 17-0 at half it looked like the Ravens were on cruise control, and that may be what the players thought too because Carson Wentz and the Eagles roared back to nearly beat Baltimore losing by 2, 30-28. This week Baltimore is on a bye and that could mean the end of their run in my Top 5. The Ravens are a good team to be sure, but as others (like Tampa Bay) are on the rise, it might be so-long for Baltimore in my rankings for a while.