NFL Power Rankings: Week Five

Week 5 recap: the Bears blew away the Jaguars in the second half, the Packers lost to the Colts in a second half meltdown, the Vikings hammered the Titans, and the Lions enjoyed a bye week without any of their players making headlines for getting arrested. How did all that affect the NFC North's power rankings? (N.B. MJD of Yahoo Sports hasn't put his up yet; they'll be added to the post when available. Update: they're in. Vikings ranked highest? Really?) Also, you can watch the SBN power rankings presented in video format (link pops).

It looks like the Bears are comfortably heading into playoff territory (playoffs? Yeah, we're talking 'bout playoffs), by all accounts. The Vikings are surprising everyone and surging up the tables after starting the season at or near the basement alongside the likes of the Browns. The Packers are proving less than convincing this season and their stunning loss to a rebuilding, rookie-QB-led Colts team - a game in which they were leading 21-3 at halftime before being outscored 27-6 in the second half - is reflected by a corresponding drop into double discount digit territory. The Lions were passed on a couple of lists by teams crawling out of the bottom third (Rams, Colts) and face the Eagles on Sunday.

Are the Vikings really better than the Packers, or will the former come crashing to reality as teams concentrate on their main weapons? Will the latter learn to balance their offense, or even be able to now that Cedric Benson is ruled out for at least 8 weeks with a Lisfranc foot injury? How far can will the Jets slide when they replace a bad QB with an even worse one, and will it cost Rex Ryan his head coaching job? Check the lists and share your thoughts.