There are two conclusions fans could make five weeks into the 2024 NFL season: The Kansas City Chiefs are going to find a way to win ball games no matter how they play; the Minnesota Vikings may have found the right fit with Sam Darnold as quarterback.
Both things sound strange.
The Chiefs have not played like a team that has won two consecutive Super Bowls. They’ve had to grind out wins over their opponents, and even while stars like Travis Kelce have not scored a touchdown yet, Kansas City finds itself with five consecutive wins.
The Vikings were likely getting ready to hand the reins to J.J. McCarthy at some point during the year before he went down with an injury. But Darnold has proven that with the right coaching and weapons around him, he can perform well enough to lead a team to victory.
Both teams are on top of this week’s NFL power rankings.
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Kansas City’s reign of favorable calls from refs continues. Still, Monday night’s win against the Saints felt like the easiest win the Chiefs have had all year, as the defense has been a consistent plus that has anchored the team this year. Patrick Mahomes is starting to pass with greater efficiency as well, even if the touchdown passes haven’t rained down as consistently. But now the chiefs face a four-week gauntlet of former Super Bowl opponents and division rivals, in a stretch that will be very telling of how serious this team should be taken about becoming the first team to three-peat.
Last week: 1
Another week, another win. At some point, Sam Darnold has to turn back into San Darnold, right? … RIGHT??
Last week: 2
C.J. Stroud was electric to start this battle of AFC heavyweights with the Buffalo Bills, finding Nico Collins for yet another deep-throw touchdown as the star receiver torched the secondary. Unfortunately for Houston, Collins is week-to-week with a hamstring ailment that had him leave the game early after that touchdown grab, but this group is buzzing right now and proving they truly are the team to beat in the division.
Last week: 6
With the San Francisco 49ers struggling, the Lions are making a case as the top team in the NFC. Jared Goff is playing well, the offense is loaded, and the defensive line generates a lot of pressure. They’re tough to beat.
Last week: 3
Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson are paving the way for the Ravens this season as Baltimore improved to tie Pittsburgh for first place in the division with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. Henry leads the league with 572 yards rushing through five games, but the Ravens secondary needs to clean things up before they take on the Washington Commanders this weekend.
Last week: 5
Surprise! They’ve won four consecutive games and have an Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate in quarterback Jayden Daniels, who happens to be using the weapons around him like an orchestra conductor.
Last week: 10
Buffalo could easily be higher on this list if not for coach Sean McDermott’s late-game time management blunder in the loss against the Texans. It won’t really matter in the long run, though. With the rest of the AFC East in shambles, Buffalo can coast to a division title.
Last week: 4
The Packers finally won a game with Jordan Love starting, which is a wild statement of fact. The Packers are probably the third-best team in the NFC North, which shows the strength of the division from top to bottom.
Last week: 13
The Falcons have been living dangerously every week this season. Atlanta is arguably one pass interference call away from being 4-1. But without a few late-game heroics from quarterback Kirk Cousins and kicker Younghoe Koo, the Falcons could also be 1-4. The super competitive games could ultimately prove beneficial for the Falcons if they can make a playoff push later in the season. Cousins appears to be closer to full health after last year’s Achilles injury, and with every passing week the four-time Pro Bowl quarterback looks like he’s becoming more comfortable in first-year play-caller Zac Robinson’s offense. However, one area that continues to be a concern for Atlanta is the lack of a pass rush. The Falcons’ five sacks are last in the NFL.
Last week: 16
It is no small feat to go to Pittsburgh and beat the Steelers in a game that seemed to be played exactly as the Steelers would want. And that winning TD drive at the end was a display of great resolve.
Last week: 15
The Buccaneers’ inability to close out a win against the Atlanta Falcons is the difference between a 4-1 record and an early two-game lead in the NFC South and 3-2 and tied atop the division. Between Bucky Irving’s fumble and not being able to get a first down in the final minute of regulation spoiled a great Baker Mayfield performance. On the defensive side of the ball, Kirk Cousins gashed what had previously been a very stout defense this season for the Bucs, throwing for 509 yards. Despite that rough defensive performance, the Bucs were in position to bring home a win and couldn’t get it done.
Last week: 7
A very tough loss for San Fran, losing to an inferior opponent at home. But their history speaks for itself, and they’ll have a short rest for a real test in Seattle on Thursday.
Last week: 8
The Steelers appear to be making a turn for the worse after a narrow loss to the Dallas Cowboys. A big decision could be on the horizon for coach Mike Tomlin as Russell Wilson was expected to return for a full practice on Tuesday ahead of their matchup against the Raiders.
Last week: 11
They were on their bye last weekend, which means they didn’t lose. But it is also an opportunity for coaches to take inventory of what has gone right and wrong and focus the team going forward.
Last week: 12
Sunday’s loss to the Giants could be rather fluky as a game-tying field goal was blocked and returned for a score. But it never should have been that close anyway. They’ll have a shot at flipping the script on Thursday.
