2024 NFL Week 6 Power Rankings

The 2024 season will go down in history as the Year of the 29-Year Old Running Back. Despite the devaluation of the running back position over the years and the temptation teams have to simply draft and replace any back in the back half of their 20s, the top 10 running backs chasing the rushing crown features 4 who are at least 29-years old.

And that’s just the season-long statistics, where 30-year olds Derrick Henry and Aaron Jones and 29-year olds Alvin Kamara and James Conner have been punishing defenses through the first 5 weeks. Last week, 32-year old Dolphins back Raheem Mostert ran for 80 yards, and in the last 2 weeks, 29-year old Kareem Hunt had 171 yards for the Chiefs.

If this continues, we may start to see several things emerge from it. First, the value of experience at the RB position will start to mean something again. And second, the value of size in that equation will have to be accounted for, as the backs with the most longevity also tend to have bodies that can take the punishment of 20+ carries a game over time.

Checking back in on point differentials, not because I think it’s especially meaningful after just 5 weeks, but because I think it’s fun. In the AFC, the Broncos are the only real surprise in rounding out the top 4. But in the NFC… there’s no way anyone thought for a second it would look like this at any point during the 2024 season

Seriously, the hell going on…

As always, may all your teams win or your coaches face the consequences of being in the Aaron Rodgers doghouse.

1. Kansas City Chiefs (5-0) 🥇

I can’t believe I saw actual suggestions this past week of a trade for Davante Adams to the Chiefs that included Chris Jones. And Jones was one the side of the trade that had to put up more in order to get Adams. Y’all are silly. Chris Jones wrecks entire offenses. I wouldn’t trade him for anything less than a top-5 QB, which the Chiefs already have, so settle down.

2A. Detroit Lions (3-1) ⇔

No game.

2B. Minnesota Vikings (5-0) ⇧1/2

With the Lions off last week, I can’t in good conscience drop them down. But the Vikings impressive 5–0 start deserves at least half a bump up.

Most impressive in the London game against the Jets was seeing them win it with defense. We’ve seen the Vikings offense look incredible with Sam Darnold distributing to a bevy of skill position players while being protected on both ends by Christian Darrisaw and Brian O’Neill, who might be the best OT pair outside Philly. But Darnold struggled and the running game couldn’t find room.

The Vikings defense, however, was up in Aaron Rodgers face and in his head all game, picking him off 3 times, including once for a TD. If not for some bizarre late-game play calling by Kevin O’Connell, Vikings should’ve won by 2 scores.

4. Baltimore Ravens (3-2) ⇔

While Derrick Henry keeps running over and around everyone and Justice Hill catches everything out of the backfield, do you know who we haven’t seen yet? Keaton Mitchell. And the Ravens can now slowly ease him in until he’s football-ready for a late season spark.

5. Houston Texans (4-1) ⇧3

I was shocked at the way the Texans bungled the end of last week’s game to seemingly hand it right over to Buffalo. I was then more shocked to see Buffalo hand them a second chance, which they took and delivered with a 59-yard screwball kick that should never have been needed.

Ka’imi Fairbairn is a football player, and that kick was wild. Also, I love that his real name is John Christian Ka’iminoeauloameka’ikeokekumupa’a Fairbairn and instead of John or Christian, he goes by Ka’imi.

6. Buffalo Bills (3-2) ⇩1

I don’t know how it happens, but once again, Josh Allen went from looking completely dominant to completely lost. The familiar chatter is coming back, talking about the Bills always starting off looking like Super Bowl favorites and then quickly dropping off. One of these years, Allen needs to shrug it off.

7. Washington Commanders (4-1) ⇧5

There are so many great things to say about the Commanders. I think they’ve earned a full rundown of it.

The front 7 on defense has been spectacular despite trading away Montez Sweat to the Bears and Chase Young to the 49ers. For reference, those trades turned into some significant pieces. The Sweat trade became pick 40, which turned into picks 50 and 53 (with some filler picks as well), which turned into starting CB Mike Sainristil and TE Ben Sinnott. The 3rd round pick for Young became pick 101, which the Commanders used to pick starting slot WR Luke McCaffrey, brother of 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey and the son of former NFL WR Ed McCaffrey.

The running game is absolutely dominant behind Brian Robinson, Jr. and Austin Ekeler. And yeah, Jayden Daniels can run, too. But what impresses me the most is his situational awareness and understanding of when to get out of bounds. The biggest concern about Daniels coming in was that he would run a lot and get injured too frequently. Instead, if he surveys the field on a designed run and sees nothing, he heads out of bounds (and don’t think I don’t notice that he sometimes does a light jog at the end, just baiting someone to hit him out of bounds and get a free 15 yards).

It’s encouraging to see Daniels not trying to grind out every last yard. I mean that seriously. Those are the yards you leave to the running backs. He has an uncanny perception of where he is in any space, which will only make it easier for him as he develops his recognition of progressions. I still don’t like teams starting rookie QBs, but I can admit it’s starting to look like Daniels is one of the rare Stroud-like exceptions.

