NFL Week 5 Power Rankings 2022

Welcome to Week 5 of the NFL regular season.

Our power panel — a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities — evaluated how teams are stacking up through four weeks and named a new No. 1 team for the second week in a row.

The updated rankings reflect that the Dallas Cowboys are surviving without Dak Prescott, who could return in Week 5, as they climb back up the list. It also reflects the Miami Dolphins’ loss on Thursday night to the Cincinnati Bengals after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (concussion) left the game on a stretcher. Tagovailoa already has been ruled out for Week 5. There are also 15 teams this week that have a 2-2 record.

Below, we checked in with NFL Nation reporters across the league and asked what the biggest issue faced by each team’s defense is. From injuries to defending the run, every team has something it can improve on. We paired each response with the team’s defensive efficiency rating and where that stacks up in the league. Defensive efficiency, powered by ESPN’s Football Power Index, is rated on a 0-100 scale, based on the defense’s contribution to scoring margin on per-play basis and adjusted for strength of opposing offenses faced.

So, let’s get to it. Here’s our new No. 1 team:

Jump to a team:
ARI | ATL | BAL | BUF | CAR | CHI | CIN
CLE | DAL | DEN | DET | GB | HOU | IND
JAX | KC | LV | LAC | LAR | MIA | MIN
NE | NO | NYG | NYJ | PHI | PIT | SF
SEA | TB | TEN | WSH

Week 4 ranking: 4

Defensive efficiency: 62.7
League rank: 9th

The biggest issue on defense is … forcing turnovers.

The Chiefs have taken the ball from their opponent just four times. Only four teams have forced fewer turnovers, and all of them have losing records. The Chiefs are doing a nice job of pressuring the quarterback, so it figures the turnovers will come. In the meantime, the Chiefs have made the most of their four turnovers. They converted each into a touchdown. — Adam Teicher

Week 4 ranking: 2

Defensive efficiency: 69.1
League rank:…