Labar: The 5 Most Intriguing NFL Teams Through Week 5

By Abby Labar
Sportmoney Columnist

How we’re already through week five is beyond me. I swear the NFL season just started. Can we get a vibe check on Jets fans? You guys okay? I was just thinking I probably have more Giants than Jets friends, but I’ll be sure to make sure they feel the love as I return back to NYC from a weeklong hiatus in Hawaii. Speaking of, despite the crazy time difference out in the tropics I did in fact get to watch the end of that wild Falcons-Bucs game. Good for you, Kirk Cousins and Atlanta. 

Time to get back to business, and here’s the deal: I’m picking my top five through week five. I’m choosing my favorite/most intriguing teams to watch through week five, not necessarily the ones I think are the best. With that in mind, have friendly discussions and disagreements with these as you please! 

5. Chicago Bears: The preseason buzz about this team was only fitting. Now that we’re seeing Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams in action, it’s the first time since 2021 that the Bears are above .500 through their first five games. Lots of promise and potential is showing for this group considering their two losses weren’t terrible, one coming in a close one against a really good Texans team. Just this week we heard D.J. Moore speak up about how Williams has been “bossy,” but that just goes to show the 22 year old has not been afraid to step into a leadership role and own the confidence he has to command this team. That’s what this locker room needed and it’s great to hear as an NFL fan, considering rookie QBs are always a toss up in year one. We’re seeing a ceiling for Williams that may be even higher than Jayden Daniels (not a knock on Daniels at all, just to show how good Williams can be). If you look at his numbers through five games, he’s already writing history and records in the Bears books. All that to say the buzz has carried into the regular season, and I don’t plan on taking my eyes off of this Bears team anytime soon. 

4. Baltimore Ravens: Okay so this is kind of a weird one because really through five weeks they haven’t met expectations. But after a brutal two losses, they’ve won three straight against good opponents. The Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry duo has been fun and is as advertised, and they haven’t even scratched the surface. Jackson has been playing lights out and is always so fun to watch when he’s on his game. But there are several pieces to this team, the unsung heroes, per say, that are providing production in surprising ways. Take Justice Hill for example, who has been in the shadow of Henry but has done a lot of the little things that Henry doesn’t do as much – such as catching 17 passes for 169 yards out of the backfield. Not to mention the defense is crushing offenses as well right now. With the momentum rolling for the Ravens, we will see if they can climb back up into the Super Bowl favorites conversations. 

3. Houston Texans: I was already intrigued by this group coming into the season after the potential we saw from C.J. Stroud and Co. that surprised us all last year, so I’m happy to see how they’ve started the year. The winning close games thing has definitely kept us on the edge of our seats, but that’s the key word there is … “winning.” They’re finding a way which is what good teams do, especially under pressure. And again, it’s keeping our eyes peeled on this team. Good competition is always more fun to watch anyway. I just think this team has such a high ceiling right now, and it will be really telling how they handle the Nico Collins injury in the coming weeks. Talk about a good test for a team with potential. Is this where they take the next step? Lucky for them, they’ve got a friendly upcoming schedule with the Patriots, Packers, Colts and Jets.

2. Minnesota Vikings: One of two teams left undefeated through five weeks, and the other is the reigning Super Bowl Champion Chiefs. But wait, who’s leading this Vikings team? Sam Darnold is at the helm of it?! Honestly good for him. A QB who has really struggled to find his rhythm and a home the last few seasons finally getting the support and success everyone’s wanted for him. But besides how fun and exciting that has been to watch, the defense has proven to be the best in the league right now. You really truly have a complete team with this Vikings group that was only projected to win about 6 or 7 games coming into the year. You can’t pull the schedule argument either with the Vikings, who are winning games against excellent teams. The front office got really lucky with their free agent acquisitions, who have all produced solid numbers to start the year. This team is so fun to watch because they aren’t a fluke. They are firing on all cylinders and showing what a truly good, complete football team looks like. Even with injuries to guys like T.J. Hockenson, they’re finding ways to figure out how to fill the holes, and their depth shows promise. Aaron Jones has a guy in Ty Chandler behind him who put up solid numbers last season, so no need to panic if Jones is out for a second either. I personally hope to see this success continue for Minnesota, which unexpectedly continues to rise to the occasion. 

1. Washington Commanders: I know. Who would have thunk it. But it goes to show how big of an impact a good QB can have on a team. I’m loving this Jayden Daniels, Kliff Kingsbury combo. The two are clicking in the best way, and fresh faces for the culture seem to be just what the doctor ordered inside a locker room that had struggled to find optimism and positivity in recent years, finishing last in the NFC East the past two seasons. Even with the new tools added to the shed, there still wasn’t a lot of external confidence surrounding this team. In fact, FanDuel had them at 6.5 wins this year. Talk about exceeding expectations. Sure you can argue the competition hasn’t been crazy competitive for their 4-1 start to the year, but we’re talking about beating a few teams by comfortable margins – including putting up 34 on a really good Cleveland defense. I’m buying into all the buzz and it’ll be fun to see how they continue to flourish with the confidence they are playing with right now. If they go into Baltimore and do some work on the Ravens, then we can truly say this team is the real deal. It’s got all the makings of a great Cinderella Story.