NFL power rankings Week 5: Browns jump into top 10

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After a 38-6 loss to the Ravens in their season opener, it felt like the Browns' season -- and probably more -- was already on the ropes.

Following an underwhelming first season in Cleveland, Odell Beckham Jr. had just three catches for 22 yards in the Week 1 loss, leaving you with the feeling that it was only a matter of time before we seriously began discussing what team should trade for the three-time Pro Bowler.

A year after leading the AFC with 21 interceptions, Baker Mayfield also threw a pick and was largely ineffective in the season-opening loss, giving you the sense that the Browns may be trending toward not picking up his fifth-year option after this season.

But if 2020 has shown anything, it's that our perspectives can be entirely changed in the matter of just a few weeks. Since losing in Week 1, the Browns are 3-0 and first-year coach Kevin Stefanski appears to have tapped into the offense's elite talent.

Beckham had three touchdowns in a shootout win in Dallas on Sunday. Stefanski has found a way to get him involved in both the passing and running game, as the Browns sealed their victory over the Cowboys on a 50-yard touchdown run by Beckham.

Since Week 1, the Browns have gotten Mayfield out of the pocket, and he's thrived. In the team's three consecutive wins, Mayfield has tossed six touchdowns to just one interception.

The wisest move Stefanski has done is build his offense around an elite running game. Despite missing much of the team's victory after suffering an injury, Nick Chubb is currently third in the NFL in rushing yards. Kareem Hunt is 10th and has added two receiving touchdowns for good measure. The Browns have the top-ranked rushing offense in the NFL, as they're currently averaging 204.5 rushing yards per game.

Are the Browns the best team in the AFC North? Probably not. Heck, in a division that includes the Ravens and Steelers, they may not be the second-best. However, after three straight wins, they've skyrocketed into the top 10 of our latest RADIO.COM Sports NFL power rankings.

Josh Allen
Josh Allen is an early NFL MVP candidate. Photo credit Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Early on, Josh Allen is an MVP candidate

1. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: No. 1)
2. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: No. 2)
3. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: No. 3)
4. Buffalo Bills (Last week: No. 4)
5. Green Bay Packers (Last week: No. 5)

Russell Wilson is the early MVP favorite, but Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers are joined by Bills quarterback Josh Allen in the next group of candidates after the first quarter of the season. In Allen's first two seasons, the Bills tried to win games 20-17, as evidenced by the fact that they scored 30 or more points just twice in the entire 2019 season. After acquiring Stefon Diggs this past offseason, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll has opened up his offense and Allen has taken a major step forward. The Bills are 4-0 and have already scored 30 or more points in three games. Allen isn't a finished product, as he still needs to learn when to live to see another play, but through four weeks, he has tossed 12 touchdowns and only been picked off once. He's ran for another three touchdowns as well. In his third season. Allen's production may finally be catching up with his ridiculously high physical talent. That's scary for the rest of the league.

Tom Brady
Tom Brady had a monster performance in Week 4. Photo credit James Gilbert/Getty Images

Tom Brady, Mike Evans have monster week

6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: No. 10)
7. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: No. 7)
8. New England Patriots (Last week: No. 6)
9. Cleveland Browns (Last week: No. 17)
10. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: No. 14)

For a minute, it looked like the Buccaneers were going to be upset by Justin Herbert and the Chargers at home Sunday. However, Tom Brady and Mike Evans combined to help overcome a 24-7 deficit, as the Buccaneers ultimately won 38-31 in a shootout. Even as he still feels his way out in Bruce Arians' offense, Brady tossed five touchdowns and racked up 369 yards. Clearly limited by an ankle injury, Evans still had seven catches for 122 yards. If this offense truly is just scratching its surface, it's crazy to think about how good it could be in December.

Kyler Murray
Kyler Murray and the Cardinals have lost in consecutive weeks. Photo credit Grant Halverson/Getty Images

Kyler Murray, Cardinals hit a wall

11. New Orleans Saints (Last week: No. 11)
12. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: No. 12)
13. Tennessee Titans (Last week: No. 9)
14. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: No. 8)
15. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: No. 13)

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals started 2-0 but have since lost two consecutive games, a concerning trend when they play in a division in which there aren't any teams with a losing record after four weeks. The scariest part of the Cardinals' two consecutive losses is that they've been to the Lions and Panthers, two teams seemingly not headed toward a playoff appearance. After averaging 5.2 yards per carry in eight games with the Cardinals last season, Kenyan Drake is averaging 3.8 yards per carry in 2020. Getting him going should be a priority in a what should be an automatic win against the Jets in Week 5.

Ezekiel Elliott
Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys are 1-3. Photo credit Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Cowboys off to frustrating 1–3 start

16. Chicago Bears (Last week: No. 15)
17. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: No. 16)
18. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: No. 18)
19. Philadelphia Eagles (Last week: No. 24)
20. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: No. 20)

The most passing yards a quarterback has thrown for in one season is the 5,477 that Peyton Manning racked up with the Broncos in 2013. Through the first quarter of this season, Dak Prescott has thrown for 1,690, putting him on pace for 6,760 over the course of the 16-game slate. And the Cowboys are 1-3. Instead of discussing Prescott as an NFL MVP candidate, we're left to wonder if the Cowboys, who have given up an average of 42 points over the last three weeks, have the worst defense in the sport. Also of concern is that Ezekiel Elliott is averaging just 3.9 yards per carry behind an offensive line that's a shell of its former self. The guess here is that the Cowboys will still ultimately win the NFC East, though that has more to do with the dire state of the division than any belief in Mike McCarthy and his coaching staff.

Joe Burrow
Joe Burrow and the Bengals got their first win in Week 4. Photo credit Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Joe Burrow has Bengals headed in right direction

21. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: No. 23)
22. Carolina Panthers (Last week: No. 27)
23. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: No. 29)
24. Detroit Lions (Last week: No. 19)
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: No. 22)

Don't look now, but over the last two weeks, Joe Burrow and the Bengals are 1-0-1. That's after an 0-2 start in which they lost to the Chargers and Browns by just eight combined points. The Bengals are probably in for a rough stretch over their next three games, as they'll see the Ravens, Colts and a vastly improved Browns team. The Bengals aren't going to compete for a playoff spot this season, especially considering the three other teams in the AFC North are in the top 10 of the rankings this week, but they're vastly improved over where they were at this time a year ago. Perhaps that's a pretty good indication of how the Burrow era will go.

Deshaun Watson
Deshaun Watson and the Texans are winless. Photo credit Bob Levey/Getty Images

Where do the Texans go from here?

26. Miami Dolphins (Last week: No. 26)
27. Houston Texans (Last week: No. 21)
28. Denver Broncos (Last week: No. 28)
29. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: No. 25)
30. Washington Football Team (Last week: No. 30)
31. New York Giants (Last week: No. 31)
32. New York Jets (Last week: No. 32)

Bill O'Brien is gone, but with the exception of Deshaun Watson being under center, there appears to be a pretty bleak immediate future in Houston. Not only are the Texans off to an 0-4 start, but because of the Laremy Tunsil trade, Houston doesn't own a first-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft. We looked at five potential candidates for the Texans coaching job at the conclusion of the season, but right now, this isn't exactly an attractive job.

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