Last week: 9
The Bears have benefited from an easy schedule to start the year, but they are winning those games and deserve credit for that. Caleb Williams might be the second-best QB in the 2024 draft class, but he looks like an NFL starter already.
Last week: 21
Denver has looked like a legitimate team for three straight weeks now, sporting one of the best defenses in the league and a rookie quarterback who has slightly outperformed expectations. Sean Payton’s influence as a winning head coach is starting to emerge in his first season without being weighed down by the Russell Wilson distraction.
Last week: 22
The Saints’ 2-0 start feels like a distant memory. The 26-13 final score in their loss to the Chiefs was not indicative to how the game was played. The Chiefs out-gained the Saints 460 yards to the Saints 220, while Chiefs nearly had 40 minutes of time of possession. The more concerning news is if Derek Carr’s injury that knocked him out late in the Saints loss is going to cause him to miss games. Losers of three straight, the Saints cannot afford to lose Carr for any stretch of time.
Last week: 14
The Chargers are coming off their bye week, so the last memory of them is still letting a winnable game against the Chiefs slip through their fingers. The team’s vibe going into the week off certainly would have been better if they pulled that win off, but their talented players are resting up and should be ready for action when they are back, but their ceiling in big games still stands until further notice.
Last week: 18
Maybe the white jerseys in the mid-90s heat played a factor. Nonetheless, Kyler Murray is playing like his usual self, James Conner is staying young, and the weapons in Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Wilson and Trey McBride have been very reliable.
Last week: 25
The Bengals are proof that having a good quarterback doesn’t translate into winning NFL games. Joe Burrow put on a show, passing for 392 yards and a career-high five touchdowns in Sunday’s loss to the Ravens, while Ja’Marr Chase finished with 12 catches for 193 yards.
Last week: 19
Ho-hum, anything going on in Florham Park these days? Robert Saleh is gone, leaving a mess in his wake, starting with an offense that needs a jolt. Will Aaron Rodgers deliver?
Last week: 17
It is no small feat to travel across the country and win at Seattle. Yes, the Giants had extra days to prepare for that game, but the victory keeps them relevant in the division.
Last week: 27
The Colts always have trouble in Jacksonville and that continued this week against a winless Jaguars squad. If there is any caveat, though, Joe Flacco remains unafraid to sling the football and almost mounted a crazy fourth-quarter comeback thanks to some dimes to Alec Pierce, who continues to prove he can be a deep-ball threat in this league.
Last week: 20
This team just cannot do much without Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp. They have a much-needed bye week before getting a soft opponent in Las Vegas in their first game back, with rosters potentially looking much different at that point.
Last week: 24
The Raiders are back in the basement of the AFC West, and their blowout loss to Denver, combined with a grueling four-game stretch coming up, should ensure they stay there for a while.
Last week: 23
Winning football! It doesn’t matter that it came against New England in one of the NFL’s ugliest games of the season. Now Miami can rest up during its bye and eyeball a .500 record if it can win in Indy in Week 7.
Last week: 26
The streak finally ended for Trevor Lawrence, who hadn’t won a start for the Jags in his last nine games dating to last year. The Colts always have trouble in Duval County, and that continued with Brian Thomas Jr. breaking out for a catch-and-run of 85 yards for a score in the first half. Jacksonville still has to work back to remain relevant in the division and playoff race, but this was a step in the right direction for Doug Pederson’s group … and cooled off his hot seat a bit.
Last week: 32
The Titans were one of the teams on the early bye this week, but fans will hope they took this time to use an ugly win in Miami to build a foundation moving forward. First-year coach Brian Callahan hasn’t gotten the production out of second-year quarterback Will Levis that he’d like, but perhaps adjustments with the off week could get him and the offense right. Division game upcoming in Nashville against Indianapolis.
Last week: 29
It’s getting ugly in Cleveland. Deshaun Watson looked rough in the Commanders’ 34-13 rout of the Browns on Sunday, getting sacked seven times and completing just 15 of 28 for 125 yards. He’s failed to reach 200 passing yards through five games, but the Browns’ dysfunction goes beyond just the quarterback.
Last week: 28
It’s only a matter of time until New England gives Drake Maye a shot. Losing at home to Miami will do that.
Last week: 31
The honeymoon phase for Andy Dalton could possibly already be over. After a brilliant game against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, the veteran quarterback came back to earth this past week. He threw an interception and could not manage to find the end zone in a blowout loss to the Chicago Bears. Dalton’s performance is already prompting questions about whether first-year Panthers coach Dave Canales will give Bryce Young the starting quarterback reins sooner rather than later. The Panthers will also have to address some major issues on the defensive side of the ball if they want to catch any momentum this season.
Last week: 30
The Fox News Digital Sports college football winners and losers were compiled by the Fox News Digital Sports staff and the OutKick.com staff.