Also, this was sick…

8. Green Bay Packers (3-2) ⇧5

Breathe. Don’t get excited. A lot can happen. All the other platitudes. Breathe. Remember when you thought Jayden Reed was a stupid draft pick? Breathe.

Go Pack.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (2-2) ⇩3

No game.

10. San Francisco 49ers (2-3) ⇩3

After a dominant 1st half with Brock Purdy making every throw and Brandon Aiyuk looking like he earned his new contract, everything seemed to fall apart in the 2nd half. You ever watch a game where you think you know what the score probably is based on what you’ve watched, but then you look at the actual score and the team you thought was dominating just… isn’t? That’s happened to me multiple times this year

11. Atlanta Falcons (3-2) ⇧4

Plenty has already been said about Kirk Cousins and his 509 yards and 4 TDs, but my favorite moment was the last one he threw. Not because it was the game-winner in overtime, but because I love the story of the guy who caught it.

KhaDarel Hodge was a QB in high school and originally went to Alcorn St, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his cousin, Steve McNair. He transferred after redshirting his first year there and transitioned to WR, spending his last 3 years in college at Prairie View A&M.

At his Pro Day, he ran a 4.39 40 and got himself onto the Rams practice squad, from which he was quickly promoted and made an immediate impact on special teams.

Turns out, over the years, he kept the speed. And we all got to see it in action. The Bucs DBs were not prepared for the burst that propelled him about 30 yards in a blink. Undrafted journeyman to primetime hero. God I love this league.

12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) ⇩1

It’s hard to take much away from the Bucs after a loss like that to the Falcons. Baker Mayfield was almost immaculate and the running game is finding its legs.

That said, the secondary might be running a few extra hills this week.

13. Seattle Seahawks (3-2) ⇩4

The Giants? Come on, you’re making me look bad.

Also, 7 combined carries for Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet is just criminal. I get using the short passing game and getting Walker into space, but you also sometimes need to hand it right to him and let him create.

14. Dallas Cowboys (3-2) ⇧3

Solid win over Pittsburgh. A win this week at home over Detroit would be huge heading into their bye, especially with the gauntlet they have coming out of the bye. Including Detroit, their next 6 games are against teams ranked in my top-11.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2) ⇩5

Justin Fields continues to play well, but the Steelers have lost their last 2 games. And now Russell Wilson is back and watching over his shoulder. I’m looking forward to seeing how Fields responds to the added pressure.

16. Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) ⇩2

No game.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (1-4) ⇧3

Offense is back. Can the defense show up before they fall too much further in the hole?

18. New Orleans Saints (2-3) ⇩2

I should’ve stuck with my gut on Derek Carr. He’s been awful in 2 of the last 3 games and now looks to be the same mediocre QB I thought he was. With Carr now sidelined with an oblique injury, Spencer Rattler gets his chance. This may sound like an overreaction, but I won’t be surprised if Carr has taken his last snap with the Saints.

19. Chicago Bears (3-2) ⇧3

That’s now a decent game followed by a little bit better game from Caleb Williams. Do it again.

20. Denver Broncos (3-2) ⇧3

The best thing for the Bears with Williams and the Broncos with Bo Nix is that they were able to scrape a few wins together with great defense while their young QBs went through growing pains.

21. New York Giants (2-3) ⇧6

Who is Tyrone Tracy, Jr.? For starters, he’s the guy who’s no longer available on your fantasy waiver wire. Don’t even bother looking unless you’re in one of those leagues where no one cares. Technically he’s still behind Devin Singletary if he’s able to play, but Tracy has earned more touches.

22. Arizona Cardinals (2-3) ⇧2

I have never been fair to James Conner. In my defense, it’s usually because I would always draft his handcuff in my fantasy leagues with the assumption that Conner couldn’t possibly hold the job for another season. I mean, he’s old, right? Not old old, but running back old.

Last week, the 29-year old Conner absolutely carried the Cardinals offense on his back. He also carried much of the 49ers defense on his back. When he got a single yard, he earned every inch, but more importantly, he made sure everyone who hits him remembers it.

Ask anyone who has ever played defense at any level how many times they like having to run up and pop a 233 lb. running back. Even if you knock him back, there’s always a cost.

23. Indianapolis Colts (2-3) ⇩5

Joe Flacco simply doesn’t age. Also, props to Shane Steichen being able to adjust his offensive scheme so fluidly to accommodate different QB styles. You can’t tell me he calls the same game for Flacco that he does for Anthony Richardson.

That being said, Richardson could learn an awful lot just from watching Flacco operate from the pocket. Not saying Richardson shouldn’t use his athleticism, but his inability to stay on the field would suggest maybe he should focus more on using his incredible arm than his mobile legs.

