2022 NFL Week 6 Power Rankings: The Dallas Cowboys are flirting with the Top 5

We have reached a significant point in the NFL season as teams are now starting to have bye weeks. Needless to say the buzz surrounding a season’s beginning has faded and we are now well into the marathon.

Through five weeks there is only one undefeated team and five more that have at least four wins. Interestingly enough, the NFC East looks like the class of the league as far as divisions are concerned, and given that we are firmly into the season we can start to draw legitimate conclusions about who these teams really are.

As we do every week we have power ranked every single team in the NFL and collected how various outlets view the Cowboys at present time.

You can visit last week’s rankings right here. Let’s begin.

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1 - Buffalo Bills (LW: 2)

They may not be the last unbeaten team in the NFL, but they look like the most unstoppable force within the league at the moment. It is Buffalo’s world and we are all just living in it.

2 - Kansas City Chiefs (LW: 3)

Monday night saw yet another controversial moment take center stage in the roughing the passer penalty called against the Chiefs, and while it can be argued that Kansas City benefited from some makeup calls after, it cannot be argued that they aren’t one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL when they get rolling.

3 - Philadelphia Eagles (LW: 1)

It feels unfair to drop them when they are the last undefeated team left standing but they looked as weak as they have this season during their win against the Arizona Cardinals.

A win is a win is a win so that is all that ultimately matters, but did the Eagles peak too early?

4 - Baltimore Ravens (LW: 4)

They took down their top foe within their division while not getting a great performance from a quarterback who we know is capable of pulling them off. Watch out.

5 - Minnesota Vikings (LW: 5)

As someone who has believed in the Vikings since the summer I am feeling somewhat vindicated by their 4-1 record. But it is somewhat hollow. As noted, wins are all that ultimately counts and if Minnesota can figure things out offensively on a consistent basis then we will be talking about a legitimate contender.

6 - Dallas Cowboys (LW: 9)

Hello. Hi. The Dallas Cowboys are one of the most sound football teams in the world right now and they are going to inject a top 10 quarterback to the mix sooner rather than later.

That is cause for much excitement.

7 - San Francisco 49ers (LW: 12)

It wasn’t exactly difficult for them to have their way with Carolina but they are checking off all of the necessary boxes right now. Injuries have never really caught up to them but time will tell if they finally do.

8 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers (LW: 7)

The Bucs defense responded well after getting handled by Kansas City last week. Ultimately this is a playoff team, but do we really believe in them? Not really.

9 - Los Angeles Chargers (LW: 10)

Brandon Staley’s decision to go for it was fine in my book, but the Chargers still have a lot of questions. Austin Ekeler may be the most dynamic thing working in their offense right now which wasn’t exactly predicted by a ton of people. Maybe they put it together in the overall but this is the Chargers after all.

10 - New York Giants (LW: 23)

I’ll be the first to admit that this feels a bit high, but how can you have them lower right now? They are answering the call and as upsetting as it is to admit the truth is that they have turned their corner and the darkest part of the night is over. Brian Daboll is the guy.

11 - Tennessee Titans (LW: 16)

The season started off rough for them but credit is deserved by Mike Vrabel and Co. for buckling down and steadying things a bit. They are clearly the favorites to win the AFC South.

12 - Green Bay Packers (LW: 6)

Are we nearing the end of their run with Aaron Rodgers? Please. Pretty please.

13 - New York Jets (LW: 22)

It is kind of nice to see them getting some love and attention. Breece Hall is amazing. Let’s see them do it against the Packers this week though, even though Green Bay is a bit down, and then we will start to get really excited.

14 - Cincinnati Bengals (LW: 11)

It feels strange to have them so low but the good things are just not happening. Call it a Super Bowl loser hangover, call it bad luck, but the Bengals are now staring up in the AFC North and have to figure things out.

15 - New Orleans Saints (LW: 25)

They may, in fact, be able to make things a bit fun and interesting this season. Who knew?!

16 - Seattle Seahawks (LW: 20)

This is also a very fun team. Obviously they lost this past week, but we are only in mid-October. Is it impossible that they win the NFC West?

17 - Los Angeles Rams (LW: 13)

Assuming they play the way that they have been, then the division is very much up for grabs.

18 - New England Patriots (LW: 30)

A lot of people will look at the shutout they pitched on Sunday and equate it to them being back. This is still a really flawed team.

19 - Atlanta Falcons (LW: 18)

Nobody is saying that they are good, but their running game is excellent.

20 - Miami Dolphins (LW: 8)

It is hard to know what is next for the Dolphins. Obviously so much depends on who is playing quarterback for them. But with question marks there right now they are a question mark overall.

21 - Arizona Cardinals (LW: 15)

They couldn’t help us out. Fine. We’ll do it ourselves.

