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2025 NFL Week 6 Power Rankings: Bears bye week sees them drop in standings

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Oct 7, 2025 8:57 AM ET

They may not have played a game this week, but Week 5 was a rough one for the Chicago Bears. Two division rivals won their games, dropping the Bears in the NFC North to the very bottom at 2-2, as did a handful of other NFC teams that will likely be fighting for a Wild Card spot come January. If the Bears want to be part of that crowd, they can't afford many more missteps.

But the playoffs are still months away. For now, how did Week 5 shake up the power rankings? Which teams made the biggest jumps up or down from our Bears on SI NFL Week 5 power rankings? Let's take a look.

1. Buffalo Bills (Last week: 1)

That was one of the most uncharacteristic games I've seen from the Bills and Josh Allen in some time. I feel safe chalking this one up as a weird divisional game that got away from them and leaving them in the top spot for now.

2. Detroit Lions (Last week: 4)

It's hard not to love what the Lions are doing in 2025. That Week 1 fiasco is far behind in the rearview mirror as they chug right along.

3. Kansas City Chiefs (Last week: 3)

For years now, the Chiefs have relied on an offense that worked with undrafted or 7th-round running backs being their RB1. Clearly that is no longer working. Patrick Mahomes cannot continue to be their leading rusher if they want to contend for another title. Brett Veach must move Heaven and Earth to bring in a quality running back before the November 4th trade deadline.

4. Philadelphia Eagles (last week: 2)

Yes, the Eagles are 4-1, but there has to be at least a reasonable level of concern over the state of this offense, specifically the passing game. They need to figure out how to get their star players the ball more often without sacrificing their identity.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Last week: 7)

However high you are on the Bucs, I promise you that it's not high enough. They sit at 4-1 with their only loss being a one-score drop to the defending champs. They'll be a true threat come postseason.

6. San Francisco 49ers (Last week: 8)

No Brock Purdy, no problem it would seem for the 49ers. Mac Jones can play competent football under Kyle Shanahan, which leads one to wonder how this team would look had they simply drafted him in 2021 to begin with.

7. Los Angeles Rams (Last week: 7)

Thursday night games tend to be boring, uneventful affairs. Week 5 was not one of those games. The Rams lost a nail-biter to the 49ers, but they get to keep their No. 7 spot for another week.

8. Los Angeles Chargers (Last week: 5)

From heavy favorites in the AFC West to a two-game losing streak, the Chargers are in deep trouble. A Week 6 matchup with the lowly Miami Dolphins should be the get-right game they need, but only if they play up to their standards.

9. Indianapolis Colts (Last week: 13)

If anyone was still hesitating on whether the Colts are for real or not, Week 5 should have put those doubts to bed. This team is legit and will be a playoff threat.

10. Washington Commanders (last week: 14)

That was a huge win for the Commanders, but I think the Chargers beat themselves more than the Commanders did. A Week 6 matchup with Chicago awaits, and you can bet the Bears will be treating this game like a Super Bowl after that horrendous Hail Mary loss last year.

11. Denver Broncos (Last week: 16)

What. A. Win. The Broncos still have their problems and Bo Nix has a long way to go, but that was a gutsy, gritty win that they deserve to celebrate.

12. Green Bay Packers (Last week: 10)

The Packers were on their bye week, but the Week 5 slate had some incredible performances that forced me to drop them two spots.

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (Last week: 11)

As with the Packers, the Steelers have to drop a couple spots during their week off.

14. Seattle Seahawks (Last week: 12)

I hate to drop the Seahawks after such a close and epic loss, but I couldn't justify sending the Steelers or Packers further down than two spots on their bye week.

15. Jacksonville Jaguars (Last week: 18)

Trevor Lawrence played one of his better games in a long time as the Jaguars stunned the Chiefs to move to 4-1 on the season. They've largely benefitted from a weak schedule thus far, so these next two games against the Seahawks and Rams will tells us a lot about the Jaguars.

16. Minnesota Vikings (Last week: 17)

The Vikings remain a mystery. I truly don't know if they're a good team or not, so they have to stay in the middle of the pack.

17. New England Patriots (Last week: 22)

All the credit in the world to the Patriots for knocking off the undefeated Bills, but this win gave me the same feeling as the Commanders' win, that this performance is not repeatable and that the other team won't be that bad again. Again, huge props to the Patriots and to Drake Maye and Stefon Diggs in particular, but I can't yet put them any higher than this.

18. Chicago Bears (Last week: 15)

As it was with the Steelers and Packers, the Bears drop on their bye week thanks to some incredible games from other teams. They entered the bye on a two-win streak and will have a revenge game opportunity against the Commanders up next. A win there against a potential Super Bowl contender would be huge for this team and their 2025 outlook.

19. Dallas Cowboys (Last week: 19)

Are the Cowboys... good? Decent, perhaps? I think so, but I have to leave them at last week's spot for two reasons: they beat the worst team in the league (the Jets), and I can't put them above Chicago just two weeks after the Bears absolutely dominated them.

20. Atlanta Falcons (Last week: 20)

The Falcons had a bye week and are low enough already that no one bumped them down the standings.

21. Houston Texans (Last week: 25)

For a team that's struggled as much as Houston has in 2025, that blowout win had to feel good. The Texans get to enter their bye week with a major shot of momentum.

22. Baltimore Ravens (Last week: 9)

You can't blame the Ravens' 1-4 record entirely on injuries. This is a team that has a serious problem, and they have no idea what that problem even is.

23. Carolina Panthers (Last week: 27)

That was a gutsy win for the Panthers and they deserve to celebrate, but this team still needs to be in the quarterback market for 2026. Bryce Young is not the future in Carolina.

24. Cincinnati Bengals (Last week: 21)

I don't care that their QB1 is injured, a well-coached team will never look this bad, not even with the backup quarterback. Zac Taylor ought to be firmly on the hot seat.

25. Tennessee Titans (Last week: 32)

What an incredible win for the rookie Cam Ward, and what a way to get your first NFL victory. Hopefully this serves as a turning point for the young quarterback and his team.

26. Cleveland Browns (Last week: 29)

Dillon Gabriel drew a tough assignment for his NFL debut, having to travel to London and face a treacherous Brian Flores defense. The Browns lost but Gabriel played admirably and gave his team a chance to win.

27. New Orleans Saints (Last week: 31)

Kudos to head coach Kellen Moore for his first win, but I can't elevate the Saints any higher than this.

28. New York Giants (Last week: 24)

What do we make of the Giants? To go from an impressive win over the Chargers to losing to the previously winless Saints is perplexing to say the least.

29. Las Vegas Raiders (Last week: 26)

The Raiders made some odd, short-sighted decisions this offseason and they're now blowing up in their faces. Will Pete Carroll or Geno Smith last more than a year with this organization?

30. Miami Dolphins (Last week: 28)

Choking away a game like that to a team like the Panthers has to be the final straw for Mike McDaniel. The Dolphins need to make a change at head coach and initiate a full rebuild.

31. Arizona Cardinals (Last week: 23)

That was one of the worst late-game collapses I've ever seen. From Emari Demercado releasing the ball ahead of the goal line, turning a touchdown into a touchback, to fumbling a fumble recovery that ends up being a Titans touchdown, you simply could not have scripted a worse loss than this. That it came against the previously winless Titans is just salt in the wound.

32. New York Jets (Last week: 30)

It's not often that an NFL head coach is fired before the end of his first season, but Aaron Glenn is trending in that direction. There's just no excuse for the product we're seeing on the field every week.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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