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In our weekly NFL team rankings, we’ll grade them by:

– Roster
– Current Injury Issues
– Coaching
– Performance
– Record

We don’t subscribe to the theory that a team with a lesser record can’t be ranked higher than a team with a better record. It’s about how they look as of now based on the criteria listed above.

A healthy Saquon Barkley has the upstart Giants at 4-1 while the Jets improved to 3-2.

1) Philadelphia Eagles (5-0, previous ranking: #1): They got out to a big lead early only to just get by the host Cardinals last week. However, they’re still the NFL’s best and most talented team. However, will they get past our #4 team on Sunday night?

2) Buffalo Bills (4-1, previous ranking: #2): Despite many injuries in their secondary, the Bills continue to play very solid defense. And now 3rd-year WR Gabe Davis is starting to put his stamp on their passing game.

3) Kansas City Chiefs (4-1, previous ranking: #3): It wasn’t easy, but they got the job done against the division rival Raiders. However, there has to be some concern with how their secondary played in that game.

4) Dallas Cowboys (4-1, previous ranking: #4): There is no team playing better defense now in the NFL, but their passing game is a bit concerning. That should change once star QB Dak Prescott is ready to play.

5) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2, previous ranking: #6): The injuries are starting to pile up again like they did last year, and the lack of offensive consistency is a bit concerning, but their defense will continue to carry them.

6) San Francisco 49ers (3-2, previous ranking: #12): Another great win, but the injuries on defense are an issue, and don’t underestimate the loss of starting CB Emmanuel Moseley (ACL) for the season.

7) Green Bay Packers (3-2, previous ranking: #5): A bad loss last week against an undermanned team. This team doesn’t look any better than it did last season.

8) Baltimore Ravens (3-2, previous ranking: #8): QB Lamar Jackson has not played at his usual high level the last two weeks, but they’re finding a way to win.

9) Minnesota Vikings (4-1, previous ranking: #9): While we should give them credit for being better than most expected, they have also benefitted from a really good schedule over the past three weeks.

10) New York Giants (4-1, previous ranking: #14): They continue to win despite being undermanned or not talented enough at several positions. Again, coaching matters and they have a good staff that gets the most out of their players.

11) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2, previous ranking: #16): What a win last week, and the Chargers have at least found their top backup OT Jamaree Salyer.

12) Tennessee Titans (3-2, previous ranking: #17): Give their coaching staff credit for helping to turn around a rough start and the players deserve credit for better execution over their three-game winning streak.

13) Miami Dolphins (3-2, previous ranking: #7): The injuries at QB and CB are starting to take a toll and once again, the lack of talent on the OL is showing up.

14) New York Jets (3-2, previous ranking: #21): They had one of the NFL’s toughest schedules coming into the season and that continues to be the case. And while they’re in the midst of a true rebuild, this year’s excellent draft is starting to show.

15) Cincinnati Bengals (2-3, previous ranking: #10): The lingering ankle injury with WR Tee Higgins went a long way to contributing to their loss last week to the host Ravens, but let’s face it, this team is not playing close to the level of last season’s AFC Championship level.

16) Cleveland Browns (2-3, previous ranking: #11): The issues on defense are a bit concerning and we’re starting to see why veteran QB Jacoby Brissett is seen around the NFL as just a good backup.

17) Jacksonville Jaguars (2-3, previous ranking: #13): After a very fast start this team has come back to reality over the past two weeks. However, their schedule really eases up over the next four games.

18) New England Patriots (2-3, previous ranking: #19): A nice win against a bad team last week, and give rookie QB Bailey Zappe credit for the way he has played in his first two games.

19) Indianapolis Colts (2-2-1, previous ranking: #25): Their OL woes won’t be fixed until the off-season and they have to find their future at QB.

20) New Orleans Saints (2-3, previous ranking: #28): Despite some injuries at WR, they were able to put up 38 points against the visiting Seahawks. However, their defense still is not playing remotely close to last year’s level.

21) Los Angeles Rams (2-3, previous ranking: #15): They have too many issues going on from both sides of the ball to be anything more than an average team this season.

22) Arizona Cardinals (2-3, previous ranking: #20): They are still very moribund on offense, but their defense keeps them in most games.

23) Atlanta Falcons (2-3, previous ranking: #22): Gotta give them credit for fighting till the end against the host Buccaneers. But this undermanned team is still a few years away from being a playoff team.

24) Denver Broncos (2-3, previous ranking: #18): The injuries are starting to pile up and until they get better play from the QB position, they’re going to be a bottom-feeder team.

25) Seattle Seahawks (2-3, previous ranking: #23): The play from journeyman QB Geno Smith continues to be surprising and amazing, but no matter how you slice it, this team is in a rebuild. 

26) Chicago Bears (2-3, previous ranking: #27): At least we saw some small improvement from 2nd-year QB Justin Fields during last week’s loss to the host Vikings.

27) Las Vegas Raiders (1-4, previous ranking: #24): A tough loss to their division rival Chiefs, but at least the schedule eases up a bit over the next 6 games against teams all with a current losing record.

28) Pittsburgh Steelers (1-4, previous ranking: #26): The front office has to make several changes in the offseason, starting with their offensive line and then defense (secondary).

29) Carolina Panthers (1-4, previous ranking: #29): This team has underachieved considering how talented they are on defense, and at WR, RB. But when you have substandard QB play it’s hard to win. And they won’t win consistently until they solve their issue behind center. 

30) Washington Commanders (1-4, previous ranking: #30): In the last game, you could get a glimpse of the old Carson Wentz (from 2017). However, this team has so many issues that there is no chance at a playoff run this season.

31) Detroit Lions (1-4, previous ranking: #31): Maybe their Week 6 bye came at the right time. 

32) Houston Texans (1-3-1, previous ranking: #32): They finally got a win, but the Texans are still in a total rebuild.

– Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) is co-host of the “Inside the Birds” podcast and staff writer for InsideTheBirds.com.

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