22 - Cleveland Browns (LW: 19)

Blah.

23 - Las Vegas Raiders (LW: 21)

At times they look like they can really challenge but those times are just so few and far in between. It already looks like another lost season for this franchise.

24 - Detroit Lions (LW: 14)

They were supposed to be different. They were supposed to be legitimate this year.

Getting blanked when you are supposed to be the number one offense in the NFL is not legitimate. Same old Lions, unfortunately.

25 - Chicago Bears (LW: 24)

This is a rough rebuild for our friend Matt Eberflus. We will see them in a few weeks, though.

26 - Houston Texans (LW: 32)

Is Dameon Pierce the offensive rookie of the year?

27 - Washington Commanders (LW: 29)

Did you hear what Ron Rivera said on Monday? All of this is happening because of the quarterback. You know, the one they traded for!

28 - Pittsburgh Steelers (LW: 26)

Welcome to the NFL, Kenny Pickett.

29 - Jacksonville Jaguars (LW: 17)

You cannot have people talking about you as a frisky team and then go out and lose like that to the Houston Texans. Like the Lions this is the same sort of thing with the Jaguars.

30 - Indianapolis Colts (LW: 27)

They won last week. But it was gross.

31 - Denver Broncos (LW: 28)

They lost to them.

32 - Carolina Panthers (LW: 31)

Matt Rhule is out. We will see what happens next.

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NFL.com: 10 (LW: 13)

Right behind the Cincinnati Bengals. Interesting.

The stellar Cowboys defense has produced one of my favorite, most straightforward stats of the 2022 NFL season: Dallas has allowed exactly one touchdown in each of its five games this season. The defending champion Rams were the latest team to go one-and-done in a 22-10 Cowboys win at SoFi Stadium. The offensive star was Tony Pollard, whose 57-yard touchdown run gave Dallas the lead back for good and served as the latest reminder that Ezekiel Elliott is not the best running back on Mike McCarthy’s team. Speaking of McCarthy, we loved his line from last Thursday when alerted by a reporter that the Rams were favored in Sunday’s game. Replied the coach: “We’re nobody’s underdog.” Indeed.

ESPN: 5 (LW: 11)

Welcome to the top five!

Chance to make the playoffs: 96.3%

Chance to win their division: 26.5%

Can the offense put up more points? The defense has carried the day so far this season, especially in Dak Prescott’s absence, but the Cowboys have not scored more than 25 points in a game yet this season. There will come a time when they have to win a game with the score in the 30s. Do the Cowboys have enough weapons to win a high-scoring showdown even after Prescott returns to the starting lineup? They have a formula for success right now with their defense controlling the tempo of the game and the offense doing just enough. At some point the offense will have to do more to keep up to ensure a playoff spot. — Todd Archer

USA Today: 5 (LW: 9)

Again!

Their four-game winning streak is the longest in the league outside of Philadelphia. Sunday night’s game in the City of Brotherly Love will be quite a litmus test for both teams, though it’s worth wondering if a Dallas loss might ease the pressure cooker situation QB2 Cooper Rush has created for Dak Prescott.

Yahoo: 4 (LW: 8)

Even higher. Goodness.

If the Cowboys beat the Eagles on Sunday night, we’ll have to take them seriously as a Super Bowl contender. What they’ve done without Dak Prescott is pretty amazing. The defense is top-three good. The offense will be good, too, when Prescott returns. (It’s odd how so many wrote that group completely off for one bad game against Tampa Bay to start the season ... even odder how people still want to stump for Cooper Rush to start over Prescott when he’s healthy.) Losing at Philadelphia wouldn’t be that bad. Beating the Eagles would have everyone taking a second look at how good the Cowboys are.

CBS Sports: 6 (LW: 8)

A couple spots down.

That defense can be suffocating, which has keyed this team. It will be fun to see how they match up with the Eagles offense this week.

The Athletic: 7 (LW: 12)

They included a trade idea for every team, too.

Trade idea: A good Rodney Dangerfield impersonator

Because this team doesn’t get any respect, no respect at all, despite ripping off a four-game gauntlet of wins with a backup quarterback that included deposing both of last year’s Super Bowl teams. Still, they begin the week as 4.5-point underdogs for their prime-time game in Philadelphia Sunday night (what a slate of games this week with Bills-Chiefs and Eagles-Cowboys). The Cowboys lead the league in pressure rate and rank sixth in defensive DVOA. The matchup of their defensive line against the Eagles’ offensive line figures to decide the game to some degree, whether or not Dak Prescott is able to return.

Sports Illustrated: 7 (LW: 7)

No movement.

The Cowboys are surfing right now with Cooper Rush, meaning they’re handling the waves of a season. When Dak Prescott returns, they’ll be downright dangerous, assuming they can continue to attack the passer and play efficient offense.