24. New York Jets (2-3) ⇩5

These rankings were set before Robert Saleh was inexplicably fired, so I’ll leave them where they are for now. But there is so much shady stuff going on with the Jets. Part of me wants to say I’ll check back in on the Jets when Aaron Rodgers takes some responsibility for the team’s poor play so far, but then I may never get to say anything about the Jets again.

Oh, I know he’ll pretend to be accountable. Rodgers is the king of spreading the blame around for his mistakes while also making it seem like a noble gesture that he accepts some of it on himself. He and this entire Jets season is a case study on why you don’t upend a team hierarchy for a single prima-donna player.

I’ll never doubt the abilities of Aaron Rodgers; I watched his entire career with the Packers and he earned every award and accolade. But there’s something off right now, and Garrett Wilson is the only thing keeping the passing game rolling. Allen Lazard is doing nothing more than take away snaps and targets away from the far more talented Mike Williams. And despite the warranted excitement about the RB duo of Breece Hall and Braelon Allen, the pair combined for just 14 carries last week.

That’s not how you beat the Vikings. But far be it from Rodgers or his pawn OC Nathaniel Hackett to take the blame for throwing it 54 times when they were within a score most of the game. And it seems when Saleh began to consider removing Hackett from play calling, or from his position altogether, Saleh was quickly removed. I’m not saying those events are connected, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

Saleh will land somewhere again. Perhaps he’ll join a staff for the rest of this season, or just take the year off. But next year, there will be a defensive coordinator position waiting for him somewhere, and he’ll once again build a dominant defense the way he has for the Niners and the Jets.

25. Vegas Raiders (2-3) ⇩4

I’m not opposed to starting Aidan O’Connell. I just wish that would’ve been the decision to start the season so Gardner Minshew II could go find someplace to thrive.

This better not cut down on Brock Bowers targets cause he’s carrying me in one of my leagues.

26. Los Angeles Rams (1-4) ⇩1

I’m not saying the Rams should chalk this up to another busted season, but… the IR list is growing, and I can’t remember a time when Matthew Stafford had Cooper Kupp, Puka Nucua, and Tutu Atwell to throw to all at the same time. There are pieces coming together on offense, there’s individual potential on defense. Let ’em cook and gear up to grab one of the top QBs in the 2025 draft.

27. Miami Dolphins (2-3) ⇧3

It’s really hard to call what I saw last week a win; they won by a heel. But it wasn’t a loss because the rules are the rules.

28. New England Patriots (1-4) ⇔

So Jacoby Brissett has been sacked 17 times in 5 games and your solution is to replace him with a rookie franchise QB against a team with 2 of the better edge rushers in the game?

I know there’s a lot of pressure on coaches to push these kids into playing, but Drake Maye‘s future depends at least partially on being able to stand upright more often than not. Feeding him to Will Anderson, Jr. and Danielle Hunter will not accomplish that.

29. Tennessee Titans (1-3) ⇔

No game.

30. Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) ⇧2

Is anyone willing to admit Trevor Lawrence looked pretty good last week? I’ll say it. Trevor Lawrence looked pretty good last week. And despite the defense giving up a lot of points, Travon Walker and Josh Hines-Allen were a menace exactly when they needed to be.

The Jags now have back-to-back London games, which are practically home games for them, against the Bears and Pats. There’s a decent chance they fly back over the pond at 3–4.

31. Carolina Panthers (1-4) ⇩5

Despite giving Bryce Young some garbage time snaps in last week’s blowout loss to the Bears, the Panthers will be going right back to Andy Dalton. As they should. Young looked decent in limited action, but it came against a soft Bears defense that was just running out the clock. Dalton is more than capable, and seemingly willing, to take it on the nose the rest of this season so the Panthers can put together a rebuilt team around Young in the future.

32. Cleveland Browns (1-4) ⇩1

I only wish there was a way to rank them lower. When I originally created the rankings and posted them in this article, every other team went in as a header and the Browns name went in as a paragraph. I considered leaving I there so it wouldn’t show up in the table of contents and Browns fans could be spared. But alas, you’re here, and there will be no mercy.

To start, the Browns offensive line was built to run. It was built for Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt. It made room for a hard runner like D’Ernest Johnson. It was not built for Jerome Ford. It was designed for Baker Mayfield to distribute, not for Deshaun Watson to try to create. Chubb is hopefully soon coming back from a long recovery. But Baker is in Tampa on a 9-figure contract cause it turns out he actually is pretty good, and Hunt just ran for 102 yards for the Chiefs because contrary to what the Browns thought, he actually can still play.

In conclusion, which is a stupid way to end any article but somehow fits here, Watson isn’t good. He just isn’t. It’s not his fault… it’s kind of his fault. Okay it’s mostly his fault. But I watched the revisionists come out last week showing clips of Watson throwing passes that bounced off WR’s hands and were intercepted, as if that doesn’t happen to literally every QB in the league. Here is my rebuttal, which contains only 30-ish seconds of the most egregious throws of just the 1st half against the Commanders.

He’s not good. He’s barely average. He’s a circus. Take it away, Britney!