Are Packers Still Contenders? Ranking All 16 NFC Teams Into Super Bowl Tiers 

Against the Cowboys, Josh Jacobs finally had his breakout game that everyone has been waiting for. He ran for 86 yards – 70 in the second half – and two touchdowns and led the team in receiving yards. Romeo Doubs had a breakout game of his own, catching a career-high three touchdowns. 

While the offense looked great, it was the defense that surprisingly faltered against the Cowboys, giving up more than 300 passing yards and 40 points themselves. 

While the offense sputtered in the Week 3 loss to the Browns and the defense fell apart in the Week 4 tie at Dallas, mistakes on special teams played a huge role in both outcomes. Against Cleveland, a blocked field goal probably cost the Packers the game. Against Dallas, there was a missed extra point and poor tackling in kickoff coverage.

It is not time to overreact in Green Bay. The defense showed what it can be in the first three weeks of the season, and the offense has looked incredible at times despite key players out due to injuries. With the bye coming up this week, the Packers have time to get healthy and come out even stronger. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Despite the loss to the Eagles last week, the Buccaneers have established themselves as strong contenders. 

Baker Mayfield has put on a masterclass in taking care of the ball, only throwing one interception in 139 passing attempts while leading some clutch drives. Tampa Bay’s three wins have come by a total of six points.

Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka has been better than advertised, leading the team in receiving yards with 282 and adding four touchdowns to establish himself as a top candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

San Francisco 49ers: The 49ers have jumped out to a hot start, battling through key injuries to start the season 3-1. 

Despite playing multiple games without star tight end George Kittle, top receiver Brandon Aiyuk and quarterback Brock Purdy, and losing Nick Bosa for the season with a torn ACL, the 49ers might be 4-0 if not for allowing a punt-return touchdown against Jacksonville.

A lot of their success is due to their star running back Christian McCaffrey, who has 530 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns. They have also been able to get the best out of Mac Jones, who threw for 563 yards and four touchdowns in the two games he had to step in for Purdy. 

Wild Cards 

Seattle Seahawks: The Seahawks have made the biggest jump in the rankings, moving from a long shot to the top of the wild cards following three consecutive wins after dropping Week 1 to the 49ers. 

Their offensive line improved against the Saints, allowing no sacks, but allowed three against the Cardinals last week. Sam Darnold has stepped it up, not throwing an interception the past two games, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba has looked great, averaging 100 receiving yards per game. Defensively, they are third in points allowed. It is their offensive line and their run game that is going to decide how far they go. 

Minnesota Vikings: The Vikings stepped up in a big way against the Bengals in Week 3, turning them over six times and beating them 48-10. Playing for injured starter J.J. McCarthy, Carson Wentz was sharp against the Bengals and threw for 350 yards last week in Dublin against the Steelers, though two interceptions and six sacks were key in a 24-21 loss. 

In that game, Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison reminded everyone that they are one of the best receiving duos in football, both having over 100 yards. The Vikings will be a threat if they get better play from their offensive line and more consistent play from their quarterback.

Washington Commanders: The Commanders lost 34-27 last week at Atlanta without several key players, including quarterback Jayden Daniels, who is expected back for this week’s game at the Chargers. Their offense has shown that it can be just as explosive as last year; now it is just a matter of getting healthy. The defense is where most of their struggles are, and it is what is going to hold them back if they keep giving up big plays. 

Dallas Cowboys: The Cowboys are an interesting team to try to rank. They have statistically the best offense in football, with Dak Prescott looking like an MVP candidate, George Pickens proving that he can be a WR1 and Javonte Williams looking like the player he did at the start of his career in Denver. Once CeeDee Lamb returns from a high-ankle sprain, this unit could hit another level. 

However, they have the worst defense in football, with the Giants’ Russell Wilson, the Bears’ Caleb Williams and the Packers’ Jordan Love putting up huge numbers the last three games. At 1-2-1, the Cowboys won’t accomplish anything unless they address the glaring issues on that side of the ball. 

Long Shots 

Atlanta Falcons: If the Seahawks made the biggest positive jump in these rankings, the Falcons have fallen off the hardest. They showed signs of life last week against the injured Commanders, but you cannot be a top team in the NFL after losing 30-0 to the Carolina Panthers.

Chicago Bears: While they turned it around in the last two weeks against the Cowboys and Raiders, the Bears have looked relatively weak. Their defense has been bottom-10 in football, and their running game is almost as bad, putting a lot of pressure on their passing game that has been streaky at best. 

Arizona Cardinals: After two close wins against two of the worst teams in the NFC, the Cardinals have dropped their last two games against division opponents. Last year’s first-round pick, Marvin Harrison Jr., has been on and off all season, and too many injuries to key players have ruined any chances the Cardinals had at making a deep run this year. They’ll host the Packers in a couple weeks with their top two running backs on injured reserve.

New York Giants: The Giants turned to their first-round pick, quarterback Jaxson Dart, to lead the offense, and while they won his first start, he was underwhelming, barely throwing for more than 100 yards. In an enormous blow to the offense and Dart’s chances for success, star receiver Malik Nabers, one of the most promising young players in the NFL, suffered a torn ACL last week. Without him, the Giants have little to no hope of making a run toward the playoffs. 

Carolina Panthers: After their statement win against the Falcons, the Panthers came back down to earth and got steamrolled by the Patriots. Both their offense and their defense are near the bottom of the NFL, and Bryce Young is 23rd in the NFL in passing yards and 29th in passer rating. 

New Orleans Saints: Once the consensus pick to be the worst team in the NFL, the Saints lived up to that expectation. They are 0-4, their defense is near the bottom of the league in points allowed, their offense is near the bottom of the league in points scored, and receiver Chris Olave, who is one of their best players, is fifth in catches but somehow not even scraping 50 yards per game.