The biggest headache of Week 5 is easy to spot: the Chargers and Texans are both 0-4, and neither one looks remotely close to the team people expected back in August.
Houston entered the year with real buzz as a possible AFC Super Bowl representative. Los Angeles, meanwhile, was supposed to get a boost from Mike McDaniel taking over as offensive coordinator. Four weeks in, that optimism has turned into a mess on both sidelines.
The Texans sit at No. 26 in this week’s Power Rankings, with the Chargers one spot behind them at No. 27.
Houston’s defense, the group that was getting early comparisons to the 1985 Chicago Bears, got punched around by the Cowboys on Sunday. The offense woke up some in that game, and C.J.
Stroud can’t be blamed for the loss, especially after playing well. But the defense wasn’t up to the standard it was supposed to set.
The Chargers’ problems look even uglier on offense. Justin Herbert, who still hasn’t won a playoff game, hasn’t looked comfortable in McDaniel’s system, and the passing game doesn’t have many answers around him.
He’s also made some really bad throws. The schedule doesn’t do them any favors either, with a tougher stretch coming over the next four weeks - including a game against the Texans - and 0-8 is on the table.
If there’s a team more likely to dig out of the hole, the pick would be Houston. Even then, the path is ugly. The Texans are already three games behind the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South, so the wild card may be their only realistic route.
Elsewhere near the top, the 49ers stayed No. 1 after another win, and the Chiefs held at No. 2 despite some concerning hits to the receiver group on Sunday. The Vikings remain undefeated at No. 3, though the offense still hasn’t found its rhythm. The Seahawks are up at No. 4 after a dominant showing against the Chargers, and the Jaguars round out the top five as one of the league’s most complete teams.
The Browns made the biggest jump of the week, climbing nine spots to No. 16 after moving to 3-1 and tying for first in the division. The Lions also moved up eight spots, though it came in a different direction: they fell to No. 20 after a rough defensive performance. The Panthers were another notable riser, jumping eight spots to No. 18 after Bryce Young delivered a standout performance in the win over Detroit on Sunday night.
A few other teams made noise in the middle of the rankings. The Patriots climbed to No. 15 after bouncing back from their loss to the Jaguars by beating the Bills on the road, with Drake Maye drawing praise for shrugging off criticism and playing well. The Cowboys moved up to No. 12 after their road win in Houston, a result that showed they can go toe-to-toe with anybody when their offense is rolling.
At the bottom, the Buccaneers sit at No. 30 as one of the biggest disappointments so far, and the Titans and their offense remain stuck at the very bottom after another 0-4 start.
In Other News...
Chargers Trade Buzz Says One Bold Move Could Save This Offense
A 0-4 start has turned the Chargers offense into the focus of the seasons early frustration, and the gap between preseason expectations and what has shown up on Sundays has been hard to ignore. Bleacher Report floated a possible fix, suggesting Los Angeles could try to swing a trade for Marvin Harrison Jr. from the Cardinals in exchange for a 2027 third-round pick, a move aimed at adding the kind of talent this unit has lacked.
It is the sort of idea that instantly grabs attention because of what the Chargers need and what a receiver of Harrisons caliber would represent for the offense. For now, though, it remains a speculative proposal rather than a concrete path, leaving the bigger question hanging over how aggressive Los Angeles might be in trying to salvage a slow-starting season. [Read more 🡒]
Khalil Mack Trade Buzz Is Suddenly A Chargers Problem
With the Chargers stuck at 0-4, the early-season frustration is already spilling beyond their own locker room and into the trade rumor cycle. CBS analyst Kyle Long, who once played for the Bears, floated the idea that Chicago could try to strengthen its Super Bowl case by bringing back Khalil Mack, the former Bears edge rusher now in Los Angeles.
Mack remains one of the leagues most recognizable pass rushers, a nine-time Pro Bowler whose four seasons in Chicago still resonate with Bears fans and evaluators alike. For the Chargers, the talk is another reminder that a slow start can turn even a proven veteran into a speculative trade chip, though there has been no official move or indication that anything is imminent. [Read more 🡒]
Chargers Suddenly Face A Harbaugh Question Fans Never Wanted
The Chargers rough start has turned what was supposed to be a reset around Jim Harbaugh into an uncomfortable conversation about how much patience still remains. An 0-4 record will do that, especially for a coach brought in to steady a franchise that has spent years looking for consistency. Instead of early optimism, the season has quickly shifted to criticism, with Harbaugh taking heat for the teams play and for a public dustup with a reporter that only added to the noise.
The bigger concern is that the questions are no longer limited to one bad stretch. Justin Herberts recent dip has become part of the debate, and some around the league point to injuries and front office decisions as major factors in the mess. Even so, the Chargers margin for error has vanished, and if the results do not turn soon, the discussion around Harbaugh may move from speculation to something much harder to avoid. [Read more 🡒]