Last week's ranking in parentheses.
1. Patriots 4-1 (3). Tom Brady has been freed.
2. Vikings 5-0 (2). They're not just beating teams, they're beating them up (Texans lost five players in beatdown Sunday).
3. Falcons 4-1 (8). Let's remember they started 5-0 last season before unraveling. The defense looks better this time around and that bodes well.
4. Steelers 4-1 (5). Pittsburgh has a knack for developing big-play targets and Sammie Coats is the latest.
5. Broncos 4-1 (1). Trevor Siemian will be back in this week as Paxton Lynch wasn't ready for the big time against the Falcons.
6. Seahawks 3-1 (6). Pete Carroll says this might be the best team he's had and the Falcons present an interesting challenge Sunday.
7. Packers 3-1 (7). Defense has allowed only 171 yards rushing through four games, making Sunday's meeting with Cowboys' vaunted O-line one to watch.
8. Cowboys 4-1 (12). This Dak Prescott-versus-Tony Romo storyline will only get juicier the more they win.
9. Eagles 3-1 (4). Came out of the bye week flat in loss at Detroit and now face all three NFC East foes and Vikings in next four weeks.
10. Raiders 4-1 (11). Wins over Saints, Ravens and Chargers by narrowest of margins not super impressive, but as the old slogan goes: "Just win, baby."
11. Cardinals 2-3 (19). The hope is Carson Palmer can return from concussion to play Monday night against Jets.
12. Bills 3-2 (20). Lorenzo Alexander, mostly a special teams ace in his career, leads the NFL with seven sacks.
13. Bengals 2-3 (9). A little early to panic here because the Ravens could free fall, but five consecutive playoff appearances could be in jeopardy.
14. Redskins 3-2 (17). They've rolled off three straight wins over Giants, Browns and Ravens but will need to step up in class to top Eagles.
15. Texans 3-2 (10). Buyer's remorse when it comes to Brock Osweiler is a real thing.
16. Chiefs 2-2 (14). Interesting to see what offense looks like at Oakland after bye. Kansas City scored 29 points combined in its previous three games.
17. Giants 2-3 (15). After another loss, storyline has shifted from crazy WR Odell Beckham Jr. to rapidly declining 35-year-old QB Eli Manning.
18. Rams 3-2 (18). Started season 3-1, but after trips to Detroit and then London they could be 3-4 when they get back to Los Angeles.
19. Ravens 3-2 (16). John Harbaugh fired Marc Trestman after 21 games as offensive coordinator. Some around the NFL were puzzled Trestman was hired in the first place.
20. Panthers 1-4 (13). They won't climb out of this hole unless they get back on track Sunday at New Orleans.
21. Lions 2-3 (24). Talk of a post-Jim Caldwell era can be delayed a week after handing Eagles their first loss.
22. Colts 2-3 (27). As rough as they've looked through five weeks, a win Sunday night at Houston vaults them into first place in the AFC South.
23. Saints 1-3 (23). Hopefully they worked on defense during the bye week as three of their four opponents scored 34 or more points.
24. Buccaneers 2-3 (28). Roberto Aguayo missed two of four field goals before nailing 38-yard game-winner as time expired. Tampa traded up to draft him in second round.
25. Jets 1-4 (21). "This is a perfect position for us," Brandon Marshall said after Gang Green dropped its third straight. Fortunately, fans aren't nearly as delusional.
26. Titans 2-3 (29). Former Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray trails only Cowboys rookie running back Ezekiel Elliott with 461 yards.
27. Jaguars 1-3 (25). Rookie Myles Jack looks like he's settling into strong-side linebacker position for now even though that takes him off the field in sub packages.
28. Bears 1-4 (22). Put "we don't have a plan" through the coachspeak decoder and it might translate to "we don't want to play Jay Cutler."
29. Dolphins 1-4 (26). Maybe it's not your year when first-round pick Laremy Tunsil slips in the shower pregame and injures his ankle.
30. 49ers 1-4 (30). John Fox isn't the only coach without a quarterback plan. See Chip Kelly.
31. Chargers 1-4 (31). The wait proved worth it for third overall pick Joey Bosa, who had two sacks and three tackles for a loss in 27 snaps of gut-wrenching loss at Oakland.
32. Browns 0-5 (32). Just when you think your team can't catch a break, there are the Browns. Five Cleveland quarterbacks have been injured this season.
