NFL Post-Week 5 Top 10 Poll and Week 6 Preview

Through 5 weeks, it is readily apparent who the main contenders for Lombardi's trophy will be (assuming no catastrophic injuries). It also looks like we will have some really good divisional races, especially in the NFC East, AFC South and unfortunately, the AFC West (where a team could sneak into the playoffs with an 8-8 record). The only loss outside the division in the AFC South was the Texans losing to Atlanta and all 4 teams are currently above .500.

1. New England - Played their closest game of the season against the might Browns and face their biggest test of the young season when they play the Cowboys.
2. Indianapolis - Despite being without Addai, Harrison and a handful of other players, the Colts keep on rolling. Luckily for them (and unluckily for the rest of the NFL), they have a bye this week to get their guys healthy.
3. Dallas - What a comeback, but this game should not have been this close. Romo turned the ball over 6 times, but had just enough to lead the team to a game winning field goal by rookie kicker Nick Folk. Face New England in the game of the week.
4. Pittsburgh - Apparently that Cardinals game was more of an apparition (or the Cardinals may just be a decent squad), as the Steelers look to be a strong contender by shutting out the Seahawks despite playing without their two best defensive players.
5. Jacksonville - If they can get the running game going, they will be tough to beat. David Garrard doesn't make many mistakes and the defense has been solid all year.
6. Green Bay - Same goes for the Packers who need some running yardage to keep defenses from focusing all attention on Favre. After being exploited in the second half by Chicago, the Pack may be falling down the rankings real fast.
7. Tennessee - The defense keeps winning this team games. Vince Young looked oddly human throwing three interceptions, which tends to happen when Fisher begins to expect too much from #10 having him throw more than 25 passes.
8. Arizona - Keep finding ways to win, but are now saddled with Kurt Warner as their sole QB due to Leinart's broken collarbone.
9. New York Giants - Offense can be explosing and defense finally starting to turn the corner. Having Brandon Jacobs back healthy could push this team to the playoffs.
10. Washington - If the running game is working like it did against the Lions and the defense keeps it up, this will be a tough team to beat.

What to look for in Week 6: New England vs. Dallas is the biggest story, but there are some interesting matchups to keep in mind. Washington goes into Lambeau field to take on the Packers in a battle of once-beatens. The Texans travel to Jacksonville, which hopefully will provide more clarity as to who is #2 in the AFC South, along with the Titans heading to Tampa to play the Bucs in a game involving two over-achieving teams. Finally, Carolina heads into Arizona to take on the Cards in a game of teams that will be battling it out playoff legitimacy in the NFC.