Why it's a surprise: Life without All-Pro LT David Bakhtiari (recovering from ACL surgery) and Pro Bowl G Elgton Jenkins (missed the past two games with an ankle injury) hasn't been the death knell to the offense that it could have been. The once-strong defense has taken a big hit four weeks in. - Jenna Laineīiggest surprise: The offensive line holding up In addition, Jason Pierre-Paul has missed multiple games with rib fractures, and Antoine Winfield Jr. That luck has changed quickly, with all three starting cornerbacks potentially out now after Carlton Davis left their Week 4 win against the Patriots with a quad injury.
Why it's a surprise: After making it all the way to the Super Bowl and winning, the Buccaneers had a terrific training camp in terms of injuries. Lindsey Thiryīiggest surprise: The large number of injuries Kupp was expected to be a top performer in the Rams' offense, but few could have predicted that he would be among the most productive receivers in the league. Kupp has also been targeted a league-high 46 times, catching 30 passes. Entering Monday night, Kupp leads the NFL with five receiving touchdowns and ranks third with 431 receiving yards.
Why it's a surprise: In his fifth NFL season, Cooper Kupp has established himself as quarterback Matthew Stafford's favorite target and has exploded to become one of the top receivers in the league. Even though Arizona started hot last year and then went into a tailspin, this start feels different. The early meshing of everything is as good of a scenario as it gets for the Cardinals. The offense added some important pieces this season and it was expected that they would all jell, but for all of it to come together and to be undefeated, lead the NFC West, have one of the best offenses in the league and an early MVP candidate at quarterback - well, that is what's surprising. Why it's a surprise: It's not that the Cardinals being good is surprising, it's that everything is clicking so early in the season. Alaina Getzenbergīiggest surprise: Success is happening so quickly The Bills are the fifth team to be plus-80 or better through four games in the past 20 years. That success has led to a plus-90 scoring margin. No matter the opposing offenses - the team has faced three backup quarterbacks - that's a big accomplishment in the NFL. Buffalo has forced three or more turnovers in each of the past three games and has held two opponents scoreless in four games - including a 40-0 win against Houston on Sunday. Why it's a surprise: The fact that the Bills' defense is playing well is not surprising, but it's the numbers that the unit has put up that couldn't have been expected.
How we rank in our Power Rankings: Our power panel - a group of more than 80 writers, editors and TV personalities - evaluates how teams stack up throughout the season. But good or bad, we asked the reporters of all 32 teams to identify the one thing about the teams they cover that has startled them most through 23.52% of the season (we did the math). Others aren't good at all, like the Washington Football Team regressing on defense, the Indianapolis Colts not being able to keep their main players healthy and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers running out of cornerbacks. Some of these surprises are quite good, such as Cooper Kupp being one of the NFL's top receivers for the Los Angeles Rams, Lamar Jackson showing increased passing chops for the Baltimore Ravens or the Arizona Cardinals becoming the it team in the league's hottest division. While we're not at the one-quarter mark of the season yet (thanks to the new 17-game schedule), the NFL Power Rankings thought this week was the perfect time to discuss each team's biggest surprises in the early going. NFL, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, Las Vegas Raiders, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Francisco 49ers, Seattle Seahawks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, Washington
NFL Power Rankings Week 5: 1-32 poll, plus the biggest surprise for every team
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