Who's trending up (and down) in our NFL power rankings?

Week 5 is almost in the books, and my goodness, it was a total ride. Who's trending up and trending down in the NFL power rankings? We break it all down PLUS give you one bet on the team that has us interested.

Teams trending up 📈

New York Freakin' Giants

4-1, baby! An upset against the Packers in London, govenuh?! Innit?! 

We'll give you $1,459,302 in fake GS dollars if you can name the three wide receivers that led the team in offensive snap rate in Week 5. All die-hard Giants fans are disqualified from the above activity, btw. The answer: Marcus Johnson, Richie James and Darius Slayton.

So, how are they sitting at 4-1 despite their lack of any notable WR or TE? Saquon Barkley is running his booty off. So is QB Daniel Jones, for that matter. Their defense is helping out too, currently tied for the ninth-highest pressure rate among NFL teams and third-fewest yards allowed after the catch on completions.

Despite what looks like a complete lack of excitement from Jones following yesterday's W (see below), I'm sure Brian Daboll is thrilled with what he's seen from this crew so far. They've got 12 games left in the season and are just three wins short of their projected win total from the preseason.

Saquon Barkley odds for NFL rushing leader: +300 | Bet $10, win $30

Dallas Cowboys

No, Gaming Society is not sponsored by the NFC East.

The Cowboys will have an uphill battle to win the division as long as the Eagles (AKA their Week 6 opponent) remain red-hot. But they've still got a lot to be excited about. Their odds at the postseason absolutely plummeted after QB Dak Prescott suffered a thumb injury back in Week 1. Now, they've clawed their way back to relevance with the sixth-best odds among NFL teams to make the playoffs at -420 (Bet $42 to win $10!).

While Prescott's been out, Cooper Rush has gone 4-0 as a starter. Do we think there's seriously a quarterback controversy brewing? No. But to have the luxury of a solid backup partnered with an excellent defense is the American dream. Now, the Cowboys are living it.

Micah Parsons odds to win Defensive Player of the Year: +100 | Bet $10 to win $10

Minnesota Vikings

That Justin Jefferson guy is pretty damn good, huh?

This team has one of the more underrated NFL quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins, funneling offense through the league's best wide receiver in Jefferson and a top-five running back in Dalvin Cook. We like that recipe for success. PFF also has them graded as a top-11 defense, allowing scores at the 10th-lowest rate of any NFL team.

This team is well-rounded across the board, and the struggles of the rest of the teams in the NFC North have them in a really solid position for a run in the postseason.

Justin Jefferson odds to win Offensive Player of the Year: +600 | Bet $10 to win $60

Teams trending down 📉

Green Bay Packers

A loss to Daniel Jones? In this economy? 

Aaron Rodgers & Co. fell to 3-2 and rank second in the NFC North behind the Minnesota Vikings. They've scored on just 30.9% of plays this year — good for the seventh-lowest scoring rate in the NFL — and Aaron Rodgers looks kind of totally washed.

So far in 2022, Rodgers is averaging the fourth-lowest NFL passer rating and fourth-lowest "Big Time Throw" rate per Pro Football Focus of his career. Sure, he's averaging the fourth-highest completion rate of his career, but he's also targeting receivers just 6.8 yards down the field on average – the seventh-lowest average depth of target in the league.

Why didn't the Packers run more in a game where they led for the first three quarters? Why is Aaron Rodgers apparently obsessed with targeting receivers behind the line of scrimmage? So many questions. The good news for the Packers is we still have 12 more weeks to answer them.

Packers to finish with 10 or fewer regular-season wins: -105 | Bet $10.50 to win $10

Pittsburgh Steelers

Guess who's officially in line for the  No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft? This team. ☝🏼 The Steelers have had the first pick in the NFL draft just three times in team history. Their last No. 1 overall pick? Terry Bradshaw in 1970. Hot take: He panned out.

2022 might be the first year ever that Mike Tomlin's team registers a losing record. Considering he's been the team's head coach since 2006, it feels like he's due. It's not all bad news for the Steelers, though. Kenny Pickett, their 2022 first-round pick, made his debut as a starter in Week 5.

His stat line was unimpressive, posting 447 passing yards, 0 TDs and 4 INTs in 72 snaps so far this season, but his ability as a rusher does open up the playbook for OC Matt Canada.

LA Rams

Matthew Stafford got Cooper Rush'd this week. Can someone please get this offense some Liquid IV so they can nurse this Super Bowl Hangover and get on with it?

Stafford's preseason odds to win NFL MVP sat at +1600 and have now plummeted to +5500 (Bet $10 to win $550) in case that's any indication of what we're working with. Five TDs and 7 INTs on the year says that either Stafford's elbow is that gimpy OR Sean McVay broke the Rams.

They're averaging 4.8 yards per play — tying the Steelers for the lowest in the league — and have the second-most turnovers (12) through five games. Ouch.

Rams to have 9 or fewer regular-season wins: -135 (Bet $13.50 to win $10)