With each week, the upper-tier of the NFL becomes better defined.
It isn't simply these teams' ability to stay unbeaten that's so impressive. It's the convincing way they do it, beginning with the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts. (Is it time to consider creating a separate league for these two?)
The Patriots have been good for at least 34 points in all five victories, the latest a 34-17 pounding of the Cleveland Browns. The Colts? Even without two of their best offensive players, Marvin Harrison and Joseph Addai, they cruised to a 33-14 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Provided they don't stub their collective toe against the 1-3 Buffalo Bills on Monday Night Football, the Dallas Cowboys will continue to be welcomed among the league's elite. And in Week 6, the Cowboys and Patriots finally will give us a game between a pair of true heavyweights.
At 4-1, the Pittsburgh Steelers also have made a fairly strong case to belong in the NFL's upper-tier. They rebounded from a surprising Week 4 loss to Arizona with a vengeance, shutting out the Seattle Seahawks, 21-0.
Another 4-1 team, the Green Bay Packers, also remains in the high-end neighborhood despite its 27-20 loss to the Chicago Bears.
What do all five of these teams have in common? Offensive firepower and playmaking defenses.
Tom Brady, the early front-runner for the league MVP, continues to make Patriots opponents look silly with the ease in which he consistently connects with his receivers. He has thrown for at least three touchdowns in each game, joining Steve Young (1998) as the only quarterbacks to throw at least three in the first five games of a season. And Brady always leaves the impression that he easily could have thrown more.
The same can be said for Peyton Manning, who threw for two touchdowns against the Bucs. And for the Cowboys' Tony Romo. And for the Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger, who showed that he still can move the ball through the air, even when he doesn't have his two best receivers -- Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes missed the Seattle game with injuries -- and plays on a bum foot. And for the Packers' Brett Favre, who has managed to dial himself back to his youth (although, against the Bears, he also reverted to some of the youthful mistakes that used to drive Mike Holmgren crazy).
Who else really has it?
Face it. We're not even at the midpoint of the season and it is shaping up as a league of a handful of haves and a whole bunch of have-nots.
And after that top five, it isn't all that easy to determine exactly which teams merit discussion as anything slightly better than mediocre.
Perhaps the Lions, Buccaneers, and Seahawks used Week 5 to remind us they aren't quite ready for prime time after all. The Lions have suffered blowout losses in two of their last three games. The Bucs' injury list at running back continues to grow, with Michael Pittman leaving the Indianapolis game with a bad ankle.
What happened to the Seahawks' explosive offense? The Steelers' defense is good, but for Matt Hasselbeck and Co. not to produce a single point is more than mildly surprising. After all, it was the first time the Seahawks were shut out in seven years. And the Steelers were without two key injured defensive starters, nose tackle Casey Hampton and safety Troy Polamalu.
Are we to believe that the Tennessee Titans (3-1), who barely were able to dispose of the Atlanta Falcons (1-4), are a legitimate force? How about the Jacksonville Jaguars (3-1), who had a solid win against the Kansas City Chiefs (2-3)? Did the Redskins (3-1) turn the corner by beating up on the Lions, 34-3, after having an extra week to stew about a heartbreaking loss to the Giants in Week 3?
Maybe, but more proof is needed.
Certainly, the Houston Texans (3-2) could only view themselves as thankful for escaping with a 22-19 victory over winless Miami. Ditto for the Carolina Panthers (3-2) in beating winless New Orleans, 16-13.
And the truth comes out
It is commonly said in NFL circles that the first few weeks produce more surprises than any other time in the season, because teams have limited information about each other, beyond what little they glean from preseason videotape.
After that, the truth comes out. Generally speaking, once the better teams know what they're facing and are prepared to handle it, their superior talent takes care of the rest.
Consequently, we saw almost no surprises in the outcome of Week 5 games.
It's hard to say whether this means the Chargers have clearly righted themselves and will continue to perform as a team widely viewed before the season as a serious Super Bowl contender.
However, the most encouraging sign for San Diego had to be the performance of Philip Rivers. After bumbling his way through most of the first four games, he looked sharp and efficient in completing 13 of 18 passes for 270 yards and two touchdowns without an interception.
Quarterback pain
» Arizona: With Matt Leinart suffering a broken collarbone in the Cardinals' 34-31 victory over winless St. Louis, Ken Whisenhunt's two-platoon quarterback system will be shutting down. Now, instead of replacing Leinart to provide a change-up/boost to the offense, Kurt Warner will find himself filling the position on a full-time basis for awhile. And the way Warner has been performing, he should fill it well.
» Kansas City: Damon Huard left the Chiefs' loss to Jacksonville early with a shoulder injury. Brodie Croyle took his place in the fourth quarter and connected with Sammie Parker for Kansas City's lone touchdown. Huard already has been ruled out of the Chiefs' Week 6 game against Cincinnati. Given that Croyle had opened training camp as Kansas City's starter, the door is clearly open for him to nail down the job and do whatever he can to bring consistency to a struggling offense.
» Miami: Trent Green was wheeled off the field in the Dolphins' loss to Houston. He suffered a concussion after taking a knee to the helmet while making a block on Texans defensive lineman Travis Johnson. The concussion he suffered at the start of last season, causing him to miss several games, ultimately helped contribute to the Chiefs' decision to ship him to Miami. Cleo Lemon took over against the Texans. If he has to fill the starting job for an extended period, it's doubtful the Dolphins could expect a turnaround.
Unbeaten and about to fall?
» Indianapolis: The Colts have a bye in Week 6.
